it chapter one | reader insert [✔]

twenty | the aftermath

SEPTEMBER

The month that followed was chaos. 

You were rushed to the hospital by your aunty when she saw the massive burn on your stomach, much to your surprise. You weren't expecting her to care, but she did. 

You were diagnosed with a 3rd-degree burn, and you had to stay in the hospital for two weeks. 

You didn't know how, but you also somehow convinced the your aunt and the doctor that you had spilt a bucket of boiling water down your front, and that was the cause of the burn. What else were you supposed to tell them? 

"Oh, yeah, a bloodthirsty clown kind of breathed fire and I had to jump through it."

They would think you were crazy. 

The whole time during the hospital, the Losers Club had visited you. Stan had a bandage around the whole sides of his face, and although it looked funny, you knew he was the one you related to the most. You weren't sure what excuse he had used with his parents, but you didn't question it.

Bill and your's relationship had changed a bit, after that. You weren't officially dating, but ever since your first kiss in the battle, he hadn't hesitated to start kissing you and doing couple-y things. 

You had been let out of the hospital after two weeks, but the doctors had told you the burn-mark would be permanent. It had caused you to start crying at the thought of being permanently marked with a reminder of the day you and your friends had almost died. 

Bill had held you all night as you sobbed. 

And now, the Losers Club sitting in a circle beside a flowing river, listening to Beverly as she explained a dream she had. Bill and Bev either side of you.

"I can only remember parts," she explained, "I thought I was dead. That's what it felt like. I saw us, all of us back together in the cistern, but we were older. Like... our parents ages."

You swallowed dryly as the group all exchanged wary glances. 

"W-what were we all doing there?" Bill asked her. She looked down. 

"I just remember how we felt. How scared we were. I don't think I can ever forget that."

Suddenly, Bill stood up and picked up a piece of glass from the ground. 

"Swear it," he said, and you looked up at him, "s-swear. If 'It' isn't dead. If it ever comes back, we'll come back, too." 

Everyone glanced at each other. You then stood up beside Bill, feeling the bandage around your waist move a bit, before smiling at him. 

Beverly, Richie and then the rest of the Losers Club stood up, following your actions. 

Bill looked down at his hand, before slicing it open. You bit your lip when he turned to you with a somber expression, and held out a hand. 

He seemed to hesitate for a minute, watching as you screwed your eyes shut, preparing for the pain. He examined your small hand in his, and your face, before slowly slicing a small cut in your palm. Even he winced when he heard your sharp intake of breath, and he flashed you an apologetic look as you tensed your hand. 

He moved around the circle, slicing the group's palms open, before standing back in between you and Richie. 

You all joined hands after that, bloody and all, linking yourselves in a circle. Bill gripped your left while Beverly gripped your right. 

A silent promise, that if it ever returned, you all would too. You were prepared to make and keep it. 

Then, your hands dropped back to your side as some blood got on your white dress. But it didn't matter. 

"I've gotta go," Stan said quietly, before locking eyes with Bill, "I hate you."

At first, you thought he was being serious, before his face broke out into a grin. The whole group started laughing lightly. "I'll see you later," he concluded, before turning and walking back up the track. 

"Bye Stan," Bill replied as he walked away. 

Richie and Eddie pulled each other in for a hug, after that. And one by one, the Losers disbanded, all walking back to their homes, until it was only you, Bill, Bev and Ben (So many B's).

Beverly pulled you in for a hug. 

"A-are you all packed for Portland?" You asked quietly when she pulled away, and she smiled sadly at you.

"Yeah... I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"How long will you be gone?"

She didn't reply to that. Just averted her eyesight to the ground. 

You smiled sadly at her, before pulling in for one final hug. She then moved on to say her goodbyes to Bill, before turning to walk away, but she stopped. 

"I'm gonna go grab something to eat," Bev told the group, before turning to Ben, "you can... Um... Come with? If you like?"

Ben grinned, "to that Diner on Elm's street?"

Beverly grinned back, before the two walked off, hand in hand. You watched them, a smile on both their faces. I guess some people really were made for each other.

Bill turned to you once they were out of ear-shot, before wordlessly pulling you in for a hug. You felt him bury his nose into your hair and take a deep breath in. 

"I love you," he whispered lightly, and the words took you by surprise. You pulled back and examined his face.

The last time he had said that was the fight with the clown. Sure, he had been kissing you since then, but he had never said it again since that time. But here he was, saying it to your face, and it shocked you. 

"I-I love you too," you replied, a grin spreading across your face. He smiled back before pulling you in for another kiss.

You would never get enough of him. Never. 

And as you rode home that night, feeling the breeze through your hair, your mind was drawn back to the group's promise. If it ever came back, you would be 40, and would you even still talk to any of the Losers Club by that time? You would hope so, but times change, and the group might fall apart.

You knew you shouldn't be riding your bike in the first place. You hadn't been given the clear by the doctor to be doing these things, but if it didn't hurt, you could do it, right?

Probably not, but, you didn't mind. 

That's when you heard it. The distant police sirens as you turned down your road. 

There were flashing blue and red lights, and you could have sworn they were right outside your aunty's house...

Oh my god. That was your aunty's house. 

You started riding quicker, feeling a slight burn in your wound, but you didn't care. Why were there police out the front of your house? They shouldn't be there, right?

When you arrived, there were two police cars parked on the front lawn, and your aunty was being put into one by a hefty looking police officer. There were more officers walking in and out through your house. 

Your face paled when you saw the situation, and you quickly dropped your bike on the front lawn and ran towards another officer, grabbing at his arm. 

"W-what's going on? Th-that's my aunty!" You asked him, voice scared. He looked down at you with a somber expression before bending down to your height. 

"Are you Y/n L/n?" He asked, and you nodded quickly.

"Come on, I'll drive you to the station and we'll explain what happened there."