"I have to go,too," I spoke up, my voice barely above a whisper. "My mom's waiting for me." It was only half the truth.
I went around the circle, giving each of my friends a tight hug, saving Ben for last. I tried desperately to keep the tears from...
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•°Corinne's POV°•
"Well, that was disgusting. I'm gonna have to bleach my eyes out," I said to Bev, shivering with revulsion. "How do you thinkI feel?" Bev asked, rolling her eyes so hard I was surprised they didn't stick. "An old man checking out girls the same age as his daughter.It's pathetic," I said, shaking my head in disbelief at the audacity of some men. Bev just shook her head in shared disgust.
Looking ahead, I noticed Bill standing at the mouth of an alley, his eyes glued to Beverly. I couldn't help but smirk. We halted our steps in front of him, and he awkwardly pulled a dollar from his pocket, holding it out to us. "Um,t-thanks," he stammered, his gaze still locked on my best friend.
Beverly pulled out the packet of cigarettes she'd lifted and showed it to him. "Even-Steven," she said with a triumphant smile. I hadn't even seen her take them.
A sudden racket from deeper in the alley snapped my attention away. "Oh, God, he's bleeding! Oh my God!" Stanley's voice was pitched high with panic. I craned my neck and saw Eddie crouched in front of a familiar figure. Ben. He was the kid Eddie was talking about.
My feet never moved faster. I rushed towards the huddle of boys crowding around Ben, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Oh my God!Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes widening at the sight of the blood matting his hair and streaking his face. "Oh,no. I'm good. I just fell," Ben said, but the lie was so transparent it hurt. "Yeah,right. Into Henry Bowers' fists," Richie quipped, unable to help himself. I shot him a venomous look."S-shut it, Richie," Bill scolded, glaring at his friend.
I really hoped they weren't trying to keep this quiet, especially from me. I looked back at Ben, my expression softening into a smile. "You sure they got the right stuff to fix you up?" I asked with a wink, knowing he'd be the only one to catch the New Kids on the Block reference. A shy, pained smile touched his lips as he looked away, and my heart did a little flip.
I turned my attention to Bill, my face hardening again. "You guys better look after him," I said sternly, pointing a finger at each of them in turn to make my point crystal clear, "or I'll hunt you down."
"Um, thanks again, Beverly, Corinne," Bill said, and it felt less like gratitude and more like he was desperately trying to get us to leave. Fast. "Sure.Maybe I'll see you around," Bev said, her eyes lingering on the Denbrough boy. The chemistry between them was a tangible force, even in this grim alley. "Yeah,we w-were thinking about going to the quarry tomorrow, if you guys wanna come," Bill blurted out, the invitation clearly meant for Beverly.
"We'll think about it," I told him. I grabbed Bev's hand and started walking, pulling her along with me. They needed to patch Ben up, and we were just a distraction. But as we left, one thought solidified in my mind with cold, hard certainty: the next time Henry Bowers crossed my path, I was going to fuck him up so badly he'd wish he'd never been born.
•°Ben's POV°•
It was sad watching Corinne walk away, pulling a reluctant Beverly with her. The alley felt dimmer without her there. "Nice going,bringing up Bowers in front of them. Especially in front of Corinne," Stanley snapped at Richie, his voice tight with anxiety. "Yeah,dude, you heard the things going around," Eddie added, sounding less like he was scolding and more like he was reminding everyone of a well-known, terrifying fact. Their cryptic talk just made me more curious and confused.
"What'd they do?" I asked the group, my voice quiet. "In Beverly's case,it's more like who'd she do. From what I hear, the list is longer than my wang," Richie said with his usual crassness. "That's not saying much,"Stanley muttered, utterly deadpan.
"And what about Corinne?" I asked, my voice firmer this time. This was what I really wanted to know. "Corinne beat up most of the guys at school,"Eddie stated matter-of-factly, not looking up from dabbing at my cut. "A while ago, she beat Henry Bowers to a pulp because he tried to... touch her. He ended up hospitalized for an entire week. Kids at school are afraid of her. Corinne doesn't take anyone's shit lightly." He said it with a strange mix of fear and respect.
Eddie continued his work, meticulously cleaning, disinfecting, and closing the wound. But my mind was miles away. The others' bickering faded into a dull hum, completely shut out by my thoughts of her.
With every new thing I learned, Corinne Summers became more intriguing, more complex than I could have ever imagined. I liked her. More each day. More with every sharp word and hidden smile.
Confessions? I wasn't a pro at them. My courage usually existed only in daydreams. But maybe, one day, if I could ever find the nerve, I'd actually tell her how I felt.
