special note: audio - Blood Oath by Benjamin Wallfisch
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Bill woke himself up with a few cups of coffee, which he knew he would surely regret as night came again, but he didn't want to bore Beverly.
He had told disappointed Stan, Richie and Eddie that he was doing 'family stuff' to which they all groaned at how boring he was. Bill just had to miss out on a day at the arcade with his friends.
He hopped on Silver and rode familiarly to the quarry, dropping his bike off near the boulders.
Beverly had already eagerly rode through the town, into the woodland and rested her bike on the dirt ground at the edge of the forest. She had walked to the large rocks where the group had sat and talked last time.
It was only four in the afternoon, as well as it being summer so the sun was shining bright just above the horizon; perhaps an hour of daylight left.
She sat atop the rocks and gazed out at the blue, sparkly water filled quarry, the blooming forest on the other side and waited patiently for Bill, feeling the warm evening air through her newly short hair.
Bill climbed over a few boulders before finally seeing Beverly. Before she noticed him, he took a moment to admire how magical she looked...
He awed at her sitting there, red hair flickering like a candle in the pink evening hue.
"Hey," he murmured. Beverly turned and saw the boy trip over a stone. She giggled and turned her body around towards him a bit more.
Bill found his balance again and went to sit next to Beverly. "S-s-sorry I was late," Bill apologised.
Beverly didn't want to admit she came earlier out of eagerness and because her house was too depressing; she had already gone through 2 cigarettes since that morning.
Bill had noticed this because she smelled starkly of strawberry perfume attempting to mask the piercing scent of cigarette smoke. Nonetheless, he thought she looked especially pretty in the gold overtones of sunset.
"Oh, no problem," she said. "I only just got here," she lied.
The two sat in silence, half awkward, and the other half, they were genuinely enjoying being in a beautiful landscape in the company of someone they liked.
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However, Bill broke the quiet chittering of forest birds and soft ripples from the river in the quarry, "R-R-Richie didn't even want you to come." He giggled, not entirely realising what he had said, just wanting to make conversation.
Beverly looked to him, rather confused about the statement. Bill attempted to stutter an apology, "Oh, n-no that's n-n-not wh-what I m-meant."
Beverly chuckled, finally recognising what he had meant to do. She grinned, entertained by Bill's social unconsciousness, "No, I get it."
Bill still felt entirely awful about what he had just said. "I definitely wanted you to be there," he said quickly, without stuttering.
Beverly stopped giggling and was silently flattered by what he just said. The two laughed together at the embarrassing situation until Bill suddenly noticed something on Beverly's leg.
He looked down, eyes widened at what seemed to be an open wound from her skin. Bill's stomach turned for a moment, feeling a pit in it. Thoughtfully concerned for her, he asked, "Wh-wh-what's that?"
Beverly gasped softly and pulled the hem of her dress down slightly to cover it, her anxiety swirled in her brain and belly.
She had never really thought about people discovering her bad habit because she doesn't spend time around people who actually care about her.
"Oh, nothing," she spoke cold and bluntly, quickly gripping her dress and sliding it down further, covering up the violet spots on her thigh.
"Oh, uh s-sorry," Bill's voice faded out. He definitely didn't want to upset her any further by pushing for answers.
He was just worried, but she was ashamed.
He pondered on what the sores were; they were uniformed and the same shape. Bill knew very little about whatever he thought it was, but he had seen the topic in a few of the dark movies that Richie showed him and his friends.
"I thought it w-w-was really cool how y-you jumped into the lake like that," Bill suggested, attempting to make Beverly feel better because if what he thought was correct, she had made those wounds herself...
Beverly however, was still feeling audaciously disconcerted and ashamed about Bill's discovery. Her face was flushed pink, she was almost distraught by the idea of somebody knowing of her vulnerabilities.
Eyes glazed and too distracted, she hardly heard what Bill had just said and vaguely responded, "Um, thanks."
Beverly cleared her throat and, still in an embarrassed trance, she impulsively stated, "Let's go again."
Bill was caught off guard since he was still dwelling on Beverly's well-being. "Wh-what?" he stuttered.
Beverly chuckled and grinned her charming smile which fluttered Bill's heart. "I mean, let's go jump into the quarry again."
Beverly stood up in hopes to distract him from her cigarette burns. "C'mon," she giggled and gestured for him to follow her.
He wanted her to like him and for him to fit in with her. He also didn't want to risk her feeling anything negative after seeing those scars so he stood as well, slightly nervous to jump off into the river again.
They had clambered over rocks and trailed back through the forest, making a slight overall semicircle, finally coming to the familiar cliff edge.
Beverly blushed again, remembering how she unabashedly took off her dress in front of five boys last time she was here.
The two of them, she and Bill, silently agreed to each other and themselves to stay in their current clothes.
Beverly strode towards the very edge and peered down.
The green-blue water was brighter and sparklier since she last saw it, as the setting sun was peering through the forest facing her way. It contained little flecks of orange from the setting sun and an overall warm tone, inviting Beverly to dive in.
She looked behind her at Bill, "You want to jump together?"
