I always believed that I was meant for greater things then being stuck in Derry, Maine. A small town with small minded people who didn't care about anything but themselves, a town of people who looked the other way when they saw something happening that wasn't morally acceptable. I suppose they thought it was none of their business, if it didn't affect them, they were quite happy to look the other way. I never understood that mentality. Billy told me that maybe those people were scared, unsure on how to act to some of the situations that happened right in front of them. Even with that explanation I still didn't understand. And I don't think I wanted too.
I didn't want to end up like some of the adults that lived here. No, my dream was to leave. Maybe get into some fancy school and never have to remember Derry, Maine again. I would be quite happy to forget some things of this town.
"Lori, sweetheart. You haven't touched any of your cereal, yet. Are you okay?" Mother asked.
My mother was a kind woman, too kind I always thought, always making sure that everyone around her was happy and content. I had never heard her complain about anyone or anything in my life. I never thought to much about it when i was younger but as I was growing up I found it strange. I couldn't go a day without complaining about someone from school or the stupid little dog that barked next door whenever a car drove passed. But I had grown to understand why she never complained, not out loud at least, as i tried to focus looking at her face and not the dark bruise that peeked out from the collar of her dress. Mother never like me looking at her bruises or mentioning them. Whenever I mentioned them, she would shut down, barely talking to me afterwards. I didn't know if she was ashamed or if she pretended that the bruises that marred her body like a map weren't there at all. I was to afraid to ask. I didn't want to upset her again.
"I'm fine. Just not very hungry this morning." I replied.
Mother smiled, a small but beautiful smile that lifted her round face. "Must be excited for the last day of school. Are you coming back home when school's finished or are you and the boys going to ride your bikes around town?"
"No," I sighed slumping further into my seat. "Stan has to practise for his bar mitzvah so we're not going to hang out until tomorrow. I was thinking of going to the park or something though by myself. Maybe do a bit of drawing."
"By yourself?" she asked. I nodded which made her smile fall and her lips to purse tightly together. "I don't think that's a good idea, Lori. To be by yourself at a time like this, with all these children disappearing. They still haven't found the culprit."
I bit my lip so I didn't voice out my opinions on what i thought of our towns police department. Everyone knew that the sheriff was an idiot who cared more about the power that he had behind the badge then helping anyone. The sheriff was more then happy to be surrounded by the people who acted and thought the same as him. One of those people were Oscar Bowers a racist who preferred to use his fist in any situation. Just like his son Henry who gleefully bullied everyone he could at school.
"Hopefully they find those poor children. I couldn't imagine if I lost you." Mother said gently caressing the top of my head. "At least they'll be setting a curfew soon for children. Maybe that will stop the person doing this horrible thing."
"Maybe." I agreed quietly trying to push down the unsure feeling that I had building in my chest. I didn't think the curfew was going to work. I don't think many actually did.
Some of the children that had went disappearing had went to my school, a few had even been in my year. And of those children had been Bill's little brother, George. He had gone to play outside on a rainy day and had never returned home. That had been a year ago and Bill was still trying to find him. I never told Bill, but I believed that George was dead. I believed that all the children that went missing would never be seen again. Not with how many children that were going missing.
Mum looked down at me with concerned eyes for a few moments before turning away from me with a small shake of her head. She cleared her throat and patted down her short auburn hair and began to smile again, seemingly wanting to forget the discussion of missing children.
"It's almost time for school. Is Bill riding past the house to come get you?" Mother asked moving away from the table to watch the bacon sizzle that was cooking on the oven.
I nodded my head taking a few mouthfuls of cereal that would hopefully get me through until lunch. Bill and I always rode our bikes to school together. Bill loved the bike that he had gotten for his birthday last year when he turned thirteen, always having a goofball smile as he rode it around town. My parents had gotten me one a few weeks later after the many tumbles Bill and I would have when I would sit behind him on his back. I shoved the last few bits of cereal into my mouth as quickly as I could as I heard the thumping of footsteps coming down the stairs. My father had woken up and I wasn't in the mood to be near him after noticing the new bruise that was now my mother's body. I grabbed my schoolbag and put my dish in the sink and began to walk as fast as I could to the front door with a quick kiss on the cheek for my mother as I escaped outside.
Thankfully I didn't have to wait very long as I heard a boy's voice echo through my street.
"Hi – ho Silver"
I threw my bag over my shoulders and got onto my bike as I waited for Bill to come to a stop next to me. I heard Bill's panting before I saw him, and I shook my head as I twisted my body around to watch as he pulled up beside me with the same goofball smile that he always had when riding his bike.
