"Eeee-eee-eee!" Teddy Duchamp's,mild,yet irritating laugh sharpened the night-air as he thumped his right foot against the good Earth,his arm crossing over his stomach as he continued to laugh."That was the best story you've ever told,Gordie!" He commented,moving a couple of fingers under the rim of his thick glasses,and wiping away the small tears in his eyes.
Gordie Lachance,who sat on a fallen-down tree,smiled lightly. Even though Teddy's laugh ran a chill through him - since it sounded like scraping - he felt a small,modest appreciation that his friend approved. He usually told his small group of friends stories,which got different results; Teddy would either let out his laugh,or state a crude remark such as 'Is that it?' - or - 'It's gotta have a better ending than that!' but Gordie dismissed him. He was a wet,anyway. Then there was Vern Tessio,who would get excited and wriggle in his place as though he desperately needed the toilet,but Gordie knew that was his way of indicating he enjoyed the story,or wanted to hear more.
And then Chris - Gordie's best friend,who persuaded him in the first place to tell his stories. Of course,Gordie had been reluctant at first - saying that it wasn't that good - but Chris simply insisted,and Gordie had ended up telling his friends about the time a boy ate so many sweets,he threw up all over the clerk who had served him at the shop he bought the sweets from. Teddy seemed to enjoy that one alot,and so began his series of laughter.
They were all sat around a log-fire that they built,in an open-spaced area of the forest bordering Castle Rock. They had used the excuse of camping out in Vern's backgarden,and got away with it. It was now night-time,and the embers of the fires flickered warm yellows and oranges that lit up each boys faces. The trunks of fallen-over trees had been used to create make-shift benches around the fire; Teddy and Vern sat on the left side of the fire,on the same trunk. Gordie on one separate one,and Chris on another separate one.
"Yeah,Gord." Vern followed after Teddy,blocking out the annoying laughter coming from next to him."I can't believe he ate over twenty sweets at once!" He said,his tone slightly raised as he indicated his surprise.
"Uh-huh." Teddy said,slowing his laughter and wiping at his eyes again."Nowhere near to how many you eat,huh,Vern-O?" He commented,grinning towards Vern.
"Hey!" Vern replied back,sending a small glare at Teddy,who only snorted in response.
"It was great,Gordie." Chris's voice sounded - calm,yet amused. Even through the faint light of the fire,Gordie could see the warm smile on Chris's face,and he looked down modestly at his feet. Whenever Chris complimented him,he felt a small flutter in his stomach and he could never hold his best friend's gaze for more than three seconds,without breaking out into an embarrassed grin. It was inevitable,and instant - Chris had that effect over him,and Gordie didn't know why. It just...happened.
Just then,a growling sounded through the air,and Teddy choked back his laughter. He looked over at Vern,and Vern shrugged.
"C'mon,Vern-O." Teddy said,not convinced of the shrug."That so was your stomach,you wet." He tried,but his voice was slightly unsteady,and his eyes wavered with a glint of hope that it was Vern's stomach growling.
"It wasn't. Sincerely!" Vern replied back,and his tone held a strong urge of worry as he looked at the other's."Sincerely." He said again.
Gordie froze in his place as he felt a cool breeze rush past his neck. It was only the wind,but Gordie thought it was something else,and he quickly jumped from the trunk and scrambled around the fire to sit with the others. He was the nearest facing the trees,and anything could be lurking in there. He nearly tripped over his own shoelaces as he scrabbled onto the trunk that Chris sat on. His face was pale,and he clutched the straps that connected to his backpack.
"Is it the wind,Gordie?" Chris whispered,and Gordie could almost feel his breath on his cheek. He hadn't realised how close up to his best friend he had gotten,and he could feel the warmth radiating from Chris's left leg as Gordie's right leg pressed against him.
