"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°•
It had ended up being a perfect day. I lay on my stomach on my towel, letting the sun dry my skin. My head was rested on my arms, my eyes closed, soaking in the warmth beaming down on my back. A deep, contented sigh escaped me, mingling with the sound of the radio playing softly in the background.
The boys' obvious stares didn't go unnoticed. I guess they'd never seen this much skin before. A small, private smile touched my lips at their innocence. When I moved to sit up, wrapping my arms around my knees, they all suddenly found incredibly interesting things to look at in the opposite direction, pretending they hadn't been staring at Bev and me just seconds before.
Richie, never one to respect boundaries, started rummaging through Ben's backpack. "News flash,Ben! School's out for summa!" he said in one of his ridiculous voices. I gave Ben a curious look. "Oh,that? That's not school stuff," Ben told him, suddenly looking nervous.
"Who sent you this?" Richie asked, pulling out a folded piece of paper. Ben clearly didn't want anyone to see it; he snatched it back from Richie's hands before the boy could get a closer look. "No one.Give it," Ben said, his voice tight as he shoved it back into his bag.
But it didn't stop Richie. The Tozier boy pulled out a thick, well-organized folder next. "What's with the history project?"Richie asked, flipping through the pages filled with clippings and notes. "Oh...When I first moved here, I didn't have anyone to hang out with, so I just started spending time in the library," Ben explained. My eyes stayed on him, seeing a flicker of the lonely new kid he must have been.
"You went to the library? On purpose?" Richie asked, incredulous.
I got up, wrapping my towel around me like a sarong. "Richie, the library is a place full of information. You should go sometime; you might actually learn something," I told him, sitting down in the space that had opened up between Bill and Ben.
"Oh, I wanna see," Bev said, getting up and taking the only spot left open, right next to Bill.
"What's the Black Spot?" Stanley asked, peering at a photograph.
"The Black Spot was a nightclub that was burned down years ago by that racist cult," Eddie explained, his voice matter-of-fact.
I could feel Ben's eyes on the side of my face. The world seemed to narrow to just the two of us for a second. "You're absolutely beautiful,"he whispered, so quietly I almost thought I'd imagined it. A genuine,warm smile spread across my face, though I kept my gaze forward, listening to the others. My heart did a little somersault in my chest.
"The what?" Stanley asked, still confused. "Don't you watch Geraldo?"Eddie replied, exasperated.
Bill had finally noticed Beverly's hair. He was staring, a small frown of concern on his face. "Y-your hair..."Bill stammered.
I cut him off with a teasing smile, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy moment. "I think what Billy boy is trying to say is that your hair looks beautiful, Bev." The Denbrough boy flashed bright red. "Oh,right. Thanks," Bev said, giving him a soft, appreciative smile.
"Here, pass it," Richie said, holding his hand out to Bill for the folder. I glanced at Ben and found him already looking at me. I gave him a small, reassuring smile before turning back to Richie.
"Why is it all murders and missing kids?" Richie asked, his usual joking tone gone, replaced by a note of unease as he flipped through the pages.
"Derry's not like any town I've ever been in before," Ben said, his voice gaining a little confidence now that he was on familiar ground. "They did a study once, and it turns out people die or disappear here at six times the national average."
"You really read all that?" I asked, my own curiosity piqued as I glanced at the disturbing folder.
"And that's just grown-ups," Ben added, his eyes moving solemnly between all of us. "Kids are worse. Way, way worse."
A cold silence fell over our group. The sun didn't feel as warm anymore. The cheerful music from the radio suddenly felt hollow and out of place. The weight of his words settled on us, sucking the last of the carefree summer air out of the quarry.
"I've got more stuff if you wanna see it," Ben offered, his voice tentative.
I was on board right away, a grim fascination taking hold. Eddie, however, shook his head vehemently, his face pale. "No," he said, his voice firm with a fear the rest of us were only just beginning to understand.
