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: We finally have a trailer for IT: Chapter Two and OMG! I watched it as soon as it dropped at 9 AM. I have to say that it was definitely worth the wait. I'm gonna have to re-watch IT: Chapter One over and over again now just to simmer down the anticipation I have for IT: Chapter Two.
*Trailer Talk*
There's a lot I want to bring up.
First of all that whole scene with Beverly and the old lady at her old apartment...WOAH. Right from the novel. There is of course a bit more that happens in the novel but I think we might get it in the movie...very disturbing stuff though. Also the photo Beverly saw of "Bob Gray" Pennywise's human form is giving me some major ideas with how I can add Gwen into that. From the looks of it we might be getting an origin story on IT. Which I think is great because that way we'll learn more about the Macroverse and even Maturin. And we might even get to see ITs earth form at the end of the movie. *cough cough a huge ass spider*
Throughout the whole trailer I just kept imaging Hayley Atwell as grownup Gwen. I already have ideas with how I am going to have her interact with the adult Losers and their reactions when they see her again. Especially Richie's and Stan's. That's gonna be quite the reunion.
And can I just mention the adult Losers' Club members cast...the adult cast is amazing. I can tell already they're going to bring their characters justice.
Jessica Chastain is doing amazing job portraying an older Beverly Marsh. James Mcavoy as Bill Denbrough...man I totally believe he is Bill when I saw him in the trailer. That shot of him looking into the sewer drainage and seeing his expression...nailed it. You can tell he's still affected by Georgie's death even as an adult.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bill Hader is Richie Tozier! That one scene with him in the Chinese restaurant we saw proves that. The shot of Pennywise coming down from the Paul Bunyan statue with the balloons in hand and a scared Richie is very well shot. It's haunting yet captivating. Now from the teaser trailer we got it does look like the Losers will be doing the Ritual of Chud which is great because that means the Turtle can come into play. But even if it doesn't rest assured that I will include Maturin just as I already have. In my mind you can't have IT without at least some Maturin. You need the great Turtle that vomited up the universe because of a stomach ache :)
The shot with the adult Losers looking into store window and seeing their younger selves was heartbreaking. Especially since Eddie and Stan aren't in the shot and those who have read the novel or seen the 1990s miniseries know exactly why. However, as we all know, in my version the character of Stan will very much be involved in IT: Chapter Two when we get into that story-line. That doesn't mean there won't be angst because there will...and a lot of it.
Moving on...
I hope you guys enjoy the Carrie mention in this chapter. I will be following the time order that follows the 1976 movie release and not the 2013 remake. I think the 1976 version is far better.
I took inspiration from the move Can't Hardly Wait when writing this majority of this chapter. It's a 90s teen movie and if you haven't watched it...damn. I feel like the 90s doesn't get enough love. I love the 90s just as much as the 80s. We got a lot of good music from the 90s. I also loved the fashion during that era. Anyways, I have to admit this chapter was sad to write. For those of you who aren't aware (which you should be) in the novel and movie after the Losers' Club "defeat" IT they slowly drift apart from each other. They lose the memories of what they went though that summer and go on as if nothing happened. They eventually stop hanging out together as a group and along the way they each stop talking. I wanted to write this chapter because it focuses more on Gwen and the others and how they stopped being close friends. Like I said it's pretty sad, but it's bittersweet in away. You guys will soon know why.
Also, I don't own any of the music mentioned in this chapter. But it would be a given that Gwen is a huge fan of Nirvana and the band (especially the lead singer Kurt Cobain) inspires her music wise. And just a little lesson here, Nirvana's first album Bleach was released in 1989, and their second album Nevermind was released in 1991. The band definitely gained more popularity in the 90s. I totally see Gwen getting into the whole grunge scene when she's in college.
Now a lot of people have been asking what kind of singer Gwen would be and I totally see her as a Indie Rock/Grunge singer. I gain a lot of inspiration from other artists like PJ Harvey, Mazzy Star, Alanis Morissette, and especially Annie Hardy who is the lead singer of the Indie Rock band, Giant Drag. Obviously not a lot of people like the Indie Rock/Grunge genre of music but there is actually a good following to it. Even to this day. I picture Gwen managing to make it in the music industry when she's close to graduating college and then her having a career with just singing afterwards.
"Things change, friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody." ― Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Chapter 26: Complications be damned
June, 1992
"We did it! We graduated! Woohoo!"
"Class of 1992!"
Loud cheers filled the air thanks to the graduating high school seniors of Derry. Some of those students were still throwing and catching their caps into the air carelessly, despite the graduation ceremony ending a few minutes ago. It seemed, however, that the celebration wasn't going to end anytime soon.
Eighteen year old, Gwen Tozier was among those who cheered outside the high school's football field. Her blonde haired friend, Francine Simmons was next to her as they were walking through the commotion of their overly joyed classmates. The two teens couldn't blame them though. Gwen in particular couldn't fault her classmates on this. This was a special day so they were all allowed to go nuts with celebration if they wanted to. Besides, who was she to judge on cutting loose? She was practically the definition of cutting loose now. Ever since entering her sophomore of high school...a change that those closest to her noticed.
Gwen Tozier was glad she was done with school. Well, she was glad she was done with high school. As it turned out, Gwen was soon to attend UC Berkeley where she would work to get her B.A. in Music. Something that wouldn't have even happened if she hadn't dropped softball halfway through her sophomore year. A decision that caused quite a stir between Francine and her. Her blonde haired friend (along with several other softball teammates) was shocked that Gwen had done that. The dark haired girl instead went on to join the theater club. Gwen told Francine (and others) that she wanted to focus more on her musical talent...and that's exactly what she did.
Needless to say a lot of her old softball teammates cut ties with her after that. Except for Francine. Despite leaving the softball team the blonde remained friends with her. Gwen was content with that but she couldn't help but feel as if the friendship she had with Francine no longer felt the same way. She felt no animosity from the blonde, so Gwen had no idea why she felt that way. That just left her bewildered.
Francine didn't end up being her only friend. Gwen joining the theater club was like opening a new door. A new door that introduced more people into her life, and those were the people Gwen would associate with during her remainder high school years. Classmates that she would work with in school plays, eat lunch with, and hang out with. However, just like with Francine the friendships Gwen had with her theater club friends didn't feel one hundred percent real. It just felt like something was missing.
Focusing on her music though was life changing for the Tozier girl. Gwen being in various school performances was what got her to be noticed. Or more specifically, it was her singing that got her noticed. Her theater teacher, Mrs. Gillian, had brought one of her colleagues/friends from the UC Berkeley music department to one of the performances. After that it didn't take long for Gwen to hear from the college's music department. Much to her shock she was given a scholarship that helped her parents pay for her schooling, as well as a spot in the summer music program there.
All of that was amazing and Gwen would have been crazy to pass up on it. Therefore, she made the decision to UC Berkeley with the scholarship and music program spot. Now the only downside was that Gwen had to leave tomorrow morning. The semester for UC Berkeley didn't start so soon but the music program she got accepted into started a week from today. However, she needed to be on campus before then and already be settled in. Not mention to meet up with the other new admissions and begin orientation.
Now even with the loudness that was still going on, Gwen was able to hear Francine loud and clear with what she said.
