.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

SHE'S TALKING AGAIN

PROLOGUE

0. three years before IT

--------------------------------------------------------------

Veronica Mills was born into the Mills family on October 6th, 1976. The Mills were once a highly respected family. Jane and Theo Mills were both respected doctors within their small town of Derry. But, all would suddenly change in the Fall of 86'.

See, to understand the outcasted Veronica Mills, you must know, she was not up to standards of the 'norm' in Derry. Unlike her elder brother, Bryce-Anderson Mills.

Veronica had the look of a Dresden doll. Those beautiful dolls hung up on display at thrift shops with golden blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Her beauty was enchanting yet, still, she didn't reach the 'norm'.

Now don't see this as, 'I'm not like other girls'. Veronica longed to be normal. To be seen and accepted. She was known around the small town as 'Motormouth Mills'. A nickname earned for her constant snarky remarks. Most of the time, they were filled with words that girls of her ripe age, could not imagine muttering.

It was odd to the townspeople, watching as she wandered about town on her tiny bicycle with four boys. The girl hadn't any girl friends. And, in the eyes of the older population of Derry, it was considered strange. Wrong, even. They said things behind her back, shaking their heads and wondering what on earth Jane and Theo would think if they ever came back. Of course, they think of them — not that they abandoned their children. But, what they would think about their eleven-year-old daughter having friends.

Bryce-Anderson, or more commonly known as Bryce or Anders was Veronica's fifteen-year-old brother. He was the star quarterback of the 'Riots'. The school football team. Bryce was known for his kindness and prosperity around the school. As well, as his intelligence. It wasn't uncommon if you were to see him clad in his lettermen jacket with a smile playing on his lips and laughter in the air.

The bright light blinded her as she exited the classroom. The fluorescent lights were far too bright for comfort and Veronica found herself squinting while scanning the white and blue hallway.

The excitement and buzz were hard to miss in the air, it was suffocating. She noticed how her peers were skipping out of class, happily. While the elder children were cleaning out their beat-up lockers.

It was a sea of colors in the hall of Derry's Elementary. Girls had their hair crimped or tied up in a high ponytail with a scrunchie. Boys wore graphic shirts with 'Scooby-Doo' prints or a simple shirt with 3 stripes of colors in the middle.

Today was the last day of Grade Six, finally off for the summer and to say Veronica was once excited was an understatement. She was filled with ideas and adventures to go on. She was more than ready to jump off of quarries and to go bike-riding in the woods with her small band of outcast friends. She was ready to escape the hell hole of Derry Elementary. Though, only it is a bit. As she must return to Derry High in  two months.

The tragedy of 86', followed and haunted Veronica quite a bit. She was still shaken. She still asked herself, 'why?'. She seemed to hide it well. Continuing with her smart-ass remarks at students and teachers alike, more often than not. Had the tragedy not of occurred, Veronica would probably have found herself in the principal's office and getting the boot out of Derry Elementary.

She found herself pushing her way out of the sea of students. The hallway was like a stuffed can of sardines. Filled to the capacity and seldom any space. She shoved and wedged between bodies, after all, she stood at only 4'11. She breathed through her mouth, refusing to take in the scent of the school at this very moment. As, if you were to, it smelled of B.O and glue. A smell that always took over the halls after school. She sighed, looking down at her sneakers. Muttering, incoherent swears to herself.

'Bullshit'

Squinting her eyes and beginning to walk to the crosswalk, she began fumbling with her fingers. She noticed how the sun hit her face and how her peers seemed so happy.

Oh! How she wished this so!

Skipping about and dumping old school work into trash bins. She had purposely avoided Richie, Stan, Eddie, and Bill today.

Things were beginning to break up. It was as if her mind was a black hole and sucking away the walls she had built up to forget about the tragedy. The once garish mind of the Mills girl was now stained with darkness. A muddle of grey and black and brown. It was so devoid of color now. Her mind was worried. Her excitement gone. Mum and Dad were gone too. What else was there to do?

Beginning to perspire, she didn't know whether it was due to the heat or panic that was slowly setting through her. Children continued to walk past her and some smiled. Others glared. Some just disregarded her altogether.

Not noticing how fast she had walked home due to her preoccupied thoughts, she found herself at the cobblestone front steps of her house. Climbing up them and pulling out her keys, she already knew Bryce was home.

As she entered the house, she let a sigh escape her. The bottom lip stuck out and began to quiver. Her usual snide remark when she entered the house nonexistent.

Almost instantly, Bryce, who had been sitting in the living room had noticed the odd vibe his younger sister was giving off. He knew that the tragedy had struck her rather badly. She took it harder than he. To say, Bryce had a certain vendetta against their parents was not a lie. He despised them for what they had done.

"V, you alright?" He asked while getting up from the couch and heading to the foyer where his sister was kicking off her beat up Reeboks. Veronica simply shrugged. She hadn't much to say. After all, how would she say

'I'm simply just missing the people who abandoned us.'

Her mind was a mess. She tried her best to keep order. To keep herself together. To stay herself. She was at war with herself. Thrown into a sudden winter, and by far, this had to be the worst of her 11 short years. The tears shed alone could fill a pool.

