.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

CHAPTER EIGHT

viii. the pharmaceutical adventures

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THE BIKE RIDE to the pharmacy was much different than the one earlier. Rather than the sun softly hitting at April's cheeks and the steady rhythm of Bill's pedalling, it was replaced with harsh turns and hurried crossings. She held tightly to Bill's waist, her eyes darting back and fourth as she stares at their surroundings.

"I think it's great we're helping the new kid," Eddie starts as he bikes towards Bill and April, Richie already rolling his eyes. Ben rode on the back of Stan's bike and you could tell Eddie was speaking in a more quiet tone than usual in order to preserve his feelings. "But, we also need to think of our own safety. I mean, he's bleeding all over!" He goes on as he trails after April and Bill, eyes wide and erratic.

Richie exhales, shaking his head. "Blood isn't going to kill you, Eds. You've got to relax!" He rolls his eyes, continuing to bike.

Ignoring Richies comments, Eddie continues. "You guys do know there's an AIDS epidemic happening as we speak, right? My mom's friend in New York got it by touching a dirty pole on a subway, and a drop of AIDS blood got into his system through a hangnail! A hangnail!" He rants, his hands tightening around his handlebars until his knuckles turn white.

"Your mom has friends?" Richie snorts, his magnified eyes squinting in amusement at his comment as he laughs.

April shakes her head. "Eddie, you're the only one speaking. It's not 'as we speak', it's 'as I speak'! Silly boy," She speaks up, bringing her cheek up from against Bill's back and looks to Eddie with a small laugh. "Besides, does it look like we live in New York? Derry couldn't be close to how dirty it is there," She goes on as she leans back into his back.

They pull into the alleyway of the pharmacy, Eddie continuing his rambles and ignoring April's lighthearted comment. "And you amputate legs and arms, but how do you amputate a wai-... How do you amputate a waist?!" He goes on, looking to Stan as they pull to a stop. "You guys do know that alleys are known for dirty needles that have AIDS, right? You guys do know that?" He continues, getting off his bike as Bill sits Ben down on a crate.

"Oh, golly. Eddie! Don't touch anything on the ground if you're so paranoid," April sighs, running a hand through her hair as she looks down at Ben.

Bill exhales, putting a hand on April's forearm and nodding at her breathlessly. "Ah, we're screwed..." He trails before stumbling back lightly. "Richie, Sunshine... Wait here," He nods at them again before letting go of April's arm and rushing away. "Come on," He says to Stan and Eddie who immediately trailed after them.

April looks at Ben, opening her mouth to speak and ask what happened but is cut off. "Glad I got to meet you before you died," Richie says, looking to Ben who played with the hole in his shirt.

She looks up and shakes her head at Richie with a light eye roll. "You're not gonna die," She laughs. "Maybe just, get a bit drowsy from blood l-" She stops herself from finishing her sentence. "I've got a lolly!" She goes on, digging through her jeans pockets and pulls out a cherry lollipop. "Here, eat this. It'll help with... Drowsiness. Don't pass out though... Don't want you slipping into a coma and not waking up!" She rips the plastic wrapper off and hands it to him and watching as he takes it hesitantly and puts it in his mouth. She exhales sharply before relaxing and remembering to introduce herself.

"Oh, where are my manners?" She laughs again, smiling. "I'm April Ambrose, resident optimist of Derry. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" She holds out her right hand with a joyful grin and Ben takes it in his right shaking it.

He nods, somewhat overwhelmed by the girls cheeriness but finding her kindness refreshing either way. "I'm Ben, Ben Hanscom," He responds, smiling back.

There was a wave of silence for a split moment before Richie breaks it. "Richie Tozier's the name and doing voices is my game. How'd ya' wind up with a nasty fucking cut like that, anyway?" He asks, gesturing to Ben's bloodied shirt and hands.

Sighing, April kicks her leg at Richie. "You're so blunt, Richie. You don't have to tell us unless you're comfortable," She looks back to Ben with a goofy grin, wanting to keep to her manners despite her curiosity.

