Disclaimer: I do not own IT or any of the characters. That all belongs to the awesome and talented Stephen King. I only own my OC and other characters I make up along the way.
A/N: Guys I finally saw the movie! I repeat I finally saw the movie and I LOVED it! (No surprise though ^.^) It was scary, funny, and very emotional. There were moments were I was full on scared in my seat and other moments were I almost cried. Overall it was very intense. Bill Skarsgård was amazing as Pennywise! Every time he was on screen he had all my attention. *Spoiler Alert* The scene where he danced?! OMG! Give this guy a damn Oscar. God he was scary and funny. And all the kid actors were great in their roles! Finn Wolfhard was fantastic as Richie! I liked all the Losers, but he by far was my favorite Loser, as well as Beverly. They got her character right! As for the Bowers Gang? They were good too. Because of how the movie ended, I'm already coming up with different ways that could fit into the story. Don't worry though I'll find a way! I hope you guys are ready because it's gonna be a bumpy ride from here on out. O.o Anyways, without further ado here's the new chapter! I have a feeling you guys are going to like the ending of this chapter because it involves a certain character's POV.
I also do not own any music mentioned in this chapter.
"It kills me sometimes, how people die." ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
Chapter 5: Tragedy strikes again
October, 1988
Using all of her concentration, Gwen read the music sheet before she began playing the piano. With a pleased expression she listened to how every key she hit created a melody that took her to a whole other word. A world that was filled with gaiety and harmony. She was absolutely bewitched by the beauty of the famous piece Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. A music piece that she was able to recreate all on her own now.
Never in a million years did Gwen actually think she would be able to master the skill of piano playing. Even though she had told Georgie that she hoped to be as good as his mother, it was a halfhearted comment. At the most she excepted to learn the basic stuff. Gwen didn't except to learn piano professionally. But to her surprise she did. She mastered the skill right away.
Sharon had started her off with simple beginner pieces. Like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday, and a few others. Right away though the Denbrough woman saw how Gwen was able to read through the sheets as if they were nothing. As for playing the actual pieces? She nailed them all from the first try. She played them fast and well. Which astounded Sharon. For a so called beginner Gwen was already showing advanced skills. The Tozier girl reassured her that she had never once played piano before.
Therefore, the simplest explanation that Sharon came up with was that Gwen must have had real honest to God talent. The dark haired girl was a music prodigy. She for sure had a shot of having a music career if she kept up her lessons. This was an impressive thought, but Sharon knew that for Gwen piano playing wasn't something she wanted to pursue further into her life. It was just something she did on the side to please her mother. Although it was obvious that the girl liked it.
Except Sharon knew that Gwen still preferred playing softball. She was a tomboy after all and that was her main focus. Which was a shame but Sharon wasn't going to interfere with what made the girl happy. Based on what she's heard around town (mainly from Maggie), Gwen hadn't been entirely herself. Not since the passing of Chase Campbell. So Sharon wasn't going to pester her with what she should do regarding her hobbies...she had a feeling Maggie already did that enough.
As the piano piece was nearing it's fast point, Sharon noticed how Gwen began putting more emphasize in her movements. The teen started nodding her head more and Sharon saw the elation in her eyes grow intently.
For a moment there everything around Gwen went away. It was just the piano and her. The climax of the piece was finally here and she wasn't about to mess up. This was her moment. She furrowed her eyebrows as she ardently hit each piano key. She listened carefully and let out a relieved smile when she past the complicated part of the piece. As she hit the last piano key, she let the note linger before pulling her hands away from the piano. It was now quiet, minus her loud breathing. She looked at Sharon Denbrough waiting for her reaction. Her approval or disapproval is what counted after all.
"Very good, Gwen!" Sharon praised the young teen. "You really do have a talent."
Gwen gave her a bashful expression. "Thanks, Mrs. Denbrough.'
The older woman gave her a smile. "How many times have I told you? Call me Sharon."
"Right." Gwen nodded sheepishly. "Sorry...Sharon."
Sharon looked at the clock that was hung on her wall. "It's getting pretty late now. How about we call it a day."
Gwen more than happily agreed. "Sure." She got up and grabbed for her belongings.
