Chapter 15

                                    

                                          
"Coming through the woods I bet we saved over an hour," Gordie said as we walked along the tracks. The trees on both sides of us served as a shield from the sun, which came as quite a relief since we had been traveling for so long. "Teddy?" 
                          
"Yeah?"
                          
"Is this the Back Harlow Road?"
                          
"Yeah."
                          
My stomach seemed to turn as they conversed back and forth. I questioned wether or not I wanted to see this body. Seeing something like that would most likely haunt me for the rest of my life. 
                          
"The Brower kid must be around here some place," Chris spoke. "Teddy, you and Vern watch the left side of the tracks. We'll take the right."
                          
I followed behind Chris and Gordie as we walked next to the line of trees, gazing through them to get a better look at what was on the ground. 
                          
"There he is!" Vern said as we all jumped. "I see him! Look! Look over there! I see him! I see him!"
                          
We ran to his side. 
                          
There he was. Ray Brower. Although we could only see his feet, I still couldn't breath. 
                          
Chris was the first one to push past us and walk toward the body. His feet were only covered in socks while his shoes were scattered in the bushes that covered the rest of his body. 
                          
Chris picked up a stick and hesitantly moved the branches out of his face. 
                          
That's when I realized that this was real. Ray Brower was right in front of me. Dead. 
                          
I let out a shaky breath as we all stared in shock. I saw Chris look over at me in the corner of my eye and place his hand in mine. Despite his efforts to comfort me, I still couldn't move. 
                          
"Let's look for some long branches. We'll build him a stretcher," Chris said. "Gordie?"
                          
"Why did you have to die?" Gordie whispered as his stare stayed glued on the boy. 
                          
"What's the matter with Gordie?" Vern asked. 
                          
"Nothing. Why don't you guys just go look for some long branches, okay?" Chris said. 
                          
We did as we were told. As I collected some branches, I watched as Gordie burst into tears. Chris put his arm around him and relaxed him. 
                          
"What the fuck do you know about this?"
                          
I knew that voice. 
                          
"Son of a bitch! My little brother!"
                          
I twirled around to see the same boys that were picking on Chris and Gordie the same day I officially met them. Ace and Eyeball. 
                          
"You wasn't planning on taking the body from us, was you, boys?" Ace's eyes drifted to me. "And girl?"
                          
"You get away, man! We found him! We got dibs!" Chris was the first to speak. "We earned him, man. You guys came in a car. That's not fair. He's our's!"
                          
"There are five of us, Eyeball. You just make your move," Teddy said. 
                          
"Oh, we will." As Ace spoke as more Cobras piled out from behind the trees. My eyes widened. "You guys have two choices. Either leave quietly. We take the boys. Or you stay, we beat the shit out of you, and we take the body."
                          
We said nothing. 
                          
"Okay, Chambers, you little faggot. This is your last chance. What do you say, kid?" Ace asked. 
                          
"Why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more," Chris said. 
                          
Ace's face turned to a dark red as he reached into his pocket and held up a knife. "You're dead."
                          
"Come on, Chris. Let's split," Teddy begged. 
                          
"They're not taking him."
                          
"He's got a knife, man!" Vern shouted. Teddy and Vern both made a run for the trees. 
                          
"You're gonna have to kill me, Ace," Chris said. 
                          
"No problem."
                          
"No! Stop!" I said. I began to step forward, but Ace turned toward me, pushing me to the ground before I could get in the way. 
                          
"I'm sick of you thinking you can do whatever you want just because you're a girl," he growled. 
                          
He faced Chris again and raised his knife. I couldn't look as he held it to his throat.
                          
Then, I heard a gunshot. 
                          
I slowly opened my eyes, afraid of what I would find in front of me. Gordie held up the pistol and pointed it toward Ace. 
                          
"You're not taking him. Nobody is taking him," Gordie said. 
                          
"Come on, kid, just give me the gun before you take your foot off. You ain't got the sack to shoot a woodchuck," Ace said overconfidently. 
                          
Chris carefully shuffled over to me. He took my hand and helped me from the ground. 
                          
"Don't move, Ace. I'll kill you. I swear to God."
                          
"Come on, Lachance, gimme the gun. You must have at least some of your brother's good sense," Ace said. 
                          
"Suck my fat one you cheap dime-store hood."
                          
"Are you going to shoot us all?"
                          
"No, Ace," Gordie replied. "Just you."
                          
"We're gonna get you for this," Ace snarled. 
                          
"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," Chris said. 
                          
"Oh, we will. We're not gonna forget this if that's what you think. This is big time, baby," Ace said before him and the rest of his gang went up the hill to go home. 
                          
"Suck my fat one?" I laughed. 
                          
"Who ever told you you had a fat one, Lachance?" Chris said with a smirk. 
                          
"Biggest one is four counties."
                          
Teddy and Vern returned, looking ashamed that they had left in the first place. 
                          
"Are we gonna take him?" I asked. 
                          
"No," Gordie answered. 
                          
"But we came all this way," Teddy said. "We're supposed to be heroes.
                          
"Not this way, Teddy."



                          
*****
A/N
Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I feel like nobody is reading anymore. I think I'm only gonna have one more chapter, but I'm not positive if there's gonna be any more until the end of the book!! Thank you to those who read, but could you vote, so I know you liked it?
Anyway, after I finish the next chapter, I'm going to go back and edit the entire book because this is not my best work. Thank you for 390 views!!