Author's note: Sorry the chapter took so long, guys. I tried to make it a bit longer, but failed miserably, lol.

Chapter 11

Chris leaned against the porch railing as he dragged on his cigarette, staring off in to the distance at his neighbors' house. He'd just eaten dinner as fast as he could, eager to escape the barrage of insults his Dad usually threw at him about his school grades, and the cigarette was calming his nerves.

Peering over the fence, he could see his neighbor Johnny Demarco and his hood brothers, Alan and Steve, loitering in their yard, polishing up a motorcycle that was undoubtedly stolen from some poor sap's garage. Their mother, Sue Demarco, was rocking in a rickety chair on their porch, her chubby legs barely clothed in her see-through nightgown.

"That thing's still a piece of shit, Stevie," she called out to her youngest son. "Polishing it ain't gonna make it look better…couldn't you steal a nicer lookin' bike?"

"Ma, it ain't done yet!" snapped Johnny.

Chris pulled harder on his cigarette, rolling his eyes in disgust. Was this all his life had to offer? Living next to thugs…hell, being one of them even. The Demarco's might've very well been the Merrills or the Desjardins…or the Chambers family. Vern and Teddy's family even had it better than he did…shit, Vern never got much flack because his parents were teachers and respected in society, and all the teasing Teddy got was because he was a nut, but at least he was a nut that people were afraid to pick on. And Gordie was virtually ignored, probably because he so quiet and a bit of a loner. Chris envied that, he'd wished all his life that he could just be left alone and not be associated with the bad reputation that came with being a Chambers.

'But I'm not like them,' he reassured himself. 'I'm not some thief or some lowlife…I'm better than this.' The thought brought him little comfort. As long as he lived here in this poor little suburb of Castle Rock, he would always be a lowlife and a thief and nothing more.

"Hey, kid…what are you doing out here?" Eyeball came shuffling up the driveway. He looked a little anxious, his hands shoved deep in to the pockets of his jeans, his eyes darting about.

Chris held up his cigarette. "Smoking, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Dad will be mad if he sees that," Eyeball reminded him quietly.

"Dad knows I smoke and he doesn't care," Chris said pointedly, in no mood for this conversation. "Why do you care any way?"

Eyeball didn't answer, merely shrugged his thin shoulders. He joined his little brother up against the railing and lit his own cigarette, the glow of it washing his face in orange light. There was a bit of an awkward silence between them, the only sounds heard were their mouths parting to exhale their smoke and the gravelly voice of Mrs. Demarco as she yelled at her three boys.

"So, are you going to the dance up at the school?" Eyeball finally asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth.

Chris glanced at his brother in surprise. He was sure acting strange tonight, which was odd since his breath didn't reek of cheap beer like it usually did. Since when did Eyeball care about anything he did? Chris had never been close to his brother the way brothers should be close…in fact, he'd always assumed Eyeball had hated him because he wasn't tough. They never talked about serious stuff like Gordie and his brother Denny had done before that fateful night in April, never had any heart-to-hearts.

"Nah, no one asked me…it's a Sadie Hawkins thing," he said.

Eyeball relaxed, giving his brother a pat on the shoulder. "Those dances are pretty lame any way…I went to one back in junior high and Principal Sanders made sure no one got beyond a peck on the cheek. They watch you like a hawk over there, it ain't never any fun."

"I would've gone if someone asked me…what else am I gonna do on a Friday night?"

"Why don't you hang out with that fat kid or the four-eyed loony guy you usually hang out with…or Denny La Chance's weird brother?" Eyeball quickly suggested. "I'll probably be out Friday night, so you guys will have the TV to yourselves after Dad goes out, which you know will be early since it's two-for-one night at Happy Jack's."

"My friends have names, Eyeball," Chris said sharply. "Can you just leave me alone for a little while? I'm not going to the dance, don't worry."

Eyeball nodded, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. "Alright, don't be mouthin' off. Ok, I'm gonna tell Mom you guys are gonna be here Friday night so she doesn't schedule one of her bridge club meetings here." He threw his cigarette over the railing and Chris watched it sail to the ground.

"Ok, it's getting fucking cold out here…goodnight, little brother." Eyeball disappeared in to the house, slamming the screen door behind him.

Chris shook his head, taking one last drag off of his cigarette, then tossed it aside just like his brother had done. He didn't know why Eyeball was being so nice of all a sudden, and truthfully, he didn't care. It was probably nothing.

He had no intention of going to the Sadie Hawkins dance any way. Gordie was probably going with that girl and there was nothing more awkward than being the third wheel. Besides, he was still sore from Gordie's words over the weekend. He'd thought up until this point that Gordie would always need him. Now he was being tossed aside for some girl, someone Gordie hardly even knew. He hated to admit it, but no matter how pissed off he was, deep down he was more hurt than anything. His friend didn't look up to him like he used to.

'And he was the one trying so hard to get me to stay in this town,' Chris thought somberly, feeling a sting of bitterness in his throat. Still, Chris missed his friend like crazy. He was always the one Chris went to when he had a problem because he never ragged on him like the other guys, always took his words seriously. The fact that some girl could be more important than the friendship they'd had for all those years really bugged him.