"Are you sure you don't want a ride? It wouldn't be a problem for Zack to do so." Sharon asked as she saw Gwen grab her stuff. This wouldn't be the first time her husband had given Gwen a ride home. Since offering Gwen piano lessons, the young teen had become the unofficial babysitter for Georgie and even for her first born Bill. Sharon remembered Bill had been unhappy about that since he considered himself old enough to look out after himself and Georgie. Soon his objection faltered when he started seeing the more positive side to things. He began viewing Gwen more as a friend than a babysitter.
Anyways, there had been a few times when Sharon and her husband would arrive a bit late. Now Gwen's main transportation was either her mom, bike, or feet. More than often she walked where ever she needed to go or her mom picked her up. Since babysitting for them though Zack been the one to drop her off at home after her gig was over. Sharon, however, knew it wouldn't be a bother for her husband to drive Gwen right now. Even if it was just the afternoon.
Gwen smiled at how worried she sounded. She was like her mother...only less intense. Which she was ever thankful for. Bill and Georgie were lucky to have Sharon as a mother. "No, that's okay." She politely declined. "Do you mind if I say a quick hello to Bill before I go?" She asked. Sharon had told her earlier how Bill wasn't feeling to well and since then she wanted to check up on him.
Sharon nodded her head. She was touched by how concerned she was for her oldest son. "Of course you can. I don't mind at all. He's probably still resting in bed. Poor thing."
Gwen gave her a small smile before she made her way upstairs. Already knowing the way (thanks to all the times she had babysat) she quickly arrived in front of Bill's bedroom door. It was closed, so she did the polite thing to do. She knocked. It didn't take long to hear a muffled from the other side to come on in. When she opened the door she saw Bill. He was lying in bed with different types of blankets all around him. He was wearing pajamas that had dinosaurs of them. She smiled when she saw this. Now she wasn't one to judge sleep wear. The Tozier girl still wore pajamas that had bunny designs to sleep every now and again. So seeing dinosaur pajamas was not what really had her staring at him. His slightly red nose and tired eyes were what caught her attention. Poor Bill...he probably feels like doo doo right now. Hopefully her present would cheer him up a bit.
"Hey." Gwen greeted as she went further inside. She stopped once she reached his bed.
Bill let out a cough. "Hi." He got up into a sitting position.
"How you feeling?" Even though she could see how sick he looked she still wanted to hear what he had to say about his own health. Perhaps he felt better on the inside?
Bill took a deep breath. "Would yo-yo-you be-be-believe me if I-I-I said I felt alright? Well at least better than I did an hour or so a-a-a-ago. I ca-ca-can breathe a bit better now."
"Well, that's good." Gwen said feeling relieved. A piece of paper and pen on his night stand caught her attention. "Writing another story?" She asked pointing to said items.
Bill nodded his head. "Tr-Tr-Trying to."
She smiled at his response. If there was one thing Gwen knew for certain about Bill Denbrough, it was that the kid had talent in writing stories. The boy had an active imagination and such imagination allowed him to come up with some very interesting tales.
"I liked that one story you told me." Gwen confessed gaining his absolute attention. "The one about the dragon and the princess. How she was able to defeat the dragon not by using her beauty, but by using her intelligence. Very different from your modern princess crap. You should really write that one down."
"Georgie liked it too." Bill told her. Suddenly, as if her compliment had been to much, he became unsure of himself and his stutter came back with a force." But I-I-I don't know."
"Well, in case you ever change your mind." Gwen said as she reached into her backpack. She pulled out a brand new notebook. "Here." She said handing it to him.
"What's this?" Bill asked taken back by such gift. He was holding and staring at it with such bemusement.
Gwen decided to be a little sarcastic with him. "A burrito." She then smiled. "A notebook silly."
"N-N-No, I know that. B-B-But why?" Bill asked her, completely muddled.
Gwen shrugged her shoulders. "Because I know you like writing and you have a ton of story ideas running in that head of yours. Stories that should be written down in an actual notebook." She wanted to sound nonchalant about the whole thing, but she couldn't. This was a kind gesture and it was one Bill was taking to heart. He gave Gwen a full on smile as he held the notebook closer to him.
"Thanks, Gwen." Bill softly said.
The room became peacefully quiet after that, but Gwen being Gwen soon ended it. She gave Bill another smile. "I'd hug you, but you're sick." She awkwardly said ending the amiable moment between them.
Bill laughed at her aberrant behavior. She was a lot more like Richie than he had previously thought. "That's okay."