Gordie didn't answer at first,but shivered instead."I..I don't think so. It sounded too deep for the wind." Gordie replied back,looking at Chris with a sickly expression. Chris looked back at him with a sincere expression,before twisting his backpack from his back to sit on his lap,and root through it. Finding what he wanted,he pulled it out and held it in his hand; it was the .45 that Chris had hawked from his drunkard of a father.
"We have this." Chris said,confidently. He held the gun firmly in his hand,the silver metal glinting against the light of the fire.
Gordie looked at the gun and swallowed the lump in his throat - it looked menicing,even though he trusted Chris with it."It might have been the echo from the train-tracks." Gordie commented,returning his gaze back to Chris.
"G-good point." Vern whimpered,squirming in his seat. This time,it wasn't from the story,it was from the initial fear of whatever made the noise."Or,a badger. A badger growls,don't it?" Vern suggested,briefly looking over at Teddy.
"Yeah,and pigs fly,you piss-face!" Teddy retorted,although he looked as terrified as Gordie looked pale. And Gordie definitely turned a shade lighter - almost luminious against the fire's colours."Tell us another story,Gordie." Teddy said,looking at Gordie desperately.
"I don't have any more.." Gordie mumured,looking down at his shoes as Teddy stared,hopeful,at him.
"Oh,c'mon,Lachance!" Teddy wailed."Stop being such a puss-"
"Piss off,Duchamp!" Chris retorted,the tone making Gordie flinch at the closeness of it."If he's got no more,then he's got no more,alright?" He said,his gaze boring into Teddy.
"Chill out,Chambers." Teddy said,drawing his head back quickly as Chris shouted at him,as though he had been punched square in the middle of his face.
Chris blew up like a firework,and he shouted once more: "You chill out,you four eyed pile of shit!" He waved the gun in the air,and Gordie thought for a moment that he was going to shoot Teddy. But,Chris put the gun back on his lap again as he continued to glare at Teddy - challenging him to go on,and try.
Teddy remained quiet after that,his eyes flicking to the gun every-so-often,before he looked somewhere else. Somewhere off into the forest,where the growling had immitably come from. There were no more growls.
Then Vern spoke up,and it was after he said the sentence that Hell broke loose: "It was my stomach,guys. I just wanted to scare you all.." His voice was quiet,but he let out a gasp when Chris let out a frustrated growl,before standing up and walking away.
Teddy looked at Vern and glared."You wet!" He shouted."This is no time to be pissing around,Vern-O. We're in the middle of Castle Rock's dark forest,and you play a dirty trick like that?" Teddy nearly shouted,causing Vern to look down at the ground.
Gordie felt a knot in his stomach.Whatever happened to Peace? He thought,remembering all those times that Chris would call Peace between them,if any arguments broke out. And then they'd skin each other's palms,and laugh as though nothing had happened.
"Gord,you comin'?" Chris spoke,looking back at Gordie with an unreadable expression. But,Gordie knew he was angry,and he reluctantly stood up and followed after Chris,after sparing single glances at Teddy and Vern.
The walk held an awkward,yet passable atmosphere. Gordie never felt awkward around Chris,but he couldn't seem to grasp any words to say as they walked through the forest with the moonlight on their side. And torches,of course - Gordie had flicked on his torch,and shone the yellow beam of light across the path ahead of them. He didn't know where Chris was intending to go,but he didn't want to say anything.
It was Chris who spoke first.
"He really gets on my nerves,sometimes." Chris said,talking to Gordie,but his gaze was on the path ahead of him."He had no right to call you that." He muttered,his hands balling into fists.
"I should have just told him a story." Gordie replied back,quietly. Somewhere,a bird shrilled and broke the night silence."Then he would have shut up." I don't shut up,I grow up - and when I see your face,I throw up. Gordie instantly chanted in his mind; it was their small 'motto',and he smiled inwardly.
"Bullshit,he would have never shut up." Chris retorted back,stopping suddenly. Gordie brushed into his arm with some force,and he let out a small eddy of air as he nearly winded himself. Chris had a tough figure,and it was no wonder that he won most fights when fighting other kids.
