A/n: for reasons, characters are aged up in this fic. The story takes place two years after the events of The Body/Stand by Me and carries on into Needful Things.

Please enjoy!As of 3/24/24, the chapters have been rewritten.

"This dump hasn't changed much," Madeline Kensington, a withered middle-aged woman with light blonde hair, stated in an unamused tone.

Elise gave her mother a curious look, then glanced out the window as they passed through downtown Castle Rock. It was not much to look at, a bit bigger than she remembered, but it also was not as bad as Madeline was making it out to be; it was just an ordinary town in Maine.

Compared to Derry, it was a breath of fresh air.

"I always liked it here," Elise mentioned.

Madeline snorted.

"You and your father both."

She did not see the appeal. It was her husband's idea to uproot them from Derry. He got a job in nearby Castle View and because money was tight, he asked her to live with his uptight mother, Francine - Nana to those who knew her - until he secured them a home of their own to live in.

Madeline was not thrilled, and though Francine did not seem to mind, because she lived alone; her husband passed two springs ago from cancer, the free-spirited woman was not too keen on rules. She could not understand why either of the two, her teenage daughter and husband, were eager to start new. It annoyed her.

"What was so wrong with Derry? You had friends, didn't you? Oliver had a good job." Madeline asked.

Elise turned her curious blue eyes toward her mother and frowned. Was she serious?

"Derry was hard…for all of us. I'll be better here. Who knows? Maybe we can heal."

She doubted it though, but it was what her dad wanted for them.

Turning on Willow Street, Madeline parked the Buick into the lot of an old ranch-style house with baby blue shutters and a white picket fence. On the porch swing, dressed in a blue dress with white flowers sat Nana Francine, knitting. Her short blonde hair shifted out of place as she sat down the needles and stood to wave.

Elise quickly got out of the car and waved back.

"I'm so glad the two of you made it safely," Nana said with a smile.

Madeline scoffed.

"It was a long process."

"And I imagine the two of you are tired," Nana retorted, ignoring her complaint. "The moving truck came by earlier, but you two should rest before unpacking."

Elise grinned.

"I'm not tired. I don't mind getting a head start."

Madeline walked past her and into the house, earning a scowl from Nana. The said woman averted her attention to Elise and softened her expression.

"I cleaned out my old sewing room for you. There's only a mattress on the floor at the moment though, but your shelves have been moved upstairs," she explained.

Elise did not mind. She walked with Nana into the house and sighed. There were so many boxes piled in her small living room; Madeline sat on the couch using one to prop up her feet.

"I best get started," Elise uttered.

Her father, Oliver always encouraged her to get things done early, rather than wait. Thank heavens she did not have a lot of things.

Elise started with the smaller boxes; her knickknacks and books – each box was labeled with her first initial – and moved them to the sewing room. Once her belongings were upstairs, a task that took an hour or two, she began to unpack. First, her clothes, she hung them in the closet, then she placed all her books on the shelves. Lastly, she made her bed, putting a fresh new sheet on it and her floral comforter – she would get her father to set up the box spring and headboard the next time she saw him.

Taking a picture book from her shelf, Elise sat down on the bed and went through it. The photographs were mostly of her few friends and her old house in Derry. It was sad to leave them, but Elise understood that nothing was permanent. She was just glad to have met such wonderful people.

Hearing a knock, Elise turned her attention to her grandmother by the door.

"Are you all done? It looks lively here."

"For now," Elise answered with a sad smile.

Nana came into the room clutching her purse, prompting Elise to raise a curious brow.

"How would you like to do me a favor? It won't take long."

Elise set down her picture book and stood back up. "Of course, Nana. What can I help you with?"

"You're such a sweet girl," Nana said with a smile.

She opened her purse and dug through it until she found the extra change she was looking for and offered it to Elise.

"I am out of milk; must have forgotten to grab a carton while I was down at the store earlier. Do you think you can go into town and buy me some?"

Elise nodded her head. "Sure. Might give me a chance to get a better look at Castle Rock." She paused to count the change and hummed. "I think you gave me too much, Nana."

Milk was 36 cents per gallon. She had a dollar.

"Did I?" She gave Elise a wink. "Might as well buy ya something nice while you're out. Your mom and I can go over a few rules while you're away."

Elise felt pity for her Nana. Dealing with her mom was not the easiest thing to do. She was tolerable in small doses. This was probably why her father decided not to drive down until the weekend. He was healing the best he could.

Saying her goodbyes, Elise left the house and began to walk down Willow Street toward Main. She knew her mom would not mind if she drove the Buick, but she had been sitting for hours during the drive from Derry, so she reckoned walking might do her some good.

Downtown, she took a look around, searching for the store. Elise had been there only once with Nana when she was a kid, but she was certain it was on Main Street. Or so she thought. She saw a diner across the road, and a bar a few buildings down from that, but no store. Where was it?

Two teenage boys, one blonde and one brunette, were crossing the street, adjacent to her, heading in her direction. Elise forced a smile and cleared her throat.

"Um…excuse me but I need a little help."

One of the two, a lanky teen with his hair styled in a short fringe-up, turned to her and immediately his eyes lit up. For a brief second, he stared at her until the teen with him struck him in the arm.

"Ow! What did you do that for, Chris?"

"Smooth move," the blond - Chris - retorted, turning up his eyes. "A cute girl approaches you first and you freeze up."

His friend turned red in embarrassment. "I…just shut up. I didn't freeze up." He cleared his throat and turned his dark brown eyes to Elise. "What can we do for you?"

Elise smiled.

"Wasn't there a store here once?" She asked.

Chris hummed in agreement.

"It relocated last summer."

Elise sighed. Of course, it did.

"Are you new here?" The other teen asked.

"Sort of. I just moved in with my grandmother on Willow Street. I've been to Castle Rock a few times when I was younger, but I don't know as much about it as I thought," Elise answered.

Elbowing the teen again, Chris shot him a look, encouraging him to continue.

"I can show you where it was relocated," he mentioned.

"We," Chris corrected.

Their antics made her laugh.

"That would be groovy. I'm Elise by the way."

Chris, she already knew. The brown-haired teen introduced himself as Gordie.

With the pleasantries aside, the two led her to the grocery store, a small mom-and-pop establishment with not many people coming or going.

"Thank you both for the help. This town isn't all that big, yet I somehow would have gotten myself lost," Elise teased. She was grateful.

"We can show you around sometime. I mean if you like," Gordie mentioned, out of the blue.

Elise was not certain. Gordie and Chris appeared like they were a few years younger than her; their gesture was kind, however. The more she thought about it, the more she saw its benefits. It might do her some good to familiarize herself with Castle Rock.

"That would be boss. I'll buy you guys a soda in exchange."

It was the least she could do. She did not know what else to do with the extra change.

"We're free tomorrow," Gordie declared.

Tomorrow was not a bad time for her. Elise did not have much to do other than unpack.

"I'll meet you both here then, around noon."

Gordie and Chris spared a look to one another, then nodded in agreement. Saying their goodbyes, they waved at Elise as she sauntered into the store. Both would not admit it, but they were eager for plans; whatever got them out of the house and away from their families.

Elise hummed a jaunty tune as she located the milk, then took it to the front desk to be rung up. Her first day in Castle Rock was pleasant. She could already feel the emotional strain of Derry and the move ease away.

This move will be good. I needed this.

Unbeknownst to her, the Rock also had its secrets.