T.W- this chapter contains talk of self-harm and suicide. Please be mindful if this may trigger you :)

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Bill gripped your hand in his shaky one as you were practically led out of the store. Eddie was muttering something about the clown, but you felt like you were going to faint, and couldn't find it in your to really listen.

"Are you okay?" A small voice whispered in your ear, and you looked up to meet Bill's eyes.

"I-I guess." You whispered back, voice breaking. He simply pursed his lips, before turning to listen to the other's conversations. You did the same.

Beverly had just asked for Stan's number, and she was pulling her phone out of her handbag.

"Hey Richie." It was a small voice that spoke up, but that didn't mean it didn't terrify you to your core. You turned as Bill did, and your eyes landed on an innocent looking little boy.

When your eyes landed on Richie, he had a terrified look on his face, and he looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Hey Richie." The boy repeated, and you almost gasped. Not this again.

"How'd you- how'd you know my name?" Richie asked, attempting to keep his voice level. The boy just smiled.

"The fun's just beginning. Right?"

You blinked at his words, feeling them vibrate around your insides and remind you that yes, this was far from over. You felt Bill's hand tighten around yours.

"What- What he said, is it..." Eddie stuttered out, moving himself behind the group.

"Listen. You think this is funny? You think this is some sort of game, huh?" Richie began exclaiming, voice getting louder as he spoke. He grabbed the boys shoulders. "Well, fuck you, alright?!" He practically screamed.

"Rich-" Bill tried, but was interrupted by Richie again.

"Fuck you! I'm not afraid of you!" He continued screaming at the boy, who was now staring at him, terrified.

"'The fun's just beginning'. The line from your act? I'm a fan." The kid gently explained, stepping backwards cautiously. You couldn't see Richie's face from your angle, but you doubted it was anything other then embarrassed as he spoke up again.

"Are those your parents?"

"Yeah."

Two bustling adults around your age came running over, and you watched with a face full of cringe as Richie tried his best to apologize to the unhappy couple, who were pulling their son away in a huff.

"Jesus, Richie, you don't remember a line from your own show?" Mike asked you turned and began filing out of the restaurant.

"I don't write my own material." He grumbled, and Eddie gasped somewhere behind you.

"I fucking knew it! I fucking knew it!"

---

"Hello, Mrs. Uris. My name's Beverly Marsh. I apologize for calling, but I'm an old friend of your husband's." Beverly explained softly through the phone as she spoke to Stanley's wife.

The group of you were waiting out the front of the restaurant, in the practically empty carpark. It was cold and dark, and you wished you hadn't of worn a short-sleeved white shirt and jeans. Or at least packed a sweater- maybe you did, but you weren't sure you should run to your car just to grab it. Not alone, at least.

Richie and Eddie were arguing with Mike somewhere behind you, and you were standing beside Bev as she held the phone, which was on speaker for you all to hear. You heard Stanley's wife sigh tearfully through the phone.

"He passed."

Mrs. Uris's words sent a thrill of horror down your spine. Bill and Ben exchanged a tearful look, and they both let out audible sighs.

"When did this happen?" Bev asked quietly, after a pause.

"Yesterday."

Eddie began pacing behind you. You were quick to realize it was a nervous habit of his. You listened as Stanley's wife continued explaining with a tearful voice.

"It was horrible, the way he died. His wrists."

"In the bathtub." Beverly whispered at the same time Stanley's wife did.

You could barely listen to the end of her conversation, as you were to busy exchanging a worried look with Bill and Ben.

The group of you went quiet as Beverly finished up the call. You found yourself sighing at the newfound information of your deceased friend- even though you had already half expected it.

"Stanley." Eddie muttered in disbelief, throwing his hands up in the air. "Pennywise knew. He knew before we did!"

"We have to stop him. I have a plan-" Mike began, but was cut off by Richie.

"I have a plan, too. Get the fuck out of here before this ends worse then one of Bill's books. Who's with me?"

Eddie raised his hand along with Richie, and Mike looked exasperated. "We made a promise to each other."

"Then let's un-make the promises!"

"Richie, other people are going to die." Ben argued, turning to him, but Richie was having none of it.

"Other people are gonna die everyday, man! We don't owe this town anything! Plus, I remembered I grew up here, like, two hours ago!" He began walking backwards. "So, I'm fucking leaving. Fuck all this."

Eddie began trailing behind him, glancing apologetically at Mike. "I'm sorry, man, I'm with Richie."

You watched pitifully as Mike tried his best to make the poor man stay, but to no avail. You just sighed shakily.

"Are you going to leave, too?" Bill asked you, softly, as if he were afraid a loud voice would scare you away.

"I- I don't know." You whispered, just as Beverly called out to you from her car, which was only a short distance away.

