GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

chapter twenty-three.

july 7, 1989. monday.

   "I DON'T THINK SHES BREATHING!" ben hanscom yelled to stanley uris. ben had his fingers pressed to cassandras throat, searching for a pulse.

"move!" stan demanded, and crouched down near cass' side. "c'mon, cass," he muttered, pressing down on her chest a few times. he then tipped her head back, pinched her nose, and pressed his mouth to hers. he blew air into her mouth, then repeated the process of pressing down on her chest.

cass shot up after the third time, coughing up water, tears brimming her eyes. she looked at stan and ben, utterly confused.

"what the hell happened?"

CASS HADN'T REALIZED SHE DIDN'T come up for air until she felt herself slowly slipping out of consciousness. the water filled her lungs, but she didn't mind, and let the blanket of silence fall over her.

shortly after cass fell into the water, ben and stan made their way down to the quarry to birdwatch. stan claimed that around noon was the best time to watch, because the birds were super active.

as stan set up, ben peeked over the edge of the cliff, remembering the day all of the losers came down to swim. he smiled softly, but his smile quickly dropped from his face when he saw the body floating face up in the water.

"holy shit!" he exclaimed, and stan jumped, slightly startled at the outburst.

"what is it?" stan asked, joining ben at the cliffs edge. the curly haired boy gasped when he saw what ben was talking about, but tears quickly filled his eyes when he saw the long brown hair, and the baby blue dress a certain girl loved. "thats cass!" stan exclaimed, then jumped straight into the water. ben jumped after him.

ben got to cass quicker, and he began to drag her towards a small beach that led back up to the cliff. he pulled her onto the sand, and quickly dropped to his knees, feeling around for a pulse, and pressing his ear to her lips.

the lips that had turned a dark shade of purple.

"WE FOUND YOU IN THE WATER, you were close to dead," stan explained.

"did you, did you try to kill yourself?" ben asked, afraid if the answer.

"i can't remember that well. i went over to eddies, then to bevs, and her dad, her dad told me stay away from beverly. i came down here, and i just, i just let myself fall in," cass stopped, and looked towards the water. "i- why were you guys down here?"

"we were going to bird watch," stan explained sheepishly, rubbing at the nape of his neck. cass nodded shortly, not noticing the embarrassed blush on stans cheeks.

"stan why don't you take her home?" ben offered. "i'll grab all of our stuff."

"okay." stanley stood up and offered his hand to cass, who gladly took it. he tried to pull away after she stood, but she grabbed his hand harder.

"please don't let go," she muttered, quiet enough only for stan to hear. he nodded, blushing, and the two walked up a trail that led straight to the road, while ben walked up the trail that led to the cliff.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" DANNY exclaimed, watching stanley uris bring his cousin into their house, soaking wet.

"i fell in at the quarry." cass kicked off her shoes as danny eyed stans and cassies intertwined hands.

"oh," he muttered, and stan stayed silent.

"why were you there?" danny asked.

"i was bird watching." the older boy snorted.