Chapter Seven
The next morning I caught a bus early out from Ace's place towards school. The bus route took me to Castle Rock Main Street and I was well practiced at making the half a mile walk to catch the school bus from there. It was barely light out, the stores were just beginning to open and cars were scarce on the dusty streets.
I had left the bulk of my things at Ace's place but I had stuffed a toothbrush and a change of clothes inside my school satchel alongside my books because who knew where I was staying tonight? I clearly couldn't go home yet.
"You're Ace's girlfriend." The little voice startled me as I climbed off the bus into the virtually empty street. I looked down at eight year old Becky Chambers, her long blonde hair in two messy pig tails and a variety of baby teeth missing.
"That's right," I told her. "Nina."
"Richie's still asleep." Becky was eating candy from a paper bag, not stopping to chew or close her mouth as she talked to me. "He snores."
I smiled at the little girl and remembered Chris telling me all the Chambers kids shared one room.
"Is that why you're up so early?"
I couldn't see any other kids. In fact, when I looked up and down the street, I couldn't see anybody. I had left earlier than usual because the bus from Ace's wasn't exactly reliable, but the school bus came right by the Chamber place which was a half a mile from here.
"No, I was hungry.' Becky indicated the store candy. "Nothing to eat at home. Anyway, Daddy's not happy."
I looked down at this little girl in her ill fitting jeans with her adorably gappy smile and something tugged at my heart strings.
"You know what, Becky? I'm hungry too. How about you save your candy for later and me and you walk down to the Blue Point Diner? I'm in the mood for pancakes."
I didn't have a lot of money in my pocket, only money Ace had lent me for lunch, but the delight in Becky's face was worth every penny.
"Really? Oh boy, I haven't had pancakes in a million years!"
The two of us started to walk down Main Street and I wondered about a family who let their eight year old daughter wander the street at this hour. I think even my Mom would have been scared if she'd woken up to find me gone at eight years old.
"So you do this a lot?" I asked Becky "Leave the house this early I mean?"
"I like it out here when it's quiet," Becky said. "And I told you." She held up her bag of candy. "I was hungry."
Despite the cold air, Becky wasn't wearing a jacket, and I could see an army of goosebumps forming on her bony arms as we walked. She wrapped her arms around herself and I guess she caught me staring at her.
"I had to give Lily my jacket. Chris said we always have to look after the people smaller. Although Joey never looks after me. It was too small anyhow- the jacket, I mean."
I slid off mine and wrapped it around her shoulders, figuring I owed Chris the same favour.
"Here, have mine until we get to the diner."
Becky slid her sticky hand into mine and smiled happily.
"I like you, Nina. You're not like Ace at all."
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I guess we were halfway through our blueberry pancakes when Chris skidded in a little while later. His eyes scanned the room wildly before I raised my eyebrows at him and nodded across the table towards Becky. The relief in his face was crystal clear.
"Becky, where the hell have you been? I been worried outta my mind."
"Here," Becky said simply, shovelling another forkful of pancakes into her mouth.
"Becky, I've told you not to leave the house without telling anybody. Why didn't you wake me up?"
Chris sat down next to me and opposite his little sister.
"You were tired from your new job," she answered.
"New job?" I questioned.
"Just lifting boxes at Walmart. Nothing special." To Becky, he said: "We've been through this before. You don't leave the house without telling anybody."
"But you said not to bother Dad-"
"That's right-" Chris cut her off tightly. "Not Dad. But anyone else. Even Richie if you get real hard up."
Becky smiled as she swallowed the last bite on her plate.
"Okay."
"You promise?"
"I promise, Chris."
"Good. Now if you're about done, we can walk down to the bus stand together."
"I need the bathroom first." Becky wiped her fingers on a napkin and grinned at me. "You wanna come, Nina?"
I tried not to smile at her obvious attempt to bond with me. Despite the fact that I thought the whole girls trip to the bathroom charade was stupid, I recognised that Becky was just a lonely kid who wanted a friend.
"I'mma finish my coffee," I told her. "But I'll walk to the bus stand with you when you're done."
Becky nodded happily and slipped out of her seat. As she skipped off towards the ladies, Chris slumped down in the seat next to me.
"That girl's gonna be the death of me," he grumbled.
"She's cute," I told him. "Found her eating candy outside the convenience store on Main Street. Figured pancakes was a better breakfast."
Chris sat up and dug around in his jacket.
"Here, let me pay for you it."
I shook my head.
