Chris was the first one to get off the bed quick enough,aiming straight for Eyeball as he ran towards him,his fist held high as he sought to strike his brother."You try!" Chris threatened,but it was Gordie who stopped him,gripping his arm tightly and pulling him back.
Eyeball smirked,before turning and making his way quickly down the flight of stairs.
Chris turned back to Gordie with a confused,yet angry look on his face."Gordie,what are you doing? He's going to tell Ace!" He explained,pulling his arm away from Gordie hastily and making for the door,but Gordie stepped in front of him.
"He's going to find out one way or another!" Gordie replied back,clasping his hands around the door frame to prevent Chris from getting through."We have to hide somewhere." He added.
Chris threw his hands in the air and turned away from Gordie."We could have stopped Eyeball." He said,closing his eyes in frustration."Gord,do you realize what you've done? We're going to get killed." Chris shouted,opening his eyes and staring at Gordie,hard.
"Don't blame me,Chris." Gordie replied,shaking his head,and staring back at Chris just as hard."You know that Eyeball wouldn't have kept our secret - he's friend with Ace! And this was the perfect opportunity to get cred from him. You know it,so don't blame me." Gordie explained,although his voice wavered slightly. Chris had never shouted at him like this before,nor shot him daggers - it was almost scary to see a glint of resemblance of Chris's father in those eyes.
Chris stared at Gordie for a while longer,before walking over to the bed and kneeling down to drag something underneath from it."Are you able to get back home without being seen?" He asked,pulling out a bag."I'll pack my clothes,and stuff,and we'll go." He explained.
Gordie remained where he was - his chest felt like he'd been punched,and he couldn't stop his lip from wavering. It was a frightening atmosphere,and he could already see how he would wind up if Ace found out; dead,and probably rotting in a river,or near the GS&WM rail-road tracks. And he had just let Eyeball go. Looking back at Chris through blurred vision,he asked,tentatively: "Are you angry at me,Chris?" And his heart almost dropped when Chris stopped what he was doing,and looked up at Gordie with an unyielding expression."I'm sorry.." Gordie added,his voice becoming high-pitched as the tears developed. He couldn't see the form of Chris anymore as he stood up and made his way towards him.
Warm arms wrapped themselves strongly around Gordie's skeletal frame,and Chris's warmth enveloped his body.A long sigh emitted from Chris,and Gordie felt his chest rise and fall against him."No." Chris said,softly."No,Gord.I'm just as scared as you are - and you were right,Ace would have found out either way." He explained,placing his chin on top of Gordie's mop of brown-hair,and holding him for what seemed like hours. Chris then started to explain calmly,his hand rubbing Gordie's back as he did so.
"We'll pack our bags with everything we need,and make our way into the forest. We can leave a message in the tree-house for Teddy and Vern,if you want - just in case they want to catch-up with us,or anything. If they don't; fair enough. I'll haul my father's car,and we could catch a train at another station and get out of Castle Rock. Gord,I know all this sounds crazy,but I ain't sticking 'round here,where you'll get hurt." Chris pulled away,and looked down at Gordie."We said that we wanted to get out of Castle Rock one day,didn't we? Well,now's the day,and we can't turn back."
Gordie listened to Chris,before nodding solemly."..alright." He said,grabbing his bag,before turning around and making his way towards the stairs,but Chris turned him around and kissed him before letting him go. It was a kiss that almost had desperation in,and Gordie felt even more frightened - it seemed like a last kiss.
Gordie had managed to get home in one piece,and hurriedly went upstairs to his bedroom to get a bigger bag,more clothes and more essentials. His parents weren't home yet,so he went into his parents bedroom and found their hidden stash of money under a loose floorboard under their bed; over £100[$200] were there,and Gordie stuffed the notes in a side pocket of his bag,and some in his jeans,just in case anything should happen to the bag.
When he got across the landing again,he was about to go downstairs when he looked over at Denny's room. The door was slightly ajar as usual - his mother insisted,in case he was ever to return,or be behind that door - showing the colourful posters,and black and white photographs on the walls.
Gordie walked over to Denny's room,and slowly opened the door. The room seemed lighter,and more welcoming than Gordie's own. Everything was in it's place since Denny last touched it,and if Gordie concentrated hard enough,he could hear Denny and probably smell him.
If Denny was still alive,would he approve of him and Chris? Denny never used to mock Chris,or judge him - he didn't even use Chris's surname as a means to insult; that Chambers kid - the little shit - you know he stole the milk-money? - why do you hang around with him,Gordon? - you need better friends than a thief!
