𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

 June 15th, 2016

Walking the streets of Derry alone cemented the nostalgic feelings swirling around in your gut. It was hard to recall your life as a child; when your whole universe was the sidewalks and storefronts of the little town. Even after your memories began pooling back, the little details were just as fuzzy as they were in California before Mike's call.

As you turned the corner onto the main downtown strip, something made your quick stride slow before stopping altogether. A familiar stretch of concrete stood out to you amongst the rest. It seemed to pull you closer and your mind reeled with the dizzy feeling of deja vu. Voices of your past echoed in your ears, humming in your head and in your feet.

Turning slowly in a complete circle, you wondered briefly if Pennywise was closeby, distracting you with these visions and luring you in someplace it could finally snatch you up and finish you as it failed to do in 1989. But then again, the warm aura of light surrounding the boarded storefront was too inviting to resist and you found yourself approaching it against your will.

____

July 10th, 1989

Your converse slapped against the sidewalk as you exited the drugstore. The little bell on the doorframe tinkled in your wake, causing Bill to look up at you from where he was seated on the curb next to quicksilver, his beloved bike. His wrist was sore from striking Richie between the eyes and you told him you'd get him something for the pain.

The only thing they had in the pharmacy (besides prescription painkillers) was ice cream. With the last two dollars of your monthly allowance gone, you put a reassuring smile on your face as you presented your friend with his sweet, quickly melting treat.

"I know it's not Advil but it's still good. Of all times not to have Eddie around, ya know?" You started to laugh nervously before noticing Bill's sunken expression. It wasn't a surprise that you were the only one who decided to stick with him after the stunt he pulled. You understood that he was just overwhelmed and frustrated. Looking for your missing siblings had been a fruitless effort and everyone was a little tired, especially the two of you.

Cupping his face between his hands, Bill ran a hand through his hair before lifting his head to lick the vanilla cone that was dripping down his hand and onto the blacktop. You watched him, your own smile fading into a distressed pout. "Hey, cheer up! I bet this time tomorrow we'll all be friends again."

You watched a few cars pass by before he mustered a response. "It's not gonna work like that, (Y/N)," He grumbled below his breath.

Feeling awkward and at a loss for comforting words, you only held your chin in your hand as you looked out across the street. A flash of blue caught your eye and you looked over toward the entrance of the Aladdin to spot Richie pulling open one of the double doors and disappearing inside. For just a moment, you considered standing up and going to check on him. There was no doubt that he was in more physical pain than Bill but unlike Bill, he was too proud to get any help about it.

"M-Maybe he was right," Bill spoke up. You shifted your gaze and saw him looking in the same direction you just were. "Maybe we do-don't have to kill It. We can just w-wait it out until we gr-grow up."

Your jaw dropped and you stood suddenly, startling both him and yourself. He looked up at you, eyes furrowed and mouth half-open at a loss for words. "You can't say that! Not after all we've been through!"

"(Y/N), wha-"

"How dare you say that to me as if this whole thing wasn't your idea in the first place!" You pointed a finger at him in an accusing manner as you paused to catch your breath. "Defeating," you looked both ways, afraid to say Its name too loudly. "Defeating Pennywise is the one chance we have at avenging Georgie and Riley and it's so selfish of you to rob me of that just because you're bored of it!"