Chapter Twenty Six
"I need to get a car," Chris mumbled into my hair a couple of afternoons later.
We were sat in the tree house across from Gordie and Violet. Chris and I were propped up in the corner and I was leaning on his shoulder. Gordie was sprawled across the floor with his head on Violet's lap.
"What for?"
"Because this sucks," Chris responded dully.
We all knew what he meant. Castle Rock wasn't exactly accessible. Getting between the diner, Fran's, Gordie's, Chris' and Chris' work was a real pain in the ass. We hated hitching but most of the time it was the only option. And I didn't want to be cuddled up to Chris any place anyone could see us. I was still uneasy at the thought of Ace finding out.
The only reason we weren't holed up in the warmth of Gordie's place was because of our inaccessibility to transport. Chris had to catch a bus to work from main street pretty soon which meant if we wanted to hang until then, we had to make do with the treehouse.
"Just think if we had a car we could all go to the lake this summer," Gordie said.
Chris had straightened up now Gordie was on to his idea. His eyes brightened and it was harder to see that he'd worked two night shifts in a row, Sunday's shift bringing him into Monday's school day with approximately three hours sleep. He was about to go in for the third night in a row and I wondered how it was he was keeping his eyes open.
"My parents might buy me an old jalopy if I ask but then they'd expect me to drive it," Gordie said in a low voice. Nobody mentioned Denny but we all thought about him. Violet stroked Gordie's arm soothingly and Chris said:
"That's cool. You can be my wingman."
"Wingman?" I echoed.
"When my beautiful girl isn't beside me, of course." Chris leaned in to kiss me and I jerked away.
"So when I'm not beside you what in the hell do you need a wingman for?"
"Nothing," Chris pulled me tighter to him and chuckled. "It's just an expression. Would you chill a little?"
"How're you gonna get a car?" Gordie asked.
"I got some money saved up for college. I guess I could use a little. You in Gordie? Maybe we could buy a junker and fix her up? See what Milo Preston's got to offer?"
Gordie shuddered at the name of the scrapyard owner.
"Oh, come on, Gordo. Choppers been dead for years. Besides this time we'll be paying customers."
Gordie shrugged.
"Well I have got some birthday money saved up. But I don't know shit about cars."
"Well, i know a little and we can teach ourselves the rest." Chris kept his arm about me as he talked earnestly. "There ain't nothing we can't learn from a book. Ain't that what you once told me?"
Gordie rolled his eyes.
"I meant biology or algebra. I didn't mean rebuilding a whole freaking car."
Violet giggled and ran a hand through her fine mousy hair.
I bet you'd look cute in mechanic overalls." She ran her fingers through his hair next and he grinned up at her stupidly.
"Oh, you do, huh?" Gordie didn't take his eyes off of Violet. "Alright, Chambers, I'm in"
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The next afternoon I let Violet tag along with me to the diner. I wasn't working until the next day but Chris and Gordie had gone over to Milo Preston's scrap yard in search of a car project they could work on.
Violet offered to buy us a milkshake each but Fran wouldn't take our money anyhow. Violet chattered away to me about the plans she wanted to make once Chris and Gordie's car was finished. I listened with a half smile, thinking about me and Chris under the stars somewhere. Even as exhausted he was, he was a great boyfriend. He was attentive and sweet and caring. Despite the fact that Gordie thought Chris sucked at relationships, every day he was proving otherwise.
"Well, well, look who it is." It was Eyeball's voice but Ace was beside him, staring me down in that cold appraising way of his. His blue eyes swept over me like he was remembering just what I looked like without any clothes on. I tried hard not to show he had unnerved me.
"Hey, Eyeball. Ace." I turned my attention back to Violet but she was staring at the two Cobra's with widened eyes.
"Who's your pretty friend?" Eyeball slid in next to Violet who had to shuffle along to avoid sitting thigh to thigh with him.
"Leave her alone, Eyeball. Where's Carrie today?"
Eyeball screwed up his forehead in concentration as if he couldn't work out who I was talking about. "Oh, her, she's long gone."
"You gonna move up so I can sit down or what?" Ace asked me but I shook my head obstinately.
