.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

CHAPTER SEVEN

vii. the barrens

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THE BIKE RIDE WAS BLEAK, April clutched onto his back with tired eyes slipping shut while looking at the passing houses, the sun dripping onto her skin. For awhile, they were silent. The only sounds being the clank of Bill's pedalling and birds chirping. It was comfortable, the two of them. They seemed to click perfectly. The pre-existing shyness and awkwardness gusted away like wind.

She hums, cheek against his back as she inhales the scent of the summers day in the air. "So, what exactly are we doing at the Barrens?" She asks him, gripping around his waist tighter as he dips down a street corner and towards Main Street. The bike wheels turning to the side. He had said as they were biking earlier that he had just came from Eddie's house, to get the supplies they needed. She wondered what the supplies were.

Feelings him freeze up a bit, she notices him grip onto his handlebars. He stays silent for a moment, nervous at what she'd say to his explanation. "Uh," He sputters out. "W-W-We're going... T-T-To see if we could f-find anything connected t-to my b-brother," He stumbles over his words worriedly. He didn't want her to think him obsessive! Or crazy. He wasn't sure what else to say, the truth is best, he thought.

He thought wrong, however. April's eyes turning softer, if that was even possible. Her heart dropping at his words in sadness for his grief. "Oh," She starts, her grip on him going tighter. In a way, she hoped he knew that it wasn't simply for security so she wouldn't fall off - but, instead to comfort him. An awkward type of back hug, a hug, nonetheless. "I'm sorry, Bill," She says, voice quiet and warm. Genuine. April couldn't fathom the thought of how alone he must feel, how helpless.

Her cheek pressed to his back, her arms right around his waist, she wondered what they looked like to those passing them. Probably, a vision of young love, she thought before shaking the thought away. 'Totally inappropriate, April!'.

He hums in response, not noticing how he leaned back into her arms - feeling a sense of comfort with her arms wrapped around him even if it was just to prevent herself from falling off his bike. He hadn't had someone hug him in ages. His parents were pretty distant after... After Georgie. "T-Thanks, Sunshine," He responds, using the same nickname he had used earlier. He felt as if it fit her better than simply April. April was far too plain for a girl of so many colours. She was ever-changing and all Bill wanted to do was discover her, all of her.

"I'm always here if you need someone... To talk to, or just someone to be with," She rambles, not wanting him to feel alone. It was odd, April had never experienced loss but she desperately never wanted for anyone she cared for to feel it. Perhaps, it's because she never really had anything worth losing.

Tapping his fingers against the handlebars of Silver, he couldn't help but feel heat rush to his cheeks and he already knew that they burned red. He thanked God that she couldn't see him in this moment. He wasn't exactly sure why he was blushing, it was just something about her. It felt like they've known each other for years despite the short time they've had together so far.

Feeling the conversation topic coming to a natural end, April hums softly, her hands which remained wrapped around his waist playing with the colourful friendship bracelets on her wrist. The tune she hummed was melodic, quiet. It was calming and full of excitement all at the same time and for the first time in a long time, Bill Denbrough was beginning to wonder if life wasn't always as dark as it seems.

♧

Midway through the bike ride, they'd meet up with the three other boys. Richie, Stan, and Eddie. Regrouping once again while April sends smiles each of their ways, wanting to wave but remembering that she had told Bill she wouldn't let go and she planned to keep to that promise. She listened as they joked and laughed, Richie poking jokes about Bill's 'old lady bike', whatever that meant.

It was refreshing and brand new to April, surrounded by these people. All of them so comfortable with one another, she never thought she would ever feel this way. Truly, gloriously, happy. Not the constant optimism she was blessed... Cursed? With. But, really happy. She wouldn't contribute much to the conversation as they biked to the Barrens. Opting to listening in and giggling at the comments made.

Soon enough, they were there. All of them pulling to a stop, Richie instantly jumping off his bike and tossing it to the ground, sauntering around the overgrown area. "O-Okay, you g-get off first. So y-you d-d-don't fall," Bill looks back to her as she already begins to let go of his waist, slipping off the rear of the bike and landing firmly onto the ground.

Taking a look around, she sees the sun peeking through the trees leaves and the debris and shrubs cluttering the area. A putrid scent coming from inside the tunnel leading into the sewers. She could already see the vines covering the walls and the entire. scene made her feel queasy.

"That's poison ivy! And, that's poison ivy! And, that's poison ivy!" Stan speaks up, his body turning towards all directions as he takes turns pointing to each plant with leaves, his eyes squinted and voice worried.

