Daughter of Pennywise

Georgie's Drain

I was rudely awakened as a large weight jumped on my bed. I cracked my eyes open to see Niki sitting cross legged at the end of my bed. "Morning."

I grunted in response, and rolled out of bed. It had been a week since my midnight walk to the Denbrough residence, but I was pulled by that same feeling to a different house every night. Sometimes I thought someone had seen me from a window, but I was never sure.

Between that and packing I had been running on very little sleep and time. I stumbled and fumbled my way into the bathroom. When I got out Niki skipped past me. "I laid an outfit out for you."

I mumbled something that sounded like a thank you, and went to see. She had picked out a sliming v-neck, black flare outs, and a set of chains to hook to my belt loops.

Slithering into the clothes, I brushed my hair and flung my sweatshirt on over the outfit. Looking in the mirror I traced the tip of my finger over the marks on my skin. I've done every time I look in the mirror, ever since I was little. My mom used to say it was my lucky ritual.

Hearing Tessa yell for me, I called back and rushed down the stairs. Niki was dressed in a plaid shirt and ripped jeans. While Tessa finished cooking the pancakes, I helped my cousin set the table.

Scarfing our pancakes like it was our last meal, Niki and I jumped up and grabbed our school bags.

"Bye mom!"

"Bye Aunt Tess!"

"Don't die!"

I sighed, some things never change.

As we approached our new school campus kids were already whispering about us. Probably about me most of all. I was careful to hide my face, but a hooded figure almost attracts more attention. Almost. Some of them probably can't tell whether or not Niki was a boy or a girl. That's common. Sometimes I think she prefers it that way.

As we stepped through the doors I instantly heard snickers. Though Niki's hearing wasn't nearly as good as mine she still looked towards the noise. Letting me know she heard it too.

Four boys were leaning against the lockers. Simply by the way they held themselves, the way they eyeballed us newbies, these were the bullies. Something about the muscular boy with the mullet told me he was the leader.

Niki gave me a slight nudge and we resumed our quest to find our lockers.

☠️

I managed to make it to third period until I was forced to take my hood off. After that the news of me "wearing clown makeup" spread like pink eye. By the beginning of lunch
everyone wanted to look at me. Most were discreet, but others were less so. 

Niki rapped me on the shoulder with her knuckles, making me jump a bit. "Come on, cuz. There's gotta be a table around here somewhere."

Following her lead, we found a table stuffed in a corner. Sitting down, I fixed my hood so it was halfway back on my head. Exposing the face everyone wanted to peek at, but allowing me some form of security. I figured if I was going to be stared at, then I'd do some staring of my own. As quickly as I'd spotted the bullies earlier, it wasn't hard to find the losers.
They were huddled together. Six boys and one girl.

Even as I watched the bully boys (as I'd dubbed them in my mind) swaggered up to the misfits. I couldn't hear what they were saying from so far away, but it didn't take a genius to know it wasn't good.

Niki followed my gaze with her own and shrugged nonchalantly. "Better them than us."

I turned to her, pushing my hair back as I did so. "The question is: how long until it's us?"

Niki tapped a finger nail against her front teeth. A habit she'd never broken from her childhood. "Point taken."

☠️

Somehow we'd made it through the school day without incident, I thought as we walked home.

Lost in thought I started to lag behind Niki's brisk pace, but I wasn't too worried. The house was already in sight. "Ezra!"

I jerked and looked to Niki, thinking she had called my name. But she was a good way ahead and certainly wasn't acting like it.

Shaking my head to clear it, I kept walking.

"Ezra!"

I stopped walking, pissed. "What?"

Niki stopped and looked back at me. "Huh?"

Her genuine confusion nearly rocked me back on my heels. "Uh-um n-nothing." I stammered, taken aback.

She turned back around and continued walking. I started to follow when "Ezra!"

Drawn by the instincts I always obeyed, I looked left. A large drain was set into the curb. A short giggle echoed from its depths.

I took a step towards it when "Ezra! What are you doing?"

Niki was standing on the porch, watching me with a concerned expression.

I speed walked the rest of the way down the street. "Sorry I just got distracted." 

"Okay, then." Niki didn't seem convinced, but she let it drop and went into the house.

Before I did the same I glanced over my shoulder, right as a single red balloon floated out of the drain.