Disclaimer: Not mines, don't sue.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed , here's another new chapter.


That evening, the setting sun was bathing Castle Rock in a shower of golden-orange before it would soon be replace with a deep turquoise sky and silvery moon.

A girl was walking aimlessly down the road. Her blue dress flapping between her legs with each step she took as if it were dancing around her feet. Soft delicate hands clutching around three books press strongly against an emaciated body as if they were some kind of sacred treasure. Chestnut hair tied up in a severe bun. Thick black rim glasses, looking like they belong better on the face of one Teddy Duchamp than on a mousy girls like this, adored her face, magnifying her twinkling blue eyes.

On the whole, this girl looked very nerdy, but maybe without those glasses and that hair let loose, she might be beautiful under it all.

Well, beautiful to anybody but Charlie Hogan, who zoomed passed this girl as he sped down the road, already deciding that this girl was not worthy of his time.

Charlie was on his way to the Tessio resident, looking forward to a night out with his buddy Billy. He had been feeling a little glum for the past couple of days and needed some cheering up. Despite being a Cobra, Charlie doesn't receive a lot of respect from his fellow students and townspeople, many writing him off as the weakest of the Cobras due to his frail body structure.

This pissed him off and needed some way to prove them all wrong, that he was just as tough as all the other Cobras. Taking a swing of his beer, he drove up to the driveway and was about to get out when he notice there were no cars there, but a light was still on in the living room.

"Huh, what's going on-?" Charlie was about to ask himself when he remembered why, it was Wednesday, so Billy was on his date with Connie and his parents were out at a late night church event, so why was there a light still on.

Creeping up to the window, he peered inside and was surprise to see Vern inside. Why would he still be home? Wouldn't he be usually at one of his friend's houses? It was then that Charlie got an idea. Vern is the wimpiest kid in Castle Rock, as well as the most gullible, he could easily make himself look like a badass in front of him and the pussy would go all 'Ooh' and 'Aah' over him. It was perfect and would cheer Charlie up.

With a smirk on his face, Charlie watched up to the porch and rapped his knuckles against the door. A few seconds later, he heard shuffling and eventually the door open.

"Hi Charlie, sorry, but Billy not here, he's—"

"Actually Vern," Charlie began, a sweet smile on his face, "I'm here to see you."

Vern flinched in surprise. "Me?" Pointing to himself.

"Yeah, I was going to go out on a night on the town, wanna come?"

"Why do you want me to go?"

"Do you want to go or not?" Charlie barked at him.

"Okay okay, I'm going, I'm going!" Vern told him as he went to put his shoes on.

"Sorry, I can't control my temper, because I'm such a bad man." Charlie said, puffing his chest for effect. Vern stared at him oddly before stepping out the door with him and locking it. The two got in the car and drove off down the street, the shirt sleeves ruffing in the cool night air. They had been driving around for a couple of minutes before reaching a stop sign.

Charlie looked down at the boy sitting in the passenger seat and decided that now would be a good time to make himself look like a badass in front of Vern. Smirking, Charlie stared forward and took another sip of his beer.

"You shouldn't be here Vern, I'm trouble."

"What?" Vern turned to look at him, confusion written all over his face, "But you invited me?"

"I know, but people would probably say I was the one who was a bad influence of you if turned to a life of crime."

"Why are you a bad influence?"

"Because I break the law. I'm a bad boy, out for a bad time." And as if to prove his point, Charlie took one final swig of his beer before nonchalantly throwing it over to the side of the road. "I'll probably get jail time for that."

"For what?" Vern asked, trying to look over Charlie's side of the car, "Littering?"

"I'm so bad, I'm almost evil." Charlie said looking at him, crossing his arms and giving an "evil" smile.

Vern snorted, "I don't think you can go to jail for that," Then looked up as if actually pondering the thought, "Can you?"

