"...can't believe you...in front of...disrespectful...SELF respect...too young..."

Randi sat on the couch in her living room, still wet, with a small smirk on her face, as her father towered over her, scolding her. It was a bit intimidating, as her father was so tall, but he was really thin. Rudy and her father both were tall, thin, and pale, with dark hair. Randi's mind was wandering, and she was only picking up on parts of Mr. Riverton's ramblings.

"...sarcasm will get you nowhere...embarrassed us...shouldn't be THAT involved..."

Randi's eyes gazed around the room.

"Do you understand, young lady?" Mr. Riverton demanded.

"Yes dad, I'm sorry," Randi said meekly.

"Go to your room, and stay there until it's time for you to go to bed," he glanced at his watch, "That's pretty soon anyway." Randi obeyed, and trotted up the steps to her room. She sat on her bed, feeling bored, and aching to talk to Gordie. After about a half hour or so, she walked out of her room, and knocked on Rudy's door.

"What do you want?" Rudy asked, looking up form his drawings.

Randi's eyes glinted devilishly. "Cover for me," she said, as more of a statement than a request.

"Rans, you're already in trouble-"

"Bye!" Randi blew him a kiss and walked out. Rudy followed her into her room.

"Just promise me you won't do anything immoral."

"I promise," Randi grabbed a raincoat from her closet.

"I can't cover for you like this all the time," Rudy reminded her.

"I know, soon I'll have to wait until it's really late."

Rudy rolled his eyes, "Not exactly what I meant..."

"Thanks," Randi said, and climbed out her window. Rudy closed the window, then sat down on her bed.

"That girl is a disaster waiting to happen," he sighed.

***********************************

For the second night in a row, Randi found herself outside Gordie's window. She got herself up like before, and tried to open his window. It wouldn't budge. Randi groaned and pulled out her pocket knife. This time, she was careful not to cut her hand as she used it to pry Gordie's window open. She took off her raincoat, and hung it out the window, so as not to get Gordie's floor all wet. She looked over, and saw that Gordie was sleeping. She smiled, he looked so young and innocent when he was sleeping. She sat down on his bed.

"Gordie," she whispered. When he didn't respond, she poked him. He wretched around.

"...don't die..." he mumbled.

Randi stared at him, he was having a nightmare.

"Gordie," she said, gently prodding him.

"Don't die...Randi....please..." he tossed.

"Gordie, wake up," she shook him.

"Wha?" he lurched awake, sweating. "Randi?" He touched her arm to make sure she was really there. "Are you in my room again?"

"Yep."

"Is this going to be a nightly event?"

"Possibly. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just had a nightmare," Gordie wiped his forehead, "You know, those real vivid ones. It was awful."

"I hate those," Randi nodded. "But uh, do you remember any details? See, you told me not to die."

"Did I?" Gordie asked. Randi nodded again. "See, in my nightmare, someone was chasing us, and we were both running like mad. But he kept gaining on us, he was bigger and faster than we were. And before I could stop it, he grabbed you. And I looked back, and he...he was...hurting you...in the ...um..." Gordie paused uncomfortably.

"He was raping me?" Randi asked, shocked.

Gordie nodded, thankful he didn't have to bring himself to say it. "I couldn't stop him. I tired to run to you, but it was like, the harder I ran, the further you were. But when I finally got to you, he had already stabbed you...and you were bleeding...and I couldn't save you," Gordie finished. He wiped his forehead again.

"Oh Gordie," Randi said, wrapping him in a huge hug, "It's okay man, it was just a dream."

"I know," Gordie pulled back, "It's not a big deal or anything."

"I wonder what Freud would have to say on the subject," Randi smiled.

"Probably something about how demented and deranged I am. So, what's up?"

"I was just thinking about you Gordie, is that a crime?"

"Only in Missouri."

"Good," Randi giggled, "I've avoided the cold hard hands of justice for another day."

"But seriously," Gordie smacked her with his pillow.

"Seriously? I like spending time with you."

"Especially nighttime apparently."

Randi laughed. "Oh yes. It's easier on my brain, I can be myself around you."

"You're yourself around everyone," Gordie said, "It's not like you to try and be someone else for other people."

Randi made a face. "You know what I mean. Around Teddy, I have to think too much. I always have to think about what I'm gonna say, or how I'm gonna react, or what I'm gonna allow myself to do-"

"Whoa!" Gordie interrupted.

"Shhh!"

"Whoa," Gordie repeated, much quieter. "Um, speaking about that.."

"That is none of your business Gordon Lachance," Randi poked him.

"Oh, come on, you can tell me, your BEST friend, confidant. Pleeeeeeeease?" Gordie puffed out his lower lip, looking extremely pathetically sad.

"No, not the puppy dog face, I hate it when you do that!" Randi whined.

"The sole reason I continue to do it," Gordie mocked Randi from earlier.

"Fine, fine fine. If I can't tell you, who could I tell?"

"The Pope?"

"Yes Gordie," Randi rolled her eyes, "I'll tell the Pope. But you first," Randi settled into a more comfortable position or Gordie's bed. "Okay, see, we were at his house, then we went for a walk and it started raining. So, we went in the tree house, and uh, talked about stuff," Randi glided over the part about Teddy being scared of storms. She figured that Teddy wouldn't want the guys to know. "And then, we uh, started kissing, and it was all...special and what not."

Gordie rolled his eyes at her description. "I thought you were a writer," he scoffed.

She put her hands on her hips. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Not if you suck at telling it."

"Fine," Randi got up, "I'll just leave-"

"Wait," Gordie tugged on her shirt. "Okay, I won't comment. Finish the story."

Randi sat back down. "Thank you. And I am a good writer...I'm just not a good story teller, okay?"

"Are you gonna tell the story?"

"I like torturing you," Randi grinned.

"It's not torturing me," Gordie objected haughtily.

"Sure it's not," Randi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we're kissing, and he's like, got his hands on my waist, and he starts moving them up to my uh...um..." she paused, not knowing exactly what to say. She settled on a few vague gestures.

"I get it!" Gordie said, hitting her with his pillow again. "But what did you do?"

"I told him that I didn't want to slap him," Randi giggled.

Gordie put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing too loudly. "Good going. What did Teddy do about that?"

"He did what any self-respecting guy would do-"

"Opened the car door for you?"

Randi gave him a confused look. "You. make. no. sense," she said slowly.

Gordie just shrugged. "That's a matter of opinion. So what did Teddy say?"

"He said that he was sorry, and we went home."

"That's it?"

Randi hesitated. She wondered if she should tell him that she was thinking of him. "Yep, that's it."

'Good,' Gordie thought. He didn't really like the idea of them...doing...things...like that.

"Aren't your cousins coming over tomorrow?" he blurted out.

"Cousin," Randi corrected, "Mouth and I are not related, thank God."

"You talk about this kid like you hate him," Gordie observed.

"I don't hate him, he's a close friend. Goonies stick together."

"Goonies...right," Gordie snapped his fingers, "Because you lived in the Goon docks."

"Yeah," Randi said, happily surprised that he remembered that. "I can't believe you remember half the crap I babbled about at camp."

"I'm a good listener," Gordie proclaimed proudly. He paused with a look of mock annoyance. "I'm waiting for a pat on the head," he explained.

"Ooh right," Randi patted him on the head. "Good Gordie, good boy, good friend," she scratched his head like a dog. "I have to go before anyone realizes that I'm gone. Sit..." she commanded Gordie, "Stay..." she slowly backed towards the window.

"Woof!" Gordie called as Randi climbed out his window.