Walking into the room,Gordie made it over to Denny's bed and sat on it. He remembered all those times he would sit here and speak with his brother,about baseball games,or things in general. Denny would always ask about Gordie's stories,and how they were getting along,and whether he could hear any new ones.
But,Gordie found it for the better to get away from Denny's memory,before it rotted him alive. All the mention of his brother,and his parents ignoring him; it would soon turn him insane,and Chris was the only sanity he had whenever he hung out with the gang at the tree-house.
Gordie's thoughts turned to Teddy and Vern,and how they would take to their disappearance. Would they come searching for them,or simply leave them be? Gordie imagined Vern wanting to go find them,and Teddy would agree,but half-way,they would realize that they were leaving a trail for Ace's gang to find the two 'lovebirds'.
Gordie had to admit,it would be weird without them two. Teddy's jokes - sometimes mean,but always heard. And Vern's stupidity - he would come out with random comments,but that was Vern Tessio all over.
The front door opened downstairs,and Gordie knew that his parents had come home."Gordon,we're home." He heard his father say. But,he wasn't going to stick around,so he exited Denny's room quickly and made it to his own bedroom where he took one last look of his room,before climbing out the window and down the tree."Gordon?" He heard his father's voice say,nearer this time,before he made his way back towards Chris's home.
A stutter of an engine sounded near Gordie,making him whip his head to look,his heart hammering as he expected it to be Eyeball,or the others in Ace's gang.
But,it wasn't.
"Quick,I just seen Eyeball with Jack and Charlie,and they're heading over here." It was Chris,and he was in a beat-up pick-up with things tied down in the bunker. It was his fathers,and it looked like he'd hijacked it - although the key already in the ignition wasn't exactly difficult,and probably wouldn't be classed as hijacking.
Chris opened up the door,and Gordie slung his bag in,before jumping in himself. Gordie slammed the door shut,and looked in the rear-view mirror.
Sure enough,there was Eyeball,Jack and Charlie walking up the street."Shit,Chris." Gordie said,quietly,looking at him with a scared expression.
Chris looked back and spotted them,and they spotted him."Look,there they are!" He heard Jack shout,and point. "Hold on,Gord." Chris said,before slamming his foot down on the acceleration peddle.
"Do you know how to drive this thing?" Gordie asked,as he strapped himself in with the seat belt and gripped it. He could imagine how this journey was going to end.
"It's only peddles,and gears." Chris replied,which made Gordie feel ill in the stomach as he sunk into his seat and hoped the ride would be over.
A sudden bang against metal jolted Gordie upright,and made him look behind. He could see the gang members throwing stones at the vehicle."Chris,they're throwing stuff!" Gordie explained."Step on it!" He practically screamed.
"You looked ill when I indicated I couldn't driv-"
"STEP ON IT!" Gordie yelled,and Chris complied as he heard the desperate tone in his boyfriend's voice.
"Ace'll come after you!" Jack shouted,howling afterwards as though it was all a joke.
"And he'll fucking rip you to shreds,you queers!" Charlie chimed in,laughing loudly and yowling after Jack.
"I'm your brother,Chris. But,don't think I'll protect you!" Chris heard Eyeball shout,making him breathe in deeply and let out a long exhale.
Billy Tessio was nowhere to be seen; he had refused to join in,which made him the butt of jokes,but he simply brushed it off his shoulder and went back home. The others hadn't questioned further,as they had gone to find Chris and Gordie.
"Don't worry,Chris." Gordie commented,placing a hand on Chris's leg.
The sunlight was drawing down when Chris drove the pick-up across the dirt road that led alongside the forest. It was already late in the evening when Gordie had come round to Chris's in the first place,but the sky was now a humid colour.
Gordie had his window open,and he was leaning his head against the window frame as he stared out.
"You alright?" Chris asked,glancing over at Gordie as he drove down the road at a steady speed. They were a while away from the Castle Rock Centre,so there was no need in driving like a maniac,as it was unlikely Eyeball and the others would follow without Ace's permission. Which,Chris reckoned,was what they were going to the prison for; visit Ace,then ask his permission in murdering Chambers and Lachance,which Ace would probably reply: 'Yes,go ahead!'
Gordie turned his head slightly to look at Chris."Yeah,I'm alright." He replied,before looking back out the window again and watching the trees roll by,alongside the dust clouds from the dirt road. The pick-up was badly bashed,and Gordie could hear every rattle and shake of the chasse underneath."What's in the bunker?" He asked,as Chris hadn't mentioned anything about the tied down things in the back.