Gwen started making her way towards the door. "I guess I'll let you rest now. Bye, Bill." She said waving goodbye to him.
Bill, who was still smiling, waved back. "Buh-Buh-Bye, Gwen." He would have been embarrassed about his stutter coming back, but he was too happy about the gift he had just received. Maybe Gwen was right...maybe he should start writing his stories down. Georgie should would like that. Once Gwen closed his bedroom door behind her, Bill reached over his night stand to grab his pen. He then opened the notebook to the first blank page and started writing his heart away.
Meanwhile, once Gwen was in the hallway with the bedroom door closed behind her, she was immediately brought into a hug. The person who was hugging her only reached to her waist making her already know who it was. "Georgie?" She questioned as she looked down at the adorable brownish blond haired boy.
Georgie lifted his gaze to look at her. "I saw you give Bill the notebook." He said as he still hugged her. "That was really nice of you! Now he can write down his stories so he won't forget!" He exclaimed smiling at her. He knew he was right about Gwen being a nice girl. Whenever she babysat him or was around Bill, she was nice to him and his older brother Bill. She wasn't at all like most people her age who made fun of his brother because of the way he talked. No, she was nice all the time. She was like an older sister. This thought made Georgie even more happy. "Thanks, Gwen." He happily told her.
Gwen for a few seconds there was left speechless. When she found composure she returned the hug and released a smile aimed at the boy. "You know you shouldn't be eavesdropping." She replied before ending the hug.
"I know but I saw Bill's door open and I thought he was feeling better. Then I saw you give him the notebook and I couldn't help overhearing what you two were saying." Georgie excitedly rambled to her. He titled his head after he paused briefly. "Do you think he'll use it?" A really big part of him wanted his older brother to use the notebook. That way he'd be able to read his stories. Bill's stories were always the best.
"I think he will." Gwen said thoughtfully. She gave Georgie one last smile. "Anyways, I gotta jet."
"Next time you come over can you help me and Bill build another tower? It was so much fun last time!" Georgie asked her with such a hope filled voice. Since her arrival the three of them always built stuff with Legos. Mainly buildings and what not. The last couple of visits, Gwen hadn't been able to spare any time for them. She was about to tell him she wasn't so sure, but the way he had asked and the way he looking at her with those puppy dog eyes had Gwen unable to say no. She ended up nodding her head.
"Sure, I promise."
Georgie smiled at that. "Thanks, Gwen! I can't wait." After he said she saw him run back into his own bedroom.
Gwen left the Denbrough house that afternoon with a joyous expression―happy that she was able to bring joy to not one person, but two of them. She was not at all aware that was the last time she would ever speak to, or see Georgie Denbrough alive ever again.
The next day had been quite a boring day so far if Gwen had to be honest. Nothing so far happened. Well, nothing interesting. But was there anything interesting to do on a Sunday in Derry, Maine? She would have hung out with Francine, but her blonde best friend was spending quality time with her parents. So Gwen spent most of her time inside her room (surprise surprise) only ever coming out when she needed to. Her mother, however, had made her clean her room from top to bottom. Richie's as well. Her mother had been in one of her odd off moods. She got like this from time to time, but by now Gwen was used to it. So she did as she was told and cleaned her room. Not that it was dirty...well, she thought it wasn't dirty. At least it wasn't like Richie's. Her mother had a cow when she saw how messy his room was.
Her mother's yelling and scolding at her brother was heard from her room even with the door shut. Random things were heard. From, "Richie, this place is a pigsty!" to "Richie, why are your clothes all over the floor?!" In a way it was quite funny. However, when Gwen tried to intervene their little argument, her mother made her go back to her room.
Maggie Tozier was for the most part a calm woman. Yes, she was a woman of excitement, so she could be eccentric every once in a while. But when she was in one of her moods her behavior was...intense. Today her temper had been way higher than usual. So that alone had Gwen hurriedly go back to her own room not wanting to face her wrath. Besides from what she was able to understand, Richie had been refusing to clean his room...hence the yelling. Luckily, it seemed Richie finally decided to give in and he reluctantly ended up cleaning his room. Her mother cooled down a lot after that.
Since she wasn't cleaning anymore, Gwen used this time to relax and listen to her music. She would never admit (especially to her mother) but because of her, Gwen had been getting into music. A lot more than before. She had even saved up her allowance and bought herself a new Walkman. Which is what she was using right now. She had on her headphones and was jamming out to the song Once in a life time by Talking Heads.
