It was the 24th of December, the sun was setting, and Cameron had no idea where to go.
You might be wondering what she was doing out in the cold when it was beginning to get dark, especially on Christmas Eve.
Well you see, her mother had turned into a literal Nightmare Before Christmas and kicked her out of the house for she had come home later than usual. The reason being she had chased after a kid who she suspected to be Georgie.
You couldn't blame her. The boy looked a lot like Georgie, same height, same frame, he wore the yellow raincoat and all. Exactly like the last time she saw the youngest Denbrough.
He also held onto a red balloon, with a thin red ribbon instead of the usual string.
Georgie loved the color red.
She didn't see his face, however, because the child had run away when she got close enough to reach him.
All logic seemed to go out the window at that very moment, and she didn't even think twice about chasing after the lookalike.
She ran after him by foot, from the park to the entrance of the sewers, which is a longer run than you think.
She caught sight of the boy, by the edge of the shallow river and she was confident he'd have nowhere else to go, but the kid seemed to disappear into thin air when she finally got to where he stood.
All that was left in place was the red balloon he brought along on their little game of tag, which was held in place by a small twig that was tied onto the red strip.
So now, here she was, strolling down a dimly lit street, with no place in mind, on one of the most awaited days of the year.
Isn't that just sad?
Cameron shivered lightly as she looked around for a place to stay the night. Every building in the area was either closed or unattended.
Then a bunch of colorful rays caught her attention. There, just across the street was an arcade open for business.
She was pleasantly surprised. She didn't think anyone would stay open on this holiday.
She crossed the street, which looked deserted since no car or human was around, then pressed her forehead against the window pane of the gaming center softly, feeling the cold surface make contact with her skin.
Nobody seemed to be inside.
She let out a sigh of relief, watching as her breath turned to a small puff of fog before her, then she walked into the building.
She walked around the place, mesmerized by the different, bright colored lights coming from the different consoles in the premise.
Everything looked so... so used. The walls were dull and the carpet was a bit tacky, but those attributes only added to the beauty of the place.
Her exploring came to a halt when she came across something she had always wanted to try- a claw machine.
She approached the game with a childlike wonder and immediately her heart was snatched by an adorable plushy she found inside the pool of toys.
It was a bunny, light brown in color-almost beige, and it had only had one eye; the other being replaced by a big embroidered X.
She reached out to touch the glass, but then a very familiar voice had snapped her out of her trance. "Goodwill?"
Cameron flinched, feeling startled. She spun around quickly, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights, and met the gaze of a boy she knew to be Richie Tozier.
"H-hi, Richie." She squeaked out, still in shock.
The boy looked a bit dumbfounded, but he quickly replaced his confused expression with something Cameron could only guess was a "seductive" smile.
"So what's a..." He crossed his arms, but quickly changed his mind and put his hands in his pockets, taking them out a second later. It was almost as if he was trying to pose for her. "What's a doll like you doin' in a place like this at this time of night?" He asked, finally deciding to lean on one of the machines, running a hand through his hair, attempting to be suave.
"I was just... looking around." She said meekly, fiddling with her fingers.
"No need to be nervous, sweet cheeks." He left his position and moved closer to the shorter girl, making her feel a tad bit uncomfortable.
Now, Richie was a good-looking character.
She admitted that.
He could be cute when he wanted to be; with his slightly wavy black hair, and the glasses which made his eyes appear bigger than they actually were, even to the out of season Hawaiian shirts he wore.
The problem was his filter- or lack thereof.
The boy didn't have the ability to be subtle. Cameron doubted he even knew the meaning of the word.
He swore like a sailor, made inappropriate comments, and spouted innuendos like it was the only language he knew how to speak.
And naturally, people didn't like that- especially her mother.
Mrs. Goodwill didn't really like anyone in the small town, but she made her distaste for the young lad- and the others he spends time with- as obvious as the sun is on a clear day. She told Cameron to steer clear of him, telling her that he was crass and brutish and too different; going as far as warning her that if she associates herself with Richie, she might turn out like him.
