Chapter 12
"I *can't* go back to Castle Rock," Chris was saying, inside the Pimpmobile. The conversation was between Gordie and Chris, who were sitting together on Gordie's cot, but Justi and Vern were sitting on cots next to them, listening and occasionally offering a bit of advice. Teddy was in the front, driving them all to a restaurant, as it was seven in the morning.
"Why?" Gordie asked again. This was the sixth time they'd had this exchange.
"Because I have to stay here and finish the semester. It's part of the agreement I have with the Academy."
"Chris, why can't you just tell them that you have a family emergency or something?"
"Gordie, the reason I'm here with tuition as low as I have is that they know that I don't have a family."
"Lies all lies. You have a mother. I know that for sure. She and her obstreperous ways are the reason I didn't follow you sooner."
"Obstreperous?"
"It means-"
"I know what it means. My mother is not obstreperous."
"Stupid college courses. I could have gotten away with calling her that last year."
"Anyway, they're letting me go here cheap because all I have is a mother whose income is almost non-existent."
"Your mother makes enough money."
"Not enough for me to go here."
"Well tell them your gerbil died."
"Would you let a kid go home to Castle Rock and just quit school, never to return, because their gerbil died?"
Gordie considered it. "Yes. Yes I would."
"I mean if the kid wasn't me."
"Oh. No, then, probably not."
"See?"
"Do you even have a gerbil?"
"No." Chris smiled.
Gordie sighed. "This is awful. I can't wait till term ends to see you again."
"You don't realize the position you're putting me in, do you?"
Teddy cackled. "None of us want to know about your positions, Chris," he called from the front.
Chris chose to ignore that.
"What do you mean?" Gordie asked, slightly confused.
"I mean," Chris said heavily, "that you're making me choose between you, my first love, and the dream I've had all my life. In New York I am someone, Gordie. I'm someone other than that littlest Chambers kid. No one knows about my dad. No one knows about Eyeball. Here I'm the kid who gets all his assignments in. I'm the kid that's in the running for Valedictorian. I'm the kid who's gonna be a lawyer someday."
"A lawyer?"
"Yeah. In two years, I'm going into law school."
"There's a law school in Castle Rock. It's a good one."
"I know," Chris replied, weighing each word before he said it. "And if you really want me to, I'll go back there with you and go to school. But, Gordie, if you're going to stay in Castle Rock all your life, you can't expect me to stay with you."
"I wasn't planning on it," Gordie said. "But I can't very well just drive home, tell my mother 'Hey, I'm leaving to go live with my gay lover in New York, bye'."
"Gordie, that's not what I'm asking you to do," Chris said gently. "Let me finish the term here in New York. Go back to Oregon. I'll come home near Christmas, and I won't come back here until I'm out of high school, at least."
The realization suddenly struck Gordie that Chris was operating under the assumption that the two of them would be together that long. "You think we'll be together then?"
"Gordie," Chris said, studying Gordie's face for a reaction to what he was about to say, "have you ever met someone that you've wanted to be with more than me?"
"We're a little bigheaded, aren't we, Chambers?" Vern asked.
"No, he's right," Gordie said slowly, looking at Chris. "I haven't."
"I've never met anyone else I considered being with more than you," Chris said.
"This is touching; we should have popcorn," Justi whispered to Vern, who nodded. Chris and Gordie looked over at them and glared. Vern and Justi shrugged. Gordie sighed in exasperation, shook his head, and turned back to Chris.
"So you're really willing to give up everything you've got here for me?"
"Gordie, for crying out loud, I've been here for two weeks. It's not like you're ripping me apart from a life I've had for years."
"But you'll have been here longer by the time term ends. You'll be more attached. You won't want to leave. I guarantee it."
"That's not true," Chris corrected.
"Why? How do you know?"
"Because I'll have something better than all the law degrees in the world waiting for me back home."
"Actually, we finished Gordie's birthday cake off a long time ago," Justi put in helpfully.
"It was good," Teddy added.
