Story time

   Betty renewed my faith in helping Henry, I mean he’s hard to read at first, but he was an old friend and I knew him. I walked up Henry’s yard and knocked on the door. He answered the door in no time and I took a step back gasping in shock. he had answered the door shirtless and I could tell he was toned. I shook my head and looked up at him. “Hey Hen.” I said sweetly. he looked me up and down and scowled. “I don’t want no damned girl scout cookies.”  he slammed the door in my face. I sighed and was about to walk off then I noticed my hair was stuck in the door. fucks sake. why me? I asked myself. 

   “Henry? Henry, please, my hair is stuck in the door!” I hollered. I heard shuffling around and then he opened the door slowly.

“Sorry.” he said. I was wide eyed. did he say sorry.

HENRY’S P.O.V

    I woke up at around noon, I was stiff and sore from the night before last night, I had heard the faint sound of a woman whistling Love Me Tender in my ear. I froze and snapped my eyes open, who was in my dad’s house? he’s gonna kill me cuz their is a woman in my room. 

“I know you’re awake Henry Oscar Bowers.” it was a voice that I haven’t heard in a long time, it made my blood run cold, but it also made me sit up to see if I wasn’t just hearing things. “M-M-Mama?” I called out to the tall skinny blond woman that stood before me, she was just as I remembered her. long blond hair tied back into a knot on her head, bruise marring her left cheek. her blue eyes were as blue as they ever had been and they seemed to be staring into my soul.

“I have to tell you something, and I need you to listen.” I laid back down and rolled over.

“You ain’t real, I got another concussion and I’m seein things.” I grumbled trying to pull the covers over my head.

“Henry, honestly if I was a Hallucination, I wouldn't be able to touch you.” she said cradling my head in her hands.

I froze again, she felt soft but she also felt col.

VIC’S GIRL

A/N: okay okay i imageine Vic as some kid who just rebels because he can, and a closet nerd. NO? okay its just me then.

Darcy Wells was the great grandaughter of the outlaw Josie Wells and true to her name sake she liked to raise a little hell. on the last day of school Darcy could be seen hanging out with her childhood bestfriend Victor Criss. They were laughing casually and horsing around. “Okay but seriously, what if the earth was flat?” Vic asked, Darcy snorted. “Victor please, geometry will prove you wrong.” I siad in a sing song voice. “Enlighten me Ms Wells.” “You remember going over Tangents with Mrs Johnson?” I asked. “Sort of, all i did was sleep in that class.” he siad slightly chuckling. “Okay, well a tangent is the straight line that "just touches” a curve at that point. A circle is made up of points and each point has a tangent, and at each point things are flat which makes the earth seem like its flat when really you are just standing on one of any given tangents.“ "Wow, what a nerd you are Darcy.” Vic said laughing. I laughed.

The laughter died down when Vic decided to go bother those sweet little boys that they always picked on, what hit the nail on the head was Patrick throwing Stan’s kippa in the open window of a passing bus.

“That was uncalled for Hocksetter. Leave them the fuck alone.” I said snidely.

“You better watch that Mouth Darcy May, don’t wanna end up in a ditch like Josh.” I froze, he reopened a wound that had just barely healed itself. I tackled Patrick and put him in a headlock yelling at him to take it back. Patrick wheezed and pinched at my arms. He’s never been one to not make things escalate quickly and he knew just where to hit me.

Josh had been my boyfriend for eight months, I thought I loved him at the time, he was found dead in a ditch, throat torn open mouth frozen in a silent scream.

I felt myself being pulled off of Patrick buy another set of lanky arms.I was falling and kicking and hollering at the top of my lungs for whoever had me to let me go.

“Darcy, Darcy please. Calm down.” the voice in my ear was Vic’s. I relaxed a little and took deep breaths. Patrick was clutching a bloody nose and his neck was red and raw.

   I went home, having gone to the pharmacy later than expected. I set the bag down in the dining room and walked into the kitchen, I could here my ma talking to someone, there was only one phone in the house and it was in its slot, my father was away on business. I slowly approached the kitchen, I could here a child’s whisper, “its lonely down here Mary, and so cold.” I froze and pressed myself on the wall by the door way on the outside of the kitchen, that voice sounded like something horrifying, like six kids talking at once in a sinister tone. my mother leaned over the kitchen sink, “what do you want me to do about that?” she answered back. I think I'm going nuts.

  “HUSH! She’s coming!” they said as I entered the room. my ma quickly tried to act natural and whipped around to face me.

  “I got that stuff you wanted from Keene’s, Ma.”  I said acting natural. I tried my hardest not to act as if I hadn’t just caught her talking to the sink. “thank you Susie, why don’t you run along now, okay?” she asked me.“Okay Ma.” and so I grabbed my key’s again and drove down to the quarry.