"Trying to beat your normal time again?" I asked knowingly
"Thirty seconds shorter th – the – then last time." Bill stuttered gaining his breath back. "Now it only takes me seven minutes to get to yours. I'm getting f – faster."
I snorted standing a bit taller "Still not faster than me though"
"I'm way f – fas – faster than you. No one beat me on my bike" Bill protested eyebrows furrowed in stubbornness.
"Okay," I smirked holding my hand out in front of me. "A race then. Me and you to school. Loser gets to buy a milkshake for the winner in the holidays. Any milkshake, that includes the special treat one that they have at the diner."
"B – but that's nearly five dollars." Bill frowned.
"Well it's my favourite kind and the one I want if I win. Unless you don't think you can win the race and want to opt out. It's alright I know boys don't like to lose to girls." I grinned widely. I knew Bill didn't care if I won or not when it came to other things. But this time it included his most precious possession.
"Fine," Bill said after a few seconds as he thought it over. He looked at me determinedly and shook my hand, agreeing to the deal. "Just don't cry when you lose."
"Like I would." I scoffed as we prepared ourselves to begin the race. "On the count of three. One, two…three!"
I felt like I was basically flying down the street as I raced Bill to school, the both of us dodging cars on the road as we pushed our legs faster and faster to make our bikes go quicker. My thighs were beginning to burn by the time we made it to school. I wasn't going to stop though, not when I was so close to beating Bill. And I did with only a few seconds to spare as I skidded to stop in front of the bike rack, waiting for Bill to stop too.
"F – fuck!" Bill exclaimed disappointedly as he stopped in front of me. "I was s – so close."
"Look's like you'll be buying me that five-dollar milkshake" I snickered as we put our bikes into the rack and began to walk into school. "I can practically taste it's strawberry flavour now."
"You suck" Bill shoved my shoulder lightly making me laugh.
"What's this about sucking. What or who is Lori sucking?"
I grimaced annoyed as I turned around and punched a smirking Richie in the stomach making him groan and almost curl into himself. "Shut up, Richie! God do you even think before you say all the shit that you do?"
"That would require Richie to actually think." Stan said dryly.
"Or even have a brain." Eddie rolled his eyes sarcastically as he and Stan walked past Richie who was beginning to straighten himself up. Richie fiddled with his glasses as he shot both boys an offended look.
"Hey, I think." Richie defended himself. He looked at Eddie with a gleeful smirk. "I especially think about your mother late at night when I'm by my – "
Richie didn't get to finish his sentence as Eddie suddenly leapt at him slapping Richie anywhere he could get his hands on. Bill, Stan and I exchanged exhausted looks. This was a daily routine. Richie could never keep his mouth shut, especially if he thought it was something good. The bad thing was that whatever came out of his mouth was never very good for us. It either ended with one of us nearly strangling him or pulling him away before Henry Bowers and his little gang of bullies pummelled him to the ground. Either way it usually ended with Richie getting hurt.
The bell rang indicating the start of the school day and we all began to walk to our classes. Stan, Bill and I going to art and a squabbling Richie and Eddie going to maths. Since it was the last day of school before summer break the teachers barely gave us much work, they mostly just gave us worksheets to revise over summer that would probably end up in the bin when I got home. I practically leapt out of my seat when the end of day bell rang, eager to get out of the school building as doors from other classrooms flung open and rowdy children spilled out into the halls like sheep. Books were being hurled in the trash, lockers emptied out, papers strewn all over the floor, summer has officially commenced. I pushed my way past some of the older kids who barely glanced my way as I struggled to find my friends amongst everyone that filled the hallway.
"Excuse me," I muttered as a girl wearing hockey gear shouldered past me towards the girl's bathroom. I guess she was in a hurry. Luckily, I saw Bill's tall frame up ahead with Richie's shaggy hair peeking behind his shoulder and quickly hurried over before I lost him and the others.
"Basically, they slice part of his dick off." I heard Eddie say as I pushed my way in between Richie and Bill. Maybe I should have lost them, I thought shooting Eddie a disgusted look. The one bad thing about being friends with only boys was that they didn't have any filter. None, especially when I was around.
"But then Stan will have nothing left." Richie snickered making Bill laugh as well.
I rolled my eyes. The boys loved making fun about Stan's religion. Although Stan didn't mind it, as long it was us. He got bullied by others, especially the Bowers gang because he was one of the few Jewish people in Derry.
"You're an idiot. They remove the foreskin when he's a baby." I told them.