"All frosting-y and cake-y and we had ice cream and chocolate syrup and Gordie even let me put marshmallows on my ice cream." Justi said this all very proudly, looking around for signs of approval. All she got was a nod from Teddy. Somewhere, off in the distance, a cricket chirped.
"I was talking about Gordie," Chris said after a while, exasperated.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Aww."
"God, Justi, shut up."
Gordie laughed and found himself wondering why in the world he and Justi had grown apart so much before.
"Teddy, how many times have you blown past the restaurant and driven around the block again so that Gordie and I can finish this conversation?"
"Eighteen."
"Pull in, dammit. I'm hungry. I want an omelette."
Obligingly, Teddy yanked the wheel sharply and parked the bus in the parking lot of a tiny diner with a big sign advertising pancakes.
"Chris, I guess I just don't understand all of this."
"Why not?"
"This is very new to me."
"Well, here, I'll condense it. I'll finish the term here, go back to Castle Rock, finish high school there, and go to college. . . somewhere. . . and then we'll go off and see the world together."
"Not that; I get that. . . I think. I'm just wondering why you left in the first place. Why are we talking about this in New York instead of Oregon?"
"Gordie, if you don't know why I left by now. . . "
"Cut the crap, Chambers," Gordie said firmly as a busboy seated them and hurried off. "You left without telling anyone anything. I was worried. And last night, I spent the whole night thinking that you'd left for a girl. Do you know how angry, scared, and sad I was?"
"I'm sorry."
"Chris, I'm wondering if you realize the position you're putting me in."
"Again with the positions. Keep it in the bedroom."
"Teddy, shut up."
"God, Justi."
"Anyway," Chris said, glaring at Teddy and Justi. Then he turned to Gordie and looked so concerned, so caring, that Gordie could feel everything he was about to say melt away. "What's wrong, Gord?"
"Well, it's just. . . " Gordie fidgeted uncomfortably, shredding his napkin as he talked. "I mean, the way you left. . . if every time we fight, you're going to get it into your head that we don't belong together and leave for a big city, well then. . . "
"Gordie." Chris's tone was sharp. "For one thing, I'd like to say, for the record, that that was not the only reason I left. I left because I was looking back. Looking back at everything, looking back at Ace and Eyeball beating you up. . . and I couldn't stand it. I guess it was kind of my way of asking you if you really wanted this. I wanted to open a door for you, give you an easy way out of this if you really didn't want it because I knew that you're the type of person who wouldn't ever leave me, no matter how much you might hate the idea of being in a relationship with another guy."
"Uh, give us all. . . uh. . . five pancake stacks and five large orange juices, please," Justi said, noticing the waitress, who had been standing there for the better part of the conversation and was now looking at them oddly.
"And give me your number," Teddy added.
The waitress glared at him and turned to go back to the kitchen.
"So it took you three thousand miles to ask me if I was comfortable being with you?" Chris opened his mouth to say something, to apologize for being a moron, but Gordie's tone was cheerful and his eyes were smiling. "Remind me never to piss you off."
Chris grinned and took Gordie's hand. "I promise never to leave you again, man," he said solemnly.
"I promise never to make you want to leave."
"I promise to beat the shit out of you two if you get any sappier," Teddy said, eyeing the waitress approaching with their food. She was a different girl than the one who had taken their order. "I wonder if she'd give me her number?"
End of Chapter 12
Word up. . . hey, for all you Harry Potter fans out there, I need help. A couple of months ago (like
June and August, I think), there was this story that I would read almost daily. It was called "The
Survey", and it was by Beachbum (followed by a bunch of numbers that I don't remember).
Anyway, it was funny as HELL, and no matter how many times I reread it, I would still laugh. But about a month and a half ago, it just disappeared from the site entirely. Does anyone know why? Anyone know what happened, or where I can find it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Anyway. I apologize- this chapter was a little slower than the last one. I say this, however- the
next chapter is going to be just as (if not more) intense as Chapter 12, but you get some Justi
action! (And to whoever said it in their review, you're so right: Justi DOES need a man. OTHER
than Vern. I'm working on that.) Thanks for reading, and reviewing. I heart you all. Good night!
