photographs | chris chambers ✅

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Each heart skips a beat, their breathing trapped in their throat like a bird in a cage. The look they all give shows how insane Vern sounds. " Explain yourself, Verno," Dylan orders, leaning over Gordie to turn off the radio.

" Well I was under the porch, digging, you know..."

All understood what Vern meant right away. At the beginning of the school-year, Vern buried a quart jar filled with pennies underneath his house. He drew a map, so he could find them later. A week later his mom cleaned out his room and threw away the map. Vern's been trying to find that jar of pennies for nine months now. Nine months. He didn't know whether or laugh or cry. Chris and Dylan laugh so hard they cried.

He explained he had been under his house when Charley and Billy-- two of Ace's gang-- had been talking about where Ray Brower's body is. The boys followed the Ray Brower story very closely since he was a kid close to their age. Three days ago he had gone out to pick berries by the Back Harlow Road. Nobody had seen him since.

" I know the Back Harlow Road! It comes to a dead end by the Royal River. The train tracks are right there! Even my dad and I used to fish for cossies out there!"

" Jesus Christ, man. If they would have known you were the house they would have killed you, Verno!" Chris smacks his arm lightly, a warning not to do it again.

" Could he have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow?" Gordie questions. " It's really far!"

" Sure. He must have started walking on the train tracks and just followed them the whole way," Chris glances at Gordie.

" Yeah. Yeah, right. And then after dark, the train must have come along...oh smacko!" Teddy hits his hand with his fist, which Dylan flinches at.

"Yeah..." Chris trails off, his eyes on Dylan for a split second. " Hey, hey guys! I bet you anything that if we find him we'll get our pictures in the paper."

" Yeah, we'd even be on T.V!" Teddy adds on.

" Sure!"

" We'll be heroes!"

" Yeah!"

" I don't know. Billy will know how I found out," Vern complains, crossing his arms.

" He's not gonna care. Cos it's gonna be us guys who find him. Not Billy or Charley Hogan in a boosted car. They probably pin a medal on you, Vern," Gordie explains, succeeding in boosting the young boy up.

" Yeah, you think so?"

" Sure!"

" What'll we tell our folks?" Vern pouts once more.

" Exactly what you said, Vern. We all tell our folks we're tenting out on your backfield. You tell your folks you're sleeping over at Teddy's. Then we'll say we're going out to the drag-races the next day until dinner tomorrow night." This is why Gordie is going into college classes because he's so damn smart.

" Now that is a plan and a half!" Chris exclaims while skinning it with Gordie.

" But if we do find the kid's body over in South Harlow they'll know we didn't go to the drag races! We'll get hided!" Vern complains. Dylan rolls his eyes dramatically.

" Nobody would care cos everybody is gonna be so jazzed about what we found it's not gonna make a difference!" Teddy points out loudly. Vern finally shuts it.

" Yeah! My dad would hide me anyway. But hell that's worth a hiding!"

" Shit yeah!" Teddy exclaims.

" Let's do it!" Chris claps his hands." What d'you say?"

" Alright," Teddy answers.

" Gordie?"

" Sure."

"Vern?"

" I don't know."

" Veeeerrrrrrnnn!"

" Come on, Verno!" Teddy says, Chris placing him in a headlock. The blond rubs his knuckles against Vern's head roughly, creating a burning sensation.

" Vern!" both scream at him.

" Alright," he groans, rubbing his head softly once Chris lets him go.

" And now last but not least, Dylan." Chris turns to the latter, the rest following in suit. He just shrugs for an answer, not really knowing how to answer.

" Dylan come on it won't be the same without you. Please, for me?" Chris begs, beginning to do the puppy dog face. Dylan looks away a moment, thinking what would happen if he left his father alone for that long. It would be bad, but once looking at Chris again he couldn't resist. Goddamn, you and that face Christopher Chambers.

" Alright, alright. Just stop doing that face," he speaks calmly, rolling his eyes

Chris, Teddy, and Vern all start cheering and singing, Dylan and Gordie sit still. Though he wishes he could share their enthusiasm it's not happening. Thinking of seeing a dead body makes fear shiver down Dylan's spine.