Teddy's Confession.

Gordie was dreaming. In his dream he was running along a dark hallway. Though he didn't know exactly what he was running to, he knew it was something vitally important. His chest hurt as he tried to run faster and faster. He knew that if he didn't speed up, he was going to miss what was at the end of the hallway; he was going to fail. He could hear voices ringing all around him, Chris, Teddy, Vern, Mr Bonds, his father and an eerily soft voice that he knew without a doubt belonged to Denny. 'Run faster' they all seemed to be urging. 'Run faster Gordie, run faster for me'. Gordie couldn't breathe, every muscle in his body was screaming. There was blackness all around him.

"Gordie! Gordie wake up!"

Gordie's eyes shot open and when they had focused he saw in the moonlight, Teddy crouching next to him. Teddy was white with fear. Without his glasses his face looked naked, and strangely vulnerable.

"Gordie man, what happened? You were screaming"

Gordie tried to think. "Screaming?" he asked dumbly. He didn't remember his dream but he felt a lingering feeling of unease. Gordie sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think, trying to focus.

Teddy sat down next to him and compulsively reached for the pack of cigarettes on the table. He lit one and smoked it down fast.

"I guess I had a bad dream," Gordie said finally. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"It's okay, I wasn't really asleep" Teddy replied. Then "god you scared me shitless"

Gordie smiled weakly, "yeah, sorry about that."

Teddy had put his glasses on and now he turned to Gordie with a little curiosity.

"Why are you here anyway?"

"I thought no questions," Gordie protested, but he didn't really mind.

Teddy shrugged. "C'mon Lachance, just tell me." Now the fear was wearing off, Teddy was starting to revert back to his usual self.

"Just some stupid argument with my old man. Had to get out of there you know??"

"Yes but why did you come here? Why didn't you go see Chris?"

Gordie shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed right to come here." He brushed his hair back off his forehead. "Why are you here?"

Teddy scowled. "Mind your fuckin' business"

Gordie's anger flared. "Just tell me Goddammit. I told you"

Teddy stood up and crossed to the other side of the tree house. He picked up a pack of playing cards and shuffled it nervously, just for something to do you know, just to calm him down.

"Alright" he said finally. "I'll tell you, but don't you tell a word of this to anyone, you hear Lachance? Cause I'm warning you, if I hear you told anyone, even fuckin' Chambers I will…"

"I get it Teddy" Gordie cut him off.

Teddy nodded "Well you see my mom's new boyfriend's staying at our house."

"Your mom has a boyfriend? But I thought…I thought your dad was..." Gordie was shocked.

"My dad is still alive if that's what you're wondering, but that bitch thinks it's time enough for her to have a new man" Teddy spat and his eyes were bright with anger. "Doesn't she give a shit about my dad?" he wondered desperately.

"I'm sorry Teddy" Gordie said anxiously. God, this was an awkward situation. He found himself standing up and crossing over to sit next to Teddy.

"My dad he doesn't know and she won't even take me up there to see him anymore! I gots to see my dad Gordie, I gots to! You understand? You understand Gordie, my dad he…he" Teddy couldn't finish the sentence.

Gordie was horrified to see Teddy's eyes well up. Teddy Duchamp crying? It was like some weird dream.

"My dad stormed the beaches he stormed the goddamn beaches!" Teddy said in a strangled voice that indicated to Gordie that he was choking back a sob.

Gordie found himself patting Teddy on the shoulder. "He stormed the beaches at Normandy, I remember," he said soothingly.

"And this new son of a bitch doesn't even treat her good" Teddy continued and now he couldn't fight the tears. "I saw him hit her. That bastard hit my mom Gordie, he hit my mom!"

"It's going to be okay," Gordie said. What else was there to say?

"How?" Teddy almost shrieked.

Gordie put an arm around Teddy's shoulder just like Chris had done for him so many times. "I don't know, but it will be, it will be okay Teddy."

Teddy was leaning against Gordie crying openly. Gordie didn't know what to do so he just did what Chris would have done. He stayed with Teddy, just listened to him and reassured him until he went back to sleep. Gordie stayed awake for a while longer. He was tired, but his mind was buzzing. So many things had happened in such a short time. Maybe, just maybe he was finally growing up.