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Her relaxing mood was soon interrupted when she heard her mother yell for her to come downstairs for dinner. Even with her headphones on and her music blasting, her mother's voice held more volume. Gwen figured she got her loud voice from her mother because when she yelled (or screamed)―whether in anger or fear―she was pretty loud herself. When she was little she used to scream in the middle of the night because of these horrible nightmares she used to have. She couldn't exactly remember what the nightmares were about only that bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth were involved. Perhaps it was an animal of some sort but she wasn't sure. She shuddered just thinking about that awful time period. Thankfully the nightmares stopped as she grew older. And she hoped they wouldn't return. Because if they did...well, she wasn't so sure how she would be able to handle them.
Not wanting to think about nightmares anymore, Gwen quickly hopped out of bed. She took out her headphones and put her Walkman on her nightstand before she exited her room. When she got downstairs she saw how Richie was already sitting down at the kitchen table. Their mother was by the stove pouring what she thought was soup into another bowl. Gwen took a seat across from Richie. The seat next to Richie was empty. That was where their father usually sat, but Wentworth had to go in for work today on account of one of his patients having an emergency root canal. Wentworth was a dentist, so being called in such late notice wasn't out of the ordinary. So for now it was just her, Richie, and their mother.
Once Gwen was settled down, she looked over at Richie. It was then she noticed he had on an exasperated expression. It was aimed towards the bowl that was in front of him. This muddled Gwen. Why was he in such a state? It wasn't until her mother had set down her own bowl that she finally understood Richie's displeasure. She stared at the bowl that was filled with gross looking lettuce with a full on frown. "What in the world is this goo?" She questioned with curiosity.
"Doom." Richie uttered as he looked at his own bowl with aversion. He used his spoon to poke at it for a few seconds. When he got bored he set his spoon to the side.
Maggie payed no mind to her son. "It's not goo, it's cabbage stew." She informed her daughter as she sat down beside her. "Try it."
That wasn't going to happen. "Ugh, cabbage stew? Really mom." Gwen scrunched up her face in disgust. "I'd rather eat my own throw up."
"That's what I said!" Richie exclaimed resisting to laugh his ass off again. His mother had already reprimanded him for doing so when he came into the kitchen and insulted her cooking. He hadn't meant it in a harsh way just in a joking way. His mother found no humor in his comment. It appeared that Gwen had, and that made him happy because his sister was actually somewhat talking and paying attention to him.
As of lately Gwen had been spending more time at the Denbrough house because of her piano lessons and babysitting job. She spent so much time over there that it had practically become her second home. Richie was embarrassed to admit it but he was actually a little bit jealous of Bill and even little Georgie because it seemed that they got to spend more time with Gwen. It was as if the two Denbrough siblings had become brothers to her. And it hurt Richie that Gwen rather preferred spending her time over there with Bill and his younger brother than with him. What made it worse was that Bill was a friend of his and he hated feeling any resentment towards his friend. Right now though, any jealously he had faltered when he saw how Gwen was looking at him with amusement. She clearly understood his frivolous comment. It was obvious they both shared the same brash humor filled comments and thoughts.
Maggie let out a huff, she looked at her both children with annoyance. She did not at all understand why they were acting so impertinent towards her cooking. "There is nothing wrong with eating healthy." She said crossing her arms over her chest.
"It is when you're trying to poison us." Richie flippantly rebuked
Maggie eyes narrowed at her youngest child. After the way he had acted today with him refusing to clean his room ordeal, he now was getting on her last nerve. "This isn't poison young man. It's food."
"Says you." Richie fired back.
It was low insult but Maggie still heard it. Gwen could see the irritation behind her mother's eyes. Irritation that was aimed at her younger brother. She spoke up in hopes to direct that anger onto her instead.
"I mean, why cabbage stew?" She asked tilting her head. "Seems a bit unusual. If you wanted to make something healthy you could have made salad or something."
Richie shuddered at that. "That's still gross."
"Better than cabbage stew." Gwen muttered as she made a show of eyeing the meal in front of her.
"Fine!" Maggie Tozier yelled out as she stood up. Her spoon had hit her bowl pretty hard that it creaked a loud CLANK noise. "Don't eat then. Excuse me for trying to do something good for this family." She gave her children a hurtful and angered look. "Eat whatever you want. I'll eat when your father gets here. Until then, I will be in my room."
