"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°•
I was sitting next to Bev on the cold concrete steps outside her apartment building. She was completely out of it, pale and trembling, her knuckles white where she gripped her knees. She still hadn't said a word to explain why she’d called me over in such a frantic hurry. The only thing she’d muttered was, "I'll tell you when the rest get here." So I waited, a knot of anxiety tightening in my own stomach.
The familiar sound of the boys bickering echoed down the street as they approached. Before they could even come to a full stop, Beverly launched herself off the steps, dragging me up with her.
"You made it. I... I need to show you something," Bev said, her voice thin and strained as she nervously rubbed her hands on her legs. "What is it?"Stanley asked, his eyes darting between us, sensing our panic. "More than we saw at the quarry?"Richie questioned, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Shut up! Just shut up, Richie," Eddie snapped, his own nerves clearly frayed. "My dad will kill me if he finds out I had boys in the apartment,"Bev whispered, and I knew it was no exaggeration. Her father’s possessiveness was a dark cloud over her life; he barely tolerated her friendship with me.
"Then we'll leave a lookout. Richie, s-s-stay here," Bill said. It sounded less like a suggestion and more like a direct order. "Whoa,whoa, whoa! What if her dad comes back?" Richie protested as the rest of us started up the stairs. "Do what you always do.Start talking," Stanley tossed over his shoulder.
Beverly led us silently into the oppressive darkness of her apartment and down the hall toward her bathroom. The air felt thick and wrong. "In there,"she muttered, pointing a shaking finger at the closed door.
"What is it?" Stanley whispered, the fear now contagious. "You'll see,"Bev replied, her voice barely audible.
The gloom of the apartment wasn't helping my already spiking fear. I found myself grabbing onto the back of Ben's shirt, holding on tightly, as if he were an anchor in a rising storm.
"Are you taking us to your bathroom?" Eddie rambled, his words tumbling out in a nervous rush. "I just want you to know 89% of the worst accidents in homes are caused in bathrooms. And I mean, that's where all the bacteria and fungi are, and it's not really a sanitary place—"
Bill pushed the door open.
The metallic smell hit me first. Then the sight. Eddie made a gagging sound."I knew it."
Beverly's bathroom was covered in red. Walls, sink, ceiling, bathtub—everything was splattered and smeared with what could only be blood. A massive, impossible amount of it.
"You see it?" my friend asked, her voice desperate for validation. "Yes,"Bill breathed, his face ashen.
"What... What happened in here?" Stanley asked, recoiling. "My dad couldn't see it,"Bev explained, her eyes wide with a terrified confusion. "I thought I might be crazy." "Well,Bev, if you're crazy, it means all of us are crazy," I stated, my own mind struggling to process the horrific scene.
"We c-c-can't leave it like this," Bill said, taking a determined step into the nightmarish room.
We all pitched in to clean. It was a silent, grim, and surreal task. Bev asked me to clean the mirror, knowing my obsessive need to leave it streak-free. As I worked, wiping away the gruesome stains, I saw Ben’s reflection staring at me. I managed a small, shaky smile before focusing back on my task.
Later, he was scrubbing the floor near my feet. Our eyes met, and a completely inappropriate, nervous giggle escaped my lips. Looking down at him, he glanced up and gave me a tentative smile—a tiny spark of normalcy in the madness.
With everyone working together, the bathroom was restored to a sterile white in what felt like both an eternity and no time at all. Needing a moment away from the lingering horror, I gently called Ben out into the hallway. I’d also noticed Bill hovering near Beverly, and they clearly needed a moment alone to talk.
"So," I began, leaning against the wall, trying to sound casual. "I loved the poem you left in my bag."
Ben's cheeks flushed a brilliant red, and a shy, utterly endearing smile appeared on his face.
"Okay, look," I said, my own nerves making my heart hammer. I looked everywhere but at him, focusing on a crack in the wall. "I'm gonna be as straightforward as I possibly can with you right now."
Ben gave me a curious, slightly worried look.
"I swear I couldn't possibly like you more than I do right now," I said, finally meeting his gaze, "and yet in my heart, I know I will tomorrow. So, Ben Hanscom, will you be my boyfriend?"
I stared into his beautiful, kind brown eyes. His own eyes grew wide with shock, then softened with a warmth that made my breath catch.
"Yes," he said, the word simple and sure. Then he pulled me into a tight, unexpected hug. I returned it, laughing softly with relief and happiness before I placed a quick, gentle kiss on his cheek. Poor boy was completely red, but he was beaming.
Feeling lighter than air despite the horrors of the day, I picked up the last of the heavy, stained trash bags to take them out of the apartment, leaving Bill and Bev to their much-needed talk.
