Author's Note: Okay, I've gotten several nice reviews, so I've decided to continue this! Weee! As you know, I only own Myra and Rena. If I owned anyone else, believe me, I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid ass hick town, with its population of 300. Yes, my town is even smaller than Castle Rock. We don't even have a high school! Oh yeah, one more thing! I might not get all the lines exactly right. I'm doing this from memory and if any of the lines are wrong, tell me, okay?

After Vern told us exactly how he knew we'd find Ray Brower, we all decided to go home and get ready for our little adventure.

"We could meet back up here at noon." Chris suggested.

"Okay." The rest of us agreed.

Teddy and I walked back to Danberry Street, where we lived. Well, actually my house was on the corner of Danberry. It joined up with another street, Miller Road, which is where Ace Merrill lived. Unfortunately, Teddy and I had to walk up Miller Road to get to our houses. Ace, Eyeball, and some of their friends were sitting on the front porch. I noticed that Billy Tessio and Charlie Hogan weren't present. Big fucking surprise, huh? I turned to Teddy.

"I'm gonna go tell my sister that I'm camping at Vern's, kay?" Camping out at Vern's house was our alibi.

Teddy nodded and followed me up to the Merrill's front porch. I don't know why, but the Cobra's were always nice to me. They hated my friends, but they were always nice to me. I didn't know if it was because I was a girl, or because they were all in love with my sister. Maybe a little of both. So, this is why I felt no fear as I jogged up to Ace.

"Hey, Ace."

He smiled his half smile. "Hey, Short Stack." He made it a point to call me this everytime we spoke.

"Don't call me that. Listen, is Rena here?"

"She's inside, using the bathroom. Should be right back." Eyeball answered, puffing on his cigarette.

"Um, is it okay if I wait for her? I have to ask her a question." I was nervous asking Ace this. As nice as they were to me, I didn't make it a point to be around them alot.

Ace shrugged. "Have a seat."

I sat on the steps, next to Vince Desjardins, who smiled at me. Vince was always one of the really nice ones. I turned to Teddy, who was fidgeting and being surprisingly quiet. "Teddy, you can go on. I'll catch up with you later."

Teddy looked relieved. "Alright. See you later, Short Stack." I glared at him.

"Shut the fuck up! Only Ace can call me that." I watched as Teddy walked away.

"That your boyfriend?" Fuzzy Bracowicz, another Cobra, asked me. Fuzzy, who was dumber that a sack of hammers, was fairly nice too.

"Who?" I looked at him. His fuzzy yellow hair made him look like a baby chicken, I thought.

He nodded at Teddy's retreating back. "Four-eyes. He your boyfriend?"

"Teddy? Ew! No, we're just friends." I shook my head. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Aw, why not?" Vince asked, smiling again.

I shrugged. "I dunno. No boys like me, I guess." This was, of course, not true, but I couldn't tell them about Gordie. Besides I wasn't even sure if Gordie liked me. I know he said I was his girl, but what did that mean, exactly?

Eyeball rubbed the top of my head. "Wait a few years, Shortie. Then they'll be swarmin' around ya, just like they do Rena. We'll have to beat 'em off with a stick."

"Did I hear my name?" My sister walked out of Ace's, smiling. "Myra, what're you doing here? I thought you went with Teddy."

"I did, but I had to ask you something. Is it okay if I camp out in Vern's backfield with the other guys? Please, Sissy?" I put on my best pout. Okay, maybe I was too old for it, but it still worked.

"I guess." Rena answered. "Just be careful! And no climbing the trees! I don't want to break your arm again, especially since Daddy's out of town."

I kissed my sister on the cheek. "Thanks, Rena! You're the bestest sister ever!" I started to walk away, then turned around. "Oh yeah, tomorrow I'm going to the drag races with Gordie, then I'm spendin' the night with Teddy. And then, me and Chris is gonna-"

My sister interrupted me. "I get the idea! I won't see you for the next few days!" She didn't look to put-off by this. In fact, she looked down right happy about it. I knew Eyeball would be spending the night and probably the next one.

"Uh, nope." I did walk away then, with a casual wave to the Cobra's. "Bye, guys."

When I finally got to my house, I had alot to do. I decided to take a quick shower, because I knew I wouldn't be getting one for the next few days. I guess that girlyness was starting to kick in. Then I dressed, in a pair of dark colored blue jeans, and a yellow shirt. I pulled my long hair into two pigtail braids. I knew I looked like a first grader, but really, I didn't care. I rolled up my sleeping bag, sticking my hairbrush in the middle of it. That girlyness again. Then, I went down to eat some lunch. Two and half sandwiches later, I was ready to go.

I grabbed my rolled up sleeping bag. It was one of those kind with the straps. You know, those ones you could wear like a back-pack? I walked down the street, past the Merrill's house. They weren't out on the front porch anymore, thankfully. I continued my trek up to the treehouse. Teddy and Vern were the only ones there when I arrived.

"Chris and Gordie oughta be here soon." Vern said, looking out the one window.

Ten minutes later, they arrived. "What kept ya?" I asked. Gordie's normally sweet eyes got dark and Chris scowled.

"We ran into Ace and Eyeball, outside the Blue Point." Gordie said. "They stole my Yankee's hat. You know, the one Denny gave me?"

