It was around two in the afternoon before Chris got home,and it was no surprise to him to find his father at the bottle,slumped at the bottom of the stairs,the bottle dangling between his index and forefinger as his head slumped down.
Chris quietly walked past his father,but a rough hand gripped him by the arm,and the force would surely leave a bruise."Dad?" Chris whispered,pulling away from his old man when he looked up - his eyes were blood-shot,and had faint black rings around them due to lack of sleep.
"C'mere Chris.." His father slurred,dragging his son towards him. Chris tried to pull away but his father's nails dug into his skin,and he had to comply.
"Dad.." Chrs repeated as he was moved close to his father. The smell that emitted from his father's rotten skin was putrid,and he had to refrain from gagging.
"Where've you been,son?" His father slurred again,and Chris could hear the anger in his words."It's the afternoon,and you've been away for the night. You been with that brat down the street? The kid who's brother was killed in the car accident?"
"Gordie isn't a brat!" Chris retorted,pulling away from his father forcefully,and he was successful. He moved away from his father and made to climb the stair's bannister to get up to his room - he couldn't side-step his father,because he would surely get grabbed again.
"Damn shit he is." His father hissed."I wouldn't be fucking surprised if he caused his brother's death. You can see it in his skinny face - he looks like the sort to take any opportunity,and shove it right up your arse." He insulted,his lip curling into a grimace."Why do you hang out with him,Chris? He'll probably cause your death as well,the shitty brat."
Chris glared at his father."Don't you talk about my best friend like that!" He yelled,and suddenly lunged at his father,his fingers clawing at the soddened face in front of him.
His father yelled out,and gripped Chris around his neck."You little shit!" He shouted in Chris's face as he pushed him onto the stairs,and pressed Chris's face against the cold step. A nail stuck out from the step,and saw it. A sinister grin crept up on his face,and he dragged Chris's cheek against the nail. Chris cried out as the nail cut his cheek deeply.
"Stop!" Chris yelled out,feeling the blood run down his cheek. Tears welled up in his eyes as his father's grip became tighter around his neck,and he felt he couldn't escape."Please!" Chris yelled as the nail continued to pierce his cheek.
Mr. Chambers grinned,slurred,before dragging Chris back up and to the kitchen."You want to talk back to me again,son?" He whispered in his son's ear as he made it towards the kitchen table. The kitchen was nowhere near clean,and too many dirty dishes were piling up in the sink with flies hovering around them.
"Yeah!" Chris replied,struggling against his father's grip."You insult Gordie anymore,and I'll fucking kill you!" Chris yelled,then held his tongue as he saw the ash-tray on the table. He could see the intent in his father's eyes and he started to thrash about more frantically.
"You'll kill me,huh?" said,amused."I'll kill Gordie before you could kill me,how about that?" He threatened.
"You dare! You dare try,you drunken bastard!" Chris retorted,slight spittle flying from his lips as he slurred his words. The blood from his cheek wound had seeped into his mouth,and he could taste the metallic of it.
Mr. Chambers got to the table and picked up the lit cigarette in the ash-tray. He then slammed Chris's head onto the table,still gripping his neck."Try me." He whispered,before pushing the flaming cigarette end against the back of his son's neck. Chris cried out,and scraped his nails against the wood of the kitchen table. The burning felt like a thousand nails all at once. Although Chris had many experience with cigarette burns,every new burn was still a shock and it was still painful.
Chris attained four new cigarettes burns by the end of it,along with a large bruise on his arm where his father gripped him,on top of the ringed bruise around his neck where he was near choked.
Mr. Chambers had finally passed out onto the kitchen floor,and Chris hurriedly exited the house - but not before kicking his father in the gut,earning a satisfying gag from him.
Chris ran towards the hillside that led to the tree-house,nearly tripping up against the rocks,but he made it to the elm tree. Sitting down at the base of the trunk,he rubbed at the cigarette burns to get rid of the stinging. Some ash was still there,so he brushed it off. He reached up and wiped his teary eyes with the bottom of his white shirt,dotted with the blood from his cheek wound that was still bleeding.
He held his head in his hands as he pulled his knees up to his chest,resting his elbows onto his knees. The day was beautiful and sunny,but Chris felt like it was pissing it down and he was stuck in it.
He felt alone at the moment,and he tackled with his thoughts to go to Gordie's house. Chris usually went to Gordie after his father's attack,because Gordie always listened and tended to any of his wounds. But,since kissing him,he felt that Gordie wouldn't accept him into his arms.
Castle Rock wasn't big on same sex relationships,and there were rumours that the civil partners wound up dead in a ditch somewhere,with no evidence as to who did it,or what exactly happened to them. They just..wound up dead suddenly,the next day,or a week afterwards.
And Ace Merrill would surely be the head of the gang that beat the living daylights out of those civil partners. Ace Merrill was the kind of guy to take the opportunity to make fun of somebody - anybody,that had at least one thing wrong with them. Even then,he would sometimes make fun of somebody without any problems.
Civil partnerships would be the top of the list in Ace Merrill's 'who to beat the shit out of today'. Ace hung out with Chris's older brother,Eyeball,and Eyeball would be the first to tell Ace if his younger brother was gay - not to mention gay for the Lachance kid. Chris wouldn't see the light of day,after getting beaten by his father and Ace,along with Eyeball.
"Chris?" A voice sounded,and Chris wiped at his eyes quickly before looking up. It wasn't Gordie,but Vern. Teddy was nowhere in sight.
