Chapter Three
Mini-Adventures
Part One- The Walk
"Duchamp!" Sammy called, jogging between trees. She could see Teddy up ahead, working through the dense brush with almost catatonic concentration. "Teddy!" Sammy bellowed, hurdling a fallen tree, groaning when the trees and bushes grew thicker.
Slipping through three tress bunched together instead of going around them had given Sammy an edge, and she soon caught up enough for her to yell, "Hey, boy!"
Teddy stopped abruptly, far quicker than Sammy had anticipated. In mid-leap over a tree, she landed gracefully, but mud beneath her feet gave way and she slipped, falling on top of Teddy who, of course, went toppling into the mud as well.
Groaning for the second time since she stated running, Sammy rolled of him, clutching her upper arm. "Shit."
"Whoa now, you're not allowed to be hurt." Teddy complained, leaning over her, "Chris'll have my head."
Sammy glared. "That's all you care about?" She asked, sitting up, forcing Teddy to sit on his knees in front of her. She was still holding her arm when she stood, using only her legs.
"It's what I care most about." Teddy replied, a guilty but goofy smile on his face as he glanced at her.
Sammy couldn't be mad at him for long, and returned the smile as she said, "Do you have stuff I can wear?"
Teddy though about this, poking her towards a break in the trees, "Yea, I guess I do. Only one pack though." He was referring to the bag that consisted of a small cot and clothes he kept fresh and clean under his bed, "I can stick a shirt for you in there." His tone was exasperated, but Sammy knew better, he didn't really mind, as close friends as they were.
They were halfway to Teddy's, all that was left was the dusty street he lived at the end of.
They has been quiet for a few minutes before a bored Sammy blurted out, tone and beat perfect, "Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, de, doobe, dum..." She trailed off, waiting on Teddy for the next part.
Teddy glanced at her, then looked forward again, singing, "Love, love me darlin', come and go with me, Please don't send me way beyond the sea..."
The two finished the song as they reached Teddy's porch, Sammy going in first.
Rarely did they go in and out without anything happening, but today his place was empty.
Sammy raided the fridge, bringing Teddy up a bagel. "What about that one?" Sammy asked, pointing at a shirt that looked as if it had been discarded in the corner for a couple years.
"It looks little," Sammy said as she picked it up after putting the bagel in Teddy's mouth.
"I think I wore that three years ago," Teddy mumbled, but it sounded liked, "Oi sthink oi wore dat stree yearth ago."
Sammy, halfway through putting the new shirt on She had turned to face the wall., smiled to herself, impatient Teddy, never waiting to do anything that could be done then. It'd get him killed one day, she knew it.
"All right, ready?" Sammy asked brightly when she turned around. Teddy tossed her a worn-out pillow, carrying the pack himself. He chuckled, looking at the base of her neck.
"What?" Sammy asked, touching it. Her tag was out. That meant: "It's on backwards and inside-out," Sammy noted, suppressing laughter. "Hold on."
She retreated to her corner, pulling it off and fixing it. Coming back to the doorway of Teddy's room, she glared at him while her eyes danced with laughter. "Don't laugh." She told him, hands in her pockets.
Teddy shook his head, visibly swallowing laughter. As they exited the house, Sammy stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see two figures walking quickly side by side. "Chris and Gordie?" Sammy mused.
Part Two- Deal With It
"Sammy! Don't point that at Teddy!" Gordie cried, stepping between Sammy and Teddy.
Teddy had snuck up behind her, slid his arms around her waist, and pulled her tightly close. "Don't shoot," He had whispered.
Sammy, of course, had spun around so fast it broke his hold on her, pointing the gun dead on at his nose. "I'll shoot your glasses off," She had threatened with a smirk after pushing Gordie out of the way, "It's loaded."
Teddy scoffed, "That's bullshit." He knocked the barrel away from his face, the gun pointing skyward.
Sammy glared, "Bullshit this!!" And shot it off, the kick staggering her back a couple steps.
The group fell silent for a few seconds until Sammy said, "Hey, I could've shot his face instead," with a half ashamed, half amused look on her face.
"Yea, it sure doesn't need any assistance in that department!" Chris laughed, smacking Teddy in the back.
Teddy, who had been staring at Sammy like he had never seen her before, cracked a grin but said nothing.
"What do we need a pistol for anyway?" Vern asked, whining.
"It's spooky sleeping out at night in the woods. We might see a bear," Chris replied smartly, silently laughing.
"Or a garbage can," Gordie cracked, and Teddy and Sammy giggled or chuckled, in Teddy's case behind Vern.
Vern, trying to protect his masculinity, said, "I brought a comb."
