Here are the next three chapters. I don't know, I wrote these a few weeks ago and I'm not sure whether I really like them. If you read and think 'what's the point?' then don't worry I think that the chapters after these three are a bit better (I hope). Anyway please R+R and tell me what you think. (Hey you know what's cool, I was in this restaurant on Friday and they played the song 'Stand By Me' three times!) *smiles* Also I know probably seems like a slash fic but it's not, they're just good friends.
The Morning After.
Gordie finally went back to sleep at what must have been about four am. Teddy rudely awoke him just a few hours later. Teddy looked a little sheepish, a little embarrassed by the events of the night before.
"You goin' home before school Lachance?" Teddy asked.
Gordie shrugged. "I guess so, I need some clothes and stuff." He paused. "I better sneak in though, else my dad will give me hell about last night."
Teddy smiled slightly. "Won't he give you hell whenever he sees you?"
Gordie smiled back grimly. "Yeah but I may as well delay it as long as possible."
Teddy nodded. "Sure, good plan I guess."
Gordie was climbing down the ladder now. He looked thoughtfully back at Teddy.
"Are you going home Teddy?"
"No," Teddy said shortly. "He doesn't leave for work till around eight and I don't want to be bumping into him this morning."
Gordie nodded. "Well come round my house with me and get some food and shit, hey I could even lend you a shirt."
Teddy shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks Gordo."
"Don't be stupid man, c'mon it's no strain." Gordie reassured him.
Teddy stared questioningly at Gordie. "You sure man? No strain?"
"No fuckin' strain." Gordie said making an attempt to be cheerful. It was difficult seeing as he'd had barely any sleep and his mind was still whirring from the emotional strain of Teddy's, Chris's and his own troubles.
They walked most of the way to the Lachance house in silence, both boys lost in thought. Teddy was trying to remember exactly how much he had told Gordie last night. Every now and then he stole glances at his friend to see if Gordie was treating him differently at all. Gordie's face was unreadable and his eyes strangely blank. Teddy cursed his own vulnerability, telling Gordie Lachance all kinds of private shit could not be a good idea. Gordie on the other hand was absorbed in trying to work out a way to sneak himself and Teddy into his house without his parents knowing. Hopefully his dad would have left for work already, but his mom would be around for sure. He was also thinking about Teddy's problem and Chris's problem. There was no easy answer for either. Gordie could feel their load only adding to the weight on his shoulders.
Gordie was shook out of his thoughts by Teddy grabbing his arm.
"This is it man, what are we gonna do?"
Gordie looked up and found himself in front of his house. He stared up at it thoughtfully, squinting against the sun.
"Okay the best bet is to just go around the side and climb through my bedroom window." Gordie glanced down the drive. "Good, my dad's already left for work."
Teddy nervously kicked a can off the sidewalk into the road. The noise startled Gordie.
"Listen man" Teddy began. "I don't think I should go into your house, your mom fuckin' hates me."
Gordie frowned slightly. "What are you gonna do then?"
"Just wait here I guess" Teddy replied.
Gordie nodded. "Okay, well at least come around the side and help me reach the window."
Teddy agreed and the two boys darted down the alleyway separating the Lachance house from the neighbours. They came around into the backyard and Teddy gave Gordie a leg up. Luckily no one had bothered to shut his window.
Gordie scrambled clumsily through his window and dropped to the floor on the other side. He paused and tried to determine where his mother was. It only took him a minute to realise she was right next-door in Denny's room; she had the radio on in there, tuned to some Christian station. How could he have forgotten? Every week his mother went and lit a candle in the shrine that Denny's room had become. Just after Denny had died, Gordie had been scared to go in there, but now the thought of entering that room just made him feel sad, and more for his mother than for Denny. The fading photographs pinned to the walls and the stack of rapidly aging magazines on Denny's desk depressed Gordie out of his mind.
Guessing he probably only had about five minutes before his mom would come out of Denny's room sobbing, Gordie went to work. He quickly stripped and threw on some new clothes, a plain black t-shirt and blue jeans. He grabbed a shirt out of his closet for Teddy then quietly as possible opened his bedroom door. He hurried into the bathroom and quickly brushed his teeth. He was just leaving when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Okay, he didn't really care how he looked but it was important to appear as normal as possible, and normally Gordie Lachance did not turn up to school with hair sticking up all over and dirt smudged across his face. He splashed some water onto his face and was just attempting to smooth down his hair when he realised the music had stopped which meant his mom must be finishing up. Gordie forgot about his hair and flew down the stairs.
As Gordie closed the front door, his mom emerged from Denny's room.
