DISCLAIMER: IT IS OWNED BY NEW LINE CINEMA AND WARNER BROS. STUDIOS! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MY OC'S!
A/N: The only thing I will say before this chapter begins is that I am currently making a playlist for Steph's character. If you want to give it a listen, go to my YouTube channel, "Adalynn's Horror World!" and you'll find "Steph's Playlist" under the PLAYLIST tab.
I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this rewrite!
Well we got no choice
All the girls and boys
Makin' all that noise
'Cause they found new toys
Chapter One: School's Out For Summer!
June 13th, 1989
6:45 A.M.
Stephanie Palmer stepped out of the door of the grey, two-story house on Kansas Street and sniffed the air. It was warm and fresh with a bit of coolness adding a bit of spice to it. To the pre-teen girl, it felt like it had a special significance: It marked, in her own mind, the official start of summer. If it hadn't been for the fact that the school year wasn't over just yet, she would have honestly thought that the summer season was really here. But, unfortunately for her, it wouldn't end for another seven hours and forty-five minutes. At least the last day of school was today, even if it seemed so far away at the same time.
Nevertheless, Steph thought about how she thought her summer break might go. She felt that same mixture of eagerness, excitement, and slight dread that most teenagers that lived in Derry, Maine felt about the season.
She was a very pretty girl of twelve years (although she would be turning thirteen the next month), slim and angular, with messy, blonde hair falling without fanfare right to her shoulders. There were a lot of crazy hairstyles in the 80s, but Steph just thought it was a trend; she had tried it herself but it was a freaking pain in the butt for her to keep up with. She wasn't like those colorful girls at Derry Middle School, and she wasn't the most beautiful young lady - at least, in her mind - so she honestly never understood the mess. In her opinion, there were more interesting things to do in life, like reading, than spending all that time washing, blow-drying, teasing, or just doing whatever to your hair that would just ruin it.
Steph's life as a pre-teen was more simple and boring than all that stuff and that was just fine with her.
She was dressed in simple school attire, although she was wearing clothing that was slightly warm for the hot weather on the horizon: a print skirt, leggings underneath that, tennis shoes, and a boy's shirt under a jean jacket. Loaded down with a heavy backpack, she appeared to be round-shouldered and flat-chested, but that didn't worry her at all. Today was a school day and there was no way you could look glamorous when you went. So you do the best you can and if your friends tease you about how you dress, you grin and deal with it.
She was slightly surprised to see several children around her age already rushing out their doors and riding their bikes to school. Even though she was a very proud loser, she sometimes couldn't help but feel as if she didn't belong in this crappy town, but she always ignored that feeling. She was quite happy with her friends.
And she always would be.
Her unusually dark blue eyes crossed over two young girls with their mother as the woman put them in the car. They had bright smiles on their faces, and Steph knew that they were happy that summer would be arriving by the end of the day. She herself knew that neither of the girls was Amber O'Connor, one of the children she often babysat from time to time; that young girl lived down the street, not right across from her.
Ah, babysitting: the number one boring job in Derry. To every single teenager, with the exception of Steph herself, babysitting was a freaking chore to get through! But the pre-teen really didn't mind watching over her two hosts that she would be in charge of every now and then, from once a week to every two weeks: Justin and Amber O'Connor. And that was exactly what she was going to be doing tonight, just like she always did. But she at least never got bored of it, unlike the other teenagers that had the same job as her.
Teenagers always used babysitting as an excuse to get money, and sure, Steph needed some money for whenever she needed to get groceries for her and her mother, but she never begged for it like others did. She genuinely cared about Justin and Amber; in fact, she could even call the children her friends. And, because of this, she would happily be spending another evening supervising Justin's strange addiction to horror movies (although she was the same way), reading Amber Sleeping Beauty for the millionth time before putting her to sleep, and satisfying their craving (and hers) for popcorn and soda.
