A/N I'm sorry for any mistakes. Let me know if there are any. Let me know what you think. I typed this up kind of quick so I also apologise if it seems rushed. Also I don't own Stand By Me. But I do wish I owned Ace.

April 20th 1959

It was my birthday and I had been working since 10 that morning and my feet were already killing me. I was a waitress at the Blue Point Diner, had been since I was 15. It wasn't the best job in the world, but it certainly wasn't the worst either. The owner, Margaret that everyone just called Auntie M, was like the mother I had always wanted. All day long she has been giving me weird looks. When I had eventually asked her why, she had told me that no girl should be working on her birthday. I just raised my eyebrows at her and gave her my usual response: "Girls gotta earn her way out of Castle Rock somehow."

"So that's two chocolate shakes, and a large plate of fries." The lunch time rush had finally died down, but we still had a few customers. I heard the bell over the door tinkle but I didn't look up from the couple in the booth. "Anything else?" I could feel someone standing behind me as they picked a song on the jukebox. As the couple shook their heads, I heard the familiar sound of the opening notes of Bobby Day's "Rockin Robin" Instantly I knew who was behind me. Dropping my pad and pen onto the table, Denny Lachance wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Happy Birthday Flick." His warm breath tickled me as he whispered in my ear. The purple ribbon that had been holding my hair in its customary ponytail was unknotted, so my hair could fall loose. He grabbed my hand and spun me around, keeping a tight hold on the ribbon.

This was normal for him. I never knew when to expect him to appear, he would just show up. I never minded though, these moments were always a highlight for me. These moments were the ones that brightened my day.

As we danced around the Diner, customers laughing and Auntie M smiling knowingly, the bell chimed again. From the corner of my eye I noticed the Cobras walk in, taking their usual spot at the counter. I turned my full attention back to the man dancing with me. His attention had apparently never wavered though. His eyes, oh God those eyes, were staring intently into mine. I smiled, big time, as he spun me again.

As the song died down, and the customers applauded, he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in the pocket of my pinny.

"Don't open it until later ok?" He asked still holding me close.

"What is it?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Your birthday present." He answered as if it should have been obvious.

"But I didn't want anything, I-"He silenced me with a kiss.

"But I wanted to. What time are you finishing tonight?"

"7.30 Or 8." I answered as he gave my ribbon back to me.

"I'll pick you up at 8.30. Wear something nice." Running his fingers through my hair he kissed me one last time and left. My gaze never left him until he reached the corner. He looked back before he turned it and waved. My face was aching from my smile that was still plastered onto it. Boy, did I have it bad.

Tying my hair back in its ribbon, I picked up my pen and pad. Suddenly realising something as I made my way over to the counter. Not noticing who I was standing next to.

"Flick you silly girl, you could have gone now. Why didn't you?" Auntie M's usually gentle voice was full of disappointment.

"Girls gotta earn her way out of Castle Rock somehow." I mumbled without even thinking. "Auntie M, I don't have anything nice to wear."

"Looks like someone won't be going on their date then." I looked to my left at the guy who had spoken. It was Ace. I'd know that voice anywhere. It didn't matter how quietly he spoke, his voice always got everyone's attention. In my mind I was trying to think of a snide comment that would more than likely make him smirk. How I hated that smirk. But I ignored him. After years of practice, I was finally getting good at that.

"What do you mean?" Auntie M asked me before I could open my mouth to reply to him.

"He said wear something nice. I don't have anything nice."

"Tell me everything you own." I knew this wouldn't take long.

"2 pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of pants, 14 shirts, 14 pairs of underwear, 14 pairs of socks, and... 2 bras."

"Shoes?"

"2 pairs of Keds."

"What about a dress? Any of those?" She asked hopefully. I pretended to think for a moment.

"Now you mention it, I do have one."

"What's it like?" a smile crept onto her face as she leaned on the counter.

"Well it's yellow, a little on the small side, and has a stain on the right thigh from a food fight I got into. Oh and it goes great with a pinny." The smile had fallen from her face as soon as she'd realised I'd been talking about my Diner uniform.

"Sarcasm won't get you anywhere Flick." She replied, turning to walk away.

"Please Auntie M. You gotta help me. Whenever I see you, you always look beautiful." I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. "And you know I never look nice."

"Now who thinks that?" She asked looking confused.

"Well... me." It was my turn to be confused. "Everyone..." As if it wasn't obvious.

"Well we'll just have to do something about that won't we baby?" She held out her hand to me. I took it as she escorted me out back. "Barbara you're in charge till we get back." She shouted. I looked behind me to make sure it was ok with Barbara. Not that she really had much choice. My sight however, never found her, as I realised that Ace was staring at me, just as intently as Denny had been. The difference being that Ace looked angry.

After a lot of deliberation we had selected 3 dresses that might suit me.

When the door had shut behind me, cutting off Ace's blues eyes from my sight. Auntie M had unlocked another door. All the time I had been working here, I had never seen behind it. Inside were tonnes of fabric all different colours and textures. On the left hand side, there was a wardrobe half full of completed dresses.

"You make these?" I asked shocked.

"When a girl can't get out of Castle Rock, you gotta do something that makes you happy." She smiled brightly looking through the dresses. "Didn't you girls ever wonder where I disappeared to on slow days?" Of course we had. On those particular days, we would never notice when or where she would go. We would just feel an absence. At first we thought she had gone home and left us to handle things. She was always a trusting woman. But one day as I was leaving the staff toilets, she had her back to me, and was locking the door to this room. She had turned and winked at me. Never explaining what was behind it. At times when the Diner was empty, and she was back here, I and whoever the other waitress was would press our ears up to the door. But we never heard anything.

"Auntie M, it's getting kind of busy out here. " Barb shouted after a while.

"We'll try them on later, let's get back to work." She guided me out the door and locked it behind her.

I served the couple from earlier as I apologised for the wait. But I don't think they noticed. They were to busy playing Tonsil Tennis with each other.

I carried on with work. Counting down the seconds until 8.30.