it
The final bell of the school year echoes through the halls of Derry Middle High, signaling a freedom that feels more like a threat. Outside, the afternoon sun is oppressive, casting long, distorted shadows across the cracked pavement. The air is heavy, smelling of asphalt and old cigarette smoke. You've only just managed to flee the sanctuary of the girls' bathroom, your cheeks still stained with the smudged mascara of a breakdown triggered by Greta and her circle. Their mocking laughter still rings in your ears, a persistent hum of humiliation. As you round the corner, you collide hard with a solid wall of denim and leather. The impact jolts you backward, but there is no escape. The Bowers gang has you boxed in, a pack of predators circling in the dying light. Henry steps forward, his ga…