Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER SIX: THE HISTORY OF DERRY
THE GROUP ALL RODE THEIR bikes to Ben's home, and the boy was the first to jump off his bike and run into his home, up the stairs, and into his room. Beverly and Athena exchanged amused looks before entering the house. The group all walked up the stairs, Eddie and Richie talking about some game that neither females cared about. They entered Ben's room, and when Athena saw what she saw, her mouth opened in awe. There were newspapers all over the walls, books on the desks and bed.
"No. No, nothing cool. There's nothing cool." Richie mumbled, earning a slap and a glare from Athena. Every went to different parts of the room. Beverly stayed by the wall closest to the door, Stanley, Eddie, and Richie went to the wall Ben was nearest, and Athena joined Bill's side by the cards on the table. The boy glanced at the girl, offering her a small smile to which she returned.
"You alright?" She softly asked, her hair falling over her shoulder as she looked at Bill. He glanced at her, nodding his head.
"Y-yeah." Athena nodded her head, and looked down to the cards on the table. Bill watched her, his eyes studying her face. It was known between him and his friends that Bill had always had a small crush on Athena. Ever since she moved to Derry, the mostly quiet girl unless she had a reason not to be quiet. He remembered when she became friends with Beverly, watching as she sprouted form the shyness that had been taking over her. He shared a class with her, always one class every school year. But she never noticed him, because she was oblivious. She never noticed him looking at her from across the cafeteria whilst she laughed at something Beverly had said, she never took note of every time he would hand her a pencil when hers would break. She didn't notice him, not until his brother had went missing. Everyone noticed him then.
Athena's blue eyes met his, and she smiled. "What?"
He swallowed thickly, shaking his head. "N-nothing."
She rose her eyebrows, but the smile never left her face as she turned away and back towards the cards, picking one up and examining. Her eyes moved to Richie when he asked what something was.
"What's that?" The boy asked, pointing at the wall towards a piece of paper that Athena couldn't quite see.
"Oh, that? That's the charter for Derry Township." Ben answered him.
"Nerd alert." Richie laughed.
"Richie!" Athena hissed, glaring at the boy. He smiled back in amusement.
"No, actually, it's really interesting. Derry started out as a beaver trapping camp." Ben told him after shooting Athena a small thankful smile to which she returned.
"Still is, am I right, boys?" Richie responds, holding up his hand. Stanley shakes his head in response whilst Eddie just stares blankly at him. Athena lets out a scoff before taking a nearby eraser and throwing it at the boys head.
"Ninety-one people signed the charter that made Derry. But later that winter, they all disappeared without a trace."
"The entire camp?" Eddie frowned. Ben nodded his head.
"Jesus." Athena whispered, sharing a look with Bill.
"There were rumors of Indians, but no sign of an attack. Everybody just thought it was a plague or something." Ben started. "But it's like one day everybody just woke up and left. The only clue was a trail of bloody clothes leading to the Well House."
"Jesus. We can get Derry on Unsolved Mysteries." Richie joked, actually earning an amused smile from Athena.
"Rich, I'm pretty sure we can get half of America on Unsolved Mysteries." Richie nodded his head in agreement.
"Let's do that. You're brilliant." Eddie responded.
"I might be." Richie joked back. Athena's attention moved from the boys who were still conversing over to Bill, watching as he took one of the cards and held it up in the sunlight in order to see what exactly it was that he was looking at.
"Where was the Well House?" Bill suddenly asked, turning his head to look at Ben.
"I don't know." Ben answered him. "Somewhere in town, I guess. Why?"
Bill shook his head. "Nothing." He looked at the card and Athena watched him biting her lip and watching as everyone else went back to looking at the newspapers.
"Hey, I have to run home real quick to walk Ruby. Would you like to join me?" Athena asked, her blue eyes moving to meet his.
Bill looked at her in surprise before he nodded his head, smiling at her. "S-sure."
Athena smiled back at him before she announced their leaving and walked out of the home, Bill right on her heels.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
