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: So, guess who ordered The World of IT book off of Amazon? That's right I did. I got it on Friday and the book is amazing. Worth every penny I spent. It has a lot of information and photos. Some of the information inside showed scenes that weren't in the movie. I'm assuming these were deleted scenes, and that made me sad. Especially since most of those scenes included Mike. Like there's a chapter in the book where it shows Mike's encounter with Pennywise (it's briefly shown in the trailer) and it explains more about his parents death. I wanna included that somehow because in the book it says that Mike's parents went back inside the burning building to help someone, so they died as heroes. However, Mike carries the guilt that he could have done something despite being so young when the fire happened. Like why wasn't that part mentioned in the movie? Or did I miss something? Anyways, regardless, learning all that just made me feel more for Mike. His character really has gone through a lot. Mike Hanlon deserves more love and recognition.
Also can I just say how much I loved the Bill/Mike scenes that were shown in the movie? Like OMG real heartfelt. I felt that forehead touch they did at the end. And Mike saying I love you to Bill...real emotional, and I am super glad they put a lot of time to their friendship as it was done in the novel and miniseries. I still feel like TV shows and movies in this day and age don't do male x male friendships enough justice. Thankfully this movie did the relationships/connection all the Losers had with each other real well.
BTW, I saw the movie again and I noticed that the necklace Adrian is wearing at the beginning looks like a ring. I have a huge guess it was a gift from his boyfriend Don. Probably an engagement ring but he unfortunately had to wear the ring as a necklace because of the homophobia in Derry. That just made what happened to Adrian even more heartbreaking. You know what also broke my heart? The fact that the little girl who he gave the stuffed animal he won was Victoria, and how she still had that stuffed animal until she was killed by IT. That shit hurt, ugh.
Now as I mentioned, this chapter focuses on Gwen leaving and then arriving in Derry. The chapter also ends on a cliffhanger...and I think you guys are either going to love it or hate it. You'll see what I mean. Also, when thinking how the whistling mentioned in this chapter sounds like, think of Twisted Nerve by Bernard Herrmann. Real creepy yet catchy tune. That being said I do not own any songs mentioned in this chapter. Happy readings.
BTW, this isn't the last time you see the character of Izzy. I see her face-claim as Sabrina Carpenter. Question is will she survive? Because if you've seen the movie, the kids weren't very lucky in this one. Not that they ever are in the town of Derry. o.O IT: Chapter Two though was darker. Therefore, Izzy's fate is to be determined.
"It is a big world, full of things that steal your breath and fill your belly with fire...But where you go when you leave isn't as important as where you go when you come home." ― Lindsay Eagar, Hour of the Bees
Chapter 30: Welcome home
Her manager Cynthia had been pissed. Just as Jeanne and Gwen knew she'd be.
Gwen had spent nearly an hour on the phone trying to calm Cynthia down. The Tozier woman thankfully was able to (eventually) simmer some of Cynthia's anger. The older woman wasn't by any means happy about the sudden leave Gwen had to take, but after explaining things (not necessarily telling the whole truth,) Cynthia had stopped with her ranting. That for Gwen was a good enough sign. She never did like it when Cynthia lost her cool. It reminded Gwen of how her mother used to reprimanded her. Well, she still did that whenever she saw her.
Gwen honestly couldn't fault Cynthia for getting upset. Her canceling at the last minute was problematic, and that just meant Cynthia was the one that needed to clean up the mess.
So that meant the Bristol meet and greet was going to get canceled, leaving many devastated fans. Not to mention, Gwen was going to get pulled out from her Las Vegas performance since she had no idea when exactly she would be returning back from Derry. Or as Cynthia would let others know, the singer would be in Bangor, Maine because of some family emergency.
Gwen hated disappointing her fans. However, this was something she had to do. She had to go to Derry. She made a promise. A promise she had forgotten about but it was a promise nonetheless. The cut on her palm proved just how important the promise was despite the blurry childhood memories.