"Would you two just leave us alone?"
"Come on, honey, tell me your name. I won't bite, I swear. Unless you want me to?" Eyeball was laughing now but Violet had practically pressed herself against the wall to get away from him. She looked scared and I knew I had to do something to make him back off.
"Eyeball Chambers, get the hell out of that seat!" I stood up, grabbed his arm and hauled him away from Violet. It was more the cheap plastic seat than my strength that caused him to slide away from her but all the same, he was on the edge of the booth, scowling at me after a good swift yank.
"Come on, Eyeball. Nina's no fun anymore." Ace's eyes were a mixture of irritation and amusement. Violet and I watched them go in silence until they were sat on the other side of the diner.
"I don't know what you ever saw in him," Violet said with a shake of head.
I threw a look over my shoulder and it seemed an age ago that I would have been comfortable at their table, of Eyeball straw spitting at the guy behind him and Ace sprawled across the booth seat like he owned the place.
Before I could answer, Chris and Gordie came through the diner door, smeared in grease but both smiling widely. I thanked God for the timing, overtly grateful that the guys hadn't walked in thirty seconds earlier and seen Ace and Eyeball at our booth.
"Hey," Violet greeted Gordie with a big smile and he leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips before sliding into the booth next to her.
My eyes met Ace's across the diner just as Chris reached me. Chris slid into the booth seat but before he could kiss me I backed away in mock exaggeration.
"Ew, you guys are filthy. Don't even think about coming near me with those greasy hands."
Chris looked confused for a moment before he looked across the diner where Ace was staring over at us. I watched him subtly do the maths. He wasn't stupid. My heart ached as his face fell a little but then all he said was:
"Order me a coke, Gordie."
He slid back out of the seat and I called after him hesitantly.
"Hey, where ya going?" Chris paused before looking back at me emotionlessly.
"To wash my greasy hands, of course."
He was gone a while but when he came back, Chris didn't sit close to me. He was quiet for the next hour or so, avoiding my eyes and focusing on Gordie as he talked about the car they wanted to buy. He didn't take a gulp of my milkshake or try and force some of his coke down me like he usually would. Ace and Eyeball left a little while later, Ace tipping me a wink as he passed the table. I looked away but when I raised my gaze, Chris was staring at me, with wide hurt eyes.
I smiled but he didn't respond.
Once outside, Gordie took Violet's hand, whispering in her ear. She giggled and leaned into him and they wandered off in front of us, secret whispers, romantic sentiments.
I looked over at Chris who looked far from in a romantic mood.
"Hey." I tried to take his arm but he pulled away from me. "Come on, Chris, what've I done?"
He stopped, waited for Gordie and Violet to put some distance between us before he finally looked at me head on.
"It's what you haven't done. You haven't told anyone but Violet and Gordie about us. And I was the one who had to tell Gordie. Left to you, he still probably wouldn't know."
With that, he turned his back on me and started walking again. I hurried to catch up with him.
"What's the big deal?" I demanded, catching his arm. "As long as we know, and Gordie knows, who else is important?"
Chris stopped to look back at me, his blue eyes steely determined.
"Why don't you want to tell Ace, Nina?"
I shrugged helplessly.
"Because it's more hassle than it's worth! I don't want him going nuts over something he doesn't need to know. He will kill you if he finds out and you know he will!"
"I know he'll try," Chris snapped. "But he may not have to if I have to watch him drooling over you for one more second. I just about popped him one for winking at you the way he did."
I moved towards him and threaded my arms about his taut waist. I had to lean back to look right up into his eyes
"Don't let him push your buttons," I pleaded. "Chris, this isn't you. You're not a jealous guy and I love that about you."
He placed each of his hands on my forearms while we looked each other.
"You tell him about us and I won't be jealous a second longer. Its not what he's thinking that worries me, it's what you're thinking."
I wasn't following.
"What I'm thinking?"
"Yeah like either you don't think I can handle him or…"
"Or what?
Chris took a breath, ran a hand over his short hair and then refocused on me.
"I got to thinking earlier that you may have burned your bridges with Ace for good if he finds out you're dating me."