Sammy, nodded appreciatively, opened her mouth to say thanks when Chris interjected, "What do we need a comb for?" As he rubbed his hands on his hair.
"Well, if we get on TV we wanna look good, don't we?" Vern pointed out.
Sammy snorted. "If I was on TV, people would be enamored by my natural good looks," She paused, then added, "What the fuck does enamored mean?"
The group burst into collective laughter, Teddy laughing the hardest and longest, Gordie stopping first to say, "That's a lot of good thinking, Vern."
Vern looked at him, surprised. "Thanks!" He said with a smile and a nod.
Teddy feigned an uppercut towards Vern, who flinched. Sammy clapped, grinning as she said, "Two for flinching! Two for flinching!" Teddy punched him twice after Sammy had stopped jumping.
"Ow!" Vern cried, rubbing his arm.
"Want me to kiss it, make it better?" Sammy asked, cringing, catching Teddy's eye and smiling.
"It's not that bad," Vern consented.
"How far d'you think it's gonna be?" Teddy asked, absentmindedly trying to smack Sammy who seemed to be trying to steal his canteen.
"If we follow the tracks all the way into Harlow it might be about 20 miles. Somewhere about there, right Gordie?" Chris asked, pushing an indignant Sammy away from Teddy. "Jesus Christ, why are you so thirsty?" he complained when she glared at him.
Sammy, who hadn't said a word, sighed, "Maybe it's because it's hot out here?" Her voice was purposefully slow, like she was explaining algebra to a four year old.
"Girls, girls, relax," Gordie said, resting a calming hand on Chris and Sammy, adding, "Might even be 30 miles."
"Gee...maybe we should just hitchhike," Vern suggested and complained at the same time.
Teddy snorted in disgust, Sammy hiding a smile when he said, "That's pussy!" With indignance, like it was insulting him.
"Hey, it's a long way," Vern began, getting cut off by an exasperated Sammy, "Jesus Vern, have you ever thought of just, I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, dealing with it?" She ended this with a gusty sigh.
"But seriously guys," Vern began, only to be interrupted again, this time by Teddy, "Did your mother ever have any kids that lived?"
Sammy cackled behind her hand, grinning at Teddy when he looked back at her.
The group was split into two groups- Chris and Gordie up ahead, and Teddy, Vern, and Sammy a few feet back.
Chris and Gordie're probably having actual conversations about life-changing events, Sammy thought.
"Hey, thanks, "Sammy said, taking Teddy's canteen which he had placed in her hands, drinking lightly and giving it back, "I think you might have to fill up soon."
"What?" Teddy asked, attempting to get a drink himself, only to find it empty, "Shit," He shot Sammy a wry smile which she returned.
Vern, confused, finally asked, "What d'you mean?"
His question sent Teddy and Sammy into almost alarming hysterics.
Part Three- Railroads and Babysitters
If anyone, let's say a train conductor, were to look ahead on the tracks, he'd see a sight that only 5 special people could come up with.
A tough guy, clearly the ring leader, in front of the line of friends. Next in line was clearly his best friend, softer and more vulnerable looking.
After came a girl who remarkably resembled the ringleader, and behind her a boy with glasses and dark hair, if you looked closer you'd see one of his ears were less than normal.
Behind them all a few paces back, was a boy who looked jovial enough, tired but jovial. He sang along with the group as they belted out, "Have Gun, Will Travel reads the card of a man! A knight without armor in a savage land! His fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind. A soldier of fortune he's a man called Paladin! "
The two in front, who we all know as Chris and Gordie, broke off then, as well as the boy who was behind them all, who we also know: Vern.
Only the boy and the girl in the middle finished, a girl and a boy we know as Sammy and Teddy. They finished, "Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam? Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home."
Sammy cleared her throat as she and Teddy ended, licking her lips, thirsty. She sighed and looked down the line of tracks, wondering aloud, "Where can we fill up?"
Gordie, after standing up from testing for train vibrations, replied, "We could fill up at the junkyard. My dad said it's a safe well."
Vern shook his head, semi-distressed, "Not if Chopper's there."
"If Chopper's there we'll send you in," Chris said with that cheeky grin of his.
Sammy laughed, and straightened from where she too had checked the tracks, "That's cutting into Vern's masculinity a little, isn't it?"
Vern glared at her, and Sammy returned the glare with sticking her tongue out at him.
"Hey, I'm kind of hungry!" Vern announced, stopping in his tracks, on the tracks. Ha.
"Oh shit! Did anybody bring anything?" Teddy asked, stopping as well.
Chris shrugged, "Not me. Gordie?"
"Well, this is great. What are we supposed to do, eat our feet?" Teddy asked in his ever present sarcasm.
"For the record, I didn't bring anything either," Sammy supplied with a shrug.