"I called the car rental place in Bangor and they said they'll have the car ready for you when you arrive." Jeanne informed Gwen. The two of them were now inside Heathrow Airport. Gwen's flight to Bangor, Maine was ready to leave soon. All the Tozier woman was waiting for was the announcement that said she could enter the plane. Meanwhile Jeanne was letting her know of any last minute details.
Gwen gave Jeanne a nod. "That's good to know, thank you."
"I also double checked the reservation you made at that Townhouse your friend recommend in Derry." Jeanne continued to say, now a sounding a little muddled. "Apparently from what the owner told me over the phone he might not be there when you arrive to check in. He said to just take the keys to your room. Which according to him will be at the front desk."
Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. "Really?"
"That's what he told me." Jeanne answered, shrugging her shoulders slightly.
Gwen was beyond bemused. She found that to be quite odd. Still, this was told by the owner of the Derry Townhouse, meaning she had no choice but to listen to said orders. That is unless she wanted to sleep in the car she was renting while visiting her hometown. Like that was ever gonna happen.
"Alright then." Gwen answered trying to sound like she was okay with everything.
"Also here."
Jeanne handed her a bottle of aspirin that she had. Gwen let out a sigh of relief. She looked at the bottle of aspirin before directing her attention onto Jeanne. "Thank you, again." Gwen told the auburn haired woman. She put the aspirin bottle inside the purse she holding. The same purse that also had her ADHD and antidepressant that were given to her by Jeanne.
"Just doing my job." Jeanne tried to pass off the thanks she got.
"No, you're being a friend. A very good friend." Gwen earnestly told her. "I really appreciate it." Jeanne was silent but Gwen saw the smile that escaped her. It was then when Gwen saw her smile that forty-two year old realized Jeanne hadn't just reminded her of Francine, but also of Beverly. And it wasn't just because of the slightly similar hair color. Now that she thought about it better their personalities were sort of the same as well. The both had that fiery side to them, and it tended to show up during serious situations.
Thinking of the redhead that was once her best friend (or as she liked to think, was still her best friend) made Gwen super emotional. The need to hug someone appeared and since Jeanne had been nothing but kind to her, as Beverly had been during their youth, Gwen brought her into a hug.
Jeanne hugged her back. "I'll see you when you come back, okay?" She whispered into her ear.
"Okay." Gwen nodded her head, hoping that she would see her auburn haired friend again. For some reason she got an uneasy feeling after she thought this. The Tozier woman ignored that feeling.
"You call me if you need anything else. I mean that."
Gwen was able to pick on her hint. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Hopefully. Gwen added that last part in her head. She didn't want to cause Jeanne any more concern.
Strangely enough it was when they ended the hug that the announcement about her flight was finally made. It was now time for the passengers to start boarding. Gwen's grip on her purse tightened as she started making her way towards the entrance that led inside her plane. She gave Jeanne once last glance before she was too far gone into the hall.
Gwen was able to get a good seat by the window in first class, thankfully.
Once the plane took off, and the attendants said it was okay to take out electronics, Gwen went for her cellphone. She once again connected to her Spotify. Unlike last time the app wasn't on shuffle. She chose the song, and Good times Roll by The Cars began playing. Which was a bit ironic, yet fitting considering her situation. The song this time didn't leave her with an unease feeling unlike the one that played at her apartment hours ago.
As the lyrics played, Gwen closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Although the flight was somewhat going to be shorter than the one from Los Angeles to London, the nerves building up inside her suggested this was one would feel longer.
Gwen wasn't going to lie...it definitely felt weird being back in her hometown.
She thankfully had arrived in Bangor, Maine without any issues. Just as Jeanne told her the car rental place already had her car ready for her when she arrived. Once she had her car, Gwen debated with herself on staying in Bangor a little longer than intended. She decided on not staying though because she knew that wouldn't be right.
Now here she was in Derry. The moment Gwen saw the awfully cheery looking town sign she immediately got a bitter taste in her mouth. It made her want to drink from the flask she had in her purse. The flask she had filled with Bourbon one she arrived in Bangor. However, she restrained herself from doing so. She'd been driving after all. Instead she settled on drinking the bottle water she had with her. Except the water did not make the bitter taste go away. It wasn't until she went further into town that she was able to ignore the taste.