"Stephanie, Stephanie," she said under her breath, shaking her head as she chuckled, "at this rate, you'll end up being like Laurie Strode. Oh, how far you've fallen!"
"What're you daydreaming about, sweetie?" came a voice from behind her and Steph whipped her head around. She grinned when she saw who it was.
Jamie Palmer, a woman of forty-three and who was Steph's mother, was standing on the front porch with the door open a little. She was a beautiful middle-aged woman who had wavy and messy brown hair that complemented her sea green eyes perfectly. While Steph's eyes were often compared to an Arctic glacier, Jamie's were like a clear lake in a dark forest; if you looked closer at that lake you could see a round shallow crevice filled with completely transparent water. They were the prettiest part of her kind face that looked a lot like her daughter's.
"Oh, you know," Steph replied merrily, "the usual: going to parties and acting stupid with my friends." She knew that her mother wouldn't take her seriously.
And she didn't.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Jamie exclaimed, sighing with fake relief. "I thought you were thinking about getting a good education and actually studying in school. Phew!" She pretended to wipe perspiration off of her forehead and the two both laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about me," she retorted playfully. "My mother raised me to be a good girl. Just like the awesome person she is!"
The two stood on the porch for a moment, just appreciating how dazzling the still rising sun was. Its rays filled the sky with shades of pink, amber, and orange; the sunrise signaled a brand new day, another opportunity to live (possibly the billionth chance). The light shone upon their faces so impeccably that they didn't even notice that it was glittering in the orbs of their eyes.
"Well, I don't want you to be late for school," said Jamie, patting her only child on the back. "Don't forget, you have to be home a little earlier today so you can be at the O'Connor's by 4:00."
"I know," replied Steph, tugging her backpack straps closer to her.
"Okay, you have a good day at school, sweetie."
Steph nodded with a smile, leaning forward to give her mother a goodbye kiss on the cheek and a warm hug. It was so simple and she did this every day, but it was always the best part about leaving her home when she showed her mother affection; it was more important to the young girl than Jamie thought, especially considering what the woman was going through currently.
Steph set out down Kansas Street after grabbing her light blue bicycle, pulling it along with her since she couldn't ride it. On her back, her bag was slung over it, weighing down her body like it was the planet Earth itself. She suddenly found herself thinking about the fact that this was her last day of middle school; after today, she would never have to step foot into that horrid place ever again. She hated it there, so she was glad that it was ending for her and she would go on to high school. Rumors had it that Derry High was a much more pleasant place, and she couldn't wait to be a freshman.
But she also thought of the nice teachers that she would be leaving behind - for example, Mrs. Douglass - and it kind of made her sulk a little. Those people helped her get by when times were tough at school with the Bowers Gang running around and all. Despite this, her tiny sliver of sadness at the thought couldn't overpower her excitement to sprint out of the school as fast as possible when the bell rang, to catch up with her friends (The Losers' Club) in the hallway and talk to them about summer plans.
And that was when a slight feeling of misery crept into her emotions, and she inwardly winced.
It had been eight months since Georgie Denbrough had vanished into thin air, and she was still deeply saddened by the news, but not as much as she had been when she had learned it on that fateful October day. She had sat in her room for days on end, not saying a word, just thinking about the fun times she and the little boy had since she was best friends with his older brother, Bill Denbrough.
She began to think about Bill, and a wave of sympathy washed through her soul at the thought of the boy. She had been trying her best to help him through the tragedy, trying to make him smile and laugh like he used to; it mostly worked, but she understood how he felt when it didn't. She couldn't even imagine losing a friend or a family member like that, even if Georgie was 'missing.'
Yeah, Steph honestly thought that the boy had long since died after his disappearance. She didn't dare say this to Bill's face, not wanting to break the boy's heart even more, knowing that it would break hers as well. She thought about the look on his face if she ever told him that was horrifying to her, which made her shake her head, breaking herself away from the thought. It was unspeakable, unthinkable!
