Chapter Five
"Mr. La Chance, can I speak to you for a minute?"
Gordie paused mid-step, a flutter of anxiety passing through his body as he heard his teacher Mrs. Hadley call his name at the end of class. He cleared his throat nervously, but was surprised to see her smiling up at him.
"Don't be nervous…I actually called you over to praise you on your story. I thought it was very good."
"Really?" Gordie couldn't help a small smile from tugging at his lips and he could feel his heart soaring. "Thanks!"
She chuckled and crossed her legs at the ankle, studying him intently. "I'm really sorry about your loss, Gordie…your brother sounded like an amazing person. I think he'd be very touched to know you wrote such a beautiful piece about him."
Gordie didn't know what to say. It wasn't every day someone noticed his writing, much less thought of it as a touching work of art. He mumbled his thanks again to avoid sounding like a moron.
"I'd love to see more of your stories," she went on. "Have a nice day, Gordie…see you in class tomorrow."
He walked out of there with a new spring in his step, a smile emblazoned on his face. He didn't know being complimented on an essay could feel so good. He was so lost in his euphoria, he barely noticed the girl staring at him as he rustled through his locker.
"My, you're cheery."
"What?" He jumped, his books crashing to the floor. A flush of embarrassment danced across his cheeks, and he looked up to see an auburn-haired girl dressed in a pleated skirt and navy blazer grinning at him. She looked familiar, but he couldn't place her name or where he'd seen her.
"You look like you just won the lottery, is all," she laughed. "You're in my English class with Mrs. Hadley, aren't you? I think your name is Gordie? I see you sitting there in a daze most of the time."
'Oh god, am I that obvious?' he wondered. Damn, what was this girl doing staring at him anyway? Didn't she have anything better to do?
"I'm Sara," she introduced, holding out a hand for him to shake. He looked down at it like it was made of thorns, causing her to giggle at his reaction.
"You're weird…but I guess everyone is," she said with a shrug. "See you tomorrow."
He watched her walk down the corridor, and through the double doors to catch her bus home. Something about the way she'd called him weird made him smile. It seemed familiar somehow.
"See ya," he mumbled. He quickly grabbed his books from the floor and made his way outside to meet up with the guys at Gringo's.
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Gringo's was a popular drugstore right in the heart of downtown Castle Rock, a place where you could get a tall cup of fountain soda for a dime and browse their selection of books and magazines until Mr. Gringo kicked you out. There was a counter towards the rear of the store where Mrs. Gringo doled out prescription medication while keeping her hawk eyes trained on anyone hocking merchandise, which was just what Teddy was trying to do as Gordie approached.
"What are you doing?" Gordie asked with a smile, noticing Teddy slipping a few condoms in to his pocket. Teddy swiveled around, glasses nearly coming off his head as he gaped at Gordie.
"Fuck, don't scare me like that…I thought you were that old lady," he snapped, adjusting his glasses.
"What do you need condoms for anyway?" Gordie laughed. "Is there something we don't know about?" He shook his head and began eyeing all the magazines he loved, wishing he had an extra few dollars in his pocket.
"Just you wait and see, Gordie…I'll be getting all the junior high tail in school, while you're busy jerkin' it to some Playboy magazines. Then we'll see who's laughing."
"Whatever…where's Chris and Vern?"
Teddy motioned towards the back of the store. "Getting some sodas…hey, go over there and get me an orange one, ok?" He tossed him a dime.
Gordie headed over to the soda jerk, whistling. Today was shaping up to be a good day; he'd gotten complimented on his writing, and now he was spending a whole afternoon with his best friends, no aim or plans, just an intent to have a good time.
Chris and Vern were seated at the counter, both guzzling down grape sodas. Mr. Gringo's brother Al operated the fountain, and he quickly dropped what he was doing to place Gordie's order.
"Two large sodas, please…one orange, one cherry," he said, taking a seat near his friends. Chris smiled up at him.
"That'll be twenty cents, kid," Al said, taking the coins from Gordie's outstretched hand and handing him two full glasses of fizzy soda.
"Hey, Teddy, get your ass over here!" Chris called. They could hear him grumbling all the way to the counter, annoyed that he'd been interrupted during his petty theft.
