"Hey!" I shout. Henry, Belch and Patrick turn around to look at me.

"Fucks sake. What do you want?" Henry asked, looking pissed. I matched his expression with a glare of my own.

"I.." I paused. What did I want? Now that I had time to think about it, I wouldn't be able to do anything that would hurt them back for what they did to the Losers. I took a step backwards, losing my courage. "Patrick. Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Henry rolled his eyes and pushed Patrick towards me, walking off with Belch. Patrick smirked. "What's up, babe?"

"Don't babe me." I replied, crossing my hands across my chest. "What the fuck was that? I thought you said you'd stop bullying my friends."

Patrick shrugged. "Look, I tried my best. But your friends over there, they're like walking punching bags. I'd have to have the willpower of an ex-addict to hold myself back. It's not like Henry or the others are going to stop, either."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't care if Henry keeps doing it, it's you that I care about. It's you that I want to stop."

Patrick stared at me for a few moments before replying. "I don't think I can do that."

"Okay, one day you're telling me that you'd stop, and now you're saying you won't? I don't fucking get it, Patrick. I really don't."

"I only said that because I was in a good mood yesterday." he replied, brushing me off. "Fucking with that kid was great."

"There's something wrong with you." I said, quietly. "Something seriously wrong."

"That's not very nice." he replied.

"Yeah, well it's the truth!" I exclaimed. "Why do you even talk to me? What do you want, a good fuck?"

"Would you be mad if I said yes?" he asked, smirking. I took a step back, shaking my head.

"Wow."

"I don't do relationships." Patrick continued, his expressing unchanging.

"And why is that?" I didn't know why I was asking, it wasn't like I wanted date Patrick.

"Because they're a waste of time."

I took a step back, shaking my head. "Okay, so whatever this is between us is a waste of time?"

"No, I didn't say that." Patrick replied, standing unnaturally still. As if he was holding his breath.

"Yeah, you kinda did." I shook my head again and turned away, walking back to the Losers. I didn't even like Patrick! Why was I acting this way?

The boys gave me questioning looks but I brushed them off, turning to look back at Patrick. He hadn't moved from his spot and was staring into the distance as if he was thinking very hard. There was no sadness, guilt, or regret in his face. Only strong concentration on whatever was going on in his head.

- - -

"Take everything but the delicious deals, guys. My mum loves them." Eddie said as Bill, Richie and I rummaged through his cupboards. I pulled out a packet of Keebler Magic Middles and stuffed them into my bag happily.

"Okay first you say the barrens, and now you're saying the sewers." Eddie said as he watched us. "I mean, what if we get caught?"

"We won't." Bill replied. "The sewers are p-public works. We're the public aren't we?"

Richie walked past Eddie and opened another cabinet, revealing a whole three shelves lined up with pills. "Hey Eddie, these birth control pills?" he joked.

"Yeah and I'm saving them for your sister." Eddie walked over and closed the cabinet doors. "This is private stuff!"

Agreeing that we had enough food, we walked out of the kitchen and were about to head out the door when Eddie's mum stopped us.

"Eddie bear." she said from her recliner, an open bottle of light pink nail polish in her hand. A kids program was playing on the television. "Where you boys off to in such a rush?" I contemplated pointing out that I was a girl.

"Um, juh-juh-just my backyard, Mrs K." Bill lied. "I got a new..." Bill stopped, struggling with what to say.

"A new croquet set." Richie piped in. "Geez, spit it out Buh-buh-buh-bill."

"Okay." Eddie's mum replied, seeming satisfied and slightly amused. "Oh and sweetie, don't go rolling around in the grass. Especially if it's just been cut. You know how bad your allergies can get."

"Yes mum." Eddie replied, looking embarrassed. He turned and tried to push us out the door but his mum stopped him, again.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked, sticking her cheek out. Eddie turned to her slowly and reluctantly walked into the living room, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Richie wheezed beside me and I struggled not to laugh myself. Bill gave Richie a light hit on the arm as Eddie walked back towards us, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Do you want one from me too, Mrs K?" Richie joked. Eddie, Bill and I pushed him out of the house.

"Sorry mummy!" Eddie said and closed the door, turning to glare at Richie. "You're a dickhead sometimes, Richie."

"Come on, can you blame me?" Richie laughed. "Eddie bear, aren't you forgetting something?" he mocked, pointing at his cheek with a wink. I slapped Richie on the shoulder, pushing him forward.

"Come on, Trashmouth. Let's just go. Don't want to keep Stan waiting." I said and we walked towards the three bikes. I hopped on the back of Bill's this time. His bike was by far the biggest - he looked very unusual riding it with his thin stature.

"Hi yo, Silver! Awaaaay!" Bill shouted as we shot off down the road at a tremendous speed. I held on to Bill's waist tightly, the oversized bike tilting and swerving dangerously.

"Geez, Bill! Slow down a little, you'll kill us both!" I shouted but couldn't help but laugh. Bill didn't seem to hear me and I didn't care. The exhilaration from the wind rushing through my hair and the butterflies in my stomach as I went down a hill was enough to rid me of all my fears.

- - -

"That's poison ivy, and that's poison ivy, and that's poison ivy." Stan told Eddie, pointing at plants that were most definitely not poison ivy. We had finally reached the waters near the sewers, which was where Bill wanted us to go. I had a feeling he was looking for something - I had no idea why he wanted to come down here, though.

"Where? Where's the poison ivy?" Eddie asked worriedly, moving to stand behind Bill.

"Nowhere." Richie shook his head. "Not every fucking plant is poison ivy, Stanley!"

I was walking towards the sewer pipe when I noticed a plant with very distinctly shaped leaves. "Um, Eddie. Just stay away from the plants over here." I tried to say calmly. I heard him whimper.

