My Own Private Paradise

Author: hell's lil angel13

Summary:Before and after the journey to find Ray Brower, there was another one there. After their journey, what happens next? How did they change, how did they stay the same?

Disclaimer:I keep saying 'see chap one,' so I'll actually write it this time. I only own Shawn, all the rest belongs to Stephen King and Rob Reiner and whoever else created Stand By Me.

You've Got a Friend

We finished school towards the middle of June. The school called my old school in Brooklyn and got my grades and work and all that shit. I have to repeat science this summer and pull my grades up next year.

Coach said it was about time I came back and said that he thought I'd come back much earlier. He's still working and all, so nothing has changed. He also said, though, that he knew that if I did run way, Mama would know and she'd come after me. He knew that I knew that she knew where I was and that she wouldn't give this up. She is my mama and has a right to take me home.

I asked Chris and Gordie one day why I couldn't just stay with Coach. Chris said that since we never went to court, neither of my parents were granted custody of me. So, legally, I belonged to them both still and had really no choice in the matter.

Well, that fucking sucks, don't you think? Wanna hear what sucks even more? You do, well, let me tell you the story and you'll find out, yeah? Alright, if you say so.

I remember when we were kids; we used to camp out in Vern Tessio's back field almost every weekend. Now, with the fact that we only just say 'hi' to him and Teddy in the halls and stuff like that, we don't do our "camping trips" anymore. But, all three of us decided that we should again.

We were sitting in Gordie's room, doing our homework on Thursday a little before school let out. I was lying on my back and trying to figure out my French homework. I seriously couldn't remember if phoque meant seal or if it was salle that meant fuck...Okay, so I didn't have to know how to say 'fuck' in French, but I did think I should broaden my horizons a little, right?

Gordie was trying to finish all his work as soon as possible so he could call Poppy, since she wasn't in school today. I swear, I haven't seen the chick too much, but by the looks and sounds of it, she's got poor Gordie whipped. And every time someone gets whipped in books and movies, they end up doing something really stupid to either get dumped, cheated on, or killed...or a mixture of the three.

"Hey," Gordie said suddenly, "my parents are going out of town this weekend. And you know what I was thinking?"

"You want us to get lost so you can fuck Poppy?" I asked quickly and Chris tried, and failed, to stifle a laugh.

"No, not yet. I was thinking, we haven't camped out in years. How bout the three of us camp out in a tent in my backyard this weekend? We could go to the lake for a while, you know, just like old times?" I looked at Chris excitedly and we both nodded and said it was a good idea. I'd have to ask Daddy though.

"My old man's out with Ace's dad and them rummies. I think mama will be fine with it," Chris said happily.

I remember when we were little kids, some of the happiest memories I had was when we would all go through the woods a little behind Gordie's house and go swimming in the lake over the summer and spring. We'd dunk each other and throw one another off the dock. When we were really little and didn't really know the difference between guys and girls yet, I will admit we went skinny dipping quite often. Hey, stop laughing, we don't do it anymore!

"I gotta get home for supper," I said to the guys a few hours later as I looked at the time. I packed up and walked two streets over to my house. "Daddy?" I called when I walked in the front door. "Daddy, you home?" I yelled and stuck my head in the kitchen. He was cooking some spaghetti and meatballs.

"Hey Shawn, how is everything?" he asked me.

"Good, Chris and Gordie say hi. Um, is it alright if I go and camp out with them tomorrow night?"

"What's tomorrow, Friday?"

"Yeah."

"Sure, I don't see why not," he said and then handed me some plates and forks and stuff to set the table. We sat down and started to eat when Daddy said, "What about your other friends besides Gordie and Chris?"

I bit my lip. I was never really good at making friends and although I had a few other friends, I never talked to them much outside of school. "What about them?"

"Well, how are they doing?" I shrugged and said that they seemed fine. "Nothing's going on with them?"

"I don't think so. Chris and Gordie are in all my classes except gym, so I just talk to them mostly."

"What about your friends in gym class then?"

"Erm...they're okay, I guess," I said. I didn't exactly have 'friends' in gym class. They were mostly just girls that I knew a little bit who didn't have a partner and I'd partner up with them for the day. A lot of the time, I have to join a group and make a group of three for something.

But, I liked when we did the dodgeball unit, since it was just teams that needed to be picked. Yeah, I was always picked towards the end 'cause the popular bitches were always captains. But, my team always won because I was quick and had aim...unlike other people I know (coughbitchesfromtheviewcough).

Chris and I went straight to Gordie's house the next day after school. Poppy came along with us and stayed for supper. She got along well with Gordie's mama, which I think was a god thing for Gordie. His mama was starting to notice Gordie, finally, and also seemed happy that Poppy was such a lovely girl for her son.

After the dishes were all cleared and Poppy went home, we decided to watch TV, since it wasn't dark enough out yet; we had an early dinner. I noticed that Attack of the Giant Leeches was on TV and when I suggested it, Gordie got up and locked himself in a closet until I promised we wouldn't watch it. I only meant it as a joke! I guess he hasn't gotten over the little leech thing. Then again, if I had one hanging from my tits or any other place like that, I'd probably do the same as Gordie.

We watched Paladin instead and when it was over, we started to bring all our stuff outside into the tent. The tent was really only supposed to hold one or two people in it, so trying to stuff three sleeping bags, a bunch of magazines, food, flashlights, and three full-grown kids in it wasn't exactly easy. But, we did it, somehow.

After the tent was set up—which took a while because we goofed off and made it collapse on Chris—we got changed and went through the woods to the lake to go swimming. As usual, we raced to the dock to see who would be pushed in and who was fast enough to jump in before the others pushed them.