"Hey, guys wait up!" Stan came up behind us moving in between Bill and Eddie with a panicked look on his face. I guess he didn't want to be stuck in the halls by himself either. It was easier for the bullies to gang up one a person if you were by yourself.
"Hey, Stan what happens at the bar mitzvah anyway? Ed says they slice the e- end of your d – dick off." Bill asked turning to Stan curiously.
"Yeah and I heard that the Rabi is going to pull down your pants and turn to the crowd and say there's the view" Richie exclaimed grinning mischievously throwing his hands up dramatically.
Stan raised his eyebrows unimpressed and explained "At the bar mitzvah I read from the Torah and make a speech and suddenly I become a man"
"I can think of more ways to become a man." Richie wriggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
"Yuck," I scoffed nearly gagging. Richie loved making dirty jokes unfortunately. I think he liked to see how far he could go before my face turned red in embarrassment. "Stan actually has more chance becoming a man by reading out of the Torah then you do by doing any of the things you're thinking."
"You could always help me?" Richie smirked winking at me. I blushed and scowled at him ready to give him a scathing reply but was stopped by Billy who nudged me harshly in my side. I turn to glare at him but stopped as I saw exactly why he had nudged me. The Bowers hands were leaning against the lockers ahead of us and there was no way around them except to walk past them.
I gripped my bag tightly trying to avoid their piercing eyes as they watched us walk past them. Unfortunately, I glanced up to early and made eye contact with Patrick who looked at us all with a wide grin and glittering eyes that promised nothing good. He looked at me and licked his lips making me look down again quickly with a churning feeling in my stomach. They were all horrible bullies, rough and mean but Patrick made my skin crawl with the way he looked at others, especially girls. He had been suspended three times because had felt up a few girls. I wouldn't be surprised if there were others. I shuddered and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"Think they'll sign my yearbook?" Richie joked as we walked further away from the bowers gang. He nervously adjusted his glasses as he continued speaking "Sorry for taking a hot steamy dump in your backpack last week."
"Yeah and then they can sign mine. Sorry for pushing you into the lockers just yesterday." I said glancing over my shoulder to make sure we were far enough away from them. I had gotten a bruise along my hip from being pushed into the locker by Belch who had been egged on by the others who heckled me by calling me freckled face.
"At least we don't h – have to deal with them this s – summer." Bill said optimistically.
We all exchanged relieved smiles and nodded. One of the many highlights about summer, no bullies that got their kicks out of beating up people weaker and smaller than them. If we stayed away from their usual hangouts, we would be fine. We finally made our way out of the school building and walked over to one of the bins outside and opened our school bags throwing all our schoolwork into the bin.
"Best feeling ever." Stan said as his shoulders seemed to slump in relief, the opposite of his usually tense posture.
"Try tickling your pickle for the first time." Richie suggested helpfully as he put his now empty bag back over his shoulders. Stan glared at the innocent looking Richie as I zipped my bag back up rolling my eyes. I swear Richie forgot I was a girl most times.
"You do realise I'm here right?" I asked Richie. "And as a girl I don't need to hear about anyone tickling their pickle. Especially yours."
Richie shrugged and put his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah but you're not really a girl – "
"– Oh really, then what the hell am I?"
"You're like a boy. Just a boy with long hair and tits."
"Richie!" I exclaimed knocking his hand off my body with a furious slap. I glared at him, debating if it was possible to make his brain explode just by looking at him. "Don't talk about my tits."
"I wasn't." Richie huffed defending himself. "I only mentioned them and if we're going to talk about them can I just say you've really developed this past few months, are you still wearing a training bra?"
Before I could get my hands on him Stan punched him in between the shoulder blades making Richie cry loudly and turn around to Stan opening his mouth to yell at him, thankfully Eddie spoke up interrupting him.
"Hey what are we going to do tomorrow?" Eddie asked looked between the group of us.
"Kill Richie." I muttered glaring at the shaggy haired boy. I just knew my face was all red, clashing with my hair and freckles. I probably to looked like a fire hydrant with my red hair, red freckles and flushed face.
"Training." Richie said looking at Eddie with a serious look on his usual goofy face.
"Training? Training for what." Eddie replied confused. Richie wasn't in any sports, none of the boys were. I was the only one who was a part of a sport team which was the school swimming team. It was pretty good team, too. The school pool was a place for me to go to for when the boys annoyed me too much and I wanted to hide away from the bullies. A little place for me to escape everything.
"Street fighting." Richie explained. That made more sense. Richie loved playing at the arcade and his favourite game was street fighter. He could stay there for hours on end.