Eddie looks towards him, eyes mimicking the worry in Stan's voice. "Where? Where's the poison ivy?" He asks, his eyes following Stan's pointed finger anxiously.

Rolling his eyes, Richie looks to Eddie then Stan. "Nowhere! Not every fucking plant is poison ivy, Stanley!" He bursts out loudly, growing irritated with their constant worries.

April couldn't help but giggle, running a hand through her hair. "Stan, I don't think any of these are poison ivy. I think... They're just leaves," She laughs softly, shaking her head as she walks toward Bill who was already inching towards the tunnel, gripping a yellow flashlight tightly in his hands. "So, what's the first order of business? Huh, Billy?" She asks, standing next to him and staring into the tunnel, hands on her hips. Richie follows, standing on the other side of Bill.

"I g-guess, just... Going i-i-in," He replies, looking to her. He was surprised she was so willing, he couldn't think of any other girls in Derry who would happily oblige to going into a sewer. He never pinned April Ambrose to be okay with getting dirty, she was always so put together with her floral dresses and braids.

She nods. "Alrighty, then," She steps deeper into the dark tunnel. Instantly feeling the water seep into her Converse and lets out a sigh. "Don't do that, step onto a rock," She looks to Bill and Richie who nodded, following after her and stepping onto a rock in the tunnel. Bill holding a hand out and pulling her onto the same surface he stood on.

Bill offers a small smile to her before looking away and deeper into the dark tunnel, stepping onto rock and rock to get deeper into the place.

"Kay, well I'm starting to get itchy now," Eddie says whilst scratching at his arm, calling out to them, voice echoing off the tunnels walls.

Looking back, Richie continues walking deeper, attention on anything but the dirty water he stood in. "D'you use the same bathroom as your mother?" He asks.

"Sometimes yeah," Eddie responds, bobbing his head up and down, April sighing to herself, sensing the bickering about the ensue as she follows after Bill.

She gazed around the tunnel, her forearm brushing against Bill's as he stares into the darkness. "What exactly are we l-" She begins, cut off by Richie laughing loudly.

"Then you probably have crabs," He says nonchalantly, April looking back towards him and shutting her eyes, shaking her head.

She looks back to Bill, who was already stepping deeper into the tunnel. His flashlight shining on the green water: "What are we-" She begins again, cut off once again.

"That's so not funny!" Eddie bursts out, shaking his head angrily at Richie.

She sighs, following after Bill. Feeling the water from the tunnel beginning to seep into her socks now. "What are we looking for?" She speaks quickly, hoping not to get cut off again. She wasn't. Or maybe, she was. Maybe, she just tuned them out.

Bill looks to her, his eyes diverting away from the dark unknown. "I d-don't know. A-Anything, I g-g-guess," He says April takes the flashlight from his hand nodding.

Huffing out, she breathes in. Coughing afterwards at the strong scent. "Alright. Well," She hums, leaning down and pointing the flashlight at a stick on the side of the tunnel, she picks it up and hands the flashlight back to him. "You point, I search?" She looks to him, gesturing the stick into the water.

He smiles weakly, nodding. "Y-Yeah. Good i-idea," He responds as he points the flashlight into a small area of the large body of ankle deep water. Perhaps, the stick was excessive to a point but neither if them wanted to be swimming around in dirty water willingly.

Dunking the large stick underwater, April stirs it around, being sure to scrape it across the ground and feel for anything that could have caught onto it. Nothing. She lifts it up. "Well, that was unsuccessful. Wasn't it?" She shrugs, a small smile on her face. "Let's try over there," She points to another spot in the tunnel and walks towards it, Bill following and pointing the light into the water. It didn't do much, illuminating the water green mostly. But, it felt less ominous with the light.

They repeated this action at least three times in different spots, April sweeping across the sewers floor while Bill points the flashlight into the water and asks her if she found anything. It was unsuccessful the first two times. Then there was the third.

"I don't think..." April begins, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she checks each crevice of the water for anything. "Ah! W-Wait. I think... I got something," She says excitedly, looking to Bill with bright eyes and lifting the stick up, revealing what she had caught onto. A shoe. A simple, low cut, white shoe. The excitement was cut short as her and Bill stare down at it.

Bill instantly takes it into his hand, disregarding the wetness of it, April dropping the stick into the water and taking the flashlight from his hand once again, pointing it down at it.

