Chris is spending the night at Gordie's house because his dad is on another rampage. Gordie's dad does not know about it.
"Quare" said Gordie from the desk chair.
"Quare: adverb, …um…when?" Chris asked in a hopeful voice.
"Nope, its: because of which thing" Gordie read from the paper in his hand.
"Aaaaah! Why can't I get that one?!" Chris fumed.
"You say that like it's the only one you can't get. You don't know half of them." Gordie said laughingly.
"Why don't you fuck off Lachance?" Chris said giving him a dirty look.
"Hey! There's no need to yell at me, I'm just trying to help you study." Gordie said defensively.
"Sorry. Its just…I hate this! It's Friday night, we should be doing something fun! Not studying!" Chris said heatedly.
"Well what do you propose we do?" asked Gordie.
"I don't know…lets go somewhere!" suggested Chris.
"Like where?" Gordie asked.
"I don't care where, I just need to get out of this place! I need some air." came Chris' response.
'We could go to the tree house." Gordie suggested.
"Alright" agreed Chris.
Without packing anything or putting any of the homework away, the boys climbed out the window and headed to the tree house.
"Hurry up slowpoke!" Chris said from inside the tree house as a much smaller Gordie climbed the ladder.
"I'm coming fatass!" Gordie shouted back.
"So, you got any plans for the weekend?" Chris casually asked once Gordie was inside.
"I'm seeing Haley again" Gordie said hesitantly.
"Oh" Chris said in an attempt to sound like he didn't care.
"Man, its not like that! Yeah, she's built, and that's obviously nice. But she's also a really nice girl. I really don't understand why you dislike her so much." Gordie said in an exasperated voice.
"I don't know, she just seems kind of fake." Chris said in a shy voice.
"Why do you care so much anyways?" asked Gordie.
"Man, you're my best friend, I just don't want to see you get hurt!" Chris said like it should have been obvious.
"Well, I appreciate that you care so much, but I'm not a little kid, I can take care of myself" Gordie said comfortingly.
"I know that." replied Chris.
"I know you know." said Gordie kind of awkwardly, like he hadn't had many meaningful conversations like this.
"Okay" said Chris, who was in a similar situation.
They were both silent for a moment. Looking around like they were trying to think of something-anything to say.
"Gordie, what's wrong with me?" asked Chris in a very uncertain way.
"What do you mean man?" Gordie asked like he had just been asked the why the moon was round.
"Never mind" Chris said, having lost his nerve.
"No, what's wrong? Why would you ask me that?" Gordie asked pointedly.
"Well I was just thinking, right? And your dad like hates you for living when Denny died, and he doesn't beat you." Chris said in a very sad and confused voice.
"Naw man, its not like that" Gordie said, trying to comfort him.
"What the hell do you mean 'its not like that'! How the hell is it not like that? Mom's always just as fucked up as he is. Eyeball's never home anymore, so you can't blame it on him! And the rest of them are all younger than me and either at a friends house or hiding! And even when they're not, its always me he goes for first! What do I do that makes him so mad that he has to be drunk to be around me? And even when he is drunk he hates me so much that he has to try to beat me unconscious so that he doesn't have to deal with me. What's so wrong with me that my own father hates me? He supposed to be the one who teaches me things! He's supposed to love me more than anyone else! He's supposed to fucking protect me from all of the bad things in life! Instead, he's the one I need protection from! It's not fair! He's supposed to be the one that I'm taking the hard classes for, to make him proud of me! Instead, I'm taking them in spite of him! Why don't I deserve a Dad? Why did I get him instead?" Chris let out in a gritty voice as he roughly wiped a tear from his cheek.
"Man, its not your fault your dad's fucked up" Gordie said in a pain-filled voice.
