Interlude of Memories.
Gordie ate breakfast slowly, fighting a losing battle against the nausea that threatened to engulf him. What didn't help was that his mom was walking around the kitchen opening and closing cupboards and humming. Bang. She slammed a cupboard shut and walked past Gordie still humming. It was all too much, Gordie gagged on his orange juice. Get a grip man he whispered.
"You say something Gordon?" his mom asked curiously. At least she had stopped humming.
"No mom," he said trying to keep a pleasant tone in his voice.
"What time did you get in last night honey?" Mrs Lachance asked.
"Um I don't know… midnight maybe."
"That's a little late isn't it?"
"I don't know. Is it?" Gordie ventured and massaged his temples.
"When Denny was your age he came in at eleven every night."
That's a goddamn lie! Gordie's brain screamed and for a second he forgot his nausea. For some reason Gordie's parents had this view that Denny was some kind of angel. Now don't get me wrong, Denny was a nice guy, Gordie had loved his brother, still did, but Denny wasn't a saint! Gordie knew for a fact that when Denny was about sixteen he had stayed out way past curfew. He knew this because Denny liked to sneak back in to the house through Gordie's window. Of course Gordie couldn't say any of this. He had promised Denny he'd keep his secret. This secret was going with Gordie to the grave. After all a promise is a promise.
It didn't matter anyway. As soon as Mrs Lachance had mentioned Denny's name her face had gone that usual sickly grey and she had turned her back to Gordie once more. She was facing the window and though Gordie couldn't see her face he could tell by the way her shoulders were shaking that she was crying. He took the opportunity to escape.
"Bye Ma, thanks for the breakfast." Gordie hopped off his stool and left the room. He was headed upstairs when he heard his dad start singing in the shower. Now if there was one thing that made him feel sick, it was his dad's voice. Gordie grimaced and turned back. He paused for a second by the front door then took his decision and stepped outside.
Teddy and Chris were walking along the roads in the general direction of Main Street. Teddy was walking in the centre of the road, idly kicking stones. Chris walked on the edge of the sidewalk. He was hunched over with his hands in his pockets. He didn't want anyone to recognise him so he had his shirt collar up so that it touched his ears and he was wearing a baseball cap low over his eyes.
"So?"
"So what?" Teddy asked.
"Why the fuck are we out here?" Chris asked.
"I gots to talk to you Chambers, that's all."
"Well talk then."
Teddy stopped in the middle of the road and glanced around. "Hell no! This isn't the kind of thing I want other people to hear."
"Well why didn't you just tell me at my house then?"
Teddy ignored him. "Let's cut down Croydon Manor and go talk by the tracks."
"Train tracks?"
"What other tracks are there Chambers?" Teddy's voice was mocking.
"Screw you" Chris said but he crossed the road and started off down Croydon so fast that Teddy had to run to keep up.
