Buttercup | r. tozier

↠ jasmine jeong

10 Months Later

How time flew so fast! Today was the last day of school, and I was just so excited for summer break to come. I could not wait for all the time I get to spend with my friends, especially the adventures that await the moment the gruff red alarm went off. Funny flashbacks from last summer were reeling in the back of my mind while the math teacher was talking about an equation I could not quite understand. And boy, they were the center of my attention at that instance, even when the bell rang and nearly everyone left the room.

"Uh, J-J-Jasmine, sc-school is already o-over," my friend Bill said.

I snapped back to reality and said with pure shock, "Oh boy, did not realize that school is really over! Mianhamnida!" (1)

"N-no need to ap-apologize," Bill replied with a smile as I packed up my bag, "let's go."

We both went out of the classroom and saw Richie, Eddie, and Stan waiting for us.

"Finally Jasmine, we've been waiting for you for quite a while," Stan said.

"Yeah, where have you been? Daydreaming about me again, buttercup?" Richie asked with a smirk.

My cheeks went a bit red. Embarrassed, I speak, "Ah, sorry about that, I just got too caught up with my world. And no, it's not really about you, Richie. It's actually about what we are all going to do..."

Richie finished my last sentence when I paused to think about something else. "Speaking of summer, we should have been out of this fucking building."

"A-alright, then w-w-we are going," Bill stuttered as the five of us were walking through the main hall, with Eddie besides me.

Outside was a pandemonium caused by mobs of students that either waited to be picked up by their parents or still talked to their friends. We passed by them as we exit the school's domain. The sky was sunny, and yet it was getting cloudier each minute went by. The cool breezes gently whistled through our ears while a loud thud could be heard from a car not far away. I stopped in my tracks and looked around to investigate what it was. Richie and Stan were catching up on me, talking about the Barrens, when a roguish boy known as Henry Bowers, or Bowels, pulled Richie's backpack, resulting in him, Stan, and I falling on our backs like a pile of dominoes.

"Nice frisbee, flamer," Patrick, another guy with dark hair, chuckled evilly.

I am not sure what it was that Patrick had, but I can see Stan struggling to grab the thing from him before Patrick snickered as he threw the item, hitting the departing school bus.

"Fucking losers," was what I heard next.

Seconds later, a guy in the cap, who went by the name Belch, burped loudly on Eddie's face before pushing him down. Bowels bumped hard onto Bill, muttering quietly about us being losers.

Out of the blue, Bill yelled while he stammered, "Y-y-y-you suck, B-B-Bowers." Everything went quiet as Bowels and his cronies turned around.

Eddie looked at Bill in the eye and said, "Shut up, Bill."

Not long, Bowels raised his voice as he mimicked Bill's stutter. "You say something, B-B-Billy?" he mockingly stuttered as Richie, Stan, and I stood up and joined with Bill and Eddie.

"You get a free ride this year 'cause of your little brother," Bowels continued as emotions were bubbling inside me like magma, "Ride's over, Denbrough."

Silence was then set on, and no one, but Bowels, knew why.

"This summer's gonna be a hurt train for you and your faggot friends," Bowels said as he licked his palm and rubbed his slobbery hand on Bill's face before he and his minions left, sniggering over our "loss."

With hurt and fury, we looked at the gang plopping themselves into a blue car before the engine started to gurgle on gasoline as it was turned on.

I mumbled with the best effort to hold back this fiery feeling, "Ah, chon-nom beo-seos..." (2)

"I wish he'd go missing," Richie said with a sigh, "he's probably the one doing it."

The car began to take on its course when Eddie spotted a lane of bicycles.

-

Note

(1) "Mianhamnida" (미안합니다) means "Sorry" in a formal way

(2) "...chon-nom beo-seos..." (촌놈 버섯) means "...those unsophisticated toadstools..."