IT 2017 - Blonde Hair, Black Lungs.

VI

I sit on the road the left whole side of my body coated in dried blood and dirt as Eddies mom scolds us, ignoring the state the other kids were in. "You! You did this! You know how delicate he is." Mrs. K says pushing Eddie forward towards her car.

"We were attacked, Mrs. K!" Bill tries to reason with her, but she shakes her head angrily.

"No. Don't. Don't try and blame anyone else." She scolds and pushes Eddie into the car shutting the door to her car and faces us anger seeping off her frantic body.

She drops her keys in the midst of her rushing and Bev reaches to help her "Let me—"

"Get back!" She yells like Bev's a disease, she stands up after getting her keys and gets into Bev's face. "Oh, I've heard about you Ms. Marsh. And I don't wanna dirty girl like you touching my son." She spits out coldly like some bully.

Being tired and angry with her, I get up with the help of Mike, I get into Mrs. Kaspbrak's face and scowl. Ready to pull the Bowers card, everyone's scared of henry and our father. Sometimes I use that to my advantage.

"Sonia, I'm pretty sure you're what? Forty somethin'? And you're calling a kid dirty? How 'bout I go get my daddy, he's a cop, you should know that. Or— or maybe my brother. Let's see how that goes, hm?" I spit the words, crossing my arms, keeping Beverly behind me with a small smile on her face.

Sonia scowls and scoffs, "Oh, please! I know about you too, your little drunk druggie mommy. How she died. You're just like the rest of your degenerate family."

She huffs going to the driver side of her car pointing a finger at us, "And Eddie is done with you all! You hear! Done!" She yells getting into her car.

I look at Eddie as he holds in his tears, I feel horrible. Poor boy, forced away from the only support he has. She drives off and we follow the car into the middle of the road.

Instantly, Bill recovers from the taking of Eddie and he turns towards us with a determined look on his face. "I saw the well. Wh–W— We know where it is and— and next time we'll be better prepared."

I sighed, feeling sad and annoyed all at once, with bill, with everything. I look at Stanley as he grows just as annoyed. "No! No next time Bill! You're insane!" Seeing Stan yell looked abnormal, like it shouldn't happen. He's always the quietest one, the most down to earth one, and clever.

"Why?" Bev asks, looking at him. "We all know no one else is going to do anything." Bev, of course, sides with Bill, why wouldn't she.

Richie extends an arm annoyed. "Eddie was just nearly killed! Baye's sides cut open! And look at this motherfucker, he's leaking hamburger helper!" Richie yells pointing to me and then Ben.

"We can't pretend like it's gonna go away. Ben, you said it yourself. It comes back every 27 years." Bev tries to reason and persuade us.

"Fine. I'll be forty and far away from here. I thought you said you wanted to get out of this town too." He says, a little sad, almost defeated.

"Because I wanna run towards something, not away." Bev says, I can understand her view on this. But I'm bleeding, so's Ben. We just lost a member. How's she and Bill not affected by this.

"I'm sorry! Who invited Molly Ringwald into the group?" Richie pointedly shouted waving at Beverly, Beverly flips him the bird as he looks at her.

"Richie—"

"I'm just saying, let's face facts. Real world. Georgie is dead. Stop trying to get us killed too." He moves closer to Bill. I look at Richie with wide eyes, I punch his arm hard for the first time. He flinches and glares at me.

Bill retaliates too and lightly pushes Richie away with his right hand. "Georgie's not dead."

Richie's tone lowers to a sadder one, "You couldn't save him. But you can still save yourself." He says before trying to walk away only for Bill to stop him and move in front of him raising his hand and pointing a finger.

"No. T–Take it back." Bill stutters, struggling to get the words out. "You're scared and we all are but take it back!" He yells and shoves Richie back, hard.

"Hey, stop! This isn't fixing anything!" I yell, trying to get above their voices. Yelling and pointing fingers isn't gonna solve shit.

But like the dumb boys they are, they fight. Richie, now angry, shoves Bill back, and he quickly raises a fist and sucker punches Richie, the poor boy falling onto his ass. "Rich! Oh my god!" I gasp, moving to help Mike get him up onto his feet again.

"You're just a bunch of losers! Fuck off!" He yells trying to get out of our grips.

"Richie, stop!" I grunt with struggle, I didn't like this, it's not a way to do things. It's not the way I want to do things.

"And you'll get yourself killed trying to catch a fucking stupid clown!" He yells louder, mean and cruel.

"Stop!" Beverly shouts, wanting to help like I tried. Her yell worked as everyone quieted down, breathing heavily. "This is what it wants. It wants to divide us. We were all together when we hurt it. That's why we're still alive!" Beverly says, looking between us.

"Yeah? Well, I plan to keep it that way." Richie says, walking off and harshly hitting Bill's shoulder.

I sigh and look at Mike, who looks at me with the same look. We were both done with this exhausting deathtrap of a summer. I follow Mike as he walks off, I don't know why I followed him. I felt somewhat like a puppy following its master. Cluelessly.

"Mike, Baye..." Beverly calls desperately and Mike turns around. I stop and glance behind me, a sad look in my blue eyes.

"Guys...I can't do this. My granddad was right. I'm an outsider, gotta stay that way." He pats my arm as he turns away to get his bike, waiting for me. I don't give the two behind us a second glance or I'd try to fix this. I knew it'd be a waste. So, I quickly get on the back of Mike's bike.