A/N: Hey! Thanks for all of the reviews and I am sincerely sorry about the wait! My computer was broken and it has been for a while. The Best Buy people thought I was playing Computer Hockey. (: So I stole my dad's computer.

Anyway, here's an update! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any familiar characters from Stand By Me.

Chapter 6

I can't believe it. What do I do? Do I go up to him and slap him? Or do I slap the girl first? Or do I just grab Ray's hand and storm into the diner, act like nothing happened? Or maybe I should_

"Really?" Really? Did I just say that? Out of all the things in the universe that I could ever say, I say 'really'? I cover Ray's ears and say, "Way to be a fucking asshole." That's more like it! I grabbed Ray's hand and stormed inside the diner, found a booth near the back and plopped down. Ray sat down next to me.

"Why did Ace do that?" He asked me. A tear glided down my face and I looked up at him.

"If I knew, I would tell you." He nodded and looked at a menu. He knows that when I'm crying or when I'm angry that he is to not talk to me.

"Minnie!" I looked up to see Ace running through the diner, trying to get to me. Every muscle in my body tightened. I wiped the tears from my face but you could still tell I had been crying. I picked up a menu and skimmed through it. I had the menu memorized, so why was I looking at it?

He was right next to me now, breathing down my neck.

"Minnie... let me explain." I looked at him; actually, it was more like I was glowering at him.

"Explain to me why you had your tongue down some tramp's throat," I hissed through my teeth.

"You made my sister cry!" Ray shouted before giving Ace a chance to answer. He jumped up and pushed Ace over before giving a nice kick to the groin. Ace howled out in pain, holding his family jewels. "You have no right to make her cry!" I put my arms around Ray and brought him back to the booth.

"I don't like to see you hurt. I go after everyone that makes you cry." I looked him in the eyes, his little brown eyes. He had always hated his eyes, always told me that they were the color of mud and mud was an ugly color. But actually, his eyes are gorgeous. They always have a twinkle in them and they are a shade off of the color mud.

"Is that why you always have bruises? Because you go after dad when he hurts me?" A tear slipped down my face as he nodded his head. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on my shoulder, staring at the red slippery leather of the booth.

A warm hand was on my shoulder and I turned to find Eyeball. Ace wasn't on the floor anymore; hell he wasn't even in the diner. Eyeball had a purple and black and blue bruise around his eye and blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Let's go back to my house." I nodded and grabbed Ray's hand, never letting go.

"Thank you," I said to Eyeball as he plopped down on his bed. My feet were propped up against the wall and I put my head on his stomach. His breathing was heavy but then he slowly calmed down. He had just been running around, trying to get everyone to take a nap.

I would kill for a nap right now. I don't know why kids below their teenage years request getting up early and never taking naps. It's not like we teenagers go to sleep late on purpose and wake up around two in the afternoon; if we're lucky, breakfast is still on the table. So like I was saying, I would kill for a nap.

"No problem. I always put them to sleep." He ran his fingers through my hair, yanking on my hair when there was a knot; I let out the appropriate gasp when needed.

"Not putting them to sleep, thanks for that anyway. But for... you know... Ace," an involuntary shiver ran through my body. Eyeball must have noticed because he pulled me up so my head was now positioned on his chest and his arm around my waist.

He shifted around a little while saying, "Oh that? Your welcome." I smiled and closed my eyes, thinking of all our good times that we shared. Like when we were seven; Eyeball and Ace, known as Richie and John back in the days, had come over to my house because their mothers made them. Since I didn't really have any friends (I have an excuse; honestly. I didn't like to talk to random and new people. I kind of have an anxiety problem; I don't deal well with change or people.) and their mothers had heard. They sent them over and the road to our tight friendship took two weeks and lots of cookies.

Those were the days; the days where I didn't have to worry about getting my heart ripped out; the days where all I had to worry about was getting home for dinner on time. Things change and happen for a reason. But the thing is, I don't like what's changing.

"Richie?" I let it slip.

"Yeah?" Phew! He isn't mad.

"Why do you think Ace acts the way he does? I mean... treats girls with no respect," he didn't say anything. He just sat there, keeping me warm with his body heat. I looked up at him. "Richie?" I poked his cheek. He was sleeping. I snuggled my head on his chest and nodded off.

"Minnie?" Ray said sleepily from my back. His arms were wrapped loosely around my neck, holding his own hand. His legs were wrapped around my waist and his head was resting on my shoulder. He was still tired and truth be told, so was I.

I was walking us back to our house so we could get ready for our dinner tonight with the family (minus mom).

"Yeah, Ray?"

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier. With Ace and everything," I turned my head and kissed his cheek.

"It's okay." I walked up the cement pathway leading to our house. I opened the front door and walked inside. All the windows were open, trying to catch some cold air to save us from the summer heat. I put Ray down and told him, "Go get ready. Put on your good clothes." He slowly climbed up the steps and closed his door.

I took a deep breath, ran my fingers through my hair and walked to the kitchen. I looked in the fridge, pulled out a coca cola bottle and opened it. I downed half of the drink and burped, letting it all out. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, forgetting all of my "lady-like" manners. I put the bottle back on the table and scurried to the bathroom, turning the shower on and threw off all my clothes. I hopped into the shower and let all the water wash away the worries from today.

"Minnie?" I heard Ray say. I peeked out from the shower curtain to look at him.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" He looked out the bathroom door and back at me.

"There's something in your room."

"Are Rose and Roger home yet?" He shook his head and I sighed. "I'll be right there. Just... sit on the toilet if you want." I went back under the running water and rinsed out the shampoo in my hair. I heard him sit down on the toilet seat and I sighed. I scrubbed my body, rinsed, and turned the water off. I held out my hand for my towel and Ray handed it to me.

"Thanks." I wrapped the towel around myself and stepped out of the shower. "It's in my room, right?" Ray nodded and I walked to my room. Ray ran to his and slammed the door shut. I sighed and closed my door shut.

I took one step and I was suddenly forced onto my bed. A body was pressed on top of mine, a thin towel acting as a barrier. The towel rose a little near my thighs and cold air rushed up my body. The person on top of me had me pinned, one hand clutching my wrists.

"Hey Minnie. We need to talk."

Ace.

**Author's Note**

How was it? THERE KATHERINE. I UPDATED!

(: I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry I haven't updated in a while but I hope you liked it.

Review please. Question me on my formspring. (Link is on my profile)

Thanks for reading!

~Emma