I kept one arm wrapped around Beverly's waist and one hand gripping the seat. Her bike was nowhere near as big as Bill's, so squeezing two people on it was a struggle.

After a couple of moments of debate, the Losers had decided to go after Bill who had run off so suddenly and without explanation. What did he think he was doing, going after that clown after it almost killed us in the garage? If Ben hadn't opened the door when he did, I didn't even want to think about who would still be with us.

We zoomed down the street, Beverly and I in the lead. Bill was nowhere to be seen, but at least he had been relatively clear about his intentions and where he was going. I could hear the boys bickering behind us, Eddie and Richie's voices the loudest. I was too worried about falling off to look back and tell them to shut up.

"How close were you, with Patrick?" Beverly asked quietly and I froze.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked defensively, bracing myself for the usual lecture on his violent temperament and trying to ignore the way she used past tense.

"It's just... He's not a good person." she replied, and I shook my head.

"Look, yeah, I agree. He did some messed up things to the boys and with Henry and all, but he was never like that to me. We... I don't know how to explain it. But the last time I saw him, he said he'd stop beating up the boys. He said he'd try, for me."

"No Lara, you don't understand. He's seriously fucked up in the head. I was running away from my... I was out on a walk one day, and I saw him in the woods near the Barrens. He has this fridge, and he does terrible things to animals in there. I watched as he broke all the bones in a cat's legs and left it in there to die."

"You're lying." I whispered, shaking my head. Patrick wouldn't do that, he wasn't that crazy. Nobody in a town like Derry was.

"I swear I'm telling the truth, I saw him with my own eyes! He literally grabbed a rock and-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." I cut Beverly off. Why would she say that about him? Nobody could be that sadistic, but... but then again, I didn't spend that much time getting to know him. Something about him did seem wrong.

Finally, we turned onto Neibolt Street. I watched as the abandoned house I had once drawn in my sketchbook came closer and closer into view, until we came to a stop at the nature strip outside the rusty chain link fence. I hurriedly jumped off the bike and pushed through the partially open wrought iron gate and up the front path. Bill stood with his back turned and faced the boarded up front door, his arm slightly outstretched as if to open it.

"Bill, you can't go in there." Beverly said as she ran up behind me. "This is crazy!"

"Look, you don't have to come in with me." Bill replied, turning to look at us. The rest of the Losers stood beside me, our faces with matching expressions of fear and worry. "But what happens when another Georgie goes missing, or another Betty, or Ed Corcoran, or Patrick, or one of us?" He glanced at me as he said this and I felt the familiar drop of the stomach.

"Are you just going to pretend it didn't happen like everyone else in this town? Because I can't." he continued, and I saw the glint of tears in his eyes. I wanted to run to him, to comfort the boy who lost his brother, but I knew there was nothing I could do to fill that hole in his chest.

"I go home and all I see is that Georgie isn't there. His clothes, his toys, his stupid stuffed animals, but... He isn't. So walking into this house, for me, is easier than walking into my own." Bill finished, and we all stared at him wide-eyed as he turned back towards the house.

"Wow." Richie said, and I turned to look at him in exasperation. Please Richie, now is not the time for one of your jokes.

"What?" Beverly asked. I prayed he wouldn't say anything inappropriate.

"He didn't stutter once." Richie replied, looking at Bill's retreating figure in awe. I looked after him as well, this time with new eyes. I didn't even realise how well Bill had spoken. Suddenly, Richie and Ben made after him towards the house, followed by Eddie and Beverly. I was about to go as well, but a voice stopped me.

"Wait!" Stan blurted, and the Losers stopped in their tracks and turned to look at him. He gulped, before continuing. "Um.. Shouldn't we have people keep watch?" I silently agreed, hoping I'd be the one to wait outside. That house gave me the jeepers and I'd gladly take any chance to avoid going in there. Bill stood with his hand on the door handle, looking at us unsurely.

"You know, in case something bad happens?" Stan added, his head turning from side to side as he looked to us for support.

"Wh-Who wants to stay out here?" Bill asked quietly and I put my hand up immediately. Unfortunately, so did everyone else - everyone else besides Bill and Beverly. I let out a groan.

"Fuck." Richie sighed, letting his arm fall down. The rest of us followed suit.

"We c-can't have everyone keep watch." Bill said, looking at each of our faces.

"Come on guys, really?" Beverly said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, I just really don't want to die today and-" Eddie started.

"We'll draw straws." Bill cut in and bent down to pull a bunch of seeding grass stalks from the ground. He broke off half of their heads and held them face down, covering the bottom. "Whoever draws the short straws are g-going in."

Richie sighed and stepped forward, yanking one out of Bill's hands. We all looked at the stem in his hand. He groaned when he noticed the missing head. "Surely not."

Ben went next, a look of relief passing over his face when he took in the length. Then Eddie went and pulled out a short one, his inhaler almost immediately appearing in between his lips. Stan, Mike, and Beverly went next, all pulling long ones. I groaned and took the last one, already knowing my fate. Today was the day I was going to die. I kicked myself for not picking one earlier.

"L-let's go." Bill said, looking to the three of us who had drawn short straws as he pushed the door open. Eddie, Richie and I followed reluctantly.

"Good luck." I heard Beverly say from behind us and I put my hand up in goodbye. We'd need it.