TORN ~ ☑️

chapter 7

Rosie Evans

      When we all had to get home, we gave goodbye hugs and said things like 'we should do this again'. Despite me thinking this would turn out horribly in the beginning, I had a really fun time. The most popular guys at Derry High weren't that bad and didn't live up to the stereotypes that go with being popular.

      Bill was a big sweetheart. When he talks he has a faint lisp but it isn't as bad as it was in eighth grade. I always knew of Bill from rumors at school, but never talked to him personally. Being the leader of the group fits him.

      I already knew Eddie before this, but not this side of him. I knew him as the witty guy at school who all the girls fawned over. Today, he was a totally different person, he was still witty but he was also worried about every germ and disease the quarry could have. It was funny when someone would splash water on him and then he would lecture them on all the infections he could get from that one splash. He is definitely someone I would want to be friends with.

      From the moment I met Stan, we had an instant connection. Not in a romantic way but in a best friend way. Don't get me wrong, Bev will always be my number one best friend, but Stan is so nice and our personalities really connect. I feel like I can tell him anything just after hanging out for a day.

      Richie Tozier. He usually was my favorite part like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. His eyes usually glimmered along with the sunlight and made me never want to take my eyes away. His smile usually was so contagious that I would start smiling along with him making me look like a complete idiot. Usually every touch that would happen between us, even by accident, would make my stomach turn to butterflies.. But after seeing him today, all of that changed. His eyes didn't glimmer like they used to but the sun stayed the same. He still smiled but my face remained emotionless. When he would bump into me or our hands would accidentally touch, nothing happened. All of my feelings for Richie were gone. I didn't feel anything for him. I wasn't sad or angry or confused. I was just neutral.

      "So did you enjoy yourself? It looked like you had fun." Bev said as we walked our bikes down my street

      "Yeah I had a lot of fun. They all seem really nice and not at all like I expected. We should hang out with them more often."

      "Didn't you say that you didn't want to hang out with them because of Richie? What happened to that?"

      "I don't feel anything towards Richie. Plus I shouldn't let past crushes dictate my friendships."

      "Alright, if you say so."

      It was around 7 when we finally got to my house. We didn't realize how late it was until the sun started going down as we started our journey to my place. When we walked in my mom was talking to someone through the home phone and it looked like an intense conversation. My dad was sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn next to him watching a movie on tv.

      "Hey Dad. Sorry we're back so late. We were just at the quarry with a couple of friends."

      "It's alright. Your mother and I were just having a movie night when the phone rang. Don't know who would be calling at this time but she went to answer it. Also, hi Beverly." Bev gave a wave to my dad

      As if on cue, my mother walked into the room and looked at Bev with eyes wide then made eye contact with the floor. "What's wrong mom?"

      "W-Well I just got off the phone with Al Marsh. A-And he said that he wants Bev home immediately. Didn't say what for but..." The tension in the room was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Bev looked like she was on the edge of crying. Despite being on the edge of tears, she slowly nodded and walked to my room to get her things.

I gave my parents a quick look before following Bev to my room. "Bev you don't have to go back. My parents can talk to your dad-" "and say what Rosie? Huh? What could they possibly say to my father and not make it 10 times worse than it's already going to be?" She interrupted me with a harsh tone.

I stood there silently with my mouth slightly open. "That's what I thought. You know I love you to death but there's nothing you can do that's going to solve this situation so just stop trying. The cops in the shit hole won't believe you and won't press charges and if anything will make it worse." In our 8 years of friendship, Bev has never gone off on me like that.

Without looking me in the eye, Bev stormed out of my room with her stuff in hand. Without a 'goodbye' or a 'I'll see you at school' she was gone.

I cried that night as I tried my hardest to sleep. I know that Bev was just upset about the situation and she didn't mean to go off on me like that but it still hurt. She knows that I care about her and her wellbeing so why can't she let me try to help?

I thought back to her words. Has she tried to go to the police about her situation? If she has, she didn't tell me about it. With the tears on my cheeks beginning to dry on my skin, I fell asleep on my bed.

I woke up abruptly from my short slumber by my mother yelling at me from the kitchen. 7:40 the clock read. "Oh shit." I sprung from my bed and ran to my closet and grabbed the closest thing to me and threw it on. I had managed to grab a mustard yellow long sleeve turtle neck shirt tucked into a brown, burgundy, and navy blue checkered skirt. I decided to pair it with my pair of brown knee high boots. Sprinting to the bathroom I brushed my teeth and did my normal morning routine just x2 faster. I looked at my hair and saw that it was a little bit wavy, not curled but not straight. I would have done something to it but I didn't have anytime. After putting on a little bit of mascara and blush, I rushed to the kitchen and got a quick breakfast of Eggo waffles and syrup.

"Mom! Can you drive me to school? I overslept and missed my bus." I yelled out with a mouth full of deliciousness. "Why did you sleep in?" I hear my mom yell out to me from her bedroom. "I forgot to set an alarm and no one came to wake me up." "Okay, get in the car and I'll meet you out there." I grabbed my bag and walked out the front door to my moms bright blue car. This is what you get for missing the bus.

Moments later my mom came out and got into the car. As we drove to the school, we talked about random subjects and laughed. By the time we got to Derry High, it was only 8:10. I quickly thanked my mom and got out of the car. If I timed this out right, I would be able to talk to Bev and hopefully apologize, go to my locker to get my books, and still get to class on time.

Walking up to Bev and I's normal place to meet in the morning, I didn't see her standing there like she usually did. That's odd she's always here before me. Seeing as Bev wasn't here, I kept walking right into the main hallway.

I approached my locker and entered in my combination with ease. After getting my books, I walked down the hallway and entered room 238 which was my first period. I looked around the room for an empty seat and saw Jack sitting toward the front saving a seat for me. Aww how cute. We said our hello's and I got out my books for class. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice from across the room.

That familiar voice was Richie Tozier himself. "Greta Bowie, will you be my girlfriend?" Gasps were heard from around the room. When I looked at Richie, I swear he was looking at me but my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. "Oh my gosh, yes!" I sat frozen in my seat looking at the scene play out in front of me. What?! Greta out of all people? All the girls in this school and he picked Greta, the meanest, dumbest, and downright uptight girl in Derry High. There are so many other girls who actually deserve Richie. Like Bettie, Rachel, me... Wait what? What am I thinking right now? I have Jack next to me and I'm thinking about Richie. What is wrong with me?

"That's so cute. Good for them." I heard Jack say from next to me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "What? Yeah, really cute." I tried to focus when the lesson started but I just couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about Richie and Greta and why it impacted me so much.