Ｓｔｕｔｔｅｒ [ｂｉｌｌ ｄｅｎｂｒｏｕｇｈ ｘ ｒｅａｄｅｒ]

Blood Oath

Our bikes were our carriages, us the drivers. We drove them to sacred places known only to us. They were special, with a sack full of not presents, but memories. We sat here by this creek so many times. Sometimes alone, sometimes just a few, and others all of us together.

I had a bad feeling, but I don't know what it was. Maybe the slightest fear that IT was still watching us, or the feeling that we would, for whatever reason, never see each other again.

Eddie walked with Richie. Once again, I saw their linked pinkies. Maybe it was just a friendly thing. But boys don't do that, normally. Maybe they really were something.

Stan was behind me, looking lonely. 

"Hey, Stan the Man, how's the head?"

"Good, I guess. How's the... everything?"

He was mentioning what happened over the entire summer. I've earned more scars, mental and physical, than necessary. I reached up to my cheekbone. It was my personal encounter with IT.

"Okay."

This is when we stopped in a circle. It just kind of formed. Bill searched the ground for something, finally settling on a glass shard. Really, Bill? Another cut, another scrape?

Just a minute prior, Mike and Ben were howling in laughter. Eddie, Richie, and Bev were talking quietly, pointing in various directions like they were playing a game. Stan and I were talking. But Bill was looking so sad. He was alone in our tiny crowd.

"What are you do-"

"Swear. Swear, if IT ever comes back, we'll come back, too."

There was no stutter. Maybe this happened when he was brave.

We formed a circle, Bill in the center. He stood there, flipping the glass between his fingers, searching our eyes as of he was searching for the chosen one. He settled on Eddie.

"Fuck..." He mumbled as the coke bottle glass slid over his palm. He shook it of pain and blood, holding it away from him as if afraid of his own DNA.

Next was Richie. He hissed, pushing his glasses up with his free hand.

Mike. He squeezed his eyes shut, the simple phrase ouch coming from his mouth at rapid speed.

Ben. "Oh my God," was all he said. But calmly. Got cut enough, I guess.

Beverly. She whimpered a little bit, but she did well.

Last there was me. Of course I was last. I forced my eyes bone-crushing shut and bit my lip.

"I-it's okay."

And we all linked hands. A blood oath. It took my dumbass so long to get the memo. But here it was. It lasted merely seconds before we all unlinked and began to say our goodbyes.

"I hate you all so much."

"Love you too, Stan," I giggled. Richie made his usual comical response, laying his right arm over Eddie's shoulders. They began to depart, along with Mike, Ben, and Bev.

I shrugged, turning around. But...

"Hey, wait!"

I turned back, and saw Bill standing there, checked flannel and all. His shoes were still matted with sewer shit. Tube socks, too.

"I w-wanted to give this to you."

And he kissed me, and I left a hand-shaped blood smudge on his neck.

(Hey!!! I'm so sorry it took me this long to finish!!! I hope you all liked it, shit as it was. As you all know I go to boarding school so I can't update as much as I would like to. But that doesn't stop me. And the fuel of my writing is the fact that you keep coming back, even tho I might be inactive for months at a time. I appreciate the support along in this book and will continue to write. And for my fellow weebs out there, I'm soon starting a My Hero Academia one-shot book. I hope you'll enjoy that as much as this [ and who can forget my famed Low Tide Lovers? ] but I want to say thank you again for being such great readers!!! I love you all so much as if you were my best friends!!!!)