AUTHOR WARNING: Homophobia, violence

February 11th 1967-

That night, Michelle planned to throw a big ass party in celebration for Valentine's day.

She lived in a small apartment across the park from Gordie and Chris's place. The day before, she gave each of them an invite to come to her party and enjoy themselves for one night. Only a handful of people were there. Oscar, a couple of guys from her classes, such as Rodney, this big guy who was a bouncer at Stuckey's on the weekends, or Marty Hefflin, a handsome kid she had her eyes on for weeks. Some of her girlfriends were coming too, such as Marlene Tovar, a beautiful redheaded latina babe, who could have any man in school, or Katrin Douglass, another beautiful girl who had eyes on Rodney, since they had a few classes together.

Gordie and Chris showed up separately. Chris drove his truck to her apartment. Gordie took off walking through the park that afternoon. Chris wore a black tee shirt and blue jeans, with his motorcycle boots. Gordie wore a blue shirt with indigo khaki pants.

Gordie went up the three flights of stairs into her apartment. In this small, mod apartment, with green carpet and the shine of a lava lamp, was about 12 people, including Chris who was playing a card game with Rodney, while Marlene was trying to rub up on Chris. Michelle greeted him at the door, in a satin white dress, and took Gordie to the libations in the kitchen, where Katrin and two other girls were sitting, talking about the men in their lives.

Martha and the Vandellas was playing on the turntable, while the laughter of the youths echoed in the apartment.

Gordie took a seat in the living room on the couch next to Marty who was already drunk off the cheap wine he had earlier.

"Hey Gordie, hows tricks?" Marty said, with a smile that hid his drunkenness.

"Oh peachy, Marty, you still with Eileen?" Gordie asked, taking a drink from his glass of vodka and coke.

"Nah, that uptight bitch cheated on me." Marty said, rearranging his glasses.

Oscar sat in a recliner close to them and said, "You ain't the only one dealing with uptight bitches, so is Chris over there."

Gordie coughed.

Chris heard his name and saw what was happening. He tried to fold the game, but Michelle held his arm and nodded a no to him.

Marlene put her hands on Chris's shoulders and said from above him, now sweating bullets. "Any girl would be lucky to have you."

Gordie heard that and laughed, "So tell me about this 'uptight bitch' you all have heard so much about."

Oscar told him everything, in his drunken haze.

The more Gordie heard, the more he got mad, Chris's face had a look of shock.

Gordie then decided he needed to put a finger in the wound.

"Well, I suppose you all know that Chris and I grew up together in Castle Rock, and that girl he loved so much, did you know he cheated on her a bunch of times? Mostly with girls who were with other guys?"

Marlene smacked him on top of the head. "You pig!"

The girls booed at Chris. Chris looked at Gordie with a look of pure fury, but Gordie, noticing he got his attention, continued. "Did you know that she was humiliated at a party, and what does he do? Cheats on her with the school tramp."

And the piece of resistance. The coup de grace.

"And finally, he says he didn't want to leave that shit hole town, because his family needed him, but they threw his lameass out any fuckin way."

Gordie chugged down his whole drink, so much for liquid adrenaline

Chris spoke, laying back on the chair, with beer in hand, "well, she played with my heart, led me on, cheated on me with a bunch of dudes when she went on vacation, decided that no matter what, couldn't be with me for who I was, even though SHE knew I had no one but her."

Gordie yelled, as he walked out. "You are a lying sack of shit, you know that?" and slammed the door.

The party goers were confused at what happened. Michelle was quite embarrassed, because she was the only one with a clue as to what was going on.

A few minutes later, Michelle cornered Chris and told him, "go after Gordie, he is hurting like you. You need to talk to each other."

Chris nodded in agreement, grabbed his coat and ran out after him.

—

In the darkness of the night, Gordie walked through the park, the dim lights were illuminating the path back to the apartment.

Fucking Chris, how dare he lie like that.

He hurt me so much.

He's here with me now.

God, I love him so much.

He is still so fucking sexy when hes mad.

Dammit he turns me on.

What is wrong with me?

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't see the three youths walking behind him like lions on the savanna, ready to attack their prey. The park was so dark, that even if Gordie was wary, he might have trouble noticing they were there all along.

It was when one of them stepped on a pile of crunchy leaves that Gordie turned around.

All three youths were just teenagers, but Gordie saw the flash of a knife, and the other had something heavy in his hand.

"Give us your bread, motherfucker."

Gordie reached in his wallet as he stepped back. All he had was five dollars. Gordie threw the five dollars and said "here." One of the kids picked up the fiver and said, "this fuckin queer only had five dollars? Well we should kick his ass for being a faggot and only having five dollars on him."

Gordie knew what that meant. Run. He only had three blocks to clear. Run, like Ace Merrill was chasing him. RUN!

Gordie ran, winding through trees and bushes, tripping a few times, while the ruffians were whooping and hollering, "Smear the queer".

Gordie saw the lights of his door, he was almost there. And then he tripped, tumbling down into the grass.

Gordie tried to lift himself up, but his strength failed him. The three youths surrounded him. And as they did, the brights of a vehicle shone on them in the park. The driver hopped out, holding a bat.

Gordie looked up. As he lifted himself up, he saw the figure. It was a tall, muscular man.

Chris.

Chris ran up to Gordie, and stood in front of him holding the bat. "Who wants to be first tonight?" He said, with a voice that was threatening.

One of the youths slashed forward with his knife, but Chris swung and with a crack of the bat, hit the kid right in the arm. The sound of the bat hitting the arm was a loud thump, and the kid dropped the knife and screamed blood. The other one with the heavy object threw it at Chris, but Chris hit it with the bat, hitting the other kid in the face with his own object in the teeth.

The middle youth ran away leaving the two alone, to face the wrath of the tall muscular man.

Gordie, who had recovered, pulled Chris back and said "No, stop, these punks aren't worth it."

Chris, who by now, had snapped out of his rage, asked Gordie, facing the two punks, "You ok, nothing broken?"

"I'm sore and embarrassed, but I will live."

"Get in the truck."

Gordie went into the truck, and Chris walked backwards, to the driver's side door, still holding his bat.

—-

Gordie walked in their apartment.

Chris right behind him, and as Gordie put his keys on the hook, Chris pulled him to him and slapped him.

"What the fuck is…" Gordie yelled until he saw Chris's face.

Chris had a contorted face of anger and fear. Anger that he walked into that park late at night, but fear that Gordie could have been hurt so bad.

Chris pulled Gordie into his arms and cried. "Dammit, I love you, don't do anything that stupid again. If anything happened to you, I would never…'

Gordie wrapped his arms around Chris's waist, and said, "I love you too, I am sorry for worrying you." This time, Gordie cried loud sobs of emotion that were waiting to come out. "I love you Chris."

Chris whispered at him, "I know honey, I do…"