"I *can't* go back to Castle Rock," Chris was saying, inside the Pimpmobile. The conversation was between Gordie and Chris, who were sitting together on Gordie's cot, but Justi and Vern were sitting on cots next to them, listening and occasionally offering a bit of advice. Teddy was in the front, driving them all to a restaurant, as it was seven in the morning.
"Why?" Gordie asked again. This was the sixth time they'd had this exchange.
"Because I have to stay here and finish the semester. It's part of the agreement I have with the Academy."
"Chris, why can't you just tell them that you have a family emergency or something?"
"Gordie, the reason I'm here with tuition as low as I have is that they know that I don't have a family."
"Lies all lies. You have a mother. I know that for sure. She and her obstreperous ways are the reason I didn't follow you sooner."
"Obstreperous?"
"It means-"
"I know what it means. My mother is not obstreperous."
"Stupid college courses. I could have gotten away with calling her that last year."
"Anyway, they're letting me go here cheap because all I have is a mother whose income is almost non-existent."
"Your mother makes enough money."
"Not enough for me to go here."
"Well tell them your gerbil died."
"Would you let a kid go home to Castle Rock and just quit school, never to return, because their gerbil died?"
Gordie considered it. "Yes. Yes I would."
"I mean if the kid wasn't me."
"Oh. No, then, probably not."
"See?"
"Do you even have a gerbil?"
"No." Chris smiled.
Gordie sighed. "This is awful. I can't wait till term ends to see you again."
"You don't realize the position you're putting me in, do you?"
Teddy cackled. "None of us want to know about your positions, Chris," he called from the front.
Chris chose to ignore that.
"What do you mean?" Gordie asked, slightly confused.
"I mean," Chris said heavily, "that you're making me choose between you, my first love, and the dream I've had all my life. In New York I am someone, Gordie. I'm someone other than that littlest Chambers kid. No one knows about my dad. No one knows about Eyeball. Here I'm the kid who gets all his assignments in. I'm the kid that's in the running for Valedictorian. I'm the kid who's gonna be a lawyer someday."
"A lawyer?"
"Yeah. In two years, I'm going into law school."
"There's a law school in Castle Rock. It's a good one."
"I know," Chris replied, weighing each word before he said it. "And if you really want me to, I'll go back there with you and go to school. But, Gordie, if you're going to stay in Castle Rock all your life, you can't expect me to stay with you."
"I wasn't planning on it," Gordie said. "But I can't very well just drive home, tell my mother 'Hey, I'm leaving to go live with my gay lover in New York, bye'."
"Gordie, that's not what I'm asking you to do," Chris said gently. "Let me finish the term here in New York. Go back to Oregon. I'll come home near Christmas, and I won't come back here until I'm out of high school, at least."
The realization suddenly struck Gordie that Chris was operating under the assumption that the two of them would be together that long. "You think we'll be together then?"
"Gordie," Chris said, studying Gordie's face for a reaction to what he was about to say, "have you ever met someone that you've wanted to be with more than me?"
"We're a little bigheaded, aren't we, Chambers?" Vern asked.
"No, he's right," Gordie said slowly, looking at Chris. "I haven't."
"I've never met anyone else I considered being with more than you," Chris said.
"This is touching; we should have popcorn," Justi whispered to Vern, who nodded. Chris and Gordie looked over at them and glared. Vern and Justi shrugged. Gordie sighed in exasperation, shook his head, and turned back to Chris.
"So you're really willing to give up everything you've got here for me?"
"Gordie, for crying out loud, I've been here for two weeks. It's not like you're ripping me apart from a life I've had for years."
"But you'll have been here longer by the time term ends. You'll be more attached. You won't want to leave. I guarantee it."
"That's not true," Chris corrected.
"Why? How do you know?"
"Because I'll have something better than all the law degrees in the world waiting for me back home."
"Actually, we finished Gordie's birthday cake off a long time ago," Justi put in helpfully.
"It was good," Teddy added.
