( sorry it's been so long since i've updated this story! but here is the second and VERY LONG chapter! )

2:27 P.M.

"I hope you all have a wonderful summer," Mrs. Douglass said in a rather chipper voice as she stood in the front of the classroom. There was a true grin on her face while she went over to the blackboard. "Now, there are a few things I would like to remind you all before the bell rings." As she said this, she took the side of a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard in large bold letters. She started making a list for all of the children so they would know what to do over the summer. There were only four bullets, so it really didn't look like much to the young teenagers.

Steph had not been paying much attention for most of the class, although she acted like she was; and, if you ever examined the blonde-haired girl from time to time, you would've thought she was a great actress. And she was. If she was zoned out, she pretended that she was actually focused on whatever you were saying, although she never truly understood the words. For the time being, she was just sitting in the back of the classroom, glancing between the clock and her notebook sitting in front of her.

There were now two and a half minutes left of class and, in turn, the school year as a whole. And, although she was beyond happy to see it end for good, she was a little too focused on what she was doodling in her notebook: her own sketch of the poster for the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street. It was her favorite horror film, despite the fact that she never let the kids watch it whenever she babysat them. Steph was afraid that it would spook them a little too much, and who could blame her? Nobody that young should watch something like that.

( a/n: i watched bloody slasher films at their age and i turned out pErFeCtLy FiNe- )

The young girl eventually realized that she had been doodling for too long and that she was doing it so absently, and this made her finally sit up attentively when she noticed the bulleted list that Mrs. Douglass had made.

- Go outside every once in a while.
- Read a new book.
- Make some friends.
- DO NOT be out past the 7:00 P.M. curfew!

Steph sighed to herself as she read that last one; in her mind, the curfew never seemed to stop all of those children from going missing. They were still dropping like flies and there was nothing that the police could do about it, much to her dismay. It caused her to look away from the blackboard and back down to her notebook, quietly drawing her breath in sharply. She finished her final touches to the sketch until she was satisfied enough. After this, she began writing something in giant letters.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Steph glanced back up at the clock.

One minute left.

Good.

She turned back to her notebook.

She ignored the stares she was getting from some of her classmates that loved to pick on her; she was used to it by now and she didn't give a crap about them. She was just sucked into her own little world where she was just waiting for that loud bell of freedom to blare through the room. For God's sake, she was even glancing out of the window because of how bored she was, and she smiled at the several kids who had already gotten out of class and who were dumping their school supplies into the garbage bins that set beside the bike rack.

I need to pay attention, Steph thought to herself. I can't be distracted.... Well, maybe one more time so I can see their happy faces.

She turned her head ever so slightly.

"Stephanie?"

The pronunciation of her name came like a thunderclap, and she jumped as if a bolt had struck her seat. "Yes, ma'am?" she replied in a shaky voice, hearing the snickering of several students.

"What are you doing for summer vacation?" asked Mrs. Douglass as she stared at the blonde girl expectantly.

Steph was aware of the eyes drilling holes into her. Why is this my life? she silently thought. But, instead, a small but fake smile formed on her face. "I don't know as of yet, Mrs. Douglass," she replied smoothly.

Her teacher nodded and turned to the rest of the class. "Now, I just want you all to be safe and I hope you have a great four years at Derry High..."

Steph zoned out once again, turning back to her notebook to finish writing the words she had intended to print. After she was done, she started tapping her pencil against the desk, although she did so very silently. Her midnight blue eyes were set on the classroom's old clock that was hanging on the wall. Time mocked her as it went by super slowly, way too slow for her liking. She tried to be patient, but this was one of the rare occurrences where she couldn't be when she wasn't mad. She wasn't even angry, but she was growing a little impatient to get out of this horrible place as fast as possible.

The summer was calling her name, and she wanted to follow that voice so badly.

Steph glanced back down and read the giant words that she had written in her notebook:

I'M SO BORED... LET THIS SCHOOL YEAR END RIGHT NOW...

