Reach For The Stars

Chpt 20

"Every twenty seven years, that's crazy why is it like that?" The group continues walking and chatting about the sudden burst of information.

With a low voice Richie and Kelsey stay behind, Richie along with most of the other kids, pushing their bike beside them. "This is kinda like an obsession now," Kelsey speaks lowly to Richie.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who's relized that," he gives a soft chuckle, the two watch as the rest of the group pulls ahead.

"I mean it's bad I'm not gonna lie but, it's anyone can talk about, and it's obvious at least half of them are uncomfortable," she informs, watching how Stan's attenion seems to be elsewhere. Not only Stanley, but Eddie as well, his motions seems more stiff and anxious at least more than usual.

"Yeah, but it's for Bill, so we're all just kinda going with it," Richie shrugs as they walk into the park, heading for a bench.

"True, that at least helps some of this," she softly giggles, as everyone begins to sit on or around the bench on their bikes.

"So it like comes out and eats Derry then what, going into hibernation?" Eddie asks, looking towards Ben.

"It's kinda like this bug, they go into hibernation for seventeen years," Stan mentions, pulling at his fists trying to think of something.

"Oh um, Cicadas right?" Kelsey helps from under the boy, who was sitting on the back rest, behind the girl.

"Yeah!" He agrees, smiling to the girl, a blush on his face, not having taken into the closeness the girl was to him, or the fact she was right inbetween his open legs.

"My grandfather thinks it's this town, it's like cursed or something. He says everything bad that happensin this town are because of one thing," Mike pipes up beside the girl.

"But it can't be one thing we all saw something different," Stan protests, a quiver in his voice. A quiver Kelsey heard all too well, reaching up she holds the boy's hand trying to comfort the scared boy.

"Maybe, or maybe it know's what scares us most and that's what we see," Mike presses onwards, Stan grips the girl's hand tightly.

Kelsey's face contorts im confusion not understanding what the group is speaking about, as she rubs her thumb along the back of Stanley's hand.

"I-i saw a leper, he was like a walking infection," Eddie confesses looking towards the ground.

"But you didn't cause it's not real, not Eddie's leper, or Bill seeing Georgie-" the girl blocks everything else out, remembering her brother's encounter earlier that summer.

Her gaze intensely on Bill, "G-Georgie, when did you see him?" She looks to him, after unconsciously letting Stanley finish.

"E-earlier this s-summer," he answers in a sad voice, looking to the girl.

"Like the beginning of summer?" She questions, the boy nods.

Sighing she leans back, taking her hands to her face. "Oh my god" she says with a groan, runbing her face.

"What?" The group presses.

Shaking her head she groans, "Nothing, just something James told me," she admits not really wanting to go farther into it.

"I saw something too, you know that old how on Harris Avenue?" Mike asks noticing how the girl didn't want to talk about what happeen.

"I was in there when it burnt down, my mom and down were in the other room. They pushing and pounding on the door. Trying to get out, too get to me, but it was too hot,-" his voice cracks.

Kelsey feeling his sadness and hurt, moves ever so slightly. Stanley's leg now together, as she lays her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his midsection. Her gaze casted downward, listening to the boy's story. Flashbacks of when her father told her this incident coming back into her mind.

"When the firefighters came, their skin had melted down to the bone,-" he wrapped an arm around the girl who was clinging onto him. "We're all afraid of something," he finishes.

"Got that right," Richie says adjusting his glasses, as he sits on his bike.

"What you afraid of Rich?" Eddie asks, turning all their gazes to said boy.

He turns around, a shiver running down his spine as he looks to the stage.

"Clowns," he admits tuning back to the group. Kelsey's eyes stay glued on the clown on the stage. The clown seems to be gesturing a balloon animal to the scared boy. As well as his eyes trained on the black haired boy's head.

Quickly she unloops her arms, from around the boy. Walking off, the rest of the group looking at her in question as she walks off a little ways.

Quickly taking out the walkie talkie from her bag. "Jay, Jay you there?" Her voice full of panic, his vouce ringing through her ears.

"A cl-clown s-says h-he has Georgie,"

Pacing back and forth, her free hand dives into her hair, from the anxiety filling within her small body.

"Keke, yeah me and dad just got icecream!" His happy voice answers back. Kelsey collapses to her knees, a wave of happiness and relief knocks her off her feet.

"Okay bud, just wanted to make sure. Tell dad I'll see you all at Mr.Hershall's house," her voice calm and happy, as she puts a once shaking ahnd to her heart.

"Got it Keke, see ya' later!" With that the frequency goes dead, letting the girl put the device back into the bag.

A hand sits on the girl's shoulder, the anxiety which she held makes her jump. Turning around to see Stanley's face, with relief she falls onto the grass behind her. Deep pants escape her mouth, as she lays a hand over her fastly beating heart.

"H-hey Stanley," she says exhausted with a giggle.

"Are you okay?" The pale boy asks worried, as he sits beside her laying form.

"Y-yeah, j-just forgot I promised James, I'd w-walkie him," quickly the girl, makes up a lie. Sitting up, looking at the brown eyed boy, the smile that Richie hated so much played on her face.

A slap of Richie's upper arm, takes his view away from the two kids under a large tree. "You know you could've been the one to check on her," Eddie says in a knowing tone.

"Nah, I'll let Stan have this one, I'll just ask her later when I take her home," he smirks, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Then stop looking at Stan like you want to murder the guy," Eddie scoffs, walking back to their friends, who had since migrated away.

Richie watches the two out of the corner of his eye. Making sure nothing was actually wrong, as the two would laugh. Even with the distance between Richie and Kelsey, he could still see that awful smile. Knowing whatever she was saying to stan was most likely either a lie, or fake.