Her mother spoke of the boy as if he was some sort of disease, and it was one of the many things the older woman did that Cameron didn't agree with.
Cameron knew that Richie was a good kid, he just didn't show it.
However, his forwardness was something the girl wasn't very used to, which would explain her tenseness toward him.
"You okay? You look like you could use a distraction, if you know what I mean." The somewhat taller boy slung his arm over Camie's shoulder, being a little too close for her liking.
"Wh-what?" She felt heat crawl up her cheeks. Richie smirked smugly and pulled her closer, making the lass stumble a little.
Cameron pulled away from him hastily, feeling her anxiety act up. "I-if you're implying... what I think you're implying..." She said slowly, pursing her lips, feeling embarrassed.
"Then... I-I'm sorry but I'm not t-that kind of person. I'm... I'm not a har... I'm not a harlot." She finished, closing her eyes as her heart continued to beat erratically.
"What the fuck is a harlot?" Richie asked her cluelessly, eyebrows furrowing.
Cam shifted awkwardly. "Y-You know..." she trailed off. "a harlot... a-a call girl... a prostitute?" Her voice got fainter with with every definition she supplied.
Richie couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, making Camie feel even more mortified.
Thinking that he was making fun of her, Cameron breathed in deeply and gathered all that was left of her dignity; choosing to walk away rather than saying something that would probably bury her further in humiliation.
"H-Hey! Wait a second." Richie, who was still laughing, trailed after her.
Cam wrapped her arms around herself with her head tilted down, her hair acting as a curtain- shielding her red face from the eyes of anyone who could be around. It was as if she was trying to turn herself invisible.
Richie noticed this and started to feel bad. "Hey..." He began, walking faster, stepping in front of her to stop her in her tracks, but she ignored him and sidestepped was to get past him.
"Hey." He said again, gently grabbing her arm, though she simply brushed him off and made her way to the door.
She was leaving.
Richie didn't want her to go.
It was Christmas and unlike all the others he's experienced- where his parents give him some gifts then go back to neglecting him- he actually had the chance to spend it with someone and have fun without having to worry about judgement.
So he did the only thing he knew that would keep her from taking off. He went after her and grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up, and carrying her like a sack of potatoes- back into the arcade.
She squealed in surprise, then started to struggle, pounding on Richie's back- not hard enough to injure him but hard enough to make him feel a bit of pain.
And he felt it alright, but he only grunted in response, muttering a quick "Stop that." As he trudged back to where they were earlier.
She continued anyway, hoping that he'd lose his grip.
But being the "clever" guy he was, he quickly came up with a way to put an end to her squirming.
He raised a hand and slapped the back of Camie's thigh, very close to her bottom.
The reaction was immediate.
She gasped, giving a muffled squawk of indignation. "You jerk!" She cried out, but stayed still.
He smirked at this.
"Good girl." He called back to her, not having to see her to know that she was blushing.
When he finally put her down, she wouldn't even look at him. She rubbed her arm, looking off to the side, cheeks red.
'How cute.' He thought.
"Look... I-I'm sorry... for laughing and... stuff." He apologized as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, but he was only met with silence.
"What are you doing here anyway?" He suddenly changed the subject, clearing his throat. "You're a Goodwill, aren't you? Shouldn't you be at your mansion, hosting a party for snobs who think they're better than everyone else or something?"
"No." Cam answered. "W-we don't allow a lot of people into the estate."
"So it's like... family only? A private party?"
"No. We don't hold parties. We hardly celebrate anything at all." She responded starting to feel a little annoyed.
"So... you're Jewish?" Cam's face scrunched up in bewilderment. 'How did he even get to that conclusion. Wha-' She shook her head, deciding not to ponder on it too much.
"Cause I have a friend- well, not really- we're more like... frenemies, I think? And he's-"
"Are you capable off keeping your mouth shut for at least five seconds?" She interrupted his rambling, astounding Richie with the attitude she gave him.