"(Y/n), I'm going to go back to the townhouse. Would you like to join me?" She asked, almost hopefully. You glanced back to your car, mentally deciding whether it was safe to leave it there alone.

You eventually decided you'd just pick it up in the morning, and you nodded to her. "I'll be with you in a minute."

You turned to Bill, and he was examining your face with careful eyes.

"Please come with us." The words left your mouth before you could think about them. The brunette just sighed, before leaning forward.

For a prolonged second, you felt like he was going to kiss your lips, and your face heated up at the thought. But when you felt him lay a kiss to your forehead, like he used to do in the past, you found yourself smiling slightly, and cursing yourself for your previous thoughts.

When he pulled back, he examined your expression for a few more moments, and then let go of your hand.

"You go ahead, alright? I'll meet you soon."

When you didn't move from in front of him, he smiled convincingly at you. "I promise."

You hesitated, before nodding a little, and turning to jog towards Bev's silver car.

When you slipped into the backseat, since the front was occupied by Bev and Ben, you noticed how your hand was still warm from Bill's grasp. It felt all too damn familiar- but for the first time in the last crazy half hour, you found yourself smiling from the memories.

---

The car ride had been practically silent, other then a few failed conversation starters from Ben. The horrified vibe was still hovering around in the car, and it was making the air suffocating, and you were rather content to not talk at all.

When you arrived at the townhouse, Richie and Eddie pulling up in a red car behind you. You all entered the building silently, and all entered the shared room Mike had hired for you all at the townhouse. You were happy to know that he had labelled your name, too.

"Let's get our shit and get the fuck outta here." Richie exclaimed, immediately walking to an open room with a bed inside. You trailed behind Eddie as he wringed his hands together in worry, stopping in the middle of the fancy-looking room.

You barely had time to appreciate the luxury room, with it's chandelier and fancy leather seating, because your thoughts were interrupted by your friend's tense conversation.

"Did you leave your stuff here?" Eddie asked you and Ben.

"No, my stuff is in the car."

"S-same."

Eddie began walking up a set of stairs, and you felt awkward following him, so you stood at the bottom of the banister awkwardly. You fiddled with your fingers and allowed yourself to truly experience the situation at hand- a new wave of terror washed over you when you fully realized what you had gotten yourself into.

What was Mackenzie doing right now? Casually sitting at home, drinking wine and watching a romantic comedy, not a care in the world? You envied her.

You saw Ben follow Beverly into a nearby room which held a bar, but you didn't follow him as well. You didn't want to intrude.

A few moments later, Richie came storming out of his room with a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder. He stopped to look at you standing, and a concerned look overtook his once tense and angry features.

"Hey, hey, we're okay." He began, walking over and grabbing your hands with his. You only just realized how much your hands were shaking until he did. "We're gonna get you home, and forget about this mess, alright?"

You nodded as convincingly as you could, walking with him as he turned towards Ben and Bev's voices. He seemed mildly annoyed.

"Whatever you guys are talking about, make it happen faster. We gotta go." He turned towards the stairs, screaming "Eduardo, andale! let's go!"

You moved past Richie, approaching the bar where Ben was staring down Bev. You tilted your head in confusion as you approached the duo.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"It's nothing-" Bev tried to reassure you, but Ben cut her off.

"No. There's something you're not telling us. You knew how Stanley died. You knew."

You paused, and you could practically cut the tension in the room with a knife. The all too familiar feeling of anxiety settled in the bottom of your stomach.

"Wait, what?" Richie asked, sounding almost insulted as he approached the group.

"I can't do this." Beverly murmured after a pause, and pushed past Ben to leave.

"She knew how Stanley was going to die, is that what she just said?" Richie asked no one in particular as the two men began jogging after Bev, who was practically running towards her room upstairs.

"You can't just walk away from this!" You heard Ben accuse. "How did you know where he killed himself?"

You trailed behind the three of them, watching how Bev tried desperately to avert the man who was prying information out of her away. Ben had enough, though. "Bev, just talk to me, please. Like we used to!"

He ran in front of her, blocking her from walking up the stairs. "Come on, how did you know?"

Beverly looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"Because I saw it."

You let out an inaudible gasp, running a hand through your messy hair and down your face. You were sick of this shit.

"I've seen all of us die." Bev continued, staring up at a horrified Ben.

Before anyone could say anything, a thump distracted you- Eddie came stomping down the stairs, a dozen or so bags in his hands, a carefree expression on his face. "I just have to grab my toiletry bag, and then-"

When he noticed the horrified expressions you all wore, he dropped his bags at the out of his hands, and they thumped at the bottom of the stairs. His carefree expression was suddenly gone.

"What'd I miss?"

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