Face It//Eddie Kaspbrak

Chapter Seven

I felt water rush up my throats. I rolled over on my side and quickly threw it up. Once I was done hurling I was tightly embraced. "Don't ever scare me like that again. I thought you were dead." The voice and arms belonged to none other than Eddie Kaspbrak.

***

Bev and I sat in the grass to dry off. I know the boys are staring at us but I decide not to say anything. Bev sits up which causes the boys to all get flustered.

Richie starts to go through Ben's backpack and picks up a postcard. "Woah. Who sent you this?"

"No one." Ben is quick to snatch the card from Richie before he flips it over.

Richie then finds interest in something else he pulled from Ben's backpack. It's a small army green folder. "Dude what's with the history project?"

"Well, you see, when I first moved here I didn't have any friends so I'd spend a lot of time in the library." As Ben explains this to us I start to feel really bad for him. It must have been hard to move and not have any friends to help support you.

I look around at all of my friends. I'm so grateful to have them, even Richie. "What you went to the library on purpose?" Richie ruins the only moment I was actually grateful to have him in my life.

Bev and I get up to look at the folder. "Yea, Richie. Not everybody is as stupid as you are."

"Why are all of these articles about disappearings?" Stan flips through the pages of the folder.

"Derry is unlike any town I've ever seen. The death rate here is six times the national average." All our eyes grow wide and we look at one another.

"Six times?" Richie ask, hoping it's not true.

"Yea and that's just adults. Kids are worse, way worse." Ben shakes his head. "I have more stuff. It's at my house though."

"Then what are we waiting for? Richie to get a girlfriend? Let's go!" I say and start to get my clothes back on. Soon after we're all on our way to Ben's house.