1Rated: R, and you'll see
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Stand By Me, especially Chris... tut... oh well. Please R and R!
Chapter 1: The Treehouse
"Turn around now so I can beat your ass" Chris's father told him, drunk and staggering, holding the belt that came from his pants way over his head. Chris whimpered slightly, his bare behind shown to his father. The belt came thundering down onto Chris's back, bloody marks already appearing. He let out a scream. Eyeball was in the corner, laughing. Seering pain with every hit entered Chris's body. His dad whipped nonstop until finally Eyeball wasn't laughing anymore.
"Dad, enough" he said, the beer in his hand slipping slightly.
"You.. Your next" their father pointed at Eyeball. Chris fled from the house, running as fast as he could away from that hell-raiser until he entered town.
"Aw shit" he cried, his behind pressed against a glass shop so that he could see how badly he got it. He wiped the flaky tears away from his eyes, sighing and cracking his neck. He made his way to his sanctuary, the place where he fled from home on most days, the Tree house, the one that overlooked the city. He climbed up into it. No one was there yet, but they would come... He leaned up against one of the bean bags that were there and sighed, tapping his fingernails up against the wood in an impatient way, waiting for his friends to show up. It was about that time, when everyone would show up around this time.
Teddy came first, knocking the "secret knock". He nodded slightly, opening up the hatch for him to climb up.
"You get hided too?" Chris asked as Teddy climbed up into the tree house, holding his behind carefully.
"Shit yeah... my pops has been down and out lately... after storming the beaches, you know" Teddy explained, holding his behind while he staggered into a seat. He smiled slightly, flashing some cards that they all loved to play.
"Twenty-one?" Chris asked him, a grin starting to form on his face.
"You betcha" Teddy said, peeling the cards apart and taking two. Chris followed, knocking his knuckles against the wood table they always played on.
"Damnit!" Teddy cursed loudly, throwing his cards on the table. Chris chuckled.
"Eighteen" he said, taking the cards. He took out a cigarette and lit one. Teddy took one from the pack and lit it carefully, taking two more cards as did Chris.
After what seemed like forever, the secret knock was heard again and the table was moved to let Gordie through, who was apparently holding a nudie magazine. Chris looked at the front cover of the magazine and noticed Annette, from Mickey Mouse Club. iAn animation magazine... wow/I he thought, nodding impressed. Chris felt silence flood over them.
"How do you know a french men's been in your backyard?" Chris asked, breaking into a smile and looking at Gordie.
"Hey..." Teddie said, looking hurt because he knew he was going to say something about the French, "I'm French, okay?" Chris ignored him, turning back to Gordie who was listening intently.
"Your garbage cans are empty and your dog's pregnant" he said. At first, there was a silence. But then there was a fitful of laughter from Gordie and Chris, as Teddy defended himself again. He could care less... it was summer, let the good times roll...
After much chuckling, Chris managed to put on a serious-enough face for Teddy. "I knock" he declared, looking at Teddy as his eyes pried him open.
"Shit" Teddy said, lowering his cards slightly.
"Twenty-nine" Chris said easily, looking amongst the two boys that were playing. He looked at Gordie, who had just jumped in and looked at Teddy again as he realized his mouth was open to say something.
"Twenty-two" Teddy said, tossing the cards down.
"Piss up a rope!" Gordie shouted, throwing his cards down in anger and returning to his nudie magazine.
Teddy made on to say some comments to Gordie, but he had gotten impatient enough. "Come on man... just deal" he sighed, picking up the cards.
"I knock" came the voice of Teddy, looking proud of himself.
"You four-eyed pile of shit!" Chris said, friendly anger marked in his eyes.
"Shit has a thousand eyes..." he laughed, and looked around, "What? What's so funny? I've got thirty, what have you got?" Teddy asked hotly.
"Sixteen" Chris giggled. He looked at Gordie who just shook his head.
"That's right... keep laughing. I'd turn you right down"
A knock from below them made them turn their attentions to the hatch below. They all knew it was Vern, knocking to be let in. A few knocks on the wood and Chris could tell he could barely remember. iDumbass/I he thought.
"Vern" they all said together, letting the heaviest of them all into the tree house. After being let in, he said something about catching his breath, and they all chanted a song they could hear too often on the radio.
"I ran all the way home!" he sang in a cheery voice. Vern didn't look to pleased and he told them he didn't have to tell them anything.
"Alright, guys, alright. What is it man?" Chris asked, taking a drag from his cigarette that was in between his pointer finger and middle finger.
"You won't believe this!" Vern shouted, excited.
"I ran all the way home!" Gordie, Chris, and Teddy sang. He looked at Gordie, who was snapping his fingers to no music whatsoever. He shook his head, with a smile on his face.
"Screw you guys" Vern said, stopping and rolling his eyes.
"What is it?" Chris asked him, after the laughter had died down. After playing twenty-one a minute longer, they were surprised to be asked by Vern if they wanted to see a dead body. Chris stood up slightly, turning his head away from the game and looking at him. Vern explained and they all listened.
"Jesus Christ!" shouted Chris, looking at Vern. "If they'd have known you were down there, they would have killed you, man" he said, nodding.
"Could he have really gotten from Chamberlain? It's really far" Gordie asked, thinking about what Vern had just said.
"Sure. He could have just followed the tracks and followed them the whole way" he told him.
"I bet you anything they'd