sunshine. // it 2017

i.

The school year had passed by quicker than the losers could comprehend. Lola trudged behind the three boys, trying to keep up and trying not to be run over by the older, taller children. They would flatten her if they got the chance. Lola was shoved back, only for Richie to intertwine their hands and continue walking, Lola's cheeks blushed a light pink and her stomach filled with butterflies. A small British girl couldn't have a crush on her best friend, couldn't she?

"Stan has to take this super Jewish test and then-" Eddie started but was cut off by Bill.

"But w-what do th-they do?"

Eddie threw his arms in the air and shrugged, "they slice a bit of his dick off."

Richie still held onto Lola's hand tightly but responded with pure sarcasm, "but then Stan will have nothing left."

And right on que, Stan pushed in between Richie and Lola, pushing Lola away from the group. Stan sent her an apologetic smile while Richie held his hand behind his back for Lola to hold. They had always done that, just like they had been stuck to each other's sides. They silently walked passed the Bowers gang, Henry's eyes burning into Lola as she hid behind Richie.

"L? You okay?"

She looked up into the brown eyes of Richie's, obviously covered by coke bottle glasses as they stood near the stairs. Her eyes glistened with tears, yet she still said, "I'm fine."

Even though he looked through her lies and the broken heart he could see in his hazel eyes, he nodded and they continued walking out of the school to the bins placed near the main road. The boys dumped the contents of their school bags in the bin while Lola stood with her arms wrapped safely around herself.

"Best. Feeling. Ever," Stan spoke with a weight lifted from his shoulders.

"Oh yeah? Try tickling your pickle for the first time," Richie smirked at his own response.

He was hoping that Lola would've been cheered up by his stupid joke. She didn't even crack her fake smile. She hadn't been the same since her first day of school.

"Hey what do you guys want to do tomorrow?" Eddie questioned as he placed his bag back on his shoulders.

"Start my training."

The others stayed quiet as Richie and Eddie began one of their playful arguments.

"What? What training?"

"My training. For street fighter."

"Is that how you want to spend your summer? Inside of a arcade?"

"Bets spending it inside your mother," Richie hissed back, raising his hand to Stan for a high five and pricked his ears to her Lola's laugh.

Nothing.

Stan grabbed Richie's arm quickly and dropped it back to his side.

"What about we go to the Quarry?" Stan asked looking around at the others for approval.

"G-guys we can't. W-we got the b-barrens," Bill stuttered into the conversation.

"Right," Stan looked at him apologetically and stared down at the bin in front of him.

"Betty Ripsom's mum," Eddie whispered to the others, facing the woman standing by the police officers.

"Does she really think she's in school?" Stan questioned.

"Yeah like she's been in Lola's food ec class for the past week," Eddie replied, gesturing to Lola standing behind the group. It seemed like she had turned invisible to the boys.

"Do you think they'll find her?" Stan questioned once again.

"Yeah in a ditch, all decomposed, smelling like Eddie's mum's underwear," Richie smiled at his own comeback.

"Shut up!" Eddie snapped.

"She's not de-dead. She's ju-just missing."

"Sorry Bill. She's missing," Richie adjusted his glasses and spoke back to Eddie.

Lola had heard that Georgie Denbrough went missing a few days before she had arrived in Derry. Worse time to arrive, on a missing kid tragedy. The group started to walk towards where the bikes were held. And Richie grabbed hold of Lola's hand walking at her slow pace till they were confronted with the Bower's gang.

Bowers grin at the girl was rotten and mischievous. The same he wore last year when he was undressing the young girl. He walked towards her before Richie pushed himself in front of her, protectively.

"Back off Bowers," Richie hissed. He wasn't gonna lose Lola to someone like Bowers.

Bowers turned to head towards Belch's car, after turning and smiling again at Lola, "soon," he spoke darkly.

The car speed off, trailing a cloud of black smoke. And Lola broke, tears streaming constantly down her face and her sobs growing louder. She started to walk past the losers quickly only for Stan to grab hold of her and pull her into a tight hug. He was the only one to know what the girl had encountered that day with Bowers. What a horrible first day of school. She sobbed into his buttoned shirt and tears stained the blue colouring. Stan himself even let out a stray tear that travelled down his cheek and onto her hazel coloured hair, hugging her tighter. He wanted to tell someone so bad but he promised Lola he would hold it in. Richie stared down at the ground in jealousy and worry..

"Why didn't see come to me? Is there something she is hiding?"

Something big that only the Jewish boy knew, and swore to never tell a soul.