Chris turned to face Gordie,and his eyes seemed to apologize."I didn't mean to burst out like that. He just takes things too far,and he shouldn't have pressured you like that. You can tell your stories whenever you like." Chris explained,the small,warm smile coming back on his face again as he placed a hand on Gordie's right shoulder.
Gordie stared at Chris for a brief moment,before smiling back as well."Thanks." He replied,and Chris remained with his stern expression as his eyes seemed to examine Gordie's face. He eventually let go of Gordie's shoulder with a small,gentle push before continuing walking. Gordie followed besides him,and realised they had gone a little way from where they were sat before."Shouldn't we get back?" Gordie asked,looking at Chris with a small frown.
Chris didn't shift his expression,but simply spoke: "I wanna show you something first." And Gordie didn't feel like he should object - and he couldn't,as Chris had already grasped him by his elbow and began to guide him through a beaten path that ran through a thick layer of bushes.
The bushes scratched at Gordie's naked arms,but he still didn't object. With Chris,he felt like he could get through anything - and he mostly did,just to show that he was tough as his best friend,and that he wasn't a pussy as Teddy had called him previously.
"There." Chris spoke,as they made it out into another clearing. This time,it was a much more open-space. It was the place where the GS&WM rail-road tracks ran along the bridge,and Chris had taken Gordie to the bank of the river that ran under it. The bridge was in the distance,but it was clearly visible with it's red,rusted metal."I found it when I went for a wizz one time." Chris admitted,letting go of Gordie's elbow and walking to the edge of the river where grass was crawling up to the night sky.
Gordie remained where he was,his eyes set onto the reflection of the bridge in the midnight river. The image shimmered slightly as Chris picked up a rock,pulled back his arm,and launched it into the river. The rock landed with a plop and ripples bellowed out from the spot it landed,causing the reflection to distort."You like it?" Gordie heard Chris say,breaking his concentration from the reflection,to look back up at his best friend. When Gordie didn't respond,Chris asked again: "Gord? I said: do you like it?"
Gordie nodded eventually,and smiled."Yeah. I didn't even think it was possible to get down here." Gordie responded,finally walking up to Chris to stand besides him. Chris looked at him for a long time,before turning his gaze back to the river.
Another shrill came from the bird again,until it finally broke into song. The song echoed through the woods,and Gordie found it weird that it would be singing at night,but whatever made it happy. There was a strong silence after the bird stopped singing,and Gordie had to flick his eyes over to Chris every-so-often to make sure he was still there. He didn't know why he felt relief wash over him when he found Chris standing there; was it fear of being left alone,or being left alone by the guy you admired? But,he averted his gaze to his shoes again,his fingers messing with the straps of his backpack briefly.
"Do you think I'm a bad influence?" Chris asked,suddenly,breaking the silence. Gordie frowned and looked up,and Chris was staring straight back at him. There was something in his eyes,but Gordie couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"No," Gordie replied,still frowning."You're my best friend. I don't care what my dad says about you - I still think you're great." Gordie said,honestly. His father usually warned Gordie not to hang out with Chris: 'Chris? Chamber's kid? He's a bad kid. A little shit,if I may say so myself. Always stealing - didn't I tell you about how he stole Mrs. Simon's milk-money? Well,he did,and he didn't even give it back! The little shit..' Gordie remembered his father saying. Gordie knew that Chris gave the milk-money back to the old lady,because Chris had said so - and Gordie believed him. Why else would Chris lose his cool,and be on the verge of tears,if he wasn't sincere? After all,the lady had a new skirt the day after Chris said he gave the money back,but she still accused him and landed him in trouble. And in trouble with his father,as he showed up at the tree-house with black bruises,and small cuts on his face.