And, the bell finally rang, blaring throughout the building with shrill finality, and many students bounded out of the classroom with joy and relief. Steph was one of those kids, although she wasn't as hyper as the rest. Somehow, she was able to get her mixtape in her Walkman and she put the headphones over her ears as she kept walking down the hallway, trying to get to her locker. She pressed 'Play' on the Walkman, and she heard the blissful lyrics of Alice Cooper's School's Out fill her ears.

If that don't suit ya that's a drag
School's out for summer
School's out forever
School's been blown to pieces

Steph rounded the corner of the hallway and froze instantly as she still heard the voices of her peers booming in her ears, bouncing off of the lockers in a rough manner. A tiny bit of fear flooded her for a second, but she managed to not show it, proving how great she was at hiding her true emotions. She locked eyes with Henry Bowers, and chills ran down her spine when her gaze caught his. The silent exchange only lasted for three seconds before she spun around and decided to take the long way to her locker.

Luckily for her, it seemed as though Bowers had decided not to go after her, and she sighed to herself, feeling immense relief. She couldn't get the way he had smirked at her out of her mind and it made her sick to her stomach when she pictured it. She had used to be terrified of him and his gang, but after some advice from Jamie, she learned to ignore those monsters and only stand up for herself and others when absolutely necessary.

Jamie Palmer was a very smart woman. She had learned a lot of things that she eventually taught Steph. I guess that's what happens when you've been a widow for thirteen years.

No more pencils, no more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
Out for summer
Out till fall

Steph stopped at her locker after the little encounter with the Bowers Gang; her excitement overpowered the slight worry she had felt for those few seconds as she barreled through the chattering students to get to her locker. She conquered her combination in next to no time, grabbing her backpack and slamming the locker shut. She would never see it again after this, and she didn't care. All she cared about was getting to her destination: the girls' bathroom.

She just wanted a small break from the loud-mouthed students for just a few minutes before she left the school and caught up with her friends outside. Surely, they must have been joking around or discussing summer plans without her, and she was perfectly fine with that.

We might not come back at all
School's out forever
School's out for summer
School's out with fever
School's out completely

After what seemed like forever, Steph finally entered the girls' bathroom, putting a hand to her chest; she was so happy to be rid of the swarm of students that were annoying her like a fly normally would when it buzzed around your head. She leaned the back of her head against the cool brick wall for just a second before pushing herself off of it as if it were a stool. She then made a beeline for the second stall in the room, the smell of cigarette smoke filling her nose; she resisted the urge to cough, since she hated the smell. She gently shut the door behind her and sat on the toilet, turning to the metallic wall beside her as she did.

She gently raised her hand and rapped on the wall three times. "Bev?" she called out. "It's me."

"How's it going, little Loser?" came a musical voice in response. Steph giggled slightly, trying to stifle her laughter as best as she could. Beverly Marsh always made her laugh, whether it was her very nonchalant manner, or how she liked to crack jokes every once in a while. The blonde-haired girl loved her best friend and hung out with her more than she did with her other friends.

"Oh, you know, just glad this school year's over," she replied jokingly, and both girls laughed at this remark. "You okay in there?" she added, her amusement switching to slight concern. She couldn't see if Beverly nodded her head or not, but she heard a reply seconds later just as she heard new voices enter the bathroom.

"Yeah," replied Beverly. "Just excused myself to smoke for a minute."

Of course, Steph thought humorously.

Out of nowhere, the girl heard a loud groan of anger before someone's foot furiously made contact with the door of the stall next to her. Steph jumped so suddenly that her head smacked against the wall out of shock; she held a hand against her forehead, begging for the pain to go away just as quickly as it had arrived.

"Are you in there by yourself, Beaver-ly?!" shouted a female voice that contained a lot of sass in it. "Or do you have half the guys in the school with you, huh, slut?!"

