"Wait-I don't get it," Gordie sighed as Halle and he walked around Castle Rock. "Why are you always such a bitch to everyone around you?"

Halle looked up, quite annoyed. "Gordie, you asshole. That's not something you ask a girl out of nowhere."

Gordie frowned. "It's not out of *nowhere.* It's obviously out of *somewhere* you retard." He sighed again, beginning to get on Halle's nerves. "You said you were angry that's why you were walking around. Right, so I said 'Why?' and you said, 'Cuz, blah blah blah' and you started cursing. Right, with me so far?"

Halle nodded her head, running her hand through her hair as Gordie continued.

"Okay, good," Gordie said. "So. Why are you always in such a bad mood? I've known you like all my life, and never once have I seen you actually smile."

Halle never really thought of that. She never smiled, and the rare times she did were for really good reasons. Why did she need to smile? Was it going to change her world? No.

"Gordie," Halle said. "I'm really not in the mood for this little talking session okay."

"Halle, you're NEVER in the mood."

Halle frowned and pulled her jacket closer to her as the wind whipped their faces. A bit tired from walking, Halle sat on a bench in the town square.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Gordie scoffed. This is what she called nice. Then, he shrugged. " 'Cause you're letting me."

Halle shrugged too. "Good enough."

"So," Gordie asked, absentmindedly fiddling with his keys. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Halle rolled her eyes. "Gordie, EVERYTHING is wrong. Everything! I know how Castle Rock thinks of me. I know how they think about Chris, about my family! Gordie, I'm a freaking Chambers kid. What do you expect? I have this constant war with my mother everyday and it's mentally exhausting. My sister Geri is never home and I Chris is like my best friend, but he's always busy playing the father to Dani. I don't know how to be anything but bitchy, 'cause that's the only thing I know."

"That's not true!" Gordie cried. "Chris is still kind and loving, and look at all the shit he's been put through!"

Halle felt tears in her eyes. "I know, I know! But, godammit Gordie. I can't help but shut out the world! It makes everything so much easier."

Gordie never thought in a million years he'd be sitting there on that bench, having Halle Chambers confide in him. Why exactly was he there? What had possessed him to invite her for a walk? He had a freaking girlfriend who was already suspicious, why make this worse? Cause you're a fucking pussy Lachance, Gordie told himself. He constantly let his good side get to him and being the white knight that he was, he felt the need to get involved with everyone else's problems, just so long as they weren't his.

Gordie shook his head at Halle. "But it doesn't, Halle. Escaping from the fucked up world you so call your 'home-life' makes everything worse. You gotta face it!"

Halle felt anger spark in her. "Oh, fuck off Gordie!" she found herself snapping. "Like *you* know anything about 'facing it.' Don't fucking preach to me what you yourself don't practice. You STILL piss and moan about Denny's death. You *never* stand up for yourself when your father continues to compare you to your saint of a brother and your mother won't even look at you without crying!"

"Shut up," Gordie found himself saying. "Don't talk about things you don't fucking know."

"Oh, bullshit I know!" Halle couldn't take it anymore. "Gordie, you think no one notices it. But damn, the whole fucking town knows it, Gordie! Everyone knows how your father hates you and wishes you were dead. And you're a goddamn pussy, cause you don't stand up for yourself!"

Gordie couldn't find his voice and he glared at her. "Fuck you," he whispered hoarsely, tears stinging his eyes.

"No, Gordie!" Halle sighed, now standing up, bearing down upon him. "Gordie, I've read the shit you've written. It's fucking amazing! You have this fucking AMAZING talent and you're wasting it, Gordie. Wasting it! Stop trying to please your old man. Gordie, you have this gift from God, this amazing gift I would *kill* for, Gordie, anyone would kill for. You're not like the rest of us low-life's. You gotta chance out there in the world to be somebody! You won't be forgotten like us. You don't realize it, but God, your so fucking talented, so beyond Castle Rock."

Halle couldn't help but let the tears fall from her eyes and Gordie was speechless. What was he supposed to say to that? He stood up, gently touching her shoulder.

