count on me | sbm

10

;1959

[2 months later]

It was there. It was right there. It was in a jar, on the bench, practically arms reach away.

What drove him to take it could have been many things. Maybe it was the image that everyone gave him. Maybe it was his father. Maybe he just needed to escape.

Chris Chambers knelt against a large pine tree. It was the end of lunch, most of the kids had already started heading back to their afternoon classes. He ran a hand through his crew-cut, resting his head back against the trunk of the tree.

"Get to class, Chambers." A teacher said sternly as she passed him, "I'll have you hided if you're late."

Chris swallowed and closed his eyes. He didn't want to go to class. He just wanted to leave. He wanted to get out of Castle Rock. He didn't want to be known as a 'Chambers kid' anymore. He felt tears well up inside of his eyes. He wasn't a bad kid, really. But everyone just thought of him as the 'kid brother to Eyeball Chambers'.

Anger built up inside of his stomach and slowly worked it's way up to his throat. He didn't care anymore. Chris knew the milk money was there. It'd been there since he started at that school. He ran around the tree and slowly pulled the handle of the tuck shop. The thin wiry door swung open, making a loud creaky noise. He slid in, plunging an open fist into the jar and pulling out five dollars worth of coins. He ran out, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

He ran to the back of the building and collapsed on the cold concrete. He began crying, unsure of what was going through his mind a minute ago. This wasn't the image he wanted. This wasn't how he wanted people to perceive him. He didn't want to be known as a low-life thief. He had to give it back. He had to apologise.

He walked alone to the front of the school, where Old Lady Simons was sitting on a bench. She looked up and scowled in disgust. She slid her glasses down her nose, sticking it up at Chris. He took a deep breath and stepped closer towards her.

"What is it, Christopher?" She said.

Chris didn't say anything. He just held out his open palm where the money was held. He let her take it from him, and he ran off. He was shaking and had a pounding headache. He didn't know what he wanted anymore.