"Camping gear,mostly." Chris replied,turning the wheel and driving down a dirt path that led into Castle Rock's forest. It was a deeper part,where they probably hadn't ventured before. But,the more secluded,the better."You want to set up now,or keep on travelling?" He asked.
"I think we should set up. It's getting dark,and I think we're both tired from today." Gordie said,and to prove his point,Chris yawned wide.
Chris nodded and pulled into a clearing,where the ground was flat and plenty covered with bushes and large trees. It was darker than any other part here,and Gordie felt uneasy. It was just him and Chris - there was no Teddy,nor Vern to create a massive conversation that would distract them from the dark,and any evil lurking within the forest. Although,no evil had ever appeared during their adventures.
Chris turned off the engine and got out the pick-up first and started to untie the tent,and the sleeping bags,along with pillows and extra blankets. The nights often got cold,and a tent wouldn't offer protection that well.
Gordie then got out and helped Chris to untie,and unpack things. The tent was up in a matter of minutes,and the sleeping bags had been stuffed inside with the pillows and a few blankets. After that was done,Gordie climbed inside and sat on one of the sleeping bags.
"We'll stay here for the night,but we gotta keep movin'" Chris explained as he stood outside,his hands on his waist as he scoured the forest with his eyes. There were no signs of Eyeball or the others; no torch lights,or murmurs of words.
"To where?" Gordie asked,lying down on his stomach and looking out the tent up at Chris.
"I don't know. Anywhere" Chris replied,shrugging,before joining Gordie in the tent. He moved his sleeping bag closer to Gordie's,before lying down on his back with his hands behind his head."What did you bring with you,Gord?"
Gordie shifted around so he was now lying on his stomach besides Chris,his feet sticking out of the tent slightly with his tallness."Clothes..some food..and a hundred in cash." He explained.
"A hundred? Geezus,where'd you get that?" Chris asked,clearly amazed as he let out a small,shocked laugh.
"Parents. I knew where they kept their savings." Gordie smiled lightly."Did you bring any money?"
"About twenty. My dad doesn't have much,but I took what he had in the house." Chris said,reaching into his pocket and drawing a twenty,and passing it to Gordie,who stuffed it in the side-pocket of his bag.
"Hundred and twenty." Gordie said."That'll be enough,won't it?" He asked - this wasn't exactly a regular occurrence,and he didn't know how much a person would need to live in another town,or maybe city.
"Sure. One of us could get a job,or something." Chris suggested,shrugging.
Gordie nodded,before lacing his arms together and resting his head on them,his head still turned to Chris."I feel like a fugitive." Gordie commented.
"The whole 'let's get outta here,and run' thing?" Chris asked. Gordie nodded."Well, at least we don't have to wear striped clothing."
Gordie smirked,and let out a small laugh. Chris simply smiled at him,before reaching over and brushing Gordie's brown hair out of his face."Did you ever think that you'd be running for your life at the age of 12,Gord?" Chris asked,resting his hand on Gordie's cheek lightly.
"No." Gordie replied."Nor have a boyfriend that feels me up." He mumbled against his arm.
"What was that?" Chris asked.
"I didn't say anything." Gordie lied,smiling lightly towards Chris.
Chris raised one of his eyebrows,and dismissed it."C'mere,Gord." He said,and patted his chest. Gordie shifted towards him and laid his head on Chris's chest. Chris placed his arm around Gordie,and shifted closer to him.
The sun was now only showing through a small line on the horizon,and the night had dropped quickly. There were no stars just yet,as the sky was still light,with a hint of navy blue. The weather was still warm,but it would soon get cold.
"What do you think Ace will do?" Gordie asked,pressing his body against Chris's,and closing his eyes.
"If any of his gang comes for us,we'll be ready." Chris replied,placing a hand on the back of Gordie's head and slowly brushing a crowd of his hair."Besides,I've brought the gun and it's plenty loaded." He added,smirking lightly.
Gordie only mumbled something in response,and Chris realized he was falling asleep."Let me close the tent,Gord." Chris said,lifting up slowly and reaching for the zipper on the tent,whilst trying to keep Gordie's head on his chest. He managed to get cramp in his arm,but it went away as soon as he lay back down again,and Gordie resumed back to his normal position. He was already fast asleep. Chris placed a pillow behind his own head,whilst putting a few pillows besides Gordie in case he moved,before pulling a blanket over them and calling it quits for the night.
"I'm sorry I brought you into this mess,Gord." Chris whispered,before closing his eyes as well,and drifting off to sleep with Gordie pressed against him,and his hand still on the back of Gordie's head.
T.A.T.U is great to listen to when you're writing a chapter on escaping - pfft.