From what Gwen was able to remember the town looked pretty much the same. At least from first glance. Most of her attention was on how joyful everything looked. At the moment there were a ton of directions that linked back to Derry's Canal Days Festival that was going on.
Despite the cheeriness of the town not sitting right with her, Gwen couldn't help but feel a little bit of contentment. Looking at all the posters and decorations for the festival just reminded her of how Richie and her used to like the fourth of July as kids. The town used to get real into that holiday. She had a feeling the same passion for that holiday was still there.
After driving through all that festival display, it didn't take long for Gwen to reach where she was going to be staying at. The Derry Townhouse. She was not at all surprised (a little weirded out but not surprised) that the owner wasn't there when she arrived. Except just as she was told the keys to the room she would be staying in were at the front desk.
Once in her room, Gwen decided to do a quick change of clothing. Usually picking out an outfit wasn't an issue but she was really having a hard time choosing what to wear. She wanted to look nice (mainly for one person in particular) but she didn't want to look like a show off. After what felt like forever, Gwen decided on a multi-color flower blouse with a black blazer over it. For pants she chose a pair of dark washed jeans, and then for shoe wear she put on her somewhat worn out black Dr. Martens boots.
It wasn't until she was finally dressed that her damn nerves returned. This time Gwen couldn't stop herself from taking a huge gulp from her flask. The taste of Bourbon soothed her a bit. She knew drinking now was not a good idea. Especially since not that long ago she took her usual Prozac dosage, and drinking alcohol while on an antidepressant was not smart. In fact, it was plain stupid and dangerous. Despite knowing this though, Gwen had done just that over the years. Multiple times.
Gwen felt as if she had built up a tolerance or something due to the amount of times she took alcohol while on her antidepressants, and even her ADHD medication. Honestly, at times she wasn't sure how she was even still alive...but she was. It was that very thought that made her ignore the all other thoughts she having about not drinking. She took another gulp from her flask as she made her way downstairs before putting it back inside her purse.
Once downstairs, Gwen again passed by the bar filled with alcoholic drinks the Townhouse had. When she had first came in she paused, looking at the bar with a wanting look. Now here she was again, in front of the bar with that same look.
Gwen felt as if the bar was calling out to her. Now she had no idea how she was able to walk by again without taking a bottle, let alone chugging one down, but she did. She supposed the reminder that she was about to meet up with her friends (and her brother) again gave her the strength to walk away. However, she had no idea if that same strength would remain throughout her stay in Derry.
Once she was outside again, in the open evening air, Gwen decided to walk to where she was heading next. Which was the Jade Of The Orient. A Chinese restaurant located in the town of Derry. That's where Mike told her to go to in the text message he had sent her.
Gwen didn't want to drive because she felt quite wishy washy already. Not to mention walking always made her feel better. She always took long walks in Brighton whenever she was stressed out, or even at times when she was in one of her moods. Right now she wanted to walk to make the nerves she had lower a little.
Gwen had looked up the location on her cellphone while getting ready. She found out that she'd be able to make it to the restaurant in less than twenty minutes on foot. That was totally fine with her. Plus it gave her enough time to think about things. Mainly she thought about how odd (and also exciting) it was going to be seeing all her old friends again...how she was going to see Richie again.
The Tozier woman almost reached into her purse to pull out her cellphone when she thought of her brother. She hadn't called Richie since their last conversation, which was when she'd been in Brighton. However, he did send her text saying he had arrived safely in Maine. Just as she had. So, there was that. She was super anxious to see him again, but the agreement they made about keeping their personal issues away from their friends reassured her.
Still, Gwen knew the moment she saw her brother again in person was going to be something else. Just as she knew the moment she saw Stan again was going to be something else too...but in a more different way. A shaky breath escaped Gwen when she thought about the curly haired boy...well, curly haired man. She reached for the ring she had found. However, she was no longer wearing the ring on her left hand.
