Sorry for the late update. I got the horrible news in my family and I was in a state of shock and anxiety for days.
Anyways, I felt good enough to write and re-watching IT: Chapter 2 many times to analyze the scenes for my story cheered me up enough.
I watched the scene when Mike calls the Losers and I was able to read from his notebook where they are currently living, and it's slightly different from the books:
Beverly and Eddie live in Manhattan, NYC (wow okay, if I knew Bev was also in Manhattan I would've written a small moment of the two seeing each other briefly as well).
Ben lives in Buffalo County, Missouri.
Bill lives in Los Angeles, California. (Crestview to be exact)
Richie lives in Illinois, Chicago (this shocked me the most, I really thought he was from L.A but I'm changing this slightly).
Stan still lives in Georgia, Atlanta. That's the only thing that hasn't changed!
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
6:50 PM
"What do you mean you have to leave?"
Agata sighed as she placed the now half-filled water cup that Ashley had brought to her on her desk. Just five minutes ago, the psychologist came to her senses and regained her consciousness to the sound of her assistant's distress voice over the phone with the nine-one-one dispatcher. She managed to stop the ambulance from making its way to the clinic by assuring Ashley she was more than fine, that she skipped breakfast and felt a little dizzy. But the twenty-five-year-old was still worried, even though she called off the medical assistance.
Agata wondered why she had felt so many intense feelings at the same time after talking to Mike over the phone. She felt excited at the idea of seeing her friends again. Ever since Mildred and Ellie left for Washington D.C seventeen years ago, Agata has never had any closer friends.
Ashley and her daughter were an exception because they were more like family. And Agata felt like the people she was about to have a reunion in Derry had been like her family when she was a teen as well. She still found it strange that she couldn't even remember to forget all of them—it was still too foggy for her.
"Just for a couple of days, I think. I have to go to Derry," Agata told her with a hazed look in her blue eyes, "I made an oath with my childhood friends from when I was thirteen, I can't miss it."
"An oath?" Ashley repeated with a confused expression, "And when you were thirteen? Dr. Ray, that was—"
"Twenty-seven years ago..." Agata answered, smiling fondly as the years passed by as memories in her mind, "Oh dear, you weren't even born," the doctor chuckled, feeling a little old as she walked past by the young adult, making her way to grab her coat from the peg rail behind the office's door.
She heard Ashley make a distressing sound before she materialized by her side, "Is everything okay? Who was that on the phone?"
Agata finished wrapping her body around the coat, "An old friend," she turned to her friend and smiled sadly, "Sweetie, I need you to make a few phone calls to cancel my appointments until Thursday, at least. And don't worry, I'm still paying you for these days you won't work."
Ashley didn't look pleased with that, in fact, she followed Agata down the hall when the other left her office after grabbing her purse from under the desk, "But Dr. Ray, what I am supposed to tell your patients?"
"Tell them I had a family emergency—" Agata said rushedly as she opened the front door, the cold, New York air slapped her face as she reminded herself of something, "Oh, shit. I have to call the agency and tell them I'm going to be out of town."
Ashley, who looked defeated, shook her head at her boss's sudden change of demeanor, "At least take an umbrella with you."
Outside, Agata turned around to look at her young assistant. Her hands were trembling as she gripped her purse close to her chest, "It's okay, it stopped raining three hours ago."
The assistant watched the psychologist walk away to her car, pacing hurriedly as if she was running away from her. And Ashley's young heart couldn't help but worry about her boss—her honorary mother. Not that Ashley has ever told Agata that, she was too embarrassed or scared of losing her job if she ever crossed that line. She knew Agata would never let her go because of it, but what Ashley feared the most was the effect that it would have on their relationship.
For now, she turned back to finally close the clinic for the day. As soon as she got home from picking up Lyra from preschool she would make all the phone calls necessary.
The Larstrand Apartments
9:22 PM
Agata had already booked a flight to Boston that would leave at six in the morning sharp. The reason why she was going home first before Derry was because she remembered a certain box full of memories in the back of her old closet, which was now Nick's. She hoped it was still there—Agata knew there were a lot of important objects inside of it.
