drown ★ it 2017 (completed)

blew

trigger warning: mentions of abuse

september, 1988

the school doors swung open as if the wind were a powerful force that day. which it wasn't, because it was early september, and the weather was fairly nice. heather regretted walking through those doors, because as soon as she did, all eyes were on her. which was a really bad thing. still is. upon impulse, she turned around and walked straight out. except, she didn't, as a group of assholes motioned for her to come over.

"hey," said the first one, eyeing her up and down.

"uh, hi?" heather replied, raising an eyebrow.

"so," he continued, narrowing his eyes, "what's wrong with your eyes?"

"nothing. why? do i have pink eye?"

"no. they're different colors. green and brown. disgusting. like a swamp."

"okay? and? i don't really give a shit."

"whatever." he said, pushing past heather with a hard shove.

she tumbled backwards into a group of people behind her, "i-i'm sorry. have a nice day."

she turned around to see a group of four boys; one with large glasses, one with very straight hair, one with a weird frisbee-like thing on his head, and one with a fanny pack. it's an... interesting group of people to say the least.

heather was hurt. yeah, people made fun of her swampy eyes often, but this was the fifth time she had moved, and her family was running out of money. by family i mean her two brothers, zachary and milo. she had been living with them since she was seven years old. she's thirteen now.

she moved away from her parents because they abused each other. a lot. heather always got into the middle of it, wanting it to stop. so then heather would get hit. then milo would try to get heather uninvolved in it, then he would get hit. finally, zachary usually stopped it, as he was the youngest and no one wanted to hurt him. so yeah, it was a shitstorm. now, heather and her brothers live happily together in a tiny motorhome.

•••

finally, it was the dreaded, yet loved, time: lunch. dreaded because of the obvious: heather doesn't know anybody. loved because of the obvious: a break from learning. the black-haired girl looked helplessly around the cafeteria. suddenly, she saw arms waving in the room from a table in the back. at that table, she saw the same group of boys she saw earlier.

"richie?! what the hell are you doing? we don't even know her!"

"yeah, well, she's kinda hot."

"fine, whatever. but if she murders us all, it's your fault."

heather looked around her, then pointed to herself. the boy waving at her nodded his head vigorously. she shrugged, then made her way over there.

she quietly sat down, hoping that they were just being nice.

"hey, i'm richie tozier." said the boy with big glasses.

"heather o'donnell." she replied in a whisper tone.

"that's a pretty name. it goes with your pretty face."

"shut the hell up, richie." chimed the boy sitting next to richie, elbowing him in the gut.

heather looked at him annoyed, "fuck off."

"with pleasure."

"i'm b-b-bill." said the boy sitting next to richie.

"stanley."

"i'm eddie."

heather smiled, "nice to meet you all."