When we reached the house on Neibolt, Bill and Bev were already walking up the rickety stairs towards the front door of the derelict house.
Throwing my bike onto the dead grass, I call after them before following them towards the front door. I hear Stan complaining behind me as I protest Bill wandering into the disgusting house.
"Bill, you need to think this through!" I say, "We need a plan."
"We don't have time to make a plan," Bill cries, "You don't have to come in but what happens when another Georgie goes missing, or another Betty, or another Ed or one of us? Are you just going to pretend it isn't happening like everyone else in this fucking town? Because I can't!"
I turn to my brother, who looks as if he feels bad for Bill but still doesn't want to enter the nasty house. I sigh, turning back to Bill who's continuing his speech, "I go home and all I see is that Georgie isn't there, his clothes, his toys, his stupid stuffed animals but he isn't... so walking into this house, for me, is easier than walking into my home."
"Wow," Richie gasps watching Bill admirably. I look to him, "What?"
"He didn't stutter once," my brother replies.
"Wait! Shouldn't we have some people keep watch?" Stan asks visibly frightened, "you know just in case something bad happens?"
"W-Who wants to stay out here?" Bill asks and everyone but Bev, Bill and I put their hands up.
"Y/N, put your fucking hand up," Richie whisper-yells.
"Let's draw straws," Mike suggests. One by one, aside from Bill, we pick a piece of dried grass in an attempt to figure out who should go into the moster house. I sigh as I see Richie, Eddie and I's shorter pieces.
"Looks like we're staying outside," Stan says, "Be careful guys."
"Wait," Mike protests, "I'll go in Y/N's place."
"Seriously dude?" Eddie scoffs.
"Yes dude," he mocks, "I don't want her going in there."
"Well I am," I argue, "Richie's my brother and Eddie's... well, important to me so yeah, i'm going in."
Mike nods slowly as I walk forward with Bill into the house. Richie and Eddie follow behind us, I hear them whispering excitedly but choose not to comment. I feel my heart rate increase slightly as we walk through the decaying hallway into a condemned living room.
"You know, if we were measuring dicks then i'd be outside," Richie comments, making me laugh.
"S-Shut up Richie," Eddie mumbles before commenting on the disgusting odour. Richie looks to him, "Don't breathe through your mouth."
"H-How come?" Eddie questions.
"Cause then your eating it," Richie sniggers. Eddie begins to fumble for his inhaler as I glare at Richie as he walks over to a small table. I whisper to Eddie, "Don't worry Ed's, you're not eating it."
"How would you know!" he yells before having a look of horror on this face, "shit i'm sorry, i'm just nervous..."
"It's okay, we all are," I smile as I return my gaze to Richie who's now as white as snow.
"I-It says I'm missing," Richie mumbles just above a whisper, he shows us a MISSING poster and my heart drops.
"Y-Your not missing Richie," Bill assures him.
"That's my shirt, that's my hair, that's my face, that's my name, that's my age! That's the date!" Richie panics. My heart breaks watching my brother yell frantically in pure panic as he grips the paper tightly. "Rich..." I whisper with a wavering voice.
"Richie, you're not missing!" Bill says pulling the paper from him. Richie continues his tangent, "What the fuck! Am I going to go missing! I don't want to go missing!"
"Calm down, look at me, Richie look at me!" I shout, walking over and grabbing his hands, "this isn't real it's playing tricks on you!" Richie nods as rests his chin on the top of my head.
"Hello," a familiar voice calls to us.
"Was that..?"
"Betty..." Bill mumbles as we climb the stairs.
"Ripsom?" Richie gapes, looking at the girl lying on the ground. She lets out an blood-curdling scream as she is dragged out of view. We all run forward, not noticing Eddie's missing presence, entering to find an empty room.
"She was just here where the fuck did she go?" I ask.
The door slams shut and we hear Eddie shout from the other side. I start to panic before screaming frantically, "Eddie open the door!"
"Oh god." Richie screams as the dirty mattress begins to move and tear. Eddie, whose skin was pale and his dark, springs from the mattress. "Wanna play loogie?" he asks as black liquid pours from his mouth. "Eddie!" I scream as Richie pulls me back from the boy.
"It's not real Y/N, just like the poster," he coos. We hear a loud, "What the fuck!" before a large crash echo from the hallway. It's as if time has stopped, I stare at the door in shock, expecting it to open and Eddie to be standing safely on the other side. We hear another bang and I turn around to find Richie missing.
"Guys, open the door!" he screams as we pull on the door handle.
Eventually we get him out and manage to escape the room, thanks to Bill's bravery and convincing. The stairs seem to grow longer as we race down them looking for Eddie. We crash through the door and Pennywise turns with a sick smile on his face. IT looks to Bill, "Am I not real enough for you Billy? I was real enough for Georgie!"