She was leaving to the LaGuardia Airport in six hours. So when Agata arrived home she wasted no time in packing some comfortable clothes and choose what to take for dinner.
Mike had texted her that when she arrived in Derry, she'd have a room ready for her in the Town House and then the Losers would have dinner at a Chinese restaurant called the Jade of the Orient under Mike's reservation name. She was eager for tomorrow night, seemingly oblivious of the fact of the danger that expected her in the small town.
Agata packed a pair of black skinny jeans and red wine cold shoulder blouse to wear for the dinner and then more casual clothing for the plane rides and the day after. In her four-wheel cabin baggage bag, she also put a traveling toiletry bag inside with a pair of her running sneakers inside a plastic bag. Pleased with her packing, she wheeled the cabin baggage and left it near the coat hanger by her entrance.
She returned to her bedroom and hurried her steps when she heard her phone's notification sound go off—she's been expecting it. She didn't know who was it from but her gut told her that it was going to happen.
Agata unlocked her phone and checked her notifications, and she let out a surprised gasp.
Richie Tozier (verified)
urmomsayshi
9:29 PM – 5 Sep 2016
hey guys, sorry how terrible my show was tonight. I'll be leaving for a couple of days for personal reasons and I won't be on any social media until I come back. See ya
"Wait... Richie?" Agata mumbled to herself before feeling a sharp pain inside her head.
"Are you okay?" he swam towards her and gripped her shoulder as she coughed into her arm, just like Eddie had taught her.
"Yeah!" she wheezed, chortling at the same time. His hand on her shoulder was starting to burn her skin so she smoothly dove under the water to shrug it off while pretending she just wanted to wet her hair.
But Richie was still just a step away from her, looking at her in that odd, longing way again.
He was giving Agata a strange vibe ever since that game, and Agata felt compelled to explore more of it. They stared at each other for a long time, and Agata shyly hid half of her face in the water as her cheeks reddened.
Agata remembered a lanky boy with unruly hair, bucked teeth, and a fantastic way of never managing to shut his mouth.
Trashmouth.
Her trashmouth.
"I'm sorry Richie but would it really work out?"
"Aggie, please! We can try, we can send letters and meet every summer!"
"Rich"
"I'll get a job and save for a car! I'll drive to Boston if I have to, please"
"Richie, we need to be realistic. I love you, you know I do but try to understand"
"You're right, you're always right. But I'll never give up on you, Aggie. You're my girl, never forget it. You'll always be my girl."
Agata didn't realize she had started crying until she fell tears sliding down her cheeks. These sudden memories were starting to overwhelm her again, and Agata had to sit down on her bed before she passed out again. Her heart hurt, it felt the same as it did when Kendrick and her broke up twenty years ago.
God... it's been that long since Kendrick—the man she thought it had been her first love. Her first at everything. But with all these memories flooding her mind, Agata realized that perhaps this Richie boy had beaten Kendrick to it.
Agata knew Kendrick was married now, she found him on Instagram. He had a beautiful wife and two children. He seemed happy, and that filled Agata's heart with warmness. She didn't contact him, it was enough to know he was doing well with his life.
But she couldn't stop thinking about her love life all of a sudden. And this Richie Tozier guy wouldn't leave her mind. He felt so familiar.
Sighing, she liked the comedian's tweet as usual and plugged her phone into its battery on her nightstand, checking if her alarm was set for three in the morning before leaving her phone and walk towards the bathroom to brush her teeth. And as she was finishing the methodical procedure, she heard her phone vibrate from her nightstand—signalizing she had a text message.
After leaving the bathroom when she was done with flossing, Agata turned off the lights of her room—letting the city lights engulf the area for tonight—and got into her bed, covering her body with the duvet and leaning on her shoulder to check the text from her phone.