"If it's not my fault, then why does he ALWAYS go after ME? Its not like I want him to beat the others. But there must be some reason that every time my father, who should love me, looks at me a surge of violence goes through him! Its like he sees me and automatically thinks 'oh, its that little fucker again, didn't I kill him last time? Guess I'll just have to try harder this time!' I mean would he even care if he did? Would he even notice? Would anyone in this fucking town?" Chris let out in a rush, the tears now falling unchecked.
"I would" was all Gordie could get out through the lump in his throat.
"Would you? I don't see why." Chris asked in a doubtful voice.
"Of course I would!" Gordie shouted "Just because you dad a fucking retard doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you! My dad's fucked up too, but that doesn't mean I'm a worthless piece of shit, does it?" Gordie asked.
"No." Chris said quietly but with feeling.
"Well alright then. There is nothing wrong with you, Chris. I wouldn't be best friends with a loser! And of course I would miss you! If I didn't have you then where would I go when my dads pissing me off? To Teddy's? Somehow, I cant picture him being the comforting type. And, come on, all the girls love you to death." Gordie said, trying to make him laugh.
"Yeah, the girls like me, but none of them would ever go out with me because it would piss their family off!" Chris said, not sounding all that hurt by the fact.
"Then fuck em'!" Gordie exclaimed.
"I thought I just said the they wouldn't cuzz it would piss their mom's off" laughed Chris.
"Awww, poor Chris!." said Gordie sarcastically.
They sat in a some-what strained silence for a few minutes which seemed like hours.
"Your dad's so fucked up." said Gordie randomly.
"Your dad's fucked up too!" said Chris laughing, his eyes now completely dry.
"Whatever, fuck em' both! We've done fine without them all our life haven't we? There's no reason for us to suddenly need them now either! Gordie said enthusiastically.
"Yeah!" Chris cheered.
"Come on, lets go home." Gordie concluded.
" Yeah, okay its getting pretty late." Chris agreed.
"Yeah, I gotta be well rested for tomorrow" Gordie said pointedly
"Uck" Chris grunted, showing Gordie exactly what he thought of that.
They were starting down the ladder when Chris said:
"I still don't like that Haley girl"
"You sound like my dad talking about you!" said Gordie as he ducked Chris' hand trying to smack him.
"Shut-up you stupid fucker!" said Chris.
"I don Shut-up, I grow up…"started Gordie.
"You! Grow up?! Don't make me laugh! I'll fall." Chris interrupted.
"Hey! I wasn't done!" shouted an insulted Gordie.
"Sorry, I was just trying to save my poor ears, I mean they've had to listen to you all night already. I don't think they could have handled that gay-ass song."
"I hope you do fall you stupid ass." Gordie replied.
"Well, I mean, come on! I haven't heard that song since I was twelve and a half!" Chris said as he hopped to the ground behind Gordie.
"Fuck off! I'm cool!" said Gordie as he tugged on his collar in what was supposed to be a
Smooth gesture.
"Yeah, your cool! As cool as a grandma in a string bikini!" Chris came back with.
"Okay, that's disgusting!" said a shocked Gordie.
"Exactly my point!" laughed Chris.
"Fuck…you!" Gordie replied.
"Start strippin baby!" Chris said as both boys exploded with laughter.
"Is it really necessary for you to share all of your disgusting little fantasies with me? I
mean, first the grandma thing and now; with the gayness! Really Chris! Some things
Should just be kept to yourself!" Gordie said as he started running away from Chris who
was chasing him with an evil glint in his eyes.
Once Chris, being the more athletic of the two, inevitably caught up to Gordie, he wrestled him to the ground and smeared mud all over Gordie's face. Thus, a huge mud fight broke out, resulting in both boys being completely brown.
"You suck." Gordie said, looking down at his ruined sweater and jeans.
Chris, who looked just as bad, replied with "Yeah, so do you"
"Yeah…" said Gordie calmly
"My dad's gonna kick my ass" Gordie concluded
"Eh, mine probably wont notice. That or he'll think they're supposed to look like this" Chris said lightheartedly.
Both boys shrugged and started walking again, talking comfortably about the occurrences of the day.