New Romantics | Chris Chambers

008- deep talks

None of us had been thinking about Ray Brower until we heard howling in the woods.

"Oh my god!" Vern cried.

"It's that Brower-kid. His ghost's out walking in the woods" Teddy teased. I rolled my eyes while Vern was mumbling to the sky.

"I promise I'll hawk no more dirty books. I promise I won't say no bad swears. I promise I'll eat all my lima beans. Ahh!" Teddy had faked a punch at Vern.

"Two for flinching" Teddy said punching Vern. The noise continued again.

"What is it, Chris?" Gordie asked.

"Maybe it's coyotes." he replied shrugging.

"It sounds like a women screaming" I said. I mean come on who wouldn't want to be in a real life horror movie. Set the mood and  scare everyone.

"It's not coyotes. It's his ghost" Teddy said looking at me with a big grin.

"Don't say that" Vern said nervously. Teddy started to stand , so I started to stand as well adrenaline starting to evolve.

"Hey guys, sit down!" Chris told us while grabbing my arm trying to pull me down.

"I'm gonna look for it. We both wanna see a ghost!" Teddy replied taking another step.

"We just wanna see it! We wanna see what it looks like-" just then the noise came again scaring us both. We both fell back; Teddy landing almost in the fire and I landing in Chris's lap. He held me close while the noise came to an end. For now.

"Maybe we should stand guard" Vern suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" I agreed.

"You don't have to take a turn if you don't want to" Chris told me. I had decided on not taking a watch.

"Gimme the gun. I'll take the first watch." Teddy said extending his hand out. We got up and Chris warily gave Teddy the gun. We all went to bed into our sleeping bags while Teddy stood a few metres away. "Twenty-three hundred hours. Corporal Teddy Duchamp stands guard. No sign of the enemy. The fort is secure"

"Shut up Teddy and keep your eyes peeled" Chris called annoyed from his sleeping bag.

Teddy continued by making gun noises.

"Hey Teddy cut it out! We're trying to sleep" I yelled at him. Still he continued.

"The dog faces rested easy. In the knowledge that Corporal Teddy Duchamp was protecting all of what scared them."

"Teddy!" We all yelled.

I had finally fallen into a light sleep when I was woken up by Gordie screaming. I looked up from my sleeping bag and saw Chris sitting by the fire.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked concerned.

"Huh?" Gordie said confused.

"You were dreaming" Chris explained while looking in the fire. It went silent, Gordie staring off thinking.

"I didn't cry at Denny's funeral." Gordie started. Chris turned to look at him. "I miss him, Chris. I really miss him" I started to slowly sit up making sure not to make noise.

"I know. Go back to sleep" he told Gordie. Chris walked over to the tree and sat down, Gordie following after him. I turned and laid on my back looking at the sky, eavesdropping on their conversation. It's always been a bad habit of mine to eavesdrop.

Chris POV:

Gordie walked over and sat down beside me.

"Maybe you could go into the college-courses with me" Gordie suggested.

"That'll be the day" I said with a sigh.

"Why not? You're smart enough" Gordie aggressively whispered.

"They won't let me" I told him.

"What do you mean?"

"It's the way people think of my family in this town. It's the way they think of me. Just one of those lowlife Chambers kids." I explained not looking at him.

"That's not true" Gordie told me. It definitely is Gordie.

"Oh it is. No one even asked me if I took the milk money that time. I just got a three day vacation."

"Did you take it?" Gordie asked.

"Yeah I took it. You knew I took it. Nancy probably knew I took it. Teddy knew I took it. Everyone knew even Vern I think. Maybe I was sorry and I tried to give it back."

"Tried to give it back?" Gordie said surprised.

"Maybe, just maybe. And maybe I took it to old lady Simon's and told her. And the money was all there. But I still got a three day vacation because it never showed up. And maybe the next week old lady Simon's had that brand new skirt on when she came to school."

"Yeah, yeah. It was brown and had dots on it!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah. So let's just say that I stole the milk money but old lady Simon's stole it back from me. Just suppose I told the story. Me, Chris Chambers, kid brother of Eyeball Chambers. You think that anybody would have believed it?"

"No" he replied sadly.

"And do you think that bitch would have dared try something like that if it would have been one of those douche bags from up on the view if they had taken the money?"

"No way!"

"Oh no! But with me! I'm sure she had her eyes on that skirt for a long time. Anyway she saw her chance and she took it. I was the stupid one for even trying to give it back. I never thought-" I couldn't stop the tears, I was filled with anger and frustration.

"I never thought that a teacher-- oh who gives a fuck anyway? I just wish I could go to some place where nobody knows me." I turned my head to look at Gordie.

"I guess I'm just a pussy huh?"

"No way, no way" he said comforting me.

Nancy POV:

After hearing the conversation between Chris and Gordie I slowly got up and made my way over to them. When Chris had seen me approach he quickly wiped his eyes and stood up. I hesitantly stepped closer and wrapped my arms around him in a comforting hug.

"Is this a private a hug or can I join in" Gordie asked with a slight smile. We each opened an arm to welcome him into the hug.

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