.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

SHE'S TALKING AGAIN

CHAPTER SIX

vi. the quarry

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SHE FELL ASLEEP with her mind filled with fear. Her mind was idle all throughout the night. And, when she woke up, she had to force herself out of the bed.

As she slugged her way to her dresser. She found herself more terrified than normal. She had grown used to the silence of the large house which only occupied the thirteen and seventeen year olds. But you see, it wasn't the normal comfortable silence.

It left her uneasy. She shook her head as she turned the knob to the hallway, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. 'Just forget it, V.' Blinking profusely, she mumbled to herself. "I hate that word."

When she entered the bathroom, the first thing she did was turn to was the sink. Putting her trembling hands on the cold handles, she turned the faucet on. She had only hoped that it would fill the void of silence which had taken over the house. But, it didn't. It made it worse. So much worse.

There are many things in life which feel wrong. Perhaps, a house without windows or a playground devoid of colour. But there was something specifically wrong with the Mills house. Veronica was unable to place her finger on it. All she could think was that something was most definitely wrong.

After she had finished getting ready, she pulled the usual morning routine of hopping down each step of the wooden staircase and skipping into the kitchen. She needed to act as if everything was normal. She couldn't have people thinking she was crazy! Veronica found her brother hunched over a book when she turned into the yellow lighted kitchen.

"Why're you reading? It's summer!" She laughs as she peeks over his should and sees a few lines. Bryce scoffs and rolled his eyes.

"Unlike some people, I genuinely enjoy reading, Veronica!" He replies while shovelling a spoonful of Frosted Flakes into his mouth.

"Whatever, Bryce. Anyways, how was your date?" She asks while walking over to the fridge and grabbing a glass of orange juice.

"It was good, V. I'm assuming you're going out again?" He responds, glancing up.

"Sure am. Going out with Richie and them," Veronica smiles and sits down across her brother.

"What do you guys even do? Every time I see you guys around town, you're biking around looking like idiots," Bryce lets out a laugh as he gets up to put his bowl in the sink.

"Exactly that. We bike around. Go on adventures. Stupid stuff," She shrugs while lying about their activities. She couldn't tell him that they were preforming a full on investigation about the missing children.

He shakes his head. "You guys have always been an odd bunch. Ever since you were younger. Just glad you have such a good group of friends. I'll see you later, okay? Going out with my friends too." He smiles while ruffling her frizzy hair.

"You got it. Back by 6:45 as always." She nods and fixes her hair.

♧

A half hour after Bryce left, Veronica found herself locking the front door and mounting her bike. She was already itching to run away from the empty house and find herself in the safety of Richie Tozier. She only ever felt safe with him and Bryce, after all. She pedalled the short distance to Richie's house. He was already outside. A smile forms on his face and he waves.

"Hey, Brace Face!" He calls out as the girl pulls to a stop in front of him.

Almost instantly, she felt the nerve and fear in her wash away.

"Heyo, Bucky Beaver!" She responds while getting off her bike. Attempting to hold back from throwing her arms around him, she shifted from one foot to another. Then, she couldn't help it.

She falls into him and hugs him tightly. Richie stiffens at the sudden contact. Then, quickly relaxes and wraps his arms around her too, face buried in her messy hair. Veronica closes her eyes and inhales shakily, Richie always felt like home to her.

"What was that for, Ronnie?" He asks as she lets go. Veronica shrugs.

"Nothing really. Last night was rough. I missed my parents," She lies through her teeth. She'd always been a good liar. But majority of the time, Richie would be able to pick up on it.

"Alright." He nods before fixing a piece of messy hair on her head.

"Alright." She repeats back to him while nodding, too.

"To the quarry then?" Veronica adds while grabbing her bike.

♧

They stood on the edge of the cliff. The boys spitting off of it while Veronica scrunched her nose and shook her head.

"So easy!" Eddie says while Richie takes his turn at spitting off the cliff. Followed by Bill, Ben, and Stan. Before finally getting to the smug boy.

He spits off. Barely. It barely moves causing a laugh from Veronica to echo through the air.

"Nice one, Ed's!" She shouts out while pulling off her white striped shirt.

"Shut it, Nic! You're not even participating. Who are you to talk?" He fires back.

"That was terrible! I win!" Richie laughs out while gesturing over the edge. Only to be followed Eddie and him to argue about the mass of the loogie and how they looked. The others found themselves grimacing at the idiocy of the conversation.

Bill breaks the argument by asking who would jump off the cliff first. At once, the boys begin to shake their heads profusely.

"You'd thi-" Veronica starts before getting cut off.

"I'll go!" A new voice enters the conversation. All their heads turn and they see the redhead from the pharmacy. She drops her dress to the ground and runs towards the cliff, where the boys move out of her way.