"All frosting-y and cake-y and we had ice cream and chocolate syrup and Gordie even let me put marshmallows on my ice cream." Justi said this all very proudly, looking around for signs of approval. All she got was a nod from Teddy. Somewhere, off in the distance, a cricket chirped.
"I was talking about Gordie," Chris said after a while, exasperated.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Aww."
"God, Justi, shut up."
Gordie laughed and found himself wondering why in the world he and Justi had grown apart so much before.
"Teddy, how many times have you blown past the restaurant and driven around the block again so that Gordie and I can finish this conversation?"
"Eighteen."
"Pull in, dammit. I'm hungry. I want an omelette."
Obligingly, Teddy yanked the wheel sharply and parked the bus in the parking lot of a tiny diner with a big sign advertising pancakes.
"Chris, I guess I just don't understand all of this."
"Why not?"
"This is very new to me."
"Well, here, I'll condense it. I'll finish the term here, go back to Castle Rock, finish high school there, and go to college. . . somewhere. . . and then we'll go off and see the world together."
"Not that; I get that. . . I think. I'm just wondering why you left in the first place. Why are we talking about this in New York instead of Oregon?"
"Gordie, if you don't know why I left by now. . . "
"Cut the crap, Chambers," Gordie said firmly as a busboy seated them and hurried off. "You left without telling anyone anything. I was worried. And last night, I spent the whole night thinking that you'd left for a girl. Do you know how angry, scared, and sad I was?"
"I'm sorry."
"Chris, I'm wondering if you realize the position you're putting me in."
"Again with the positions. Keep it in the bedroom."
"Teddy, shut up."
"God, Justi."
"Anyway," Chris said, glaring at Teddy and Justi. Then he turned to Gordie and looked so concerned, so caring, that Gordie could feel everything he was about to say melt away. "What's wrong, Gord?"
"Well, it's just. . . " Gordie fidgeted uncomfortably, shredding his napkin as he talked. "I mean, the way you left. . . if every time we fight, you're going to get it into your head that we don't belong together and leave for a big city, well then. . . "
"Gordie." Chris's tone was sharp. "For one thing, I'd like to say, for the record, that that was not the only reason I left. I left because I was looking back. Looking back at everything, looking back at Ace and Eyeball beating you up. . . and I couldn't stand it. I guess it was kind of my way of asking you if you really wanted this. I wanted to open a door for you, give you an easy way out of this if you really didn't want it because I knew that you're the type of person who wouldn't ever leave me, no matter how much you might hate the idea of being in a relationship with another guy."
"Uh, give us all. . . uh. . . five pancake stacks and five large orange juices, please," Justi said, noticing the waitress, who had been standing there for the better part of the conversation and was now looking at them oddly.
"And give me your number," Teddy added.
The waitress glared at him and turned to go back to the kitchen.
"So it took you three thousand miles to ask me if I was comfortable being with you?" Chris opened his mouth to say something, to apologize for being a moron, but Gordie's tone was cheerful and his eyes were smiling. "Remind me never to piss you off."
Chris grinned and took Gordie's hand. "I promise never to leave you again, man," he said solemnly.
"I promise never to make you want to leave."
"I promise to beat the shit out of you two if you get any sappier," Teddy said, eyeing the waitress approaching with their food. She was a different girl than the one who had taken their order. "I wonder if she'd give me her number?"
End of Chapter 12
Word up. . . hey, for all you Harry Potter fans out there, I need help. A couple of months ago (like
June and August, I think), there was this story that I would read almost daily. It was called "The
Survey", and it was by Beachbum (followed by a bunch of numbers that I don't remember).
Anyway, it was funny as HELL, and no matter how many times I reread it, I would still laugh. But about a month and a half ago, it just disappeared from the site entirely. Does anyone know why? Anyone know what happened, or where I can find it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Anyway. I apologize- this chapter was a little slower than the last one. I say this, however- the
next chapter is going to be just as (if not more) intense as Chapter 12, but you get some Justi
action! (And to whoever said it in their review, you're so right: Justi DOES need a man. OTHER
than Vern. I'm working on that.) Thanks for reading, and reviewing. I heart you all. Good night!