She's back in town // Chris Chambers

Ø6

We started walking a little ways down the tracks, "what do we need a pistol for anyway?" Vern said, following behind us.

"It's spooky sleeping at night in the woods. We might see a bear." Chris said, turning towards him and then back.

"Or a garbage can" I said, nudging Gordie in the arm as we all started laughing.

We all kept walking in silence for a bit when Vern spoke up, "I brought a comb". I looked at him a bit confused but kept walking.

"What do we need a comb for?" Chris asked, giggling and confused. "Well, if we get on tv we wanna look good, don't we?...And I brought it for the lady" He said, pointing at his comb in the pocket on his shirt.

I shook my head and laughed, "that's a lot of think, Vern" Gordie said, smiling at Vern. "Thanks!" Vern said, returning the smile.

We kept walking, I could hear Teddy and Vern from behind me. "Two for flinching" Teddy said, punching Vern in the arm twice. "Ow!" He said, rubbing his arm.

We all stopped in front on a red bridge, watching the train tracks go down all the way. The same train tracks that we need to walk about 20 miles on.

"How long do you think it's gonna be?" Teddy said, looking at me. "If we follow the tracks all the way to Harlow it might be about 20 miles. Sound about right to you Gordie?" I said, looking down the tracks then at Gordie.

"Yeah, might even be thirty" he said, looking at me then back down the tracks.

"Gee, maybe we should just hitchhike." Vern said, looking at me. "No way, that sucks" I said, as we all began walking. "Why not? We could go down Route Seven to the Shiloh Church. Then down the back Harlow road, we'd be there by sundown" Vern said, following behind us anyway.

"Thats pussy!" Teddy said.
"Hey, it's a long ways"
"Did your mother ever have any kids that lived?" Teddy said, as him and Vern stopped walking.
"What d'you mean?"

I shook my head listening to their conversation and kept walking. Who knows what this journey will bring.
—
"Have gun, Will travel reads the card of a man! A knight without armour in a savage land! His fast gun-for-fire meets the calling wind. A soldier of fortune he's a man called Paladin!" We all sang in unison making are way down the tracks.

I can't believe I still remembered it. I would hum it now and then but I missed singing it with the guys.

"We could fill up at the junkyard. My dad said it's a save well" Gordie said, referring to our canteens. "Not if choppers there" Vern said, sounding scared.

I shook my head and looked at him, "if choppers there we'll send you in" I said, turning back around. "Haha, very funny" Vern said, sarcastically.

There was a moment of silence between all of us as we kept walking. "Hey, I'm kind of hungry, who's got the food?" Vern asked, making all of us look at him.

Shit. I didn't bring anything and I know Chris didn't either. "Oh shit, did anybody bring anything?" Teddy asked, as we all stopped walking.

"Not us. Gordie?" Chris said, looking back at Gordie, he shook his head no. "You should've brought something!" Teddy said, pointing at me. "What why? It was Verns idea!" I said, pointing at Vern.

"Well isn't that like your speciality?" Teddy said, still having his voice raised. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I said, starting to raise my voice too.

"Girls are always in the kitchen, while us guys are out working and making cash!". I stared him down for a second, this kid has nerve. "Watch your mouth, Teddy" I said, pointing at him.

"Or what" he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Or that brain of yours isn't gonna be the only thing fucked up" I said, stepping closer to him. He launched at me, I moved away.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!! Let's see how much money we've got!" Gordie yelled out, making me and Teddy stop fighting and laugh at each other. We all started handing him our money.

"Alright, I've got a dollar two. Sixty-five cents from Nor. Sixty-eight cents from Chris. Sixty cents from Teddy.... Seven cents, Vern?" He said, looking down at all the money, then at Vern.

He shrugged, "I haven't found my pennies yet".
I shook my head and giggled, "well, 3.02 isn't bad, Quidachioluo's is at the end of the little road that goes out by the junkyard. I think we can get stuff there" he said, looking down at the change then back up at us.

Chris started getting up, "train coming" he said, putting his hand out for me to grab it. He pulled me up, I locked eyes with him for a second. "Geronimo!" Vern said, jumping off the track, snapping me and Chris out of it.

"Come on, Teddy" Chris said, making us look at Teddy who was still on the tracks. What the hell is he doing, he's gonna get himself killed!

"I'm gonna dodge it" he said, throwing his sleeping back at us. "Get the hell off the tracks Teddy, you wanna get yourself killed!" I yelled, me and Chris looked at each other worried, then back at Teddy.

"Just like the beach in Normandy" he said, pretending to shoot the train, making noises with his mouth. I took one step forward to go pull him off the tracks but Chris stopped me.

I looked at him then the train, he ran up to the tracks struggling to pull Teddy off. The train passes by, I could barely hear anything. I was holding Chris back while Vern and Gordie had Teddy.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? Is that what you're doing! You tryna kill yourself!" Chris yelled, loud enough for us to hear.

The train past us so we could finally hear each other instead of yelling, their was a big silence in between Chris and Teddy. Almost had a heart attack witnessing that but, you know... no biggy.

"I don't need no babysitter" Teddy said, staring Chris down, as we started to let go of them. "Do too...Skin it" Chris said, holding out his hand.

"Would've dodged it" Teddy turned to start walking away but, Chris stopped him. "You can dodge it on the way back, man. Please, skin it" he said, holding it his hand again. Teddy hesitated before agreeing to skin it.

They eventually did so everything was back to normal and we started our ways to the junkyard.