The Years After (IT Chapter Two fanfic)(Sequel to Summer of '89)

14.

They walked through the streets in silence. They had defeated the clown, but it just felt wrong for them to celebrate. They lost two amazing friends along the way and they walked silently to the Quarry.

They walked up to the edge of the cliff that they stood on when they were kids. Charlie was holding Mike's hand as she looked out to the lake. She squeezed his hand and started to take off her shoes. She walked beside the 'No Jumping Or Diving At Any Time' and she hit it with her hand. She took off her baseball cap and held it firmly in her hand, then looked back out to the lake and ran, jumping off from the ledge and she felt like she could fly. She felt like a bird, now that her fear from all of those years were gone.

They didn't play chicken fights or splashed water at each other. The laughter from 27 years ago echoed in Charlie's head, missing it. They swam close to the shore and wiped the blood and dirt off themselves.

"You know, Eddie would've hated this, cleaning ourselves in dirty water" Ben said. Charlie nodded.

"He'd be telling us we'd get streptococcus or something" Beverly said.

Charlie gave a small weak smile and nodded as she remembered Eddie. He was always there for her. In any fight she got, he always had his two fanny packs ready to help her.

"He made us laugh though" Mike said.

"He'd always be looking out for us right Rich?" Bill asked.

Charlie looked over at Richie who had his glasses off. He had a hand covering his face as he cried. It hurt Charlie to see how broken he looked. They all felt really bad for him, he was closer to Eddie than any of the rest of them were.

Charlie swam besides Richie and patted him on the back and he leaned his head on her shoulder. She put his arms around him and he held onto them as he cried. The rest of the Losers came and hugged him too, comforting him.

He stopped crying and looked at them, "Oh, thank you"

Charlie gave him a small smile and he returned it.

"I also don't have my glasses so I don't know who you people are but thank you" they all laughed.

"No but I seriously don't have my glasses" he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh no" Charlie started to look at the dirty water and tried to find his glasses. They all did.

As she swam looking down, she bumped into Mike and they slightly laughed.

"Hi" she said, even though he was with her the whole time.

"Hey" he smiled looking at her.

She smiled up at him, "You did great Mike, thanks for calling me" she gave a small laugh. He smiled along with her.

"Hey, you can now leave Derry, we can go to the beach now" she said beaming.

But Mike didn't reply. He was lost in her eyes and in them, he saw everything in her. Her bravery, her cunningness, her strength, her joy and beauty.

He leaned in closer to her and Charlie did the same. It was a mistake that she hadn't talked to him after she left that summer, but she didn't worry about that now, she let that past behind her and she held on to her future, she held onto Mike.

He put his hands on her waist  which was just above the water and Charlie drew her wet hand on his cheek. Their lips connected as they kissed. The kiss was more than the one they first had on that summer day, they knew they weren't going to leave each other after they pulled apart.

They walked back into town, it was around morning but no one was outside. What a shitty town, Charlie thought. She held onto Mike's hand as they walked side by side. She then looked down at her left hand.

"Guys" she said.

Her scar was gone. The scar that made everyone remember the promise they made when they were kids. Everyone looked down at their hands and saw that their scar was gone too.

"Nothing lasts forever" Mike said.

They looked up at the window of the store in front of them as they stood side by side. They saw themselves, but as kids. Eddie and Stan were there too. Charlie smiled.

She walked her bike down the street as she said, "So, ice cream anyone?"

"How can you seriously think about ice cream right now when we just attacked a fucking clown?" Eddie asked her.

She shrugged, "Foods for the living"

"Yeah Eddie, why so tense?" Richie asked.

"I've been gone 24 hours straight, my mom is probably freaking the hell out right now"

"Of course she is, your face is probably already on a milk carton" Richie said back.

"Can we keep it quiet please?" Mike asked.

Charlie looked over at him and smiled. He came up beside her and put an arm over her shoulder as he smiled back at her.

The Losers walked their bikes back home together, knowing nothing was going to happen again.