"Forget it, it's okay. Maybe put it towards getting the kid a coat."
I hadn't meant it to sound judgemental but I could see by the look on his face that I'd hit a nerve.
"Lily's coat went missing. Her teacher came round the house to say she was 'concerned', " Chris pulled a face. "I had to do something and besides, Becky's coat was too small for her anyway."
" I get it,"I shrugged awkwardly.
"That's why I got the job. Because they need things that my Mom can't afford on her cleaning wage. If that bastard Howard Green hadn't made me work the first week for free-" Chris cut the end of his sentence short and flushed. "Uh-sorry."
I shrugged. He knew enough about my personal drama recently, it seemed only fair he share some of his.
"It's cool, go on. He made you work for free?"
Chris hesitated before answering
"Yeah, he called it a probationary period. I thought it was protocol until last night when I talked to some of the old timers. Pretty sure now it was just 'cause I'm a Chambers."
"Ah, come on. If he hates your family so much, why'd he give you the job?"
"Desperation." Chris said. "They're understaffed. Plus he conned me out of a weeks wages."
"Well, it's still pretty cool you got yourself a job," I said. "I'm sure you'll have a jacket for Becky in no time. What are your hours?"
"Three evenings a week, six til two."
"Sounds rough," I grimaced. How the hell would he manage school while humping boxes until the early hours the night before.
Chris threw me a grin.
"Life's rough." He nodded at my half full coffee cup. "You mind?"
I shook my head and pushed the cup towards him, watching as he finished it in two large gulps.
"You been home yet?"
His question startled me and my stomach sank as I thought about Stan and my mom. Becky's mindless chatter had pushed them from my mind in the last hour but the reality of the situation settled back firmly onto my shoulders.
"Nope."
"You been at Ace's?"
"Yeah."
Chris nodded slowly.
"How's that working out?"
I sighed. We'd spent most of the previous day bickering about nothing in particular. I knew what the problem was though. I was invading Ace's personal space and both of us were pissed off about it. He was pissed because he couldn't ask me to leave- he knew I had nowhere to go- and I was pissed that he wanted me to leave whether he said it out loud or not.
"It's not a permanent solution."
Chris nodded but before he could answer, Becky reappeared.
"Okay, I'm ready!"
"Did you wash your hands?" He asked her.
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not a baby, Christopher. Of course, I did."
The two of us laughed at her.
"Okay, Missy. How about your homework? You remember that before you flew the coop this morning?"
Becky's eyes went wide as she clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Oh, not again! Miss Reynold's is gonna be so mad at me-"
Chris reached inside his backpack and pulled out a small green note book, before holding it out to her.
"Oh, Chris, you're the best!" Becky threw herself at him and as I saw the obvious affection between the two, something inside me moved a little.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, let's go, before we're late."
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Becky's bus came first, and the driver, an old Cherokee Indian, seemed to recognise her.
"Not your usual stop, but then it's rarely is, Miss Becky."
"Do me a favour and make sure she gets to school with no detours, please, Jeryl," Chris asked him.
Jeryl gave Chris a mock salute and pulled away just before our bus pulled up behind.
The look on Gordie's face when he saw Chris and I board the bus together was priceless.
He put his arm out to Randy Crawford who was sitting in front of him.
"Quick, Randy, pinch me. I'm possibly still asleep."
After Randy pinched him hard enough to make him yelp, Gordie balled a fist and thumped him in the arm before pulling me into the seat beside him.
"Alright, spill."
Chris dropped down beside Randy, who was rubbing his arm morosely.
"Spill, what?" I asked innocently.
"Everything. What happened with Stan, why you weren't in school yesterday and what you two are doing getting the bus together from here?" Gordie gestured towards the bus stand.
"You didn't tell him what happened with Stan?" I asked Chris in surprise. His blue eyes looked back at me trustingly and i felt honoured that he'd kept it from his best friend.
"You didn't tell me what happened with Stan?" Gordie echoed incredulously.
Chris turned his back on us and lowered his school bag between his legs.
"Didn't feel like it was really my story to tell."
I told Gordie what had happened in hushed tones and when I was finished, he whistled.
"You think Stan will go easier on you now?"
"No, I don't think that son of a gun will let me back into the house."
"Don't know unless you try," Gordie said. "Maybe he's cooled off. Chris' Dad does mostly." Gordie winced and gave Chris an apologetic look. "Sorry, man, it just slipped out. You and Nina all getting along and stuff, it weirded me out."
"Forget it," Chris said wryly and gave me a small smile.
