The next day was Sunday, a day of rest and a day of peace. The phone rang early in the morning startling me.
"Hey it is me Mel," she said as I picked up the phone. "Just calling to tell you to turn on the radio, your song is playing." Then she hung up.
I put down the phone and turned my radio on blasting it.
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me
I looked out the window remembering the last time I heard this song…the night that I had left.
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
"O my god," I yelled to no one. Just at that moment I figured out why Chris was so mad, he believed me what Teddy did. But he was mad…mad that I left without warning the first time, and now I was saying I was leaving again. I had to talk to him.
Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me
Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me
I walked the six blocks until I came to his house. I didn't want to ring the door bell just incase Eyeball was around.
"Kat," I heard someone say. I turned around and faced Chris. He stared at me and I stared into his blue eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"I…I came to talk to you," I stuttered.
"It isn't safe to be around here, now that Eyeball and Ace came back."
"I know but I am sorry,"
"For what," Chris asked stepping closer to me.
"Everything…." I said as a few tears escaped my eyes. Chris came up to me and hugged me and I hugged him back.
"It is ok Kat, I am afraid of losing you. When I saw Teddy and you all the old memories came back of how you liked him so much." Chris explained.
"I don't like Teddy anymore….I love you," I said. Then Chris kissed me, something I wasn't expecting at the moment, but I kissed him back. The kiss seemed to last forever, and we knew nothing could pull us apart.
Days passed and weeks rushed on and before we knew it a year had gone by. Senior year was coming to an end, and our new life was just beginning.
"Well tomorrow is our last day of school," Mel said as we all sat outside for lunch.
"Can you believe it," Vern said, "soon we will be adults."
"I am going to law school," Chris suddenly said.
"That's great Chris," Gordie said.
"I am getting out of here Gordie….I made it, and no one said I would…"
"What are you doing Kat," Teddy asked me.
"Mel and I are traveling around, getting out of Castle Rock." I laughed.
"What about you Teddy," I asked.
"I am going to the army…" Teddy said, and everyone started to laugh.
"Hey, I will be in the army….just wait and see."
I looked around at everyone. Chris and I where drifting apart. We both loved each other, but we both knew we had different lives. Chris was going to law school and I was traveling. The kids walking around with their friends. The populars, jocks, preps, punks, nerds and rejects, everyone had their own cliques. You go through high school, worrying what other people think of you, and how they see you. But you may never see those people again after school, and you will wonder why you ever worried. In the end everyone is the same, everyone changes, they grow up and they discover who they are, and what they are doing in the world.
"Christopher Chambers….Nicole Chap….." It was graduation night, names where being called for students who graduated.
"Mel Cramer…."
"Teddy Duchamp…"
"Gordie Lachance…"
"Vern…"
"Verno…." I heard Chris yell through the crowd interrupting the announcer. Vern walked up on stage and waved to Chris laughing…I watched all my friends graduating...moving on in the world.
"Katherine Johnson…"
"Hey Kat…" Chris yelled running towards me. Everyone had been called and now families where taking pictures, some where leaving the arena.
"Hey Chris…"
"Are you going with us to the diner…" Chris asked.
"No sorry, Charlie is taking me out…"
"Hey Chris lets go," Teddy yelled.
"See you around," Chris said turning around and walking away.
"Hey Chris," I yelled.
"Yea,"
"Not if I see you first…"