Jesus, Steph… get a grip on yourself, she thought in her mind.
"Hey, Steph!"
Rarely had she been so relieved to be pulled out of a fantasy. She sighed with genuine relief, unlike her mother earlier, and she turned to her right, a happier grin forming on her face as she saw a small boy jogging towards her. A part of her was confused as to why he hadn't waited for her to get him so she could walk him to school. Oh well, she thought. It was just last-day-of-school shenanigans.
The boy that ran up to her was Justin O'Connor, the boy that she often babysat along with his little sister, Amber. He was a bright-looking, nine-year-old with tousled brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he had two or three books in his left arm, which made Steph giggle a bit. This boy was just like her sometimes; it usually amused her, but she would be curious at other given times. She was feeling the former today as he reached her.
"Hi, Justin," she replied brightly, ruffling his hair; this was something she always did, and it used to annoy the boy greatly. He was used to it now, although he faked irritation.
As they walked side by side for several paces, he looked up at her. "You're coming over tonight, right?" he inquired. Steph nodded instantly.
"Like I always do," she answered modestly, slowing down her walking pace a little so he could keep up with her. Justin O'Connor was not a very fast walker, she learned very quickly, since he had a lazy step to him. This never bothered the both of them, especially Steph (she was normally a very patient person unless you made her mad).
Justin smiled even more, satisfied with this answer. "Are we gonna do the things we always do?" he asked. Steph sighed inwardly; this was the exact same question he asked every time she came over to watch over him and Amber for a few hours. Nevertheless, she nodded, the grin never leaving her face. She then, once again, reached out her right hand to mess up his hair, and he chuckled.
Amber O'Connor was being taken to school by her father, since her parents didn't trust her enough to let her start walking the few miles to school yet. Steph had definitely understood this when Justin had mentioned it to her a year before, but she couldn't wait until the little girl could start walking with them to school as well.
Steph and Justin continued walking, joking around and laughing like they did every day. The pre-teen, if she were honest, loved the young boy and considered him a friend, not just a boy that she looked after on a weekly basis. She hoped that he never lost his innocence, although she knew that it would eventually happen, which made her sulk slightly on the inside. If he didn't lose his innocence, he would forever be a good person that was kind and would help others. But if he did, he could use that to a good advantage and still be a nice person, but he wouldn't be an angel like he was right now.
She ignored that thought, scolding herself for even thinking such a thing. She wanted to smack herself in the face, but she restrained herself from doing so, not wanting to do something stupid. Steph decided to be wise and keep the happy look planted on her face, and Justin wasn't able to see through it, much to her relief.
After twenty minutes, the two kids finally arrived at Derry Elementary School, which was Justin's stop for today. Steph was a little bummed that she wouldn't be able to talk to him more, but she knew he had to deal with the last day of the school year. And she had to do the same.
"Well, this is where you stop," she announced jokingly. "Try not to let those idiots put you down." As she said this, she softly punched his shoulder, making him laugh.
"You don't have to worry about that," Justin responded with a proud smirk. "I can take care of myself."
Steph nodded. "You're a smart boy, Justin. Because of that, I believe you. Now, go on and enjoy your last day." She gave him a friendly hug, like she did every time they arrived here.
"Okay. You too. I'll see you tonight," Justin said, breaking away and running towards the school's open doors.
"See you."
After she had continued walking, Steph paused on the corner, feeling odd, as if someone's eyes were boring into the back of her skull. She turned and gazed back at the school and her eyebrows knit in confusion. Was she crazy or was there a shape standing behind a tree, staring at her?
She rubbed her eyes and looked again; there was nobody there. Good. Her imagination was just working overtime again. So, ignoring her increasingly worrying thoughts, she turned back around and continued her stride to school, pulling her bike alongside her like she did every single day.
God, she was looking forward to a good day.
2:27 P.M.
