I looked in the mirror at my olive skin and brown eyes that changed color on a daily basis. My pin straight chocolate brown hair that reached the middle of my back. I frowned and slipped my headband on pushing hair out of my face. I grabbed the change off the corner of my dresser and stuffed it in my pocket. I walked out of the house ignoring my mother chattering on the phone. I walked towards the direction of the hill where the tree house was located.

I climbed up the ladder and knocked on the door. I heard mumbling and shuffling before I was greeted by my best friend, Chris Chambers. He smiled brightly at me and helped me up. Another two of my best friends, Teddy Duchamp and Gordie Lachance sat in the treehouse. Teddy moved the table back into place over the door.

"Deal me in, Teddy." I grabbed a stool pulling up to the table. Teddy scattered cards to each of us and picked up his hand. First hands were never good for me.

"How do you know a frenchman has been in your backyard?" Chris looked between the three of us.

"Hey I'm French." Teddy held up

his hands defemsively.

"You're garbage cans are empty and you're dog is pregnant." We giggled softly before Teddy spoke up.

"Didn't I just say I was French?" We laughed once more.

"I knock." Chris knocked on the table. Teddy mumbled a "shit" setting his hand down.

"Twenty-nine." Teddy said.

"Twenty-two." Chris spoke.

"Twenty." I giggled slightly.

"Piss up a rope!" Gordie slammed his hand down and grabbed a magazine from the shelf behind him. We erupted in laughter, Teddy the loudest.

"Gordie's out! 'Ole Gordie just bit the bag and stepped out the door." Teddy laughed taking a drag off his cigarette. He started dealing. Teddy was the craziest of our bunch. His Dad got locked up in the looney house after he held Teddy's ear to a stove top. Fits of anger ran in the family.

"I knock." Teddy called out looking mostly at Chris.

"You four eyed pile of shit." The offense was obvious across Chris's face.

"The pile of shit has a thousand eyes." Teddy enthusiacticly replied. The three of us laughed. "What's so funny? I got thirty what do you have?"

"Twenty-three."

"

I shook my head and he dealed another round.

Chris Chambers came from a bad family of alcoholics and theifs. He had a reputation around town he would turn out bad. No matter what he did. The frantic knocking on the door silenced us.

"Not the secret knock." I called out stomping my foot.

"I forget the secret knock. Let me in." A whiny voice spoke. I looked at the guys.

"Vern." We said in unison before lifting the table and opening the door. "You guys won't believe this." Vern breathed out tiredly his cheeks turning red. "Sincerely. Let me catch my breath I ran all the way from my house."

"I ran all the way home.." We sang in unison. Vern rolled his eyes whining. "Just to say I'm sorry.." We continued.

"Screw you guys. I don't have to tell you nothin'." Vern crossed his arms and leaned back. Chris shushed the three of us that we're still singing.

"What is it Verno?" He asked licking his lips. Vern's smile widened and his eyes grew bright.

"Oh you guys won't believe it. I couldn't bel-" We cut Vern off by singing again. He huffed and turned his head. Chris held up his hand and we stopped leaning in. "There is a huge fair coming to town and they've got everything you could imagine."

Vern pulled out a flyer that had a bunch of writing in fancy font on it . I grabbed it before the other guys could and scanned over it. "Holy shit! They got a Ferris wheel and the tilt-a-whirl! Guys we gotta go." I shouted excitedly smiling brightly. Chris grabbed the paper and scanned down it as well.

"This doesn't come into to town until 2 weeks. We gotta start saving our pennies boys." Chris smirked and passed the paper to Gordie who then passed it to Teddy. We talked about the fair until it got around lunch time. We went our separate ways, Teddy and Vern, Gordie and I and Chris who stayed at the Tree house since his Dad was drinking a lot lately.

I kicked rocks as I walked on the faded black pavement Gordie walking beside me. "Hey Gordie," He looked at me with his wide brown eyes and pursed lips. "You been working on any stories lately?" I asked hope laced in my voice. He smiled at me and looked ahead in thought.

"There was one I was thinking about the other day. About a girl who was homeless and nobody gave her money because she had scars and dirt all over her face..." He rambled on joy sparkling in his eyes. I loved watching him tell stories because he would get lost in his own story, putting the most effort in every word and line.

"Eventually, the old woman dropped so much money in her can she was rich. She walked past an alleyway one day and saw a man that use to taunt her. She looked at him and said, "Karma serves you right." walking away with her head high." Gordie walked like the girl in his story, with his head high.

"That was a beautiful story, Gordie. You deserve to be a writer more than words can explain." I looked him dead in the eyes. He dropped his head looking at his feet. He mumbled something and I stopped him grabbing his shoulder.

"Gordie you come up with the greatest stories without even trying. You're so smart, Gordie. Promise me you'll take college courses and write novels about our crazy adventures." He looked through his hair that hung just below his eyebrows. He nodded crossing his heart and kissing his pinky. I kissed his cheek and continued walking.

We reached my house first and Gordie walked me to the door. "Thanks for walking me." I pointed over my shoulder and he shrugged smirking. "I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked more than stated. He nodded and waved smiling as he did. I bit my lip and opened the front door. My mother sat in the living room flipping through a magazine. She looked up at me as I entered the door.

"Oh hi honey. What have you been up to?" She stood up brushing her dress and walking into the kitchen. I followed her.

"I was hanging with the guys. Hey mom, Vern showed is this fair that's coming to town in 2 weeks. Can I go?" I smiled sweetly batting my eyelashes.

"Of course. Have fun." She waved her hand and smiled. My mother was kind of naïve about stuff. She pretty much always let me go wherever whenever. My father on the other hand wasn't so naïve. He didn't like me hanging with the guys since I was a "growing girl".

"Autumn, you're home?" My father walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He kissed the top of my head and my mother's cheek. I grimaced slightly. I wasn't afraid of affection but I didn't like seeing my parents'.

"Yeah. Dad, can I go to a fair with the guys in a couple weeks?" I batted my eyelashes once again. He squinted his eyes scanning my features. He huffed rolling his eyes and nodded his head. I squealed and hugged his torso.

"Thank you so much. I love you." I skipped up the stairs to my bedroom. I searched around my room, crawling under my bed and shuffling through my closet.