"I can't believe we're done!" Francine exclaimed from beside her. The blonde had long ago thrown her cap into the air. Unlike several of their other classmates, she hadn't gone looking for it. Her blonde locks were now wavy free.
Gwen also had her hair down and was cap free. The difference being that she had straightened out her hair for graduation. Something her mother Maggie had been happy about. "I know right? Now it's bye-bye Derry and hello new life." The Tozier girl said, smiling.
The smile that was on Francine's face fell a little. "Sucks that we're going to different schools."
Gwen felt her own smile falter. It did suck that Francine and her were going to different schools. Gwen was to California for college and Francine was going to Florida State University. As Francine had told Gwen, she got accepted there and was going to major in English. It was sad to think that their friendship could fall apart because of the distance. Something that Gwen knew would happen but at the same time Gwen felt relief that Francine was going to a school far away from Derry, just as she was. Gwen had no idea why she felt this way. However, distance was relief inside her which was very puzzling to her.
Gwen shook her head, getting rid of her previous thoughts. "Don't get all teary eye on me, Franny. I don't leave till morning." She reminded her blonde haired friend. "We can still cause some mayhem." She laughed, joking with her.
Francine's smile managed to return fully after hearing her friend say that. From behind them, Francine heard her mother's voice. The blonde gave her a gesture that she heard her before turning towards Gwen again. "We should go to our families now. Mine are waiting to take pictures." Francine lightheartedly said.
"I'll be there in a sec." Gwen said as Francine started making her way where the families of the students where at. Seeing Gwen not following her caused Francine to give her a confused expression.
"Where you going? Aren't you going to meet up with your family?"
"I am." Gwen confirmed. "I just forgot something in my locker." She gestured towards the school in a whimsical manner. "I have to go get it."
Francine shook her head, amused. "Leave it to you to forget something on graduation day."
"What can I say? Foggy memory." Gwen playfully told her.
"Well, don't forget about tonight. " Francine smiled excitedly. "Should be one hell of a night."
Now that was something Gwen did not forget about. How could she? This specific night had been talked about nonstop by Francine since the beginning of their senior year. Francine's parents had agreed to let her have the house for a party (with them not there) if she graduated on the honor roll...and she did. So as promised Francine was allowed to throw the party at her house. Her parents weren't naive. They did say that if the house was damaged in anyway, or if the police came there would be consequences. However, by now Francine was clever on how to have a party without getting too crazy, or getting the police involved. She had Gwen to thank for that.
So tonight was going to be fun. Gwen laughed. "I'll see you tonight then."
The blonde gave her one last smile before she went to meet up with her family. Gwen quickly started making her way towards the high school. She needed to hurry up because she knew her parents and Richie were waiting for her to meet up with them. Knowing her mother she for sure wanted to take as many photos as possible. After all, her mother spent a majority of her time in helping her get ready for graduation.
Gwen's movements almost came to a stop when passed the school's gym. Seeing the school's gym made her think about prom that happened a couple weeks ago. Prom was held inside the school gym. Which worked perfectly given how small the senior class was.
Prom had been a rather uneventful for Gwen. Now she did love to party but for some reason prom just didn't get her full interest. Despite not being that excited to attend, Gwen did end up going with a group of friends. It did take a lot of convincing from Francine's part. Before she agreed to go with friends, Gwen did have a few boys ask her to prom. Gwen declined every offer. It just didn't seem right for her to go with any of them. It was if she was waiting for the right person to ask her...but who was that right person? Gwen herself didn't know, and evidently it appeared she never would.
Even though she went to the prom, Gwen only lasted there for a couple hours. It was nowhere near the time the prom actually came to an end. From what Francine told her the next day prom lasted to about twelve and Gwen had gone home around ten. Although she left early, Gwen did have somewhat fun...but it had't been nearly enough to get her to stay.
Not to mention throughout her stay at the prom, Gwen couldn't help but think about the Black Prom that happened in Ewen high school. A high school that was located in Chamberlain, Maine. Gwen had her mother to thank for that. She had been the one to tell her about the disaster that happened there. However, her mother wasn't the only one who talked about that disaster. Several classmates of hers talked about it as their own prom approached.
In one specific occasion, Gwen remembered overhearing a group of girls talk about the book one of the survivors wrote―Sue Snell―where she talked about the event that took place in 1976...two years after Gwen was born. Gwen never read the book but she overheard the opinions those girls had on what this Sue Snell girl wrote. They weren't really good opinions. There was definitely some skepticism there.
Despite the mixed reviews Sue Snell's book received, the fact remained that the small town of Chamberlain was now a ghost town.
All thoughts about prom and disasters ended once Gwen stepped foot inside the high school. As she walked down the empty school hallway, Gwen at a certain point had a need to look at one particular locker she passed by. However, the dark haired girl did no such thing and kept walking until she reached her locker. She put in her locker combination and opened her locker. Now there were two things in her locker that she came for. The first being her song notebook. The one Richie gave her on her seventeenth birthday. Despite having it for a year now, and having nearly used up the pages, Gwen still wanted to take it with her to college. She had written a lot of songs in that notebook. Songs that she hoped to perform later on.
Now the second thing that was in there was not something she would be able to take with her to college. Hell, it wasn't even something she would be able to take with her once outside with her family. She'd totally be busted if did. Except Gwen wasn't about to let the small bottle of Bourbon she managed to hide in her locker go to waste.
"Cheers." Gwen mumbled to herself before chugging what was left of the small bottle. The alcohol burned her throat but it was a burn she now welcomed and was used to. She had kept the small bottle of bourbon (one she managed to steal) in her locker in case she needed a pick-me-up. Which she did...she always usually found herself in need of a pick-me-up.
In her mind, Gwen thought she had a pretty good handle on her drinking. Especially when it came to her medication. Or should she say...the lack of medication. She was smart with when to take her pills and not to. Although she knew there'd be plenty of people to fight her on that. Like her parents...but it was a good thing they didn't know.
Speaking about what her parents didn't know...
Her parents never once picked on the fact that their daughter loved to drink herself into a hole of nothingness. Richie knew that she drank but Gwen made it sure that he didn't know just how much she drank. In his mind he thought she drank as much as any other teenager going through a rebellious phase did. Only that wasn't the case. Gwen just made it out to seem that it was. She was crafty like that.
It wouldn't be until later on that Richie learned about her drinking problem.
Now for the most part Gwen only drank in her room, or when she went to hang out with her "friends" from the theater club. By now it was like she was almost welcoming having a hangover the next morning after a night of drinking. But it didn't matter if she did because Gwen was skilled in acting out the role of a person who wasn't hung over.
Gwen disposed of the now empty small bottle of Bourbon. She then left with her song notebook in hand. The alcohol she had just consumed ran in her system as she walked through the school hallways now. The Tozier girl paused right when she almost reached the door to go outside. She watched as the door opened and three teenage boys walked in. Gwen right recognized who they were.
Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kaspbrak, and Stan Uris.
Gwen moved aside to give them some room. "Oh...hey guys." She awkwardly greeted them.