Both Tozier siblings watched as their mother left the kitchen. Their gazes didn't go away until she headed up the stairs. Finally it was Gwen who spoke. "Think we pushed her too far?" The sound a of a door slamming shut made them wince. Question answered.
No matter how awkward the situation was, Richie took a lighthearted approach. "I'm guessing our criticism was taken to heart." He said as he pushed his bowl away from him.
Gwen started to feel bad. She eyed the bowl that was in front of her with consideration. "Maybe we shouldn't have done that." She let out a sigh. "She did spend her time making this for us. Even if it is gross."
Richie shook his head. "No way. That meant we would have had to try it and then lie telling her it was good. Which it's not believe me. Besides..." He drawled as he looked at the bowl that was away from him with revulsion. "I don't think I would be able to stomach that anyways."
Well, he certainly made sense there. Gwen nodded her head. "Yeah...you're right. Looking at it just makes me want to upchuck what I ate earlier."
"Ditto." Richie cleared his throat before doing one of his impressions. This time he spoke with an exaggerated French accent. "Itz disgusting to even zee, let aloone eet. Give me zome french friez inztead. "
Gwen released a laugh. That sounded so bad and not at all like a French accent. Yet it amused her. Richie laughed as well but his reason was because he and sister were actually getting along and having a full on conversation. It was as if things between them were going back to normal.
After they calmed down from laughing an idea entered Gwen's head. "How about I get us some dinner from the diner. Burger and fries? That sound good to you?"
Richie's face lit up. "Really?"
Gwen nodded her head. "Yeah."
"Okay, should we tell mom?" Richie asked already getting from his seat. He was dreading doing so though.
Gwen quickly stood up stopping him from doing that. "Nah, I'll pay for it." She assured him.
Behind his glasses, Gwen could see his eyes widen. "You sure?"
Gwen waved her hand. "Yeah I have a bunch of money saved up from babysitting."
Richie wasn't about to argue over a free meal. His gaze went towards the kitchen window. From inside he was still able to see how dark and cloudy the sky was. He turned to look at his sister in slight worry now. "But it looks like it's about to rain heavy. Are you sure?"
Gwen grabbed her jacket and then her bag. "I'll be quick don't worry. You mind if I borrow your bike?"
"Nah, go ahead." Richie replied as he followed her towards the door.
Gwen zipped up her jacket and then turned to look at her younger brother. "If mom asks just tell her where I went."
Richie let out a sigh. "I doubt she'll come downstairs until dad arrives, but okay."
Gwen pulled up her hoodie. She opened the door, but before she stepped outside she glanced over her shoulder. "Be back soon!" She told her brother before finally going outside. He watched as she waved him goodbye as she rode away on his bike.
Richie still feeling unsure with her departure managed to give her a wave in return.
A wave of grief hit Gwen like a freight train when she stepped inside the diner. She expected to feel some sort of sadness―this was the last place she was supposed to meet up with Chase. Strong feelings to emerged and that overwhelmed her. Which was a shock because she'd been doing so well with guarding her emotions lately. The Tozier girl thought for sure that she was strong enough now to come here. To be fair with herself, she hadn't broken down into tears yet, so obviously that meant she held some composure.
Despite the weather being horrible, the diner was somewhat busy with customers. She didn't dare look around the whole diner for in case that would bring up even more pain filled emotions. She avoided looking at the booth she had sat, waiting for Chase to show up. The Tozier girl instead walked forward to where the main counter was at. The counter seats were all empty, but she decided to keep standing. Riding Richie's bike made her want to stand up rather than sit. She wasn't used to his. She would have taken hers, but she at the moment had a flat. One she really needed to get fixed.
"Ah, Gwen! Hello, it's been a while, huh?"
Gwen looked towards where the voice came from. "Hey Kenny." She greeted with a smile. Kenny was the manager and owner of the diner. He was a kind middle aged man that Gwen often would conversate with. He usually worked in his office but occasionally came up to the front when needed. Guess it was one of those days. His question made Gwen sad all over again. It had been a while since she's set foot in here. "I guess it has." She looked around the counter in hopes for a distraction. Almost immediately did a question enter her mind. "Where's Rachel?" She asked, truthfully wondering where the older teen girl was at.
"I gave her the day off today." Kenny replied as he started wiping the counter. Once it was spotless he looked over towards her. "She's starting to get ready for her schooling next year."