We all made it to the dock at the same time and jump grabbed one another and kinda just threw ourselves into the water. It was really awkward, but so hilarious. We came up laughing hysterically and spitting water out of our mouths.

But, Gordie had to go and pick me up and chuck me farther from him and Chris into deeper water. You know, for a skinny little string bean, the kid has muscle! "Oh you're gonna get it now Lachance! You die, Lachance!" I yelled and started to splash Gordie with no mercy and dunking him continuously.

Chris joined in and started dunking me and Gordie, so it turned into a three-way dunking match. If we were having a wet t-shirt contest, I wouldn't be able to tell you who won after that; we were all so soaked.

The sun was starting to set and we trekked back to the tent. But, when we got there, Gordie's mama was walking towards us. It was unusual, since she never usually came out to see us in the tent before.

"Oh good, there you are," she said. She looked at me and said, "Shawn, your mother is here." She gave me a confused look; she knew I didn't live with my mother. I looked nervously at Chris and Gordie, who returned the look, and I nodded to Mrs. Lachance.

Still dripping water and trying to pull on a pair of wrinkled gym shorts, I followed Mrs. Lachance into the house. Mama was there and sitting at the table alone with a cup of tea in one hand.

"Hi Mama, how are you?" I said, trying to keep my cool and act as if there was nothing wrong that I knew of.

"Come with me, let's go for a walk, yes?" she said and I gulped. But, I threw aside my better judgement and followed her out the door.

We walked down the street a little ways and then stopped at the corner between Carbine and Pine Street. We stood there for a few moments in silence, me biting my lip the entire time and wishing that Gordie and Chris were here or hiding in the bushes somewhere spying on us.

I was about to open my mouth to say something when I suddenly had a hand, with three large, sharp rings and five filed fingernails, come in contact with my face, and not lightly either. And although I knew it happened, it took me a moment to realize that my mother had just slapped me across the face. I touched my face and felt cuts where her fingers and rings had broken the skin.

"I can't believe you would do something so childish as to run away, Shannon Elizabeth Collins," she said. Oh man, the three-namer thing. That's always the worst thing that could ever happen to you. And if my mom had stayed with Daddy, I bet you anything I woulda gotten it at least once a week. I stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. "You know I told you that you were to stay with me, and you deliberately disobeyed me."

I'm still quiet; I won't say anything, because I have nothing to say. She doesn't own me. "Now this whole tomboy thing of yours was fine when you were a little girl. But, now you're almost thirteen years old and turning into a young woman, you can't keep on acting like this." Almost thirteen, is that what she said? I'm fourteen woman, not almost thirteen! But, I still don't say a word.

"Answer me when I speak to you, young lady," Mama scolded me. But, I just shook my head and stand there. She wants me to talk, but I'm not going to. I won't back down for her. We stand there, staring each other down and probably waiting for me to say something. Mama grabs my shoulder suddenly and starts to shake me and loudly whispers at me to say something.

Grinding my teeth and shaking my head, I say without unclamping my teeth, "You don't own me anymore. You gave up on me and Daddy the day you left. I want nothing to do with you now." More shakes and another smack across the face, but I don't back down; I am tough and hang in there until it's over. I took on all the Cobras with Chris and Gordie, with Ray Brower's dead body behind us; I could stand up to my mom too. "You're not the boss of me anymore. And I'm not going anywhere with you," I finished. I was done now, so I spat in the space between Mama and me, turned on my heel and ran all the way to Gordie's house (I ran all the way home! Just to say I'm soh-ree! Sorry, just had to do that). I went into the backyard, flung myself into the tent as fast as I could through the opening. I nearly landed on Gordie, but didn't care. I turned around to face the opening and closed the door, keeping both the zippers on the inside, just in case.

"What happened?" Gordie said quickly once I got my breathing and heart rate down to a more normal pace. I told them what my mom did, but I was barely able to tell them that she practically backhanded me when Chris' calloused, yet gentle, fingertips ran the length of the cuts on my face.

"It's not bad," I tried to convince them. I'd seen what Chris went through almost every week, I wasn't gonna complain about my petty problems. But, the guys didn't seem to think the same way that I did.

"Not that bad! Shawn, there's like six scratches on your cheek," Gordie said, pushing my face a little so he could see the cuts better.

"Really, it's not that bad. I'm fine," I insisted. They didn't look like they believed me, but they dropped the subject. We got into our sleeping bags and lay down, ready to just relax and enjoy one another's company.

We goofed off and did the usual stuff that we would do, but there was a stiff sort of tension that hung in the air the entire time. We all knew it was about me and my mama, but none of us mentioned it while we talked.

But, when we decided it was time to go to bed, a growing sense of dread suddenly filled up in my stomach. What if she was still out there somewhere, very close and just waiting for the right moment to take me away again? Just because the zippers were on the inside didn't mean we could keep her out forever.

I was suddenly scared, and although I didn't voice it, Chris and Gordie knew right away. That was what made our friendship so great; we didn't need words to tell each other if we were sad or scared or confused or whatever. We just knew right away, kinda like we had this twin telepathy thing going for us.

They knew, and for that I was grateful. We moved our sleeping bags as close as we could to each other; me squished in the middle of the guys. Just before I fell asleep, I felt two arms reach around me, one from each of the guys, and I felt safe again. I somehow felt right then that I could do anything, because I had my two best friends with me to back me up, and I knew that if I found my mother again, I had Chris and Gordie there behind me, every step of the way.