"kiss me" • stenbrough

Twelve

• Stanley •

   Distracting Bill wasn't an easy task as we sat in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for the doctors to inform us of Georgie's current physical state. Especially since I wasn't at ease with the whole situation either. Neither Bill nor Georgie deserved to go through any of the stuff that happened only twenty minutes ago, but life wasn't exactly fair, was it?

   Bill squeezed my left hand. Turning to face him, I realized he was holding his phone up. The camera was open, and the top read that he had been recording for two hours, eleven minutes, and seventeen seconds. I looked back at him, eyes wide. "Bill! You beautiful genius!"

   He grinned, stopping the recording. "Muh-Might be traumatizing to listen to, though," he replied grimly. I nodded, looking around at the others in the waiting room. Two boys sat next to each other, one with black hair, and the other blond. They were both clearly straight.

   A mother and her baby sat on another side of the room, the baby sound asleep in her arms. The woman's hair was up in a messy bun, dark bags under half-lidded, sleepy eyes. I, frankly, felt bad for all mothers. I never wanted children. Ever.

   I looked back at the two boys. They were around my age, eyes diverted toward the ground, wall, or the front door. Neither of them looked exactly nervous- in fact, it was like they were used to sitting in a waiting room for hours and hours on end, as if it were just a chore. The black-haired one made eye contact one with me.

   Looking away, I glanced at Bill, who had been staring at me the whole time.

   "H-Hi," he greeted.

    "Hello," I replied.

   Bill's parents arrived at the door, both holding one of Georgie's hands. Georgie was grinning widely,  eyes fixed on Bill.

   Then we went home.

~

No, not to my home. To Bill's home. I was spending the night again- my parents would understand, hopefully.

Bill was sitting in the left seat, holding Georgie close to him. I couldn't tell if he was crying or not, but he was staring at me intensely, like I had something on my face and he was resisting the urge to wipe it off.

His parents kept the radio off for the whole ride there. Zach looked rather tense, while Bill's mother, Sharon, was checking back on us every so often. They didn't ask how we found George- nobody did, and if they wanted answers, they had a two-hour recording to listen to. I wondered how many pictures he had to delete to record all of that.

   My mind began to wander even more. How did Bill know Georgie was in that hiuse anyway? He told me he had a dream... but it didn't quite add up. Was Bill psychic?

   I glanced at Bill again. His eyes darted to the back of his father's seat. He had been staring at me- I smiled. Bill Denbrough was just too cute.

   "Bill! What's his name?" Georgie asked all of a sudden, pointing at me.

   "H-His name is Stanley... he helped find you, " he answered, looking at his mother for some sort of reaction.

   The smaller Denbrough gave me a soft smile. "Stanlee..." he whispered. I smiled back, leaning on the back of the seat now. I was exhausted.

   "No school today. For any of you- including Stanley."

   I furrowed my eyebrows at the back of Sharon's seat. My parents would have me beheaded if I broke my four year streak of perfect attendance. Heck, if I was even tardy walking inside, they'd get mad. But something told me not to object this time.

   After a while of driving, Bill's dad finally pulled into their driveway. Bill took Georgie's hand, and I got out by myself, like a big boy.

   Needless to say, I was proud.

   Anyway, after Georgie decided on which bedroom to sleep in (he picked his parents,) and changing clothes (Bill had to lend me some- they were a little small,) we all laid down.

   "So, Bill," I mumbled after pulling some of the blanket over my side, "what were... you going to say earlier?"

   He gave me a puzzled look. "When?"

   "We got interrupted by the scream. Remember?"

   "Uh- oh. I... I'll tuh-t-tell you later, okay?"

   Stuttering was bad, especially when he did it around me. We were laying down. He was supposed to feel safe here, at his home, with Georgie in bed two rooms away. Assuming it was the subject that was sensitive, and not the situation, I nodded, putting my hand out in front of me limply. Maybe he'd take a hint.

   He did. Without hesitation, he grabbed my hand, scooting closer.

~

   I couldn't sleep.

   I just couldn't. My sleeping schedule had been the exact same for six whole years; in bed at nine, awake at four. Maybe that wasn't normal, but I sure thought it was. Bill had fallen asleep only ten minutes after we laid down, maybe less.

   Speaking of Bill... he looked adorable as he slept. He even drooled! What a cutie... so, instead of shutting my eyes and trying to go to bed like a normal person, I watched him sleep instead. Maybe it was a bad idea.

   But so far, it was worth it.

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