April's breath hitches, reading the writing inside of the shoe and looking up at Bill. They share the same worried expression, eyebrows knit together, eyes squinted. "G-Guys," Bill starts quietly, attempting to get his bickering friends attention. No response.

"You're the reason we're in this position right now, cause you're-" Eddie starts, getting cut short by Bill who turned around from the dark tunnel and looks back to his friends. April following his movement and staring back at them as well.

"Guys!" He yells. Instantly, the group going silent as they stare back at the two of them.

Stan was first time speak, stumbling over his words. "Shit. Don't tell me that's..." His voice breaks at the end of his sentence, staring at the shoe in Bill's hand.

Bill shakes his head as Richie walks towards him and April. "No, G-Georgie wore galoshes," He responds, April pointing the light down at the shoe once again so Richie can see.

"Whose sneaker is it?" Eddie asks.

Reading the black marker in the shoe, Richie looks to Eddie. "It's Betty Ripsom's" He answers the question, Eddie's breath getting caught in his throat.

He breathes out heavily. "Oh, shit. Oh God! Fuck! I don't like this," Eddie panics as he shakes his head with wide eyes.

"How do you think Betty feels? Hopping around these tunnels with only one friggin shoe!" Richie jumps up excitedly, a stick he held in his hand bouncing up.

April looks to him, her eyebrows furrowed. "That's not even funny," She shakes her head. The group staring at Richie with narrowed eyes and blank expressions.

Stan speaks up, "What if she's still here?" He asks, voice shaky.

Bill turning his head and staring back into the darkness, venturing deeper into the water and tunnel. April and Richie following after him. She hands him the flashlight, feeling as if him it's been better if he had it. Safer.

"Eddie, come on!" Richie shouts back, voice echoing as the sound of their shoes sloshing in the water fill the tunnel.

Without missing a beat, Eddie shakes his head despite no one looking at him. "My mom will have an aneurysm if she finds out we're playing down here! Okay? I'm serious!" He snaps before suddenly pausing.

Bill continues on, April following after him willingly before suddenly bumping into his back at him stopping and just staring into the darkness. She wasn't exactly sure what to do, softly placing a hand on his arm comfortingly. "Are you-" She starts.

"Bill?" Eddie asks, Bill turning around and staring back at him.

April's hand was still on his arm and he hoped that she wouldn't take it away. It made him feel more there, if that made sense. Like, he wouldn't just... Float away. "If I was Betty Ripsom, I would want us to find me. G-G-Georgie too," He says quietly, holding back from letting his voice break. April squeezing his arm, a way to say 'It's okay'. Even though, truly, it wasn't. It was a kind gesture, nonetheless and he felt better because of it.

"What if I don't wanna find them?" Eddie asks. "I mean, no offense Bill, but I don't wanna end up like Ge-. I don't wanna go missing either," Eddie corrects his words at the last moment upon seeing Richie look to Bill, his lip quivering gently. April's hand leaving his arm and rubbing his back with a sad look on her face, staring at the ground.

"He has a point," Stan says, voice dull and eyes blank.

The three who stood in the tunnel stare at him, eyes tired and sad. "Y-You too?" Bill's voice wavers.

"It's summer! We're supposed to be having fun! This isn't fun. This is scary and disgusting!" Stan shouts into the tunnel, gazing around the dirty tunnel which had vines coming down from the ceiling.

Bill and Richie exchange a look, Richie shrugging while April bites her lip. "Maybe..." She begins, pondering her thoughts for something that would make them all happy. Something that would put their minds at ease.

But, like all the other times that day, she was cut off. But, not by a voice. By a splash coming from outside the tunnel. Gasps escaping their mouths and eyes widening as they jump, turning towards the
noise and staring. Quickly, Bill taking April's hand and pulling her out from the tunnel and back into the light.

They see a boy, stumbling over himself as he tries to stand. His hair wet, clothes bloodied. He was a disaster and it was clear, he needed help.

"Holy shit, what happened to you?" Richie leans over as if it'd give him a better look of the beat-up boy.

April gasping once again at the sight of him. "Well, clearly nothing good!" She snaps at Richie, rushing over and into the water, the hem of her jeans getting soaked as she trudges towards the boy and takes his hand. Eddie and Stan following after her, helping her lead the boy to dry land. "Christ, how'd this happen?" She asks, worriedly.

Fussing over the blood that seeped through his shirt as the others rush to their bikes, Eddie helping April mount the boy onto Stan's bike before Bill helps April onto his and without a second thought, rushing out through the forests path and into town. The pharmacy.