Jane's POV
I woke up, jumping out of my bed in excitement. Today the losers gang was going to the fair. I'd been once before, with my mom when I was five. But it was so long ago, I can hardly remember. I walked to my closet, deciding I could wear something a little nicer.
"Day and night, my mind is racin
Dents and footprints I've been pacin
What am I supposed to find?
I'm scared to chase what I've been dreamin
Beyond the want, and now I'm needin
Push me by surprise, so I can take the dive."
I sang (Stoprewind by Natewantstobattle). I pulled out a pastel pink dress, it was lacy and had a sweetheart neckline. I put it on and checked my reflection.
Nope. Not good enough
I pulled my hair into a ponytail, letting my bangs fall around my face instead of bobby pinning them up like I usually do. I put on some makeup and checked again.
Okay, not too shabby. Not good but, okay.
I pulled on my converse and grabbed my bag. I smiled and walked downstairs confidently.
"Mother? I'm gonna go to the fair. I'll see you tonight." I walked out the door and to the end of the street where Richie waited. He was just wearing a regular shirt, paired with another Hawaiian shirt and shorts. I slowed, wondering if I should run home and change. He turned and saw me.
Dang. Oh well, can't leave now
I gulped nervously. He was squinting at me now, fixing his glasses as though he didn't recognize me.
Too much makeup?
His jaw dropped as I stopped in front of him. He'd seen me in dresses before, but not a whole lot. And they usually were more casual.
"Um, Richie? You okay?" I asked.
Richies POV
"Um, Richie? You okay?"
I closed my mouth, my brain short circuiting. She looked......gorgeous. I mean, she's always been gorgeous, but now? In that lacy pink dress? With her hair surrounding her face and her makeup striking....
"Holy shit." I mumbled. She wrung her hands and avoided eye contact.
"Sh-should I change? Is it too much?" She asked nervously. She was biting her pink lip, the sun seemed to radiate off of her perfectly tanned skin.
"No!" I blurted. She looked up, confused.
"Ah, I mean, if you do, we'll just end up late." I blushed. She smiled shyly.
"So, it's okay?" She asked. I nodded vigorously. She giggled.
*time skip to the fair cuz I'm lazzzzzy*
Jane's POV
"Hey babe, go get me some ice cream, will ya? Imma steal that guys fucking tuba." Richie said, handing me money and walking away.
"Don't call me babe!" I yelled after him. He just kept walking. I sighed.
"Hey Eddie, wanna go get ice cream?" I asked. He nodded and we left. He ordered a small vanilla and I ordered two small vanillas.
"Rich?" He asked, pointing to the second cone. I nodded. We walked back to the others, they were gathered around some missing posters in an alley.
"What the fuck dude?!" Richie yelled as the man took his instrument back.
"What are you guys talking about?" Eddie asked, licking his cone.
"What they always talk about." Richie responded, taking his cone from me.
"I actually think it will end. For a little while, at least." Ben said.
"What do you mean?" Beverly asked.
"So I was going over all my Derry research, and I charted out all the big events. The Ironworks explosion in 1908, the Bradley gang in '35, and the Black Spot in '62. And now kids being....I realized this stuff seems to happen every-
"27 years." Bill and Ben said together. Stan shook his head.
"Can we sit down? I need to comprehend all this." he asked.
We all nodded and headed over to the big statue not too far off. Richie and I were in the back. He bumped me, causing me to get ice cream on my nose.
"Hey! Aw shoot look what you did." I mumbled.
"Here." He wiped it off with his finger and licked it off.
"Gross! Don't let Eddie see that!" I giggled and he chuckled.
"No worries, it'll be our little secret." He winked. I rolled my eyes. We walked past a group of adults, who stared at us like we were maggots.
"Heathens." A woman muttered, staring right at me. I walked backwards and flipped her off. She gasped.
"You shouldn't have done that Jane." Stan said, trying to hide his laughter.
"Yeah, what if they tell your parents? Mrs. Ripsom, I saw your daughter with the most awful group of heathens the other day, and she flipped me off too!" Beverly giggled. I smiled.
"Then screw them. I like hanging out with you guys.
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden mooves
You don't know the half of the abuuse x2
Welcome to the room of people
Who have rooms of people that they loved one day
Docked away
Just because we check the guns at the door
Doesn't mean our brains will change from hand grenades
You're lovin' on the psychopath sitting next to you
You're lovin' on the murderer sitting next to you
You'll think, how'd I get here, sitting next to you?
