forever winter-beverly marsh x fem! oc

chapter two

(this chapter and the next one are short so my apologies)

When they stopped, they were met with a boy. A short and chubby one, who Jo recognized to be the new kid. It was Ben Hanscom. Jo liked him enough. He was very sweet, not annoying, and not ruthless like Richie. She thought it would be nice to make friends with him.

"You gonna let us go by? Or is there a secret password, or something?" Beverly asked. Jo slapped her lightly on the side. She didn't realize she came off as rude.

"Uh...sorry." Ben shook his head.

"Sorry's not a–" Bev started, but Ben dropped what he was holding and she stopped for a moment. "Password." He dropped his bike just after, and Beverly looked at Jo with concern.

"You good, Ben?" Jo asked. He looked up at her after finally getting his stuff together.

"Yeah, thanks, Josephine," he replied with a smile.

"Just Jo is fine," she corrected.

"Jo...I think I like that better than Josephine," Ben decided.

"So do I. That's why I chose to go by it," she stated. He held his grip on his red bike. Beverly looked around at his surroundings.

"Henry and his goons are over by the west entrance, so you're not," Beverly started.

"Oh, I wasn't—" Ben said.

"Everyone knows he's looking for you," Bev interrupted. Ben sighed and looked down.

"It's alright, new kid," Jo comforted, "He's after us a lot, too." Beverly stepped forward.

"What're you listening to?" she asked, grabbing his headphones off of his head. As soon as she placed them on hers, she smiled. Jo leaned over to put her ear next to the headphones. Then, she smiled, too.

"New Kids On the Block," Beverly said in an amused tone. Ben looked embarrassed.

"I don't even like them! I was just, uh," Ben defended.

"Wait! You're the new kid, right? Now I get it," Beverly teased. Jo chuckled.

"There's nothing to get," Ben said.

"I'm just messing with you," she replied as she placed the headphones back on his head.

"She does that a lot. The teasing, I mean. Does it to me a lot, too," Jo agreed. Bev nodded to confirm.

"I'm Beverly Marsh," she introduced herself.

"Yeah, I know that 'cause we're in the same class. Social studies. You're...I'm Ben," he cut himself off, "But most everybody just calls me—"

"The New Kid," Bev and Jo said at the same time.

"Well, Ben, there are much worse things to be called," Beverly claimed. Jo nodded.

"That's an understatement," Jo commented. Ben looked confused.

"Why? What do people call you?" he asked. Before Jo could answer, Bev stepped forward and grabbed his yearbook out of his bag. She didn't want Jo to respond to that. After all their years of being best friends, Beverly could sense when Jo was about to run her mouth on something she shouldn't right away.

"Let me sign this," she said.

"Oh! Me too!" Jo exclaimed. When Beverly opened the book, it was empty. No signatures. Jo frowned. Ben was such a sweetheart. Why had no one signed his yearbook?

Beverly took out a pen and began to write her name, underlining it and putting a heart next to it. She then handed it to Jo, and Jo happily signed it.

Your new best friend: Josephine (Jo) Abrams. Have a nice summer!

Jo gave Ben his yearbook, and when he read what she wrote, his face brightened and he smiled largely.

"Stay cool, Ben from soc class," Bev farewelled.

"Bye, Ben," Jo added. They started walking away.

"Bye guys," Ben said.

"Stay tough, New Kid On the Block," Beverly said and Jo snorted. They didn't bother to turn around and look at him.

They had walked further, and Jo was smiling widely.

"He's a nice boy. We should make friends with him," Jo suggested.

"He is. I wonder why he hasn't got many friends," Bev added. Jo nodded in agreement.

And with that, the girls walked back to their apartment complex arm in arm like they had every day before that.