Baneful | H. Bowers

{ 3 }

     It was a rainy day in Derry, and the eldest Denbrough children in bed sick. Bill was in his room making a paper boat for Georgie and Joellen was in front of her window looking at the falling rain.
     Ever since that day at the Quarry her and Henry have been spending a lot of time together. Enough time for him to introduce her to the rest of his 'gang.'
     They all took an unexpected shinning to her, all acting as some sort of role towards her. Patrick was the stupid brother, who was protective but didn't want to admit it. Victor took on the role as the older, yet caring brother. Belch, well she was the only one who could get away with calling him by his original name.
     But neither her or Henry knew what they were to each other. They couldn't stomach the thought of being seen as siblings, so they just settled on being friends.
     No one could comprehend why the odd Denbrough was in the good graces of Bowers and his goons. Rumors were going around saying that Joellen was sleeping with all them. But no one dared say it to her while she was with her boys.
     Though, there was one instance when Greta, the meanest girl Joellen has ever met, cornered her in the bathroom.
  "Look the little slut is all alone," Greta said to her follows Gemma and Stacy.
     Joellen just ignored her and went to dry her hands. As she was doing so the three girls circled behind her. Joellen turned to leave but they blocked her exit.
  "Trying to leave?" Greta mockingly asked.
  "Probably on her way to suck off Bowers," Stacy sneered.
  "Or maybe today it's Hockstetter's turn," snarled Gemma.
  "Which ever one it is she's still nothing but a pathetic slut," finished Greta.
  Joellen muttered something but was unheard by the taunting laughter of the girls.
  "Wait girls I think the slut tried to say something," jeered Greta, "What was that slut? Did you say something? We couldn't hear you over the dick in your mouth."
  Joellen pushed Greta away from her, "I'm not a slut! If anything the slut in here is you Greta, you try to sleep with anything with a dick between it's legs but get mad once they reject you because of your ugly face!"
     Greta slowly stalks towards her, Joellen instantly regrets what she said even if it was true. To say the least Joellen went home with a bloody nose that day.
     Joellen is brought back to reality by her youngest brother stomping up the stairs to her room. She turns just in time to catch him before he can jump on her.
  She laughs at him, "What's got you so excited?"
  "Look at the boat Billy made me!" He then starts raving about the small paper boat Bill had made. It maybe have nothing but paper but it meant the world Georgie.
  "And I'm gonna take it outside and it's gonna float and-" Joellen cuts him off.
  "And you're bundle up and be careful," she raises an eyebrow at him as if daring him not to listen.
  "Of course," he smiles at her and gives her a hug.
  She chuckles, "Before you go let me take a picture of you and the S. S Georgie," she grabs her camera which was right next to her snaps a few pictures.
     With one last hug Georgie is off and playing in the rain. Joellen climbs into bed and nurses her pounding head. Her head gets even worse when the phone rings and her mother yells it's for her.
     Shuffling down the stairs and into her kitchen where the landline is she thanks her mother and answers the phone,
  "Hello?"
  "Joellen?"
  "Yes?"
  "It's Henry."
  "Oh? Why are you calling?"
  "Never knew calling to check in on a sick friend is a bad thing."
  "That's not what I meant and you know it."
  "I know I'm just fucking with you."
  Joellen gives a slight laugh, "How are you Henry?"
  "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
  "Guess I beat you to the curve."
  There's a pause from his end, "I can hear the smugness in your voice."
  Joellen gives a loud laugh which turns into a coughing fit.
  "Are you okay?" Asks Henry Bowers worried voice.
  Joellen fake swoons, "Is the Henry Bowers worried about lil old me?"
  "Shut up forget I asked," he snaps.
  Used to his temperament Joellen just laughs. Before she can reply her mom is telling her it's time to get off the phone, "I gotta go Henry I'll see you later."
  Henry's response is just a grunt and the phone being hung up.
     Joellen puts the phone back onto the receiver. She sluggishly walks back up to her room. Flopping down onto her bed brings her immense joy. For a while she just listens to the sounds of the rain hitting against her window.
     Her eyes wonder to one of her most recent pictures. It's of her boys. In the picture all four of them are together and doing something they love.
     In the far left of the picture Belch is working on his car. In the middle of the picture Patrick is trying to set Victor on fire, and Henry in the right corner is just sitting watching them while cleaning his silver switchblade.
     All of them have smiles on their faces and that is what makes the picture on of Joellen's favorites. She reaches her hand under her mattress and pulls out a leather bound journal.
     The journal is filled with maps and lists and pictures. The maps have circles on the places of where she wants to go, with lines connecting them to Derry. The lists are of things she hopes to aspire to, or of things that make her happy, some are even pros and cons. The pictures each have their on cluster page. One page is of a map with a picture of Joellen in Derry and a picture of her in California, the route outlined in black sharpie. Another page is filled with pictures of her brother and his friends. The newest page has two pictures. One is the group picture of the boys, and the other is a picture of Henry.
     They were both at the Quarry when she took this. It was late at night and the stars were in the background, a cigarette was hanging dangerously off his lips. The embers illuminating his face, his sky blue eyes glinting from the orange embers. Smoke danced in front of his face mixing with the cool night air.
     The last thing in her mind before darkness overcomes her is of Henry Bowers' concerned voice asking if she was okay.
     The smile on her lips that night was the last one for the next couple of weeks.