It was about 8 o'clock at night; the time where all doors were closed and everyone was expected to be sleeping in the Andersons christian household. Around this time was when a boy would climb through Harpers window and Harper would sit on the other end of the bed half undressed. After about thirty minutes, Grace would be interrupted from her slumber by bangs on the wall and moaning coming from the room next to hers.
They were both fourteen; Harper and Grace; Grace a few months older, but they were still the same age. Grace knew that dealing with drugs and alcohol was no way to live a childhood, but your virginity was your innocence... and Grace was still proud that she had that.
Grace was now on her way to her favorite place of all time, since before she was eight years old. When she was six her brother Mason, who was nine, brought her there for the first time and taught her to play every game in the Mega Arcade. Every time she stopped by that one game she would remember him. The first game she beat him at when it was her ninth birthday: Gauntlet. She still holds the highest record till this day.
Mason was already in the foster care system by the time she was born. As soon as she got in, they managed to take a blood test and hers and Masons were both positive. They both came from the same mother, but not the same father.
A few years ago, Mason was reported dead since he went missing the first six months. Till this day Mason still goes as dead, but not legally, and that was because there were no parents or legal guardians to approve the case. Grace was his only family, and he was hers.
Now she was on her way to dig dug and her whole back pocket was filled with gold coins. She took out about a dozen and scattered them all throughout her hand. Suddenly a small boy who looked like he was approximately twelve years old bumped into her, causing her to drop all her coins on the floor. "C'mon kid, watch where your going," she scoffed. She was about to bend down and pick up her coins when she stopped at the sound of the boys very heavy abnormal breathing.
She looked at the small boy with a puzzled expression. "Hey hey hey, whats wrong? Why are you breathing so fucking hard? Relax. Hey hey hey, relax." She tried to comfort him. "Deep breath in, deep breath out,"
He slowly started to relax a little and then reach into his fanny pack for his inhaler. Grace observed him with fixed eyes and then proceeded to ask him why he was so petrified. "It was Henry Bowers. He beat up my friend. Really bad. Usually i would be able to fix him up, but this time he's bad." His eyes were wide.
"Okay kid, wheres your friend?" Graces eyes softened. The small boy led her out the arcade and into the alleyway that was next to Mr. Keens pharmacy. "He's over there" the boy motioned toward another boy sitting against a wall while kicking rocks.
He had thick bottle glasses on his face, but the left lens was badly cracked. He was badly bruised all over his face and he had scratches on his arms, lips, and scattered all over his very angelic, and perfectly aligned cheekbones.
Gracie walked over slowly, trying hard not to startle him. "Hey," Gracie spoke softly. He snapped his neck upwards to meet with her dark brown eyes, that seemed black under the moonlight. He inspected her face and then lowered his head back down, continuing to play with the pebbles.
"I wanna help," Gracie bent down to his level. "I don't need help." He bluntly spoke. Gracie looked at the small boy who was all the way on the outside of the alley. The boy motioned for her to lift his shirt up to reveal all the bruises that Bowers probably left. Her cheeks flushed red, but thank god you couldn't tell because it was very late at night.
Before she did, she took a look at his face one more time and then she realized who it was she was talking to. The trashmouth. She worried even more now. Thrashmouth never acted this way.