Steph's blood boiled, but she didn't dare move, knowing she would regret it if she did. She winced despite this, wishing she could comfort her friend, even if Beverly Marsh was beyond used to the bullying at this point; the girl had to deal with it every day, just like Steph had to. Even if the girls felt like it was everyday life now, that still didn't take away from the fact that they hated it with a burning passion. And that was something that would always resonate with them.

"I know you're in there, you little shit, I smell you," the girl continued. "No wonder you don't have any friends."

That's a freaking lie and you know it, Greta, Steph thought angrily.

It was that curly-haired popular girl, Greta Keene (she put so much emphasis on those words because nobody liked her); she was the mean girl of the school that always took the chance to bully anyone that came across her path. Sure, she wasn't as bad as Henry Bowers or Patrick Hockstetter but she was bad enough for the girls to deal with. Every time she saw them, she wouldn't hesitate to call them horrible names that they themselves never had the courage to say, and that always infuriated Steph, although she barely said a word to her.

As she heard the taunting go on, Steph began to hear one of the sinks running water, and she tilted her head in confusion. But, at the same time, she was hoping that nothing bad would take place, even if she had the slight feeling that it would. She stayed still, frozen to where she sat, not moving a muscle; she began to panic slightly when she heard Beverly speak up.

"Which is it, Greta?" Beverly sighed, tired of hearing the insults over and over again. "Am I a slut or a little shit? Make up your mind."

Now, Greta wasn't the only person in the school that was spreading rumors about the infamous Beverly Marsh. Pretty much every single person in the school, with the exception of Steph and her friends, thought that the girl had slept with every boy around their age. This was not true in the slightest since, according to the girl herself, she had only been kissed by one boy, even if it was on the cheek. So the rumors were complete and utter lies.

"You're trash," Greta replied, now genuinely angry with the girl. "We just wanted to remind you."

Just as Steph stood up, ready to open the stall door to defend her best friend once again, it suddenly swung open, much to her surprise. She saw Sally Mueller, a girl just a little older than her with dirty blonde hair, holding a garbage bag that seemed to be filled with lots of trash. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, especially when Sally met her gaze.

"What are you doing in here, you loser?!" shouted Sally, briefly letting go of the trash bag to grab Steph. She jerked the blonde out of the stall and the poor girl ran into the wall, grunting when she made contact with it.

"Oh... well, well, well," came Greta's voice from behind her. "If it isn't the little brace-faced bitch."

Steph bravely turned around and glared at Greta with such intensity that she wouldn't be surprised if it scared the female bully. "Get the hell out of here and leave Bev alone," she growled, gritting her teeth in anger. "She doesn't deserve that." The girl in front of her didn't back down; instead, it seemed as if she had gotten even more furious.

"What are you gonna do about it, Palmer?" sneered Greta. "You standing up for your trashy friend here? Why are you her friend, anyway? You deserve far better than that filth!" As she said this, she pointed to the stall door that Beverly was residing behind.

The blonde girl sighed, her face twisting into an expression of slight emotional agony. "Just please leave her alone," she pleaded.

"Such a loser," Sally taunted as she lifted up the garbage bag while standing up on the toilet of the second stall. She tilted it over and Steph saw disgusting trash raining down into Beverly's stall, and she gasped quietly to herself in pure fury. She turned to Greta and shoved her harshly.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, jutting her finger to the hallway. Greta chuckled, ignoring how angry Steph was as she tilted her head, motioning for the other girls to leave.

"Let's go, girls," she told them before sending a kick to the back of Steph's right leg when the blonde turned around. "Have a nice summer, Beaver-ly. Same goes to you, brace-face."

"Just because I have braces doesn't give you the right to tease me about it!" Steph shouted after her. She didn't even care if Greta replied to her retort as she turned to the bathroom stall. She tentatively placed her hand on it, knowing it was locked. "You okay in there, Bev?" she asked in a softer voice.

The door opened almost immediately after she had spoken, and her best friend came into view from behind it.