Since entering her sophomore year of high school the friendship she had with each of them slowly drifted away. She still greeted them and smiled every once in awhile when she saw them in the halls but she wasn't friends with them. Not anymore. The same could be said about Beverly Marsh, Mike Hanlon, and Ben Hanscom. Beverly went to go live with her aunt and Gwen lost connection with her...rather quickly too. She only ever saw Mike when he was doing his trips into town but that alone was a rare thing. As for Ben, he moved sometime her junior year.
Despite not being close friends with Ben anymore she was sad to hear he moved. However, at the same time Gwen was also relieved and a little jealous of the Hanscom boy. Relieved because he was no longer in this small town and jealous because he got to leave before her. Wherever the Hanscom boy was now, Gwen hoped he was doing alright.
The awkwardness Gwen felt lessened a little when the teens openly acknowledged her. How awful would it have been if it hadn't gone that route? Thankfully that wasn't an issue and it seemed the boys were in the same shoes as her.
Bill was the first to give her a wave. It was halfhearted and just as awkward as her own greeting. Eddie nodded his head at her with a small smile escaping him. While Stan actually found the nerve to formally greet her.
"Hello, Gwen." Stan felt the back of his ears warm up. He did his best to ignore such feeling. It was proving to be quite the challenge with the dress Gwen was wearing underneath her graduation gown. From the looks of it the dress was short sleeved and lace. It was light green and reached just above her knees. The dress made her dark brown eyes and her dark brown hair pop. He noticed that she had her makeup done too. In his opinion she didn't need makeup because she was already beautiful without it.
"Hey, Stan." Gwen said, returning the greeting as cordial as possible. She let her eyes linger on him before staring at all the three of them. "So...you guys were at the graduation ceremony?" She right away regretted asking that question. Of course they had been at the ceremony...where else could they have been? Nearly everyone in town always came to the high school graduation. It was one of the events the town of Derry made such a big deal of.
Bill nodded his head. "Yeah." His lips forming a smile now. "It was a nice ceremony." He added that last part after fully taking in the graduation gown Gwen had on. It was a classic balk graduation gown. It would be one Bill and the others would soon wear for themselves.
"We heard about UC Berkeley." Eddie blurted, entering into the conversation. "Congratulations. That's a very good school." He had been really impressed when he heard Gwen had got accepted into that school. Although he wasn't really surprised. Gwen was smart and had a lot of musical talent. Her singing skills were top notch. She deserved to go to a good college like UC Berkeley. Eddie just wished that other people would think the same way. Like his own mother. The news of Gwen getting accepted into UC Berkeley spread like wildfire in Derry. So when his mother Sonia found out she had gone on a full on rant. His mother thought that college was too liberal and that Gwen going there to study music was a waste. Eddie of course thought otherwise. Which made his mother upset.
Gwen smiled. "Thanks."
"Richie said you're leaving tomorrow?" Stan quietly brought up. He hoped that wasn't the truth. The curly haired boy knew Gwen was going away for college but he had no idea it was to be the day after her graduation. Unfortunately, her answer ended up being one that caused Stan to lower his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
"Oh." Stan muttered.
After that there was silence. And again awkwardness began to fill the air. Not even the alcohol could spare her from ignoring that this time.
Gwen cleared her throat. "Anyways...I should go. My family's probably wondering where I am." She began to walk towards the door. A sudden idea came to mind right when she opened the door. She quickly debated if she should go through with it or out but then decided that she should. Screw the awkwardness. Gwen turned to look at the three boys who were still standing there. She noticed that they each looked surprised that she had turned around.
"Francine's throwing this graduation party at her place tonight." Gwen started telling them. "It's meant only for the senior class but you guys are more than welcome to come. Richie's going to be there too." She added that last sentence in hopes that would get them to come. Gwen knew that Richie was in somewhat good terms with them, especially Stan. "You know he's never one to pass up a party." Gwen said, laughing.
Oh, they knew. Stan in particular knew this. The three sixteen year old boys were in disbelief that Gwen actually invited them to Francine Simmons' graduation party. The whole high school had been talking about that party non-stop. Like Gwen said it was meant only for the senior class and they were sophomores. For them going to a party like this was a huge deal.
However...
"I'd like to go but I have a family dinner. My dad said he has something important he needs to tell my mom and I. " Bill told her, sounding guilty. He really did want to go but he was never one to give up on family time. Especially not when it involved his dad needing to say something important. Bill had a feeling that it either had to do with his job, or what their plans were for that summer. Whatever the reason, Bill hoped that it wasn't anything bad.
Gwen gave Bill a nod of understanding. She looked at Eddie, who even now was still the shortest out of all of them. "Eddie?"
Eddie looked just as guilty as the Denbrough boy. He let out a sigh. "My mom's been feeling unwell. I've been looking after her." That was the truth...at least he thought it was the truth. The real truth was that his mom was fine and was just faking being sick to gain his undivided attention. Something Sonia had been doing more and more as Eddie continued to grow up. She could no longer trick him into thinking he was sick, so she switched things around.
Gwen gave another nod of understanding before focusing her gaze onto the curly haired boy. "What about you Stan?" She found herself gripping onto her songbook tighter as she awaited his answer.
Stan felt his heartbeat pick up. Her full attention on him caused Stan to lose bravado. He mouth felt dry and felt the warmth that was behind his ears travel to his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. So he must have looked weird as this happened. The puzzlement he saw in Gwen's eyes from not speaking finally got him to speak. Except he made the mistake of letting his nerves speak for him. "Parties aren't really my thing." Stan quietly said.
His answer hurt more than Gwen thought it would. She quickly covered her wound with casualness. "Oh, well...the invitations there." She shrugged, appearing nonchalant. The act dropped a bit with what she said next. "But in case I don't see you there...have a good summer." She softly told him. Her dark brown eyes stared into his light brown eyes. And then suddenly, once remembering they weren't the only ones there, Gwen looked at Bill and Eddie. "You guys too." She told them in a cheerier voice. "Have a great summer."
"Thanks, hopefully we'll see you soon again." Bill replied, doing his best to control the sudden sadness he was feeling.
Eddie nodded his head. "Yeah, maybe you can tell us about how college is."
"Yeah, maybe I will." Gwen faintly smiled. She let her gaze linger onto Stan one more time, and then without another word she walked out the door.
As soon as they were alone Stan felt the stares from Bill and Eddie. Stan slowly turned to look at them and wasn't surprised with the way they were looking at him. They didn't to say a single word in order for Stan to know what they were thinking. Their expressions were enough.
Stanley sighed, lowering his gaze onto the school's hallway floor. He was such an idiot.
"I still can't believe you're leaving tomorrow."
Richie glumly told his sister as he watched her pack her final suitcase. The sixteen year old was sitting down on the chair that was across from her bed.
"I know. It still feels so surreal." Gwen answered as she nodded her head along to the song Lithium by Nirvana. She first found out about the band when she saw the band's music video for Smells Like Teen Spirit on MTV. That song was intense but amazing. Ever since then she had come to really love the rest of their music. The band's music was different, and Gwen found herself admiring Kurt Cobain's lyrics and singing. It inspired Gwen with her own music.
Her younger brother also liked the band. Except right now he couldn't get into the song the same way Gwen was. The reminder that this was her last day in Derry put a major downer on things. "Why'd you have to pick such a far away college?" Richie asked with a frown.
