Chapter 15

The night moved so fast, and it was around seven in the morning but it seemed like it was already noon. Almost every store was opened already and everyone was awake. Even Gordie and the boys were, except Chris. This was actually the first time Chris slept in. He'd usually be the first to wake up and wake the rest. Gordie was hanging out with Teddy and Vern around the town, roaming around.

"Hey, Gordo, where's Chris?" Vern asked, drinking some root beer and chewing some Twinkies.

"He's sleeping in." Gordie said.

"Must be tired of what he did with Penny maybe." Teddy thought, and laughed.

"You're sick, Teddy." Gordie said, and looked around. He saw someone running towards them. He stood up to take a better look. It wasn't Chris though, it was a girl. "Penny what are you doing here?"

"Just wanna walk around. And then I saw you guys." She said, and sat between Teddy and Gordie. "Where's Chris?"

"He's sleeping in." Gordie said.

"Oh," she said, surprised and touched the dark circles below her eyes.

"What did you guys do last night that made him exhausted?" Teddy asked.

"Nothing, Teddy, nothing. Well, we almost argued." She told him, and opened a can of root beer.

"I knew it." Gordie said, and laughed.

"C'mon, at least we kept it down before his dad heard us. But of course we had to stop." She said.

"I'm glad you guys fixed that."

Chris started a rough morning, greeted by a hard blow by his dad. He must've remembered last night, as Chris thought he was able to get away from it. He looked for the guys around the town and saw them hanging out, sitting on the gutter.

"Oh, look, Chris is here." Vern said, and pointed at him from across the street. Chris approached them at sat between Gordie and Vern.

"What happened to you? Slept in?" Teddy asked.

"No. My dad didn't forget about what happened last night." Chris said, and rubbed his ribs. The boys fell silent and Gordie tried to change the mood. "Is Penny gone?"

"No, she was actually here with us a minute ago." Gordie said.

"Yeah, and she kissed us all before leaving." Vern said excitedly, rubbing his reddened cheek which Penny kissed.

"Damn." Chris murmured under his breath. "Guys, come with me."

The guys followed as they headed to Penny's house. Chris saw Penny walking to her house and unto the van, which was about to leave the house.

"Penny! Penny, wait!" Chris yelled. She looked back and saw Chris with the boys. She nervously walked to them and stared palely.

"Guys, is this one of your last minute goodbyes?" she asked uninterested.

"No, just mine." Chris said, and smiled.

"Chris Chambers, what are you so happy about? You're happy that I'm leaving now? Well, great, I shall get going now then." She said, sarcastically and started to leave.

"Hey, don't leave yet." He said, and held unto her wrists. She faced him and touched the fingers of his hand and breathed heavily.

"I'm still happy about last night." Chris said, and grinned.

"Okay, I get it." She said, her voice starting to shake.

"Hey, are you crying?" he said, and held her cheeks.

"No."

"I haven't seen you get all emotional in front of me for a while now." Chris said.

"I haven't seen you too."

"You want me to do it now?" he said, their faces getting closer and closer.

"Hey, hey, guys, we're on the streets." Gordie reminded them. The two looked at each other and grinned.

"Penny, c'mon let's go!" Johnny yelled from behind, carrying his back pack and a jacket.

"Sorry, guys, my brother's really impatient this morning." Penny said.

"Yeah, we were gonna leave anyway." Gordie said, making look at him. "So, is this goodbye?"

"Just some last words." She said. She started with Vern and told him it was a lot of fun being with him. And then with Teddy.

"Okay, Mr. Duchamp, this is the finale, and I know I'm gonna see you still all crazy twenty years from now. Don't get so boring." She said, and smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, Gordie, thanks for helping me out. You'll always be Mr. Genius." She said.

"And then now who will I be?" Teddy cut in.

"Mr. Kiss-my-ass." She said, and smirked and everyone laughed. She turned to Chris, and he raised his eyebrow, expecting something.

"I love you."

"I know." He grinned, and smirked.

"Alright, now I'm serious. Listen, I know you can read that I'm gonna miss you and all those stuff. We've known each other since, and I didn't expect this is the last time I'll ever see you."

"Hey, you know there's a chance that we could see each other again. We'd all be reunited." He said, brightly and pulled her into a hug.

"I know. That's what I always think of. Well, except for the fact that it's ten or twenty years from now but I just don't want you guys to change. But if you plan to, just upgrade yourself then. You could get out of here. We could all get out of here." She said.

"I know. And you're the lucky first."

"You guys be the next and better ones."

"Penny, are coming or what?" Johnny yelled impatiently.

"Thanks for those words, Penny. You just give me something I don't know where to get." Chris said, and kissed her forehead.

She smiled at all of them and walked to the car and approached a cranky and impatient Johnny. They both entered the van and Penny sat at the very back. The car started to move and she looked back at the boys for one last time. She smiled and waved at them and they waved back. The view of four of them standing with each other made them just what great friends and boys they are. Something she doesn't know where to find in the new place she was moving to. The car sped off and she started to lose of the boys. She stared at them until they left the street.

The boys stood before her house until the car left. They all faced the empty house and at each other.

"You guys wanna get some food?" Vern asked, ending the awkward silence.

"Sure." Gordie and Teddy and started to leave. But Chris still stood, smiling.

"I'm coming. Just give me a second." He said. Thanks, Penny, for everything, he thought. He turned his back and followed the guys. Gordie smiled and gave him a playful kick in the butt. The four guys walked altogether side by side, joking and playing around just like old times. They got their old bond back, and it was still the greatest feeling and times they could ever have. Something they hope they'd never lose.

Phew! That's it, guys. It's all done. I hope you guys like it. I just hate it when good and perfect times have to come to an end. I still feel sad right now, missing someone I don't know if I should miss. That's why I spend more time reading and writing FanFics. I just hope that I would stop being upset about him. I really miss him a lot. Anyway, please review. The final review.