22

                                    

                                          
Flashback
                          
Chris's small arms wrapped around his mother as his father yelled at him for spilling milk. 
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO GOD DAMN STUPID?!"  He yelled, waving a beer bottle around.
Chris sobbed into his mother's stomach. 
"Charlie, he's only five!" Chris's mother yelled back.
"I'm sorry, daddy." Chris cried. 
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, PUSSY!"  He screamed.
Chris's mother picked up Chris and stormed out of the house. She got in her car and started driving. Chris sat in her lap, and weeped in her shirt. 
She pulled up in a small neighborhood and parked.
She kissed Chris's head and said "Don't be so upset, baby. Your father is just overreacting." 
Chris just continued to cry.
"Do you want me to tell you a story?" She asked in a sweet voice. 
Chris looked up at her and nodded. His eyes were filled with sadness and fear. His stopped crying as she began to speak. 
"In high school when I was around 16 I kept sneaking out of my house at night. Behind my parents back. I snuck out to meet up with my boyfriend. The one you're named after. Damn if he was only you're father... Anyways we always used to meet up and stay up all night together. He had the kindest heart. My father found out I was meeting up with him and he was pissed. He hated me dating people and he hated young dumb boys in general. We had to leave the town and I couldn't believe it. I told my boyfriend I was leaving and he did the sweetest thing...probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. He climbed on my roof with a radio and sang the cheesiest love song that was ever made. At least that was ever made in my day. I started crying, of course. My father wasn't very impressed and he dragged me away. I'll never know what happened to him. But I named you after an amazing soul, Chris." 
Chris smiled and hugged his mother. He could tell she still loved whoever this old high school sweetheart was. 
Chris heard a few voices from behind him. With curiosity getting the best of him he turned around and looked out the car window. What he saw was very fucked up but he didn't know that, yet. 
Chris saw 10 year old Denny Lachance holding hands with his parents, walking down the sidewalk with them. They drowned him with questions and compliments with every step he took. 
His eyes then caught a small figure a distance behind them. It was a kid about his age walking behind the Lachances. It was the baby of the family Gordon Lachance feeling invisible, like always. His parents were so focused on Denny that they didn't even realized how far back their other son was. He could get kidnapped and his parents wouldn't know. They probably wouldn't care either.
Gordon was walking with his head down, but felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up and made eye contact with Chris. 
Chris smiled and waved at Gordon. Gordon smiled and waved back. 
Don't worry y'all imma get to what's happening in the present in the next chapter. Y'all just need to know this to understand everything. Thanks for reading! Ilysm! 💋