From: Mom
To: Me
(9:55 PM)
I can't wait to see you tomorrow, honey. I don't know why you're suddenly coming but it must be important. Goodnight xx
Agata smiled but she didn't reply, wanting her mom to think she was already sleeping. She placed her charging phone back in the nightstand and rested her head on her pillow to finally sleep. And she needed to rest because tomorrow it was going to be a really interesting day for the psychologist.
She was scared—but excited.
Tuesday, September 6th
Boston, Massachusetts
7:30 AM
Agata breathed with relief as she exited Boston Logan International Airport. After reclaiming her baggage, Agata went to the Starbucks inside the airport and ordered a peppermint white chocolate mocha because she was in the mood for something sweet—and because her mom had an amazing coffee machine that she couldn't wait to use.
After some insisting from her mom, Agata accepted a ride back to her house from her stepdad. She felt a little guilty for waking him up so early but Walter said he didn't mind since after dropping her home he'd go to work. And he was a morning person, something that Nick definitely didn't inherit.
Two minutes passed, and while she sipped from her warm beverage (that came in useful since it was cold in Boston) Agata heard a familiar honk coming from her left. She spotted Walter's Dodge Grand Caravan parking by the curb.
Walter left the car and jogged quickly towards her, beaming in her direction.
"Hello, Agata!" the man said before he wrapped his arms around his stepdaughter, carefully minding her drink, "Welcome back, and good morning!"
Agata smiled as the broke the hug, "Thanks Walt, and good morning to you too," she told him warmly as Walter reached for her cabin baggage, "Oh, wait—I can take that!"
He simply smiled, "It's okay, we have to go anyways I kinda parked illegally," he chuckled as he began to walk towards his car, with Agata following as well.
Walter always drove carefully, and Agata had a sense of comfort as she heard the radio play eighties music. As she closed her eyes, while hearing it, she could imagine herself in her bedroom, lying on her bed while reading magazines for teen girls whilst Duncan laid in the carpet.
Duncan.
She missed her boy it's been eighteen years ever since her loyal pet passed away and Agata always found herself thinking about him every time she'd seen someone walk their dog. She thought about adopting a dog herself, but she's barely home and Agata feels that she'd leave her dog alone too long to the point of being abusive.
Her mom and step-dad had Nina, a mixed dog with chihuahua blood that was the sweetest even though she was already losing her sight after eighteen years of being around—after all, she was adopted in ninety-nighty-eight. They were thinking about bringing another dog into the family, and Agata had ideas of giving them one on her mom's birthday, which was in two weeks.
"So, how's life in the big apple?" Walter suddenly asked as he stopped at a red light.
Boston was such a vivid city, but so different from New York, "Oh, well. Same old, same old. Everyone's too busy to stop walking and there's never a dull moment," Agata told him, vaguely waving her arm as Walter snorted.
"I bet. You know, Nick wants to move to New York," the sixty-four-year-old stated, suddenly looking tired.
Agata took one look at him and realized that he wasn't keen on Nick's idea, "Oh? I thought he wanted to go to L.A?" she wondered.
The light turned green and Walter continued driving, "Yeah, he wanted to move there because almost all of his youtubing friends live there."
Agata chuckled, "You mean, Youtuber."
Sheepishly, the man shrugged, "Eh, same thing."
"Do you know the reason why he changed his mind?" she queried.
Walter pondered before speaking, "He says he wants to be near you."
Agata grimaced, feeling guilty right away, "Oh" they text each other every day, she's always there when he needs to vent and Nick is always excited whenever she comes to Boston—but Agata had no idea he missed her this much.
"He admires you, you know?" Walter said, chuckling softly, "Did you know that, when he was sixteen, he wanted to follow your footsteps and become a psychologist?"
That, surprised her, "What?"
"Yeah, but he gave up on the idea when I told him you spent a decade in college to become one," Walter sniggered, reviving Nick's dismayed reaction fondly.
Agata raised her chin, feigning arrogance, "Twelve years, actually!"
Walter whistled, "Jesus, I forgot. The years went by so quickly that it all seemed like a blink of an eye."
