One Of The Boys

by Thirteen Again

So, the gang sets out to find Ray Brower: Gordie, Chris, Teddy, Vern... and JOEY? This is what I think would happen if there was a girl going with the four guys. Believe me, it's better than it sounds... I hope. Happy reading!

20. Chapter 20

Before I begin this final chapter of the story, I would like to tell everyone that a sequel has been started, and shall be up once I finish the first few chapters. Also, I would like to thank every single person who has reviewed my story as of yet. And those people are:

mud-queen386

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All of you guys just made me so happy with your kind words, encouragement, praise and Stand By Me fangirl raving. Love you all! *blows kisses and throws smexy pictures of Chris Chambers to show appreciation*. Ok, one final thing, my sequel will be called "Chambers of My Heart", and will cover the adulthoods of all the gang. Happy reading!

CHAPTER 20: AND IN THE END

As we walked back to Castle Rock, we barely spoke of the trip. I had my own thoughts to mull over:

Chris had kissed me during the trip. On the lips. Not once, but THREE TIMES. I guess Mickey would be happy that the scene he had painted would come to fruition. I suddenly had a thought: why was I focusing on this kiss so much? I mean, sure, it was kind of special, but I was acting like… dare I say it… a GIRL. Was this the end of Joey Randall? What would I do after this trip? Was I going to morph into one of those magazine girls, like my mother had always wanted?

"No," that little voice inside my head said to me. "Chris likes you just the way you are, Joe. So quit being so worried. You may be a tomboy for the rest of your life, you may not. It doesn't matter; just be yourself."

It was one of those few instances in life where I actually listened to my inner voice. I stood a little taller as the five of us walked into town. Everything seemed a little different, though. The town seemed… smaller.

We walked for a while before we arrived at Vern's street. We stood in silence before Vern said, "Well, see you guys."

"See ya," Gordie, Chris and I said.

"See you in junior high," Teddy said as Vern walked away. Vern walked a few paces before bending down and picking up something. "Hey, a penny!" he said happily before running down the street.

The others and I just laughed as we walked a little further down the road. Once we got to Teddy's house, he said, "Well, I guess I'd better get home before my mom puts me on the 10 Most Wanted list."

I shrugged. "Guess so."

Teddy nodded and started to walk off. Before he did, he turned to Chris and asked, "Chris? No hard feelings, right?"

Chris shook his head. "No way, man."

Teddy gave a small smile before turning away and singing, "Have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man/ A night without armor in a savage land…"

Chris, Gordie and I smiled and walked out to our neck of the woods. As we were walking, Chris held my hand. I looked down at the ground and smiled. Chris Chambers was holding MY hand! When we got to the top of the hill near our tree house, we looked out at all the rooftops in our town. I thought about Ray Brower, and how he probably looked out at these very same rooftops just last week. The whole idea had seemed a million years ago.

Chris whispered, "I'm never gonna get out of this town, am I, Gordie?"

Gordie and I looked at each other. Why did Chris have to talk like that all the time? "You can do anything you want, man," Gordie said.

Chris just responded, "Yeah. Sure."

I said, "Well, it's the truth. The both of you are probably going to do so much. I'm the one that'll probably settle down, have a brood of children and keep my mouth shut."

Chris turned to me. "Joey Randall? Keep her mouth shut? Never," he laughed. He then asked, "Do you want me to walk you and Gordie home?"

I shook my head. "That's okay, Chris." I went in to kiss him on the cheek goodbye, but he turned his head at the last minute and kissed me on the lips. Thankfully, Gordie was mature and didn't try to ruin the moment. When we broke away, Chris walked over to Gordie and said, "Give me some skin."

Gordie gave Chris our group's classic hi-five, then gave him our classic goodbye: "See ya."

Chris smiled. "Not if I see you first," he said, and he turned and walked away. Gordie and I watched him walk into the distance. Before he walked any further, he turned and waved at the two of us. Gordie waved back, and I touched the brim of my hat before Chris turned and walked away.

When he was sure that Chris was out of earshot, Gordie led me along and whispered, "Joey and Chris, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled at him as I chased him all the way to our houses. Once we finally got to our houses, we both collapsed on my front lawn, out of breath. Gordie said, "However much I tease you about it… I really am happy for you, Joe."

I laughed. "Thanks, Gordo." I helped him up and looked over at his house. I was worried about Gordie's father. "Are you gonna be okay? I mean, with your dad and everything."

Gordie looked at his house for a minute and then turned to me. "That total, complete, 110%, utter, absolute, positively complete asshole is just going to have to learn to be okay with me."

I felt tears well up in my eyes. My buddy Gordie was growing up. I gave him a hug and said, "Be careful."

Gordie laughed. "Silly Joe, when am I ever NOT?" He then ran off to his house. I stood on my lawn and looked around at my neighborhood. Castle Rock, Oregon, the day after Labor Day, 1959. I smiled to myself and thought, "Mickey is going to fall off his chair when I tell him about everything."

I heard, "DAAAAADDY, JOEY'S BACK!" I smiled and turned to face Mickey as he came running out of the house. "!" he yelled as he ran into my arms.

"Oh, M and M, I missed you so much," I said as I hugged him close. I looked up and saw my dad running towards me. I hugged him too, and he said, "I missed you, my little Molly Pitcher."

"I missed you too, Dad," I whispered, and the three of us just stood in the front yard hugging for about five minutes. Dad finally broke away and picked up my sleeping bag. "So, Joey, did you have any fun?"

Mickey started bouncing up and down in my arms. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! What happened, Joey?"

My dad whispered, "Joey…I know you didn't just go camping in that Tessio kid's back field."

I turned to him. "How…"

Dad smiled. "Chris ran over here and told me all about it before you and Gordie got here. I'm not mad at you, Joe. It's something I would have done."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

Mickey, however, was confused. "What's something Daddy would have done?"

"Well…" I hoisted Mickey up, and as I walked into the house, I began to tell him the story; the story of the greatest summer of my life. "First, Chris told Gordie and me he had to show us something. And you know what that something was?..."

THE END