Gordie - no matter the rumours - looked up to Chris,and he would always get defensive whenever somebody said a bad word about him. Chris Chambers was NOT a bad kid,and Gordie knew all too well throughout the times he hung out with him. Even Teddy and Vern thought him great to hang out with,since he would always have the right things to say,always solved a situation,and always kept them alive; that was the main thing. Chris always kept them alive,no matter the situation,and Gordie found that inspiring. But,Gordie had always favoured Chris,since Chris encouraged him to write his stories,or tell them to the group.
"Why?" Gordie asked."What happened?" Gordie thought that he had had a bad time with his father again,and something had happened to make Chris conscious about whether Gordie found him to be a bad influence,or not.
"I don't want to weigh you down,that's all." Chris replied,his eyes remaining on Gordie's."You always get shit-talk from your dad because of me,and you don't need that." Chris added,his bottom lip twitching slightly after he said it - as though it was trying not to tremble.
"It's the only time my dad talks to me,so I'm not complaining." Gordie replied,trying to crack a joke to break the forbidding silence,but Chris remained tough.
"Gordie,are you telling me the truth?" Chris asked,his bottom lip twitching again as he examined the boy in front of him for any tell-tale signs of lying.
Gordie frowned again. This was all too weird,and he felt that Chris was hiding something from him."I am! Sincerely." Gordie answered,a small flutter in his stomach as Chris gave a small smile.
"Alright." Chris replied simply,before walking back towards the beaten-path."You comin'?" He asked,looking back as he stopped walking,his hand extended behind him.
Gordie glanced at the hand,and there was a hesitant pause before he took Chris's hand in his,and he was led through the beaten-path,and back towards where Teddy and Vern were. Chris's hand was smooth to the touch; warm,and welcoming. Gordie wondered throughout the walk back to the fire why Chris offered his hand for him to take,as Chris only did that rarely. And those rare times were when they had either gone swimming and Chris helped Gordie get out the river - or if Gordie had fallen down a small ditch,and Chris helped him out. It was always in a situation where Gordie was helpless,or needed assistance,but not in cases of simply walking back to a place where warmth was.
They came back to the main route towards their sleeping grounds and Gordie remained quiet as he held Chris's hand,whilst guiding the torches' beam across the path. Chris didn't seem phased by the fact that he was holding his best friend's hand casually,as though there was nothing odd about doing so.
Then Gordie realised Chris was still holding the gun in his hand,and he decided to pick up on it."I don't think you need the gun anymore."
Chris lifted up the gun and looked at it briefly,before half-looking at Gordie with a small grin."You remember when you shot that trashcan?" He commented,extending the gun in front of him - letting go of Gordie's hand to hold the trigger with both hands - and pointing ahead. He then mimicked setting the gun off and made a shocked face,whilst jumping back slightly,before letting out a laugh.
Gordie blushed a light pink."You said it wasn't loaded. You tricked me." Gordie said quickly,his tone defensive as he glowered at Chris briefly.
"No,I thought it wasn't loaded.I didn't say I was positive." Chris replied,flashing a cocky smirk as he placed the gun by his side. His hand groped for Gordie's hand again in the dark,before finally finding it and holding it gently.
"Tch." Gordie said,feeling the flutter in his stomach again as Chris held his hand once more.Why do I feel nervous? Gordie thought,as he allowed Chris to hold his hand. Gordie didn't hold his back just as firmly,but instead,held it loosely in hesitation,even if Chris had no hesitation in holding his hand in the first place.
"Back already,eh,Cham-" Teddy began,as Gordie and Chris arrived back. But,Teddy noticed they were holding hands,and he started his notiable laughter: "Eeee-eee-eee...scared of the dark,Lachance?" He taunted,looking at Gordie.
"No!" Gordie replied back,instantly letting go of Chris's hand and placing them back on the straps of his backpack.
"Eeee-eee-eee...I don't believe you!" Teddy replied back,grinning broadly.
"Cut it out,Duchamp." Chris hissed."I went for his hand first." He admitted,before walking past Teddy - brushed past Teddy - and towards the fire where he sat down on one of the trunks.