Ben shakes his head. "I ran into Bowers," He shrugs, not really knowing what else to say than the truth. Besides, he felt like he could trust April and Richie. He felt like he could trust their friends too.

Richie sucks in a sharp breath, April looking at Ben sadly. "I'm sorry that he did that," She says. "But, hey. You've made some friends from it," She attempts to look on the bright side.

Nodding, Richie agrees. "Yeah, Ambie here's right. We're going to the Quarry, you can come, if you want," He offers, saying the first sentence without a swear April has ever heard him say.

A small smile forming on his face, Ben nods, biting into the lolly she had offered and chewing the hard candy before tossing the paper stick into the ground. "I'd like that," He says graciously, wincing at the sudden movement from his breathing just as the three others, Eddie, Bill, and Stan rush back into the alley with an armful of supplies in their arms.

"Took you three long enough. Ben's bleeding out!" April calls to them as Eddie rushes over and kneels down to Ben's stomach, lifting his shirt and immediately setting to work.

He begins ripping at gauze and bandaging it onto Ben's stomach with ease as Richie hovers over him watching.

"Suck the wound!" Richie laughs, April scoffing as she walks over to Stan's side.

She looks to Stan, gesturing to Eddie and Richie with a sigh. "They always like this?" She asks, he nods.

"Have been since... We were in... First grade?" He suggests, shrugging his shoulders as Eddie snaps once again.

"I need to focus right now!" He snaps, he hands fussing over gauze placement, his breathing heavy.

Richie rolls his eyes, scoffing. "You need to focus?".

Nodding, Eddie looking over his shoulder at April and Stan. "Yeah, can you go get me something?" He asks, quietly, lip pulled between his teeth.

"Jesus! What do you need?" Richie asks exasperatedly as April already walks over to where Eddie had placed his things.

Eddie looks back to April, nodding for her to unzip his bag, his hand still on Ben's stomach. "Go get my bifocals, I hid 'em in my second fanny pack," He says.

"Why do you have two fanny packs?" Stan asks, the sound of April unzipping the backpack and rustling of her going through the contents Eddie's fanny-pack filling his ears.

"I need to focus right now and it's a long story. I don't wanna get into it," Eddie brushes the question off as April finds the bifocals, zipping everything back up and placing everything where it belonged before walking to Eddie and handing them to him. "Thanks, April," He nods to her, her smiling in return before looking back down at Ben's stomach which began to gush blood erratically.

"Oh god, he's bleeding! Oh, my god!" Stan shouts, squirming and looking away from the blood staining the white gauze red.

Richie shakes his head, gesturing at the red gauze. "You have to suck the wound before you apply the bandage! That's 101!" He goes on about his 'method'.

"No offence, Rich, but, I don't think that applies here!" April looks to him with wide eyes.

Nodding in agreement with April, Eddie adjusts his position. "You don't know what you're talking about" Eddie says, looking at Richie with a glare.

"Are you okay? That looks like that hurts!" A voice rings their ears, light and airy. Another girl. The group looking towards the voice, Beverly Marsh.

"Oh. No, I'm good. I just fell." Ben shyly crosses his free arm around his shoulder with a ghost of a smile as he stares at Beverly. It was sweet, shy. April wondered if his heart was glowing as he stared at her blue eyes and fiery hair, it sure looked like it was.

"Yeah, right into Henry Bowers!" Richie chimes.

The entire group glares to him, shaking their heads. April mostly because she felt like it wasn't his place to tell Beverly what had happened. It was Ben's, after all. "Shut it, R-Richie," Bill says in a warning tone.

"Why! It's the truth!" Richie retaliates, looking down at Ben and shaking his head.

April sends him a look, arching her brow and practically wanting to scream 'Shut up!'. "Rich, it isn't exactly your story to tell," She says, smiling to Ben softly before looking to Beverly and offering the same smile.

Smiling back, Beverly changes her gaze from April to Ben. "You sure they got the right stuff, to fix you up?" She asks, winking at him and April wonders why she did. Interesting, she thinks to herself.

