GIRLS LIKE GIRLS

chapter twenty-seven.

august 5, 1989. monday.

NATALIE FRAYSER HAD FINALLY gone back to work instead of staying home with cass all day. danny, with some persuasion from natalie, let up too.

so here cass sat, in a deafeningly silent house. alone.

but she liked it. there was no one barging into her room asking her if she was okay, no one to hide food that she was supposed to be eating, and no one to stop her from doing anything she wasn't supposed to do.

cass got up from her bed and walked downstairs, running her finger along the walls. she sighed contently, taking in the peace and quiet. she could finally think.

but it didn't last long.

as she poured herself a glass of orange juice, the doorbell rang. then rang again. and again. cass groaned and set her cup down, running towards the door.

"calm your tits, dude," she muttered, and turned the doorknob. she opened the door cautiously, but once she realized who it was, swung it open.

"bill? what are you doing here?" cass saw the paleness in his cheeks, and felt panic set in.

"It got b-bev!"

"what?" cass immediately started pulling her shoes on. "how?"

"i-i don't know! i w-w-went into h-her house and her d-dad was d-d-d-dead on the floor-"

"why were you at her house?" cass asked, completely brushing off the fact that al marsh was dead. there was obvious jealousy in her voice.

"it d-d-doesn't matter! b-bev is gone and w-w-we have to fuh-find her! c-c-call mike, then go st-straight to the
n-n-neibolt house!" cass nodded and slammed her door shut, and scrambled to the phone. she looked at the piece of paper hanging next to her phone and quickly dialed mikes number. it picked up after three rings.

"hello?" a womans voice asked.

"is this the hanlon residence?" cass asked, her voice shaking.

"yes it is. who's calling?"

"m-my name is cass. may i speak to mike?" the woman made a soft humming noise, and cass heard muffled yells. a few moments later she heard mikes voice.

"hello?" mike asked, sounding breathless.

"its bev, mikey. It got her."

"what do you mean It?"

"It mike." she could practically hear the blood rush from mikes face. "go to neibolt as soon as possible." then cass hung up and ran outside, locking the door behind her, and hopping onto her bike. she quickly rode off, her heart pounding.

yet she should have never left her house that day.

"STAN WE ALL HAVE TO GO."

cass and the other losers (besides bev) stared at stan from inside of the house, stan standing right outside the door.

bill continued, "b-b-beverly was right. if we split up like last time that clown will kill us one by one. we have to st-stick together. all of us. we'll win. i promise." stan looked like he was about to cry, and cass approached him slowly.

"stan we have to do this," she muttered into his ear, reaching for his hand. she touched it lightly and he pulled it away.

"why? so we can save the love of your life?" stan whispered back, and pushed past cass into the house. cass followed slowly behind.