.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

CHAPTER NINE

ix. back home

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THE DAYS EVENTS HAD ENDED and once again, April found herself clung to Bill Denbrough's back, her cheek pressed up against his shoulder and a grin on her face. She hums quietly, a soft tune. Bill could feel the vibration from the noise rising from her throat on his back and he couldn't help but let the corners of his lips twinge up a bit.

They were already on her street, biking down the road and passing by April's neighbouring houses. It was probably around 6:30 and despite curfew rushing closer and closer, the two of them hardly wanted to leave each other's company. Even if a lot of their moments were shared silences of comfort. It was almost like the understood one another above words. But, despite that, there was still a fire in both of them urging to keep learning.

"It's t-this one right?" Bill asks as he begins to pull to a stop at a house which was painted grey.

Looking up from where her head rested, she stares at her house and nods. "Yeah, this is my stop," She hums, Bill already holding Silver up with his feet in order for her to safely unmount.

Once off, she stumbles for a moment, having to catch her balance and giggling softly as she does so. "Y-You okay?" Bill asks worriedly as he sees her ankle stumble to the side, her shoes losing its grip.

Continuing to giggle, she nods. "Yeah, I'm okay. Perfect, actually," She respond, poking his hand which gripped his handlebars still with a playful smile.

His heart jumped for a moment there, the brush of her finger against his knuckles being enough to send him into a surge of fire. Just imagine how he feels while they bike, it's like ten thousand bolts of electricity! "Perfect? How s-so?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow up amused as she plays with the straps of her backpack shyly.

She shrugs, looking down at her once pristine shoes which were now muddy from the Barrens. "Today was the best day I've had in a while, Billy," She searches for words slowly before she remembers something. The bracelet that sat in her backpacks pocket! "Oh, I forgot," She mumbles, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear and not noticing the curious look Bill had now, she has already busied herself by pulling her backpack strap off one shoulder and pulling it to the front of her and searching the pockets for one of the bracelets.

She'd give the rest of the bracelets tomorrow, make one for Ben too, Beverly if she shows up! It just felt right to give Bill's now. She tugs the navy blue and black bracelet out and holds it up to him. "I... Made this. For you," She smiles shyly, showing off the bracelet and in its intricately crafted glory.

Acknowledging his reaction now, she looks to his face and sees a blank stare and she feels her stomach drop. 'He doesn't like it. He thinks I'm weird. Oh, golly. I ruined this!' Negative thoughts cloud her mind as she looks back at the bracelet. She was too busy staring down at it to notice the way his mouth curled into a smile.

"R-Really? For m-me?" He asks, feeling quite honoured because everyone in their grade knew that April was known for her bracelets, even though she wasn't that popular. It's those bracelets that set her apart, she showed them off everyday. On her wrists and ankles. Even the girls who disliked her, like Gretta, fawned over them.

She could do these crazy patterns that no one understood and her fingers worked so wildly. She could probably finish a complex design in record time. Everyone who truly knew April also knew that she never gave her bracelets away. They were sacred to her, giving one away to her meant that she felt that this was a real friendship and that's not something she's ever felt.

A smile spreading across her face at his words, she nods and unties the end to wrap it around his wrist. "Yes! It's a friendship bracelet," She responds, her voice airy and joyful.

He holds his wrist out to her with his eyes watching her as she begins to nimbly secure it. "You're the first person to ever get one," She babbles as she adjusts it on his wrist, the tip of her tongue sticking out of her mouth.

Bill couldn't help but think that she looked cute, her messy bangs falling into her eyes and the way her tan skin contrasted against the paint of her pale grey house. "Well, t-thank you, Sunshine," He stumbles over his words terribly - not from his stutter however, from nervousness.

It wasn't that he felt insecure around her, quite the opposite in fact. He didn't think that he's felt this happy since before... Since before Georgie... Left. Thinking about it, he felt like he shouldn't be happy. He shouldn't be allowed to, he was the reason Georgie's gone. He's the reason why.

He was glum and blue and April Ambrose was bright like the sun. Sure, maybe before Georgie left, he was joyful but now their differences were so large - it seemed impossible to look at anything without thinking about how he shouldn't be enjoying life when Georgie had got so little.

He's snapped from his thoughts at the feeling of April's fingers brushing against his skin and her adjusting the bracelet. "Of course. Do you like it? I can change the colours if you-" She begins, Bill cutting her off by shaking his head rapidly.

"N-No, I l-love it," He interjects, smiling shyly at her as her smile grows larger and a piece of her hair falls out of place and it took every bit of control to fight the urge to fix it for her. There was a lot here, he thought. This girl, April Ambrose. He barely knew her yet but he knew that she was someone he'd grow to know.

Nodding, April looks back to her house, noticing the open window in the living room and already knew that once she gets in her mom is going to practically ambush her with questions regarding her day. Not that anyone could blame her, this was the first time April ever went out with friends. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She asks, looking back to Bill with a glint in her eyes, a happy one. A truly happy one. Not just the natural spark her optimism gave her.

Bill notices the gleam at once and wondered why they never sparkled like that all the time. He wasn't sure but from the short time of being friends, he noticed that she had two sets of glints in her dull blue eyes. One was natural, always there and never disappeared. It made her seem warm and cheerful. But, the other one however was like... Magic. It was like her eyes brightened ten times than normal and she seemed there, present, joyous, and free.

He only saw that one a few times. Four to be exact. When he invited her to join the Losers out to the Barrens, when she invited Beverly to the quarry, just recently when he said he liked the bracelet, and now.

He wasn't sure how to ask why one seemed so dull and forced while the other seemed genuine and bright. Besides, it wasn't his place. Maybe, he'd ask next time. When they were closer. Yes, he'd do that. He was really curious, after all.

"You b-bet. I'll pick y-you up at 12," He responds, gripping his handlebars and twisting as if they'd spin. There was no hesitation, he knew April didn't have a bike and didn't plan on making her walk. Partly because he felt as if it were rude. Mostly because he didn't want her to be alone. Not here, definitely not here. Not now, especially.

Biting the inside of her bottom lip, April smiles softly at his words - her eyes doing that gleam again which practically had Bill turning to putty at the sight. "Alright, Billy. I'll see you," She says, running a hand through her hair and waving lightly before turning and beginning to walk down the shirt path to the steps of her house.

Despite her not seeing, Bill waves back. "See you, Sunshine," He says quietly, loud enough to hear and she does one last look at him as she gets to the front door and unlocks it, smiling once again with that same gleam before she opens the door and enters.

And, Bill Denbrough for the first time in the longest time, felt really, truly happy and was thinking that maybe he did deserve happiness. Happiness with his friends, in his life, just by being with the girl who held the warmth of the sun in her hands. But, of course, maybe he did deserve it, but one thing would always come first and it made absolute and total sense. Finding Georgie.