10
The rest of the week was very stressful. Somehow there was a leak in my closet and most of my shoes were gross and dirt with some weird mucous like stuff. My mom has argued with the towns plumber for most of the week. He's inspected my room multiple times and has claimed to see no leaks or broken pipes that could be causing this.
I had to get rid of a few of my shoes because the water smelled so gross and basically ruined my shoes. But today was supposed to be a happy day. The carnival was officially set up and everyone was going to erase the stresses of the previous week. I was in the car with Mom, and she was glowing. She was wearing a black tank with green shorts and her oatmeal cardigan. Around her neck and wrists were the usual leaf and nature like jewelry. Her hair was pinned back with the rest flowing down her back. People would think she was revealing, but then again so was I. I wore a green leaf shaped halter top with blue jeans. I wore my usual anklets and some bracelets of my own. This was the kind of fashion I loved. Just wearing clothes that made me feel care free was the best. When we arrived, I was immediately wanting to go find my friends, but I didn't see them around. But the place was alive and vibrant. There was music and small rides and food and games and it looked very cheerful. Some mothers were looking at us with disapproval due to our clothes and even hitting their overly long staring husbands. Mom looked down at me with a smirk.
"To them we're like exotic animals. Some love to hate us and others wish they could BE us." she said flaunting herself off down the grass. My mom loved teaching my what she thought were life lessons. To me it was all about survival. As we walked, we noticed Officer Bowers standing off to the side. He was in uniform, looking at everyone with suspicion. I guess he was still on the lookout for some of the missing children. Maybe they would show up.
"Faline!" I heard Mike's familiar call. I looked all around for him until I saw him and Eddie waving wildly at me. My eyes sparked open and I looked up at my mom.
"Mom, can I go hang with my friends?" I asked. Mom looked over me to see the two boys and then looked at me
"Fine. I'll be getting ice cream and talking with some of the other parents. Don't leave the area." she said and I nodded and moved off in the direction of my friends.
"Hey guys. Eddie, I'm surprised your mom let you come. I know with your allergies, I am sure this is overwhelming for her to have you out here. Did she come?" I asked and he shook his head.
"No. Something about the pollen count being too high and grass makes her itchy." he said. I nodded and looked up at Mike.
"What about you Mike, you allergic to anything?" I asked. He chuckled.
"Not grass." he teased hitting Eddie who just mocked our laughter.
"Yeah yeah. Come on, Bill got us a table and some hot dogs." he said and Mike and I smiled with happiness and followed the shorter boy off toward the long wooden tables. I saw Bill and the others eating at the table on the other side of the carnival. When everyone saw us they waved.
"Heeeeey, Faline. Your mom bring any of her cookies?" he asked flirtatiously and I knew he was trying to annoy me so I hit him upside his head.
"Does that answer your question?" I asked sitting next to Beverly who smirked.
"You look cute? Who are you trying to make smile?" she asked. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh no one." I said.
"That is disappointing though, I really like your mom's carrot cake." he said bummed out. I smiled at him.
"Well, Stanley if you really like it that much, I'll ask her to bake you and your family some cake." I replied. His eyes sparkled and he nodded quickly.
"That would be amazing." he said.
"Aw when's your mom going to bake me some cookies?" Richie asked.
"When you stop with the potty mouth." I said.
"Eddie's mom doesn't seem to bothered." He shot back. Bill shook his head and smiled at me his hand sliding a paper plate to me with a hotdog on it.
"H-h-here you go, F-F-Fay." he said. I smiled my thanks and reached over to grab the plate, but before it could even reach me, the hotdog was gone. I blinked and looked over my shoulder to see it was going right into the mouth of Henry. My mouth dropped as he chewed with other delight. I stood up immediately and Mike was right behind me along with Beverly and Ben who I noticed was there. He had been so quiet I almost didn't know he was there.
"Hey that's mine." I snapped at Henry who smirked.
"You snooze you lose." he said now turning with his friends as if that was the end of the conversation. My hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, causing his friends eye to flex and look at Henry with amused smiles. Henry turned and looked at me with a glare now. Trying to be tough in front of me was not going to work. I was really looking forward to eating that hotdog.
"You owe me another hotdog." I said a bit too calmly for my own good. Before I could even think, my hand was forced up against his crotch and he leaned in to me.
"Oh I got something for ya." he said. Before I could really even register what he had said, he was suddenly on his back and my eyes widened as I watched Mike's fist coming back to his side.
"Fuck out of here, you dog humping creep!" he yelled. Now it was happening so fast. Henry was already on his feet and had tackled Mike right to the ground and already the two boys were going at it throwing punches in front of everyone. My eyes widened as I noticed Vic and Patrick was rushing to gang up on Mike. Suddenly Richie's screaming and I look over to see him on the table and he jumps off it and tackles the two older boys.