"Oh, that's right." Gwen responded in realization. Rachel was soon going to leave Derry. Lucky her. She managed to give out another smile. "That was nice of you."
Kenny sighed as he ran a hand through his short sandy hair. "Yeah, but with her leaving to college I'm gonna be a hand short." He suddenly looked at Gwen with hope. "Say, you wouldn't be interested in a waitress position would you?"
That was a such an unexpected question. "Uh, I'm not sure." Gwen said with a low voice. "I'd have to talk to my parents about it." That was total BS right there. She knew for certain that her parents would be all for her getting a job. They'd be proud and what not. But the thought of working at the place where she was supposed to have her first date with Chase made her stomach drop. She wasn't sure she would be able to handle working here.
Kenny appeared to be disappointed but he took her answer. "Alright, let them know and then think about it." Kenny said before taking out his notepad. "Now what can I get you?"
Gwen told him her order and then watched as he went to the kitchen to give her order to the cooks. Once she was by herself again, Gwen leaned against the counter. She was too busy looking at the menu and it's colorful designs that she was completely startled when she felt someone rub up against her from behind. Although she didn't see the person's hands she certainly felt them on her rear. The touch only lasted briefly but she still felt violated. Beyond angry and offended, Gwen moved away from the person's greedy touch. Once putting some space between them she quickly turned to face the culprit. Her eyes widened with nervousness when she saw who had touched her.
"Oh, jumpy aren't we?" Patrick Hockstetter asked mockingly. He had on that same grin that made her skin crawl.
Gwen hurriedly pulled her jacket and bag tighter against her. Her doing that just made Patrick release a dark chuckle. As if doing that would actually get him to stop practically undressing her with his eyes. Gwen, however, continued hiding her body as best as she could from him. She thought his stare would falter, but it didn't. If anything his intense staring became more depraved. Basically it was a stare that said, I know that you know that I know.
And boy did he know.
If anything this interaction between them just convinced her more about how it had been him who spied on her while changing.
Gwen swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried figuring out a way to get away from him. No ideas came to mind. She assured herself that Patrick wouldn't trying anything else with her. They were in a public setting and there were other customers here. Granted they weren't paying the least bit attention to them but if she called for help they certainly would help her, wouldn't they?
"How have you been?" Patrick asked, interrupting her thoughts. He sounded condescendingly as he leaned against the diner's counter. His dark beady eyes were looking her up and down. "You're not still grieving over what's his name, are you?" His gaze finally landed on her face and a cocky grin quickly appeared. "You know..." He said licking his lips. "I could make you feel better."
Not only was Gwen deeply unnerved by his crude behavior, but she was disgusted. Anger also flowed through her by how rude he was being towards Chase's passing. How dare he act lewd with me. No matter how much she was unnerved by him, she wasn't about to let him push all her over. The Tozier girl hardened her eyes and steadied her voice. "Shove off." She heatedly told him.
"Playing hard to get?" Patrick chuckled as he started to lean towards her again. "Fine, I'll bite."
Gwen was about to act out, ready to full on slap him, when a familiar voice (one she was glad to hear) caught their attention.
"Hey, we're leaving. You coming or not?" Victor Criss asked coolly. He was standing a few feet away from them. Although he appeared indifferent, Gwen noticed behind his blase demeanor how he was keeping a particularly close eye on Patrick. She saw how his hands were by his sides and his fists were clenched. Very tightly she might add. Why? She hadn't a clue.
"Yeah, I'm coming." Patrick answered lifting himself up from the counter. He gave Gwen one last lingering stare and a wink to make her even more uncomfortable. He grinned at seeing her uneasiness. "I'll be seeing you later, Gwen." He stressed out before finally making his way towards the sleek white-blond haired boy.
Gwen was relieved when Patrick was no longer near her. Despite her mind telling her not to look anywhere near them, Gwen found herself looking towards their direction. Patrick was now by the front door, where she saw Belch and Henry waiting for him. Nerves grew inside her. She relaxed a bit when she looked at Victor again. He was still in the same spot as before―standing a few feet away from her. His expression on his face was placid and his hands were no longer clenched. He seemed less tense now that she was alone.
