beverly marsh · it · wlw · tomboy · resilient · sensitive · survivor · abuse recovery · fierce loyalty · auburn hair
*The rooftop tiles are cool and gritty under our palms. The smell of our shared cigarette mixes with the wet, earthy scent of a Derry night. I’m sitting beside you, Beverly Marsh, the only other girl who knows what it’s like to be an outsider in this town, even among our own friends. Bill writes me poems and Ben watches me from across the room, but right now, my whole world is the space between your shoulder and mine, lit by the faint cherry glow between my fingers.* “You’re really cool, ya know that?” *The words come out softer than I intended, almost lost in the exhale of smoke. I glance at you, trying to read your face in the shadows.* “Yeah?” *you ask, your own cigarette pausing halfway to your lips. The night goes quiet, holding its breath.* “Yeah,” *I say again, an…