BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY (STAND BY ME)

ONE!

SUZIE Conway sat on the train tracks, singing aloud to herself while playing pretend drums on her thighs. She was dressed casually with a backpack placed beside her. Her dark hair gently whipping her pale face in the light breeze.

Holly Jenkins made her way over to the location her best friend had told her to meet her at. Soon enough, her friend came into view and her pace quickened. Once Suzie saw her friend approaching her, she rose the volume of her singing as her face broke into a wide grin.

When Holly finally reached her, Suzie shot up eagerly, beaming like her usual self. She gripped her backpack in her hand as she got up. Holly's eyes fell onto the backpack and her smile morphed into a frown. "Why do you have that, Suzie?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowing.

Suzie grinned, she lifted the backpack higher before sliding it onto her back. "I'm glad you asked. We're running away."

Holly looked taken aback and then started to laugh, assuming her best friend was joking. When Suzie didn't join in laughing Holly stopped and stared at the girl. "Oh, you're serious?" She said and Suzie nodded vigorously in response.

"Suz, we can't do that," Holly shook her head.

"Why?" Suzie asked in a heartbeat.

"What?"

"Why? Why can't we run away?" She seemed insistent on her idea.

"Don't be stupid. We can't do that." The redhead protested.

Suzie took a step closer to Holly. Holly knew that once Suzie got an idea inside of her head she wouldn't let go of it. "I say we do it, Holl." There was excitement dancing in her eyes. "We run away, get the fuck out of here."

"Suzie-" Holly began but was cut off by her best friend, who was staring passed Holly. "Hey, aren't they in our school?" She pointed as Holly turned around to see who the girl was talking about.

The people Suzie Conway was indicating to was four boys, that were indeed in their school. Gordie LaChance, Chris Chambers, Teddy DuChamp and Vern Tessio. The two girls were briefly acquainted with the four boys.

"Yeah," Holly nodded. "We have a few classes with them."

Suzie's face lit up. "Great! Let's go talk to them!" Holly attempted to grab her friend's arm to pull her back. But Suzie was already walking towards them at a quick pace. Holly didn't know how Suzie could be so confident and forward. Shaking her redhead, she started forward to catch up with her friend.

The four boys noticed Suzie Conway hurrying towards them, Holly Jenkins at her tail, and they stopped in their tracks, exchanging glances. When Suzie reaches them she grinned at them all, they were surprised she was talking to them, Suzie was quite popular for being funny and bubbly. "Hi," she said, cheerily as Holly appeared at her shoulder. "Where are you guys off to?"

None of them said anything at first, until Vern Tessio piped up telling the brown haired girl they were looking for a dead body. His friends hit him and scolded him for revealing this information to the two girls.

"Dead body?" Suzie repeated and the four boys nodded uncertainly in response. "Oh, I don't know what to say about that. Uh, I'm Suzie, if you didn't know."

"Yeah, we know, we have classes with you." Gordie LaChance said. "And that's Holly Jenkins." Holly offered a small smile once she heard her name was mentioned.

"What're you doing here?" Chris Chambers asked them and Suzie continued to answer for her both of the girls. "Well, I'm trying to convince Holly here to run away with me."

"Why do you want to run away?" Teddy DuChamp asked Suzie directly, staring at the girl. Suzie looked over at him and hesitated, wondering what to say, then shrugged. "I don't know." Everyone could tell that there was obviously a reason.

"Why don't you come with us?" Teddy asked her and the three other boys looked at him in shock. Suzie started to smile. "To see the dead body?" And he nodded. Suzie glanced around at the other boys to see what they thought. "Is that okay?" She questioned, warily and they was a mumble of yeses. She grinned then turned to her best friend. "What about you, Holls?"

Holly bit her lip anxiously. "I don't know, Suzie. I don't really want to see a dead body. What about my parents?"

"Oh, come on, Holly!" Suzie groaned. "Aren't you sick of being such a fucking goody two shoes all the time? Or always listening to your parents and not doing anything fun?" Holly shrugged awkwardly. "Please, Holls." Suzie pleaded before Holly gave in, no one could ever say no to Suzie Conway. But the anxiousness was still visible in the redhead's face. "How long will we be gone."

"We'll be back by tomorrow."

Suzie threw her arm around her redhead friend's shoulder and pulled her into her side. "Great!" She exclaimed and looked at the four boys opposite of them. "Which way to the corpse?"