Agata agreed with her stepdad, the years passed fast. She still retained the smell of coffee from the adjoined cafeteria in her dorm building—and yet, she couldn't remember Derry. And the faceless kids that started haunting her mind. She could revive her first school day in Boston, she could even recollect what she wore that day—but before Boston everything was foggy.
Apart from acknowledging that at one period in her childhood, she lived in a small apartment with her mom in New York City.
But God, as much as she tried she couldn't retrieve part of her life about being thirteen going fourteen years old.
"Hey, Walt?"
"Hm?"
"Has mom ever mention Derry?"
"Derry?" Walter repeated with a sense of heed, "No, not really. Wait—where's Derry?"
"In Maine."
"Maine?"
"Yes, Maine. But nevermind."
After that, they settled into tranquil silence. And when it was nearing eight in the morning, Walter parked his car by the driveway of his house. Agata sighed at the nostalgia as she gazed at one of her childhood homes.
The well-kept Colonial two-story house included a private beautiful yard and deck with plenty of garden and patio space (off the main road that Alexandra thought it was peaceful).
The interior offered a simple layout. All-natural wood and vintage-style made for a charming and cozy atmosphere that allowed Agata to concentrate better on her studies as a high school student.
It was also central to local boutique shops, groceries, and it brought plenty of options for authentic food/drink, international cuisine, local breweries, entertainment, parks/dogparks/skateparks. Agata learned to do daily errands because they could be achieved on foot—and that was one of the reasons she never required a car, even after acquiring her license.
The neighborhood had it all: history, style, diversity, and is still up and coming as the years went by.
Agata missed living in Boston, but she was content in New York City as well.
When they got off the car, Agata saw the front door open immediately—and she beamed when the woman barely saw her mom's figure standing still as she jogged towards her, drawing the two together in a warm embrace.
"Mom!" Agata blurted happily, surprised to see her up so early in the morning.
"Agata! Oh honey, welcome home!" Alexandra cooed, pressing a kiss on her daughter's cheek. Her eyes looked teary, and Agata couldn't help but almost roll her eyes at her mom's dramatic self.
"Mom, why aren't you sleeping? It's so early!" the psychologist questioned as she heard Walter pick up her baggage from the car's trunk.
"I couldn't sleep, I wanted to see you right away! I've missed you so much—oh and honey, I made breakfast," Alexandra hastily added as she glanced at her husband, "Eat something before you go, okay?" she told him softly.
"Thanks, hon!" Walter called out as he passed by them, briefly kissing her cheek before making his way inside the house.
Alexandra's eyes regarded him and when he was gone she returned to her daughter with a solemn look on her face, "Have you eaten anything today?"
Agata shook her head, knowing that lying to her mom would never work, "No."
After some good old fashioned scolding, Alexandra led her daughter into the house and sat her down at the small table in the kitchen where pancakes expected her. Walter ate hurriedly and downed his coffee before kissing his wife, and Agata's head, before leaving for work.
8:20 AM
Agata's flight to Bangor left at three in the afternoon, which left her with at least three hours to get the box from Nick's closet and leave for the airport. If her mom tried to persuade her to linger for lunch, Agata knew she'd miss her flight so she had to be very crafty with her excuse.
Both women were convening at the table, breakfast dishes already in the sink as they savored a good cup of coffee while idly catching up to each other's lives—some things were better said in person than during a phone call or text messages. They were also mindful that Nick was currently sleeping upstairs—Alexandra mentioned that he stayed up at least until four in the morning doing a live stream—but he knew she was coming so Nick presumably would be up before noon just to see his sister.
"So tell me" Alexandra began with a sly smile, "Any men up your strings or women?" she shimmied her eyebrows, making Agata chortle with a shocked expression.
"Mom!"
"What? We're both adults here, and I'm your mom so if you're currently seeing someone I should be the first one to know!" Alexandra shrugged, her laughing lines popping out.
Agata shook her head, "There is nobody," she asserted wetly, abruptly feeling her stomach churn. Why did she feel as if she was lying? She had no romantic partner in her life.
Alexandra's glowing expression withered, "Oh, well. That's fine. I'm just glad to have you home again, but you said you wouldn't be here for that long, what's that about?"
