The New Girl In Town {Stanley Uris}

14. Paige

I forgot that everyone in this new town didn't know about my past. Then I messed up and told Stanley I was here alone and he questioned it. I could tell now he is skeptical of me now. I was moving around the kitchen unpacking my boxes and Stanley was building a bookshelf in the living room. Music was playing from the record player that I had set up first thing we had returned. I hummed along to the Nirvana song that played. They were my favorite. Stan's head bounced to the music as well. I placed the bowls and tupperware in the cabinets. "Paige?" I heard from the living room. "Ya, what's up?" I looked around the corner. "I think I messed this up... This doesn't look quite right?" I giggled a little and walked out to the living room. I sunk to my knees next to him and grabbed the directions off the floor and studied it. "Well, I think this piece and this piece needed to be swapped." I said pointing to it. He shook his head. "Apparently I suck at this too." He said. I laughed and laid back onto the floor. 'I'm tired of unpacking now.' I sighed. Stanley laid down next to me. The nirvana album continued to play in the background. "So, tell me about your friends." I simply told Stanley, and a smile grew across his face. "Well, Mike Hanlon, he was the newest addition to the group, although we were all 14 when he joined. His parents died when he was 2 in a fire that burnt the whole house down. While they were trying to get to him, the fire became too much and the skin on their hands was burnt down to the bones. It still haunts him a lot. Now he lives with his grandfather on his farm. He started going to school with us freshman year, but was homeschooled before that. He was bullied a lot by henry Bowers, the local bully, because of his race. He's very quiet but very nice. Then there's Beverly Marsh, the only girl in our group. She joined a day or two before Mike. She's Bill's girlfriend and has been since freshman year ever since she moved back after her dad abused her and she was sent to live with her aunt. Henry made up a bunch of rumours about her sleeping with every member of Bower's gang, which at the time was Patrick, Belch and Victor, But there all dead now... After he spread those rumours she was mostly bullied by Greta, the typical popular girl. She's amazing and I really like her." Stanley smiled as he went on about his friends. You could tell he really loved them. "Then there's Ben Hascom. He joined our group hours before Beverly did. He used to be really chubby but before high school started he decided to thin out and get super buff. He refuses to admit it, but we all know it was to hopefully win Bev's attention. He's loved her since the moment he laid eyes on her. I'm pretty sure the only ones that don't know are Bev and Bill to be honest. But he likes Bill and he wants both of them to be happy even if it means he isn't. He really is the greatest guy. And now that he looks like he does, he could probably have any girl he wants. He was bullied for his size and being the new kid, because he moved every year until his parents found out he really connected here and they decided to stay." He continued rambling, and his smile made me smile. He didn't look at me though. He looked at the ceiling. "Next is Eddie Kaspbrak. His mom growing up shoved him full of placebo pills and fake medications so he would feel a need for her. This resulted in some pretty severe hypocondriacism and athsma and a lot of bad feelings about himself. He still is scared of germs but not as bad. We're all still working on it. A few months ago he came out as gay, and he has been so much freer and more himself and just happier since then." He smiled ever wider talking about how happy Eddie was. "Then there's Bill. We consider him the founder of the losers club. He was hit by a car when he was younger, and he hit his head. He passed out right after and he had some brain damage. That's why he stutters. But that doesn't mean he isn't smart. That kid is low-key a genius. He is an incredible artist too. You should ask him sometime if you can see his drawings. He's incredible at it. His little brother, Georgie, died when we were 14. He took it pretty hard, as he was expected too. He didn't believe has dead at first because they couldn't find his body. He fell and was swept into the sewer and he drowned. Bill made us all run around the entire summer to try to find him, and we did eventually. At the very end of the sewer system. It was heartbreaking..." He trailed off. "But he's mostly healed now. He still has his days but who doesn't." He shifted his body a little and put his hands under his head. "Lastly, there's Richie Tozier. We call him 'Trashmouth Tozier' because of the way he talks. You'll see why sooner than later. Underneath it all he just wants everyone to be happy. I've known him the longest. There was a short while when we were all fighting. Bill and Bev stayed friends and Richie and I stayed friends and no one else did. He came to my Bar Mitzvah when no one else would. He hasn't come out yet, but I'm pretty sure he's gay too. Don't tell him I said so. But he totally likes Eddie. He has a lot of family problems with abuse and stuff so he uses humor and such as his coping mechanism, which is good. The four of us, Bill, Eddie, Richie and I have all been friends since elementary school, and we were bullied for being the nerds, the losers, the outcasts..." He trailed off again. I could tell he really loved his friends. I glanced over at him. "And you?" I asked him. "Tell me about you Stanley." He smiled a little more. "Well, I'm Jewish, and my dad's the Rabbai at the synagogue out here. I've stopped practicing mostly. My dad wanted me to be so... perfect" he shuttered at the words "that he forgot about me being a boy. He emotionally and mentally messed me up. I still have troubles." He rambled a little. "Ummm... I really like birds, and bird watching and almost anything nature related." He smiled at me. "And what about you Paige? Tell me about the mysterious girl down the street." I looked away from him finally. "Umm, well I'm from Delaware. I have a pretty messed up past, and I don't ever plan on going back to it. I really like to draw and to write and to sing sometimes. I like music a lot. I like nature a lot too, hiking especially." I could feel Stanley's eyes burning a hole in my soul. But like me, Stanley was hiding something about his past. And I was determined to get it out of him. I sat up finally and looked over to him. "You wanna help me build my bed so I can get some sleep?" I asked him. He sat up as well. "Of course!" We both stood up leaving the half built bookshelf behind. I would have to finish it tomorrow. We walked into the master bedroom. "Won't your parents want this room?" He questioned me. I grew nervous quickly. I decided he wouldn't give this up anytime soon. "I am not gonna tell you why yet, but my parents aren't coming. I live alone, part of that whole messed up past thing I was talking about.." I turned around to face him, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "But aren't you only 17?" I looked to my feet. "I'm emancipated. I promise I will explain, just not now..." I walked over to the bed frame pieces and started to assemble them. Stanley didn't say anything about is as we built. We just joked and sang along to the distant music. I could tell I had made a life long friend.