Bill led the way into one of the sewers, he and Richie walking into it with no concern at all. I hesitated, looking at the muddy water which had soaked their socks up to their ankles, before finally walking in. Eddie and Stan stayed at the entrance, looking at us uneasily.

"Okay, well I'm starting to get itchy now and I'm pretty sure this is not good for me." Eddie said. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you use the same bathroom as your mother?" Richie asked suddenly. Bill was looking around the sewer with his flashlight and I sloshed my way over to him.

"Sometimes, yeah." Eddie replied.

"Then you probably have crabs." Richie said. I walked up to Bill and he gave me a small smile. The smell from the sewer was awful, invading my nose and making me breath through my mouth.

"That's so not funny." Eddie said, shaking his head. Richie looked at Eddie and Stan expectantly.

"Aren't you guys coming in?" he asked.

"Nuh uh." Eddie said, shaking his head. "It's grey water."

"What the hell is grey water?" Richie asked.

"It's basically... Piss and shit. So I'm just telling you, you guys are splashing around in millions of gallons of Derry pee." Eddie said. I gagged before quickly sloshing my way back to the entrance of the sewer. I stood next to Stan, trying to shake the water out of my shoes.

"Are you serious? What are you-" Eddie started. I turned to look at Richie who had something on the end of a stick and had brought it up to his nose, sniffing it dramatically.

"Doesn't smell like caca to me, señor." Richie said and I shook my head in disgust.

"Eugh, okay, I can smell that from here." Eddie gagged.

"It's probably your breath just wafting back into your face." Richie replied.

"Have you ever heard of a staff infection?" Eddie asked, raising his voice.

"Oh I'll show you a staff infection." Richie said and brought his stick into the water.

"That is so unsanitary." Eddie said, talking quickly. "You guys are like literally swimming inside of a toilet bowl right now. Have you ever heard of listeria?"

Richie managed to hook something on the end of his stick and threw it at Eddie, making him scream. I felt something wet splash on my face and I wiped it away in disgust.

"Are you retarded?" Eddie yelled. "You're the-"

"Guys!" Bill said, cutting Eddie off. We all turned to see him holding a white shoe.

"Shit! Don't tell me that's.." Stan started.

"Guh-georgie wore galoshes." Bill stuttered and Richie walked up to him. He shone the flashlight on the shoe, revealing a name written in permanent marker on the inside. I was too far away to read what it was.

"Who's sneaker is it?" I asked worriedly.

"It's Betty Ripsom's." Richie replied and I felt my stomach sink.

"Oh shit, oh god. Oh fuck!" Eddie started to panic and I put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't like this."

"How do you think Betty feels?" Richie asked. "Running around these tunnels with only one fricken shoe?" He hopped on one leg, jokingly, but nobody laughed. Bill gave him a mild glare.

"What if she's still here?" Stan asked and we looked at each other with wide eyes. Bill suddenly turned and started walking deeper into the sewer, followed by Richie.

"Guys, come on!" Richie said.

"My mum will have an aneurism if she finds out we were playing down here. I'm serious." Eddie said, not moving. I started after Bill and Richie, ignoring the disgusting feeling of water soaking into my already drenched shoes and socks.

"Bill?" Richie asked and they stopped walking.

"If I was Betty Ripsom, I would want us to find her." Bill said. Eddie and Stan looked at the ground uneasily. "Guh-guh-georgie too."

"What if I don't want to find them." Eddie said suddenly. I turned to look at him in shock. "I mean, no offence Bill, but I don't want to end up like-" he stopped himself and Bill looked down, the shadows hiding his face. "I don't want to go missing either." Eddie finished.

"He has a point." Stan said and I shook my head in disbelief. Okay, these waters were gross, but Bill had found Betty Ripsom's fricken shoe! Of course we had to keep looking.

"Y-you too?" Bill asked, the hope draining out of him.

"It's summer! We're supposed to be having fun! This isn't fun." Stan replied. "This is scary and disgusting."

Richie shrugged at Bill. All of a sudden a loud splash came from behind Eddie and Stan and I let out a small yelp. We all turned to see a boy in the water on his knees, panting heavily. He tried to stand up again but fell back down from exhaustion. He was covered in dirt and blood, and overall looked like a mess.

"Holy shit what happened to you?" Richie asked, stepping out of the sewer. The boy looked up. I recognised him as Ben Hanscom, the boy Henry and his gang were trying to find the day Billy, Eddie and I were building the dam. We splashed our way through the water to get to him and helped him to his feet. He was bleeding profusely through his shirt and it looked like he had lost a fair amount.

"What happened?" I asked. He looked at me, exhausted.

"Henry Bowers." Ben replied. "Henry, Victor, Patrick and Belch caught me. Henry started to carve his name into my stomach but I got away."

"He was carving his name into your stomach?! With what?" Eddie asked, standing on a rock so he wouldn't get wet.

"A knife." Ben replied and I raised my eyebrows.

"Holy shit, Bowers has a knife? Crazy mother fucker." Richie murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Are they still after you?" Bill asked and Ben nodded.

"Okay, we should go then." Stan said.

"Yeah, we should get this kid a bandaid or something." I added and stood up.

"It'd have to be one hell of a big bandaid." Richie stated as we helped Ben up.

"We should go to the pharmacy and get some supplies." Eddie suggested and we all nodded in agreement. We were about to leave when we heard something in the distance. It sounded like fire.

"Oh no, that's Patrick." Ben groaned.

"Okay, we've got to go." Eddie said quickly and they started off. I remained standing where I was.

"Lara? You coming?" Stan asked and I shook my head.

"I'll catch up."