Authors Note: Thank you so much for the review! I'm trying to keep on top with this story. Please let me know what you all think! Smooches and have an awesome day everyone!
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Stand By Me or the Body. Warning: language, slight sexual content (sort of)
Everything Changes Eventually
Chapter two: The Chase
Walking through my front door, I smiled and threw my bag onto the table. My father was leaning over a stack of papers, barely noticing my arrival. It was already a week into my freshman year and everything was great. I was doing well in my classes and everyday was something new. Dad was so distracted lately, but I knew it wasn't a personal thing. He always got that way when he was in the middle of writing. My father was a reporter for The Small Times newspaper for Castle Rock. He only had a one column that was published once every two weeks and doesn't get paid much but it's enough to get us by.
"Hello oh wonderful father of mine." I sang kissing him on the cheek. His beard tickled my nose and a grin grew over his face.
"What do you want Tara?" he stated, waving his hand at me while scribbling over several pieces of paper. I then waved at him and jumped onto the kitchen counter.
"Can't I just say hello?" I said swinging my legs back and forth. My father turned in his seat and tossed his pen onto the table. I smirked at him, leaning over and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. Crunching into the apple, he chuckled sarcastically.
"No you can't and you don't." smiling, he waved at me once more. "Shoo, I've got to finish this."
"Whatever Dad, I'll just go see what Teddy's doing." thrusting my hips forward, I fell from the counter and trotted towards the front door.
"You just got here, why don't you do your homework quietly in your room." he said pointing to my bag. My father obviously needed time to write but still wanted me home, via the hint of being quiet in my room.
"I did it at lunch." shrugging and still headed for the door, I glanced over my shoulder. He gave me a look of disbelief.
"Be home at a reasonable time." he stated, which actually meant be home before the sun comes up. I'm a freshman. It's Friday night. I'm ready to party. Just kidding, I wanted to just hang out with my friends and talk about nothing important. Now that's my kind of party.
"Whatever you say, Daddio." I shrugged slipping through the front door.
Fall was definitely on it's way, but it was still hot while the sun was out but it didn't matter to me. I'd rather be hot then cold anyway. Despite the heat, I made my way down the road to Teddy's house. I knew for a fact that at this time of day, right after school, he was probably eating dinner. His mom works night shifts usually so she feeds him before she leaves for the night. Which for me was way too early to eat dinner, I would be so hungry around eight o'clock.
I threw my apple core into the street as I turned down the pathway to his front door. Knocking lightly, I entered without a hesitation. The knock was purely respect, to let everyone know I was entering.
" Teddy. You butthead! Where are you?" I chirped, entering the dining room, then the kitchen, then the back yard. No one was home. I frowned, not knowing what to do since I wasn't used to this type of result when I came over to Teddy's house. Exiting the way I came, I spotted Teddy and Chris down the road. My newly found sadness was enveloped with joy as I realized my friends were close by. I waved with a large smile while calling their names.
From where I was, I could see the both of them were shoulder to shoulder, hunched over something while they walked. Simultaneously, they both turned to see that I was running my way over to them. Their faces were in disbelief as I approach. Whatever Teddy was holding he folded shut and the two of them seemed to be in a panic. I could hear Chris as both of them argued, shoving the object into each others arms.
"Fuck!" Chris's voice rang. "It's Tara, get rid of it!"
"You get rid of it!" Teddy yelped with a glance towards me. My joy was then shadowed with confusion. What did the two of them have that they didn't want me to know about? We don't keep secrets fromeach other, not since we all got into this huge argument over basically nothing. I don't even remember anymore what it was about, I just remember it tore the five of us apart. We made a pact right then and there, communication is key for a successful friendship, no secrets.
"It's yours! You're the one who wanted to show me, remember!?" Chris yelled while shoving it into Teddy's arms one last time before dashing away in a fit of panic. Teddy cursed under his breath, taking off behind Chris.
I continued to follow them, only being a few feet behind them since I wasn't in a full sprint. My dad used to say that when I was younger, I wanted to run before I could walk. Ever since then every chance I had, I would run anywhere and everywhere. I've been the fastest runner around these parts for years. I plan on joining the track team, if they let me, I've heard that they don't allow girls on the team. But they wont be able to resist my speed, I'm a legend among kids my age, they can't deny me.
