Disclaimer: I do not own 'Stand By Me' or the characters who belong to Mr. Stephen King.
Author's Note: R&R? Enjoy!
Audrey closed the door quietly behind her as Chris and Gordie sped off back towards Gordie's. She took a few steps up the stairs, but she heard her mother's voice beckoning her into the kitchen. Audrey's head hung; the jig was up, she was going to be grounded until she was forty-three. Though if she were grounded, she thought, it would be a blessing; after all, she wouldn't have to deal with Ace or Chris. She turned around and headed into the well-lit kitchen. She looked at her parents, feigning innocence as best as she could.
"Were you with Ace at all this weekend?" Her mother asked her, cautiously.
"No, I was with Maggie and..." The younger Schmitt woman replied.
"Well, then there's something you should know," Her father began, "Ace was out with another girl."
Audrey wanted to sigh in relief but held back and settled for a nod in her father's directions, "One of my friends mentioned that."
"And what are you planning on doing about this?" Her father weighed his voice evenly, but Audrey had known him for seventeen years and knew that he was angry. His face was turning a light shade of red as she stood there staring back at him.
She sighed loftily, "Does it matter?"
"Yes, it matters! For Christ's sake, Audrey, do you have any respect for yourself?" Her father yelled at her; his calm facade was finally breaking. She noticed her mother slipping away into the master bedroom.
She remained silent, "You could always move me to Canada. I heard that they're aren't nearly as many men up there." It was a sarcastic and catty reply.
"This is about Dean, isn't it Audrey? Ace is just some kind of revenge – this is your revenge on us for taking you away from him, is that it?" Her father asked. He had known this since she had began going 'steady' with Ace months before. For some reason, he just wanted to hear her say the words that would confirm that.
"Does Ace look like the type of boy that I could fool like that? Does he seem the type, father?" She questioned, "Ace isn't stupid."
"Then why do you keep dating these types of boys?" Her father asked confused, "Didn't we raise you better than that?"
"There was nothing wrong with Dean," She replied and left the kitchen. She couldn't risk getting grounded. After all, she had to see Ace... Ace, and Christopher.
---
"How did you get up here?" Chris asked as Audrey climbed through the window a few days later.
She sighed, "I climbed up the drain, but that's not important. Would you do me a favor?"
It had been weeks since Chris had even seen Audrey outside of school. She had not been with Ace at any of his usual hang-outs and when Chris managed to ease-drop on Eyeball, he didn't like what he heard. Eyeball told Charlie Hogan that he found it strange that Audrey hadn't been around. When Charlie asked if it was possible that they just 'broke up', Eyeball said they hadn't. Audrey was just gone.
"What is it?" He asked, skeptically, "Want me to pretend to be Ace?"
"What? No!" She responded quickly, "Would you take a walk with me?"
"Just a walk?"
"Well, a walk and to make sure nothing terrible happens to me."
"Why? Where are we going?"
"To the pool hall so that I can break up with John," She said. In all the time she had known him, Audrey had never referred to Ace by his real name. She had never heard anyone else call him John, either.
"You're breaking up with Ace?" Chris asked, bewildered. She had been adamant before that she wasn't going to. "What made you change your mind?"
She rolled her eyes, "Will you help me or not?"
"Of course," Chris replied.
It wasn't that far of a walk from the Chambers residence to the Pool Hall. Audrey didn't even have to go inside - Ace was sitting in his car with Eyeball. Chris stayed a few feet behind, ducking behind a large elm tree, as Audrey approached them.
"Ace?" She called.
'The hell have you been?" Ace asked, turning his head.
She shook her head, "It doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" He asked, suspiciously, "It matters to me."
"It shouldn't - after all, you've been having all kinds of fun without me around."
"Who told you?" Ace hopped out of his car and approached her, slowly.
"It's not important."
"Who. Told. You."
Audrey could tell Ace's temper better than anyone, and though he was annoyed he wasn't going to hurt her. She shook her head and took a few steps back, just in case.
