Hey again, just wanted to thank my reviewers, you guys are great!! Here are the next couple of chapters. I hope you enjoy them. It's the weekend now so maybe I'll have more time to upload and write more, fingers crossed anyway. Have a great weekend everyone!
Back To The Ol' Tree House.
Gordie had left his house without any real plan. Now as he stalked the streets of Castle Rock, he felt the first hints of doubt and worry creeping into his mind. He walked fast, his strides eating up the sidewalk. He could go to Chris's house he supposed but instantly rejected that idea; Mr Chambers was on a bad streak anyway. Why add to Chris's problems? Finally Gordie found himself on the edge of a once familiar lot. The tree house was there and it looked shabbier and the worse for wear. The boards they'd haphazardly thrown up a summer a long time ago, were rotten and starting to warp from moisture and heat. Gordie paused at the bottom of the ladder. For some reason, this seemed like a big decision, as if going up that ladder represented something bigger. Still, it was getting cold and dark and it wasn't like he had a whole load of options anyway. Gordie took a deep breath and started to climb.
If Gordie had known what was going on inside the tree house maybe he would have thought again. Teddy and Vern were in there with some of their friends and a couple of girls getting high. This wasn't exactly an unusual situation for them if you understand, but Gordie would probably be pretty surprised seeing as he hadn't been to the tree house or hung around with Teddy and Vern in almost three years. Anyway if Gordie was going to be surprised then so were they, they hadn't seen much of Gordie Lachance in a long time.
Teddy was the first to hear the scuffling on the ladder. Through the haze that seemed to surround his brain right now, he reached down and swung open the trapdoor. He came face to face with Gordie. Both of them jumped.
"Teddy?" Gordie choked out. Then he saw all the others crowding to peer down at him. His brown eyes widened and he almost lost his grip on the ladder. Almost.
"Shit is that you Gordie?" Teddy said questioningly. Either some boy he used to be friends with was climbing into the tree house, or this was some weird ass hallucination.
Gordie didn't answer. He just stared aghast at the scene inside the tree house. He couldn't even move up or down the ladder, he was just frozen in place. There must have been at least six maybe seven people up there all peering down at him, unnerving at the best of times and when you're not expecting it, downright freaky. Eventually he found his voice.
"Hi Teddy" He tried to smile. "can I come up?"
Teddy rubbed his mouth considering. Finally he nodded and reached down to help pull Gordie in.
"Gordie!" Vern cried happily, his eyes as wide as saucers. Vern stood and moved to hug Gordie, but he caught his toe on the box/table and went sprawling over two boys Gordie didn't know.
"Goddammit Vern!" hissed one of the boys angrily.
Teddy was sat in the centre, obviously the leader of this new gang. He was smoking and staring at Gordie.
"Smoke?" Teddy offered.
Gordie reached for the offered cigarette tentatively. He wasn't really a smoker only at times of great stress or when he was really bored. He took the cigarette and waited while Teddy lit it. Suddenly Teddy jumped up.
"Everyone out now, I got stuff to do"
"Aw Teddy" someone moaned, Gordie recognised her as that girl from detention, Laura someone.
"Out!" Teddy ordered stubbing his cigarette out on the table. "Not you Lachance" he said impatiently, seeing Gordie angrily rising back to his feet.
Gordie paused halfway to his feet and looked at Teddy in confusion. The others were slowly starting to leave. Vern paused just before climbing down the ladder and threw his arms clumsily around Gordie's neck.
"Bye Gordo" he said happily.
Gordie watched Vern leave with an uneasy feeling. Exactly what had been going on up here? Teddy was stood stock still now, faced away from Gordie, looking out the window. As Laura left she touched him on the shoulder.
"Bye Teddy, thanks for tonight it was fun," Laura said. Then as if noticing Gordie for the first time, "Bye-Bye Gary."
"Gordie" Gordie corrected, but it was no use, she was already halfway down the ladder.
The tree house was empty now, except for Gordie and Teddy. Gordie sat down and smoked, waiting for Teddy to say something. It seemed as if almost an hour had passed before Teddy turned around to face him.
"You don't need to tell me nothin'. I'm sleeping here tonight and I guess you can too." Teddy ran a hand through his blond hair. "No questions, okay?"
"Sure" Gordie replied. He finished his cigarette and stubbed the butt out on the floorboards.
It wasn't that late, but a lot had happened today and Gordie was tired. He lay down awkwardly on one side of the tree house and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep he was aware of Teddy lighting another cigarette. Chain smoker. He went to sleep.
