[double digits, woot.]
I march down the hall, past Bill and Richie, who quickly move out of my way when they see the anger in my eyes.
"Woah, I'd hate to be that guy." I hear the spectacled boy utter to his friend. I stomp my way up the stairs, two at a time, earning looks from fellow classmates.
I move through a crowd of people. My dad told me about this story where this old man commanded an entire ocean to split, just so he could walk through. My glare did something like that.
Then I see them.
Him.
That asshole thinks he can get away with making me his personal orderly, he's got another thing coming.
"Hey! Bowers!" I holler walking up to him. He turns and a smirk becomes evident on his face. I grab his shirt and pull him into my face. "Lapdog? Really?" I demand. Henry grabs my wrists, clearly angry I'm defying him in front of his friends and other people.
"You better get your fucking hands off me, before I break them, you psycho bitch," He says through gritted teeth. Belch grabs my torso with one hand and my shoulder with the other.
"Lori, calm down,"
"You know, I bet you knew what they were saying and you didn't tell me," He holds my wrists with such fervor that I know bruises will be evident there later. But I really didn't care. "What, did you think I wasn't gonna find out?"
Other people have stopped to watch us by now, Greta and Charlie in the crowd. So are Stan and Eddie. Voices buzzed in my ears.
"Holy shit what's she gonna do?"
"She won't do anything, he wouldn't let her."
"I hear she slept with him already."
"Who said that?"
"Her sister."
"Lorraine, come on ease up," Belch says, pulling me still. The voices only succeed in angering me more. Victor's scowl switches from me to Henry and Patrick's got that damn smirk on his face.
"Is that it?" I shake the boy and he gets right up in my face for the thousandth time since we met.
Henry glares at me, answering only with, "I said, get your fucking hands off me!"
I finally let him go, tears of anger welling up in my eyes. Belch still holds me, the hand from my waist now on my arm.
The crowd holds their breath and I see Charlie and Greta with anticipation on their faces.
I pull my arm back and punch Henry as hard as I can in the jaw. He doesn't hesitate to make a grab for me but is stopped by Victor and Patrick. The crowd buzzes with excitement and shock. Angry, is just one word to describe how I feel right now. I push Belch's hands off of me and walk to Charlie, who is watching with shock and amusement.
"I hope you're happy." I spit venomously in her face, before pushing between her and Greta.
-
I sit with Beverly on the picnic tables behind the school. The redhead pulls a carton of cigarettes out of her backpack and turns to me.
"You smoke?" I shake my head, resting my chin in my hand, staring straight ahead. "Well, I have a feeling you could use one anyway." She says solemnly. With a sigh, I take a cigarette from the half-empty open carton she holds out.
"Just inhale, and let it sit, then breathe out," she says. Beverly lights the cigarette in my mouth, before lighting her own. I stare down at the cigarette and inhale. But I, being a complete cigarette virgin, begin to cough. She just gives me a smile as she gracefully blows a trail of smoke from her cherry balm smothered lips.
"You okay?" I nod and hold in another cough, yet feeling a bit more relaxed. I stared at the girl, who despite being younger, was very grown up and made me feel like a child.
I stare down at my bruised knuckles and my, as I suspected, bruised wrists. With a sigh, I turn to her, cigarette between my fingers.
"What the hell was I thinking Beverly?" My brown eyes stare straight into her blue ones. "I'm not a fighter, hell I don't know what came over me," She watches my expressions change intently. "And it wouldn't be the first time. That I've said or done something I usually wouldn't. But he does that to me, y'know?" I feel sadness strike itself into my heart yet again.
Beverly sighs and I can tell she's unsure of her next words.
"It sounds like you have feelings for him," I whip my head to face her. "I don't. I can't. You know how he is. What kind of person would I be if I loved someone like that?"
She takes another drag of her cigarette.
"Right." She agrees as if hoping that's what my decision would be. "Besides, I'll be out of here soon," I say, mostly to myself. I can't imagine staying here any longer than I have to.
Beverly and I finish lunch hour, eating Twizzlers and me coughing up cigarette smoke. After the bell rings, I stay where I'm at, not having it in me to go to Phys Ed.
"Here," Beverly gets up and hands me the carton of cigarettes, which now holds only two. "For practice." She gives me a wink before walking back inside the school, I stare after her. I slip the box in my bag and don't move.
I scowl as I inspect my bruised wrists. Not because they hurt, but because I know after today, Henry's never going to want to see me again.
I think about what Beverly said. The thought of me liking Henry made me feel horrible, but the thought of him possibly liking me back seemed to cloud my judgment.
"What the hell are you doing, Lorraine?" I mutter to myself.
-
It's eleven o'clock.
I poke at the cold cheese fries in front of me. Tonight's dinner is especially quiet.
For the first time since we arrived in Derry, my dad rushed home to greet us with food that you can't make in a microwave. Which is what he usually did when he announced we were going to leave.