This was it. Agata inhaled and gawked at the coffee inside her mug as she spoke, "Well, I remembered something that I neglected in my—Nick's room. Well, when it was my room, I mean."
Alexandra leaned in, curiosity in her face, "Oh? I don't remember you leaving something behind, and Nick and I have cleaned that room plenty of times."
"It's in the back of the closet, a shoebox filled with childhood memories that I could never remember until now," Agata said with a distant look in her blue eyes, "Letters from strangers kids in a photo with me that I can't recall. I mean, isn't it odd?"
From the corner of her eyes, Agata saw her mom visibly tense, "Odd? Yes Now that you mention it, it's really unusual."
Agata looked at her mom and saw a vacant expression in her face, it was as if she was having a challenging time comprehending what she was attempting to imply. Agata quickly regretted bringing it up, so she quickly tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, well. I'll go get it after Nick wakes up," she coated a smile on her lips, "Well! Where's Nina?" to emphasize, she looked around the floor, searching for the small dog.
Alexandra smiled wistfully, "Oh, she's so old she lost her hearing so she probably doesn't even know you're here. She's been sleeping upstairs, in Nick's room—you know how she's attached to him."
"Just like Duncan was attached to me" Agata sighed, laughing fondly at the memories.
Alexandra cooed, "I remember, Duncan was so protective over you!"
Duncan whined as he rested his head on Agata's lap.
She was now inside her house, sitting on the couch of her living room with the television on to create background noise. As Agata petted Duncan, bringing her comfort, she eyed her front door intently and expectantly. Her skinned injuries still burned a little, but she at least she had used a cloth to wash them all with water, but the more they kept stinging the more Agata realized that she dreadfully didn't imagine her encounter with that demonic *****.
(...)
Agata did end up crying for a few minutes before Duncan was able to calm her down. It seems that her dog tried to warn her before, and even though he couldn't help her Agata had a feeling that Duncan sensed ********* before It had revealed Itself to her.
But Duncan's passive nature at the moment relaxed her a bit, maybe ** was gone.
But then, when Duncan began barking again she was on high alert, eyes widening as she looked around the room while rising to her feet. With a frightened expression, Agata's eyes followed Duncan as the loyal dog made his way towards the front door, and seconds later, a knock imitating Shave and a Haircut was heard and Agata instantly knew Richie was the one on the other side.
Richie.
Ri...
"...gata? Agata!"
The psychologist's shoulders quivered in surprise when her mom suddenly touched her, she glanced at her sheepishly and placed a strand of her hair behind her ear, "Sorry, I got sidetracked reminiscing about the good times I had with Duncan."
It wasn't all a lie. She did have a sudden memory with her dog—but it wasn't a good one. God, why couldn't she remember why fear overwhelmed her that day? It was all so frustrating!
"Honey, why don't you take a nap in my bed? You must be surely exhausted after traveling and waking up so early," Alexandra fussed, resting a soothing hand on her daughter's shoulder.
Agata drank the rest of her coffee while shaking her head, "I can't. I have a plane to catch in seven hours and I can't risk—"
"You're leaving that soon? I thought you were staying, at least for a day!" her mom exclaimed at once, frowning gloomily.
Agata nodded, giving her mom a rueful look, "I know, and I'm sorry for dropping by only to leave too quickly, but I have to be someplace tonight and I can't delay it."
Alexandra huffed through her nose and abruptly rose from her seat, taking her mug and Agata's with her towards the sink, "Tonight? Where?" she inquired with a clipped tone.
"I can't tell you, at least not now," Agata explained, prepared for her questions. She couldn't risk having her mom remember as well. Not after reviving the conversation they had the day after Agata returned home, following the fight against something.
August 23rd, 1989
7:55 PM
Alexandra knew that something was wrong as soon as she walked inside her house. For instance, Duncan ran up the stairs as soon as she took the leash from his collar. Someone was obviously up there, and when she looked at the time she hoped it was her daughter.