For some reason she found herself wanting to thank him...but why? What had he done? He got Patrick to back off...a little voice said in her head. But had he really? All he did was let him know they were leaving...that didn't automatically make him a knight and shining armor. Still...the need to thank him was strong. Whatever cordial intentions she had went away when she heard Henry called Victor over.
Victor stared at her for a few more seconds before he finally made his way over to his group. She knew deep down that Victor wouldn't single her out, but Patrick was another story. It wasn't like last time when he'd spared her. This time the dark haired boy did inform Henry and Belch of her presence. The two boys turned to look at her and she instantly saw the malicious intent behind their eyes. Henry's was the most obvious. He gave her a grin and then made a very obscene gesture that involved two of his fingers and his tongue.
Seeing that made a shocked and grossed out expression cross Gwen's face. She couldn't believe he just did that. That was beyond crass. Her reaction was exactly what he was expecting because all that made him laugh, along with Patrick and Belch. Victor just held the door for them and waited until they all walked through before he spared her one last glance. After that he left, following behind his so called buddies.
Even with them gone, Gwen no longer felt any peace. When her order was finally called she was more than ready to leave the diner. That whole experience with Patrick and the others just gave her more reason to not want work at the diner.
As she hurriedly rode her way home racing against the rain, Gwen wasn't aware of the burning yellow eyes that followed her. A pair of yellow eyes that belonged to a cosmic entity that had just fed. Those yellow eyes were now looking at her with great interest.
Gwen was completely soaked from head to toe once she arrived home. She was lucky enough to a salvage the food thanks to Kenny, who'd been smart enough to give her two bags to cover her order.
When she did arrive to her house she was pleasantly surprised to see that her father's car was parked already in the drive way. She figured he wouldn't be back till way later. Nevertheless she was glad he was home. With him present her mother's mood would go back to normal. She opened the garage door and parked Richie's bike next to her own. She then raced to the back door and opened it.
Once inside her house, Gwen took off her jacket. She was in need of a warm shower. Walking towards the kitchen table, she was startled to hear her mother's distressed voice.
"Where have you been?!"
Gwen looked at her with slightly wide eyes. "I went to the diner to get food for Richie and me." She told her as she held up the to go order. The teen set the food aside and eyed her mother in worry. "Didn't Richie tell you?"
Her mother didn't answer her question. Instead she sat down. Complete anguish was set on her face. That made Gwen's anxiousness grow. "Mom...what's wrong?"
Maggie's eyes watered. "Gwen, something bad happened."
Gwen immediately thought the worst. "What is it? Is it Richie? Is he okay?!" She asked with urgency, ready to act out.
"No, your brother's fine. He's upstairs with your father." Maggie gently assured her.
"Then what is it? What's got you worked up?" Gwen asked. She was still nervous to hear what her mother had to say.
Maggie took a hold of her daughter's hand. "It's about George Denbrough."
Gwen felt her entire body go cold. "What happened?" Her entire body was shaking not only from the coldness of the rain, but from anticipation as well. She looked her mother straight in the eyes. "Mom, what happened?!"
Maggie released a cry. "Oh, Gwen. I don't know how to tell you this, but..."
Gwen completely shut off after she heard what her mother said next. No...not Georgie...not innocent Georgie! She could literally feel all the progress she made go away and felt the pain and depression that once invaded her come back with a force. She didn't know how long she blankly stared at her kitchen wall. It wasn't until she felt the tears go down her cheeks and when her mother brought her into her hug that she finally broke down. She no longer could control her anguish emotions.
This was the second time Gwen's heard tragic news. And the second time her life felt like it was being turned upside down.
Unbeknownst to Gwen, as she was having her emotional breakdown, the same yellow eyes from before were watching her again.
This time the entity behind those eyes―IT―took immense joy in watching her ache. Much like the last time when she cried over that inept boy she harbored feelings for. Only this time IT made sure to really bask in her torment. IT savored her unique smell she let out. She didn't smell like the others...she smelled incredibly sweet. One of the reasons why IT was so intrigued by her. The other reason was something IT didn't like thinking about. Although it was pointless to do so anyways. There was no reason to doubt the power IT had. IT was the supreme one. Nothing could match up to ITs abilities. Therefore, IT didn't stop watching her suffer until hours later and even then her misery still made IT giddy with delight. Now more than ever did IT want to taste her flesh...but not yet.
After all, drawing out the fear in ITs victims was the best part, and that's what made them taste better.
And IT knew just by her smell that she was going to be quite a meal.