If We Live: Stephen King's IT {slow updates}

Chapter 26: Bonfire Nights

    "So where are we going anyways?" Amelia asks, hands in her overalls pockets and converse kicking at the pebbles on the road.
"You'll see," Grace teases, linking arms with Amelia. "You're gonna love it, though. We do this every week or so."
"Do what?" Amelia asks.
"It's a surprise," Grace sing-songs, leaving Amelia to pout.
"There'll be other kids there, though, all the kids on our block do this. And since you guys are newbies, you'll have to perform the new ritual," Chris adds on.
"R-Ritual?" Bill asks. Chris nods.
"If you guys would just tell us-"
"No! It's surprise!" Grace interrupts. Amelia sighs loudly, obviously not enjoying the unknown. It was cold out, but the moon and the stars in the night sky were beautiful. They reflected on her pale blue eyes, giving them a tiny glint to them.
   "Do wah diddy diddy dum, diddy do," Grace sang. Amelia smiled.
  "Snapping her fingers and shuffling her feet," Amelia sang along.
  "Singing do wah diddy, diddy dum, diddy do." Chris was now joining in, but Bill decided it be best to not do so. He couldn't sing with an awful stutter like his. So he only hummed along and listened.
"She looked good," Grace giggled.
"She looked good," Chris and Amelia repeated.
"She looked fine," Grace then sang.
"She looked fi-" The two were cut short by the sounds of loud music and hollering. Amelia froze, but Chris and Grace only hollered back.
"Whoop Dee whoop! Fiddle-Dee-Dee, it is I, the one and only Gracie!" Grace hollered, then sprinted forward to the sound and disappeared behind the shrubbery that led into a hidden area.
"What in the world..." Amelia trailed off, making Chris laugh.
"Through the streets and from the cracks, the one and only Chris is back!" Chris hollered, earning many wild cheers. They were coming from somewhere that was nowhere, if that made any sense. They could hear them, but could not see them.
   "W-What the h-huh-hell is going on?" Bill asked. Chris smiled.
"Don't worry, you pass initiation and they'll come up with one for you too," was all that Chris replied with, gesturing for them to follow him behind the shrubbery. The sight in front of them caught the two off guard.
A least a seven kids (now eleven with the arrival of Grace, Chris, Amelia, and Bill) were dancing around and jamming around a campfire. There were logs around the campfire, some blankets, a basket with provided food, and of course, someone's radio. Some were dancing, some talking and laughing, other's running around and hollering, while some just sat and ate food with smiles as they watched the others play.
It was a secluded area, close to a small cave not too far from their bonfire, covered in shrubs and trees to keep hidden from any others who did not belong, such as Bill and Amelia. It was like a place for Peter Pan's lost boys to hang out.
   There seemed to be six guys, and one girl, now eight guys and three girls with the group's arrival. They all stopped what they were doing at the return of Grace and Chris, along with unfamiliar newcomers..
    "Hey Chris!" One of the boys strolls over. He's got black hair and bright green eyes, a mischievous smile on his face. He's tall and lanky as well.
   "Hey, Bean!" Chris exclaims, high fiving him. The boy glances over at Amelia with a tiny smirk.
"This your girlfriend?" He smirks. Amelia blushes, shaking her head quickly.
"No, no," she smiles nervously, "just a friend.
I'm Amelia." He shakes her hand.
"Well, I'm Adam, but people call me String Bean, Bean for short," he winks. Amelia smiles.
"Nice to meet you." she went on to meet everyone else, people like String Bean, a boy named Johnny with the nickname of Bashful, a boy named Alex, a boy named Michael, a boy with the name of Kyle who went by Chicken, and a boy named Bandit. Then she met the only other girl, who's name was Melissa, her nickname being Rosita. She was a very pretty young Hispanic woman, one with rosy colored lips, and a bit of a sweet, feisty side to her, so the name went well with her.
"Well, you wanna be part of our group, then you gotta pass initiation," Bean states.
"W-What do we h-h-have to do?" Bill asks. Chris smirks.
"It's easy really... If you can keep up," he chuckles. Keep up? Oh boy.
~~~~
   "If you can eat this whole bowl of mystery slop in under three minutes, then you're in." Bill stares down at the bowl in curiosity and a bit of nervousness.
  "W-What's in it?" He asks. Chris shrugs.