She was carrying a grocery plastic bag, and she wandered to the kitchen to place it on the counter, huffing a little because there were two cartons of milk inside. Still, at least Agata would have enough.
"Mom?"
"Oh, thank God," Alexandra murmured to herself with extreme relief before turning around to face her daughter, who was still wearing her outside clothes and regarding her with a guarded expression, "Hi honey, sorry I came home late. I did a quick grocery shopping trip and—"
"Mom. We need to talk," Agata interrupted with a determined tone.
Alexandra raised her eyebrows, looking at her thirteen-year-old with surprise, "Oh role-reversal, I see," she grinned, but Agata kept a neutral face. Alexandra dropped her smile.
"Let's go to the living room," Agata told her awkwardly, walking away without waiting for her mom to reply. Duncan followed her behind closely, tail waggling and unaware of the sudden tense air around the house.
Alexandra quickly trailed her daughter as well, not desiring Agata to change her mind to whatever she wanted to talk about. It was important for Alexandra to understand what was going through her daughter's mind and teenagers sometimes were hard to read.
Agata was sitting on the couch, waiting for her to sit down next to her.
"Mom?"
"Yes, daughter?"
"Do you know something about"
Agata chocked, standing from her chair as sudden as her mom had. She covered her mouth, attempting to hold in the bemoan from the piercing pain she was feeling inside her head. The more she tried to remember, the more Agata's headache would increase.
"Sweetie, are you okay?" Alexandra asked worriedly, bringing her daughter out from her provoked disposition.
"I'm fine," Agata quickly said, "I need to use the bathroom," she added before exiting the kitchen, wandering down the corridor towards the staircase to ascend it before she could hear her mom's response.
Agata locked herself in the bathroom upstairs and immediately turned on the faucet's water, splashing her face with it to combat the churning sensation and dizziness starting to affect her body. Her mind was like an unfinished puzzle right now, and the closer she got to Derry the more she seemed to recall certain memories that have been lost for twenty-six years.
She decided to close her eyes and begin some breathing exercises, she didn't want to cause any concerning attention—if her mom even suspected that she was returning to Derry Agata had a hunch that she wouldn't allow her daughter to go. But Agata still wanted to reunite with her middle school friends, she felt in her heart that they were like family to her—even after all these years apart.
Letting out a deep inhale, she re-opened her eyes and nodded to herself in the mirror. She looked better, at least not that pale anymore.
The rest of the morning went smoothly. Agata helped her mom clean the kitchen by washing the dishes from the breakfast while Alexandra watered her garden. It was peaceful to watch her mom hum to herself a happy tune while peacefully making sure every flower had its fill of water.
Ten minutes past one in the afternoon, just when Alexandra began preparing lunch, Nick ran downstairs with a sleepy grin and a bed hair and bolted towards Agata, crushing their bodies together into a tight hug as laughter surrounded them. Agata was so thrilled to see her baby brother again, Nick might be twenty years old but she would never stop seeing him as her kid brother.
Bill had a kid brother.
Agata managed to hide her startled expression by holding a lingering smile when she heard her own voice state that inside her mind. She heard Nick talk about what he's been doing, and nodding attentively even when he spoke too fast, never getting tired of listening to her brother's rambling. But, now that he was up, all she wanted was to sneak inside his room and get her shoebox from the back of the closet. It was getting late and she only had less than two hours to reach the airport and catch her plane to Bangor, Maine. If she missed this flight then she would never reach Derry in time for the dinner.
Alexandra separated the siblings by fussing over Nick, telling him to go shower because he stank of sweat and Doritos. Nick and Agata laughed at that but, to have this as the perfect opportunity to slip away, the older sister agreed with their mom and jokingly ordered her brother to go upstairs and take a shower.
Which Nick did.
And when Agata was sure he was inside the shower, she told her mom she was going to make a quick phone call to her assistant and sneaked upstairs, knowing where the creaky spots of the stairs were by recalling them from sneaking to the kitchen at three in the morning to grab some snacks.
