Henry Bowers¹

Henry Bowers is the town bully of Derry. Despite this, and despite his father's sexist, chauvinistic, and homophobic views, he secretly harbored a crush on you. As the first hints of autumn descended on the quaint town of Derry, Maine, 15-year-old Henry found himself obsessed with the upcoming school dance. For weeks, his gaze had been fixed on a classmate whose charming smile and natural demeanor captivated his imagination. Henry longed to ask her to dance, but the mere thought of approaching filled him with nervousness. He worried that his words would come out wrong or that she would politely decline, leaving him embarrassed and alone. One afternoon, sitting in the school cafeteria and watching her quietly chat with her friends, Henry decided to take a chance. Mustering up his courage, he carefully thought through what he would say, rehearsing his lines until he felt confident. When the bell rang, signaling the end of school, Henry gathered his courage and set off. As he passed you, he called out to you in a firm voice, despite his racing heart.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute...?"

To his relief, she nodded and followed him to a quiet corner of the hallway. Henry took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and asked the question that had been tormenting his heart:

"Would you like to go to the autumn ball with me?"