Look Me in the Eyes

Chapter 1: Castle Rock

      When I was a kid, it was only my mother and I. When I was about six, Mom grabbed me and took off, leaving my father and brother, Johnny, in Castle Rock. For a long time, I couldn't understand why it was like that. I thought it was because I had done something wrong.
      As I got older, I realized that that wasn't the case. Mom took me away because of Dad. You see, my father drank a lot. When he drank, he was always angry. And boy, when he was angry, you didn't want to be anywhere near him. Mom took me away to protect me.
      I'm twelve now, and I haven't seen or heard from my father or my brother in six years. That's why I was surprised when I received a letter a few days ago. It was from my brother.
      Apparently, my father had been thrown in jail and Johnny wanted me to stay with him for a while. Mom was hesitant, but I convinced her to let me go.
      I didn't have many memories of Castle Rock, but the ones I did have usually involved Johnny. He was six years older than me, but he always included me when he could. If Dad was angry, he made sure I was out of the house or out of harm's way. When he came home from school, he'd take me out for ice cream. If I fell and skinned my knees, he'd give me a piggyback ride all the way home, no matter how far home was. He was my own personal Superman.
      The last time I saw him, he had bleach blond hair and crystal blue eyes. He was really tall, too, but that was probably because I was so small.

      As I stepped off the train, I couldn't help but wonder if he had changed much, or if I would recognize him. I was supposed to meet him at the Blue Point Diner, which was in the middle of town. That's where we'd get ice cream every night and listen to the jukebox.
      The train station was just outside of town, so I asked a few locals how to find my way. One of them, an elderly man, even offered to give me a lift, which I gladly accepted.
      When we arrived at the diner, I thanked him and got out of his car, hearing him drive away. Looking at the sign hanging outside brought back many memories.
      I pushed the door open, hearing the familiar ring of the bell that rang every time a customer came in. The place was packed; every booth was taken. My eyes scanned over the heads of many people, stopping on a bleach blond boy. Several other guys were sitting around him, laughing at something, while the blond sat there smirking, his cigarette hanging from his lips. He looked like Johnny, but the Johnny I remember smiled, not smirked.
      I took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. I was nervous about meeting Johnny again. What would he be like? What would he think of me? I eventually was able to persuade myself to walk over to the table. As I approached, the boys quieted down, watching me.
      "Excuse me," I said when I reached them, "I'm looking for John Merrill."
      I must have said something funny because a few of them snickered. The blond shot them a glare and they all began to cough, trying to cover it up.
      He took a drag from his cigarette, looking me over. He seemed to be inspecting me; from my baggy t-shirt and my faded jeans to my worn-out converse. My hair, which matched his, fell over my shoulders, naturally wavy. My eyes, which were a few shades darker than his, were scanning him, too.
If this was Johnny, then he had most certainly changed. He had gotten stronger, his hair was spiked out, stubble grew on his jaw, and he seemed darker. Meaner.
      Our eyes met, and we stayed there, me standing and him sitting, for a few moments. Eventually, he smiled and stood up, blowing his smoke to the side.
      "I was wondering whether or not you'd ever show up, Annie," he told me, crushing his cig into the ashtray.
      I smiled back at him, stepping forward for a hug. He immediately pulled me close and squeezed me hard, but not hard enough to hurt me.
      "I missed you, Johnny," I whispered so only he could hear. He just squeezed me a little tighter, then let me go.
      Sitting down in the booth, he made the others move over so there would be enough room for me to sit down beside him. They were still watching me. Johnny cleared his throat, getting their attention.
      "This is my little sister, Annie. You touch her, I kill you. Got it?" he threatened, glaring at each of the boys. They all nodded immediately. "Good," he smirked.
      I was introduced to all of the boys, whose names I found out were Eyeball, Billy, Charlie, and Fuzzy. I also discovered that Johnny didn't go by that name anymore. Now, he was known as Ace.

      For the next few days, I unpacked and explored Castle Rock. I needed to know my way around, since I was going to be there all summer. I didn't want to have to depend on Johnny to take me everywhere.
      I met a few people my age, but as soon as I introduced myself as a Merrill, they made up an excuse to leave.
      I learned a lot about my brother, and none of what I learned came from him. I learned that the boys and him called themselves The Cobras. They pick on kids and break the law. They're just a bunch of bullies. How could Johnny do that? He was so sweet when we were kids.
      I sighed, walking into the Blue Point Diner. It was scorching hot and I was in desperate need of a drink. I sat on the bar stool at the counter and smiled at Francine Tupper, one of the waitresses.
      "Hello, what can I get you, hun?" she asked, taking out her notepad.
      "Hi Franny," I greeted, "Just a root beer, please."
      "Coming right up," she smiled and wrote it down, walking away.
      As I fiddled with my hands and looked around the familiar building, I saw four boys. They seemed to be about my age.
      One of them had brown hair and brown eyes, the latter of which he was rolling. Across from him sat a boy who also had brown hair and brown eyes, but this one had thick-rimmed Buddy Holly glasses and he was laughing like a maniac. A chubby boy with brown hair and blue eyes sat beside the boy with the glasses, looking extremely confused. The one that really caught my eyes, though, was a boy with sandy blond hair and blue-green eyes.
      He looked tough, but he had soft features that made him seem gentle at the same time. He was grinning, letting out a chuckle. Drinking the last of his root beer, his eyes caught mine.
      I sent him a shy smile and turned my attention to Franny, who had brought me my root beer. I fished into my pocket and paid her for the drink, smiling in thanks.
      When I turned back to the boy, I saw that he was already looking at me. He sent me a smile, making my cheeks grow warm. I returned it and turned back to the counter, the smile never leaving my lips.