"Is that how you want to spend your summer?" Eddie asked perplexed. "Inside an arcade."
"Beat's staying inside your mother." Richie chortled holding his hand out for a high five from Stan who pulled it down, ignoring the high five, as he suggested going to the quarry. I grinned and nodded my head. That sounded like a great idea. They hadn't gone swimming there in ages, it was one of the few places in Derry that was fun. Eddie shrugged and nodded his head agreeing with the plan.
"Guys we have to go to the b – barrens." Bill spoke up suddenly looking at them all with a hopeful expression. The mood changed suddenly as we all avoided looking at each other. I had forgotten and it seemed that the others had too. Bill had had spoken about looking for George during the summer, he told us he now had an idea that George was in the barrens, maybe stuck in the drains. Alive. Bill always spoke about finding George alive. And no one had the heart or the courage to argue about it. We all knew that George was dead. It had been too long, to many children going missing for even the slight chance of him being alive.
Stan nodded, his shoulders tense again. "Right."
"Betty Ripson's mum," Eddie suddenly spoke up in a quiet voice looking to the left of us. We all turned around to see an older woman standing in front of the school with two police officers behind her. I frowned at Betty's mum. She looked pale, tired as her eyes frantically scanned every child's face as they left the school.
"Does she actually think she's going to see her coming out of school?" Stan asked with a troubled frown on his face. Betty had been in our year. A nice girl who never said a bad thing towards or about us. She had been the most recent child to go missing.
"Maybe she thinks Betty's been hiding away from home this past few weeks." Eddie suggested.
"You'll think they'll actually find her?"
"Sure. In a ditch all decomposed, covered in maggots and smelling like Eddie's mum's underwear." Richie said turning his back on the sad sight of Betty's mother who was still searching but not finding her daughter's face amongst any of the children.
"It's not funny Richie" I barked turning away from the sight as well. He really didn't know when to shut his mouth sometimes.
"S – She's not d – dead. She's m – m – missing." Bill said stuttered heavily on the word missing. He looked so serious. So much older in that moment as he stared down Richie who nervously adjusted his glasses with an uncomfortable look on his face.
"Sorry, Bill. You're right, she's missing." Richie agreed nervously. Bill turned around and began to walk away, his shoulders hunched over. We tried to quickly catch up to him, it was never good to leave Bill by himself when he began to get in this type of mood. "You know the Barrens aren't even that bad. Who doesn't like splashing around in shitty water – "
Before Richie could finish his sentence, he was pulled back by his school bag, almost choking him as he was slammed into Stan making them tumble to the ground. I stood still as I noticed what had happened. Henry Bowers stood there sneering down at Richie with a gleeful twisted smirk. And not far from him came the rest of the bower gang. Patrick bent down and picked up Stan's Kippah that had fallen of his head and onto the ground beside him.
"Nice frisbee, flamer." Patrick mocked grinning widely.
"Hey, give that back." Stan protested struggling to stand back up. But Patrick had already threw it into a window of bus that had drove past them. I quickly moved out of the way as Henry, Belch and Patrick walked past me. Patrick hesitated just for a moment as he walked past letting his friends walk ahead of him.
"Looking good, freckles." Patrick smirked as his eyes looked up and down my body. I shuddered crossing my arms in front of my breast, trying to block his view. It was disgusting, he was sickening. I would have preferred Henry's brute force then Patrick's slimy hands going anywhere near me. I scowled him, too scared to say anything. To scared of retaliation from Patrick. Thankfully he followed his friends as they shouldered past Bill who stared after them, his face scrunched up in anger as he stuttered loudly.
"Y -y – you suck Bowers!"
"Shut up, Bill" Richie warned, using his common sense this time to know not to say anything that would get their attention again. But it was too late as the bower gang froze and turned around to look at us again.
"Y – you s – s – say something, B – B – Billy?" Henry mockingly stuttered walking to Bill, almost in a predatory manner. Like a lion hunting its prey. "You got a free ride this year because of your little brother. Rides over, Denbrough. Summer's going to be hurt training. For you and your faggot friends"
Henry licked the palm of his hand and slapped it against Bill's face lightly. He gave us one more glare before walking off with Belch and a chuckling Patrick. We watched as they walked over to Victor who stood beside Belch's car and got inside the care before driving off.
"Wish he would go missing." Richie said watching them leave the school. I glanced at Richie and couldn't help but silently agree. Henry Bowers was a horrible person and I certainly wouldn't miss him if he suddenly disappeared. Him and arsehole group of friends.
"He's probably the one doing it" Eddie proclaimed with a clenched jaw.