Open Your Eyes

"Shit Gordie you're so wasted," Teddy said and he laughed.

It was an hour or so later and Vern had just gone home. Teddy and Gordie had finished the first six-pack and were now back in the centre of Castle Rock finishing off a second pack. Gordie wasn't exactly handling it that well, he was all over the place and completely hyper. At this minute he was stumbling along in the centre of the road. Five minutes ago he had decided it would be a good idea to climb a tree (??) and now they were on the way to find 'a good one'.

"Man I'm not," Gordie said and he actually giggled. "I'm good man, sincerely."

Teddy took a last swallow of beer and crumpled the can in his hand. "Sure Gordo, it's perfectly normal to hit on forty year old women."

"They weren't forty," Gordie called over but he sounded a little nervous. "Were they?"

"Shit Gordie they were pretty old and I think I recognised one of them."

"Which one?"

"The one who told you to go sleep it off," Teddy grinned. "The one with the fake hairpiece."

"I don't remember." Gordie laughed. "I don't fucking remember". He tripped and went sprawling on the concrete. "Aw shit Teddy," he complained.

Teddy walked over to his friend and helped drag him to his feet. "You don't usually drink much, do you?" he asked only half joking.

Gordie grinned. "Guess not, huh?" Suddenly Gordie's eyes lit up. "Look at that tree Teddy, that's a good son of a bitch." He headed over to it and Teddy followed him reluctantly.

"Dare you to climb it," Gordie said.

"Dares go first."

"Fine," Gordie said. He set his can on the ground and wiped his hands on his jeans. Then he stepped forwards and gripped the trunk, stepped on a low branch and began pulling himself up. Teddy watched nervously and through his alcohol soaked brain he heard an alarm go off. This was not a good idea.

"Hey Gordie man I'm bored. Let's do something else."

"I'm almost to the top," Gordie complained. "Wait five seconds."

Teddy watched anxiously. "Come on man this is stupid." He watched with dread as Gordie climbed to the top and then began his descent down. Teddy sent up a silent prayer. It was okay though, Gordie reached the ground relatively unscathed. He slipped from the tree when he was only about three feet off the ground but he landed okay and any damage could only be a bruise. Teddy breathed a sigh of relief.

"We should probably go home now, huh?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah I suppose so," Gordie said glumly. Then, "Hey Teddy, Vern was talking to me earlier…" His voice was suddenly serious.

Teddy stopped and removed his glasses to rub his eyes. "Yeah? What did he say?"

"He was talking about how I shouldn't be hanging around with you guys," Gordie said softly.

"That's true," Teddy said in a matter of fact way. "It's weird how it suddenly happened. I mean I like it but it's strange you gotta admit that."

"I know but just shit Chris is being so…" Gordie's voice trailed off.

"Don't just use us to get back at him though Gordie, that ain't fair."

"It's not that. I just get sick of him thinking he always knows what's best for everyone."

"Chris thinks he has to take responsibility for everyone."

"Yeah fuck Chris."

"That's not what I meant," Teddy said. "I mean that Chris worries about the whole world."

"He doesn't have to worry about me though! I'm fine and I want to help him too but he'll never let anyone help him!"

"I know what Chris thinks of me," Teddy said. "Maybe he's right and maybe he's wrong. I don't see much of him now cause I know when I look at him that he thinks I'm a complete fucking loser."

"That's not true."

"It is. But it's okay. The point is Gordie that Chris has never believed in me but he believes in you man. He wants you to succeed, you know it."

Gordie had stopped now; they were at the bottom of his street.

"I'm no good man. I don't know why Chris would think I can do shit." Gordie said.

"Don't think like that! He believes in you and he's trying to help you."

 "What exactly are you saying?" Gordie asked and he swayed slightly.

"I don't know," Teddy said and ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know right now. I can't think."

Gordie nodded then a look of nausea crossed his face "Aw shit I'm gonna barf!" He bent over with one arm wrapped around his middle and threw up in the road.

Teddy looked away. It was wrong somehow to see Gordie in this situation. None of it fit. At that moment, despite his haze, Teddy decided that tomorrow he would pay a visit to the Chambers' house.