GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

epilogue.

september 3, 1989. tuesday.

IT HAD BEEN ALMOST A MONTH since the losers descended into the wellhouse, and defeated the thing that had been terrorizing their town.

it had been a month since cassandra frayser died.

they decided on bringing cass's body down near the quarry, and laying her near a tree.

they would say to the police later that night that cass was climbing upa tree and went way too high. they would say she lost her footing, and hit her head a little too hard on the ground.

they hated lying to the police, but what choice did they have?

CASS HAD A PROPER FUNERAL A few days later. they brought her father all the way from california to attend, and bev and stan did all they could to not go over there and give him pieces of their minds.

instead, the two comforted each other, having both been in love with her. their loss felt greater than all of the other losers combined.

they had actually known her story.

danny frayser approached the seven kids at the reception, his eyes puffy and cheeks tear stained.

"did it- did it happen quickly?" he had asked the losers, and bev had smiled at him through her tears and pulled him in for a hug.

"it barely took a minute," she breathed into his ear. he tightened his grip around her waist, and they both sobbed, wrapped in each others arms. soon the other boys joined.

"she loved you guys, you know.you were the best friends shes ever had."

"we loved her too," richie spoke through tears.

after they all pulled away, richie and danny shook hands. danny pulled him closer.

"you were always my favorite, tozier. don't tell them."

"i knew you loved me!" richie exclaimed, and danny only smiled.

"go! be with your friends."

richie ran towards his friends who were gathered around the food table.

"i miss her so much," mike finally confessed. and the losers all nodded.

"we duh-do too."

"barrens tomorrow?" bev asked, and everyone agreed.

NOW HERE THEY ALL SAT IN A circle down in the barrens, bev explaining what she had saw.

"i can only remember parts, but, i thought i was dead. thats what it felt like," bev paused. "i saw us, back in the system, but we were older. like, our parents ages."

"wh-what were we all doing?" bill asked.

"i just remember how we felt. how scared we were. i don't think i can ever forget that." bill stood up when bev was done speaking, and grabbed a broken piece of glass from the ground.

"swear it. s-swear, if It isn't dead, if It ever comes back, we'll come back too." bev stood up, then richie and eddie, stan and ben, then finally mike.

bill applied pressure to his palm with the glass and cut a long stripe, then did the same to richie. he grimaced and shook his hand, muttering 'fuck.'

bill then cut eddies, who squeezed his eyes shut and looked away while richie comforted him.

bill proceeded to mike, then stan, ben, and finally bev, who barely flinched.

she knew pain much greater than a cut on her hand.

the losers latched their hands together, all of them grimacing slightly from the pain. together they stood, seven kids who had seen too much, and knew more pain and heartbreak than half of the adults in derry. kids who barely had anyone there for them.

but in this moment, and for as long as forever may be, they had each other.

they dropped each others hands, and stan broke the silence that had fallen upon them.

"i gotta go," he spoke, then added, "i hate you." bill looked down, but stan smiled, proving it was a joke. bev observed the way his cheeks squished against the bandaging around his head. everyone began laughing, and for the first time this summer, they truly felt like kids. "i'll see you later." then stan walked away.

richie and eddie hugged, before eddie walked away, muttering a 'bye guys.'

mike was the next to leave, then richie, then ben.

"y-you all packed for portland?" bill asked bev once they were alone.

"yeah, pretty much. i'm going tomorrow morning." bev smiled softly at bill.

"how long will you be gone?"

"my aunt says i can stay as long as i want, so," bill nodded, and bev changed the subject. "just so you know, i never felt a loser when i was with all of you."

"neither did i," bill answered, and smiled. "i'll s-see ya around, bev." with that bill got up and walked away, leaving bev alone with her thoughts.

"hey, cassie," bev spoke to no one, and tried not to think of the fact she sounded stupid. "i'm sure you already know, but i'm leaving for portland tomorrow. and i just, if you're here, you know in spirit, please. just talk to me one more time. i, i need this." bev closed her eyes, a tear slipping out. "i need you with me one last time."

"i'm always here, bev," she heard, and when she opened her eyes, she could have sworn she saw a flash of cass's long brown hair and bright blue eyes.
bev let out a happy sob.

"cassie? is that you?" there was no answer, but the wind picked up and the grass rustled against her legs.

for the first time since cass died, she knew cass was there.

"forever and always," bev whispered, before getting up and walking away with one last glance towards where she saw cass.

she couldn't see her, but she knew cass would always be there.

cass knew it too.

THE END.