"Chris!" I couldn't help the shock in my voice and made sure I was standing right in front of him as I challenged him with both my eyes and my voice.
"I am never going back to him. With or without us. You hear me?"
Chris looked in my eyes for long moments.
"I hear you but it doesn't wholly convince me when you're acting like you are. He was your first, wasn't he?"
"What?" I suddenly felt impossibly embarrassed. Maybe it was because we were talking about me having sex with Ace but I could feel my cheeks growing hotter. ""You lost your virginity to him, right? He was your first real boyfriend? And now you've slept with me- well, if he finds out- that''ll be it for good, won't it?"
I shook my head refusing to believe that I was afraid of losing Ace.
"NIna, I get it, okay? As fucked up as he is, he was your stability. But you don't have to worry about that because I'm here, okay?
"You're acting insane. I don't want anybody knowing and causing problems between us. I just want to keep it for ourselves. Is that so wrong?"
I slid my arms around him and kissed him on the lips, shutting out his doubts. I liked Chris, for real. Any need to hold onto Ace would be nuts.
"Don't be mad at me, "I whispered.
Chris stroked my hair back and gave me a half hearted smile. "You make it real hard to 'stay' mad at you. Getting mad at you isn't so difficult."
"So you agree, we can just keep it to ourselves for now?"
Chris sighed and pressed his face into my neck.
"Okay," he mumbled. "If that's what you want."
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Maloney's class was known to be the toughest math class in school. He pushed everybody, from the geeks to the lay about's and he was the one teacher that judged you on how hard you worked, not where you lived. Therefore, Chris was his favourite student.
"So, the project I was telling you all about last class," Maloney looked almost gleeful at the thought of another project. "I want you to work in pairs. This row," Maloney banged his wooden meter ruler on the front desk. "You work with the person to your left. This row." Down came that ruler again. "You work with the person to your right."
I threw a glance to my right and grinned at Gordie who grinned right back. Then I turned my head to see who Chris was with and my face fell as I realised it was Lucy Rowe, his date to the spring dance.
"I expect a good six hours to go into this project," Maloney was saying as Lucy beamed at Chris. Chris had barely noticed, his eyes were still on Maloney and the blackboard. "I suggest that you get started straight away. See you next time."
As the class bustled around, packing their things away, I strained to hear what Lucy was saying to Chris. He was wearing a pale blue shirt that brought out his eyes and his blond hair had lighter streaks in it from the weekend sun. There wasn't one thing I'd change about him.
"So, how about we get together after school? We could go and get a milkshake."
"Uh, I can't today. I have plans." Chris was picking up his backpack while Lucy flicked her hair over her shoulder.
"So how about we get started over lunch?"
I jumped when I felt Gordie's hand on my shoulder.
"Don't do that!" I snapped.
I turned my attention back to Chris was packing his books away while quietly answering Lucy's questions. Gordie was smirking at me.
"Jealous much?"
"I'm not jealous. Stop being so ridiculous!" I quietened down as I saw Chris was approaching with Lucy in tow.
"Hey, is it alright if I catch up with you guys? We're gonna start on our project." His blue eyes were seeking mine out and I kept my face impassive.
"Yeah, no problem, we were gonna start ours too," I said, steering Gordie away.
"We were?" Gordie hissed in my ear. I elbowed him sharply, grabbed his arm and pulled him out into the hall.
Twenty minutes later, I hated Lucy Rowe more than I'd ever hated anybody in my life. They were sitting three tables from us but even at this distance I could see she was throwing herself at Chris. My Chris. I had had to put up with her shit at the dance but times had definitely changed since.
"DId you see that?" I demanded, as Lucy handed Chris her drinks bottle apologetically. He loosened it easily for her and handed it back.
"See what? Him opening her bottle? However will he explain?" Gordie was munching on french fries and idly flicking through the math project questions. "Do you wanna start this thing or not?"
I folded my arms in annoyance.
"He doesn't have to be so…nice."
"Chris is a nice guy." Gordie sounded bored of the conversation.
"He never used to be nice to me." I couldn't help my spoilt brat tone or remember how un-nice I was to him.