"So anyway," Gordie turned his attention back to me. "I left my bike at school yesterday. Why don't you and i ride out to your place and see what kinda mood Stan's in? And if he's still freaking out, we'll cycle over to mine?"
"Both of us ride on your bike?"
"Yeah, like we used to," Gordie went on. "You sit on the seat, I'll stand up and peddle. Beats bussing and walking. Besides,we can pick up your bike at your place-oh crap!"
"What?" Me, Chris, and even Randy were staring at him in curiosity.
"I'm busy after school today. Mr Latimer is gonna look at my story for the competition."
"Well, that's okay," I waved his dilemma off. "I ain't exactly itching to go back there anyhow."
Gordie pulled his school journal from his bag and began looking through the pages.
"Hey, you know I could take her," Chris suddenly said. He said 'her' as though it were a favour to Gordie but he was looking straight at me.
"Naw, its fine," I shook my head. "Like I said I ain't itching to go over there anyhow."
Chris shrugged his shoulders easily and nothing more was said about the subject until we arrived at school. Chris and Randy got off first while Gordie and I were stuck a little while by some doofus carrying off a Cello.
"Why'd you say no?" Gordie demanded. "He was trying to be nice. And I thought you two were getting along better."
I snuck a look around us on the bustling vehicle where kids were gathering their things and pushing their way to the front.
"We are. I just don't think Ace would like Chris Chambers trying to be 'nice' to me."
Gordie stopped in his tracks and stared at me.
"I swear to God if you have turned into one of those idiot chicks who only does what her Cobra boyfriend tells her, then I am gonna be forced to disown you."
"Hey!" I snapped at him. I had made a point to not include myself with the so-called 'Cobra Chicks'. They wore mostly too tight clothes and make up so thick you could plaster walls with it. They also enjoyed the infamy of being attached to a gang. Ace's last girlfriend Pearl Evans was the very embodiment of Cobra Chicks. Her female companions had loved her so much that after Ace had dumped her, they weren't too keen on any new girls he brought around-including me. Fortunately that suited me just fine.
"Would you at least think about it?" Gordie snapped. And I knew this was less about Chris and more about him worrying that Ace had some kinda hold on me.
"Alright, alright, I'll think about it."
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Turns out I didn't get a chance to think about it. When school let out, Chris was waiting out front sitting on Gordie's bike.
"So Gordie said you wanted some company?" He was wearing a rucksack over his navy jacket, feet on the sidewalk on either side of the bike.
I opened my mouth to answer him before somebody cut in between us. A mass of auburn hair clouded my vision and I saw Chris lean back, a bemused smile on his face.
"Hello, Christopher. How are you?"
I recognised the southern lilt to the girls voice straight away. Jennette Carmichael. Jennette was the on-off girlfriend of the school quarterback. I'd heard on the school grapevine that on one of their 'off' periods she and Chris had hooked up over Summer break. Jennette had moved to Oregon from Louisiana freshman year and word had it, she came from big money. Her house was considered the jewel of The View.
"I'm good. How are you?" Chris looked a little uncomfortable as Jennette toyed with the collar of his coat.
"Better for seeing you," Jennette giggled. "Where are you running off to? Feel like sharing a milkshake?"
I was smirking now as the usually collected Chris Chambers looked flustered.
"Uh, I'd like to, but I'm kinda busy. I'm walking home with uh-" Chris finally met my eyes and I smirked even more widely. "With- a friend."
Jennette turned and seeing me there, widened her china blue eyes in surprise.
"Oh. Oh, I see. Bye then." She straightened out her dress, patted her perfectly styled hair and strode towards the parking lot.
"Friend, huh? I didn't know you cared so much."
"Shut up," Chris mumbled. "Come on, get on."
I surveyed the bike as Chris stood up and patted the seat.
"You gotta be kidding," I told him.
"What's the problem? Gordie said he always used to give you a ride."
"He did," I said. "But there's a huge difference between having Gordie's butt in my face and having yours."
Chris gave me a lopsided grin.
"It's that or the handlebars."
"Handlebars," I said immediately. I moved around the front of the bike and he held the wheel steady so I could climb up and position myself on top.
"You ready?" His breath was warm on my ear and when I answered yes, he pushed off of the sidewalk, his strong legs propelling the two of us forward. He navigated easily around students and teachers before bumping the bike onto the road and heading out of school premises.
Yeah, I was ready for the ride. But I wasn't sure how ready I was to reach our destination.
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