GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

chapter fifteen.

"here, pass it." richie spoke, and bill set it in the trashmouths hand. "why is it all murders and missing kids?" he asked, flipping through the pages.

"let me see rich! your head is huge!" cass muttered, setting her hand on richies shoulder and sitting next to him. she leaned her head onto his shoulder so she could see the papers.

bev set her jaw and rolled her eyes, knowing full well what cass was
doing. she knew it was out of jealousy though, so she calmed herself down and started a conversation with bill.

meanwhile, stan kept his eyes on cass, studying everything she did. the way her lips parted slightly as she read over richies shoulder, and how she brushed her long brown hair behind her ears when she blushed or smiled.

stan thought she was perfect, and for a couple moments, he almost completely forgot she was gay.

"derry isn't like any town i've ever been in before." ben started, and cass shifted her eyes to the boy, ignoring the stares from stan and bev. "they did a study once, and it turns out people die or disappear six times the national average."

"you read that?" bev asked, eyes widening. ben nodded, and spoke again.

"and thats just the adults. kids are worse. way, way worse."

cass thought back to the clown, and what her 'mother' had said to her.

'you'll float too.' her mind
echoed, and she grabbed richies hand out of fear. she didn't notice the tips
of the boys ears go red, but bev did, and she pushed back the lump in her throat.

"i've got more stuff if you wanna see it." ben suggested, and cass shook her head vigorously along with eddie, and bill nodded.

"i wanna go." bev spoke, and stan shrugged. cass sighed and stood up,
grabbing her clothes and pulling them on.

"lets go then."

THEY DROPPED THEIR BIKES IN bens front yard, and ben ran in before everyone else, causing cass to laugh.

the rest of the boys walked in, richie and eddie talking about god knows what. cass began walking, but bev grabbed her hand.

"cass whats wrong? why won't you talk to me?"

"why don't you talk to ben?" cass snapped, and bev shook her head.

"seriously? we just did this yesterday."

"well he keeps complementing you, and then you blush and smile all sweetly and-" she was cut off by bevs lips on her own, and she smiled softly.

"i like you, not him."

"okay." cass smiled, and bev returned it.

"come on, lets go see bens creepy stories."

they wandered into bens house, quickly pin pointing where his room was. they could hear richies voice
from almost three rooms away.

as they entered his room, their eyes wandered around and widened, and cass squeezed bevs hand quickly before letting it go.

"derry started as a beaver trapping camp." ben explained, and richie took no time to make a comment.

"still is am i right boys!" he exclaimed, holding his hand up for a high five. stan shook his head disappointedly and cass laughed softly. she wandered over to where bill was standing, watching him inspect a small film with derrys sewer system on it.

"do you think georgie is in there somewhere?" she whispered to him, and he nodded softly, turning towards her.

"he has to be." she nodded and gave him a reassuring hug, and he smiled softly.

"-but later that winter they all disappeared without a trace."

"the entire camp?" eddie asked dumbfounded and cass walked over to bev.

"this makes me feel sick." cass muttered, and bev nodded.

"there were rumors of indians, but no sign of attack. they just thought it was a plague or something." ben explained, looking at a picture. she walked over to get a closer look, inspecting all of the faces. her blood ran cold when her eyes landed on one, and her heart beat quickened.

"its like everyone just got up and left. the only clue was a trail of bloody clothes leading to the well house."

"jesus." richie muttered, and cass couldn't even smile. her eyes were glued to the haunting face on the paper. she didn't even notice when everyone else had begun talking about something else.

it was the clown.

"what are you afraid of cass?" the voice was so loud it was like it was right behind her. she turned, tears welling up in her eyes. as bev opened the door she had closed moments before, she saw the clown, standing there, a
menacing smile on its face.

then she screamed, her head spinning, and she fell to the floor.

•••

haha hey guys sorry
i've been mia