Cameron's breath hitched, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. It was quiet for a second, then two, then three...
"No. Not really." He continued to ramble, making the young lady sigh in relief. For a moment there, she though she had actually offended him.
Heck if it was her mother she was talking to, she'd probably be nursing a bruised cheek by now.
But then she remembered that Richie and her mom where two different people, polar opposites actually.
And with that, she relaxed and let her guard down.
They sauntered around the place, chatting- well, Richie was doing all the speaking, Cameron only listened, making remarks every little while.
Then she saw something move from the corner of her eye. It came from outside. She turned her attention to the source, tuning out her companion's voice.
She walked towards the window stopping a couple of feet away from the glass.
Her eyes scanned the outside, becoming aware of how dark it had become. The glow from the few lamp posts that worked barely illuminated the next few feet of inky blackness.
Then her eyes caught sight of a silhouette under a street light, at the far end of the road.
She rubbed her eyes, thinking that it was only a trick her own mind was playing on itself.
Though when she looked back, the shadow appeared under another light post- much closer than before.
She blinked, feeling perplexed- and after she did, the outline was nearer than it was a heartbeat ago. This seemed to happen every time she closed her eyes.
Until finally, the tenebrous form was only a few yards away, just across the street.
It was dim, but she could from what she could make out, the figure was a man...
A clown.
But not the type you see in birthday parties or circuses. This one was something else... something more menacing, more... wicked.
He was clad in a dusky gray attire, with a few splashes of red. His neck was frilled by a thick collar- like a ruff from the late 16th century. He wore a doublet- a short- close fitting padded jacket- with puffs off the shoulder, biceps, as well as on the peplum at his waist and on his bloomers. His hands were concealed by tight, seamless, white gloves. His pants flared out just a bit below his knees. He had red and white boots with pompoms at the tips.
He looked as if he had just come from a different era; born in a different time.
His crown was unusually large, funny tufts of reddish orange hair sprouted on either side of his bald head. His whole face was caked with ivory greasepaint- little cracks forming on his forehead continuing to where his makeup disappeared into his hair- giving off this broken porcelain doll look. There was a big clown-smile painted over his mouth- the red lines drawing up his cheeks like fangs and ending just above his brows.
His eyes... His eyes were the most unnerving thing about him. For they were the eyes of a predator; filled with malice and bloodlust, watching her every move, like he was waiting for the right moment to pounce.
She didn't doubt that he would.
Cameron saw his shoulders shake up and down. He was cackling and somehow she could hear- it was loud and crazed as though he knew what she was thinking; glad that she felt afraid of him.
But as quickly as his snickering began, he stopped, becoming completely straight-faced.
Her blood ran cold, a sinister feeling washed over her.
She didn't dare to blink.
But it didn't matter, for the man still stepped out of the brightness, walking- no... he was... skipping.
He was skipping towards her, like a Georgie used to. And as he was, she caught a familiar tune being crooned in the background- the one she used to hum to the child when he had a hard time napping.
This... thing, it was toying with her.
It carried on skipping as he crossed the unlit street, now near enough to set off the alarms in her brain.
She wanted to run. She really did. But she couldn't tear her gaze away from it's glowing yellow eyes.
Her breathing had turned fast and shallow. She was paralyzed in fear, unable to do anything as he drew closer... and closer...
Then...
Right when he was at the middle of the road, the noisy honk of a truck boomed through the eerie silence, making Cameron jump out of her skin.
The trucks headlights stunned and blinded her for a few seconds. She hissed, bringing her arms up to shade her hues from the sudden flash of brightness.
When her lids fluttered open, she expected to see a terrible accident, predicting that the clown would be on the ground, in a pool of his own blood, withering in pain- maybe even dead. He probably would later be revealed as just an unlucky practical joker, whose prank went horribly wrong.
But there was nothing.
No commotion.
No truck.
No blood.
No accident.
No clown.
She let out a breath, relaxing from her rigid state.