Unfortunately, Vern was never able to get an answer as at that moment, both saw two mustangs driving up to the them in the review mirror. Inside them was four boys each, sharply dressed, and hair perfectly combed. Wearing outfits ranging from dress coats to varsity jackets

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Charlie panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"That's the White Coats, our rival gang from up on the View." Charlie explained, then tried to straighten himself up when he saw he was looking weak in front of Vern. "But it's okay, they won't bother us. They know a Cobra when they see one."

"Hey look, it's one of Ace Merrill's lapdog." Called out one of them. Panicking, Charlie sped down the road, the White Coats hot on their trail. They zipped around and changed lanes to give them the slip, but the White Coats were persistent. Eventually, they reached and dead end, and Charlie and Vern got out of the car.

"Fuck, it's no use, they got us cornered!" Charlie exclaimed as he clutch parts of his hair tightly.

"Actually, um, they're only a few blocks away, and there's a right lane up ahead, we could have—"

"I have a plan." Charlie grinned. He then sat down on the ground.

"How's that 'posse to help?" Vern exclaimed.

"Well, it'll save them time from trying to get us to the ground?" He shrugged.

"Couldn't we just run?" Vern suggested, then suddenly frowned at the suggestion he made, "Aww man, not running."

"You go, I think I can hold them off."

"All eight of them!?"

"I think you're under-estimating how tough I am, Vern."

"But-?"

"Hey, there you are," One of the them, a blond, called out to them.

"Run, Vern, run!" Shouted Charlie.

"Hey, do either of you know the directions to the Civic Center?"

"Civic Center?" Vern repeated the question.

"Yeah, we've been driving around for the past hour and a half trying to find it, but we're lost. Can either of you two help us?"

"Run while you still can, Vern!" Charlie yelled in the background, "Do what you want with me White Coats, but leave the kid alone!"

Vern gave Charlie a strange look before answering the blond's question, "Yeah, just go back the way you came, take a left at Forks Street, get going to you reach Westchester Avenue, turn right, keep going and your there."

"Thanks kid." The blond patted Vern on the shoulder, before walking towards his car and the others got into their respective cars too.

"Wow, I guess you can't always assume a rival gang is always coming to beat you up." Vern laughed.

Charlie got off the ground and smirked proudly, "Good thing I got rid of them. They were gonna beat you up."

Vern couldn't believe what Charlie had just said. "Beat me up? Were you listening at all?"

He put his hand on the other boy's shoulder, "You can thank me later. But let's go going, we still got a lot more to do." Vern just shook his head and followed.


The rest of the night wasn't any better. They had stop at a local pub and Charlie apparently had been bitten with the gambling bug. Vern kept trying to warn him that maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but Charlie ignored him. A couple of roads later, Charlie had been so broke, he couldn't even pay attention.

Afterward, the guy he had been gambling with offered him a chance to get his money back. All he would have to do was beat him in a drag race.

"Charlie, I don't think this is a good idea, sincerely." Vern tried to reason with him again.

"Naw man, I have to do this. I know what I'm doing." Charlie told him as he revved up the engine. A girl stood between the two cars, raised her hands up, then threw them down, indicating that the race had started. The two cars drove off. It was a neck-and-neck race, they both sped down hills and around trees, each trying to get ahead of the other. Vern thought he was seriously going to get car sick.

Charlie and Vern had almost reach the finish line when the competitor car sped up to them and ram into them. Then ram into them again, knocking them off the trail. The rival car then crossed the finisher. The guy simply shrugged his shoulders sarcastically before walking off. Vern just stared at Charlie through half-lidded eyes while Charlie lied back in the seat, panting hard.


Charlie had drove up to the Tessio resident and Vern got out of the car.

"Had fun?" Charlie asked him. Vern turned to look at him and shook his head.

"No."

"Well… do you at least think I'm a badass?"

Vern thought about this, then shook his head again. "No." And with that, Vern unlock the door and step back into his house, slamming it.

"Fuck." Charlie moaned as he slammed his forehead onto the steer wheel, hitting the car horn.