**Say What You Mean Out Loud**

~ N I N E ~

The Wicked Witch is Dead

Greyson Elliot was walking around, looking for Richie.
He ditched them, and hopefully got caught up in some memories or something before he could leave town.

That was Grey's theory at least.
Once the town had them, it wasn't going to let them go.
As long as that thing was still here.

Derry is It and It is Derry.
There was no escaping it.

So she kept walking down the consoling streets, hoping to not run into anything sinister again.
Until she hit the temple.

Stanley's bar mitzvah.
That should have been the most talked about event of the summer, but nobody seemed to care about the badass jew, who showed up the Rabbi, his own dad.

She pulled her hood up over her head and drew the drawstrings, walking into the Beth Emeth Congregation.

She stuck her hands in her pockets and looked around, glancing up at the wooden stand and the stained glass windows.
There was one man sitting idly on the bench to the right.

"Remember his speech?" He asked the girl, while she moseyed over and stood in front him. She folded her arms over the railing and smiled at Richie.

Richie shook his head. "He was such a badass that day. I had never heard him talk like that."
She smiled and nodded.
"I had."

"You always did. You two were always off... sucking face in secret."
She scoffed and laughed, pulling her hood off her head.
"No we weren't!"

The two laughed and stared at each other, broad smiles on their faces.
"Nobody ever saw what I saw in him."
"And what was that?"
"Bravery."

Richie laughed out loud, standing up from his seat.
"Stanley was a fucking pussy, he was-"
"He was brave!"

The two started making their way towards the double doors.
"But you have to remember, we were 12 year old losers on summer vacation, who had no idea what we were doing!"

Richie nodded and shrugged.
"I suppose. Did you see anyone else at the hotel, were they mad?"

She shook her head. "No they'll be happier when you're there. I didn't see Mike though, I haven't seen him all day."

"I have an idea where he is."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Richie and Grey had called the rest of the group, Grey letting them know that Richie was staying.

They needed to get everyone together fast, and hurry up with whatever the hell Mike needed them to do... before more people died. Before they died.

Eventually they got to the library, way faster than Grey could've gotten there.
"How'd you get such a nice ass car by the way?" She smirked, hopping out and shutting the door.

"I am very famous you jackass."
"Hey, up until now I forgot I knew you. Don't blame me." She laughed, holding her hands up in defense.

They got inside, searching floors for their friend and waiting for the rest of them to show up.
In another room, there was shouting and loud clattering noises.

Anything bad that ever happened in this shit town, happened to the losers, so they knew it was Mike.

They ran into the seperate room to see Mike laying on the floor.
None other than Henry Bowers was on top of him, pushing a knife closer and closer to his face.

Fear coursed through Grey as she watched, and saw shards of trash and broken furniture.
As she watched Henry Bowers, completely frozen, she remembered the rock fight more vividly.

It was a similar situation.
Henry was pinning Mike to the ground, about to bash his head in with a rock.

Grey had picked up a rock and handed it to Beverly, unable to trust her own aiming ability.
She knew it then and she knew it now, her aim was fine... she was just too scared.

She spotted an axe on the ground, one that had been mounted to the wall, and picked it up.
She stared at it in her hands, before Richie took it and jammed it into Henry's head.

He stood in shock at his own actions, and Grey wasn't as scared or disgusted as she thought she was going to be.
But Henry fell and Richie quivered.

"Guess that was long overdue. Get it? Cause we're in a, library- *mmbrp* nope." He leaned away from Mike, projectile vomiting on the floor.

Grey jumped away, thoroughly disgusted now, and lept over to help up Mike.
Henry Bowers is dead, right next to her.

The dickwad didn't just fall down a well out of sight, he is actually dead and bleeding right in front of them.

The rest of the losers had finally gotten here, running into the room.
Beverly screamed when she saw the grown bullying, lying on the ground with an axe in his head.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked.
"No I'm not okay, I just fucking killed a guy!" Richie yelled, gesturing to the body.

"I was... talking to Mike."
He was holding his wrist and wincing, but looked up at the group with concern.

"Where's Bill?" He asked them.
They looked at each other with questioning glances.
Grey sighed.

What so she had to get Richie by herself and they couldn't get Bill?
They walked out of the building, trying to contact their friend.

"He was trying to save that kid at the funhouse." Bev said, dialing his number on her phone.

They stood around in the parking lot, where the sun was steadily setting, giving the ambiance an orange glow. Stanley walked over and put a hand on Grey's back.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked her.
She shrugged with a melancholy smile.
"Henry Bowers is dead. Like, really dead this time."

He nodded.
"And... Richie killed him." She giggled, breaking into heinous laughter.
"He can't hurt us anymore."

"He can't hurt you anymore." Stan nodded, the two of them leaning against Richie's car.
He couldn't help but smile at her, her beautiful face illuminated by the orange sky.

He kissed her, rekindling what they had started earlier at the hotel, unaware of the others glancing at them.

"You fucking liar." Richie scoffed.
"Shut up Richie." Stan mumbled, holding Grey's hand.

"I mean, guess you forgot we were here before you-"
"Beep beep Richie!" Grey yelled through her own laughter.

"I was right this whole time!" He threw his arms up. "I've been saying it since day one, Bev back me up here."

Bev turned her phone off and turned around to look at her friends.
"We need to go to Neibolt." She inhaled sharply.

"What, why?" Eddie asked.
"The ritual." Mike interrupted, finishing the thought.
"We need to finish the ritual."