"Are you alright,Chris?" Vern asked,walking up to Chris and standing against the tree."Boy,you look rough." Vern commented quietly,noticing the cigarette burns on the back of Chris's neck.
"What are you doing back,Vern?" Chris asked.
"I came back to put more smokes into our storage." Vern replied,digging into his light brown pants and pulling out three packs of cigs.
Chris didn't respond as he rested his arms over his knees,and looking down at the town below."Where's Ted?" Chris finally asked,looking up at Vern.
Vern put the smokes back into his pants before replying."He's at home,trying to fix his glasses. I think you split them when you punched him." Vern tried not to snicker,but a brief laugh escaped his lips.
Chris smiled as Vern laughed."Yeah?" He asked,grinning."So,we'll expect duct-taped glasses tomorrow,huh?"
"Yeah." Vern said,grinning,also. But,then his expression turned into hesitation."Can I ask you something,Chris?"
"Go ahead,Vern." Chris said,nodding his head,before looking back at the view of the town down the hillside. The weather was warm,and cool and it soothed Chris from the pain he endured before-hand. The cigarette burns no longer stung,and he almost forgot about what he went through because the pain had vanished,miracuously.
"What happened between you and Gordie before?" Vern asked,quietly. He started to twist the bottom of his shirt with his fingers as he shifted from one foot,to the other.
Chris ran a hand across his short hair as he tried to make up excuses in his mind,but it was pointless."I did something,Vern. And I made him run off."
Vern made an 'O' with his mouth,and remained quiet for a moment. But,curiosity got the better of him."Why,Chris?" He asked,twisting the fabric of his shirt more.
"I don't think you'll understand,Vern." Chris replied,his voice groggy as he rubbed the back of his neck."It'll change alot if I tell you."
"You think?" Vern said,shifting his feet again."Not even if we're friends?"
"Not even if we're friends." Chris repeated,nodding.
"Was it something bad?" Vern inquired,but not persistant as to make Chris angry. He was relieved when Chris's expression turned soft,and there was no anger there.
"I hope not,Vern..I hope not." Chris replied,and that was the end of the conversation between him and Vern. Vern climbed the ladder to put the smokes away,before saying good-bye to Chris and walking back into town to go find Teddy.
But,Vern said something before leaving,that changed Chris's decision to visit Gordie: 'Maybe you should go visit Gordie,Chris. If you two fell out,I don't know how our tree-house days would turn out. You two are best friends,after all. It's like if Mighty mouse lost all his powers - how would he be able to lift up five elephants then?' Even though Vern referred to Mighty mouse,Chris thought it was good advice. He guessed that tomorrow couldn't wait for when they met up in the tree-house.
Chris took around half an hour to get to Gordie's house,after repetitively talking himself out of it,but then talking himself into it again.
Walking up the path to the house,Chris stopped half-way and breathed in. His plan was to knock on the door,call for Gordie,then ask if they could talk. If Gordie refused,then so be it,but he would ask for Gordie talk to him tomorrow - if you please.
Making it to the front door,Chris scrunched his fist and rapped his knuckles against the door. A dull pain throbbed in his fist afterwards from being roughly handled by his father,but he ignored it when the door opened. It was Gordie's father,and his narrow eyes bore down onto Chris.
Chris placed his hands into his jean pockets and acted casual. He knew Gordie's father was a character,and that he didn't think highly of his son hanging out with a Chamber's kid.
"Hey." Chris began,keeping his voice cool as he looked over the man's shoulder. The t.v. inside Gordie's house was on,and he could hear 'The $64,000 Question' show sounding from it. "Is Gordie there?" He asked.
Mr. Lachance continued to stare out Chris,and the side of his mouth twitched in a slight grimace."Chris." He said,simply."No,Gordie isn't in. So,kindly leave." He explained,nodding towards the gate in the front garden of their home.
Chris thinned his lips in frustration. This guy was always a nuisance."Not in,huh? So,who's that at the top of your stairs,sir?" He asked,his tone sharing a hint of amusement as he nodded at the top of the stairs. Gordie was stood there,after hearing Chris's voice.
Mr. Lachance looked up at the stairs and glared at Gordie. He then looked back at Chris with a slight smile."My mistake." He said,gleefully,although the gleefullness was a lie.
Chris stepped his foot into the house,but held out his hand and pushed against Chris's chest."I didn't invite you in,son." He said."Gordie has homework to do,so don't disturb him." He explained.
"I'll have you know,sir. That I'm in all of Gordie's classes at school,and we didn't get any homework,sir." Chris persisted further. This guy was an arsehole,and Chris could outwit him at any time.
"Well,Chambers. If you step a foot into this house,I'll get the police on you,to drag you back to your front door step. Understand?" explained,smiling politely as he went to shut the door,but Chris stepped his foot out and blocked it.
"Who is it?" Gordie's mother spoke from the living room as she turned down the volume.
"One of Gordie's friends." called back,emphasising the last bit so his wife understood.
"The thief?" She called back bluntly,and Chris frowned.
"Yes." He replied ."The thief." He repeated,smirking down at Chris as he forcefully shut the door,near injuring Chris as the door slammed shut. Chris retreived his foot back in time,and glared at the door.
Chris smacked his palm against the front door,before returning down the pathway,but then he heard the familiar voice.
"Chris."Gordie's voice whispered,and Chris looked for where it came from. It came from the window upstairs,and Chris looked up at Gordie leaning out. "Go to the treehouse,I'll meet you there.." Gordie explained,before drawing back from the window and disappearing.
Chris smiled. Atleast Gordie wasn't ignoring him.