Fear

17

*a couple days later*

As I'm standing in the pharmacy, waiting for my Dad, I hear the door jingle open. I glance over to see Eddie walking in with a cast on. My eyes widen when I see him.

I start to speak, but I stop myself. I watch as he approaches the counter.

"Here for the refills, Eddie," I hear Keene asks from behind the counter.

"Yeah," Eddie nods.

As he's standing there waiting, Gretta speaks. "You know it's all bullshit, right?"

"What is," Eddie asks.

"Your medication. They're placebos," Gretta replies.

"What's placebo mean?"

"Placebo means bullshit," She says when she notices that no one's signed his cast. "No friends, huh?" He doesn't say anything. "Your cast. No signatures or anything? So sad."

"I didn't want it to get dirty," Eddie lies.

"I'll sign it for you." She stands up and grabs a Sharpie. I watch as she writes something on his cast. "There." She sits back down, and Eddie looks down at his cast.

"There you go. All set," Keene says.

"Thanks." Eddie takes his medicine and walks towards the door.

"Eddie, wait," I exclaim, standing up. He stops walking and looks over to see me.

"Danielle? What-- What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for my dad. How... How have you been," I ask.

"Fine. My mom was freaked for a while, but she's calmed down," He replies.

"That's good. How's your arm?"

"It'll be okay. What about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm just... trying," I admit. "Do you... Do you remember what I said to you, when we were in that house," I say.

"Yeah... I do," He nods making me nod. "Did you mean it?"

"I.. Yeah, I did. I know... you don't feel the same way. I just... I thought we were gonna die, and I didn't wanna die knowing you'd never know how I actually feel about you," I admit.

"How do you know I don't feel the same way?"

"I just... I assumed you didn't," I sigh.

"Well, I do."

"You do?"

"I do," He smiles.

"Wow... Okay, I wasn't expecting that," I say when I notice what his cast says. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I mean, she's not wrong," He shrugs.

"Here, let me fix it," I say, pulling the marker out of my backpack. I write a "V" over the "S".

"Lover? Really?"

"Better than loser," I point out.

"Yeah, you're right."

*back at home*

As I'm sitting on the couch, there's a knock at my door. I glance towards it, confused.

Oh god... Who the hell is that?!

I slowly stand up, walking towards it and peeking into the peep hole. My eyebrows scrunch together when I see all my friends standing outside. I open the door, speaking. "What the hell are you guys doing here? I thought we all hated each other," I say.

"It got Beverly," Bill says making my eyes widen.

"You mean...?"

"Yeah."

"Shit. Alright, let me grab a few things. I'll be back in ten seconds." I slam the door shut, dashing upstairs and into my dad's bedroom. I rush over to his closet and kneel down, pulling a box out. I open it up to reveal a gun and some extra ammo lying in it. I grab the gun and the extra ammo, before running back downstairs. I open the door, and Bill's eyes widen when he sees it. "It's my Dad's. No way am I letting this clown fucker take Bev and get away with it."