'39 [Stanley Uris]

26: Nothing Else Matters

The next day, Andi is over at Aj's new house, helping him paint the room that will soon belong to the upcoming baby.

"So, Lana can't move in yet?" She questions, lighting tracing paint onto the walls.

Aj paints another wall over with indigo paint, glancing behind his shoulder at the girl.

"Yeah, her parents are still not happy about the situation. They think I'm the worse for knocking her up because I have no parents and 'no sense of the chain of command' or something," he chuckles. "Yet, I bought this stupid house for us with my own money, I'm still going to school, and I'm taking care of her."

"Don't worry, dude," she reassures, "you're gonna be a great dad no matter what they think."

Aj smiles light, continuing to brush the paint against the wood. Eventually, the entire room is plain dark indigo, except for Andi's wall that has constellations scattered along the blue.

"Wow, you're really good," He comments, turning to admire her work. "How do you even know all the constellations?"

The girl's left hand remains rested against one constellation in particular—Perseus.

"They were shown to me," She whispers.

"Put me down, you son of a bitch!" Andi screams, kicking against the clowns grip.

He takes her by the neck with a single hand, his strength being unbelievably astonishing. He never once stop giggling disgustingly, not even when he lifts her into the air.

She's practically choking, but never stops fighting against him.

"ILL KILL YOU, ILL FUCKING KILL YOU," she swears, glaring straight into his eyes.

It stops smiling, an awkward silence hanging in the air for a second or two before it finally speaks.

He clicks his tongue, and shakes his head at her.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" He growls.

"What are you?" She whispers.

"I won't tell you what, but I'll show you from where," he grins.

Her eyes widen, and she immediately regrets her decision to speak. His jaw begins to open wider and wider, inhumanly stretching.

She shudders at this, staring into the light that emits from his mouth.

Then, she's in another place.

She doesn't know where, or how, or why. She just knows how dark it is, and it feels like she isn't even moving even though everything around her is. It's dark but bright.

She's floating.

That's when she realizes that she's in the skies. The bright lights around her are stars.

"Um, okay then," Aj laughs, giving her a weird look as she stares off.

Andi snaps back to reality faster than slim shady, and gives him a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, uh, like in a text book," she lies. "Anyway, I've got to go—"

"Stan?" He smirks.

She rolls her eyes before giving s goofy grin.

"Of course," she nods. "He's my husband and can't live on his own for more than 5 hours. Literally, he's probably dying on his own right now."

*30 minutes later, Andi is at the house on Neibolt street*

"WHAT THE FUCK, I SAID THAT THING TO AJ AS A JOKE BUT I GUESS IM RIGHT, YOU DUMB ASSESS"

*rewind to Andi barely leaving Aj's place*

"Alright, see ya, Aj," Andi waves, climbing onto her bike. "I'll come back and visit later!"

"You sure you don't need a ride?" He calls, squinting at the sun.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks!" She waves, pedaling away down the road and towards Bill's house.

Before Stan left her house this morning, he said he'd be there.

As she rides down the street, a sudden pang in her chest makes her feel like something bad is happening. Something just doesn't feel right. By the time she reaches the house, she realizes that she's right.

Police cars surround the Denbrough household.

Andi drops her bike and rushes to the front door as quickly as she can, nearly tripping over her own foot.

As she gets to the front door, she rings the doorbell over and over until, finally, someone is forced to open it.

Mrs. Denbrough.

"Oh my god, Andi," she mumbles, her eyes tears as she pulls her into a large hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

Andi is taken aback at first, hugging the older lady back with confusion.

"What's going on?" She softly questions.

"Georgie's missing," The lady sobs. "He's been missing since yesterday night, and Bill stormed off from whatever he was doing in the garage. His friends tried to catch up, but I'm just so worried."

Andi is still with shock, tears watering in her eyes.

The deal.

She said he could have one last meal, but she didn't say it could be Georgie!

Her heart is breaking into a million pieces, and a sob is caught in her throat. This is all her fault!

"I've gotta go! I think I know where he is," she says with a broken voice, before running back to her bike and jumping on in a hurry.