I did know. I remember when Denny gave Gordie that hat, Gordie was so excited. I touched Gordie's arm. "I'm sorry, man. Maybe I can get Rena to get it back for you."

Gordie looked up at me, smiling. "Really, Myra? That'd be great."

Chris cleared his throat. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we'll be hero's. And wait to you see what I brought!"

We walked across town, out to the railroad tracks, and Chris told us what had happened with the pistol. "You should have seen the look on Gordie's face! Classic!"

"Well, what'd we need a pistol for anyway?" Vern asked, looking, as normal, scared. Chris shrugged.

"It's spooky sleeping in the woods at night." Chris answered. I knew he was the only guy in our gang who could get away with saying something like that. If Teddy'd said it, we would have ragged his ass for a year. "We might see a bear." He smirked. "Or a garbage can."

"Hey I brought a comb!" Vern said suddenly. I glanced at him.

"I brought a hairbrush."

"What'd we need a comb, or a hairbrush, for?" Chris asked.

"Well, if we get on T.V, we wanna look good, right?" Vern answered.

"Hey, that's alotta thinkin', Verno." Gordie told him. Vern grinned. Gordie turned to me. "Why'd you bring your brush, Myra?"

"Because, if I don't brush my hair, it'll look like a rats nest. If we get on T.V, I don't wanna look like death warmed over."

"So, you basically brought one for the same reason Vern did." Teddy countered.

"Uh, yeah." I lied. I didn't want to tell them I really brought a comb because I wanted to look good for Gordie. Well, do you blame me?

"How far do you think it's gonna be?" Teddy asked. We had stopped and were looking down the trussel. It seemed to go on forever.

"If we follow the tracks all the way into Harlow it might be about 20 miles. Sound about right, Gordie?" Chris said, a thoughtful look on his face. And what a cute face that was!

'What are you doing?' I asked myself. 'These are your friends! You're not like Rena! You don't like boys like that, remember?'

"Gee. Maybe we should just hitchhike." Vern was saying. Teddy rolled his eyes.

"No way! That sucks!" He said. Silently, I agreed.

"Why not? We could go down Route Seven to the Shiloh church. Then down the Back Harlow road. We'd be there by sundown." Vern pressed on.

"It's pussy!" Teddy told him.

"Yeah." I said. "And, if we go near the highway, this moron'll be dodging trucks." I nodded my head towards Teddy, who sent me a dark look.

"Hey, it's a long way." Vern said, ignoring me. I just sighed, and caught up to Chris and Gordie.

We walked in silence for nearly a mile, before Teddy broke out in song.

"'Have Gun, Will Travel' reads the card of a man! A knight without armor in a savage land! His fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind. A soldier of fortune he's a man called Paladin!" Before long, we were all singing.

"We could fill up at the junkyard. My dad said it's a save well." Gordie told us, after we stopped singing. Well, except for Teddy. He went on singing the entire song.

"Not if Chopper's there." Vern said.

"If Chopper's there, we'll send you in." Chris told him.

Vern rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha, so funny." He paused. "Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Who's got the food?"

"Uh..." We all halted.

"Oh, shit. Did anyone bring anything?" Teddy asked, looking around. We shook our heads. "Well, this is just great. What're we supposed to do? Eat our feet?"

"You mean you didn't bring anything either?" Chris asked.

"No!" Teddy shouted. "This was Vern's idea! Why didn't he bring anything?"

" What am I supposed to do? Think of everything? I brought the comb!" Vern defended himself.

"Great!" Teddy shouted even louder. "You brought the comb! What'd you need a comb for? You haven't even got any hair!"

"I brought it for you guys!"

"Hey, hey!" Gordie stepped between them. "Let's see how much money we've got." We all set down, and quickly counted our money. I pulled three quarters out of my jean pockets. "Okay, I have a $1.02. Sixty-eight cents from Chris, sixty cents from Teddy, seventy-five cents from Myra." He held his hand out to Vern, who reluctantly dropped a few pennies into it. "Seven cents, Vern?"

"I haven't found my pennies yet!"

Gordie just shook his head. "Well, $3.12 isn't bad. Quidachioluo's is at the end of the little road that goes by the junkyard. I think we can get some stuff there."

"Train coming." Chris said. We all stood up, and jumped off the tracks, except for Teddy. "Come on, Teddy."

"No. Uh-uh. I'm gonna dodge it." Teddy said. I rolled my eyes.

"Stop dicking around, DuChamp. Get off the fucking tracks." I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, she's right, Teddy. Get off the tracks, man." Chris said, nodding.

Teddy didn't appear to have heard us. "Train dodge, dig it."

The train was coming closer. I was starting to get scared, and by the look on his face, so was Chris. "Get the hell off the tracks, Teddy! You wanna get yourself killed?"

"Just like the beach at Normandy." Teddy did his machine gun imitation. I shut my eyes. If Teddy was gonna get splattered, I sure as hell didn't wanna see it.

When I opened them again, Chris and Teddy were fighting. I really couldn't hear what they were saying over the sounds of the train, but they were throwing punches. Gordie was trying to get between them.

"-Can dodge it on the way back!' Chris was saying. "Please man, skin it."

Teddy skinned it, and we walked the rest of the way to the junkyard in silence.