This time what he said grabbed her attention. Gwen sighed as she zipped up her suitcase. They've already had this conversation before. In fact, it seemed like this was the hundredth time they've talked about this. She looked his way after turning off her music. "I didn't choose UC Berkeley, Richie. Not at first anyways. I was scouted."
"Same difference." Richie muttered.
"It's a good college and the scholarship I got is gonna help mom and dad pay for it." Gwen evenly told her younger brother. "It was a smart move on my part. I mean, who knows if I would have gotten accepted into any other colleges, let alone given a scholarship and a spot in a music program. "
Richie took in what Gwen said and it got him thinking. He wondered what would have happened if Gwen had stayed on the softball path, career wise. Would she have gotten into a college that was far away from home? Or would she have gone to one that was closer? Richie supposed he'd never know. Gwen stuck with singing and now she was going to college for that.
"The fact remains that you're leaving and I'm staying here. In this lame ass town." Richie unhappily told her. "What the hell am I going to do now when you're gone?"
"In two years you'll be out of here too." Gwen said, trying to make him feel better.
That did nothing to help Richie feel better. All his thoughts were still gloom and doom for him. "Two years sounds like forever." The bespectacled teen told her.
"It'll go by fast and then you'll wonder how it even went by fast in the first place." Gwen was solemn for a few seconds there. "Time...is a weird thing."
"You'll still keep in contact right?" Richie asked quietly. "Like I said, I'm fine with you going to college...but at least tell me you won't forget about me." It was a silly thing to think, let alone say aloud. Except Richie couldn't help but be concerned. Especially since Gwen was going off to a college in California. He didn't want their close relationship to get ruined. It already went through a lot of bumps because of how involved she was with the theater club in high school.
Now it wasn't like she purposely ignored him because she didn't. However, they certainly didn't spend as much time as they used to. Not like when they were younger. As much as Richie didn't want to first admit it, the truth was that things changed between them. He came to this realization when he entered high school. By then Gwen was a junior and her prioritizes were mainly school work and theater club stuff.
While Richie's prioritizes was him surviving his first year of high school. His older sister helped him a lot during his freshman year, telling him to dos and don'ts. Which proved to be beneficial for Richie. However, it was clear from the first day of school together that they weren't going to run in the same social circles. Gwen had her place and Richie luckily found his. They of course acknowledged each other in the halls, and would every now and then have lunch together, but it never went beyond that.
That was just the way high school worked.
Gwen almost frowned when she heard how quiet and unsure her younger brother sounded. That just wasn't like him. Her leave was really getting to him. She couldn't stay but the least she could was lessen that sadness he had. "Of course I'll keep in contact." Gwen said as she walked over to where he was sitting. She then gave him a playful push to his shoulder, lightening the conversation. "And as if I'll ever forget about you. I mean, who can forget the great Richie Tozier."
A smile broke out on Richie's face after she said this. "I am great, aren't I?"
Gwen laughed, feeling better that he no longer looked as sad as he'd just sounded. "Careful there or your head will start to grow bigger with all that ego."
Richie shrugged his shoulders. "Even if it does grow it'll never outgrow your crazy haired head." He told her and then let out a round of laughter when Gwen playfully flipped him off. It was moments like these that he was going to miss when she was gone. Gwen reassured him things would be okay...and he could only hope that was true.
Gwen grinned. "Whatever. Now I do believe we both have a party to get ready for."
Richie stood up, his current height of 5'10 becoming more apparent to Gwen's 5'7.
"Alright, but I'm showering first." Richie told her and then took off without hearing her reply.
"No way I called dibs first remember? Richie?!" Gwen yelled after him. There's was only laughter from his part and then a slam of a door that Gwen right away knew was the bathroom's. That got her to release a low laugh. She wasn't really mad, or even annoyed. Gwen couldn't find it within herself to feel any anger or annoyance. Instead she was amused by her younger brother's antics.
Small things like that never bothered her because they were at a good place right now.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't always stay that way.
As the years went by the Tozier siblings would start to lose touch with each other. As adults the close relationship they had during their youth would fall apart, almost cutting ties with one another.
It wouldn't be until a certain phone call was made that things changed for them.
Of course neither Gwen and Richie knew about any of that.
Although he had let his nerves get the best of him, Stanley Uris told the truth when he said parties weren't his thing.
He just wasn't the party type of guy.
Parties were loud and full of obnoxious drunk people.
Don't get him wrong, he liked small get-togethers with a few people but he was no fan of parties. Especially high school parties. The last "rager" he'd gone to was last year (he'd been dragged by Richie), and it ended with Greta Keene throwing up all over his nice (new) clean shirt.
Stan had been trying to help Greta find a place to set her down because it looked like she was about to pass out, and right when he was about to gently set her down on an empty couch, she threw up all over him. The Keene girl then walked away (very drunk ) without saying any sorts of an apology to him. Stan was left feeling disgusted and beyond mortified. Guess that's what happens when he tried being nice to someone. Especially to someone who had never done anything nice to him.
So, yeah...Stan hated parties.
Except this party was different. Right from the moment he stepped foot inside Francine Simmons' house he was able to get a feeling that told him this party was different from any of the previous parties he'd been to. The party guests were still drinking and smoking but the overall vibe of the party was not at all unpleasant to be around. There was also some dancing going on, along with a few guests lip locking with each other. But that wasn't shocking for Stan to see. He'd seen far worse at past parties.
As he made his way inside Francine Simmons' house Stan heard the song The Power by SNAP! being played loudly. He right away recognized several of the party guests seeing as they were all seniors from his high school. Stan tried to play it cool when he saw how a few of them were giving him weird looks. They're probably surprised to see a non-senior here, Stan thought to himself. As discreetly as possible, Stan continued making his way further inside Francine's house.
The blonde's house was two stories and as Stan was now finding out it was quite roomy. From the outside it looked big but once inside it was even bigger. Stan was starting to get worried whether or not he was going to find Gwen given how big the place was and because of how many people were there. He decided to leave the living room area and walked over to where he thought was the kitchen. His guess was proved to be correct as it was the kitchen. Adding to his luck it was there that Stan finally found Gwen.
Stan felt his heart skyrocket the moment he saw her.
The Tozier girl was leaning against one of the kitchen counters. She was talking animatedly with Francine. Stan saw that Gwen was no longer wearing the dress he had seen her in earlier at graduation. Instead Gwen was wearing dark jeans, a Pink Floyd t-shirt with a dark navy flannel over it, and had on a pair of black Converse. Her hair was also back in its natural state of waves, and from the looks of it she had little to no makeup.
That had Stan smiling. Now this was the Gwen he knew. The real Gwen.
As if sensing he was staring at her, Gwen turned her head in his direction and locked eyes with him. Her face had an unreadable expression for a moment there before it quickly transformed into one of content. Stan took this as his single to finally approach her. He felt his stomach start to flip when he stopped right in front of her. Francine thankfully managed to get him to stop thinking about the flips by saying hello. Stan gave her a nod of acknowledgment before turning his attention onto Gwen.