Gwen had ended up taking it off when Jeanne noticed it. Her personal assistant had asked why she was wearing the ring on her wedding finger. Gwen had no simple explanation other than saying she didn't even notice she'd done that. Out of sheepishness and consolation, Gwen was now wearing the ring as a necklace. She could have worn the ring on her other hand, but she found wearing it as necklace to be more fitting. For the now anyways. Not to mention it was easier for her to fidget with. Which she'd been doing since the plane ride, and even now as she continued with her walking to the Chinese restaurant.
Much to Gwen's surprise there actually was a lot of people out in the street. Even with her blurry memories, Gwen could have sworn there was a time in Derry when large crowds of people would stop hanging outside when the sun was piratically gone. Gwen quickly figured it was because of the festival that was going on. They were probably going to the fair she had seen posters about.
Even though there were people out and about, Gwen was actually really relieved at the lack of attention she was getting. When she had arrived in Bangor she had been recognized the moment she had exited the plane. However, that certainly wasn't the case in Derry. Or at least the people weren't too vocal about it. She had noticed a few lingering stares from a few people as she made her way to the Chinese restaurant but none of them had stopped to ask her anything.
Then all of a sudden, just as she turned a corner into another street, it became dead silent. Gwen stopped walking because of how weird and sudden the change of scenery was. The other street over was filled with people talking and laughing, while this one was empty. She gulped. The only thing that made Gwen feel less distressed was that the streets lights were on.
However, just as quick as her distress came it disappeared as well. Gwen managed to get a hold of herself and shook at her head with how lame she was being. She was a forty-two year old woman and she was finding herself scared to walk down an empty street? What the hell was wrong with her? She walked down far worse streets before. Plus she knew self-defense. And anyways she hardly doubted she was going to get attacked in a town like Derry. Scoffing at herself, Gwen continued her walking.
Her composure faltered once more, and she stopped walking with what she heard next. She didn't believe it at first, thinking she was mishearing things, but then the noise became clear. She frowned.
It was whistling. Someone was whistling...but who?
Gwen slowly began stepping back, looking around her, hoping to see someone. Yet there was no one. Her eyes briefly (for whatever reason) made eye contact with the sewer drain that was across the street. Even though it was brief, for some reason looking at the sewer drain made instant chills go throughout Gwen's body. Her right shoulder stung and she let out a low hiss from the pain. That had been enough for her with not wanting to continue the "who's whistling?" investigation. Whistling which had stopped right when her shoulder started to hurt. Gwen hurriedly turned around practically running, not at all looking at either of her sides. She didn't even hear the voice that warned her until it was too late.
"Lady, look out!"
Gwen instantly felt the impact of something colliding on her left side. Her eyes widened as she let out a noise filled with pain. "Fuck!" She backed up, suspicious yet guarded. The moment she saw that the voice belonged to a blonde teenage girl on a bike, Gwen instantly relaxed. It was then that she started to feel bad that she had cussed in front of her.
"Shit, I'm sorry!" The girl quickly apologized. "I didn't see you until it was too late. You were already in front of me." Her blue eyes were wide, and Gwen could tell with that alone that she meant her apology. Hearing the girl cuss also made her feel slightly better about saying the F word. Gwen should have known though that teens were used to hearing people cuss. It was 2016 for crying out loud. And besides she cussed a lot during her teens and that was during the eighties. She supposed somethings never changed.
"No, it's fine." Gwen reassured her. She briefly touched her left hip side area where the girl's bike collided with her. Now that she knew that the whole thing had been accidental, and that she was apologetic, Gwen wasn't in that much pain anymore. "I shouldn't have been in the way."
"I shouldn't have rushed. It's just that there's a baseball game at the high school." The girl breathed out. Gwen was able to hear the excitement in her tone. "It's Derry versus the team from Castle Rock."
That made Gwen want to smile. She recalled how excited she would get whenever there was a baseball game during her youth. She also recalled how she loved whenever her softball team played. Her brief happiness quickly went away once she remembered quitting the softball team to join the theater club. "Oh, well...have fun." She replied, ready to move out of the way. Gwen didn't get too far with what the girl said next.
