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I knew that when I returned from Volleyball Camp, things would be different. Over the radio I had heard that the police were on the search for some kid named Ray Brower. And, it was currently then talk of the town in Castle Rock. If you weren't talking about it, you were thinking about it.
"They're never gonna find that kid." My older brother, Joe, scoffed, as he ran a switch comb through his dirty blonde, jelly-rolled hair.
"Not with that attitude." I remarked, looking up from one of my dad's car magazines.
"I shoulda just left you at camp." He said, "and if dad asks where I am, tell 'em I'm workin' late tonight."
Before I could protest, he left. I knew where Joe was really going, he was going out to cause trouble around the town with Ace Merrill and his gang of Cobras. Joe and Ace have been friends since they were in grammar school, and even Joe, who I always thought knew right from wrong, wouldn't leave his side, and instead developed a rebellious streak just like him. So, I watched him peel out of the driveway in his black Packard, that him and dad fixed up together, leaving a trail of smoke behind him.
I sighed before burying my nose back into the magazine. I haven't seen any of my friends since before I left a few days after our last day of grammar school ended. My friends, well, we were a tight knit group to say the least. There were four of them, all boys. My closest friend was Teddy Duchamp, he came from a rough background. His dad was given the fits of rage after storming the beach in Normandy. He was sent to a mental clinic up in Togus after nearly burning Teddy's ear off by putting it to a stove. Now, he could hardly hear out of it as the hole in it was melted over, making it look like melted wax. He was quite crazy, but, I loved that about him.
Chris Chambers was the leader of our group and pretty much my other best friend, he was so loyal, and was always considered "another low-life Chambers kid." Never in my life have I thought that of him. He was going to do something with his life. He wanted to get out of Castle Rock so bad, however, his self doubt seemed to drag him down. Chris was easily the most mature out of our group, and many times it showed.
The other two are Gordie LaChance, and Vern Tessio. Gordie is pretty quiet these days, nearly five months ago he lost his older brother, Denny, he was killed in a Jeep accident. However, he's quite the wise-ass once you get him going. Vern is unfortunately the laughing stock of our small group of five. He's a scaredy-cat, and is just really goofy. It's hard not to pick at him sometimes.
I did have two friends that were girls. They were alright, but we weren't half as close as I was with the boys. Faye Thornton and Beatrice Anderson. They were both very girly, and it surprised me that we were still friends. Especially since April Fools Day. It rained that night, and I snuck out and got worms at one of our sleepovers. I put them on their faces while they were sleeping. They screamed so loud that it even woke up the neighbors. They didn't talk to me for a month, and I didn't apologize. However, they became my friends again.