"So, you actually came. I thought parties weren't your thing." Gwen looked at him, smiling. Now unlike last time, Stan was able to push back his nerves and answer her the way he wanted to.
"They're not, but I decided to give this one a chance." Stan told her with his own smile. This time it was a loving smile that he hadn't released for quite some time now. A loving smile that would only come out when alone with Gwen. Except they weren't really alone at the moment. Therefore, it was both familiar and distant. A strange combination that left Stan feeling all sorts of confusion and dejection.
Before anything else could be said between the two of them another voice entered their conversation.
"Stanley Uris is that you?"
Oh boy...Stan knew who that voice belonged to.
"Would you look at that, the bird man is here!" Richie exclaimed happily as he pulled Stan against his right side. "Quick someone alert the authorities." He said after his round of laughter ended.
There once was a time where Stan was a bit taller than Richie. Now Richie was the tallest one out of the two of them. Not by a lot but it was enough for Richie to joke about whenever they hung out...which seemed less and less, Stan realized. The curly haired boy actually couldn't remember when was the last time Richie joyfully greeted him this way.
Now Stan never liked it when people got into his personal space. He liked living in his own bubble. Except he wasn't really bothered with Richie being all up and personal with him. There was a sense of familiarity with his embrace. It was one he found himself welcoming...and one he thought he briefly had with Gwen.
Stan unsurprisingly found himself leaning against Richie for a few seconds there, welcoming the friendly embrace. "Hey, Richie." He greeted, giving the bespectacled boy a pat to his shoulder. Stan was able to notice that Richie was wearing black sneakers, ripped jeans, and one his funny comic book t-shirts he had been wearing since the start of high school. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Stan briefly recalled that the bespectacled boy wore Hawaiian button-up shirts at one point. Clearly that wasn't his go to style anymore.
Compared to the outfit he was wearing, Richie's was way more casual. It's not like Stan was super dressed up or anything. He was wearing one his nice pair of jeans and a light brown short sleeve collared t-shirt. He was wearing sneakers like Richie. Only his weren't black they were dark grey. Also they weren't as used, and if one looked long enough they'd be able to tell the sneakers were just recently cleaned despite the already good condition they were in.
Richie returned the pat before he let go of Stan. "I'm surprised you're here." He told the curly haired boy. "I thought parties weren't your thing." He was puzzled that Stan was here but his happiness outweighed his confusion.
Stan ran one of his hands through his curly hair, sheepish. "They're not but..." He glanced at Gwen. The dark haired girl was quick to notice this.
"He decided to give this one a chance." Gwen finished saying for Stan.
Richie looked between his sister and Stan. His brown eyes behind his glasses gleamed with amusement. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here. It's been a while since we've hung out."
"Yeah..." Stan started off solemnly as he glanced at Gwen again. "It has."
Richie and Francine noticed that brief exchange that was made. Richie in particular took interest with what he saw. Despite Stan and him not having a close friendship anymore they still had their moments. Granted they were rare but it was during those so called moment that Richie was able to remember Stan liking his sister when they were younger. However, nothing ever happened between the two of them. So Richie thought that Stan's feelings weren't as strong. But perhaps he'd been wrong to assume that. Maybe they were strong but Stan was too chicken shit to do anything. As for Gwen...well, he'd always known that his sister was completely freakin' oblivious when it came to guys being attracted to her.
Gwen really developed during her the last two years of high school and that was unfortunately something Richie had to hear about. Seriously the amount of times Richie overhead his male classmates talk about his sister made him nauseous and furious. Teenage boys were disgusting and that was saying something because he himself was a teenage boy. Richie knew he was being a hypocrite for shitting on others for being vulgar when he himself made vulgar comments all the time. That's what he was mainly known for in high school. Along with his carefree personality. That was certainly something teachers didn't like. He'd lost count of the amount of times Mrs. Walters had kicked him out of her class during his freshman year.
Anyways, the point was he didn't care that he was being a hypocrite. Not when it came to Gwen. When it came to his older sister, Richie wanted others to respect her. Just like Stan respected her. Richie never once heard the curly haired boy speak in such a disrespectful way about Gwen. Whenever he noticed Stan staring at her from afar it wouldn't be with a look filled with lust. No, the look was soft and caring. It was a look that Richie knew the majority of girls would want to be given. And it was one Gwen would get from Stan. If only she noticed though.
As Richie was finishing his thoughts the song Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe began playing. Francine immediately jumped in place from where she was standing. She looked at her dark haired friend with a smile. "Let's go dance, Gwen!" Francine excitedly told her.
Gwen made a face. "Franny, you know I don't dance."
The blonde was about to respond but was interrupted by Richie.
"Of course you do, but only after hours of practice." Richie chuckled, readjusting his glasses. He was referring to the dancing she done for plays she had been in since joining the theater club. "Remember how you practiced nonstop when you got the role of Kim Macafee for Bye Bye Birdie."
Gwen groaned, embarrassed. "Ugh, don't remind me of that."
Bye Bye Birdie was the first musical she did after joining the theater club halfway through her sophomore year. Gwen had been excited when she learned she got the role of Kim MacAfee in the musical. Everything had been going well the first couple of weeks. Gwen and the other students who were in the musical mainly practiced their singing and memorizing the lines. Which was easy stuff for Gwen. Things took a bump on the road for Gwen when the time came to learn her dance moves. She was one of the few students who struggled with the dancing portion. Gwen had to put in extra hours to practice her dance moves in order for her to look somewhat decent. Those extra hours helped out a lot because after the performance she was told she did a good job. Gwen figured people noticed her voice more than her dancing. Which was fine with her. At least after that first musical dance lessons weren't as hard. She still struggled but not as bad as the first time around.
"I thought you were great in that musical." Stan honestly told her. He'd seen her performance opening night. In his opinion he thought she was magnificent. Her dancing wasn't exactly the best but it was enough for the performance. Plus the strength in her voice was what really mattered. It was her voice that captured the audiences attention and what had many people coming to the other showings the high school had.
For a moment there Gwen felt her stomach do a strange flip. She did her best not ignore the feeling. "Thanks, Stan." She answered, smiling politely.
"I agree. Looking passed the mediocre dancing, you're singing was great, acting too." Richie told her in that familiar lighthearted way of his.
Gwen playfully rolled her eyes at him. "Thanks for the compliment, little brother."
"Plus you got to kiss Caleb Thompson." Francine reminded her, giggling.
Stan, who strangely forgot about that detail, frowned. Well, maybe it wasn't so strange. Not when it involved Gwen kissing someone else. He must have completely blacked it out when he saw the musical. Which made complete sense. Why in the world would he want to remember that? Just thinking about it upset him and caused an aching feeling. Whether he remembered or not, the kiss did happen and Francine just had to bring it up.
However, he wasn't the only to have forgotten that stage kiss. As Stan's frown formed Gwen's smile fell a little. Neither had yet to notice the others reaction, their thoughts occupying their attention. Especially Gwen who was thinking about the kiss that occurred between her and Caleb Thompson.
