𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋 | 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐋𝐎𝐍

[3] horror like no other

The next day, Arizona placed her bag on the floor after she arrived from home from hanging out with Henry all morning. Usually, the boy had his gang glued to his hip, but today was different. Today was the day where Henry set time aside so he could put all his attention on his best friend, which Arizona appreciated more than words could say.

"Mom?" She called out, out of habit because she truly was not expecting an answer, but she was surprised when she heard her mom reply, "In here!" Arizona swore she heard her mom plan for a double shift that day, but maybe she was just confused. She headed towards the living room and saw her mother clutching a photo. The photo, she recognized, was from her parent's wedding. Arizona froze up, tears instantly filling her eyes. What is she doing with that, the girl wondered.

"It's your fault," Adeline said, venom lacing her voice.

"If you hadn't been such a lousy daughter, he wouldn't have left! He wouldn't have found a new family. This is all on you Arizona, it's your fault," her mother continued, causing the tears to spill over the girl's cheeks. Then, out of nowhere, Arizona's father appeared beside her mother.

"She's right. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be living in a new city, with a new wife, a new job, and a new daughter. My life improved once I left you," her father sneered, causing Arizona's heart to break. She didn't understand what was happening, she didn't know why her parents were saying such awful things, until her parents disappeared into a fog, and the clown stood in the center of the room. Arizona's heart stopped and her breathing became frantic as she stared at the being of pure evil standing in her home.

"Hiya Arizona," It whispered creepily, slowly walking towards her. Her body began to shake rapidly as it got closer and closer.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you now. I'm going to kill you when it really matters," it laughed, and then after a blink of her eyes, it was gone, and Arizona was left standing in her empty home. She couldn't bare to be in the house anymore, so she sprinted out her front door, and made it halfway down the street until she, literally, ran into the boy who made her heart race in the best way. Arizona instantly picked herself up off the ground, and Mike instantly placed his hands on her shoulders. The touch itself was enough to make Arizona calm down, even if it was only for a moment.

"Woah Arizona, what's chasing you?" he asked, slightly laughing, but his voice was full of concern. Arizona couldn't answer him, but her eyes spoke a thousand words.

"Take me somewhere, anywhere but here. Please," she begged, not wanting to be alone anymore. Mike nodded, and beckoned for her to follow him.

"You're lucky, you know. I just finished all my deliveries, and now I have time to spend with you," he joked, nudging her slightly. His cheeky smile turned into a frown when she barely turned her head his way. What happened to her, he thought to himself.

"I really want to tell you what happened, but I need time to process, okay?" Arizona muttered, hoping she didn't offend him. Mike blushed because he realized he pulled an Arizona and asked his question aloud. This caused the emerald eyed beauty beside him to crack a small smile, and Mike felt accomplished by his mistake.

"Hey, want to go the quarry?" Mike questioned, hoping she'd agree. Luckily, she did, so the duo made their way to one of Mike's favorite places in all of Derry. As they walked, Mike did most of the talking, seeing as Arizona was still trying to calm herself down from the horror she faced not even an hour before. Once they reached their destination, they discovered they were not the only ones with plans to go the quarry that day. Bill and his friends were already there, laughing and playing in the water. So, the pair found a secluded spot nearby, and out of sight, and hung out there. Once Arizona gathered her courage, she told Mike why she begged him to take her away from the spot where the two collided.

She recounted every horrific detail, and even filled Mike in on her home life. She had never shared that information with anyone other than Henry, and it was a big deal to her. Mike was someone you knew you could trust the moment you met him. The way his smile went up to his eyes instantly made the girl feel calm. His soft voice washed away every fear Arizona had. The way he set his hand on her knee comforted her, and she knew she would always be safe even if he wasn't nearby. She never wanted to lose that feeling of safety, and she hoped she never would.

"I know you have no reason to believe me Mike, but-" she began, but Mike cut her off.

"Ari, I believe you," he assured, and her worries slowly melted away. The two fell into a comfortable silence as they took in the nature surrounding them. Slowly, Arizona leaned into Mike's arms and he placed them around her like he'd done it a thousand times.

"So tell me, what do you plan to do once you leave Derry?" Arizona asked, trying to focus on an entirely new subject.

"Florida," he replied, smiling at the thought.

"Why?"

"I don't know, it just seems to be the place, you know? The beaches, the sunsets, the people, the sights, it's all so alluring to me." His response was something that only Mike would say.

"Sounds great, Mike. Maybe I'll go there too one day," Arizona said, pulling herself out of Mike's arms, knowing that she'd fall asleep if she didn't.

"We could go there together. Mike and Arizona, taking on Florida, one beach at a time," he joked, but his words came from a place of truth. He may have only know the girl for a few days, but he never wanted to do anything without her.

"Actually, it's Arizona and Mike," the girl replied, just trying to make Mike laugh. His laugh was music to her ears, and she never wanted it to stop.

"Okay, whatever you want princess," He said, adding in the pet name as a joke, but her heart did backflips at the sound of it.

The laughter died down, and the two stared at each other. Arizona's eyes flickered down to Mike's lips, and slowly she leaned in.

The two were interrupted as the sounds of bicycles rode past them, startling the pair. Arizona laughed nervously, and Mike blushed feverishly. Arizona stood up quickly, almost falling over, and Mike followed her lead.

"I should...I should probably be heading home," Arizona slowly noted.

"Y-yeah, I'll walk you home," Mike said, picking his bike up off the ground.

A comfortable silence followed Arizona and Mike as they walked, seeing as they thoroughly enjoyed each others company. Both of them thought about the moment they had just shared, wondering what it meant for them. The two quickly glanced at each other the entire way to Arizona's home. Finally, the two arrived at Arizona's driveway.

"Well...this is me," Arizona said. Mike nodded and turned to leave, but Arizona stopped him.

"Hey, thank you, for everything today. It meant a lot," she beamed, meaning every word she said.

"I'm always going to be here for you no matter what Arizona, it's what friends do," Mike offered in response. She nodded, and instantly pulled him into a hug.

"Until tomorrow Miss Colburn," were the first words Mike said once Arizona released him.

"Farewell Mr. Hanlon," she replied, a smile never leaving her face as she headed down her driveway and into the house that no longer terrified her.

-

word count: 1330

merry christmas everyone!! as a gift to you, you get a cute moment between arizona and mike. also, haha you thought i'd actually make them kiss this early on. anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter because i really loved writing it. their chemistry is *chefs kiss* impeccable,,,

okay i'll stop rambling now, hope everyone had a merry christmas/happy holiday