"I hope you all have a wonderful summer," Mrs. Douglass said in a rather chipper voice as she stood in the front of the classroom. There was a true grin on her face while she went over to the blackboard. "Now, there are a few things I would like to remind you all before the bell rings." As she said this, she took the side of a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard in large bold letters. She started making a list for all of the children so they would know what to do over the summer. There were only four bullets, so it really didn't look like much to the young teenagers.
Steph had not been paying attention for most of the class, although she acted like she was; and, if you ever examined the blonde-haired girl from time to time, you would've thought she was a great actress. And she was. If she was zoned out, she pretended that she was actually focused on whatever you were saying, although she never truly understood the words. For the time being, she was just sitting at her desk in the back of the classroom, glancing between the clock and her notebook sitting in front of her.
There were now two and a half minutes left of class and, in turn, the school year as a whole. And, although she was beyond happy to see it end for good, she was a little too focused on what she was doodling in her notebook: her own sketch of the poster for the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street. It was her favorite horror film, despite the fact that she never let the kids watch it whenever she babysat them. Steph was afraid that it would spook them a little too much, and who could blame her? Nobody that young should watch something like that.
The young girl eventually realized that she had been doodling for too long and that she was doing it so absently, and this made her finally sit up attentively when she noticed the bulleted list that Mrs. Douglass had made.
- Go outside every once in a while.
- Read a new book.
- Make some friends.
- DO NOT be out past the 7:00 P.M. curfew!
Steph sighed to herself as she read that last one; in her mind, the curfew never seemed to stop all of those children from going missing. They were still dropping like flies and there was nothing that the police could do about it, much to her dismay. It caused her to look away from the blackboard and back down to her notebook, quietly drawing her breath in sharply. She finished her final touches to the sketch until she was satisfied enough. After this, she began writing something in giant letters.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Steph glanced back up at the clock.
One minute left.
Good.
She turned back to her notebook.
She ignored the stares she was getting from some of her classmates that loved to pick on her; she was used to it by now and she didn't give a crap about them. She was just sucked into her own little world where she was just waiting for that loud bell of freedom to blare through the room. For God's sake, she was even glancing out of the window because of how bored she was, and she smiled at the several kids who had already gotten out of class and who were dumping their school supplies into the garbage bins that sat beside the bike rack.
I need to pay attention, Steph thought to herself. I can't be distracted… Well, maybe one more time so I can see their happy faces.
She turned her head ever so slightly.
"Stephanie?"
The pronunciation of her name came like a thunderclap, and she jumped as if a bolt had struck her seat. "Yes, ma'am?" she replied in a shaky voice, hearing the snickering of several students.
"What are you doing for summer vacation?" asked Mrs. Douglass as she stared at the blonde girl expectantly.
Steph was aware of the eyes drilling holes into her. Why is this my life? she silently thought. But, instead, a small but fake smile formed on her face. "I don't know as of yet, Mrs. Douglass," she replied smoothly.
Her teacher nodded and turned to the rest of the class. "Now, I just want you all to be safe and I hope you have a great four years at Derry High…"
Steph zoned out once again, turning back to her notebook to finish writing the words she had intended to print. After she was done, she started tapping her pencil against the desk, although she did so very silently. Her midnight blue eyes were set on the classroom's old clock that was hanging on the wall. Time mocked her as it went by super slowly, way too slow for her liking. She tried to be patient, but this was one of the rare occurrences where she couldn't be when she wasn't mad. She wasn't even angry, but she was growing a little impatient to get out of this horrible place as fast as possible.
The summer was calling her name, and she wanted to follow that voice so badly.
Steph glanced back down and read the giant words that she had written in her notebook:
I'M SO BORED… LET THIS SCHOOL YEAR END RIGHT NOW…
And, the bell finally rang, blaring throughout the building with shrill finality, and many students bounded out of the classroom with joy and relief. Steph was one of those kids, although she wasn't as hyper as the rest. Somehow, she was able to get her mixtape in her Walkman and she put the headphones over her ears as she kept walking down the hallway, trying to get to her locker. She pressed Play on the Walkman, and heard the blissful lyrics of Alice Cooper's School's Out fill her ears.