"D'you mean, you didn't bring anything either?" Chris asked Teddy, referring to his earlier exclamation.
"Oh shit, this wasn't my idea. It was Vern's idea. Why didn't you bring something?" Teddy complained, turning the guilt onto Vern.
"What'm I supposed to do, think of everything? I brought the comb!" Vern exclaimed, indignant.
"Oh great, you brought a comb. What d'you need a comb for if you don't even have any hair?" Teddy retorted, agitated and agitating everyone else.
"I brought it for you guys!" Vern shot back, visibly distressed.
"Okay. Now is when someone takes charge before those two rip each other's heads off," Sammy said, settling onto the railroad tracks.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Let's see how much money we've got," Gordie said, taking charge. He sat down on the tracks across from Sammy, and Vern and Chris sat on either side of them. Teddy sat himself between Vern and Sammy.
"Teddy, Eyeball took my money," Sammy whispered while the others counted.
Teddy rolled his eyes, but gave her 30 cents, placing it in her hands when the other three looked back down for a second.
Gordie inhaled and said, "Yeah. I got a dollar two. Sixty-eight cents from Chris. Thirty cents from Teddy. Thirty cents from Sammy," This raised eyebrows from Chris but Gordie went on, "Seven cents, Vern?"
Sammy, who had been looking behind for a train, turned to face Vern, glaring when she said, "How many cents, Gordie? How many cents does Vern have?"
Vern, who had quickly learned how to deflect Sammy's outbursts, quickly but nonchalantly said, "Haven't found my pennies yet."
Gordie briefly considered their funds and said, "Well, two-thirty-seven's not bad. Quidachioluo's is at the end of the little road that goes by the junkyard. I think we can get some stuff there."
Chris, who had yet to look up from the tracks since he was thinking, said, "Train's coming," At the exact same time as Sammy, who had been looking. They shared goofy smiles, like they had some twin secret.
Sammy leaped off the tracks, Teddy's pillow clutched tightly in front of her. She hit the ground and rolled, bouncing up with a smile. She watched as Vern cried, "Geronimo!" and attempted a leap and roll, attempted being the key word. Chris and Gordie came off the tracks sensibly, talking something over.
Sammy had her eyes trained on Teddy, and she dropped the pillow. "Teddy? Come on, the train's coming."
The train kept coming, and Teddy looked her square in the eye when he said, "Train dodge. Dig it." Phrasing the last sentence as an almost question.
Sammy shook her head. "Teddy, get down, don't try it," She pleaded.
"No. Uh-uh. I'm gonna dodge it." Teddy said, tossing Sammy his pack.
"Come on, Teddy-man. Get off the tracks you're crazy," Chris said, standing next to Sammy, arm around her now shaking shoulders.
"Get off the tracks Teddy, you'll get killed!" Sammy cried, pushing Chris's arm away, now a couple steps away from the tracks herself.
"Get the hell off the tracks, Teddy! You wanna get yourself killed?" Chris yelled, shoving Sammy back behind him as the train became dangerously close.
Teddy talked to Chris, but he looked past his head and down, where Sammy had landed on the ground after Chris shoved her, "Just like the beach in Normandy." He imitated a machine gun, something Sammy usually liked to watch but not right now.
"Teddy! Get off the tracks!" Sammy cried, scared tears breaking loose right as Chris lunged at Teddy, wrestling him off the tracks.
Sammy turned her head and swiped angrily at her face, ashamed and bewildered at her sudden fright. She hadn't ever been scared if Chris was nearby, why was she scared now? Why was she scared for Teddy
Sammy turned around, daring anyone to ask her anything with her glares. All four boys avoiding her glance, especially Teddy, who had yet to get up.
"Let's go guys," Sammy said, picking up the pillow and simply walking off down the tracks, her anger settling, but the embarrassment kept her walking.
Vern shot an uneasy look at Chris before walking off after Sammy, and Gordie followed after with a shrug. Chris was the last, looking at Teddy who was patting the grass around him for his coke-bottle glasses.
The group of four became three as Sammy's embarrassment faded away altogether, and what was left was shame.
Shame for crying. Shame for leaving Teddy. Shame for not realizing these things before now.
No-one ever said my emotions made sense, She reconciled herself, lifting her eyes from the railroad ties just in time to step to the side and stand by Teddy before they collided.
"Don't need no babysitter," He muttered, looking ahead at the rest of the group.
Sammy shook her head, "Do too. Skin it?"
Teddy looked her in the eyes, already a couple inches taller than her. He skinned it, but had to add, "Could have dodged it," Before sprinting ahead to the other group, leaving Sammy behind until she, too, jogged ahead to walk with the rest of the group.