"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°•
Summer. It was the best time of year. It meant no school and the glorious freedom to stay buried in bed until late. The soft, comfortable embrace of my blankets had me deep in dreamland, and I was convinced nothing on earth could persuade me to leave.
That was, until my dearest friend, Beverly Marsh, burst into my room on a mission to drag me out of my cozy fortress. "Come on,miss lazy, we have somewhere to be," Bev announced, pulling at my covers.
I glared up at her. If looks could kill, she'd be six feet under. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, letting out a big, protesting yawn. I turned my head on the pillow to properly look at my friend, and that's when I noticed it. I sat bolt upright.
"Dude, what happened to your hair?" I asked, pointing at her newly shorn locks. "I decided to cut it,"Bev said, far too casually for such a drastic change.
But I knew. Deep down, I knew her creepy-ass father had something to do with it. Every time I went over to her apartment, he gave me total freak vibes. The way he looked at her… no father should ever look at his daughter like that. I let it slide, though. Pushing her would only make her shut down.
"Cori, get dressed," Bev demanded. I gave her a deadpan look."Why? My blankets are a national treasure," I stated, rolling back into them with a dramatic sigh.
Beverly gave me a smile then—the kind of smile that said she held a royal flush and knew I was about to fold. "Well,then I guess you won't be seeing Ben today," she sang, slowly turning to walk out of my room.
"No! Wait!"
Beverly's cheeky smile was unmistakable as I launched myself out of bed. I think I set a new world record for getting dressed. I threw on a simple summer dress and jammed my feet into my shoes in a frenzy.
I grabbed Beverly's hand, practically dragging her out of the house. We jumped on our bikes and sped toward the quarry, the wind whipping through our hair. Bev spent the entire ride secretly chuckling at my eagerness; I just flipped her the bird.
We arrived to find the boys standing on the rocky ledge in their underwear, staring down at the water as if it were a bottomless pit. "Who's first?"was the first thing we heard Bill ask, his voice echoing slightly.
My eyes snapped to hers. I thought she was joking on the bike ride over. She was not. She was completely, utterly serious. And crazy. A thrill shot through me. I let my bike fall to the ground, pulled my dress over my head, and stood there in my underwear, a sudden wave of shyness hitting me. Bev just grinned, grabbed my hand, and we ran.
"Sissies!" Bev yelled teasingly over her shoulder as we leaped.
"What the fuck!" Richie screamed somewhere behind us, his voice cracking with shock.
The plunge was breathtaking. I stayed under for a second, letting my body adjust to the shock of the colder-than-expected water. When I surfaced, gasping and laughing, the boys were still on the ledge, staring. A bunch of scaredy-cats.
"Come on, cowards!" I called out, treading water.
That seemed to do the trick. One after the other, they jumped, joining us with a series of huge splashes. Soon, a massive splash war erupted. I hid behind Ben's broader frame, using him as a shield while I launched a retaliatory splash attack at Richie, laughing until my stomach hurt.
Next, we ended up playing chicken. Bev climbed onto Bill's shoulders—a tall, skinny duo. I hoisted myself onto Ben's shoulders, feeling surprisingly steady and confident. Richie appointed himself our personal cheerleader, shouting commentary from the sidelines.
"Cori already won! They already won!" he cheered loudly.
Bev and I grappled, hands locked, trying to topple each other. I had the upper hand, leverage, and a fierce determination. With a final push, I sent her tumbling off Bill's shoulders, and they both splashed into the water.
"They are down! Yes!" Richie yelled in victory.
I carefully slid off Ben's shoulders, beaming, and gave him a quick, celebratory side hug. His cheeks flushed a brilliant, adorable red. I just chuckled, my own face feeling warm.
We swam around for a while longer, just enjoying the cool water and the freedom. Eventually, some of us just floated or stood in the shallows, watching Eddie, Richie, and Stanley play a clumsy game of tag.
I glanced over at Ben and found he was already looking at me. He flushed crimson, caught in the act. My heart did a little flip. I gave him a soft smile and sent a wink his way. He ducked his head shyly, but not before I saw an adorable smile touch his lips.
"Ah, fuck! What was that?" Richie yelped, his voice pitched high with panic. Our attention snapped to him. He was frantically looking around him in the water. "Something just touched my foot right here,"Stanley said, his eyes wide.
They all plunged underwater to investigate the mystery creature. "That work?"Eddie asked, popping back up. "Where are we looking?"Ben asked, joining the search. "Right here,right here!" Eddie said, pointing at a spot near him.
Bill surfaced, shaking water from his hair. "It's a turtle," he stated calmly, pointing to where he'd seen it.
Bev and I looked at each other and burst out laughing, the sound echoing across the quarry. Leave it to the boys to be terrified of a turtle.