But after all I've said, please don't forget
All my friends are heathens, take it slow
Wait for them to ask you who you know
Please don't make any sudden moves
You don't know the half of the abuse"
(Heathens by Twenty One Pilots)
We gathered around a bench near the statue, Bev, Ben, Stan and Mike sitting on the bench, me, Bill, Eddie and Richie sitting on bikes. I didn't have a bike so I sat on the tire of Richies.
"Okay, so let me get this straight. It comes out from wherever to eat kids for like, a year? And then what? It just goes into hibernation?" Eddie asked.
"Maybe it's like, what do you call it? Cicadas. You know, the bugs that come out once every 27 years?" Stan offered.
"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed. He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing. An evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry." Mike said.
"But it can't be one thing. We all saw something different." Stan argued.
"Maybe. Or maybe It knows what scares us most and that's what we see." Mike said.
"I-I-I saw a leper. He was like a walking infection." Eddie shuddered.
"But you didn't. Because it isn't real. None of this is. Not Eddies leper, o-or Bill seeing Georgie, or the woman I keep seeing." Stan stuttered.
"Is she hot?" Richie asked. I smacked him on the arm.
Fucking doofus!
I moved over and sat by Stan, patting him on the back.
"No Richie! She's not hot! Her face is all messed up! None of this makes any sense. They're all like bad dreams." Stan yelled.
"I don't think so. I know the difference between a bad dream and real life, okay?" Mike argued.
"What'd you see? You saw something too?" Eddie asked.
"Yes. Do you guys know that burned down house on Harris Avenue?" We all nodded.
"I was inside when it burned down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the room next over from me. They were pushing and pounding on the door, trying to get to me. But it was too hot. When the firemen finally found them, the skin on their hands had melted down to the bone."
I gasped and slid over to him, hugging him gently.
"We're all afraid of something." He added.
"Got that right." Richie said.
"Why Rich? What are you afraid of?" Eddie asked.
"Clowns." He said, fixing his glasses.
"W-what about you Jane?" Bill asked.
You. I'm scared of losing all of you. Of hurting you. Of my parents. Bowers.
"Spiders." I lied.
We headed back through the fair, looking at shops and all the fun around us. We approached a few men on the street, banging some makeshift drums, making a nice beat. I walked up to them, the others slowly following.
"May I?" I asked, pointing to my mouth to indicate I would like to sing. They nodded. I cleared my throat.
"She tells her ooh love
No one's ever gonna hurt you, love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Nobody matters like you
She tells her your life ain't gonna be nothing like my life
You're gonna grow and have a good life
I'm gonna do what I've got to do
So, rockabye baby, rockabye
I'm gonna rock you
Rockabye baby, don't you cry
Somebody's got you
Rockabye baby, rockabye
I'm gonna rock you
Rockabye baby, don't you cry
Rockabye
Single mom what you doing out there?
Facing the hard life without no fear
Just see and know that you really care
'Cause any obstacle come you well prepared
And no mamma you never shed tear
'Cause you haffi set things year after year
And you give the youth love beyond compare
You find the school fee and the bus fare
Hmmmm more when paps disappear
In a wrong bar can't find him nowhere
Steadily you work flow, heavily you know so you nah stop
No time no time fi a jeer
Now she gotta a six year old
Trying to keep her warm
Trying to keep out the cold
When she looks her in the eyes
She don't know she's safe when she says
Ooh love
No one's ever gonna hurt you, love
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Nobody matters like you"
(Rockabye by Clean Bandit)
I smiled, softly. The man grinned wide.
"My, Miss. You have a talented voice. Did you write that song?" He asked. I shook my head.
"My mom wrote it for me." I explained.
"Ahh, well, if you'd like, we wouldn't mind playing with you again. You see that recording studio? Meet us there if you want to sing for us again." He smiled and waved. I did the same and walked back to the gang. I squealed.
"Did you hear that?! They want me to sing for them!" I said.
"Congrats!" Mike said. The others whooped.
"Wow Jane! Your dream of being a singer is coming true!" Beverly hugged me.
"This calls for ice cream all around!" Richie yelled. Eddie and I glanced at each other and then looked at him.
"But we already had ice cream." I pointed out. He stared at me.
"Are you seriously declining more ice cream?" He asked. I shrugged. He shook his head.
"This way to the ice cream truck!!"