Far From Perfect [S.Uris]

Eden and the Talk with Bill

"Stanley has been acting strange all morning." Eden says worriedly as Richie continues to obnoxiously blow into the a baritone horn.

"I just— I don't get what's wrong." She sighs. When Richie doesn't seem to listen, she rolls her eyes, slapping the instrument away from him, allowing the band member to take it back.

"What the fuck, dude!" He shouts. "Richie." She crosses her arms. "He's probably just catching on the you're ignoring him! I promise you, he'll be at your feet by tomorrow." He responds.

"I don't think that's the case. I mean, he seems.. sad, you know?" She glances over at the boy who was standing by the missing poster along with Bill, Ben, Mike, and Beverly.

"He's Stan. He's always sad." Richie shrugs, taking her hand and pulling her back to the others.

"What are you guys talking about?" Eddie asks, holding two ice cream cones. "What they always talk about." Richie responds, taking one of the ice cream cones from his hand.

"I actually think it will end. For a little while, at least." Ben states. "What do you mean?" Beverly inquires.

While Ben explains his theory, Richie looks over at Eden, who seems to be stressed. She keeps staring at Stanley every now and then, yet he doesn't even spare a glance this time. It's as if he's the one ignoring her now.

Richie nudges her side. She sighs, facing him. He holds up his ice cream, offering it to her. With a slight smile, she takes it, nodding to him.

"I realized this stuff seems to happen.." Ben trails off. "Every 27 years." Bill finishes.

"Okay, So, let me get this straight. It comes out from wherever to eat kids for, like, a year? And then what? It just goes into hibernation?" Eddie asks.

"Maybe it's like... what do you call it? Cicadas. You know, the bugs that come out once every 17 years." Stanley theorizes.

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed. He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing. An evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry." Mike speaks up.

"But it can't be one thing." Stanley argues. "Yeah. We all saw something different." Eden nods. "Maybe. Or maybe it knows what scares us most and that's what we see." Mike adds.

Eden looks up at Stanley, then sighs, picking at the grass beneath her. "I-I-I saw a leper." Eddie stutters. "He was like a walking infection."

"Eden, didn't you see something?" Eddie asks. She looks up from the grass. "Oh, Um. Yeah. I saw.. I saw my dad." She responds, obviously not telling the whole truth.

"But you didn't. B-Because it isn't real." Stanley intervenes. "None of this is. Not Eddie's leper, or Eden seeing— her dad, or something, o-or Bill seeing Georgie, o-o-or the woman I keep seeing."

"She hot?" Richie smirks. "No, Richie. She's not hot. Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense. They're all like bad dreams." Stanley sighs.

Eden wanted to hug him right there, yet she knew she couldn't and she would have to hold back.

"I don't think so. I know the difference between a bad dream and real life, okay?" Mike comments. "What'd you see? You saw something, too?" Eddie questions.

"Yes." He nods. "Do you guys know that burned-down house on Harris Avenue? I was inside when it burned down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me." He sighs.

"They were pushing and pouding on the door, trying to get to me. But it was too hot. When the firemen finally found them, the skin on their hands had melted down to the bone." He says shakily. "We're all afraid of something."

"Got that right." Richie responds, glancing back up at the stage. "Why, Rich? What are you afraid of?" Eddie inquires.

"Clowns."

"Well, I think that's enough scary dark shit for today." Eden sighs, standing up. "I'm going home. Anyone headed the same way?" She asks.

"I-I-I am." Bill responds. Eden looks to Stanley, then sighs. "Alright. Come on, Bill. See you guys later." She smiles, waving.

"Actually, I th-th-think we should all meet up at my house t-t-tomorrow. I need to show you all s-s-something." Bill states.

"Okay. Well, see you then." Stanley nods at him.

Bill and Eden make their way back home, Bill only trailing his bike beside him as he didn't live too far away. His house was on the way to Eden's yet they'd have to part halfway.

"You think Stanley's mad at me?" Eden asks. "I don't know. W-W-Why?" Bill shrugs.

"I mean, I've been ignoring him lately, don't ask why. I'd rather not get into that. But I really don't want to ruin anything with Stan and I think I just ruined everything." She sighs.

"I think you should just g-go talk to him. Do it t-t-tomorrow after my house." He suggests. "Yeah, I guess that's my best option right now. Thanks, Bill." She smiles at him.

"What I have been noticing, though, is th-th-that Stanley's jealous." Bill adds. "Jealous? Of what? Of who?"

"Of Eddie, And R-R-Richie, And Mike, And your fr-fr-friend Stellen. He's probably jealous of me now." He explains. "But why would he be jealous of them?"

"Because he likes you, Eden. Isn't it o-o-obvious? I mean, he doesn't like the f-f-fact that you're hanging out with practically all the guys and n-n-not him." He responds.

"Oh, my god. I am so dumb." She mutters. "I should have known. I mean, Stanley's been acting weird ever since the day we kissed." She realizes.

"I thought you knew already. E-Everyone knows." Bill comes to a stop as he reaches the corner of the street.

"I have to turn here now, so." He says. "Oh. Okay, well. Thank you, Bill. I think I really needed this talk." She smiles at him, then runs off back home.

authors note
thank you, Richie, for being so
kind as to give Eden
your ice cream.