CHAPTER ONE
1959
"Not if I see you first"
Chris stood slightly apart from Gordie, his legs spread as if he trying to no avail to do the splits. Large muddied hands were stuffed in his jeans pockets and his eyes were ever searching for some thing intangible in the expansive heavens.
Gordie stood, standing completely different to the way Chris did, his legs were straight and tight, lanky fingers hung loose at his sides and his doe like eyes were fixated with something on the dry earth.
Both wanted to speak about the events that had just happened, both had wanted to laugh and babble about how Gordie had picked up the gun and threatened Ace with it. Both wanted to relive the moment when they'd found the Body of Ray. They both wanted to, but neither could find the words that would ever come close to describing what had just happened in their lives and would forever change them.
Chris shuffled his long feet inwards a little to give him better ground, and he heaved his back pack higher on his shoulder. Gordie stayed the same however, not responding to this subtle invitation to speak. He couldn't put his finger on it but from the moment his hands encircled the gun in the depths of the wood, something had either awoken inside of him or had fallen dormant. But he also felt like he might have filled in a little bit of the hole that Denny's death had unknowingly created.
Chris decided that he should speak now, he could've stood there forever in the silence but he felt some where inside he needed to get something pressing off his chest.
"I'm never gonna get out of this town, am I Gordie?" he whispered, his soft voice nearly taken by the wind that flowed past.
Gordie taken slightly aback by this melancholy statement took a second, "you can do anything you want to man" he replied, sincerely.
"Yeh" Chris chuckled.
"Sure" Chris looked down at the ground trying to hide some disappointment, "give me some skin" he grinned holding out his hand.
Gordie's doe like eyes lit up as his slapped his best friends outstretched palm. "I'll see ya" he smiled.
Chris broke out into a mysterious grin, his icy blue eyes wrinkled slightly as the smile extended upwards. "Not if I see you first" he replied, digging his hands once again in his pockets he turned and walked off.
He was nearly in the thickets of the over hanging trees when something made him turn around to face his best buddy. He looked at Gordie's lanky form, smirking he held up his hand in a small gesture of friendship.
Gordie returned the hand and waved casually back his eyes sparkling with warmth and happiness.
Chris spun around and in an instant was consumed by the bush.
The year 1959 was complete, for them in their minds nothing could ever out weigh what they'd experienced over those couple of days.
Nothing.