Beverly Marsh, in Steph's honest opinion, was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen. She was pretty tall for an average teenage girl, and she had a slim form that went well with her long, fiery red hair that reached her waist as well as her blue-green eyes. She had a body that even made the most beautiful of girls jealous, although the redhead didn't know this. Sure, Steph's closest friend may have been poor with barely any money to get by, but she didn't judge her at all; she saw her for who she was as a person, and it made Beverly grateful.

"It's nothing new," she replied with a small smile. "Don't worry about me." At that moment, Steph realized that only Beverly's fingers were slightly covered with filth. Nothing else was, besides her backpack, which was drenched in sink water and had several pieces of trash on it. It made the blonde grimace slightly, but she barely showed it.

"Well... she shouldn't do that to you, anyway," said Steph with a huff. "I gotta go and get home early. Babysitting and all."

Beverly nodded. "Of course," she responded, giving Steph a one-armed hug. "See you tomorrow, little Loser."

Steph chuckled. "You too, Bev."

After they parted ways, Steph walked back into the hallway. Her flower-designed skirt fluttered against her slightly bony legs, her hair blew behind her and thudded against her neck, and her blue eyes were focused on the front doors of the school as she took each step forward. And, as she opened them, a feeling of happiness and relief settled in her mind; knowing that she was leaving school for at least three months was relaxing to her. She took a deep breath and smiled, walking down the steps of Derry Middle School.

A few seconds later, she spotted her friends and she jogged over to them, a novel clutched in her right arm. As she approached them, she ignored the conversation the other kids were currently having about whatever. She didn't really pay attention to them as she finally approached the four boys.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted cheerfully. "Wait... what's wrong? You guys seem like you just went through trouble." A mildly concerned look formed on her face as she said the last sentence.

Her four best friends were standing in front of her: Bill Denbrough, Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier, and Stanley Uris. And they all either looked angry or overwhelmed. This worried her even more, since she was now wondering if something bad had happened to them.

"Bowers and his gang," Richie answered her quite easily as he adjusted his glasses and Steph rolled her eyes.

"Of course," she sighed heavily, rubbing her temple in annoyance. "You guys okay?"

All of the boys nodded and she smiled in relief. "Now, who's excited that the summer is finally upon us on this glorious day?" she asked more dramatically, making all of the boys laugh, especially Bill. After she was done, she giggled a little as well, finding her terrible acting kind of hilarious.

"All I want is to play Street Fighter and not have to deal with you loser this summer," Richie said sarcastically, still chuckling lightly.

"Beep Beep, scumbag!" Steph yelled at him playfully in a warning manner.

"Sorry, m'lady!"

"Seriously, Richie!" Eddie said as he laughed. "Shut up!" He was a little irritated by the bespectacled boy's behavior. And Richie fell quiet.

"D-D-Duh-Did you have a g-g-good day, Steph?" Bill asked. The blonde girl grinned at him because of the polite question.

Bill Denbrough was a tall and kind boy of thirteen, and he had a lanky build that nobody judged him for. He also had cropped brown hair and sky blue eyes that always brightened whenever Steph was around, although she didn't know this. He looked like your regular teenage boy in everyday society. If it hadn't been for his stutter, that would have been considered so.

"Yeah, I did," she replied genuinely. "Thanks, Bill."

"Nuh-No problem," he said.

After this, all five of them grabbed their bikes and rode away from the school. Steph looked around them to make sure that they were not being followed by the Bowers Gang and, much to her elation, they didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. Ever since the day she befriended the boys, she grew a motherly and protective nature over them, but it wasn't overbearing. Instead, she truly did care for her boys and didn't want them hurt, even if it was by any bullies.

She ignored the thought for now, just appreciating the bliss she was feeling as she and her friends rode towards home on their bikes, grins planted on their faces.

( WOW, that was a long chapter! i hope it wasn't too lengthy for you guys. be looking forward to the next chapter! )

-denbroughswife