"Halle," Gordie whispered. "See that? Why don't you let people see that side of you? The somewhat disturbingly sweet side of you that just made me feel like the most amazing person? I dunno what it is, Halle, but what you just said was, I dunno, so different than the shit I usually get. Just stop being so friggin' cold to everyone who tries to get to know you."

Halle sighed of frustration. "What am I supposed to do? What am I going to do?"

Gordie stroked her face softly and kindly. He sighed. What a freaking night. He was exhausted and somewhat disturbed by their sudden connection and it scared him.

"Well, for starters, I'm going to walk you home," he said. "It's late and you dunno who's out here."

Halle smiled her distant, rare, smile and breathed.

"Thanks Gordie," she said. "But if you fucking tell anyone about this I'll beat the shit out of you."

**

By the time Faye got home that night it was well past midnight. When Halle had finally come home that night, Faye had fallen asleep on the floor while Chris watched TV. He didn't want to wake her up-she looked too peaceful sleeping. But when Halle came home with Gordie there, things just seemed weird enough, so he woke Faye up and Gordie carried her home for most of the part.

So when Faye woke the next morning late for school, having slept in almost an hour, she wasn't surprised. She didn't mind being late for school, she hated the place anyway. But when her mind traveled to the night before and of Chris she smiled and blushed as she walked to school late, missing her ride.

She couldn't wait for school all of a sudden-that meant she'd get to see Chris! Wait-what was she thinking? Faye, liking Chris? She doubted it. He was really sweet and nice yeah, and he just happened to be beautiful, but so what? She couldn't like him, it'd feel too weird.

Faye dismissed the thoughts and walked into the building, heading to the office to get a late pass. When she entered the drab office, she saw a boy she knew almost all of her life. Vern Tessio. She smiled. He was a sweet kid with honest big blue eyes and a friendly face. Faye remembered him always being adorably plump, but once the guy hit junior high, he shed all his puppy fat. So now, at sixteen, he was quite the looker and his confidence was quite cute.

"Hey Vern," Faye said, strolling over and sitting down next to him. Vern looked up and grinned.

"Hello Faye," he said, sitting back in the chair and playing with his books. "What're you doing in here?"

Faye sighed. "Slept in. Missed my ride, you know, same old same old. Why are you in here?"

Vern laughed softly and ran his hand through his hair, making it stick up on end. "I accidentally dropped my birdhouse in shop class and it gave Benny Thomas a splinter the size of Kentucky."

Faye laughed. "Haha, are you serious? Man, Vern, there you guy butterfingers."

Vern rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, whatever. Probably just get detention or something. I hate detention. It pisses me off, but what can ya do? It was an accident!"

Faye shook her head. "Right..."

Just then Vern gasped and his eyes got all big. Faye followed his gaze and her eyes rested on Anne Donahue as she passed by, her blonde hair flowing behind her.

Faye rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're in love with her too?"

Vern smirked. "Man, she's like so freaking hot! How can you not love her?"

"She's completely one-dimensional and all she does is giggle," Faye said bluntly. "How could you be attracted to someone like that?"

Vern shrugged. "Dude, I don't care. I want to talk to her so bad, but I don't know!"

Faye grinned. "Why don't you ask her out?"

Vern laughed dryly. "Right. Sure. She's freaking ANNE DONAHUE! I'm VERN TESSIO. You do the math, you're in those smart classes..."

"So?" Faye said turning to face Vern. "Vern, you're like so hot now! You could totally get her."

Vern smirked. "Well, of course I'm hot, I'm Vern Tessio. But she'd never go for me."

Faye smiled. "Oh but she would."

Vern shrugged. "Whatever. Oooh don't look now but it's that vulture Miss Skiffins, the receptionist. She looks like her panty hose is up her wrinkled ass, so I suggest you go to her before she plucks your eyeballs out and sucks on them for supper."

Faye made a face of pure disgust, and followed the old lady so she could get her pass and get out of there. Glancing back at Vern, she grinned.

Vern Tessio was an odd one alright...very odd indeed.