The girl had paused for a few seconds, and within those few seconds she got a better look at her. "You look very familiar." She said, head slightly tilted.
That wasn't an unusual thing for a person to say to her. "You've probably seen me before." Gwen began explaining. "I'm a singer."
"No, I know where I've seen you from." The girl's eyes widened, her posture straightened on her bike, and a delighted smile appeared. "I've seen your picture before! At the high school. You used to be on the girls softball team, like a gazillion years ago. You're Gwen Tozier!"
Gwen decided to ignore the gazillion years ago part. The girl looked to be in her teens, around fifteen she'd guess. So anyone older than twenty must have been an old fart compared to her. The Tozier woman instead focused on what the girl said about seeing her picture. She furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled. "The high school has a picture of me?"
"In the sports case near the gymnasium to be exact." The girl happily clarified.
Gwen's puzzlement remained. "Why?"
"Uh, because you were an amazing softball player." The girl stated in an obvious tone. The delighted smile still remained on her youthful face. "One of the best the high school had."
"That's a little weird." Gwen muttered.
"I don't think it's weird." The girl defended, all upbeat. Gwen could tell she meant that. She found this to be amusing but also heartwarming in a way. The Tozier woman ended up frowning a little when she saw the girl's smile falter after what she said next. "We don't really get a lot of recognition here for girls sports, so we take what we can get."
"That sucks." What the girl said really shouldn't have surprised Gwen. Even when she had been fifteen she recalled how when she played softball the boys baseball team always got more attention than the girls softball team. At some point there was a time when she thought things would change...but they never did. Girls sports still sadly weren't taken as seriously or recognized as boys sports.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, but like I said you were one of the best softball players here." Her blue eyes widened again. "Sorry, I've been talking all this time and I didn't even introduce myself. My name's Isabelle but I preferred to be called Izzy."
This time Gwen did give her a smile. "Izzy has a better ring to it." She knew from personal experience how she preferred a less formal name. After all, her name was Gwendolyn but she never insisted on anyone calling her that. Gwen was what she went with as a kid, and even now as an adult.
Izzy smiled back. "I should go. The game is gonna start soon. My cousin's playing and I want to get a good seat in the bleachers. Baseball games here get crazy full. It was really cool to meet you. Wait until I tell my softball teammates. They're gonna lose their shit." She gushed, giggling a little. She gave Gwen one last wave before she started pedaling.
"It was cool to meet you too, Izzy. Be careful." Gwen said without thinking. But that was a good thing to say, wasn't it? Especially to a kid. Gwen hoped she would be okay. She quickly shook her head. "God, I sound like a mom." She groaned and then grew quiet again as she watched the teen ride further away on her bike. A sad smile grew on her face, and Gwen found herself wishing she could be a kid again, riding her bike down the street...like how she used to do.
Gwen right away realized how foolish that was. Not only that, but the thought was making her feel sad for something that would never be able to happen again. She let out a sigh, smile falling apart, before she started walking again.
As she passed the sewer drain that had originally freaked her out, Gwen completely missed the yellow eyes that had been staring at her from inside. Yellow eyes that belonged to an entity. A cosmic entity to be exact. The same entity that had wanted her twenty-seven years ago. The same entity that still wanted her.
IT.
The entity in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown watched as she made her way down the street. Drool escaped the clown's mouth. IT wanting nothing more than to just grab her right then and there. The smell of her plump flesh was everywhere, tempting IT. Sharp teeth wanted to come out and bite into her flesh, just as IT had done twenty-seven years ago
However, the entity remained still inside the sewer drain. IT knew that things needed to be planned out more. Gwen's encounter with IT would happen eventually, and how fun that was going to be.
Those other pesky seven children would have their encounters too, and then their lives would come to an end. Or should IT say, adult lives. Though to IT they'd always be children. Weak, pathetic, children. They were going to each die one by one. Except for Gwen. Not Gwen. IT had other plans for her. Whistling began playing again, the same whistling Gwen had heard. This time the whistling was more loud and ominous as IT at the thought of those wicked plans.
