Beer Run
About an hour later Ace decided we needed more beer.
"I'll go get it," offered Eyeball. I guess it was a lot easier for a 17-year-old to get beer back then.
"Alright," Ace said. "Take my car."
Eyeball looked at me. "Want to come with me," he asked?
"Alright," I said.
As we walked into Ace's car the boys whistled and yelled.
"Shut up," yelled Eyeball, chucking a stick in their general direction. I think it hit Vince.
I laughed and got into the front seat with Eyeball.
We didn't say anything, but Eyeball broke the silence.
"So what was it like in Jersey," he asked? "Do you miss it?"
"Umm.well I haven't really had a chance to miss it," I answered truthfully. "It's a lot different here," I said.
"Really," he said.
"Yeah. It's like two different worlds," I said. He had no idea how different it was.
"It's weird," he said.
"What's weird," I asked?
"How two places can be so different," he explained.
"Yeah. I know what you mean."
We got to the store pretty fast. I sat in the car and waited for Eyeball to get the beer and we were on our way back before I knew it. I didn't really want to go back though. Not that I didn't like Ace and all them. I just wanted to spend more time with Eyeball. Why did I want to spend time with Eyeball? I mean he was such a dick in the movie. Eyeball.what a funny name. I laughed out loud.
"What's so funny," he asked?
"Nothing. I was just wondering how you got the name Eyeball," I said.
He laughed. "I don't really know. Vince called me Eyeball once when we were really little. I've had the name ever since."
"What's your real name," I asked? He gave me a look that was said I know something you don't know.
"Not telling," he said grinning.
"Come on," I begged.
"Nope. It's my little secret."
"Fine," I said. "I don't want to know anyway." Of course that was a lie. I really did want to know. But then again I had a secret too, and it definitely out weighed his. So I decided to drop it. For now at least.
As we were driving along the road I couldn't help, but glance at him every now and then. He kept looking at me too and finally made a move, not a big move, but it was a start. He reached out and laced his fingers through mine. I looked at him and moved towards him so that our hands rested in both of our laps.
We stopped in front of where Ace parked before. I was about to get out, when Eyeball said "Wait," and grabbed my hand.
"What," I asked?
"I just.umm. I just wanted to ask you something before we went back," he said nervously.
"Well go head," I said. "Ask away." I sounded calm, but on the inside I was just as nervous as he sounded.
"I was just wondering.if maybe.you'd want to go out sometime," he said, the words stumbling out of his mouth. "With out everyone else I mean."
I pretended to think really hard about it. "Well," I finally said, "alright."
"Really," he asked?
"Yeah," I said. "Don't sound so surprised," I said punching him playfully in the arm.
"I just thought it would be harder than that," he said. "I thought maybe I'd have to beg," he joked.
"Well if you really want to beg," I said, "I won't object. I actually think it would be kind of cute." The image of him on his knees begging brought a smile to my face.
"Well you already said yes," he said. "But next time I want something."
"Alright," I said.
He just laughed as he grabbed the beer and started walking. He held my hand again as we walked back.
"Have fun," Ace asked when we got back?
"Tons," I said winking at Eyeball
We sat around, drank beer, talked, smoked cigarettes. I assumed this is what teenagers did in the 50's. There wasn't much else to do, especially in a town as small as Castle Rock. It was around 12 when Ace asked if I had to be home yet. When I said no he looked at me curiously.
"Didn't your parents give you a curfew," he asked?
I thought about it. What was I gonna say? "Uhhh.no. They don't believe in curfews," I lied. "They're away for a few weeks anyway. They had to do some stuff back home, so they wanted me to stay here," I said, figuring I may as well say something about why they weren't home now. I hope that didn't sound too made up. I didn't know what else to say.
"So your home by yourself," Eyeball asked?
I nodded, taking another drag of my cigarette. "Why," I asked, raising my eyebrows?
"Oh no reason," he said blushing just a little. " I didn't mean anything by it," he said.
I laughed. "Sure ya didn't," I said laughing. I looked at Ace. "But I am getting kind of tired," I said.
It was true. I was always tired, and since school had just ended last week, I still wasn't off a school schedule yet.
"Alright," he said. "We'll take you home. Come on guys," he said.
As we piled into the car I wondered why the other guys always listened to Ace. I guess cause he was the leader. If Ace asks you to jump, you don't argue, you ask how high.
On the ride home I sat in the back with Eyeball and Vince. Billy was in front with Ace. This time I wished Ace would drive slower. I wanted to spend as much time with Eyeball as possible and plus it was freezing from the wind blowing. Eyeball could tell I was cold and put his arm around me again. I snuggled against him, partly because I was cold, but also because I really wanted to be near him.
The ride to my house was a short one and we were in front of the house before I knew it. I got out of the car and said "Thanks guys. I had fun."
"We should do it again sometime," Ace said.
"Yeah. Definitely," I agreed.
"Well what are you doing tomorrow," he asked?
"Nothing," I said.
"Good we'll pick you up around 6," he said.
"Okay. See ya tomorrow guys," I said, looking directly at Eyeball. He looked right back at me and gave me a small smile.
"Bye," Eyeball said.
Ace drove away and I went into the house.
I went upstairs and changed into pajamas and laid down. I thought about Eyeball. He was nice, but why was he such a bad guy in the movie? Ace too. None of them were as bad as they seemed in the movie.
I wondered if I would ever get to see Chris or Gordie or any of the other guys. I'd probably run into them one time or another. There weren't that many people in this town, Gordie even said it in the beginning of the movie.
I was sleeping before I had a chance to think about anything else.