Teddy briefly looked at Chris,before turning his attention back to Gordie."Where'd you guys go,anyway?" He asked,Chris's admittance rushing over him like the wind.
"To the river under the GS&WM rail-road tracks." Gordie said. He didn't feel the need to tell Teddy about what Chris had asked,as it wasn't important. Gordie guessed Chris wanted their conversation to be between just them two,as he looked over at Gordie for a brief moment from the clasp of his hands on his knees,before looking back into the fire.
"Boor-riingg." Teddy dragged out,rolling his eyes."I need to take a wizz." He commented - a comment Gordie didn't need to know - before he walked away and towards over-growth near them. Gordie didn't need to look,so he made his way over to Vern who was stoking the fire with a few more twigs.
"We should start to set our rolls out." Gordie explained,taking off his backpack and setting it against the trunk behind him that Teddy and Vern were sat on previously. He picked up the rolled-up mattress that was near his trunk,and walked over to a clear space where he dumped it back down.
"Can we have some snacks first?" Vern asked.
And somewhere,in the over-growth,Teddy's voice was heard: 'You already ate,fatso.'
Vern ignored Teddy's comment,and looked back at Gordie.
"We can have a small snack,but we need to save some for tomorrow when we walk back to town." Gordie explained,dropping to his knees to unroll his mattress. It was simple,and he had his white mattress unrolled in no time. He lined it up,indicating where the others should line theirs.
Chris stood up,took his roll,and moved towards Gordie to set up his mattress."Do you have any Reese's Peanutbutter cups left?" He asked,unrolling his mattress and placing it next to Gordie's.
"Yeah,I have one packet left. You can have it." Gordie said back,getting his back-pack and taking out said treat,and passing it to Chris.
When Chris took the packet,he held Gordie's fingers for a long time,before smiling and walking back over to his mattress. Gordie still felt the warmth of Chris's fingers for a while as he busied himself again,to distract himself from that smile. Damn my flutters.. Gordie thought as he rifled through his backpack again to give a snack to Vern,who accepted it quickly and nearly ate it in one bite.
Teddy came back a few minutes later,and noticed that the mattresses were being laid out. He did the same,situating himself on the other side to Gordie. Vern followed after,placing his mattress on the other side to Chris.
"Story about Le Dio,Gord?" Teddy suggested,as they all lay on their backs on their rolls.
"Be glad you're away from me,four-eyes." Chris threatened,and that quietened down Teddy. Gordie tried not to laugh,but he ended up chuckling quietly. Chris smiled at the sound. And then Gordie realized what he couldn't put his finger on at the river,when he looked into Chris's eyes; it was fear he saw in those orbs. Fear in reference to Gordie,as to whether he found Chris to be a bad influence,or not. Gordie chewed the inside of his mouth as he wondered why Chris would be so worried - it wasn't new,after all,and Gordie's dad often told him off for hanging out with Chris,but Gordie still continued to do so. Chris was Gordie's best friend,and Gordie wouldn't allow anything to come between them.
The boys stayed up for a few more hours: discussing what they were going to do tomorrow; who ate the last Hershey bar - Vern,no doubt,as Teddy had said; what Chris was going to do with the gun - which he replied that he was going to shoot Teddy's bottle glasses off his face; who was the biggest wet in Castle Rock - everybody voted Ace Merrill; and whether wolves prowled the forest,which Gordie said there wasn't.
They had eventually fallen asleep with the wind crawling over them in a pleasant night chill,and safe in the acknowledge that Chris, at least, had a gun to protect them.
However, one of them remained awake. It was Chris,and he had propped himself up on his right elbow to look down at the sleeping Gordie besides him. He remained that way for around five minutes,before finally falling back onto his back and closing his eyes.
This'll be a chapter story,so there'll be more. Just telling you,dear readers,as this was over 4,000 words and I usually don't hit that mark when doing a chapter (to keep it short,and sweet,so it isn't too arduous.) But,I guess I let myself get carried.
Please review,if you have time! Thank you.