photographs | chris chambers ✅

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After eating the boys all have a smoke in comfortable silence until Vern breaks it by saying, " Nothing like a smoke after a meal."

" Yeah. I cherish these moments," Teddy adds. Dylan let's out a chuckle; it sounded so cheesy, and it seems like the rest agree by their laughter. Teddy expression changes from relaxed to confused. " What? What did I say?"

" Nothing Teddy I promise," Dylan answers, coughing to stop his laughter before speaking again, leaning his head against the tree behind him. " Gordie, why don't you tell us a story?"

" I-I don't know."

" C'mon Gordo, please?"

" Yeah, come on, Gordo. But not one of your horror stories, okay? I don't wanna hear no horror stories. I'm not up for that man," Vern shivers.

" Why don't you tell us one about Sergeant Stone and his battling leathernecks?" Teddy asks.

" Well the one I've been thinking about is kind of different. It's about a pie-eating contest. And the main guy of the story is a fat kid that nobody like named David Hogan," Gordie explains. His eyes light up, similar to a child on Christmas morning.

" Like Charlie Hogan's brother. If he had one."

" Good Vern," Chris says. Sarcasm drips from his voice once again. " Go on, Gordie."

As Gordie begins his storytelling,  Dylan slowly disappears into his own mind. He already read it, memorizing it word for word on paper, not like he means to. After he hit his head on the stove as a child, he hasn't been able to forget.

He tries to remember good things mostly, like his friends. He remembers when Chris is nervous he runs his fingers through his hair. Or how he somehow always looks handsome, even when he cries, or when he bites his lip. Dylan shakes his head softly, forcing the thoughts out of his head, pressing his lips together feeling his face grow red.

" Now that was the best, just the best," Chris compliments with a grin, thankfully distracting Dylan from his thoughts.

" Yeah."

" What happened?" Teddy asks. Gordie just looks over in confusion.

" What do you mean?"

" I mean, what happened?"

" What do you mean what happened, that's the end."

" How can that be the end, what kind of ending is that? What happened to Lardass?"

" I don't know. Maybe he went home and celebrated with a couple of cheeseburgers."

" Jeeze. That suck-"

" Why's it matter? It's his ending. Think of it as a cliffhanger to a sequel," Dylan points out, giving a soft shrug. Digging around his bag, he grabs his camera, aiming it at the beautiful scene in front of him.

" I guess that works," Teddy shrugs as a flash goes off, scaring him and the boys. " Really?" he groans, glaring at the photographer.

The latter only shrugs, answering with, " It was a nice shot."