Both of my friends knew for a fact that I was much fast than they were but I enjoyed running. If I was chasing anyone, I always took my precious time because it was pleasurable to me. But this time I knew that they were hiding something from me, which I didn't like. I'm not their mother or anything, but they are both my best friends, what would be so bad to hide from me? At this point I was more curious than anything.
"What the hell guys?" I yelled as they ran through twists and turns to try to lose me. They knew better and their efforts were admirable but not effective. I studied my friends as they ran, knowing good and well one of them would give up eventually. Their hair bounce with every heavy step they took and both of them would occasionally glance back at me. Chris was in the lead, only because he got a head start from Teddy. Both of them ran about the same speed in a foot race, but Teddy didn't have the stamina that Chris had. I knew he would be the first to go, that's when I noticed Teddy was then slowing down a great deal. Chris was also not ignorant to this fact and with quick thinking he ran towards the edge of the neighborhood.
I realized that this chase was now becoming ridiculous when Chris jumped over a fence into the park, leaving Teddy behind. Teddy cursed, yelling for assistance. "Take it Chris, go!"
Teddy then threw the object, which now I could tell looked to be a book of some sort. Chris caught the book with little effort and dashed across the field as quickly as he could while I ignored Teddy as he tried to stop me at the fence. I shoved him aside but he grabbed my arm pulling me from the fence.
"Hey Tara, how's it going girl?" Teddy asked like the three of us hadn't been a mad chase for the last ten minutes. The both of us panted, looking each other over. His hair was sticking to his forehead and his glasses were fogged up from the sweat he was dripping in. I could tell in the horrible reflection of his glasses that I looked absolutely terrible. But I wasn't one to care about that. My hair was long and tangled in a heap down my back. Every part of my skin that was showing from my tank top had my hair sticking to it. I'm not going to lie, it felt gross but there were more important things to worry about than that. I was on a mission.
"Really, Teddy? What the hell are you both doing? Why are you running away from me?" I stated through breaths while sponging the sweat on my brow with my shirt hem.
Teddy scoffed like it was an obvious answer. "Because you were chasing us."
I turned to see Chris far across the field, I then knew it was crunch time. If Chris got into town there would be little to no chance of me catching him, I had to get over this fence. Quickly, I scanned the area, the fence was short enough to hop over it with a little climb but Teddy was right there. Any effort to get over it would be smashed my his strength. Thinking, I realized in order to get over the fence and get to Chris, I had to trick Teddy.
In an angry fit, I threw my arms up in the air and started to walk away from the fence and Teddy. He was right behind me as I stepped quickly towards the neighborhood we had just erupted from. "Whatever Teddy."
"Tara, it's not -" I didn't give him a chance to finish as I dodged him and sprinted for the fence. I climbed and hopped over with little effort. I could then hear Teddy doing the same, cursing with every movement. Chris was almost into town now, I could see him approaching the roadside through the park. This time I threw my head back, pushed my knees together, and ran at full force towards Chris. Teddy's footsteps and curses were slowly fading away as I approached Chris from behind who had slowed down tremendously. He was now walking on the sidewalk, not expecting to have me come from his blind side, snatching the book from his grasp at his side. He twisted around with surprise and embarrassment enveloped his face.
"Tara give that back!" he stated, his face turning even more red than it was before from the run. I looked at the cover of the book, it was Teddy's math book from class. He had scratched his name on the front with a knife the second day in class. I remember because he had also asked if I wanted him to do the same to mind, which I declined. The cover of a math book not only puzzled me but angered me. This is all they were hiding from me. There had to of been something else to this, why else would the two of them make such a huge deal over something so little.
"This." I stated, shaking the book in the air. "This is why you were running from me?"
Chris then realized I had no idea what was going on and started to try and reason with me as Teddy approached from our side. I then began to inspect the book further, it seemed thicker than normal. Teddy and I have the same textbook so I would know, it was just a little thicker than I remember it to be.
"Tara, please don't. Just give us the book back." Chris then stated furiously as I continued to scan the book over. What in the world were these two hiding?
"No." I stated plainly, furrowing my brow at them. This was absolutely the most ridiculous thing they've ever done. "I can't believe you two. I thought we said no secrets."
"It's not even like that Tara, just give me back my book." Teddy said, fanning himself to prevent his glasses from fogging up any further. I looked up at them through my hair as piece of it swung in front of my face. I opened the book, turning the pages. Chris then tried to grab the book from me.
