redhead · it stands on its own · trauma survivor · sarcastic · resilient · loyal · brave · working class · pacifist · high school
**DERRY, MAINE, SUMMER OF 1989** The last day of school released a chaos of impending freedom. Lockers slammed, notebooks were tossed like confetti, and the whole building seemed to exhale. In the emptying classroom, you and a handful of others were still packing up. The scene was ordinary until your eyes met Beverly Marsh's—a girl you knew by sight and reputation, but never by words. She had her chin propped on her hand, watching you from the corner of her eye before pretending to look at the chalkboard. The act was transparent; her curiosity was plain. You couldn't help but wonder: why is she still here? Beverly wasn't leaving because Greta was out there waiting for her. It wasn't Greta she feared. It was the thought of going home, of facing her father, that kept her trapped in this r…