Behind the Clouds ✔️

004

"Hi-yo Silver, away!" Violet gazed out the window as the Losers Club biked past the library. She smiled and grabbed the book she was looking.

The librarian slammed a history book in front of Ben, scaring Violet. Violet set her book aside and began on her summer essay that they got in English class. She already knew what she was doing over summer; spending as much time out of her house as possible and taking care of Ashton.

"Shouldn't you kids be outside?" Violet brought her attention back to the librarian as she asked them. "Summers aren't meant to be spent cooped up all day in a library."

"Can I have the book now?" Ben asked, looking annoyed. The librarian began to walk off, with a shake of her head.

"I should be telling myself that. I spend all day, every day in this damned place." Violet heard the librarian speak softly to herself. She put down her pencil and went after her.

"Ma'am?" She asked softly. The librarian turned to the young girl and smiled.

"Yes dear? What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you'd like any assistance this summer? Here, in the library?" Violet asked her. The librarian looked at the young girl for a moment.

"You're the Hockstetter child, aren't you?" Violet hung her head, knowing where this was going.

"Didn't you get that job at the ice cream parlor the other day, too?" Violet looked at her and nodded. "Why?"

"I-i needed the money," she replied, simple as that. She didn't want people to think any less of her than they already were.

She held her breath, not knowing what would happen. The librarian gazed at Violet softly. Everyone in Derry had family problems, not just one twelve year old girl with a bad past. She had her mind made up before she knew it.

"I wouldn't mind some assistance," Violet's eyes twinkled and she began to smile, "I'm beginning to get too old these days and I can't do everything I used to. Right, why don't you come in tomorrow 'round nine? I'll help you from there." The librarian winked at Violet, in a kind way. Violet couldn't begin to believe that she and Ashton were going to be okay.

"T-thank you, Mrs?" Violet's smile went away, as she dozed off, not knowing the librarian's name. She chuckled at the girl.

"Mrs. Sherlock, Winona Sherlock. I'll see you tomorrow, dear," Mrs. Sherlock turned to walk through the archives, as a very pale looking Ben ran out. "My dear boy, what's wrong? And what were you doing down there?" Before Mrs. Sherlock could continue talking to him, he grabbed Violet's hand, and went for his stuff.

"Ben, what happened?" Violet asked, concern lacing her tone.

"Just pack up and come on!" He exclaimed, as Violet began to shush him. They were in a library after all. He didn't acknowledge her shush, as he placed the History of Derry book into his backpack. He took Violet's hand again, Violet twitching at the very touch, and dragged her outside and away.

"Would you wait up!?" Violet yelled after him. Ben was a few feet away from her, his hands on his knees. His breath was caught in his throat as he tried to slow it down. Violet grabbed his hand and took him to the steps of the library. They sat down and calmed down.

"Ben," Violet asked, "What happened in there?" Ben nodded, slowly, and thought about where to start.

"It's nothing," Ben decided, ready to change topics. He brought his arms tighter around his legs. A warm hand on his arm made him immediately ease back and relax.

"Ben?" Violet voiced again.

"Did I ever tell you why I moved here?" Ben asked, a bit of a glazed look on his face. Violet shook her head. All she knew was the house next to hers had a For Sale sign on it's property for so long, and she met Ben Hanscom half a month before school got out.

"Well, it's just my mom and I. We moved up here from Pennsylvania. She's kinda gone crazy after my dad died six years ago. I've always felt like I'm taking more care of her. She didn't even want to get rid of his cigarette lighter because it reminded her of him too much. The only reason we even moved was because my mom got laid off and she couldn't stand being in our house without him."

Violet was silent. They both were so similar, and she never knew. They both lost their fathers, their mothers were completely loopy, and they felt so alone.

"My dad died in a car accident," she stated, tears flowing down her face. Ben gazed at his friend, shocked. "My mom is so far gone, she thinks he's coming home. M-my older brother scares everyone so bad, no one wants to come near me, and my little brother has o-only me as his parent, friend, whatever you want to call us. And I f-feel so lonely not having a parent of my own to rely on. And w-worst of all, I still feel my dad's c-cold dead hand h-holding mine as I cried my eyes out in our w-wrecked car that night."

Violet pulled her knees closer to her, as her vision became disfigured from crying. Ben couldn't think of what he could possibly say to her after that, so he hugged her.

"I guess both our family lives are crappy, huh?" he asked after a while. Violet hiccuped and let out a chuckle. "Did I just get you to laugh?"

Violet wiped at her eyes and chuckled some more as Ben began to tickle her. The screams that followed were only happy ones, as Ben continued to tickle his best friend.

"B-ben, we should head home," Violet exclaimed, pausing his tickling, "Both our mom's will think we both went missing."

They grabbed their backpacks, each other's hand, and headed off toward their houses. Ben felt so much safer with his hand in Violet's. As for Violet, she felt as though she had a true friend. One that would really last and outlive her. They were almost ready to cross the street, when one voice made them fear ever leaving their spot by the library.

"Where you off to, Tits? Princess?" They ran for it.