four months later
Even with summer break being weeks away, the actual summer heat has yet to be introduced. Waves of cold weather and clear skies still drag on from earlier months, but that doesn't bring down the high hopes of Derry's teens.
End of the year finals are also just around the corner, inching closer and closer every passing day. It blocks the freedom of summer, posing as just one last thing for the students to complete.
"Hey, Eds," Richie says, elbowing the boy in the side, "What if we get partners again for World History final? Wouldn't that be something?"
Eddie gently elbows Richie back, a small smile on his face. "Funny. I wouldn't be caught dead in another project with you."
"You were last time though."
"Not again, is what I mean, Rich."
"Well I think-"
Beverly raises both of her hands, also yelling, "Boys! Stop your bickering and pay attention."
Eddie is quick to shut down, his hands falling into his lap and back relaxing onto the wall behind him. Richie only gazes at Beverly, a dumbfounded look on his face before he too slowly drops his hands to the carpeted floor beside him.
Beverly maintains eye contact with Richie, the boy watching as her stoic look breaks and her eyebrows draw closer. Her hands come together as she messes with the rings wrapped around her fingers, twisting the metal bands to keep her hands preoccupied.
"Richie," she says, her voice strained. "I'm sorry for barging in here while Eddie was over, but.." She breaths in deeply, her breath shaky and uneven, "but you know how my dad is supposed to be getting released next year? After we graduate and leave for college?"
Eddie's eyes dart from Richie to Beverly, then back to Richie. "Should I.." He says slowly, "Should I go wait in the kitchen?"
Beverly shakes her head, her hair brushing against her shoulders. It's gotten some length to it since winter and it's beginning to lose its looped curls. "Eddie, you're my friend, too. I don't mind if you hear this," she says, "Richie just knows more of the situation."
Eddie watches as she brings up the back of her hand to wipe at her nose, then looks over at Richie. He's not paying any mind to the confused boy next to him, instead looking at Beverly with saddened eyes. It's obvious there's a backstory to this, history. Troubled history, at that.
"Bev," Richie says, "What's going on with your dad?"
Her hands run down the sides of her thighs, the tips of her fingers repeatedly tapping her leg. "He's getting released a.. a year early," she says, "for 'good behavior.'"
"No," escapes Richie's mouth immediately. "No. You're fucking kidding me, right?"
"He's going to come back before I leave," she continues on. "He's going to come back and I will still be here.. in Derry."
Richie pulls in his legs and gets up off the ground, leaving Eddie confused and concerned. "But your aunt won't let him see you, right? When he gets out."
Beverly meets his gaze and shrugs. "It's the same with the phone calls, Richie. She won't see him herself but she won't stop me from seeing him if I want," she explains. Her voice shakes as badly as her hands, the rings doing nothing as a distraction.
Eddie also gets up off the floor, taking a second to stretch out his legs before walking to the kitchen. Moments later Richie hears cabinets opening and the rush of water.
"Can't you get.. I don't know, a restraining order?" Richie tries.
Beverly breaths in and rubs at her nose once more. "I'd have to go through court," she says slowly, as if she's explaining it to herself instead of Richie. "I'd have to fill out paperwork and- and go to a hearing."
"It sounds like you've already thought about this before, Bev," Eddie says as he enters the living room again. He has a glass of water clutched in both hands as he carefully hands it to the girl.
She silently thanks him and takes a sip, then holds it to her chest. Her breathing has slowed, becoming deep and even. "Back when he first went to prison, yes. But.. my aunt said there was no reason to go through it all if he's not even in Derry."
"And he's coming back," Eddie says. His eyes are studying the ground, seemingly putting the pieces together himself. Beverly nods, her own eyes casted downwards.
Richie, on the other hand, is not having it with the depressing mood of the living room. He's heard about Alvin Marsh since the third year he's known Beverly, listening to her rants and her excuses, her fears molded by her own father. It sickened him.
"This is bullshit," Richie says sharply. "Fucking bullshit. He's scum of the earth, absolute trash. He doesn't deserve to be let out a year early on good behavior," he mocks. His eyes dart from Eddie to Beverly, spiked with anger.
"Richie, calm down," Eddie says softly.
"No, Eds, I'm not going to calm down. Beverly's dad did fucking disgusting things to her! Do the police know that?" He asks Beverly, only to continue on without waiting for a response. "Do they know what he did to you? What he tried?"
"Richie, please," Beverly says. She reaches out to grab his arm, giving it a squeeze. Just then does the boy notices the flush of her cheeks and the shine of tears. "Please," she tries again.
Richie breaths in and feels as the anger coursing through his body simmers. It feels as if every single adult in Derry has turned against them, doing everything they could to make their lives much harder than needed be. First Sonia and her ignorance towards Eddie, and now Alvin. It's never ending, huh?
"I'm still mad," Richie says.
Beverly nods her head, looking up at her best friend with eyes so full of fondness. "I know," she says. "I am too. More scared than angry, if I'm being honest."