"Have you all lost your minds!" I screamed. Now Belch was jumping in and now Bill, Eddie and Stanley were screaming and jumping into the dog pile of boys. It was somewhat of a pitiful fight for the bigger boys had a mild advantage on the others. I wasn't sure if I should do something or not. Beverly and Ben were cheering the others on. Parents were yelling and grabbing their children while policeman were running to the scene.
"BREAK IT UP!" Officer Bowers yelled.
Mom wasn't even too far behind.
"Faline!" she called out in panic, and I ran over to her and immediately she grabbed me and pulled me into her. "Are you alright?" I nodded and now everyone was crowding the brawl trying to pull their children away and get between each other. It looked like absolute chaos. The cops were able to separate the boys and there was talk and chatter all over the place.
"God can't go anywhere without there being trouble. God why did I move us here?" Mom asked. Already we were heading toward the car. I didn't even get a chance to see if Mike and the others were okay. Later on that afternoon, I was sitting in my room listening to my mom on the phone with other mom's trying to get to the bottom of things. I would be lying if I said I couldn't believe how Henry was acting. He was such a…dog humping creep! There was a mild tapping and I looked up wondering what was going on. I looked around my room until I was staring at my window. I watched it for a second and saw a small rock hitting. From my experience it had to be either Mike, Jarred, or Henry.
"Oh not now." I said with annoyance before glancing over my window. It was none other than Henry. I frowned and lifted up my window.
"Go away." I snapped and he opened his arms out.
"Come on give me a chance to explain myself." he said casually.
"No." I said and he frowned.
"I'll come up to you." he said quite boldly and I scoffed.
"Yeah right. My mom is right down the hall." I said and he just gave me a confident look and moved right toward the back of the house and immediately started climbing up the bricks of the house. My eyes widened as I couldn't believe how serious he was. "What are you doing stop." I whispered harshly. He didn't stop though, he continued to climb up to me, getting closer and closer and I just stared at him in awe as he climbed into my room and just stood before me. I looked him over to see him here, in my room. I had to do the only thing I could think of in this moment. I smacked him right across the face. He gave a whimper and covered his face looking at me in shock.
"Have you lost your mind?" I whispered harshly.
"Me? That punk started it." he snapped.
"How about taking responsibilities for your actions for a change?" I asked and he scoffed crossing his arms.
"No thanks." he said as if what I just said was utterly boring.
"Faline!" I heard my mom calling and her voice was closing in. My eyes widened and I grabbed Henry's arm and pushed him toward the closet.
"Don't fucking speak." I demanded and closed my closet doors and just hurried and sat on my bed waiting for my mom to get closer. She knocked firmly on the door. "Can I come in?"
"Yes." I called out hoping to God Henry didn't run out of my closet. Mom came in and looked at me worriedly.
"I just got off the phone with Mike's grandfather. He told me Henry Bowers did something highly inappropriate to you? Is that true?" she asked and her voice was hard and firm. I could never usually lie when she was speaking this seriously. I shook my head.
"No Mom. Nothing like that. We were all just name calling and getting in way over our heads. It was just pent school tension. Everyone had it coming. Henry didn't do anything except be his usual pain in the ass self. Mike was just defending me." I said. Oh my god, I just defended Henry. What the hell? I could have easily told mom everything that happened between he and I weeks ago. But I couldn't do it, I couldn't bring myself to speak what happened. She arched a brow and looked at me sharply.
"Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded slowly.
"I'm fine." I said and she looked at me for a moment.
"You know why he does that right? It's because he likes you." she said. I sighed some.
"Yes. I just don't see Mike like that." I replied and she shook her head.
"I'm not talking about Mike." she said. I stared at her with shock not wanting to really go down this road with Henry right in the closet.
"Okay. Um so now what?" I asked.
"Now, apparently Stanley is traumatized by the whole fight, so I am going to run to the bakery and get a carrot cake for him and his family since apparently I promised them one. I'm going to drive it to their place." she said. I chuckled surprised Stanley would use such an incident to get cake.
"Okay." I replied.
"Don't let anyone in the house." she said
"Yes ma'am." I replied and she smiled and closed the door. I listened to her move about in her room getting ready. What all does she even know? She had to mean Henry when she said what she said. I mean how would even know about that? Maybe she sees more than me. But of course, she's a mom. I heard her walking down the hall.
"Be back honey. Remember what I said, don't let anyone into the house." she called out.
"Yes ma'am." I replied and I listened for a moment until I heard the front door open and finally shut. I could hear her engine starting up after a few minutes and at that moment, Henry just slowly opened the doors of my closet and just stared at me almost stunned. Yeah I'm still out of it myself that I just stuck up for him. With great speed, he approached me quickly and just cupped my face in his hands and just kissed me. I squealed out in shock and before I knew it, my balance was off and I was falling atop of my bed with Henry right behind me.