If that don't suit ya that's a drag
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces
Steph rounded the corner of the hallway and froze instantly as she still heard the voices of her peers booming in her ears, bouncing off of the lockers in a rough manner. A tiny bit of fear flooded her for a second, but she managed to not show it, proving how great she was at hiding her true emotions. She locked eyes with Henry Bowers, and chills ran down her spine when her gaze caught his. The silent exchange only lasted for three seconds before she spun around and decided to take the long way to her locker.
Luckily for her, it seemed as though Bowers had decided to not go after her, and she sighed to herself, feeling immense relief. She couldn't get the way he had smirked at her out of her mind and it made her sick to her stomach when she pictured it. She had used to be terrified of him and his gang, but after some advice from Jamie, she learned to ignore those monsters and only stand up for herself and others when absolutely necessary.
Jamie Palmer was a very smart woman. She had learned a lot of things that she eventually taught Steph. I guess that's what happens when you've been a widow for thirteen years.
No more pencils, no more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Out for summer
Out till fall
Steph stopped at her locker after the little encounter with the Bowers Gang; her excitement overpowered the slight worry she had felt for those few seconds as she barreled through the chattering students to get to her locker. She conquered her combination in next to no time, grabbing her backpack and slamming the locker shut. She would never see it again after this, and she didn't care. All she cared about was getting to her destination: the girls' bathroom.
She just wanted a small break from the loud-mouthed students for just a few minutes before she left the school and caught up with her friends outside. Surely, they must have been joking around or discussing summer plans without her, and she was perfectly fine with that.
We might not come back at all
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely
After what seemed like forever, Steph finally entered the girls' bathroom, putting a hand to her chest; she was so happy to be rid of the swarm of students that were annoying her like a fly normally would when it buzzed around your head. She leaned the back of her head against the cool brick wall for just a second before pushing herself off of it as if it were a stool. She then made a beeline for the second stall in the room, the smell of cigarette smoke filling her nose; she resisted the urge to cough, since she hated the smell. She gently shut the door behind her and sat on the toilet, turning to the metallic wall beside her as she did.
She gently raised her hand and rapped on the door three times. "Bev?" she called out. "It's me."
"How's it going, little Loser?" came a musical voice in response. Steph giggled slightly, trying to stifle her laughter as best as she could. Beverly Marsh always made her laugh, whether it was her very nonchalant manner, or how she liked to crack jokes every once in a while. The blonde-haired girl loved her best friend and hung out with her more than she did with her other friends.
"Oh, you know, just glad this school year's over," she replied jokingly, and both girls laughed at this remark. "You okay in there?" she added, her amusement switching to slight concern. She couldn't see if Beverly nodded her head or not, but she heard a reply seconds later just as she heard new voices enter the bathroom.
"Yeah," replied Beverly. "Just excused myself to smoke for a minute."
Of course, Steph thought humorously.
Out of nowhere, the girl heard a loud groan of anger before someone's foot furiously made contact with the door of the stall next to her. Steph jumped so suddenly that her head smacked against the wall out of shock; she held a hand against her forehead, begging for the pain to go away just as quickly as it had arrived.
"Are you in there by yourself, Beaver-ly?!" shouted a female voice that contained a lot of sass in it. "Or do you have half the guys in the school with you, huh, twat?!"
Steph's blood boiled, but she didn't dare move, knowing she would regret it if she did. She winced despite this, wishing she could comfort her friend, even if Beverly Marsh was beyond used to the bullying at this point; the girl had to deal with it every day, just like Steph had to. Even if the girls felt it was like everyday life now, that still didn't take away from the fact that they hated it with a burning passion. And that was something that would always resonate with them.
"I know you're in there, I smell you," the girl continued. "No wonder you don't have any friends."