I needed fresh air and time to think. 

I had just seen the weirdest shit you could see, how would I handle this?

I heard wild laughter followed by the clinking crash of breaking bottles.

I recognized the laughter right away having grown up with it nearly all my life, many things about us change but our laughs do not. Henry was whooping and hollering with Belch and Vic.

I decided to walk over to them, Belch and Vic weren't nearly as snockered as Henry, who was teetering and tottering around until he spotted me.

"Well how you doing hot stuffff?" Henry slurred. I blushed wildly.

"What brings you here?" Henry asked throwing an arm around my shoulder. I'm not sure I liked this Henry, the sober side was a locked box that was welded together and the drunk side seemed to be that one bowl of candy on Halloween that says 'take one!'

"I came here to think but I see that there is already something going on, so I'll leave." despite Henry's objections I left and started driving off towards Neighbolt and Jackson. Neighbolt was always a creepy ass house. Everyone in town knew about it and told their children to stay away from it.

I always got a creepy feeling everytime I passed that house.

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

During that night, I had tossed and turned all night. I had finally drifted off at one and was crudely awakened by small cold hands. I bolt up right in my bed and my eyes land on a gastley sight. Betty stood in front of me, dead and pale looking, like she had cyanosis. "Come with me Susie, I have to show you something, its literally life and death, for you." she said pulling on me and trying to get me up. All I could do is stare, is this real? "Come on Sue, get your fat ass up. I'm serious. Get the fuck up. Hurry before Mama wakes up." I decided to get up and slide my feet in my slippers. We walked to her room which was the first room by the stairs. It was princess pink and the polar opposite of my boy blue room filled with books, art stuff ,and exploring stuff. Betty's room was filled with girly things and posters of Bryan Adams and New Kids on The Block posters plastered onto the walls. The air was stagit and old as if dust was taking its place. The room looked the way she had left it.

She pointed to her Photo journal and then told me to read it. "Inside that is proof that crazy shit happens in town," Betty whispered. "And proof of what happened to me, don't trust the Folks, invest in door lock. Don't give them a chance to do you like they did me. Please promise me that I won't see you until its time?" she asked me. I teared up. "Bets please don't go, I miss you."

"Sue promise me." "I-I promise." I whispered and then she hugged me tight.I held her equally as tight and before she left she whispered, "Save Henry. He needs to be saved." I shook my head. "I've been trying. He refuses my Help." she smiled and shook her head. "He doesn't want you to see him as weak." and then she left. Not long after that I leaped back to my room. Mom was on her sleeping pill tonight so I wouldn't have to worry about her. But why would Betty warn me against her? Ran into my closet and locked the door.

APOCOLYPTIC ROCK FIGHT

   I was driving to the pharmacy when I noticed a bike that had been thrown haphazardly to the side right in front of Belch’s blue trans am. I ran down into the clearing, I was by the creek, he was shoving our neighbor Mike Hanlon’s face into raw lamb meat. I tutored the kid on Wednesdays when I got off from school. He was so sweet. and then the group that Henry and his stupid friends bullied showed up before I could even do anything about it.

 I am stupid, so stupid fro this, I could get seriously hurt. 

I got in the middle and called it quits. “STOP!” I hollered. the losers and the bowers gang stopped throwing stones.

“You are all better than this,” I hollered, I turned to Mike.

“Mikey you okay bud?” I asked helping him up, I rummaged around in my messenger bag for my first aid kit. I motioned for both Henry and mike to come sit by me. I didn’t give them a choice to object.

I cleaned up Mike first. he only had a busted lip thank god. “There, all better. you outta run home now if you can manage. see you Wednesday!” I said sweetly. he hobbled off with the rest of the losers. when they were out of earshot I glared at Henry.

“Why’d you do it Bowers?” I asked boredly. 

A/N: WARNING!!!!!!! RACIST BOWERS BOI!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!!!

   “Because he’s-” I cut him off. “I swear to God, if you say it’s because he’s black I will punch you now hold still.” I forcefully held his chin as I dabbed at the cut that bordered his hair line. He hissed at the alcohol met the tiny fissure on his forehead. “Hold still or I'll ‘accidentally’ dab your eye.” I said sternly.

“It hurts how do you expect me to hold still?” he snapped. I growled in frustration and glared at him. “Just do it.” I demanded.

he held still and didn't object to my care. 

“Why are you being nice to me Ripsom?” he asked, in a quiet tone. “It’s not important, I just want you to know there are more ways to release your anger than bullying children. you should really leave that Marsh girl alone, she already has enough people jumping on her back.” I said. “if you need to talk or a place to stay I'm here for you.” I said getting up and walking off.