I sneer at the clown, "You bastard."
"Have I hurt your feelings Y/N?" he laughs in a sing song voice, "Is it because I hurt the boy you like so much? or are you worried I'll hurt that boy outside? What's his name... Mike? At least you got one kiss in before he dies."
"What the fuck!" Eddie screams in pain, from his broken arm, as well as anger.
I stand staring at the clown, he has succeeded. Eddie and Richie look at me in anger, the clown had succeeded in making Eddie think I like Mike. I zone out of the conversation as I watch Bill run over to an angry Eddie. Meanwhile, Bev runs in and jams a metal pipe through the clowns head. His face begins to look as if it's glitching whilst he scans the room. The blood that formed in his head, begins to lift upwards as he retreats from the room. As Pennywise leaves the room, he takes a bow and scratches Ben before leaving.
"We need to get him home," Stan says watching Richie try to correct the bone in Eddie's arm. I walk over whilst Bev follows Bill down into the basement. Eddie glares at me, I stop a few steps away from him not knowing what to do.
"Y/N, maybe you should go outside," Bev sighs. I nod, leaving with Mike and Ben whilst the others see to Eddie. The atmosphere is awkward as we cycle back to Eddie's house, no one knows what to say. Eventually, we throw our bikes down and Stan goes to knock on Eddie's front door. Mrs. K opens the door and immediately lets out a gasp as she sees Eddie.
"You!" Mrs. K seethes as she pushes Eddie behind her, almost to shield him from his friends. "You know how delicate he is!"
"W-W-We were attacked Mrs-s. K," Bill stutters trying to reason with the woman.
"No, don't blame anyone else!" she yells opening the car door and pushing Eddie in. He still hadn't made eye contact with me, he hates me.
Mrs. K drops her car keys in frustration, Beverly leans forward to try and help Eddie's mum but instead she shouts at the kind girl.
"No! Get back!" she hisses as she bends down to pick up her car keys, "I've heard of you Miss. Marsh and I don't want a dirty girl like you touching my son."
"Don't talk to her like that," I argue and everyone, including Eddie, stared at me in shock, "You have no right to talk to her like that."
"Excuse me," she laughs humourlessly.
"You heard me," I reply.
She lets out a cruel laugh, "oh and don't think I don't know about you, you're a slut and a bad influence on my boy."
"Mrs K, I-" Richie begins, ready to defend me.
"No! You are all monsters!" she continues and points at us, "Eddie is done with you, do you hear? Done!"
She strides angrily to her car, opening the door and slamming it causing Eddie to cringe. He doesn't look at any of us, just sits there quietly as his mother turns the car around before driving off into the distance.
"I saw the well." Bill says, "W-We know where it is, and next time we'll be better prepared."
"No!" Stan declares, "No next time Bill!"
"Why? We all know no one else is going to do anything!" Bill argues.
"Eddie was nearly killed! And look at this motherfucker, he's leaking hamburger helper!" Richie yells looking at Ben who still has deep cuts from Pennywise.
"We can't pretend it's gonna go away! It comes back every twenty seven years." Beverly adds.
"Fine! I'll be forty and far away from here. I thought you said you wanted to get out of this town too," Ben cuts in trying to reason with her.
"Because I want to run towards something, not away," Bev replies.
"I'm sorry, but who invited Molly Ringwald into the group?" Richie scoffs and Bev flips him off.
"They have a point," I say, running my hand through my hair.
"Don't you fucking dare," Richie seethes pointing his finger at me. I glare at him, "If it was you I wouldn't rest until I found you!"
"Buts it's not me! Let's face facts, real world." Richie exclaims, "Georgie is dead, stop trying to get us killed too!"
"Georgie is not dead," Bill replies sternly, anger evident in his eyes.
"You couldn't save him, but you can still save yourself," Richie shouts.
"T-T-Take it back! You're scared, we all are, but take it back!" Bill stutters as Richie tries to get past him. Bill shoves Ritchie only to be shoved back twice as hard. It all happens quickly, Bill grabs my brother by his collar and punches him on the jaw.
"Bill!" I shout.
"You're just a bunch of losers!" Ritchie screams, getting up from the ground ready for another fight as Mike grabs him.
"You're just a loser and you're getting to get yourself killed by a stupid clown!" Ritchie shouts at Bill.
"This is what it wants!" Beverly comments, "It wants to divide us. We were all together when we heard it, that's why we're still alive!"
"Yeah? Well I plan to keep it that way!" Ritchie scoffs picking up his bike, "Y/N come on."
I stand for a moment before turning to Bill, "if you need me, i'm always here." He nods as Richie huffs in anger. We ride home in silence and as soon as we're inside, he storms to his room not interested in a conversation.
hope you're enjoying the book! Also check out my story about Stanley Uris. Please vote ♡