The whistling suddenly stopped, and the entity's yellow eyes slowly began to disappear within the darkness of the sewer drain. The hunger was there but the entity knew exactly where to go for ITs next meal.
The Tozier woman stared at the neon sign of Jade Of The Orient with an expression that showed her mixed emotions. The hold on her purse tightened.
With a shaky breath, Gwen reached her the ring that around her neck. She gave it a squeeze and then entered the restaurant.
From the moment Gwen stepped inside she noticed that the restaurant was a lot like Olive Garden. Meaning that some people were more casually dressed than others. She saw a lot of people were wearing jeans and a simple t-shirts. Maybe that's what she should have worn instead. Now she felt ridiculous. It wasn't like she was too dressed up but still...she would have loved wearing one of her band t-shirts she had brought. For nostalgia or whatever.
Pushing away her insecurities with how she looked, Gwen walked towards where a pretty looking Asian woman was behind the receptionist desk.
"Hi, my name's Gwen Tozier. I'm here for the Mike Hanlon party." She informed her and she felt instant relief when the woman gave her a smile and a nod.
"Yes, Tozier. Mr. Hanlon told me you were one of his expected guests."
"Am I..." Gwen cleared her throat. "Am I the last one here?"
The woman shook her head. "No, you're actually the second guest to arrive. The first guest barely arrived right now too. He's already in the party room with Mr. Hanlon. Please." She gestured forward. "Follow me."
Gwen was in disbelief to hear that she was the second person to arrive. She would have figured she'd be the last considering where she lived. For a moment there Gwen had an odd thought that maybe it was supposed to be this way. As if it were planned. Gwen though quickly found that thought to be absurd.
As Gwen followed the receptionist her nerves began to grow more and more. She wondered who the first person to arrive was. If it was Richie then this would be the moment she'd see her brother in person for the first time in months. However, if it was Stan...Gwen's thoughts faltered. Her cheeks became warm and she got a strange sensation in her tummy. She was flushed yet again. A huff escaped her.
God damn...get a hold of yourself.
After she had this thought the receptionist gestured forward. "Right in there."
Gwen nodded her head. "Thanks."
The receptionist gave her one last look before she left her. Gwen lingered at the entrance of the party room before she finally stepped in. To her surprise it wasn't either Richie or Stan who had been the first guest to arrive. It was someone else. Someone else that she saw was being hugged quite strongly by another person. It didn't take long for Gwen to figure who these two people were...and because of that she couldn't help but poke fun.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Gwen asked in a whimsical way catching their attention. They were both looking at her with surprised expressions now. "You know what, I'll come back later." She then made a show of pretending to leave.
"Gwen!"
Soon enough Mike turned her around and brought her in a hug. His hug felt so warm, and for someone Gwen hadn't seen in years, Mike's hug didn't feel like an invasion of privacy. She found herself remembering a moment when they were young, with Gwen offering her hand and him accepting it. This had her enjoying the hug even more, and she gently wrapped her arms around his neck. Which was a bit of a struggle since he was way taller than her. If she had to guess she'd say he was at least 6'4. Which compared to her 5'7 was quite the height difference. However, standing on her tippy toes seemed to help a lot. Not that she minded doing that. It was worth it if it meant she got to hug Mike the way she was.
"Hey, Mike." Gwen softly said. The smile that was on her face remained when Mike pulled back from the hug. She used this time to set her purse on one of the chairs around the table, getting more acquainted with the party room.
"I knew you'd come back." Mike fervently pointed at her and then at the other man that was in there with them. Gwen already knew who that was. "Just like Bill. I knew I could count on you two."
"Yeah, well..." Gwen drawled, unable to finish that sentence. She made eye contact with Bill and that was all that was needed between them.
"An oath is an oath. Losers gotta stick together, right?" Bill quietly finished for her.
"We're Losers, you remember that. That's good." Mike breathed out, relieved. "What else do you remember?"