The sky was beginning to darken and the only light visible was from the fireflies that lingered in the yard. Chris shoved his hands in to his pockets and shivered, feeling the late September chill seep in to his light tee shirt. He couldn't afford heavier clothes just yet. Chris headed inside, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.

The cafeteria was buzzing with excitement the following Wednesday afternoon…it was a mere two days before the Sadie Hawkins dance and the anticipation was palpable. Most girls huddled together at their tables, showing off catalogue clippings of the dresses they'd picked out from local boutiques, while other girls picked at their lunch forlornly, too shy to ask anyone out. Most of the guys were indifferent about the dance—it was mostly an excuse for the girls to dress up and bring the guy she'd been pining for since elementary school. Still, being asked to the dance was better than being looked over because that implied you weren't cool enough, and that wasn't a title any junior high boy wanted.

Gordie grabbed his tray after forking over twenty-five cents to the lunch lady and scanned his eyes through the sea of smiling faces to find his friends. Thankfully, Teddy's huge glasses could be spotted a mile away, so Gordie quickly pushed his way to the table towards the back left-hand corner of the room.

"Gordie!" Vern exclaimed through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Where've you been?"

Gordie glanced over at Chris, who seemed awfully interested in the meatloaf that he was cutting up with his fork. He cleared his throat and finally looked at Vern, forcing a smile. "Oh, I've been around…I've been at Sara's house these past few days doing some studying."

"Is that what you kids call it these days?" Teddy remarked.

"Well, necking is another term, but I like to reserve that phrase for your Mom," Gordie deadpanned, never missing a beat.

"Good one, Gordie!" Vern hooted, spraying a bit of meat on to the table as he chatted with his mouth full. Teddy merely punched Vern in the arm, prompting an 'Ow…Teddy!' from his friend.

"So, Gord-o, are you going to the dance on Friday?" Teddy went on. Chris was still wrapped up in his food, never once looking at Gordie. His mouth chewed on his carrots furiously.

"Umm, probably not," Gordie lied. "I think my Mom wants me home to help out with the yard work." He felt stupid for lying about it when he knew very well he was going, but he really didn't want to make waves with Chris. Truthfully, he kind of missed talking with the guys like he used to, especially Chris.

"Wait, you're not going?" Chris finally said, his eyes boring in to Gordie's. "I figured Sara would've asked you by now."

He could feel his face getting hot, his lips fumbling on his words. God, now he was digging himself in an even deeper hole. "Well, we're not serious or anything."

Chris nodded, contemplative for a moment. "If your Mom lets you out early on Friday, maybe you can stop by my place. We're gonna be over there playing cards and watching t.v."

And that was it, as good an apology as anything. Maybe Chris wasn't as mad as he'd thought he'd been, and maybe he wasn't either. Fighting over this stuff just seemed unimportant now.

"I'll try," he said.

Chris nodded, apparently pleased with that answer. Things weren't all together well just yet, but at least they were on speaking terms.

Gordie smiled and ate with a new fervor, suddenly hungry for the rubbery meatloaf on his tray. Never mind the fact that he actually was going to the Sadie Hawkins dance on Friday night. He'd deal with that hurdle when he came to it. At least things were cool between he and Chris and that was all that mattered to him at the moment.

"So, you're not going to the dance with me tomorrow night, huh?"

Gordie closed his locker after his first class the next day, only to see Sara's angry face looming in front of him. Her skin was ashen. "Wait, what?" he feigned innocence. Shit, now he was in for it.

"This girl in my Math class overheard you saying in the cafeteria yesterday that you weren't going to the dance with me at all, that you had some house work to do," Sara stormed. "I was telling a few girls in my class that I was going and everything…now I look like a liar! What gives?" Sara's eyes were filled with hurt and disappointment, and Gordie knew he had to come clean.

"Look, I was only telling my friends that so they wouldn't get mad at me," he explained quietly. "I've been ditching them lately to go hang out with you and Chris has been really pissed off about it. I just didn't want to make them mad anymore. I'm still going to the dance with you, don't worry."

Sara's expression never wavered. "What, so you're ashamed of me or something? I've been noticing every time we're in the hallways together, you always distance yourself from me whenever you see your friends."

"No, not at all," he said quickly. "I really want to go to the dance with you…will you still go with me?" He waited for her answer, watching her cross her arms over her barely-there chest, her head tilted away from him.

"Of course I want to go…I bought my dress and everything. I thought you were the one that didn't want to go."

"No, I definitely want to go," he reassured.

She shook her head. "I'll see you at 8 tomorrow night then." And with that, she stalked off, leaving behind her scent of vanilla musk. She didn't even kiss him good-bye like she usually did and Gordie could tell she was still mad at him.

He felt stupid all of a sudden…he shouldn't have lied in the first place. Now Sara thought he was ashamed of her and she shouldn't have to think that. Picking up his backpack from the floor, Gordie set off to his next class, a scowl etched on his face.

'Damn, junior high isn't easy.'