New Romantics | Chris Chambers

010-the dead body

We had made it out of the woods and were back to following the train tracks.

"Coming through the woods I bet we saved over an hour" Gordie stated before he stopped. "Teddy?"

"Yeah?"

"This the Back Harlow Road?" he asked exhaling a breath.

"Yeah"

"Brower-kid must be round here some place. Teddy you and Vern watch the left side of the tracks, we'll take the right" Chris said gesturing to Gordie and I.

"Alright" Teddy agreed. We began searching and to be honest I was kind of getting nervous at the thought of a dead body of a boy our age.

"There he is! I see him! Look! Look over there! I see him! I see him!" Vern called a little too excited. We all ran and looked over Vern's shoulder down at the bushes where there was a dead body. Somewhere under those bushes was the rest of Ray Brower. We headed down the hill to the bushes.

"Jesus" I muttered while looking at the body. Chris came up from behind me and gave me a comforting hug.

"Let's look for some long branches. We'll build him a stretcher" Chris said. I then noticed Gordie sitting on a tree trunk looking miserable. Chris had noticed too.

"Gordie?"

"Why did you have to die?" Gordie uttered from where he sat.

"What's the matter with Gordie?" Vern asked picking up a short stick.

"Nothing" Chris and I both said looking at each other quickly before he continued.

"Why don't you guys just go look for some long branches okay?" Chris answered, as I started walking away with Teddy and Vern I was stopped by Chris.

"You can stay" he said pulling me to sit with Gordie.

"Why did he have to die? Why did Denny have to die? Why?" Gordie cried while we comforted him on either side.

"I don't know" Chris replied sadly.

"It should have been me"

"Don't say that" I pleaded rubbing his back.

"It should have been me" Gordie whispered, his eyes starting to water.

"Don't say that, man" Chris also pleaded his hand on his Gordie's shoulder.

"I'm no good. My dad said it, I'm no good"

"He doesn't know you" Chris stated firmly looking up at me for a split second.

"He hates me"

"He doesn't hate you" I reassured him.

"He hates me" Gordie began to cry, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"No, he just doesn't know you" Chris repeated giving him a side hug.

"He hates me. My dad hates me. He hates me oh god"

"Your gonna be a great writer someday Gordie. You might even write about us guys if you ever get hard up for material" Chris explained trying to give him a positive.

"Guess I'd have to be really hard up, huh?" he replied wiping his eyes, looking from me to Chris.

"Yeah" Chris and I said. I had got up and walked away leaving Gordie to have a moment by himself. The adrenaline of the trip was starting to wear off and the reality of the dead body hit me hard. I was on the verge of tears when I felt hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay?"  said Chris, his breath warm on my neck.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm good" I said wiping my eyes. I turned around and stared up into his piercing blue eyes. He pulled me into a hug and when we separated our faces were inches a part. He started coming closer but was cut off by a voice.