Whatever.
Good riddance, Derry.
Good riddance, Henry.
"So girls," My dad begins his speech. Charlie forks some salad into her mouth and looks at him.
"If you couldn't tell, I've got some news." I sip my Cola and face him, awaiting his all too familiar words. "I was offered a new position," Not the news I was expecting, but alright. "And I accepted it. It's great, girls. Better pay, fewer hours, and, the best part, no more moving around."
My heart sinks. He's not serious.
"What do you mean, no more moving?" I demand nervously. My father, however, is far too happy to notice the anxious tone in my voice. "It means, this is it."
"We finally have a place to call home," He grabs my hand and squeezes it.
"Derry."
Tears well up in my eyes and I pull my hand out of my dad's grip. He's surprised and gives me a confused look. My heart beats fast and tears are pouring down my face at an alarming rate. "That's really great dad, maybe with your new income, you could get us a better house." Charlie snidely remarks. My dad is too busy watching me intently to notice.
"Lorraine?" He asks, concern evident in his voice. "You just took it, you didn't even ask us?" My anger is obvious in my voice as I cry. "I thought you'd be happy!" I jump from my chair and stomp out of the kitchen, leaving them confused.
I sit on my bed, knees to my chest, thinking of today. Thinking of Henry, thinking of Greta, thinking of Butch, thinking of all these people I'm stuck with now. On the inside, I was livid, but on the outside, I could only tremble with rage as I dig my nails into my palms. I think maybe I'd be fine if I just lost my mind.
My head falls back into the corner, tears falling down the side of my face. I close my eyes, not wanting to cry anymore. The one time I'm depending on a move, he does something like this. I open my hands to see blood oozing from the crescent moons on my palms.
"Shit," I swear under my breath and get up from my bed, walking to the bathroom.
I rinse my hands under the cold faucet water, they burn slightly. As I do this, I see the horizontal scar on my arm. My anger returns, but before I could do anything about it, I hear a noise.
Bells?
Why the hell am I hearing bells?
They stop the second I listen for them. Whatever.
I finish washing my hands and turn off the water. Wait!
There it is again!
I definitely heard it this time. I stop moving in hopes of catching the sound.
Bells.
My eyebrows furrow in confusion and I walk out of the restroom to see...
Nothing. That's not possible, I heard them, I know I did. I open the closet, look under the beds, and in the restroom. And there's nothing. I feel my heart beating faster. I still hear the bells, they're so faint. Suddenly they stop.
"Jesus, get a grip," I mutter. Rolling my eyes, I move to the window between the beds. It's pitch black, the only thing I see is my own reflection, staring back at me. Tomorrow night is Friday. Henry's supposed to take me to the movies.
As if.
Suddenly, there's a movement in the window's reflection. There, I see it. It disappears behind my head. I watch as a white figure paces behind me, across the room. It's shaped like a person, but it's so obviously not normal. I don't turn, not wanting it to know I've seen it. Footsteps can be heard on the wood floor behind me. My entire body shakes with fear, and my heart is racing. The footsteps stop and I can't see the figure anymore. It has to be behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, the gentle blow of the air conditioner chills my skin. I watch myself in the window, breathing shakily. My eyes widen as a gloved hand reaches out over my shoulder and clamps down.
"Lorraine!"
I scream and fall to the floor, scrambling against my bed. Charlotte looks frightened of me as I crawl backward, terrified. My dad runs in, "Lorraine? What's going on?" He demands of Charlotte
"I don't know, I just came in and she lost it!" She explains, looking confused and scared. I run a hand through my hair and feel fear flood through my body.
"There were bells! Footsteps, I heard it! It grabbed me!" I'm a blubbering, screaming mess, trying to explain what the hell just happened. My father grabs my, unbeknownst to him, bruised wrists, stopping the hands that pull my long brown hair in terror. My father looks horrified, not able to understand my sobs. "LORRAINE!" He yells to get me to stop, startling my sister. My body shakes as I cry. "What's going on?!"
"There's somebody in here!"
After a long and thorough search of the house, he comes back into our room. "Lorraine, there is no one else in the house,"
"You didn't check right," I say immediately. He sighs, looking exhausted. "I saw it." My hands shake as he starts to walk out of the room. "Why would I make this up?! You have to believe me!" I get up and run to follow him.
"ENOUGH," My father turns and yells in my face. I'm taken aback. My father has never yelled at me, we've had fights but he's never done anything like that. "I don't know what the hell has gotten into you tonight, but you better straighten out by tomorrow, do I make myself clear?" He was furious, I could tell.
"Dad-"
"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
I feel myself grow small and simply mutter, "Yes sir."
"Get to bed, both of you." I jump as he slams the door. My sister sits on her bed, slightly shocked.
I turn to her, ignoring the scared glance she gives me.
"Not a word. Please."