business || victor criss/it 2017

-nine

summer had finally started. i'd honestly forgotten about the patrick situation and the boys seemingly had too.

"fuck the curfew!" henry threw a rock at the large sign in front of the school. "i ain't a dumbass, i won't get murdered."

"henry." belch spat. he whipped his head around to look at me, empathy dripping from his expression.

"i-i didn't mean, uh, georgie.. he's not.." he stammered, scared he'd upset me.

"stop blabbering bowers." i slumped into the front seat of belch's car. victor sat behind me, hugging me with one arm across the seat. henry and belch sat down, before the car shook into action and sped out of the small school parking lot. we drove straight to the quarry, sitting by the water with a pack of cigarettes between us. i rested my head on victor's shoulder, henry and belch arguing about some movie character.

"you okay?" victor mumbled, passing his cigarette to me. i nodded, taking a draw and exhaling slowly.

"i feel weird being here. ya know, after all those kids.. and georgie." i told him, still laying on him and staring out across the water.

"yeah. but don't worry, we're safe now." he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. i took another draw, feeling his thumb draw shapes on my bare arm.

-

belch stopped in front of my house, victor getting out and walking the short distance to his own place. i walked through my front door and was greeted by bill sitting at the table and my mom finishing up cooking.

"hi, love. how are the boys?" she smiled. since i'd started dating victor she'd warmed up to the others, my dad was a different story.

"good. we just sat at the quarry for a while." i sat at the table with bill, my eyes flickering over the seat that georgie would always be in.

"the q-quarry?" bill mumbled.

"bill." our dad warmed as he entered the kitchen. bill had this theory that georgie had washed up in the quarry, since he fell into the sewers. the city had been cleaned from top to bottom and there was no sign, but bill refused to listen. our dinner was placed in front of us along with drinks. my dads usual beer, my moms wine and bill and i's milk. we said grace and began to eat. i could barely eat, i hadn't been able to lately. i moved my broccoli around my plate, occasionally attempting a bite.

"jayde, don't play with your food." my dad yelled, making me jump.

"s-sorry." i mumbled, shoving food into my mouth.