Buttercup | r. tozier

↠ beverly marsh

The Next Day

"What's this?" dad asked me, bringing up the postcard I got weeks before while he squeezed my hand tight.

"It is nothing. It's just a poem," I responded as my body shook a bit.

"Just a poem? You hide everything in your underwear drawer. Why would you have to hide it there?" dad further inquired.

I remained silent as his expression went from suspicion to fury in a matter of a second.

"Are you still my girl!?"

"N-No!" I stammered.

"What did you just say?"

"I said NO!" I boldly screamed at his face before letting go of his firm grip and fell backwards on my back.

I backed off as he advanced towards me before he forcefully grabbed my legs. I tried to kick him, but failed to do so. Soon his hands groped over to my sides before his face got closer to mine.

"Those boys...Did you know..."

"I forgot one more thing to say to you. I have a girl friend and her name is Jasmine!" I shouted.

"A what!?" he asked me before I kicked him twice, giving me time to escape.

I dashed towards the bathroom and locked myself in. I inhaled and exhaled out of anxiety. I then went over to the toilet to remove the seat cover. As I could hear dad's footsteps, I hid behind the bathtub curtains.

Not long, I heard a loud kick, smashing the door open. I grew more nervous as the same footsteps approached the bathtub. He opened the curtains, giving me a creepy grin. With no time to waste, I hit his head hard with the toilet cover, instantly knocking him down to the floor.

I paused for a moment, gaping at his unconscious body. As scared as I was, I was beyond relieved that he would be able to hurt me no more.

I left the bathroom when I realized that I was supposed to hang out with Jaz at her house today. I hurried over to my room for a while and took my bag. I glanced at my alarm clock and it was eight thirty, making me gasp as it was the time Jaz and I had planned to meet. After I closed the front door behind me, I quickly went down the stairs and hopped on my bike, leaving my apartment behind.

Several Minutes Later

After a while, the street got quieter as I just passed by the library. There were nearly no one, but a few cars honking and birds chirping here and there. I went on as my feet kept pressing on the pedals until I could see a large white house from where I was. It was the exact house that Jaz had told me the other day.

I stopped my bicycle and dropped it as soon as I got nearer to a black gate. Then I saw a man dressed in a security uniform sleeping inside his post.

So I went to him and coughed before I said, "Sir, I am looking for Jasmine."

The security guard woke up, startled upon seeing me.

"Oh, you mean Miss Jasmine Jeong?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

" I am not sure where she is, but let me escort you inside so that you can search for her," he said.

"Thank you," I said before the security guard went with me towards the gate and opened the padlock with the key, revealing a huge mansion surrounded by neatly grown trees. I gaped in wonder as it was truly a magnificent sight compared to the houses in West Broadway. We walked in right away, reaching the entrance in no time.