From my vantage point, I could see that Chris' blue shirt brought out the best of his tan and I could remember how good his rough hands felt on my skin. I thought about the day Lucy had wrapped her arms round him in the front of the school and the same white hot feeling of jealousy began to creep over me.
"That was probably because he had some weird little crush on you." Gordie waved the project papers at me. "I guess we're not doing this today."
"Why doesn't he just tell her he has a girlfriend?" I mumbled as Lucy let her hand rest on Chris' arm. Given, Chris backed away enough that her hand slid off but he didn't say anything as he continued to write something down and Lucy leaned over him. Chris was just concentrating on the project but my only focus was him.
"Nina." Gordie set down his coke. "How do you think he feels about you not telling Ace? Or anyone for that matter?"
"He told you?"
"No, he didn't tell me but you two were arguing loud enough for the whole of Castle Rock to hear yesterday."
"I don't want anyone to know in case it gets back to Ace. And I don't want Ace to know because I don't want to cause trouble for Chris."
"Okay, but if thats really the truth, don't you think that when Chris says he has a girlfriend people are gonna work out pretty quickly who it is and that will get back to Ace anyway?"
I thought about his logic and then hated him because it made sense.
"Yeah. So?"
"So you cant have it both ways, Willis. Either you tell everybody or you tell nobody. So what's it gonna be?"
I slunk down in my seat, glaring in Lucy's direction, my sandwich forgotten.
"Nobody."
God, I hated Lucy Rowe. Man stealing hussy. I remembered the comments I'd overheard about Chris and his family, that they would all end of in jail even his little brothers and sisters. I remembered her gyrating against Chris at the spring dance as if she owned him. Her and that Jeanette Carmichael were on the same wave length.
"Uh, Nina, you might wanna take a look at this-" Gordie didn't get to finish his uneasy sentence. Lucy Rowe had perched herself on the edge of Chris' seat and wound her arm across his neck.
Instantly I was up and moving across the room to their table. Chris was clearly startled by Lucy's move and had tried to pull away and say something to her about moving back to her seat. Lucy wasn't taking the hint.
I tapped her hard on the shoulder. She smiled cattily up at me.
"Yes?"
"Would you mind getting the hell away from my boyfriend?"
I don't know who looked more shocked. Lucy or Chris.
"Your boyfriend?"
"Yeah. Move. Now."
Lucy was instantly back in her seat and sliding her books into her book bag. She flicked her long blond hair over her shoulder before shaking her head dumbly.
"You should have said something," she mumbled to Chris. "I'll see you, I'll call you-uh we'll do the project another time."
Then she was gone. I looked down at Chris who was grinning at me.
"Does this mean we're telling people?"
"Shut up." I plonked myself down in Lucy's vacated seat and reached over to pick up his apple.
"Does this mean I'm your boyfriend?"
There was a terse silence while I munched through a large bite of his fruit.
"You know it does." I swallowed with difficulty, thinking about the repercussions of what I'd just done.
"Good." With that, Chris took my face into his rough hands and kissed me hard and long on the mouth.
"Hey, you two! Break that up!" Farrell yelled loudly from the lunch queue but even when I tried to pull away, Chris held onto me, kissing me longer and harder.
The whole cafeteria was cheering by the time we broke away.
"You two! Detention! 3pm!" Farrell barked.
"Woo! Go, Chambers!" Gordie was standing on a table cheering wildly when Farrell yelled at him too.
"Oh, you're a fan of this disgusting display, Lachance?" Farrell was in a too small suit and he was in a foul mood. "Maybe you can talk it over with them at detention."
Gordie's mouth fell open.
"Again?"
"You wanna make that two?" Farrell barked as Gordie climbed down in disappointment.
"Nope. One's enough, sir." He moved towards our table, dropping his tray onto the surface,
"You two need to quit getting in trouble," Chris said to him seriously.
"Well, if that's the case," Gordie took a gulp of his water. "I need to get some new friends."
As Chris laughed easily, I threw a nervous glance at all the surrounding onlookers.
This was it. Our secret was finally out.
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