"Guys, I almost had that new Playboy issue," he hissed.
"I thought you didn't need it," Gordie teased. "You know, since you're getting all that junior high tail and all."
Teddy sipped on his soda thoughtfully, leaving a mustache of bubbles behind on his upper lip. "You never know when you may need a Playboy for those cold, lonely winter nights," he advised with a grin.
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The sun was just beginning to set when Chris and Gordie parted ways with the others. The town was awash in an amber glow, the hilltops appearing as if they were on fire. Shop keepers were sweeping the outside of their stores, preparing for a long evening of sitting at the counter and waiting for some desperate sap to buy their junk.
Chris' sneakers slapped on the pavement as they walked in sync down Baker Street. "So, how you liking those honors classes so far?" he asked, dispelling the comfortable silence.
"Eh, they're not too bad. It's weird being alone, though. I'm used to seeing your ugly mug every day," he responded with a smile.
Chris laughed. "Yeah, but I'm sure you've got prettier girls in your classes…you know, smart girls."
Gordie shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
They were just rounding the corner on Baker, ready to split ways, when a girl crossed their path. She was dragging a crate filled with books, huffing at the weight of it, her hair falling in to her face.
"Hey, let me help you with that," Chris offered. When she looked up, Gordie realized it was the same girl from school, the one who'd talked to him in the hallway this afternoon. Sara, that's it. She grinned when she saw him standing there.
"Hi, Gordie…fancy meeting you here," she chirped. She smiled gratefully at Chris as he lifted up the crate with ease. She motioned to the bookstore behind her. "That's my Daddy's shop…we're just bringing in some of the displays for the night. I don't know why he insists on sending little ol' me out here to do this every night. You can just set it on the table inside."
Chris nodded, doing just as she asked, and left Sara and Gordie outside. He shuffled his feet in the dust between the cracks of the sidewalk, not quite sure what to say.
"So, you live around here?" she finally asked.
"Yeah, I live right off of Baker…you?"
"Oh, I live down on Westchester," she explained. "I just come out here to work with my father and go to school. I couldn't really stand the kids at the school near me, so I asked to be transferred."
Gordie knew what she meant. Westchester was a nice area, perhaps the wealthiest neighborhood in Castle Rock. Owning a home there meant you were a successful businessman or lawyer, and your kids were most likely snobs that looked down on the Castle Rock junior high kids.
Chris popped out of the store, appearing unsure as if he was interrupting their conversation. "It's on the table for you."
"Thanks! Well, I guess I better be going…my Dad will have a fit if I'm not back in there to help him with the customers. Thanks again for your help."
"Anytime."
She gave them a short wave, her eyes glued to Gordie. "See you tomorrow then?" she asked.
He smiled back at her. "Sure…see you!"
Chris turned to him once she'd gone back inside, a small smile upturning his lips. "Who's that? And why are you grinning so much?"
Gordie blushed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What? Oh, that's just Sara. She's a girl in my English class…she seems pretty nice... and I'm not grinning."
Chris was quiet for a moment, and the only noises that could be heard were the crickets coming out to play as twilight settled in, and the scraping of their shoes against cement. They followed the street until the very end, stopping in front of Gordie's house, which was lit up in the kitchen. He could see his mother's silhouette bustling about, popping a dinner in the stove.
"I think that girl likes you, man," Chris finally commented. He pulled a cigarette from the pack he kept concealed in the sleeve of his shirt, not bothering to offer Gordie one since he knew his Mom had the nose of a bloodhound. "She couldn't keep her eyes off of you."
Gordie shoved his friend, barely able to keep the sheepish grin off his face. "She probably just likes me as a friend, asshole."
Chris was silent for a moment, dragging on his cigarette thoughtfully. Tendrils of smoke caressed their faces, and Gordie had to wave it away to keep the stench off of him.
"I guess it's better that way, though," Chris said, a faraway look in his eyes. "Girls will just bring you down…you don't need that." He looked at Gordie and smiled. "Besides, you've got us!"
"Yeah, but I can't screw you guys…sorry to disappoint you," Gordie joked.
Chris merely shook his head and laughed. "See you, man," he said before heading down the street, ready to get home before his Dad served him a few good punches before suppertime.