A hand gripped her shoulder.
Her heart leapt out of her chest and she let out a short frightened scream, jolting out of the persons hold.
Thankfully, it was only Richie. "Fuck, Tozier! You scared the crap outta me." She exclaimed, putting her fingers on her temples, not even noticing that she cursed.
The boy stared at her half concerned; the other half amused. "Well aren't you a feisty little lady?" He teased, snaking an arm around the shorter girl's waist, pulling her to his side.
"Well aren't you a hormonal teenage boy who can't seem to keep his hands to himself?" She bit back, shimmying out of his grip.
After what she just saw, the things she says are the least of her worries.
"I am? See? We know so much about each other!" Richie declared excitedly, following Cam around as she looked for another exit.
She did not want to go out the door which was by the place she had just previously been in.
"No, we don't." She replied rather bluntly.
It was peaceful after that. Had she finally managed to get him to stop blabbering?
Nope.
"So hows about we go on a date then?" Richie blocked her path, grinning flirtatiously. "You know... to get to know each other more?"
Cameron blushed at the suggestion. "You're crazy." She started, walking around him.
"Crazy for you, babycakes." He sang back, chasing after her once more.
Somehow, they ended up back at the crane game- which Cam proceeded to peer at, disregarding the boy who was right next to her, whining to get her attention.
'Kind of like a puppy.' She thought, glancing at him for a mere spilt second, before turning back to the machine- or more specifically, the rabbit stuffed toy inside.
Then he shut up.
Just like that.
'He's planning something.' Cameron narrowed her eyes at him calculatingly. 'That's not good.'
She followed his gaze and saw that he was staring at the same plushy she had been eyeballing since she came in.
'Oh boy.' She thought, exasperated.
"Tell you what." He started, walking towards the game.
'Here we go.'
"If I win that stuffed animal for you, you'll have to give me whatever prize I ask for."
"Which is...?" She questioned, raising a brow.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out." He winked.
She rolled her eyes upon hearing the overused line, but she did actually ponder on the offer for a minute.
'What's the harm?' Her heart asked. 'Richie Tozier. That's what. ' Her brain replied.
"One try." She negotiated. "If you get it in one try, I'll give you an award."
"Deal." They shook on it.
Then Richie began to play.
It took a bit of time, but he managed to succeed, taking the girl by surprise.
Feeling smug, he swaggered up to her and handed her the rabbit, which she took speechlessly. "Merry Christmas." He added obnoxiously, bowing in an exaggerated manner.
"Fine." She mumbled wearily. "What do you want?"
"It's simple really." The glasses-wearing boy shrugged nonchalantly, still feeling good about himself for winning. "A kiss."
"I-I'm sorry?" She spluttered, cheeks turning pink once again.
'Should've seen this coming.' She said, internally facepalming.
"I want a kiss." Richie repeated, looking at her smiling.
Plans to retreat were rapidly formulating in her head.
The girl sighed, sounding defeated. "Alright. Close your eyes." And he did.
He shut his eyes tightly, licking his lips, then comically puckering them, awaiting his reward.
Nothing happened. "Any minute now, babydoll." He said, lips still jutted out. "Any minute."
It was suspiciously quiet, then a thought registered in his mind. His eyes flew open, catching Camie in the act, as she attempted to sneak away.
"Hey!" He hollered, miffed. "Sorry. Gotta go. Thanks for the bunny!" She rushed out, breaking out into a run.
"You get your cute little ass back here right now!" He jokingly yelled as he ran after her. "Give me my kiss!"
"Maybe in a million years!" She responded, giggling.
The night went on to be filled with fun and good memories.
It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Though a thought kept clawing at the back of her mind.
Something told Camie that this wouldn't be the last she saw of the creepy harlequin.
A/N: Haven't updated in a while 😅 Here's a long chapter to compensate. It's not proofread yet. I'll edit it later cause it's like 4 am and I'm really tired so...
Till next update I guess 😂
-LoveToRead_16 💖