Caleb Thompson who played the role of Hugo Peabody in the musical with her. He was a year older than her and graduated last year. Gwen and him ended up working closely throughout the time of the musical's preparation. They had to since their characters had a lot of scenes together. Not to mention their characters had a relationship that they needed to portray perfectly in the musical. And they did. The so called kiss Francine mentioned was one that happened during the musical. The kiss was simple and too tame in Gwen's opinion. A quick peck. It wasn't bad but Gwen couldn't say it was great either. It was just...a kiss. It was nothing to get overly excited about. At least not with Caleb Thompson.
Gwen shrugged her shoulders. She was composed now, lighthearted even. "It was just a simple kiss. It wasn't anything special." She told them exactly what she was thinking.
When Stan heard that the ache he felt from before started to disappear. His frown was no longer there as he gazed at Gwen. Instead there was a small smile and it was one the Tozier girl returned to the curly haired boy.
Once again Richie noticed the way Stan and Gwen were looking at each other. The way they were really looking at each other. An idea formed in his head and he decided where the harm was with going through with it. Who knows...maybe if he left those two alone fireworks would erupt. Metaphorically speaking of course. Richie switched his gaze onto Francine. He could tell that she was still eager to dance by the way she was shifting her feet. "Tell you what, I'll dance with you, Blondie." Richie suddenly told Francine. "Since my darling sister over here doesn't want to."
Francine paused her movements. She looked at the youngest Tozier with slightly wide eyes. "Really?" She asked, surprised that he was asking her to dance.
Richie nodded his head. "Yeah, just keep your hands to yourself." He adjusted his glasses as he gave her a playful smile. "You need to buy me dinner first before any of that steamy stuff happens."
It didn't surprise Gwen to hear Richie talk this way. Richie had become a bit (that was an understatement) of a playful flirt now that he was older. In a way, it was like he flirted with everyone. Now perhaps most older sisters would have been bothered to have their younger brother interact that way with one of their friends, but not Gwen. Richie wasn't the type to push boundaries. He knew right from wrong. Honestly, Richie Tozier was a gentleman. Gwen knew that Richie didn't like being called a gentleman because he thought that would ruin the easygoing reputation he had...but that's exactly what he was. In his own humorous way of course.
Francine's surprise vanished when she finally realized Richie was just being his high spirited self. She let out a laugh, accepting his dancing invitation. "Whatever Tozier, come on."
Gwen and Stan with amused expressions watched as the two teens went into the living room area.
"She's going to dance circles around him." Gwen laughed as she thought about her friend and younger brother dancing together. It was surely going to be quite a sight. She was almost tempted to go there to see the scene play out. However, Gwen had a feeling if she went to the living room where the dancing was going on she'd get roped in. She decided to stay where she was. Gwen's smile suddenly grew when she heard Stan laughing.
"I think Richie can take her on." Stan said as he turned his attention onto her.
His eyes softened as soon as Gwen came into his view again. Looking into those light brown made made Gwen concentrate on the beating of her heart. She felt how it was going beating faster than before. It was just two of them now. Well, there was a couple other party goers that were lingering in the kitchen. Those party goers though appeared to be in their own world, so it practically felt like it was just Stan and her.
That just puzzled Gwen.
Why was she suddenly feeling this way? As if her heart was going to jump right out of her chest. This was a feeling she hardly ever got. The last time she felt this way was during freshman year. When she had been crushing mad hard on Chase Campbell...but the beautiful blue eyed boy died. And as much as it pained Gwen she had to let him go. It was an awful thing, what happened to him...cutting his wrists. She felt sadness whenever she thought about the way he went. Gwen thought he had been happy with his life but clearly she had gotten it all wrong.
Since Chase she hadn't felt anything close to romance for anyone. Yeah, she felt some attraction for a few guys here and there during her high school years but not enough that made Gwen want to be in a relationship with them. That dating stuff didn't interest Gwen. Perhaps that's why she also failed at recognizing whenever someone took interest in her. She was too focused on her school and musical work to even be thinking about having a boyfriend at the moment. However, here she was with Stan...just standing near him and she could feel her heart beating like crazy. What the hell was that about?
Maybe she just needed a damn drink. Yeah, maybe that's what she needed to cool down. Gwen took in a shaky breath as she composed herself. "So, do you want something to drink?" She asked Stan as she made her way to the fridge. Hopefully her laid back demeanor was convincing enough.
Stan was convinced by her act but that probably had more to do with the question he asked her. The curly haired boy was able to put together on what something to drink meant. "Uh, I don't..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. He wasn't much of a drinker...and he wasn't about to change that now.
His lack of an actual answer had Gwen turning around. By now she had the fridge opened for him to see inside. "Don't worry there's sodas if you want that instead." She informed Stan instantly calming him down.
"I'll take a Coke please." Stan told her with a small smile.
Gwen gave him a nod as she got the drink for him. She then walked back to her original spot and handed him the drink.
"Francine went all out with the beverages." Stan said after cracking open the Coke can. He found the carbonated drinks to be nice touch for people like him who preferred non-alcoholic drinks. The other parties he had gone to only ever had alcohol. As a took a sip of his soda he inwardly thanked Francine for getting carbonated drinks.
"Actually it was Francine's parents who bought the sodas." Gwen began telling him. "One of the girls from the softball team managed to get their older brother to buy beer, so we put it in here. There's also a keg stand outside in the backyard but I have no idea who brought that." She said shrugging her shoulders. "They were just kind enough to bring it."
How kind. Stan thought sarcastically. He was a bit surprised when he saw that she was empty handed. "You're not drinking?" Stan knew how Gwen liked to drink. A little too much for her health. So, he of course was relieved (yet surprised) to see her not drinking. He figured she would be considering she just graduated high school and the need for celebration was in the air.
Gwen shook her head. "I'm not a fan of beer. I find it icky." She told him before a mischievous smile came out of hiding. "But no worries, I do come prepared." She showed him the small flask that she was keeping in her back pocket.
"What's in it?" Stan asked narrowing his eyes at said object.
Gwen didn't notice his look as she went on to open the flask. "The best drink of all man kind. Bourbon. Although, I do admit I am a fan of wine but I only drink it when I want to feel fancy. Which is like hardly ever so..." She stopped talking as soon as she realized that she had no idea where she was going with that. Deciding to end the sentence for good, Gwen took a gracious swing and felt that familiar burn in her throat.
Stan silently wished she'd put the flask away. Weirdly enough as soon as he had wished it, Gwen closed and put the flask in her back pocket. She now was staring silently at him causing Stan feel a blush forming on his cheeks. He couldn't tell what she was thinking about because he couldn't read her expression. He was about to ask her a question but she beat him to it. What she asked certainly took him by surprise.
"Do you want to go somewhere else? It's getting too loud in here for me." Gwen figured the question was due to the alcohol because it had come out of nowhere. However, she wasn't backtracking what she said. The alcohol was doing its job on keeping that weird feeling she had from returning.
Stan right away wanted to answer yes but he decided not to be quick about it. "Where do you want to go?" He asked her. It'd been forever since Gwen and him had a moment to themselves. He didn't want it to end just yet, and if it meant going somewhere else in Francine's house then so be it. However, he wanted to be polite about it and let her choose where.
Gwen looked up at the ceiling. "We can go upstairs." She casually suggested.
