Arizona sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking the quarry, thinking about the events of the rock war. She wondered if she'd be laughing with Mike right now, if she'd just chosen him over Henry. Arizona had tried to talk to him earlier and explain, but he just walked away, obviously upset with the girl. That hurt her heart, but she knew she deserved it. So, there she sat wondering why she did what she did, she wondered why she hurt the boy who made her feel like flying.

The girl was so lost in thought she didn't notice Mike sitting down beside her, until he placed a hand on her shoulder. She stared at him, her eyes flashing emotions that varied from shock to sorrow.

"Thought I'd find you here," he laughed, and Arizona looked at him.

"I'm sorry Mike," The girl mumbled, not making complete eye contact.

"It's just...Henry and I have been friends for years. You know how unstable my home life has been, and Henry has been one of the only constants in my life. When I look at him, all I can see is the boy I grew up with. The one who made me smile, the one who distracted me from the harsh realities of life when my dad left, the one who never made me feel alone. I just feel that if I leave him, I lose the only chance of stability I have," Arizona explained sadly.

"But you have me, I won't ever let you go," Mike replied.

"I already left you once Mike, how do you know I won't do it again," Arizona asked.

"Because I know you," was the answer that made her heart skip a beat.

"Besides, Henry isn't the most friendly of people. He's a bully and an asshole. He's toxic, Arizona. Someone like you doesn't need to be around him," Mike continued, making Arizona stare at him in shock.

"He's my best friend Mike, I can't just drop him," she cried.

"I just want you to be careful Ari, he's unstable," the boy responded, his voice slightly raising.

"You just don't get it Mike," she muttered. Mike simply sighed and stood up.

"Look, I'm meeting my friends at the carnival later. You can join us if you'd like. Hope to see you there Colburn," he said, and then he was gone. Arizona felt tears she didn't even know she had spill over her cheeks. She thought about Mike's offer, and decided to take it, figuring she couldn't lose the one boy who truly made her feel special.

When she arrived at the carnival later that day, she saw Mike sitting with his friends. The entire group looked deep in conversation, and after a moment of contemplation, she anxiously approached them. When she got closer, Arizona heard their conversation and realized they must have seen the clown too. She decided to stand back for a moment, and just listen.

"You saw something too," Eddie asked.

"Yes," Mike replied, and went on to describe the terrible thing the clown made him see. Arizona's heart broke as she listened to Mike describe what happened to his family. Sure, she'd already heard it once before, but the tone in Mike's voice made it so much worse.

Arizona couldn't stop herself from going up to and hugging the boy from behind, and he gladly accepted it, knowing who it was. The group just stared at her, confused as to why she was hugging Mike.

"Glad you could make it Miss Colburn," Mike smiled.

"Thanks for the offer Mr. Hanlon," Arizona replied. The others stared at the two, until Richie coughed.

"Mike, what is happening here," Richie questioned.

"Arizona and I are friends, any problems?"

"She's practically up Henry's ass, of course there's a problem Michael!" Richie exclaimed, annoyance dripping from his voice.

"Yeah, she's the one who sided with Henry during the rock war," Beverly agreed. Arizona wished she knew what the girl's issue was, seeing as Arizona had no problem with Beverly in the first place.

Arizona knew when she wasn't wanted, so she simply turned to walk away, until Mike stopped her.

"She has an explanation for that," Mike said, his eyes begging for her to tell them what she told him earlier that moment.

"Let's hear it then," Beverly scoffed.

"If it'll make you guys stop hating me, fine," Arizona sighed, and told the group why she did what she did. She left out the more personal parts by simply stating she had a rough home life. Looks of sympathy came from everyone, excluding Beverly, who still didn't trust Arizona.

After a moment of silence passed, the group agreed to include Arizona in the conversation.

"A-arizona, have y-you s-s-seen the c-c-clown?" Bill inquired, wanting to know if she'd had a similar experience as the rest of them.

"Yeah. I saw my parents. They started calling me a disappointment, and saying I was the reason for...certain family issues. Then, they disappeared and the clown stood in their place. And then, he said he'd kill me when it matters," she recounted, tears filling her eyes as the horrific memory haunted her once more. Mike simply pulled her into his arms, which helped the fear she felt slowly dissolve. The group all exchanged looks, not knowing what was happening between the two.

"Arizona, we were planning on going to Bill's house to look at some maps, in an attempt to connect all of this together. Want to come?" The invitation came from Eddie, who Arizona had spoken to on occasion.

"Sure," she replied, happy that almost the entire group was finally accepting her.

"Well, it's official. Welcome to the Losers Club Arizona," Richie beamed, the Loser's all nodding their heads in agreement, minus Beverly.

"L-let's g-go guys," Bill beckoned, and the group stood up to leave. Until a hand pulled Arizona away from her newly found friends.

Arizona turned and saw Victor dragging her towards Henry, who stood only a few feet away. This meant the Losers stood and watched as the scene played out.

"Are you serious Ari? What the fuck has gotten into you these past few days?" Henry yelled. Usually, she'd cower and apologize, but for some reason she decided to retaliate.

"I could ask you the same fucking thing Hen! You have been way more violent than usual, and I can only save your ass so many times," she yelled right back. The Losers had to stop Mike from intervening because he was about ready to knock Henry on his ass.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I just want these losers to leave you alone," Henry bellowed, stepping closer.

"Poor Ben didn't even do anything the day you carved into him! What you did was beyond fucked up. And you've been torturing everyone else for who knows how long, so your shitty excuse doesn't work. Besides, you have no control over me Henry!" she cried, stepping towards him. The tension between the two was palpable. Henry just didn't answer her words, due to the shock he felt from Arizona yelling back at him.

"What, no response Henry?" Arizona challenged, which she regretted almost immediately.

"Don't be such a bitch Ari," Henry sneered, and shoved her away from him as hard as he possibly could. This caused the girl to fall backwards and land harshly onto the grass below. Everyone stood, shocked at what had just happened. The regret on Henry's face was an instant reaction.

"Ari, I-I'm sorry-" Henry started, but Arizona cut him off once she picked herself up off of the ground.

"You know what Henry? I'm done with you. I fought for you. I told everyone what a great guy you were, and that you just needed a chance, but I was wrong. You're nothing but a bully, and I can't stand to be around you anymore. Leave me the fuck alone," Arizona seethed.

"Ari, please," Henry begged, tears threatening to fall.

"Don't call me that," she mumbled indifferently. She gave one last look to her ex-best friend and walked towards the Losers.

"Let's go," she suggested, her voice cracking slightly.

The group of friends all looked at each other, and suddenly, none of them hated the girl anymore. She had done the impossible, she stood up to Henry Bowers.

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word count: 1389

finally, arizona is friends with the losers