    I had never once took the precious time out of my day to  talk to Butch Bowers, I wasn’t plaining to today until he put me on the spot. He was horrible, just horrible. Now I understand why Henry acts the way he does, he was treated like he was less of a person, and Butch was probably modeling Henry to be just like him, and being around that for most of his life has probably made Henry think that that’s how he’s supposed to act. Henry doesn’t have that one person to push him to the light side, he just has Belch and Vic.

   Those two just want to be friends with him so that they won’t get bullied. I knew Henry wasn’t all that bad, when my ma had to burry an empty casket, (Betty had never been found.) Henry brought food to the wake, It was something simple, just a tuna noodle casserole but it was the best one I've ever eaten. He offered me and my Ma his condolences and left, probably to try and beat Butch home. 

   I decided, enough was enough, I'm goin to help Henry out as best as I can. looked out my window which was parallel with Henry’ s upstairs window, I lived right next to his farm and occasionally shooed some of their stray chickens back into their yard. I could just see Henry, he was sitting on the window seal, his head in his hands, bawling. He had his shirt off and I saw the damage that Butch had done to him for the first time. Their were old scars that littered his back, he was covered in bruises, he looked like he was in pain. my heart ached for him. He deserved to be treated like a human being.

   The first official day of summer break was upon us, and I was spending it with no one but my books and the porch swing on my back porch.

“Hey Ripsom. I looked up from my book and smiled. Henry poked his head out from over the fence.

“What’s up Bowers?” I asked marking my page and closing my book. 

    “I’m missing a young Dominicker hen, you seen her?” he asked me. I shook my head. “No but I can help you find her.” I said smiling. he shook his head, “No, you can’t come over here, my old man will throw a fit, me having a bitch like you over.” he said. I knew what he was doing. he didn’t want me over because if Butch found out he would beat him again. I sighed and grabbed my book.

   It’s been two days since Henry’s concussion, I haven’t seen him since. I don’t know why but I feel nervous for him, I could hear Henry’s dad from down the street, he always hollered and I could here things breaking if I was walking by. I never heard Henry though, unless he cried out which was very rare. he was made of sturdier stuff than I was, I wouldn’t last a day with Butch Bowers.

  I was walking by his place to my house after school when I saw his friends and him shooting his dad’s service weapon, I knew Henry was troubled, but I had no idea he was crazy enough to shoot a cat. My eyes widened and I was about to go over there, but Butch came out of his service vehicle pissed as hell.

He fired his gun at Henry’s feet, each shot made him flinch and cower even more into himself, I could just see the faint almost tears rolling down his cheeks.

“ Take a look at him now, boys. Ain't nothing like a little fear that'll make a paper man crumble.”  Butch said, he smiled a small sadistic smile, and Belch and Vic scrambled to leave as Henry was forced into his house.

“What're ya lookin’ at filthy skank? Ain’t never seen an act a discipline before?” Butch hollered at me. I froze. I must really be stupid, I must really be fucking stupid. lying to a cop. 

“No sir, I was just dropping by to hand Henry the homework assignment that he missed.” Butch cocked an eyebrow at me and smiled as he yanked the papers from me. “I’ll make sure Henry gets these, run on home before your ma decides to call the cops for another missing kid.” he said using that same small sadistic smile.

  I walked into the detention room late, not caring if I got griped at.

“Who are you young lady and why are you late?” the teacher asked flatly. 

“Not here.” I said in an equally bitchy manner. she glared at me, “Name?”

“Susan Ripsom.” I bit out. “Sit on the back.” the teacher said sourly. “Yes Sir.” I said jokingly. I took the only open seat in the back next to a blonde with his head slumped down on a desk. I knew this blonde well, we lived near each other, we used to play together as kids. It was Henry Bowers, he acted like every little sound and the light bothered him. I figured he had a migraine so I slipped him some Ibuprofen on a note that said: you okay?

he sat up sometime later, he had a dazed look in his eyes, his pupils dilated slower than they should have, “What what are you looking at Ripsom?” he snapped and then it clicked.

“Henry, how many fingers am I holding up?” I asked trying to sound casual.

he looked as if he was having a hard time focusing on them. He turned his head and I saw the huge knot, it looked painful.

“How did you get a concussion?” I asked. he tried putting his head down again but I stopped him, “Uh uh, sleeping isn’t good with your condition.” I stated as we were dismissed and I led him to the cafeteria, Martha was in the back as I expected.

“Mrs. Huggins, its me Susie, can you get me a bag of ice?” I asked as Henry tried to leave, I jerked his wrist hard.

“Sure thing baby, Henry what happened?” she asked.