"Sissies," She giggles out before jumping down.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Richie yells out in shock as the boys all look down to see Beverly splash into the water.

"Aw! Holy shit! We just got shown up by a girl!" He adds while widening his already magnified eyes.

"We've gotta do that now?" Stan's voice cracks.

"You heard what she said. You guys are sissies! Don't be such babies," Veronica teases before pulling down her shorts and makes her way to the edge.

"V, are you actually abo-" Ben starts but is cut off by a sudden jump and shout from Richie.

"HOLY SHIT!" Richie yells out again while he stares down at the water.

"V-V has always b-b-been braver than all of us c-combined..." Bill laughs at the others reactions.

The girl hits the water and begins to swim up. When she gets up, she begins laughing as she looks up at the cliff where the group looked over the edge.

Turning to look at the other side of her she sees Beverly a few meters away. Feeling a sense of guilt from the initial reaction to her, she begins to swim over to the redhead.

She stops in front of the girl and smiles coyly.

"We haven't been properly introduced... But, names Veronica Mills. Most call me either Nic or V," The blonde introduces herself while the sounds of the boys bickering echo from above them.

The other girl smiles back before speaking.

"I'm Beverly. Beverly Marsh, it's nice to meet you," She responds while gazing up at the group of boys.

She stifles a laugh and points up at the cliff. Veronica turning her attention over to wear her finger led. Bill was inching towards the cliff, nervously. Then, he jumps.

He hit the water with a splash and is followed by Richie, Ben, Stan, then Eddie.

"You'd think... They'd jump first, huh?" Beverly giggles while staring at the boys celebrating their success in 'not dying'.

"As you said, they're sissies. Always have been. Look," Veronica giggles too before swimming over to Eddie. Once behind him, she looks over at Beverly and raises her brows and jumps onto his back.

"BOO!" She shouts out which is follows by a scream from Eddie and an eruption of laughter from the rest of the group.

"Not funny, Veronica!" He says while Veronica splashed around in the water.

"You're the biggest fucking 'fraidy cat whose ever walked the earth, Ed's!" Richie chimes in.

"Am not!" Eddie scoffs.

"Am too!" Richie argues back.

"It's not true! Right, Stan? Bill? Ben? Beverly!" Eddie looks between the others while the stifle their laughs.

"It's p-pretty true, Eddie!" Bill laughs.

"I'd gotta agree with Big Bill on this one," Stan shakes his head.

Eddie squints his eyes and looks to Ben and Beverly for support.

"From what I've seen, Eddie..." Ben trails off with a smile.

"Sorry, Eddie," Beverly stifles a laugh while the rest of the group roars with laughter.

They'd swim around, splash each other, and hold onto each other underwater so carelessly. It began to feel as if all their worries were washing away.

Richie and Veronica were in a usual playful argument now. They were bickering about how Veronica was braver than Richie.

"You're a sissy, admit it!" Veronica laughs out while swimming backwards away from the dark haired boy.

"Shut the fuck up, Veronica!" He shakes his head while grabbing onto the small girl's arms and pulling her straight towards him. Chest to chest.

They stopped at looked at each other, Richie watching as droplets of water fell from her blonde hair and how her blue eyes seemed to just seep into his brown. She smiles at him, openmouthed. A rare occurrence which revealed her silver braces. He gives a lopsided grin back.

As they float in the water, Richie checks off things on his mental to-do list.

To-Do's ;
> See Veronica Mills half naked ✔️
> Touch Veronica Mills half naked ✔️

And you see, these were only his Junior High aspirations, his High School ones are of the same nature, just with one less word in between.

♧

Veronica splashed around before narrowing her eyes at Stan and swimming over to him with a plan to splash him. Once near, she pushed her entire weight into the splash.

"Veronica Jane!" Stan exclaims before splashing back.

"Stanley!" She mimics as they continue on with a splashing match.

It went back and fourth. Over and over and over again. And, once her attention is pulled away and she scans the area. She realizes that these people were the people who were her home.

Time passed and the day just seemed to get better and better. Richie swam to the blonde girl who was giggling at Eddie and Ben wrestling.

Beverly had ended up on Bill's shoulders and Veronica on Richie's.

Much louder laughter than before immediately fills the air.

"CHICKEN FIGHT!" Richie yells out as the girls claps hands and begins pushing at each other.

"You're going down, Mills!" Beverly laughs while her newly cut hair flops from one side to another.

"Try me, Marsh!" The other laughs too, while beginning to topple over. She was going to fall. But, before she does, she tightens her grasp on Beverly's hands. Sending them both falling into the water and shouts and laughter echoing through the air.

These people were truly home.