She paced quickly down the hall and entered her brother's room, and Agata didn't waste any time by judging how messy it was—Nick was a chaotic person but he knew how to live in his own chaos as well. Fortunately for Agata, he never bothered to clean his closet as well, and after pushing many unfolded clothes aside, her arm dived deep into the back to the closet until she fell the square object she earned for.
Her shoebox.
Grinning victoriously, she promptly left her old bedroom—after looking around for a moment and smiling bittersweetly at the memories—and entered her mom and stepdad's room, closing the door behind her.
She made her way towards their bed and placed the box on top of it, hesitating for a moment before opening it. Her eyes watered right away at the contents inside.
A polaroid photo, that seemed to be taken from a photo booth, of a group of eight children, smiling happily or making goofy faces at the camera. Agata saw herself as a thirteen-year-old, standing between a boy with big spectacles and messy hair and a tall boy with curly, light hair. She found herself smiling softly as her eyes wandered to each of the kid's faces, and her heartbeat gently at the affection she suddenly felt for all of them.
Then, something she recalled always wearing even before Derry: her silver necklace. And she pulled it slowly from the box, she noticed a slight alteration to it—there was a small, locket pendant attached to it, and when she pried it open there was a small photo of her thirteen-year-old self kissing the cheek of the boy with the messy hair and glasses.
Again, Agata sighed when she felt the incoming headache when she tried to recall who this boy was. She decided to put the necklace around her neck though, maybe having it close to her would help.
The next item was a bracelet with pink and white beads with larger ones saying 'BFF'. This was obviously a friendship bracelet that someone had made and gifted to her kid self—and Agata smiled fondly at it as she placed it around her right wrist, hoping to meet the person that created it soon.
The photo, she pocketed it carefully.
Then, she placed the empty shoebox hidden under the bed and recollected herself before going downstairs with a casual expression as Nick was still showering.
She grabbed her phone on her way from her purse and checked the time.
1:33 PM
Agata had to leave. Now.
She grabbed her things and told her mom she was going.
"What?! But what about lunch?"
"Mom, I have to go."
"But honey, you didn't even say goodbye to Nick! "
Agata sighed, knowing that her mom was right. But if she were to go upstairs and tell Nick that she was leaving, she felt like he was the only one who could convince her to stay, at least, for lunch. And she couldn't risk it, the psychologist still needed to call for a taxi and she didn't know if there was traffic on the way to the airport.
She told her mom she was sorry, then, without looking back, she grabbed her baggage from the foyer and walked out of the house, painfully ignoring her mother's cries for her to come back—she simply crossed the street and paced quickly to her left, walking at least three blocks before stopping to catch her breath.
She called for a taxi, and five minutes later it showed up.
Bangor International Airport, Maine
6:44 PM
Agata fought back against another incoming yawn and she walked out from the third airport she had been today. She nursed herself a black coffee with only one spoon of sugar because she hoped the caffeine would keep her awake for the fifty-minute drive she was about to endure towards Derry. She slept two of the three hours of the flight so perhaps that would be enough for her body to function properly.
Mike texted her that the dinner reservation was at eight-thirty so the forty-year-old was in a rush to rent a car and get on the road to have enough time to shower and change into the outfit she had chosen for the reunion.
What she wasn't expecting was for the agency that rented cars at the airport to run out of them—as they carefully explained, the last car had been rented exactly thirty minutes before her arrival.
Before she could panic, she suddenly remembered that Derry had a bus station, and that memory came gracefully in time because when she ran towards the airport's bus station, there was about to leave for Derry. Agata got lucky, and as she sat down on her bus seat, Agata laughed to herself.
Maybe a higher power was helping her reach Derry, she couldn't pinpoint why or how but she could feel something guiding her.
When the bus was ten minutes into the road, Agata asked the person sitting next to her how long would it take to reach Derry, and the nice old man told her just about fifty-five minutes, and Agata allowed herself to rest back against her seat and close her eyes with relief coursing through her body.
Now, all she had to do was get to Derry and mentally prepare herself for seeing friends she hasn't seen in twenty-six years.
Amongst another thing she wasn't aware of—yet.