It was quiet, and as the silence grew Bill looked at Gwen again. The look of surprise when he was first saw her was still there but delight could be seen in those soulful eyes of his. In fact, delight seemed to overpower the surprise that remained. "I remember you used to be my babysitter for awhile."
"That's a bit random, but what the hell? It's still a memory." Gwen said with a chuckle. She became quiet and when she spoke again it was done with double the merriment. "Hi, Bill."
Bill finally smiled at her. It was the kind of smile that made Gwen want to cry a little because how young it made Bill look. She returned the smile, and just as Mike had done, he hugged her. Unlike with Mike's hug, Gwen didn't need to stand on her tippy toes for her to wrap her arms around his neck. Bill and her were actually around the same height. "What, no band t-shirt?" Bill joked, laughing.
Gwen let out a low laugh. "No, not today." She said before ending the hug. She looked at his outfit. "I see you're still rocking out the flannel. It's a good look on you." She smiled cheekily. The playfulness that was going on between them didn't last long. Her dark brown eyes became profound. "Bill, I'm so proud of you." She suddenly told him, more serious.
The only person from the friend group Gwen had Googled during the plane ride was Bill. At first she didn't know why but now she knew why she had done that. Despite being the oldest of the group, Bill had been their leader. Everyone had looked up to him, including her. Gwen remembered now how she always thought he would make a life for himself with his writing skills and she was right. She wasn't at all surprised when she learned he had become a rather popular horror mystery novelist. How she never realized this sooner baffled her.
"I always knew you were going to be a writer." Gwen continued to praise him as she was remembering more stuff from when they were kids. It felt little pieces of information were starting to get thrown at her and she was catching them. She was speaking with total ease, as if these pieces of memories were never forgotten. "Ever since we were young and you told me the story about the dragon and the princess."
A look of recollection appeared on Bill's face. "I did tell you that story, didn't I?"
"You did." Gwen nodded her head. "I also listened to one of your books on my audible account. The Black Rapids."
"What'd you think about it?"
"It was good, but uh..." Gwen struggled to finished her sentence.
Bill already knew what she was heading towards. He let out a sigh. "You hated the ending."
"Yeah." Gwen sheepishly answered.
Bill tried to nonchalantly wave off the criticism. "Don't worry, I'm starting to realize that most people do."
"The book is still fantastic. I love the characters. You put so much detail into them." Gwen enthusiastically told him. "I'm going to watch the movie when I return home."
"Home, huh?" Bill asked with a now puzzled expression.
"Yeah." Gwen could tell that he felt just as off as she did.
From the side, Mike earnestly stared at his friends. If there were two people he knew he could count on regarding what was happening in Derry it was Bill and Gwen. If he got them to follow long he knew the others would to. They just needed start remembering more about their childhoods. From the looks of reuniting with each other was actually working. Perhaps once everyone got here the more memories would start to come out of hiding.
An oncoming male voice caught all of their attention.
"I'm allergic to soy. Anything that has egg in it. Uh, gluten, and if I eat a cashew I could realistically die..." The man had been speaking stopped right when he entered the party room. He had a look of complete disbelief. "Holy shit." He uttered as remained in place, even after the waitress that walked him had left. There was silence until it was broken by Gwen.
"Eddie?" The forty-two year old woman spoke, beyond overjoyed. She didn't even realize how brightly she was smiling until she was practically running towards where he was standing.
"Gwen." Eddie spoke, awestruck by her actual presence.
"Oh my God, Eddie!" Gwen exclaimed, giggling as she went in for a hug. "You're taller than me!" She loudly said after wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on one his shoulders. As this happened she got an image in her head to a time when it had been Eddie who used to lay his head or lean on her for comfort. Now things were reversed. She didn't mind the change at all. This was still Eddie. The same boy (man) she had a sibling like fondness for.
Eddie Kaspbrak, who had become a bit of a non-hugger over the years, found himself without any hesitation wrapping his arms around Gwen Tozier's midsection. The hug felt right and not at all uncomfortable as most hugs that were given to him were. Especially whenever his wife Myra hugged him. He was really glad they were hugging so Gwen wouldn't notice the redness that he knew must have been on his cheeks.
