sugarcoat it | bill denbrough

chapter four: georgie...

As I'm biking home, I feel my hair frizzing in the drizzle. I wave to Mr. Sanders who's getting his newspaper and he says something and points to the sky. Confused, I look up to see a bright rainbow. I pedal slowly and close my eyes to make a wish, I wish for the best to happen. I think, and then speed up, wanting to get home. As I turn down my street, I hit the brakes hard and almost fall off my bike. Police tape and three Derry police cars are in front of my house. My stomach flips and I speed up my driveway, throw my bike down, and run into the house.

"MOM!" I scream, "MOM!"

Mom runs out of the downstairs bathroom, curlers in her hair. "Nevada? What's wrong?"

"Mom like half the Derry Police Department is outside our house! Is something wrong? Is Aza hurt or-"

"Neva, everything's fine here. Aza's upstairs playing Barbies and I'm just reading gossip magazines and curling my hair. It's fine, honey. Shhh," she fixes my hair, smiling softly. My shoulders relax and I can breathe again. Three years ago, we lost my father in a tragic boating accident. He was a lobsterman, and he went out on the rough January seas. The small boat collided with chunks of ice in the salty Maine ocean in the morning fog. There were no survivors. Ever since then, I've struggled with a constant irrational fear of death and loss. "The police cars must be for the Andersons or... Or the Denbroughs." Mom continues, and hugs me.

I pull away suddenly, my heart dropping. "Oh my God Mom I need to make sure Bill's okay. He's been sick and-"

"Neva, you always expect the worst. It's not good for you, always frowning. You'll get... Wrinkle lines."

I'm out the door before Mom can finish, sprinting to the Denbrough's door. I knock frantically and to my horror, a puffy eyed Sharon Denbrough appears. "Nevada, oh-" She puts a hand to her mouth and interrupts her sentence with a sob. "Bill's in his room. He needs a friend right now. Please,-" Another sob, "please come in."

"Mrs. Denbrough, what happened?" I step inside and see police sitting on the couch in the living room. She pulls me into a hug, which doesn't happen often, usually only on my birthday.

"Nevada, it's George. He's gone missing. We- we haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon."

My stomach drops. Little Georgie, how could this happen? "O-Oh. Mrs. Denbrough I'm so sorry." She sobs again, this time into my shoulder.

"Please just go talk to William. Try to get him to come down and eat something." She pleads and I nod vigorously, and then run upstairs to Bill's room.

I barge in without knocking to find him sitting in bed, staring at a wall with wet cheeks. "Bill," I say softly, "I'm so sorry." He just shakes his head and stifles a sob. I climb onto his bed and put my arms around his neck and he leans into me like we used to when we were younger.

We stay like that, and he cries for a few minutes, until he finally breaks the silence. "I'm s-s-scared, Nevie. G-Georgie, wherever he is h-he's s-scared an-and alone."

"Bill," I whisper, not knowing exactly what to say. Before I can say anything a loud sob escapes his lips. He buries his face into the crook of my arm, and I stroke his hair. A knot forms in my throat and then I begin crying too. We stay like that until dark, until my mom comes over to get me.

"Thank you Nevada," he says as I walk out of his room.

I look at him, sitting in his bed and turn around, walking back. I lean down and wipe a tear from his cheek. "It'll get better, Bill. I promise. It has to."

I lay in bed that night looking up at my ceiling when I hear Bill's voice come through on my walkie talkie on my bedside table.

"Nevada," the staticy voice says. "You there?"

I grab my walkie, "Yes, it's me."

"Goodnight, Nevie. Sleep well, okay? That's all."

"You too, Bill." I say, and turn my walkie off.