Chapter Two: Alone at night
The boys finished their pizza and Laney brought them the bill.
"Jesus, Laney! 7.37 is real expensive, sincerely!" Vern said when he saw the price.
"Not my fault you guys are pigs," Laney answered.
The boys paid her, and Vern handed her the tip in pennies.
"So I see you've found your pennies huh?" Laney said.
"No, Billy did. He was just hiding them."
"That's sad!"
"Yeah. I'll see you around." The boys got up to leave and when they reached the door, Chris said,
"You guys go ahead. I think I wan tot hang out a little longer." He looked at Laney who was cleaning their table.
"Okay. See you later," Gordie said and left.
***
The bar was open twenty-four hours, but the restaurant closed at ten. Chris just sat there watching Laney. Around 9:50 Laney came out for one last check on the restaurant. She saw Chris and said,
"You're STILL here?"
"Yeah so?"
Laney just smiled and washed a table off. God he is so cute. I really want to ask him out, Laney thought.
"Do you want anything quick before we close?" Laney asked him.
"No, I 'm just sitting and thinking."
"About what?" Laney sat across from him.
"Not much, uh, my family, friends.you." Chris wished he never answered that.
Laney didn't seem to notice. "What about your family?"
"Oh.uh. my parents are real cool. They take care of me and Eyeball, my older bother and my.uh one of my best friends." Chris just couldn't tell her the truth about this family. He really liked her and couldn't say it to her face.
"Huh. I'm an only child. Why me?"
"Uh I don't know.I guess I like you or something." Chris was really embarrassed, but he couldn't help it.
There was then an awkward silence. Chris finally broke it by saying,
"Look, I'll just go now."
"Wait Chris," Laney said grabbing his arm, "I guess I like you or something too."
Chris looked down at her. Laney stood up.
"Look we close in about five minutes, so do you want to go for a walk and get to know each other a little?" Laney suggested.
"Yeah that be great," Chris said excited. And the guys thought she'd never go out with me, he thought.
***
The streets of Castle Rock were silent and still at night. It was almost freaky. Chris and Laney didn't seem to mind though.
"So yeah Verno and I went out for a while in the fifth grade, but it probably didn't mean anything. I don't even think that he cared when we moved," Laney said telling Chris about how she knew Vern.
"He never mentioned you at all," Chris said, "I've known all those guys forever. One summer we all hiked down to Harlow and found Ray Brower's body."
"That was you guys?"
"Yeah. We were all such good friends then. Now I just think we're growing apart."
"Really? You guys seemed so tight in the restaurant."
"Are you kidding? You and me are tighter than us guys."
"Whoa. That's weird cuz we barely know each other."
"From what I know, I know I. I mean, I'm really happy with you."
"I'm happy with you too."
Chris and Laney just stood there and looked into each other's eyes. It was just them. They had forgotten where they were, how late it was, and everything else. All of a sudden Chris grabbed Laney's hand and started running towards the woods.
"Chris where are you taking me?" Laney asked, trying not to trip.
"You'll see," Chris answered.
The boys finished their pizza and Laney brought them the bill.
"Jesus, Laney! 7.37 is real expensive, sincerely!" Vern said when he saw the price.
"Not my fault you guys are pigs," Laney answered.
The boys paid her, and Vern handed her the tip in pennies.
"So I see you've found your pennies huh?" Laney said.
"No, Billy did. He was just hiding them."
"That's sad!"
"Yeah. I'll see you around." The boys got up to leave and when they reached the door, Chris said,
"You guys go ahead. I think I wan tot hang out a little longer." He looked at Laney who was cleaning their table.
"Okay. See you later," Gordie said and left.
***
The bar was open twenty-four hours, but the restaurant closed at ten. Chris just sat there watching Laney. Around 9:50 Laney came out for one last check on the restaurant. She saw Chris and said,
"You're STILL here?"
"Yeah so?"
Laney just smiled and washed a table off. God he is so cute. I really want to ask him out, Laney thought.
"Do you want anything quick before we close?" Laney asked him.
"No, I 'm just sitting and thinking."
"About what?" Laney sat across from him.
"Not much, uh, my family, friends.you." Chris wished he never answered that.
Laney didn't seem to notice. "What about your family?"
"Oh.uh. my parents are real cool. They take care of me and Eyeball, my older bother and my.uh one of my best friends." Chris just couldn't tell her the truth about this family. He really liked her and couldn't say it to her face.
"Huh. I'm an only child. Why me?"
"Uh I don't know.I guess I like you or something." Chris was really embarrassed, but he couldn't help it.
There was then an awkward silence. Chris finally broke it by saying,
"Look, I'll just go now."
"Wait Chris," Laney said grabbing his arm, "I guess I like you or something too."
Chris looked down at her. Laney stood up.
"Look we close in about five minutes, so do you want to go for a walk and get to know each other a little?" Laney suggested.
"Yeah that be great," Chris said excited. And the guys thought she'd never go out with me, he thought.
***
The streets of Castle Rock were silent and still at night. It was almost freaky. Chris and Laney didn't seem to mind though.
"So yeah Verno and I went out for a while in the fifth grade, but it probably didn't mean anything. I don't even think that he cared when we moved," Laney said telling Chris about how she knew Vern.
"He never mentioned you at all," Chris said, "I've known all those guys forever. One summer we all hiked down to Harlow and found Ray Brower's body."
"That was you guys?"
"Yeah. We were all such good friends then. Now I just think we're growing apart."
"Really? You guys seemed so tight in the restaurant."
"Are you kidding? You and me are tighter than us guys."
"Whoa. That's weird cuz we barely know each other."
"From what I know, I know I. I mean, I'm really happy with you."
"I'm happy with you too."
Chris and Laney just stood there and looked into each other's eyes. It was just them. They had forgotten where they were, how late it was, and everything else. All of a sudden Chris grabbed Laney's hand and started running towards the woods.
"Chris where are you taking me?" Laney asked, trying not to trip.
"You'll see," Chris answered.