"I'm 5'9 now." Eddie told her as if he were proud. It felt like he was trying to impressive her in someway. Hell, maybe in some repressed friendship memories kind of way that's exactly what he had been doing. Regardless of all that, he was really happy to see her...and from the hug itself he could tell she was too.
"Oh, Eddie." Gwen sighed once she stepped back. She was still smiling and she felt more joy when she saw that Eddie was smiling too. Now that she was looking right at him, Gwen took in his full appearance. He still looked the same way he did when he had been as a kid, but also in a way he kind of looked like a young Anthony Perkins. In her opinion, Eddie grew up to be quite handsome.
"I'm so happy to see you, Eddie." Gwen truthfully told him.
Eddie's brown eyes softened when hearing her say that. "I'm happy to see you too, Gwen." He then looked over to where Bill and Mike were at. His smile remained when he caught their gazes. "Bill, Mike." He breathed as soon as memories with them entered his head.
Bill smiled, as did Mike.
"Hey, Eddie."
"I'm glad you're here."
They both spoke at the exact same time but there was no awkwardness. Gwen walked over with Eddie so he could properly greet them. Then just as they had done, Eddie hugged Bill and Mike. It was just as heartwarming as Gwen and Eddie's hug had been. There was also laughter going around the room as this happened. Gwen found herself loving the moment more and more.
It wasn't until Eddie and Mike's hug ended that the mood in the party room changed.
"Well, shit." Eddie announced, and the others were fast to pick on the amazed tone he had going on. "Would you look at who it is." Gwen, along with Mike and Bill followed Eddie's gaze back to the party room's entrance.
Gwen instantly felt her face flush. Her heartbeat started to go crazy.
There standing was a man. Now just like with Eddie, Gwen knew exactly who that man was. Not only was his brown curly hair a huge give away, but so was his outfit. Even though his style wasn't exactly the same as when he had been a kid, the tidiness was there.
Not that he didn't look good with what he had on...because he did. In fact, he looked quite handsome in that cardigan of his.
"Stan the Man!" Mike announced, grinning.
"Hello." Stan finally spoke, smiling. His smile was a polite one as he looked at Bill, Mike, and Eddie. However, once his light brown eyes landed on Gwen, his smile changed into one of complete adoration, yearning even.
In that moment it just felt it was the two of them in that party room. The other Losers were able to right away pick up on the moment they were having. They watched Stan and Gwen, heavily invested, and patiently waiting to see what would happen next.
"Gwen." Stan softly called out.
"Stan." Gwen whispered, not taking her eyes off of him. She knew that seeing Stan was going to be intense...but what she didn't know was just how intense it was going to be. Just like with Eddie, an image (or should she say images) started to pop into her head. They wouldn't stop though and one in particular had her gasping lowly. It had been very quick but she could have sworn it was one of a younger Stan and her kissing.
The thought of that happening made her lightheaded. Ignoring the feeling, Gwen took a step forward, desperately wanting to get closer to Stan. However, she found herself going dizzy to the point where she could no longer ignore her lightheadedness. She stopped walking and lifted her right hand to her head. The others watched with extreme concern.
"Gwen, are you okay?" Eddie asked her. Since he was the closest to her he saw how unsteady she looked. That really put him on edge. He was about to suggest for her to sit down, when she nodded her head.
"Yeah, I―" She never got to finish that sentence because she lost consciousness. Thankfully Eddie had been able to catch her before she fell to the floor, but that didn't stop the others from fretting over her.
Especially Stanley Uris, who just saw his childhood love faint right in front of him.
A/N: I pulled a Beverly Marsh on ya'll with that ending. Fans of the 1990 miniseries will know what I am talking about xD The next chapter will continue the reunion scene with the Losers, which I am super excited for. Expect a lot of lighthearted moments and a lot of tension between Gwen and Stan. I suggest enjoying the lighthearted moments because we all know they won't last.