Chapter 4-part II

The next morning, even though Vern and Copper were still asleep in the car. Early risers, Chris and Gordie drove to the nearest pit stop, Blue Point Diner.

Vern awoke shortly after with the motion of the car. And then they all woke up Copper by putting things in her ears, well one ear, because the other she was sleeping on.

As soon as she felt the candy wrapper crinkling in her ear,"Stop it Vern!", She slapped the air with her eyes closed, still trying to catch a few last seconds of shuteye.

Vern backed away after placing it in her ear and the other guys laughed. It fell off her ear,without effort on her part, because it wasn't tightly secured.

She opened her eyes to find herself on Chris's shoulder. "Oh Chris. Did I drool on you?"

"No."

She got up and sat on her side of the seat. "Where are we?" She looked at her surroundings.

"Blue Point Diner." Gordie answered. "We've been trying to get you up for a while."

"Well , Let's go inside", Chris got out of the car and the others followed.

Copper was still picking her eye boogers out and taking smudges off her make-up on the rear view mirror.

Chris turned around,"Copper, you coming?"

"Yeah." She left the car and followed them inside.

Once inside, after they settled on a table,Gordie ordered waffles with strawberries, whipped cream and syrup. Vern ordered bacon and eggs. Copper ordered her first course to be a strawberry milkshake. And Chris just excused himself from ordering anything with, "I had a big dinner." Even though from our previously knowledge, we know, the last thing he ate last night was a cookie( or two).

"C'mon, "Copper said, "It's on me."

Chris was quiet for a long moment watching the others eat. You're never really sure what he is thinking, but you could tell he was thinking. He tapped the waitress as she passed by their table. "I'll have the same as he, please." He signaled Gordie. The waitress looked at his food and wrote something down on her notepad, and retired to the kitchen.

Chris got up and said, "I'll be right back," and walked towards the bathrooms.

As soon as he disappeared into the men's room, Copper put down her shake and scooted up next to Vern, "Hey Vern. Do you think you can pick up out tab?"

"Yeah," He frowned. "Do you not have any money?"

"Not a dime."

Gordie laughed at Vern.

By the time Chris came back, the waitress had already brought in his waffles. He sat down and dug in.

Everyone was silent and chewing their food. It was sure quiet without Teddy around.

As Copper took the last sip of her milkshake, she chocked on the tears that she'd been holding back. She tried to wipe them quickly off her face, but the more she tried the stronger they came back.

The guys showed looks of 'what's the matter?'

She shook her head and slid off the booth. She headed to the back of the diner, signaling them to follow her.

"What now?" Gordie asked Chris, expecting him to know.

Chris just shook his head.

And Vern looked at them with the same question.

They all left their half eaten meals and followed Copper to the back of the diner.

"What's the matter, Copper?" Vern asked.

She just teared up more.

Chris came and stood next to her and put his arm around her. And said, "Don't worry about Teddy. He'll be alright. We'll find him, Okay?"

Copper stopped sobbing to say, "I'm gonna miss you guys when I leave Castle Rock."

Chris looked at Gordie and Gordie looked at Vern.

It was a sad thought for those who had come in bondage over the past three weeks. But they had only one thing left to do now, and that was to find Teddy.

"Copper. You can come back, can't you?, "Vern was always illogical, but hopeful, "And you can take us to one of those shows again?"

"Vern. There is a very slim chance", She showed him what she meant between her thumb and her index finger. "But that would be fun, right?"

"Yeah," He said and received a hug from her.

"Well we still got 3 days left. We could do a lot of stuff", Gordie was logical.

Copper gave Gordie a hug, "Yeah."

Then it was Chris's turn to get a hug. And then she said, "Now I need to hug Teddy."

They stood there, some where brain storming about what they should do next regarding Teddy, or where they should go to find him.

Gordie interrupted with, "Hey Chris. It's still there."

"What is, Gordo?"

Gordie pointed to a garbage can, placed at a different location from where it was two years ago. "The bullet hole." They were standing on sacred ground.