Anaphylaxis [IT 2017]

3

"I think you're pretty rad."

-

"You're home early," Nona states as she hears the sound of her granddaughter entering the living room.

"Yeah," Wren throws her backpack aside, "figured I might as well, since I've got nothing better to do." The girl glances towards her grandmother, taking a mental picture. For memories. The only thing she bothers staying alive for at this point.

Nona is sat on her classic wooden rocking chair, leaned back with sunglasses over her eyes. The sunglasses aren't even necessary considering she's blind and they're inside their own living room. The darkest room in the entire house! Probably because their lamp broke last week when Nona insisted she could walk without her cane. Wren should've never humored her suggestion.

Wren always wonders why blind people wear sunglasses. Can they see the sun?

Whatever. For someone who's blind, Nona Hutsbee sees more than a man with 20/10 vision. Whenever Wren asks about it, she always says that it's about sight not vision. Whatever that means.

"What're your plans for the summer?" Nona hums.

"Sit around, and wait for a call," Wren admits with a laugh. She sits on the couch across from Nona's wooden rocking chair.

"You finally got a boyfriend?" The old woman inquires. Wren laughs in response, "I wish I did. The guy I like has a bit of a complicated life right now though. I don't expect him to wise up anytime soon— not to say he isn't wise! He's the wisest– at least, I think."

Nona snorts humorously, "honey, ain't no 15 year old gon' be wise!"

Wren crosses her arms, but never retaliates. She knows her grandmothers right; she always is.

"I could at least dream that he is..."

"What's his name?" Nona questions, looking in the direction of the young girl.

"Bill. Bill Denbrough," Wren responds.

Nona gives a look as if she is in deep concentration before she gestures for Wren to move closer to her, "come here child. Let me read your palm."

Wren rolls her eyes, but complies nonetheless.

Nona always went on to Wren about how they're the descendants of witches— and how they have abilities no one else has. Wren doesn't believe it, she's never been anything out of the ordinary.

She could believe that her grandmother is a witch— just not her. Maybe the 'powers' skipped a generation or something.

Once she is sat by her grandmother, she places her hand on the woman's lap. Immediately, Nona grabs her hand. Her fingers trace the outlines of the girl's hand. Wren watches her curiously, trying to make sense of what any of this could possibly mean.

"Your head says there's one, but your heart says another," Nona mumbles.

Wren makes a confused expression.

"What kind of crappy riddle is that?" She questions and pulls her hand away. Nona laughs at the child's reaction, shaking a finger in her face.

"Time will tell."

Before Wren can ask any further questions, the landline phone in her room rings.

Wren excitedly jumps from the couch and rushes to her room, completely forgetting the palm reading she just received. As she enters her room, she is greeted with the smell of rose perfume.

She plops onto her bed, ignoring the magazines scatter along it, and quickly answers the phone.

"Hello?" She greets, wrapping the curly cord around her finger.

"H-Hi, Bee?"

Wren's face breaks into a priceless smile as she immediately recognizes the voice on the other side of the line to be Bill's.

"Bill? Wow. Didn't think you'd really call," she laughs, playing it off smoothly.

"Y-Yeah...uh, I was w-wondering if you– you don't have to– b-but maybe you w-wanted to go out on a date s-s-sometime?" Bill nervously asks.

He waited all day (after a long search down at the Barrens) to give her a call. He ended up giving all the boys her number, in case he chickened out of calling her. Admittedly, he feels a little guilty about the plan he's made.

Wren, clueless of the boy's intentions, blushes wildly.

"Of course!" She responds enthusiastically.

Bill sighs lightly in relief, "g-great. C-Could I m-m-maybe ask something else of you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"After out d-d-date, do you think maybe...maybe you could drive me and the guys around to look for Georgie?"

Wren feels a pang of sadness in her heart as she hears Bill's request. How could she say no to him?

"Of course, Bill. I'll even help," she insists.

Bill sighs in relief again, but still feels a heavy guilt on his shoulders. Even heavier than the guilt he has when he thinks of Georgie.

"Okay. T-Thank you. I'll meet y-you at the diner at 12pm t-tomorrow?"

"Yeah, for sure," Wren confirms. Her smile is back, and her heart throbs in her chest. She feels like the luckiest girl alive that she finally gets a chance at being with a decent guy.

"B-Bye."

"Bye!"

As soon as the phone hits the receiver, Wren lets out a loud squeal.