About an hour later Ace decided we needed more beer.
"I'll go get it," offered Eyeball. I guess it was a lot easier for a 17-year-old to get beer back then.
"Alright," Ace said. "Take my car."
Eyeball looked at me. "Want to come with me," he asked?
"Alright," I said.
As we walked into Ace's car the boys whistled and yelled.
"Shut up," yelled Eyeball, chucking a stick in their general direction. I think it hit Vince.
I laughed and got into the front seat with Eyeball.
We didn't say anything, but Eyeball broke the silence.
"So what was it like in Jersey," he asked? "Do you miss it?"
"Umm.well I haven't really had a chance to miss it," I answered truthfully. "It's a lot different here," I said.
"Really," he said.
"Yeah. It's like two different worlds," I said. He had no idea how different it was.
"It's weird," he said.
"What's weird," I asked?
"How two places can be so different," he explained.
"Yeah. I know what you mean."
We got to the store pretty fast. I sat in the car and waited for Eyeball to get the beer and we were on our way back before I knew it. I didn't really want to go back though. Not that I didn't like Ace and all them. I just wanted to spend more time with Eyeball. Why did I want to spend time with Eyeball? I mean he was such a dick in the movie. Eyeball.what a funny name. I laughed out loud.
"What's so funny," he asked?
"Nothing. I was just wondering how you got the name Eyeball," I said.
He laughed. "I don't really know. Vince called me Eyeball once when we were really little. I've had the name ever since."
"What's your real name," I asked? He gave me a look that was said I know something you don't know.
"Not telling," he said grinning.
"Come on," I begged.
"Nope. It's my little secret."
"Fine," I said. "I don't want to know anyway." Of course that was a lie. I really did want to know. But then again I had a secret too, and it definitely out weighed his. So I decided to drop it. For now at least.
As we were driving along the road I couldn't help, but glance at him every now and then. He kept looking at me too and finally made a move, not a big move, but it was a start. He reached out and laced his fingers through mine. I looked at him and moved towards him so that our hands rested in both of our laps.
We stopped in front of where Ace parked before. I was about to get out, when Eyeball said "Wait," and grabbed my hand.
"What," I asked?
"I just.umm. I just wanted to ask you something before we went back," he said nervously.
"Well go head," I said. "Ask away." I sounded calm, but on the inside I was just as nervous as he sounded.
"I was just wondering.if maybe.you'd want to go out sometime," he said, the words stumbling out of his mouth. "With out everyone else I mean."
I pretended to think really hard about it. "Well," I finally said, "alright."
"Really," he asked?
"Yeah," I said. "Don't sound so surprised," I said punching him playfully in the arm.
"I just thought it would be harder than that," he said. "I thought maybe I'd have to beg," he joked.
"Well if you really want to beg," I said, "I won't object. I actually think it would be kind of cute." The image of him on his knees begging brought a smile to my face.
"Well you already said yes," he said. "But next time I want something."
"Alright," I said.
He just laughed as he grabbed the beer and started walking. He held my hand again as we walked back.
"Have fun," Ace asked when we got back?
"Tons," I said winking at Eyeball
We sat around, drank beer, talked, smoked cigarettes. I assumed this is what teenagers did in the 50's. There wasn't much else to do, especially in a town as small as Castle Rock. It was around 12 when Ace asked if I had to be home yet. When I said no he looked at me curiously.
"Didn't your parents give you a curfew," he asked?
I thought about it. What was I gonna say? "Uhhh.no. They don't believe in curfews," I lied. "They're away for a few weeks anyway. They had to do some stuff back home, so they wanted me to stay here," I said, figuring I may as well say something about why they weren't home now. I hope that didn't sound too made up. I didn't know what else to say.
"So your home by yourself," Eyeball asked?
I nodded, taking another drag of my cigarette. "Why," I asked, raising my eyebrows?
"Oh no reason," he said blushing just a little. " I didn't mean anything by it," he said.
I laughed. "Sure ya didn't," I said laughing. I looked at Ace. "But I am getting kind of tired," I said.
It was true. I was always tired, and since school had just ended last week, I still wasn't off a school schedule yet.
"Alright," he said. "We'll take you home. Come on guys," he said.
As we piled into the car I wondered why the other guys always listened to Ace. I guess cause he was the leader. If Ace asks you to jump, you don't argue, you ask how high.
On the ride home I sat in the back with Eyeball and Vince. Billy was in front with Ace. This time I wished Ace would drive slower. I wanted to spend as much time with Eyeball as possible and plus it was freezing from the wind blowing. Eyeball could tell I was cold and put his arm around me again. I snuggled against him, partly because I was cold, but also because I really wanted to be near him.
The ride to my house was a short one and we were in front of the house before I knew it. I got out of the car and said "Thanks guys. I had fun."
"We should do it again sometime," Ace said.
"Yeah. Definitely," I agreed.
"Well what are you doing tomorrow," he asked?
"Nothing," I said.
"Good we'll pick you up around 6," he said.
"Okay. See ya tomorrow guys," I said, looking directly at Eyeball. He looked right back at me and gave me a small smile.
"Bye," Eyeball said.
Ace drove away and I went into the house.
I went upstairs and changed into pajamas and laid down. I thought about Eyeball. He was nice, but why was he such a bad guy in the movie? Ace too. None of them were as bad as they seemed in the movie.
I wondered if I would ever get to see Chris or Gordie or any of the other guys. I'd probably run into them one time or another. There weren't that many people in this town, Gordie even said it in the beginning of the movie.
I was sleeping before I had a chance to think about anything else.