She's back in town // Chris Chambers

14

"Coming thru the woods I bet we saved over an hour. Teddy?" I asked as we stopped in front of a path, on the tracks. "Yeah?" He looked over at me, "This the Back Harlow road?"

He sighed, "Yeah." Chris stepped forward making the rest of us do the same, "Brower-kid must be round here some place. Teddy, you and Vern watch the left side of the tracks, we'll take the right."

"Alright." Teddy agreed. We followed Chris's instructions and started to look around. I kept on thinking: what if we came all this way for nothing? At this point, finding that kids body became an addiction.

"There he is! I see him! Look! Look over there! I see him! I see him!" Vern yelled out, pointing down a small path close to the river. His words made my heart pound, we rushed over to see.

None of us could breathe. Somewhere under those bushes was the rest of Ray Brower. The train had knocked Ray Brower out of his Keds just like it had knocked the life out of his body.

"Jesus" Chris was the first to speak, as we walked closer to the body. "Man, we found him" I mumbled, keeping my eyes on what we could see of the body.

I grabbed a branch from behind me and pushed the bushes that covered the rest of the body. The kid wasn't sick. The kid wasn't sleeping. The kid was dead.

"Let's look for some long branches. We'll build him a stretcher." Chris broke the silence, unraveling some blankets.

I nodded and began to walk away. I turned back to see Gordie looking more upset then he usually did. "Gordie?" I asked, walking up to him and putting my hand on his shoulder. Chris noticed too, walking up to us.

"Why did you have to die?" He spoke quietly, his eyes looking glossy. I don't think this was about the Ray Brower kid anymore. I looked up at Chris worried and confused. He looked at me the same, except he knew something didn't.

"What's the matter with Gordie?" Vern questioned, coming up from behind us. I took my hand off Gordie's shoulder and stepped back to let him and Chris talk alone. I had a feeling this wasn't my place at the moment.

"Nothing. Why don't you we just go look for some long branches, okay?" I put my arm around Verns shoulder, guiding him away from the two. I looked over my shoulder giving Chris a smile, he returned it and sat on a log with Gordie.

"What's up with him?" Teddy asked, bending down to grab a branch. I shrugged, "I don't know, Teddy." He dropped his branch in disbelief, "what?" I asked him confused. "You're such a liar!" He laughed. My mouth dropped, "I seriously don't know!" I laughed.

"Well then what about you and Chris!" Vern joined the conversation. "What about us?" I smirked, trying to hide the thought of what happened. They shook their heads and passed me some branches, "one day, you're gonna have to come clean, South" Teddy smirked, he knew I hated when he'd make fun of my name. Although, it's Teddy. You can't tell him to do or to not do anything.

"Watch it, Duchamp" I growled at him. He stuck out his tongue, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"What the fuck do you know about this?" We heard a voice from afar. Shit, Ace Merrill come to ruin another moment.

"Son of a bitch, my little brother!" Eyeball yelled out, noticing Chris. They all gathered in front of the Brower kid. I stayed back a second, grabbing my slingshot and stuffing it in the waist of my jeans.