Eddie's eyes drop from Beverly and to the floor, searching it as he thinks. "Hey, Bev," he says, his words there but his voice sounding empty and distracted. He pauses for a second longer, Beverly taking another sip as she and Richie patiently wait.
"Your dad isn't getting out until... wait, when does your dad get out?"
"Sometime this summer," Beverly responds.
Eddie nods and jumps back into his spiel. "Mid-summer, okay. We won't be graduates by then, but that will give us less than a year to save up.."
"What are you getting at, Eds?" Richie asks, genuinely confused.
"Yeah," Beverly joins in. "I'm a little lost, too."
Eddie's eyes slide from one friend to the other, the plan formulating in his head sparking excitement in his eyes and hand movements. "We could all live together," he says. "In an apartment up in Bangor. If we all save up enough money and all pitch in for the rent, we could make it work." He then looks at Richie and says, "Right? Just like you said back in January."
Richie doesn't bother looking at Beverly, already knowing she's staring at him for an answer. He can't deny what he said, not like he even wanted to.
"Leaving?" Richie asks, just to confirm Eddie's ramblings.
The boy nods like he's never been more sure of anything in his life. "Yes, leaving. I don't think any one of us like it here in Derry, the others included. We could have plans and money management. We could get an apartment and split the rent between all seven of us," he continues saying, speaking everything that comes to mind.
Richie finally meets Beverly's gaze. She doesn't look confused anymore, instead a compliant expression on her face. She seems on board with the idea, giving Richie a shrug that says 'why not?'
"Leaving," Richie repeats slowly, testing the words in his mouth as if he's just first speaking them into existence. This thought is not new to him, never has been, but this time it's different. Different because now the idea is being planned out with seriousness, no more a mere 3 am spree idea.
He looks down at Eddie, taking in the boys eager look. "Yeah, Eds. I said what I said. I'll leave anywhere with you."
The grin that breaks out over Eddie's face was all worth it. The excitement that lays behind the shine in his eyes is all worth it to Richie. "Really?" Eddie asks.
"Yeah, Eddio," Richie says with a nonchalant shrug. "It was me who came up with the idea in the first place. Way before you ever came into town."
Before Eddie could shoot back, Beverly speaks up with her own addition to the plan. "Bill and Stanley both got jobs last month," she starts as she turns around and heads to the couches. "I started working at Jo-Ann's fabric shop a few weeks ago.."
She slips into a thoughtful silence, taking a sip of her water before setting it down on a coaster. "Richie, you could get a job, too. It'll get you out of the house," she offers.
"I won't be able to get my job back, I've tried," Eddie says, "but there's got to be some place hiring."
Richie nods along with it. A job doesn't sound like the worst thing ever. Unfortunately, it would leave the house much more empty than it already sits, but he figures that won't matter if he's leaving after high school anyway.
"You already know I'm on board, but what about the others? They won't pussy out, would they?" Richie asks.
Beverly shakes her head, then slows as her face falls into a conflicted look. "I wouldn't think so," she says.
"I mean," Eddie butts in, "Mike has farm work for his sick grandpa and Ben has football. Maybe Ben could get a scholarship so he won't have to pay as much for college."
"Fuck, college!" Beverly yells. "I completely forgot about that! How are we going to afford an apartment and college?"
"There's financial aid," Richie says, "and not all of us have to go to college."
Beverly lets out a sigh and falls onto the couch, setting her elbows on her knees and taking her head in her hands. "My head hurts from all the thinking," she says, then lets out a soft laugh. "This isn't going to work out."
"Don't say that," Eddie says, his eyes sliding from her to Richie. "It could work. Ben is good at planning things, we could get him to plan it all out and Stanley to get the numbers for money.." He gives Richie one last desperate and pleading look. "It could work."
Eddie maintains eye contact with Richie, eyes begging Richie to be on his side. He never struck Eddie to be this persistent on leaving, but he's not complaining with this new side of Eddie. The side that takes control yet keeps the soft, almost shy exterior.
"Maybe," Richie says, playing into Eddie's pleads. "If we all work hard enough and save up. Rent for a four bedroom apartment at most would be.. around $2,000? Divided by seven would be about 285."
"So, $285 a month for each of us to pay," Eddie finishes.
Beverly looks up at the two boys, her eyes focused as she does quick math in her own head. "Minimum wage here is $11 an hour. That times the amount of hours we work each week, added up over a month.."
"See?" Eddie says excitingly, "this could work. We could get out of here, all of us."
Beverly meets Richie's eyes. She's flipped back and forth between emotions too much for one day and the exhaustion that weighs down on her shoulders is becoming obvious. She's tired and worn out, just like the rest of them.
"Let's invite everyone over to my house tomorrow for dinner," Richie says. "My mom and dad will be working and we can all talk about it."
Eddie is quick to nod, simply glad to have his friends on board with it again. "I can live with that," he says.
Beverly lets out a sigh, heavy with tiredness. "Alright," she says, "we can sleep on it."