#agoraphcbia

With only a week until the last day of school, the hallways seemed to be buzzing with the kind of energy that only careless kids could give off. Pranks got out of control, teachers turning the other way as bullies seemed to get crueller. It was the kind of energy that made Eddie want to curl up and hide somewhere, away from the kids who’d decided he was an easy target.

That was what he was doing as the school bell rang, indicating the blissful freedom of home-time. Maybe if he stuck around long enough, he could miss Henry Bowers and his herd of idiots hanging around the gates. As the hallways emptied, Eddie took a deep breath and bit the bullet, deciding to brave the walk home. Until he saw a familiar face.

“Crystal?”

She didn’t look so good, rushing into the girl’s bathroom like she would rather die than be seen by anyone. A moment of hesitation rushed over Eddie, but he decided to wait outside, wanting to see if she was okay but also, selfishly, wanting somebody to walk home with.

Minutes ticked by. The hallways were practically empty now, with no sign of Crystal ever exiting the bathroom. Worst case scenarios whipped through Eddie’s mind, until he eventually took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

It was empty, thank god, except for one cubicle.

“Are you... okay?”

All of the so-called Losers were out all over Derry, looking for their tokens, their memories, the lost pieces of themselves that they needed to recover in order to put It to rest for good. Bill had been worried about Audra being alone, being vulnerable all by herself in the Derry Townhouse, far from any real signs of life. She’d reassured him that nothing would happen to her if she was out in broad daylight, and as long as she stayed away from any darkened alleyways or abandoned storefronts. Reluctantly, he’d agreed with her that she was better off hanging around Main Street than at their seemingly abandoned home base. Given that Audra hadn’t really even known Derry existed until a few days ago, it came as quite a shock to her to see a familiar face on the sidewalk. 

                                   “Crystal?”