Look Me in the Eyes

Chapter 3: Home

     I woke up early the next morning for reasons that are unknown to me. It was only about a quarter to six, but I got bored just lying in bed, so I got up and got dressed.
     I opened Johnny's door to check on him, seeing that he was still sprawled out on his bed, only clad in his boxers. The blanket had been kicked to the foot end of the bed, since it was far too hot to sleep with it on.
     I closed his door and made my way down the hall to the kitchen, where I made myself a bowl of cereal.
     After I was finished, I decided to go over to the tree house. I needed somewhere quiet to just sit back and relax, and I couldn't get that here while Johnny was snoring. 
     I looked for a piece of paper and a pen. When I found what I needed, I scribbled down a note to let Johnny know that I was going out. I then stuck it to the fridge because I knew he would grab a beer as soon as he woke up, just as he had done every other morning.
     Starting my trek, I noted that the town was a lot less populated at this early hour. The majority of those in town were adults, who were most likely heading to work.
     When I made it across the field that separated the tree house from the outskirts of town, I climbed the ladder, pushing the door open.
     To my surprise, a sleeping figure was rolled up on the pile of blankets and cushions, using it as a makeshift bed. The figure looked familiar, but I would have to see his face to confirm my suspicion.
     I quietly closed the hatch and crept over to the boy, careful not to make a loud noise in case it woke him up. I leaned over him to see who it was and felt relief course through me when I saw that it was Chris.
     I didn't want to wake him, but it was either that or just stand there while he slept, so I opted to do the former since the latter felt me feel like a stalker.
     "Chris," I said, shaking his shoulders gently, "Chris, wake up."
     He jumped and turned around to face me, grasping my wrists. His hold wasn't too tight, but it surprised me and I let out a shriek. When he saw it was me, he immediately let go and sat up.
     "Annie, are you okay?" he rushed to ask, looking up at me.
     "Yeah I'm fine, Chris, you just surprised me, that's all," I replied, laughing a bit to reassure him that I'm alright.
     "What are you doing here?" he questioned, moving over so I could sit beside him. I did, making sure to leave him space so he wouldn't be uncomfortable.
     "Well, I came to relax a bit," I told him, "What about you?"
     "My dad's on a mean streak and I needed to get out of the house last night," he answered.
     "I understand," I said, remembering all the times that Johnny would keep me out of the house until it was safe to sneak in.
     "You do?" Chris inquired, looking at me curiously.
     "Yeah," I nodded, "My old man was the same way."
     "Was?" I hesitated to answer his question. I glanced over at Chris and scanned his face. I could trust him, I decided.
     "I haven't seen him since I was six. Mom ran off with me and left my brother and father here by themselves. I'm only here because he's in jail and my brother invited me to stay with him."
     Chris nodded in understanding, "Who's your brother? He must be a pretty nice guy to look after you for a few months."
     I let out a breathy laugh, which made Chris confused.
     "What? What'd I say?" he asked.
     "Nothing," I assured him, "It's just that I've learned that nice isn't exactly the first word that people would use to describe my brother."
     "What's his name?"
     "Ace Merrill," I told him, calling Johnny by his nickname. It didn't sound right to me, and I silently decided that that was the last time I'd ever call him by it.
     We sat in silence for a few moments. Chris was staring at me, and I was gazing right back at him. I began to grow nervous; everyone else that I told had practically run away from me. But Chris wasn't like anyone else I had met. I saw the corners of his mouth turn up in a smile.
     "Ace?" he finally said, raising an eyebrow, "Who knew that someone as nice as you could be related to Ace Merrill."
     I smiled a bit and looked at my lap, fumbling with my fingers. I knew that my cheeks were pink as I had felt them heat up.
     I heard Chis let out a chuckle, "Hey, do you know what time it is?" he asked.
     I looked down at my wrist watch, "It's a quarter after six," I told him, "Why?"
     "Well, Dad and Richie are probably still sleeping, so I should go home and get changed before they wake up," he replied, standing. I did the same. He turned to me, "Do you wanna walk with me, then we can hang out after? Gordie, Teddy, and Vern won't be up until at least eight, so it'll just be us for a while."
     "Sure," I smiled, "But who's Richie?"
     "My brother. Everybody else calls him Eyeball. He's one of Ace's friends," Chris explained. I nodded, showing him that I knew who he meant.
     Chris and Eyeball were nothing alike. Chris had a softer, gentler aura, while Eyeball was tough and mean. Chris had straight sandy blond hair and blue green eyes, while Eyeball had curly black hair and brown eyes. I felt like I could trust Chris, but I wouldn't be as willing to trust Eyeball. In general, I liked Chris, but I didn't really like Eyeball.

     The two of us talked now and then as we were walking to his house, but we were mostly silent. It wasn't awkward, though. I felt very comfortable around Chris, which I found surprising, as I had only met him the day before.
     When we arrived, we stood outside beside his window. The house was only a single story town house, so it wouldn't be hard for him to sneak in.
     "I'll wait out here," I told him, watching as he pushed his window up and crawled through it. 
     A few minutes later, he came out in a fresh white shirt and jeans. His worn converse were tied up as they had been before, and we were ready to get out of here.
    
     For the next two hours, we wandered around town and relaxed in the tree house. It was nice hanging out with Chris; I could say what I wanted and not be scolded for bad language or corrected if I said something the wrong way. Mom was very particular about the way I acted, but I could relax with Chris.
     He understood as well. He understood things that Mom, Johnny, and every other person I knew couldn't even begin to understand.

     I realized something that day. I realized that where I was living with Mom in Caldwell, Idaho wasn't home. Here, in Castle Rock, with Johnny and Chris, was home.