Rosie Evans:
The end of summer meant the beginning of sophomore year. My last day of summer was spent with Beverly at the local dinner in town. We drank milkshakes and ate fries with the money we earned through babysitting. Sitting there with Beverly was calming. I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't met Beverly the first day of school 8 years ago.
"...So then I go up to Mr. Harrington and I'm like 'screw you, you balding old turd'" I spit out my chocolate milkshake laughing at the memory. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Mr. Harrington, our health teacher, had given her a D on her project so she walked up to his desk to ask him about it and then when it was really quiet in the classroom she yelled that. She had detention for a week after that but in her mind it was worth it.
"I remember that" "oh my gosh that was so funny" "his face when you said that" "priceless" I say trying to contain my laughter but fail.
The strawberry blonde looks at her watch. "Shit I gotta get home. My dad will flip his shit if I'm not home soon." I tensed knowing what that meant.
I had never been very fond of Al. You could even go as far to say that I hated him. She had told me stories of what he had done to her one night when she ran to my house to get away from him. She insisted that she was fine and that I was just overreacting but that didn't stop me from voicing my opinion.
"You know you can spend the night at my house anytime right? My parents love you and don't mind you coming over."
"I'll be fine Rosie. Besides there's nothing to worry about. He's only like that when he drinks." So he's like that all the time.
"Okay but promise me if anything happens at all and I mean anything, come to my house. You don't even need to call. Okay?"
"Okay. Love you Evans. I'll see you tomorrow. Meet by the entrance alright."
"Sounds good and love you too Marsh. Be safe, I'll see you tomorrow."
And that was our friendship. Constantly looking out and loving each other.
When I walked home from the diner I saw Richie playing football in his front yard with his best friend Eddie.
"Hi Richie. Hey Eddie."
"Hi Rosie." The both said in unison
"Are you guys excited for the beginning of sophomore year tomorrow?"
"Not particularly. It's just school. Nothing special about it." Eddie was never too fond of me. To be fair I wasn't very fond of him either but he was Richies best friend so I had to be polite
"Nothing special about it? You learn something new everyday to prepare you for your future. I find it particularly intriguing."
"Well if by intriguing you mean unbelievably boring, then yes, I️ would agree."
I rolled my eyes at Richie. I continued walking to my house. "You're just thinking like everyone else. I feel sorry for you." With that final remark I walk into my yard and go inside.
Richie Tozier:
"She feels sorry for me? Why the fuck would she feel sorry for me? If anything I should feel sorry for her for actually liking that school bullshit."
"Don't think too much about it. It's Rosie Evans we're talking about. The strangest girl in our class."
"Agreed. She is constantly trying to talk to me and not to mention she has liked me for 8 years. I know I'm a ladies man but seriously, out of all the girls in our high school why her?"
Just talking about the girl who lives across from him made his eyes roll to the back of his head.
"I know Richie, you've told me at least 20 times. You talk about her so much that I'm starting to think that you like her."
"Are you out of your mind Eds? I hate her. Nothing in this world could get me to like her."
"Alright if you say so." Eddie dropped the subject and continued to throw the football.
I didn't like Rosie. I couldn't. Why would I want to. She's average. Nothing special about her. Not to mention her obsession with me creeped me out. I don't even wanna think about the amount of times she must have wanked off to the thought of me.
I shivered at the thought. Rosie Evans will always be a mystery to me and I'm fine with that.
Rosie Evans:
That night I couldn't fall asleep. No matter how many times she tossed and turned, fluffed her pillow, counted sheep, her mind just wouldn't shut off. I thought about Bev's home life, sophomore year, and Richie.
I hadn't seen him very often over the past 2 months. Only occasionally when he was outside in his front lawn and I would be walking home. That was another reason I loved school so much. I got to see Richie everyday.
Richie was considered popular at Derry High School. Even though he had tons of friends he mainly hung out with Eddie, Bill, Stanley, and Mike. In middle school they were considered the losers of Derry. Funny what high school can do to people.
That night I feel asleep to the thoughts of Richie Tozier and his strangely long legs.
The next morning
6:00 am
The clock read 6:00 when I had to get up for school. I did my normal morning routine for school. I showered, dried my hair, cleaned my face, brushed my teeth, put on a small amount of mascara and my outfit for school all while listening to my vinyls that I️ got for Christmas.
It was 6:45 when I walked out of my room to get breakfast. My mom made scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage with orange juice to drink.
"So sweetheart how did you sleep?"
"Okay. I was so excited for school that I didn't get much sleep."
"When I was your age I dreaded going to school. It was like a chore for me. I'm glad you like it though." My father said
I had always admired how similar my father and I were. We both enjoyed the beauties of nature and when was younger he would always take me to watch the sunrise. He taught me how to paint different things like landscapes to portraits in watercolor to oil paints.
"You should be off to the bus stop before you're late sweetheart. Don't want to be late the first day." My mother called to me while washing the dishes.
"Okay" I grabbed my navy blue backpack filled with random textbooks and my sketch pad.
My walk to the bus stop was short considering the fact that the bus stop is right next to my house.
I didn't really know anyone on my bus. Sure I had been going to school with them for most of my life but I never cared to know any of them personally. Richie always rides his bike to school. He brags about getting his own car next year when he gets his drivers license.
I took the 10 minute bus ride to school to work on some of my sketches that I hadn't had the time to finish. I worked on my sketch of the tree line of the forest. It was just the rough outline though, I'll add color to it when I get home.
The tree line that passed right behind my house was my inspiration. In Hawkins every where you went there were tons of trees and all things related to nature. Derry was the opposite, huge man-made buildings everywhere with exception to the forest that led to the quarry. I found myself missing Hawkins more and more as I grow older, wishing to go back to the small town in Indiana. I missed the simple living that came with Hawkins.
The bus stopped as we arrived to the school around 8:00. Since I had sat in the back of the bus I was the last to get off. When I got off, I ran to the front of the school, already seeing the strawberry blonde waiting for me.
"It's about time you got here, I was about to go in and ditch you."
"I get here at a normal time, its not my fault that you get to school so early." She had the habit of getting to school 30 or 40 minutes before I do. She always claims that she didn't know it was so early but we both know that she leaves before her dad wakes up so she can avoid him.
"Let's go in. Shall we?" Be held out her arm for me to take as she started walking up the stairs. I took it and we walked into the main hallway, arm and arm, ready to deal with whatever sophomore year had to throw at them.
Little did Rosie know that sophomore year would change her whole life, for better or worse...