count on me | sbm

11

;Friday September 4, 1959

It was a beautiful Friday morning, Castle Rock was as busy as ever with people travelling in and out for the Labor Day weekend. 12 year-old Gordie Lachance had just left the house to meet up with Chris, Teddy and Vern at their treehouse, and they had planned to play cards all morning.

Gordie stopped by the comic store as he did every Friday purchasing a comic to keep him entertained for the weekend. He then followed the road towards the tree house where Chris and Teddy had already began their game. He climbed carefully up the worn ladder and confidently performed the secret knock that he and Chris had made up years ago, allowing him to get into the house.

As he took a seat, Chris acknowledged him with a small nod before returning to his game. Gordie pulled his new comic out, scanning the brightly coloured cartoons and occasionally glancing over the pages to observe Chris and Teddy's game.

Chris and Teddy both had cigarettes hanging from their mouths, taking turns to fill the whole structure with thick clouds of smoke. Gordie soon became more interested in their game than he was in his book, and put it down so he could watch their facial expressions change as the game advanced.

"I got next game." Gordie said.

"Sure thing." Replied Teddy, not looking up from his stack of cards.

Chris knocked on the table.

"I knock." He said at the same time, grinning.

"What?" Teddy said, obviously surprised. "You liar! You aint' got no pat hand! You didn't deal yourself no pat hand!"

Chris smirked.

"Make your draw, shit heap."

Chris and Gordie both laughed, while Teddy shook his head in defeat.

The game was soon over and another one had begun, including Gordie this time. The three boys continued to play, until there was a panicked knock on the floor of the house.

"That's not the secret knock!" Gordie said, throwing his feet up. All three boys knew all well that it was Vern, but they enjoyed messing with him and decided to leave him for a bit.

"C'mon guys, lemme in!" A squeaky voice said.

"Vern" Teddy, Chris and Gordie all said at once. The pushed the table over and opened the door, allowing Vern to crawl in. He was puffing, his cheeks red and his face ridden with sweat.

"Oh man, you won't believe this!" Vern said. He continued to go on about something, the other three only half listening.

"Let me catch my breath, I ran all the way from my house!" he said. The three boys all exchanged glances, smiling.

"I ran all the way home!" They began singing. "Just to say i'm sorry! What can I say?"

Vern looked annoyed, like he had expected them not to take him seriously. Chris cut off the singing.

"Okay, Okay, hold up, what is it Vern?"

Before Vern could let out what he was trying to say, the three began their song again.

"I ran all the way home!"

They stopped singing, and Vern started to say what he had wanted to say. He was about to propose one question that would change all four of their lives forever.

"Do you guys wanna go see a dead body?"