Thanks for the reviews, you guys. I really appreciate it. I suppose it could turn into an Ace romance, I don't know. I'm just letting the story take me where it wants. ;0)
(Can anyone tell me how to change it so I can get anonymous reviews? I couldn't find that option. o.O)
Saving Alice
"Gordie's house, he's probably at Gordie's house," I said to myself over and over like a mantra. Two little old ladies across the street looked curiously at me, probably wondering why in the hell I was talking to myself, and why I looked like I ran into a bus. I flipped them the finger when they continued walking up the street. "Old hags better not go starting rumors about me," I muttered.
I kicked an empty Coke bottle down the dusty street, and turned the corner to Pine where Gordie's house was. I saw the familiar white clapboard house hidden behind large maple trees and I ran for the front door. I knocked on it frantically, praying to some unknown God that his parents weren't the ones to answer. Seconds later I heard feet pounding down the stairs. It was Gordie and Chris. I let out a huge breath I didn't even know I was holding.
"Alice! Hey. Come in. We...," Gordie's voice trailed off when he got a good look at my face. "Oh, my God. What the hell happened?" I followed my friends up the stairs to Gordie's room, where he closed the door behind him.
"I got into a... thing... with...," I started. They started guessing. "Billy? Eyeball? Ace," Gordie questioned, his eyes as big as half-dollars. He was probably thinking about last summer when he got the crap beat out of him. I was about to spill that it had been Chris's father, but I thought about it for a second. The moment Chris heard his Dad had anything to do with me getting hurt, he would've hightailed it to his house to take a swing at him. I didn't want to be the cause for Chris getting hurt. But who could I say did it?
"With...Jane Summers. You know. Biggest bitch in school. I guess I looked at her the wrong way, or something." I couldn't meet Gordie's eyes. He was trying to look at me. I knew he'd figured out right away I was lying, but I knew he wouldn't snitch on me. That's the kind of friend Gordie was. Chris chortled, slapping his knee. "I hope she looks just as bad!" I shrugged. "I got her in the stomach, but then she turned pussy and ran away." Chris clapped me on the shoulder. "You've been hanging with us guys for too long," he snickered. "Well, look guys, I gotta go home. I told Mom I'd look after the kids while she visits Aunt Mary." I felt scared again. I hoped Mr. Chambers would've forgoten what he'd done by the time Chris got to his house, or kept his fat mouth shut and not blabbed to him about it. Gordie caught my eye this time. I knew he'd make me stay, and tell him the truth.
"'Bye, Chris," I said, fake-punching him on the back. He grinned. "'Bye, Alice, Gordie." He shook his head, and said, "Jane fuckin' Summers. Man, that's boss."
When Gordie and I heard Chris slam the back door shut, and saw him out the window walking towards Hazel Street, Gordie got right to it. "Spill it, Alice. You didn't get into any fight with Jane Summers. For starters, she's in Portland right now." I groaned. Sometimes Gordie was too smart for his own good. "Shit, don't tell Chris, though, okay?" He sat down hard on his matress. "Depends on what it is."
"His dad, Gordie." His mouth dropped. "Fucking hell, Alice. What did you do?" Tears started welling up in my eyes again. "I stood up for him, Gordie. That's what I did. And that fat-ass almost whalloped me into next Christmas."
"Did you come here straight after," he breathed, eyes still huge. I knew I had to tell him about the Ace run-in. "No. Fucking Ace was almost right outside the house, and he "helped" me." Gordie looked confused. "Ace? Helped you?" "Yeah, "helped"," I said sarcastically. "There's a difference. He wasn't being a hero or anything. Just being his usual smart-ass self." Gordie was still strugling to piece together the words 'Ace' and 'help' together. "I... how... What did he do to help you?"
I had to laugh. "A fucking bag of frozen peas. Then he has the nerve to ask me why I'm so scared of him, and I told him. Then I got pissed and called him Spencer." Gordie almost choked. "You DIDN'T!" The small smile that had started to form froze on my lips. "Yeah, I did. He was about ready to beat the shit out of me too. Then I came here. Jesus, Gordie. I'm never going to be able to leave this house!"
He sighed, and ran his hand through his slicked back brown hair making it stand on end. "You can stay here for a bit. I'll call Vern and tell him where you are. Or do you want to call him?" I stood up. "I'll call him. I know he won't tell Mom and Dad. He'll say I'm sleeping over at Debbie's house." Gordie went over to his desk and picked up a comic. "I'll be right here," he said. "You can use the phone in the hall." So feeling like a spy in one of Gordie's comics, I tiptoed into the hall of the Lachance's house, and saw the black phone hanging next to a framed picture of Gordie's dead older brother, Denny. I quickly dialed my number. Billy answered.
"Yeah," he said in a bored-sounding voice. "Lemme speak to Vern, Billy," I said, with as much authority as I could. "Whatever," he mumbled. I heard the phone drop, and a loud "VERN, the fucking phone!". Several loud thumps later, and I heard Vern on the other end. "Who's 'is," he said quickly. "Vern, it's me. I'm calling to tell you I'm at Gordie's house and I'm not going to come home for a bit. Ace's going to knock my block off. Just tell Mom and Dad I'm staying at Debbie's house. Got it?" There was the scratching of Vern writing down my message. "At Debbie's house. Ok, Alice. Are you alright, though?" I had to smile. At least I got one sweet brother, even if he wasn't the brightest color crayon in the box. "I'll be OK, Vern. Just tell Mom about Debbie. Nothinge else. I'll figure something out," I said. "Sure. Don't let Gordie boss you around, huh?" I laughed. "I won't. 'Bye." "OK." Vern hung up.
I tiptoed back to Gordie's room, where he was sprawled on his bed, immersed in his comic. "It's all set. Mom's gonna think I'm at Deb's house." Gordie lowered his comic down. "You know you can't stay here forever, Alice. Ace is still going to be pissed at you when you're here or not. He doesn't forget." I sighed. "I know. But at least being here will give me time to think of a plan." Right after I said that, I saw a flash of a shadow by Gordie's window. It was Billy. He was searching quickly in the backyard, and not finding what he was looking for, he ran back around to the front of the house. I heard loud voices, pieces of conversation. "Sorry..." "Lookin' ... sister..." "...call you..." "...ma'am..."
"Shit," I breathed. "Ace's gonna know I'm here in about 5 minutes. Gordie, we gotta go somewhere else." He tossed his comic into his open closet. I thought for sure he'd say hell no, but there was a scared, yet determined look in his brown eyes. "Yeah, ok. Let's get together some stuff before my Mom figures anything out."