"If it was–"
"No, Ace." She said, firmly, "My father saw you and another girl at the diner. He thought it best that he told me."
A lengthy, heated conversation about how Ace never suspected Audrey to be much of a Daddy's Girl, especially since they had sex almost every time they saw each other, ensued. He hurled insults at her, as well as told her that he only dated her because he felt sorry for her. Audrey was a strong girl, and she barely felt the need to yell back at him or cry. When he said that he was glad that he didn't have to touch her anymore Audrey replied with, "Well, that's your prerogative, Ace. Have a nice ... life."
Then she turned and walked away. Ace fumed as she walked back down the street from whence she came, pleased with herself. It felt surprisingly delightful to finally rid herself of Ace Merrill. Maybe the truth about Audrey was that she had only loved Ace to spite her parents. It was a dreadful thought, and as soon as it came into her mind, Audrey flushed it away.
---
"Was it hard?" Maggie asked Audrey the next day as they sat together in Home Economics, a class still required for all girls to take in Castle Rock.
The raven-haired girl looked over at her 'friend' with a raised brow, "To make French Onion Soup?"
Maggie laughed, "No. Who cares about the soup? Tell me all about it."
"All about what? I don't have any idea of what your talking about." Audrey replied, annoyed. It had not been a good day for her. Her mind was not, admittedly, on how to make French onion soup, but rather on how stupid some people could be. Namingly, her classmates. Specifically, Christopher.
"To break up with Ace. He's told just about everybody about it!" Maggie explained. She seemed more giggly than usual.
"Oh, no. I didn't think so." Audrey said as she stirred the contents of the pot. Unbeknownst to her, she was doing this in more than one way.
Maggie was beaming. Audrey wondered why, "Do you have an affinity for Ace that I'm not aware of?"
"An.... OH!" She exclaimed. It was lucky for them that the teacher was absent-minded and did not care whether not you were talking in her class, so long as you didn't burn the building down you could do as you pleased. "No, it's just that..." Maggie looked around skeptically. The class mostly consisted of Freshman and Sophomores, which once again made Audrey wonder what Maggie was getting at. Freshman girls knew better than to gossip about their upper-classmen counterparts.
"It's just that Ace asked me out on a date. It's okay with you that I go isn't it?"
Audrey laughed, "Suit yourself."
"Why are you laughing at me?" Maggie looked hurt, so Audrey relied on her lying skills to make her feel better.
"I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at the fact that you'd ask me if it was okay," She smiled sweetly, "There's no reason for you to ask me. Ace and I aren't involved any more."
Maggie looked horrified and Audrey sighed, "Soup's done." She turned her attention to where the teacher was standing, "Mrs. Riviera, can you come here for a moment please?"
With the teacher at their side, Maggie could no longer talk to Audrey about Ace. Audrey had better things to think about. As class and the school day ended, Audrey was surprised that Maggie wanted to spend time with her. They walked home together, heading down their street as Maggie chatted about school and dating. It wasn't until she brought up Chris that Audrey even thought of paying attention to her.
"What was that?" Audrey asked, glancing over at her friend.
Maggie rolled her eyes, "I said that it's a shame Chris wound up in that family. Though, he's been acting more and more like Richard lately."
"Why would Chris be acting like Eyeball of all people?" Audrey asked. It was directed more to herself than to Maggie, but Maggie had input anyway. Audrey began to remember why she didn't have any girlfriends when Maggie got long-winded once more.
They arrived at Maggie's house, and Audrey was surprised when Maggie stopped and turned to look at Audrey.
"Would you mind coming over Saturday, before our date, to help me get ready?"
Audrey shrugged, "I suppose I could–"
Maggie squealed in joy and hugged Audrey, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Audrey laughed as backed away, "See you tomorrow." She headed back to her house and in a few short minutes she found herself staring at a conference of women that were the same age as her own mother.