  "You know, some oatmeal, mushed up apples, cinnamon." Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Chris smirked. "Some mud, can of slime, crushed up twigs, Grace's saliva, and dirty river water." There it is.
Bill sighed, and noticing Amelia standing there, asked in annoyance, "H-How come she doesn't h-huh-have to do it?"
"Because her initiation was just to promise not to actually turn out to be some annoying psycho bitch that would ruin the fun, and she did. This is to show you're man enough, daring enough to do what we can do." String Bean smirked.
"Yeah, plus she's pretty," Bandit added, causing Bill to grip his spoon tightly. Bandit's words made Johnny, also know as Bashful, blush a deep shade of red. He was adorable.
"You can do it, Bill!" Grace cried out in excitement and encouragement. Bill gave her a nervous smile. He glanced over at Amelia, who gave him a small thumbs up and encouraging smile. Bill gulped.
"H-here goes," he muttered, digging his spoon in.
"Your time starts.... Now," Chris said, looking down at his watch them up at Bill. Bill took a spoonful in his mouth and almost gagged. The stuff was awful. The ten of the group cheered loudly as Bill began to down the bowl. Half of it was already done in a minute thirty.
"Ha! He's doin' it!" Bandit exclaimed. Michael and Alex were in fits of laughter. Chris simply kept his eyes on his watch, while Grace kept shaking Amelia in excitement. Meanwhile, Rosita was cheering her heart out, Bashful keeping his eyes on her as he gazed at her with admiration and adoration.
"Done," Bill declared, setting the fork down and swallowing the last of the food. Chris smiled in impressment.
"Alright, kid," he said, "you're in." Bill smiled, letting out a loud burp. Everyone laughed and cheered.
"Alright! Amelia and Bill!" They exclaimed.
"Now we need to make up your catchphrases," Chris said.
"Ooo! This is the best part!" Grace exclaimed.
"Hmm, what rhymes with Amelia and Bill?"
"Down the street, over the hill, I am the wondrous Big Bill!" String Bean chanted.
"Ooo, I love it! Bean, you're a genius!" Grace chimed. "Bill, you gotta remember this, okay?" He nodded.
"Okay, what about Amelia?" Melissa (Rosita) asked. The group pondered this for a moment, for Amelia was a bit harder.
"Well, maybe a nickname would work?" Michael suggested.
"Hmm... Let's see." The group looked her over, trying to find the perfect name.
"Well she likes music, and piano."
"She's pretty."
"She's got blue eyes!"
"Hmm, she's sweet and gentle."
"And nice!"
"I got it!" Chris exclaimed, snapping his fingers as he said so.
"What is it?" Amelia asked in amusement.
"Piano keys, cups of tea, it's my party! Crystal eyes, get it right, I'm Amelia Jones!" Chris chanted. Amelia laughed a lighthearted laugh.
"That's great," she giggled, "I love it." Chris smiled bashfully, earning a playful nudge from all of the boys except Johnny and Bill.
"Welp," Bean smiled, hooking his arms around the two, "now you're part of our club."
"W-What's t-th-the club?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. Rosita came over, taking their palms and placing blue stones in each of their hands.
"The Stones."
~~~~
A/N: cheesy group name bahahaha. I haven't updated in forever I know, but I've had serious writer's block. Literally like I would write a sentence for this, then get stuck, then come back weeks later and write a little more then get stuck again. I honestly didn't plan this story to go this way and I don't rlly like it but I'll have to steer it back to my original plans at one point haha. Anyways, I hope there are still some ppl who actually still read this story. If so, I appreciate for u still sticking to it. Love u💕 and thanks for 5k on this book!
~Melissaaaa {yes I named a character after me in this chapter, big deal. She ain't gonna stay long anyways, and no one EVER used my name in any stories which sucks, so I took matters into my own hands.}
P.S. I'm currently dying bc I finished my binge watching of TWD and cried at the end of the last episode of season six and can't wait for 7 but at the same time I don't wanna know who Negan killed aGh. Plus fear the walking dead is coming back this Sunday whoop whoop! Chris Manawa here I come ;) jk jk okay goodbye
Also I have some fanfics in the works, such as a River Phoenix one, Back to the Future, Stand by Me, Billie Joe{Green Day}, Chandler Riggs one, Carl Grimes imagine book, Steven Yeun, a Sandlot one, and a Chris Manawa one. Maybe y'all can choose my next book ;) {probably wouldn't be published until a while for now but it'll give me an idea of what I should be working on. None are ready for publishing}