"You can talk to me, V. You know that. I know you miss Mum and Dad." Bryce pressed as he looked out the front door's window. A front yard of memories. A house of silence. They were doing just fine without them. They were still financially stable. Still able to provide for themselves. After all, they did leave their fortune behind beforehand. The precursor was simple. The house was lonely.

Veronica had been at war with herself for a long time. But, she always distracted herself from it. Only now was she realizing the severity of the situation. She shouldn't feel like this. Why was she so hung up over them? They left her. She shouldn't care. She had nothing to lose. Nothing to gain. Derry was a sluggish town. Nothing to amount to here. This made the war clash even louder.

She didn't know why this was affected her so harshly today. Suppose, it just wasn't a good day? After all, it is the first summer without them. Ah! That must be it.

Bryce watched his sister make her movements quick. He sighed, there was no way of getting her to admit to what she felt. "V," he started as he saw her turn for the hallway.

He knew what she was feeling. Anger, curiosity, sadness, guilt. The whole 9 yards. She was never affected by it when it happened, Bryce took note of that. Veronica has always disregarded her feelings. But now, it's rushing back to her.

"Bryce," she mimicked while turning back around on the tip of her foot.

"Can we please talk about it?" He asked. His relationship with Veronica was once the average brother-sister relationship. Always arguing and only worrying for each other in desperate times of need. Now, it was almost like Bryce had a constant nagging at the back of his mind telling him to check on his little sister.

"What's there to talk about?" She shrugs as she walks to the kitchen. Bryce follows.

"Stop that. Stop acting like everything's okay. I know you've been thinking about Mum and Dad." He says while watching as his sister pulls out a cup, opening the fridge then pouring in orange juice. "No, I haven't. Stop putting words in my mouth." Veronica snaps. Bryce's patience was running out now.

"Stop lying, Veronica Jane!" He fires, using the girl's second name. His voice was raised and it felt as if it shook the house.

Veronica flinched. The sudden volume stunning her for a mere moment. Just a moment.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Bryce-Anderson!" She shouts back. Her motormouth was back. She had no filter between her brain and mouth and now, she was devoid of any little thing inside her to make her voice stop running.

"I don't miss them! Not one little bit! I hate them. They - they - they abandoned us!" She scrambled for the words that had got caught in the back of her throat.

Bryce watched as she threw her fit. Veronica was infamous for these. Ever since she was small. Once she's pushed to the edge, she snaps.

"They picked up and left. We were nothing to them! Why would I miss them?" She ranted, throwing her hands up in the air, abandoning the cup on the counter. She was hysterical. Tears were welling up in her eyes but she hadn't noticed. Her heart was racing and she shook as the first sob of many erupts from her throat.

His heart broke for his baby sister. Their parents caused this. Why had they done this to them? He sighed and walked towards her, hugging her.

"It's alright, it's alright." He mumbles while patting her back. This was a parents job. Their abandonment made them both grow up faster than they should have. Bryce closed his eyes, remembering back on how everything fell to pieces.

______

It was late October of 1986, Jane and Theo Mills were off for another business trip. Bryce stood by the door, holding his Mum's suitcase. Theo was off in his study grabbing last minute knick-knacks while Jane was grabbing her makeup kit. They'd be off for a few weeks as they said, they'd be taking care of a case down in Portland. "Ronnie! Get down here, Mum & Dad are just about off!" Bryce would holler up the staircase.

"Yep! Coming!" Veronica hollers back then bounds down the stairs, just in time to bump into her father.

"Dad!" She laughs while backing up.

"Careful there, Ronnie." He chuckles while ruffling her hair.

Things were once so perfect. Ronnie looked at the baggage. Her mum had 4 suitcases and her father also. This seemed to be too much if they only going to be off for a few weeks. Jane comes running in, dragging her kit along with her. "Let's move on now, can't keep the taxi waiting, can we?" She says while ushering past Veronica & out the door. Veronica tilts her head. No goodbye? No hug?

"I'll see you soon, son. Take care of Miss Veronica, please." Theo says as he reaches out to give his eldest a hug.

"You can count on me, Dad." Bryce smiles.

Theo nods then turn to his daughter.

"Behave yourself, alright? Be good for Bryce. Don't cause mayhem and keep that motormouth of yours in check, you got it?" He asks, leaned down to her size. She nods.

"You got it, Captain." She smiles.

"That's my girl," he smiles while kissing her forehead.

"We'll be back before you know it." He quickly adds, going to fetch his things. Then, out the door. Bryce and Veronica watched as he entered the taxi which already their mother sat in and they watched as it slowly grew smaller as the car drove into the distance.

Not at all knowing, that would be the last time they'd see them.

Not at all knowing that their Father's goodbye was fake and as the car drove away, their Mother and Father were planning out their new life elsewhere.

______

They'd stay like that for a long time. Veronica's cries and sniffles, the only thing audible in the house. Bryce's comforting hug and whispers of 'It'll be alright'.

And, they'd find themselves wondering, 'where had their parents gone?'.

But all that mattered now, was that they were picking up the pieces.

Authors Note:
If you just started reading this, how'd you find this book?