Stan could tell the flips in his stomach were starting up again. "Okay." He agreed. The curly haired boy then took one last sip from his soda before setting on the kitchen counter. He didn't even care that he hadn't finished it. Stan supposed he could have taken the soda with him but honestly the happiness he felt from continuing his conversation with Gwen, and somewhere more privately for that matter, made him forget about doing that.
The two teens made their way out of the kitchen. They had to pass by the living room in order to get to the stairs. When walking through the living room they saw that there were more people than before. The majority of them were dancing their butts off. Among those dancing party goers were Francine and Richie. Gwen and Stan laughed when they saw them. Gwen had been right...it was quite the sight to see.
Now neither Gwen or Stan could say who reached for whose hand first, but at some point when walking through the crowded living room, they ended up holding hands. This made the both them puzzled yet secretly happy that it happened. And Neither Gwen or Stan let go, not even when then finally reached the stairs. They held hands the entire time they made their way upstairs. It was only when they entered a certain room that Gwen let go.
Stan tried not to let his disappointment show as he inspected the room they had entered. He took in the the somewhat girly decor and realized just whose room belonged to. "Should we be in Francine's room?" He asked as he watched Gwen take a seat on Francine's bed.
"She won't mind." Gwen reassured him as she looked at him. She got on an amused expression when she saw how he remained where he was by the door. "So, are you just going to stand there or...?"
With her reassurance that it was okay being in there, Stan was about to make his way to sit down. However, before he did such a thing he quickly closed the door. A little nagging pull in his head told him to close it. Stan knew that it was his OCD tendencies coming out to play. Gwen noticed this as well but didn't comment on it. Instead she moved from where she was sitting to give him some room to sit down.
"You're leaving tomorrow." Stan blurted out right after he took a seat next to her.
Oh...so we're gonna get into that again. Gwen nodded her head. "Yeah." She told him feeling a stirring in her stomach from looking at those light brown eyes of his. She lowered her gaze a bit.
Stan could feel the sadness start to arise in him. "Are you excited?" He asked her, trying his best to sound as if he wasn't affected by her leaving.
"I am." Gwen right away told him. She had a smile on her face but it didn't last long. "But uh..."
Stan caught her hesitation on that last part. He couldn't help but want her to elaborate on it. "What?"
Gwen stared directly into his light brown eyes again. "I'm just gonna miss Richie, you know?" She truthfully told him. However, she wasn't done talking just yet. "I'm gonna miss a lot of people. Like my parents, Francine, Bill, Eddie, Mike, and...you. I mean, I'm happy to be leaving Derry but that doesn't mean I'm happy leaving behind the people I care about. "
"You care about me?" Stan quietly asked her. Pure disbelief could be heard in his tone of voice when he asked that.
"Of course I care about you, Stan." Gwen softly told him.
His face was so warm now that Stan thought he must have looked like a tomato. Except the curly haired boy couldn't care less about his appearance at the moment. "Well, just so you know, I'll miss you too." He earnestly told her.
Gwen could no longer look passed the racing of her heart after hearing him say that. She was starting to get very bashful from the way he was looking at her. And due to that bashfulness, Gwen's verbal vomit took over.
"I don't think you'll miss me as much I'm going to miss you. Not to mention I'm going to miss those cute curls of yours." Gwen blurted out. She tried to remain cool on the outside as she realized what she just said. Another weird feeling showed up distracting her from her embarrassment. Why did it feel like she had said that before? She hadn't...right? She shook that thought away, appearing full on sheepish now. "Don't listen to me." She huffed, laughing lowly. "I'm just drunk."
"You're not drunk." Stan evenly pointed out.
That had Gwen furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm not?"
Stan shook his head. "I've seen you drunk before and this isn't you drunk. You're not even buzzed. Not really."
Gwen looked taken back by what he said. It was true that she wasn't drunk. She wasn't even really buzzed as Stan pointed out. But that's not what caught her off guard. It was what he said about seeing her drunk. "Wait you've seen me drunk? When?" She hurriedly asked him. She was starting to feel shame as much as embarrassment at the thought that Stan had seen her in that condition.
Stan sighed. "Several times actually." He finally admitted to her. "Mainly when you're were out and about with those theater kids. You guys always used to hang out near the diner. Sometimes I would pass by after finishing my bird sighting around town and I'd see you there."
Gwen hid her shock with casualness. "How very observant of you, Stan the Man."
Stan became muddled after hearing her call him that. He didn't focus on that feeling for long since there was an important conversation going on. "I don't like seeing you drunk." He honestly told her. "You're not you when you're drunk."
"Or maybe I'm the real me." Gwen playfully argued not taking him seriously. She didn't want this conversation to turn serious...it would just ruin their night.
Stan wouldn't budge with her attempt at humor. "No...you're not. I know you."
Gwen maintained her lighthearted persona. "Oh, you know me." She repeated, frivolously.
Stan's gaze was solemn. "Yeah...I do."
Gwen could no longer hide behind a breezy attitude. Not with the way Stan was looking at her. Even though it was a serious stare, Gwen was able to pick on the tenderness that was there. It appeared that Stan cared for her as much as she cared for him. "Well, for the moment I'm me. So don't worry about drunk Gwen appearing." She earnestly told him.
"Good."
Things become quiet after Stan said that.
Gwen couldn't take the silence so she stood up. "You know, I think I've left some of my old cassette tapes in here."
The curly haired boy watched as Gwen went over to Francine's desk and opened a drawer. He heard her laugh as she took out a cassette tape.
"Ah so this is where I left it." Gwen happily said. Stan then watched as she walked over to where Francine had her boombox and watched as she inserted the cassette tape.
Stan waited for the song to play and when it did he immediately knew what song it was.
Lovesong by The Cure.
"This is such an old song." Gwen said as she took a seat next to Stan again.
"Just by three years." Stan pointed out.
"Three years seems like a lifetime ago." Gwen said thoughtfully. Something tugged inside her. Why did the year 1989 mean something to her? It was weird to think that year held some sort of meaning for her. That year was a hazy. Well, she did remember somethings that happened that year...at least during her schooling. Except she could barely remember anything that happened during the summer. Anytime she tried to think about the summer of 1989 she would just get a headache. She supposed it was best not to pry...not if it meant getting a headache that was worse than the ones she would get after a night of drinking.
Gwen pushed any thoughts of 1989 away as she focused on the song. "I do like the lyrics." She told Stan, flashing him a smile. Stan found himself smiling as he too listened to the lyrics.
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
Stan's ears perked when he heard how Gwen was quietly singing along to the song's lyrics. He was glad he was able to hear her sing one more last time before she left. The curly haired boy always liked hearing the dark haired girl sing. Even if she was quietly singing the way she was at the moment. He still thought her voice was beautiful. She had such an amazing voice that needed to be heard by others. She was too talented to stay here in Derry. Stan knew that she would go far with her singing...but in order for that to happen she needed to leave Derry.
As Stan's thoughts settled down his eyes zeroed in on Gwen clutching her necklace. A necklace that had been safely tucked inside her t-shirt up until now. The dark haired girl now had it out in display with her holding onto it.
Although it had caught his attention, Stan didn't think much on such action. That was until he saw what the necklace really was. When Gwen had let go, Stan saw the ring. The ring that was looped around the necklace chain. "You're wearing a ring as a necklace."
