A week later, the losers meet back up for the independence parade. By now, they're all aware of the relationship between Richie and Ivy.

"We've n-never been to the independence parade...you think there'll be a-a lot of people?" Ivy stutters to Novocane, not really expecting a response.

The dog whines a little, sending a comforting look towards her owner.

"I don't know, maybe we should just turn around now. We'll say I'm feeling sick!" She suggests.

Although, they're already standing a few feet away from the small carnival like area.

"Okay, I'm turning back now—" she mutters, beginning to turn around.

Before she can even take a step though, Mike notices her presence and calls out to her.

"Hey, Ivy! You made it!"

He wears an enthusiastic smile and waves her over to him, while she nervously smiles.

Damn it!

Novocane let's out a snort like noise, causing Ivy to roll her eyes as she walks towards the dark skinned boy. The losers are no where in sight, so it's safe to say that he's barely showing up as well.

"I just got here," he confirms her thoughts, "let's go find the others."

She nods at his suggestion, following closely behind him while looking around the crowded area nervously.

Eventually, they find the others and join the group surrounding a missing poster. Ivy catches sight of Richie. He is poorly attempting to play what appears to be either a tuba or baritone, while a band member desperately struggles to snatch the instrument from the boy's grip. Stan stares embarrassedly at the scene, standing beside the frail girl.

Richie hasn't even noticed his girlfriend's presence yet.

"Oh, no. What is he doing?" The curly haired boy cringes, along with Ivy. "Go get your boyfriend, please."

With a sigh, the girl hands Novocane's leash off to Stan, then proceeds to walk towards the disastrous scene before her. She just had to fall for the most incompetent boy alive. Of course she did. Of course.

With a bit of an amused smile, she clears her throat.

Richie freezes up at the sound, immediately recognizing the scent of perfume that engulfs the air around him.

Without a second thought, he pushes the instrument into the band members arms, and gives the smaller girl a large grin. The band member huffs and walks off annoyedly.

"Heya, babe," Richie greets, still grinning from ear to ear.

Ivy rolls her eyes, sliding her hand into his.

"Hiya, Richie. Any specific reason for harassing that poor band member?" She chimes, guiding them both back to their group of friends.

He only shrugs in response, kissing her cheek sloppily.

"To show off my tongue skills. So, are you impressed enough to let me French you yet?" He smirks flirtatiously as Ivy blushes a deep shade of red.

She slaps his arm, pulling her hand away from his to cover her cheeks.

"Pffft, you wish, Tozier."

He nods in agreement.

"Yeah, I do wish. Actually, I dream about it a lot—"

"Would you please shut up." Stan grumbles, having picked up on far too much of the conversation.

Richie rolls his eyes.

Ivy's attention turns to the missing poster that just recently was put up.

'MISSING: EDWARD CORCORAN'

Stan's voice quivers fearfully as he stares at the poster, "They say they found his hand all chewed up near the stand pipe."

"He asked to borrow a pencil once..." Ben reminisces with a blank expression.

Bill approaches the missing poster, lifting up the border, to reveal another missing person's poster, only this time it had 'BETTY RIPSOM' along it.

"It's like f-f-forgotten about her because of Corcoran's missing."

"Is it ever going to end?" Stan queries.

Licking at his ice cream, Eddie returns, taking a place beside Richie and handing him his own ice cream cone.

"What're you guys talking about?" The asthmatic boy hums.

Richie adjusts his glasses for about the 5th time, licking at his own ice cream.

"What they always talk about," He responds, a bit annoyed.

"I actually think it'll end... for a little while, at least," Ben answers Stan's previous question.

"What do you mean?" Bev asks, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

"So, I was going over all my Derry research, and I charted out all the big events: The Iron Explosion in 1908, The Bradley Gang in 35', and The Black Spot in 62', and now kids going missing...I realized, this seems to happen—"

"Every 27 years..." Bill and Ben say in unison.

Ivy gulps, slowly feeling her self become more and more anxious. Eddie glances at her, nudging Richie and nodding towards the girl's shaking hand. Novocane begins pacing slowly, becoming nervous over her owners increasing heart beat.

Richie takes the girls hand, pulling her out of her small daze.

She turns to him, throwing a small thankful smile. He responds by leaning in and kissing her lightly, to which Eddie gags at. Ivy kisses back, of course, forgetting all about the panic that once rises in her chest. Novocane relaxes.

"But why?" Stan asks Ben, ignoring the couple's PDA.

Ben hums, "I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I'm working on it."

Eventually, the group moves places, deciding on sitting in a circle on the grass. Behind them, a carnival performance is taking place. Richie sits facing away from it, the reason behind that becomes clearer after their conversation.

"So, let me get this straight–" Richie starts, "it comes out in forever to eat kids, for like, a year? And then what? It just goes into hibernation?"

"Maybe it's like, what do you call it?" Stan racks his mind for the correct term, "Cicadas? You know, the bugs that come out every 17 years?"

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed," Mike states. "He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing, an evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry."

"But it can't be one thing," Stan insists, "we all saw something different."

Ivy nods her head in agreement, leaning her weight against Eddie a bit, who wraps a friendly arm around her. Richie huffs quietly in annoyance, glancing at the two every few seconds.

"Maybe. Or maybe, it knows what scares us most and that's what we see."

"I almost drowned...." Ivy states weakly, thinking back to the event. "I was taking a bath...and these– these hands, they pulled me under, a-and the door slammed so Novocane couldn't get to me. T-Then, before I was all out of breath, I....I saw the clown."

Her voice trembles with fear, and the losers look sympathetically at her. Eddie breathes a little heavier himself, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I-I-I saw a leper. He was like a walking infection."

"But you didn't," Stan argues, "b-because it isn't real. None of it is! Not Eddie's leper, or Bill seeing Georgie, or Ivy almost drowning, not even the lady I keep seeing."

Richie grins.

"Is she hot?"

Ivy rolls her eyes. While Stan throws him an annoyed look.

"No, Richie! She's not hot!"

"What does she look like?" Ben curiously chimes.

"Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense. They're all like bad dreams."

"I don't think so," Mike disputes. "I know the difference between a bad dream and real life, okay?"

"What did you see?" Eddie asks, "you saw something too."

"Yes...." he reluctantly answers, "Do you guys remember that burnt down house on Harrison Avenue? I was inside when it burnt down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me, pushing and pounding on the door. Trying to get to me. But it was too hot."

He almost chokes on his next words, staring shamefully to ground below him. "By the time the firemen had found them, the skin on their hands was melted down to the bone. We're all afraid of something."

"Got that right," Richie says, looking behind him at the stage with the performing clown. "Why, Rich? What're you afraid of?" Eddie questions.

He adjusts his glasses, fidgeting in his seat, "Clowns."