love ; bill denbrough

2

Cass

I ran a couple doors down the street to Bill's house, my walkie talkie in my back pocket, and knocked the door. Bill came to the door with his walkie talkie in hand, a slightly newer model than mine.

"Bill, is she there yet?" I heard Eddie whisper on Bill's talkie.

Bill smiled nervously. "Yeah, now leave me alone." He pushed the antenna in and hooked it onto his belt. "Come on in." He smiled and led me upstairs to his room.

I looked around at all the posters on his wall and I spotted a fleetwood mac poster, which made me smile.

"Oh, that's just to hide a hole in the wall, it's noth-" He walks over and tries to pull the poster down, obviously embarrassed. I grabbed his hand and pulled it away from the wall.

"Bill, it's fine. I love fleetwood mac." I laughed, and his tense shoulders seemed to drop a little as he let out a breathy laugh.

"So?" I sat down on his bed and he sat at his desk.

"So, how old are you?" He asked. Such a stereotypical question.

"13, my birthday's October 7th." I smiled.

"I'm 14, my birthdays September 27th. Wait, it's your birthday tomorrow then?" He stared at me in confusion.

"Yup." I popped the P.

"Wanna go out then, meet the guys in person?" He looked at me hopefully and I just couldn't say no, so I didn't. 

"Guys," Bill called out on the walkie talkie. "Meet Cass and I outside the library." 

I heard a chorus of more than just Eddie and Richie obeying Bill's order, but I didn't bother to ask who they were. I'd find out soon enough.

"You got a bike?" He asked.

"My pride and joy." I laughed, sprinting downstairs, Bill's much heavier footsteps close behind me. He followed me out of the house and down to my garage. I pulled up the shutter and ran to the back, pulling out my bike. It was a 28 inch schwinn bike with a silver plate on the side and I loved it.

"No way." He laughed.

"Before you say anything, I'll have you know this is an amazing bi-" I started, but Bill cut me off.

"No, no. I have the same bike. Gimme a sec." I rode my bike out onto the street and waited. Sure enough, an identical bike, with a smiling Bill rolled up next to mine. "Ready?" He asked.

"Sure." We rode neck in neck down the street, the wind rushing through our hair. We continued to learn more about each other and ask questions. I believe I can now call Bill a friend, and if the 'losers' are anything like he described, I should have no problem calling them friends either. I carried on to the town library, I'd heard Bill mention it on the walkie. Halfway down the street, I could already hear Richie's big mouth, arguing with Eddie again, no doubt.

"Dimwits! We got a lot to do and a little time to do it in!" They all turned around at the sound of Bill's voice, all eyes landing on me. We skidded to a holt on our bikes and dropped them, I followed closely behind Bill.

"Cass, this is Eddie," Bill started, pointing individually at the kids. "Richie. Stanley, and Mike."

Eddie smiled, he was really adorable and he looked younger than the rest of us. Richie winked at me, taking my hand in his and kissing it, making me laugh. Stanley saluted and Mike gave a small smile.

"Perv." Bill scoffed at what I assumed to be Richie.

"Jealous, Billy?" Richie mocked.

"Shut it, Richie." Eddie piped up.

"What! You're meant kiss a lady's hand!" Richie defended himself.

"You're not meant to kiss a girl you just met!" Eddie shouted back at him.

"I kissed your mom last night, and it wasn't her han-" Richie was cut short by Bill.

"Guys! Come on. Our brother's have to be back soon, that means we have to be too." He gestured to me and they all turned quiet again. 

"Well, what do you guys wanna do?" I asked, and they looked between each other, shrugging.

"Lead the way, Cass." Bill smiled.

I got on my bike , standing on the pedals and riding off in front of the guys so they could all follow. Over the sound of the rushing wind in my ears, I could still hear the guys muttering behind me.

"Stop staring at her butt, Richie." I couldn't help but laugh at Bill's tone.

"As if you weren't." Richie fired back. I could tell that's all he ever did.

"I wasn't. I'm not a pig."

"Left turn." I shouted back to the guys, diffusing some of the tension. I'd have to do that often, I could tell. Arguing was gonna be common from now on. I carried on, leading them to my favourite spot down by the river. We dropped our bikes on the dirt bank, it was still raining a little, but there were so many trees covering the area, not a droplet had reached it yet.

"This is nice." Mike sat down at the bank. This was the only part of the river Henry Bowers didn't come too. He was all over me, so I had to find somewhere in town that he wouldn't find me. There was a small, brick arch over the river and I leaned up it when I was thinking, or doing anything for that matter.

"I know." I sat next to Mike. "Tell me about yourselves." I smiled and patted both sides of the ground, signalling for them all to sit down.

:::

I learnt a lot about all the boys, and I think we're all friends now. Eddie is a total mama's boy, Stanley is extremely cynical, Mikey is the only black boy in town and Richie? Well, Richie's just a trash mouth with nothing but sarcasm and a few buddies.

Mike had to leave because it was supper time, Stanley had to leave because his father had a strict routine, and Eddie knew it was curfew and he had to go home to his mom in time for his meds.

"Yeah I should go too." Richie spoke up. "I'm not even aloud to be out of the house right now."

I laughed.

"See you later. Don't leave us, Cass!" He warned and rode his bike of with the other guys. It was just Bill and I now. We talked for about 30 minutes after the guys left.

"Should we leave now? Georgie and Eddie should be heading home now." I asked and Bill looked at his watch.

"We still got a little time." He smiled. It was 5:23.

"So wh-" I started but I was cut off by the static off Bill's radio.

"Billy? Billy?" It was Richie, but he didn't have that snotty, sarcastic tone his voice usually carried it was sincere, almost empathetic.

"What do you want, cootie?" 

"Is Cass with you?" I knew something was up, he didn't say anything offensive back to Bill. Bill's face flashed with concern and I knew he thought the same thing.

"Yeah, why?" 

"Come quick. Jackson street. I think you wanna see this, but it ain't a pretty sight."