That's a freaking lie and you know it, Greta, Steph thought angrily.
It was that curly-haired popular girl, Greta Keene; she was the mean girl of the school that always took the chance to bully anyone that came across her path. Sure, she wasn't as bad as Henry Bowers or Patrick Hockstetter, but she was bad enough for the girls to deal with. Every time she saw them, she wouldn't hesitate to call them horrible names that they themselves never had the courage to say, and that always infuriated Steph, although she barely said a word to her.
As she heard the taunting go on and on, Steph began to hear one of the sinks running water, and she tilted her head in curiosity. But, at the same time, she was hoping that nothing bad would take place, even if she had the slight feeling that it would. She stayed still, frozen to where she sat, not moving a muscle; she began to panic slightly when she heard Beverly speak up.
"Which is it, Greta?" she sighed, tired of hearing the insults over and over again. "Am I a twat or a lonely girl with no friends? Make up your mind."
Now, Greta wasn't the only person in the school that was spreading rumors about the infamous Beverly Marsh. Pretty much every single person in the school, with the exception of Steph and her friends, thought that the girl had slept with nearly every boy around their age. This was not true in the slightest since, according to the girl herself, she had only been kissed by one boy, even if it was on the cheek. So the rumors were complete and utter lies.
"You're trash," Greta replied, now genuinely angry with the girl. "We just wanted to remind you."
Just as Steph stood up, ready to open the stall door to defend her best friend once again, it suddenly swung open, much to her surprise. She saw Sally Mueller, a girl just a little older than her with dirty blonde hair, holding a garbage bag that seemed to be filled with lots of trash. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, especially when Sally met her gaze.
"What are you doing in here, you loser?!" shouted Sally, briefly letting go of the trash bag to grab Steph. She jerked the blonde out of the stall and the poor girl ran into the wall, grunting when she made contact with it.
"Oh… well, well, well," came Greta's voice from behind her. "If it isn't the little brace-faced princess."
Steph bravely turned around and glared at Greta with such intensity that she wouldn't be surprised if it scared the female bully. "Get the heck out of here and leave Bev alone," she growled, gritting her teeth in anger. "She doesn't deserve that." The girl in front of her didn't back down; instead, it seemed as if she had gotten even more furious.
"What are you gonna do about it, Palmer?" sneered Greta. "You standing up for your trashy friend here? Why are you her friend, anyway? You deserve far better than that filth!" As she said this, she pointed to the stall door that Beverly was residing behind.
The blonde girl sighed, her face twisting into an expression of slight emotional agony. "Just please leave her alone," she pleaded.
"Such a loser," Sally taunted as she lifted up the garbage bag while standing on the toilet of the second stall. She tilted it over and Steph saw disgusting trash raining down into Beverly's stall, and she gasped quietly to herself in appallment. She turned to Greta and shoved her harshly.
"GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, jutting her finger to the hallway. Greta chuckled, ignoring how angry Steph was as she tilted her head, motioning for the other girls to leave.
"Let's go, girls," she told them before sending a kick to the back of Steph's right leg when the blonde turned around. "Have a nice summer, Beaver-ly. Same goes to you, brace-face."
"Just because I have braces doesn't give you the right to tease me about it!" Steph shouted after her. She didn't even care if Greta replied to her retort as she turned to the bathroom stall. She tentatively placed her hand on it, knowing it was locked. "You okay in there, Bev?" she asked in a softer voice.
The door opened almost immediately after she had spoken, and her best friend came into view from behind it.
Beverly Marsh, in Steph's honest opinion, was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen. She was pretty tall for an average teenage girl, and she had a slim form that went well with her long, fiery red hair that reached her waist as well as her blue-green eyes. She had a body that even made the most beautiful of girls jealous, although the redhead didn't know this. Sure, Steph's closest friend may have been poor with barely any money to get by, but she didn't judge her at all; she saw her for who she was as a person, and it made Beverly grateful.