"No!" I grunted again, twisting my torso around to keep the book from his grasp. "I just chased you both through the neighborhood, across the park, and almost into town; I'm going to find what you both were hiding from me."
"It's a man thing!" Teddy then yelped, like that would change anything.
"Yeah, Tara." Chris then continued, starting to get angry at me as well. I looked up as the book laid across my left arm, my right hand flipping through the pages. "It's our business. You don't need to see it."
"I thought you said no secrets. What's so private that you had to run away from me? It's me guys." I pleaded in a rather harsh tone. "When have you ever not been able to show me something?"
I then opened to a page that was much thicker than the rest. Within the next few pages there were several pictures taped to the inside of each page. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything like this. I gaped at the pictures with a small bit of amusement and disgusts. They were either nude or half nude pictures of women. With every turn of a page, their expressions grew with anger and embarrassment.
"The fuck, Tara!" Teddy said angrily, taking a step in front of Chris. I shut the book with a frown. I blinked at both of them, half handing the book back but neither of them moved to grab it. I knew the guys were getting older, as was I, but I didn't know how to handle something like this. I guess maybe I should of minded my own business, but how was I supposed to know they were hiding something like that. They've never acted like this before, what was I suppose to think? My mouth opened but nothing came out, what was I to say?
"Well Tara, now you know. Ya feel better?" Chris asked in embarrassment shadowed in anger. I shook my head. Teddy snatched the book from me.
"Like I said Tara, you didn't need to know about this, it's man stuff. Not for you. Because you aren't a man. Chris and I are men now. It has nothing to do with you, that's why I didn't show you." Teddy stated, their faces continued to stay flushed but now it was out of frustration with me.
"Well, how was I supposed to know that. You guys never hide anything from me. I just wanted to hang out with you guys and then you start to run away from me." Chris rolled his eyes.
"But can you see now why we ran?" I nodded and he continued. "Well I guess the two of us didn't handle it very well but at the same time, it's none of your business."
"Yeah." Teddy agreed with the point of his finger.
"I'm sorry guys, but I just wanted to hang out. Then you ran away." I adjusted my stance so that the setting sun wasn't in my face. "I just never thought the two of you would -"
Chris cut me off. "Well you wouldn't get it would you, you're a girl."
Teddy once again agreed. "It's not like you would talk to us able boys" I cringed, I thought I could talk to them about anything.
"Even if I did like anyone, I thought I could share anything with you guys. You're my best friends."
"But if you did, would you call; me, Teddy, Vern - any of us to come look at pictures like that?" Do they even have naked pictures of men, I thought, shaking my head at the thought.
"No, but -" Chris then cut me off.
"Exactly. So why would Teddy ask you to see these pictures?" he pointed towards the book. I guess I don't understand, I'm not a guy, but even if I was I don't think I would be thinking of that stuff. Not yet anyway.
"Tara, you don't get it!" Teddy yelled, I was a little taken back by my friend's tone.
"Look guys, I'm sorry that I got into your business but I thought it was something else." I shrugged, the three of us then fell into a silence as the street lights began to fade in and the sun departed for the day. I rubbed my neck in a fit of shame, not really knowing what to say.
"I don't care, ya know?" I then blurted out after a few moments. "I don't think of you any differently. You guys are growing up, as am I. I guess I shouldn't have assumed anything. I'll respect your privacy."
"Remember when you started your crimson storm?" Teddy asked as I took a step back. That subject has been banned from all conversations, I've made that perfectly clear. "Well this is the same thing, dude."
I raised my eyebrow at them, then realized I had no idea what boys go through during puberty. "You started your periods?"
Chris and Teddy then both glanced at each other, bursting into tears and a fit of laughter. I then joined in the laughter, knowing that probably wasn't possible but I was seriously curious.
"No." Chris finalized shaking his hands at me. "But listen Tara, just sometimes, we are going to need some space. As I'm sure you will want girl time. We need guy time, we are men now."
"Whatever that means. Chris you just barely turned fifteen and Teddy you don't turn fifteen until next month." my best friends were not men.
"Valid point." Teddy yelled as the three of us started to walk towards the pits of town. The anger and confusion between us had subsided, but I could tell that things were changing. This was the first sign, what else was I to do, I'd have to deal with it. I looked down at my feet, I'd have to remember that we are growing up. Each of us will go through different stages in order to become adults. We are freshmen in high school, there was so much in store for us. I knew all of this, but I don't think that I am completely ready for it all.