"Y'no, w-we'll take care of him" Bill speaks up, noticing the lap in silence. "Thanks again, Beverly" He adds.

"Sure. Maybe I'll see you around," She says, nodding and smiling to the group.

Eyes lighting up, April opens her mouth. "We're going to the quarry tomorrow! Do you wanna come? It'd be so great to have another girl," She chatters excitedly, practically hopping up and down in excitement at the thought of making another friend.

"Good to know. Thanks," Beverly responds, smiling sweetly at the excited girl while walking off and waving at the group.

April claps her hands together. "Oh, my gosh! Another friend! I'm gonna make friendship bracelets!" She beams, hopping up once again beside Stan before her eyes widen, remembering the bracelets she had made, already beginning to dig through her bag.

"You've got a friendship bracelet obsession, Ambie. Look at your arms! They're covered in them!" Richie teases, leaning forward and pushing her arm as Bill stands next to her.

Stan turns to Richie with a scowl on his face, shaking his head. "Nice job, bringing up Bowers in front of her!" He says, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah, dude. You heard what she did!" Eddie adds.

April sighs at the words, her hands leaving her bag without the bracelets as she prepares the defend the girl who had gotten such a terrible reputation for nothing. She knew what it felt like to get made fun of something that wasn't even true and she despised it.

"What'd she do?" Ben asks, looking to Richie curiously.

Without missing a beat, Richie responds. "More like 'Who'd she do'. From what I hear, the list is longer than my wang," He says, gesturing to his crotch and laughing.

"That's not saying much," Stan comments, looking away and shifting.

Scoffing in amusement, April shakes her head. "They aren't true and besides, even if they were, why's it anyone's other than her concern on what she decides to do with herself?" She asks, tucking a piece of messy hair behind her ear, raising a brow.

Bill nods, his arm brushing against hers shyly. "T-They're just rumours," He agrees.

Ignoring the responses, Richie leans towards Ben. "Anyway, Bill had her back in third grade. They kissed in the school play! The reviews said you can't fake that sort of passion," He rambles, Stan looking to Bill with a small smirk and Bill rolling his eyes, cheeks burning red at the thought of it. At the thought of April hearing it.

"What reviews, Rich? We live in Derry and it was a school play. We don't have Broadway here, do we?" April laughs, recalling the play. She had played a flower, she remembered. Despite feeling a small twinge at her stomach, she wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't the best feeling though. It made her feel... Off.

Eddie chuckles, looking to April. "She's right. What reviews? The teachers?" He asks, looking to Richie who sighs.

He shakes his head. "Never mind. You guys are no fun. Now, pip-pip and tally-ho, my good fellows, I do believe this chap requires our utmost attention! Get in there, Doctor. K. Come on, fix him up!" Richie says, shoving Eddie's arm towards Ben.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up, Einstein, because I know what I'm doing and I don't want you doing the British guy with me right now," Eddie kneels over and begins finishing the wound dressing.

April giggles lightly, her arm still against Bill's. She looks to him. "They just never stop, do they?" She laughs, hearing Richie go on about 'sucking the wound'.

Smiling at down her and nodding, Bill nudges her playfully. "N-Nope," He laughs as they both watch as Eddie fusses, Stan leaned over and helping him as Richie shouts excitedly about the dressing.

Her eyes glistening, April meets eyes with him. "Thanks, by the way. For letting me... You know, hang out with you guys," She tells him, feeling suddenly shy. Suddenly vulnerable as if she'd be rejected by them. It was terrible, she felt so at home yet here she was terrified they all didn't like her.

"Of c-course, Sunshine. I-I had a g-g-good time with you," Bill responds, his eyes mixing with her dull ones and he couldn't help but wonder what type of galaxies reside in them.

April Ambrose wasn't used to having friends and she wasn't very good at making them. Yet, here she was for the first time in her fourteen years of life, surrounded by a group of people who she felt she could truly be who she was. For the first time, she felt like she could be joyously, obnoxiously, herself without being told that she was 'too much'.