"It's nothing new," she replied with a small smile. "Don't worry about me." At that moment, Steph realized that only Beverly's fingers were slightly covered with filth. Nothing else was, besides her backpack, which was drenched in sink water and had several pieces of trash on it. It made the blonde grimace slightly, but she barely showed it.
"Well… she shouldn't do that to you, anyway," said Steph with a huff. "I gotta go and get home early. Babysitting and all."
Beverly nodded. "Of course," she responded, giving Steph a one-armed hug. "See you tomorrow, little Loser."
Steph chuckled. "You too, Bev."
After they parted ways, Steph walked back into the hallway. Her flower-designed skirt fluttered against her slightly bony legs, her hair blew behind her and thudded against her neck, and her blue eyes were focused on the front doors of the school as she took each step forward. And, as she opened them, a feeling of happiness and relief settled in her mind; knowing that she was leaving school for at least three months was relaxing to her. She took a deep breath and smiled, walking down the steps of Derry Middle School.
A few seconds later, she spotted her friends and she jogged over to them, a novel clutched in her right arm. As she approached them, she ignored the conversation the other kids were currently having about whatever. She didn't really pay attention to them as she finally approached the four boys.
"Hey, guys!" she greeted cheerfully. "Wait… what's wrong? You seem like you just went through trouble." A mildly concerned look formed on her face as she said the last sentence.
Her four best friends were standing in front of her: Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier, and Stanley Uris. And they all either looked angry or overwhelmed. This worried her even more, since she was now wondering if something bad had happened to them.
"Bowers and his gang," Richie answered her quite easily as he adjusted his glasses and Steph rolled her eyes.
"Of course," she sighed heavily, rubbing her temple in annoyance. "You guys okay?"
All of the boys nodded and she smiled in relief. "Now, who's excited that the summer is finally upon us on this glorious day?" she said more dramatically, making all of the boys laugh, especially Bill. After she was done, she giggled a little as well, finding her terrible acting kind of hilarious.
"All I want is to just go play Street Fighter and not have to deal with you losers this summer," Richie said sarcastically, still chuckling slightly.
"Beep Beep, jerk!" Steph yelled at him playfully in a warning manner.
"Sorry, m'lady!"
"Seriously, Richie! Shut up!" Eddie said, a little irritated by the bespectacled boy's behavior. And Richie fell quiet, much to their relief.
"D-D-Duh-Did you have a g-g-good day, Steph?" Bill asked. The blonde girl grinned at him because of the polite question.
Bill Denbrough was a tall and kind boy of thirteen, and he had a lanky build that nobody judged him for. He also had cropped brown hair and sky blue eyes that always brightened whenever Steph was around, although she didn't know this. He looked like your regular teenage boy in everyday society. If it hadn't been for his stutter, that would have been considered so.
"Yeah, I did," she replied genuinely. "Thanks, Bill."
"Nuh-No problem," he said.
After this, all five of them grabbed their bikes and rode away from the school. Steph looked around them to make sure that they were not being followed by the Bowers Gang and, much to her elation, they didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Ever since the day she befriended the boys, she grew a motherly and protective nature over them, but it wasn't overbearing. Instead, she truly did care for her boys and didn't want them hurt, even if it was by any bullies.
She ignored the thought for now, just appreciating the bliss she was feeling as she and her best friends rode towards home on their bikes, grins planted on their faces.
A/N: Well, there ya have it! The official start of the rewriting process!
I honestly hope that this opening was a lot more meaningful than the original version and that it delved into Steph's personal life a lot more, which is my main goal for this rewrite!
What did you guys think of this first chapter? Was it good? Was it better than the original version? Did you enjoy this version more? Let me know!
Is Steph a more likable character? I hope she is to you guys!
Next chapter will be her babysitting the O'Connor's, so be looking forward to that!
I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! Be looking forward to the next one! Have a great day, and until next time!
- Hermione Romanoff