Gwen stopped the quiet singing she was doing. She looked at Stan, puzzled. She hadn't heard really heard what he said since she had been distracted by the song. It didn't take long though to figure what he said considering he was staring at her necklace. Gwen glanced at her necklace before looking at Stan again. "Yeah, I decided to wear it." The dark haired girl quietly said. She didn't plan on wearing the piece of jewelry since she hardly ever wore it. However, when she was getting ready something inside her told her to wear it...so she did.
Stan couldn't stop staring at the necklace, or rather the ring. Why was he suddenly getting all emotional? More so than usual. Why did that ring turned necklace matter so much to him?
"I think it was a gift." Gwen said interrupting his thoughts. "I don't exactly remember who gave it to me but...I love it."
Stan exhaled shakily. She loved it. He had no idea why hearing her say that made him feel such joy...but it did. The joy he had gave him the courage to do the one thing that he'd been trying to do since...well, ever. He slowly started to lean towards her.
Gwen's dark brown eyes widened. "What are you doing?" She asked, completely shell-shocked. Despite her shock, she hadn't moved. Not an inch. She stayed right where she was.
Stan stopped his movement when he saw Gwen's surprised expression. He was now so close to her that just a soft push would have theirs lips connecting. "I'm sorry." Stan apologized, suddenly ashamed with himself. He pulled back once getting the fog out of his head. Why the hell was I thinking? Stan shook his head. Trying to kiss her and without even asking if she wanted to. "I shouldn't have tried to kiss you without asking your permission." He told Gwen, voice wavering. "That was wrong of me. I'm sorry."
Gwen looked at him, softly. "No...don't apologize, Stan." She wasn't angry or anything...she was just thrown off. "It just took me off guard, that's all." She let him know her thoughts. "Besides...it's not like I don't want to." Gwen became quiet after she said that. Now it was her turn to feel the warmth take over her face. "But-but we probably shouldn't." She heavily breathed out. Her heart hammered against her chest as she stared into those light brown eyes of his. "I'm leaving tomorrow...and it would just complicate things."
Stan had to admit she had point there. Kissing would just complicate things. "I know." Stan quietly agreed.
"If it was just a one time thing then yeah but I don't want to do that with you. You don't deserve that. You're a nice guy and―"
"Forget about all that."
Gwen's rambling stopped when she heard Stan say that. She gave him a stunned look. "What?"
"I don't care if it's a one time thing." Stan said without breaking eye contact with her. That just showed Gwen how serious he was. "I mean, of course I would want it to be more than a one time thing.
Gwen sighed. "Stanley..."
Stan didn't let her finish her sentence. He needed to tell Gwen exactly what he was thinking before the courage that was there went away. "No, Gwen I have to say this. So please listen. I care about you...more than a friend should. I've had feelings for you ever since I can remember. But you're leaving tomorrow and if all I ever get is one night with you...then so be it. But who knows...maybe if we let this happen it could lead to something more...but we won't know until we try."
Gwen was silent, staring at him. Her expression was one of disbelief but also one of awe. Gwen couldn't remember the last time she had heard Stan sound so...assertive. She was impressed and it was just making her feelings go on a frenzy. The dark haired girl did her best to not show how affected she was. She inhaled and exhaled calmly. "Stan, do you not hear how utterly insane that sounds?" She said trying to make him see reason.
Stan shook his head. "I don't think it's insane. I mean, we both feel something for each other. I know that we do."
"So what? We kiss and then I leave?" Gwen asked, frowning.
"No, we can work things out. I know that we can." Stan earnestly answered. He became quiet, just staring at her softly. "Can I...can I please kiss you?"
Gwen blinked, appearing alright on the outside. Inside was a different story. She was actually thinking things through. The Tozier girl did want to kiss him...oh, how she wanted to. There was no denying that anymore. Stan was right...she did feel something for him. She had strong feelings for him. Strong feelings that for some reason had been hiding deep inside. Gwen could no longer ignore those feelings. They had been suppressed for far too long that she she needed to act out on them. Gwen no longer cared about the complications.
Complications be damned.
Gwen's dark brown eyes softened along with her features. Her right hand gently ran through Stan's curly hair. The curly hair she liked (loved) so much. "Stanley." She whispered, smiling. "You can kiss me."
Stan's breathing hitched. He thought he was just hearing things but Gwen's slight head nod let him know that what she said was real. So with such care, thinking only of her, Stan leaned in again. This time the curly haired boy did not stop and the moment his lips touched Gwen's he felt something light up inside him. It was such an intense feeling that it had Stan gently putting his hands on Gwen's face to control the shudders he felt. The intensity didn't stop the kiss from continuing.
Gwen felt the exact same thing...and for a second there she thought she had seen a memory flash in her head. One of a younger Stan and her...kissing. It passed by so fast that Gwen didn't even think it had been a real memory to begin with. It didn't make any sense.
Stan and her had never kissed...not until right now...and Gwen couldn't focus on that made up memory because she was too into Stan's kiss. A kiss that she was absolutely enjoying.
Stan and her were putting so much feeling into the kiss that it had the two of them slowly falling onto the bed. What started out as a one kiss for testing the waters was now a kiss (or actually kisses) of passion. Their kisses and touches were heightened due to their connection, the very connection they forgot about. Stan didn't freeze when Gwen gently touched the sides of his face, where he had the faintest of scars. Gwen also didn't show any signs of dislike when Stan ran his hands through her hair. In fact, she made it quite clear how much she liked Stan doing that.
Their affection for one another though didn't go beyond kisses and touches that night. It was obvious that neither of them were ready for that...and neither were disappointed that it didn't happen. The two of them were perfectly content with the kisses and soft touches that were given.
Gwen thought she heard Stan murmur "I love you" a few times as they finally gave into their emotions, but she was feeling so many things at once she wasn't one hundred percent sure. Although she was pretty convinced that she said it back to him at some point as well.
They two teens remained upstairs together in that room until a rather loud drunk couple came barging in...and after that happened their moment was over. Gwen and Stan, once composing themselves, left to go downstairs again...and that's where they remained for a few more hours together. Having fun. A type of fun that the two of them hadn't experienced in a while. They left on a very good note that night...and Gwen expected to see Stan the following morning to say goodbye to her.
Except Stan never showed up to say goodbye. Gwen was deeply saddened and her immediate thought was that perhaps he had grown to regret last night. Even after everything he had said, maybe he did regret kissing her.
That was far from the truth though. The truth was that for some reason, a reason Stan wouldn't be able to explain until he was older, he just simply forgot. His mind had gone blank that morning. He had a weird feeling that he was forgetting something but he didn't know what. It wouldn't be until hours later into the day that he realized what he forgot.
Needles to say, Stan felt like a major idiot and he hated himself for forgetting about Gwen. His forgetfulness wasn't truly his fault...but he wouldn't know that until later. Way later.
Despite not getting a chance to say a proper goodbye to each other, the two teens told themselves that they would call or send letters. That they'd keep in touch somehow, hoping to work things out just as they had discussed.
However, that didn't end up happening.
The sad truth was that Stanley Uris and Gwen Tozier wouldn't speak to each other again until the year of 2016.