Leaving Castle Rock//Chris Chambers

Part 5// Getting the Hell Out of Here

The next day at lunch, she sat at the end of the table like she always did. She pushed her food around in circles with her fork, and tried to mute out the conversations around her. She looked over the table across the room, where Vern, Teddy, and Goride sat with the rest of the Castle Rock High School boys. It was a moment before she realized Chris wasn't there.

Before she had time to wonder where he was, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she immediately spun around. There was Chris, wearing a thick, black zip up sweater, hood up, despite the heat wave that had been passing through the town for the past week.

"Betty, can you talk?" The chatter at the table died down almost instantly, eyes all on Chris who immediately noticed and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Somewhere not here?" he whispered though in vain as the nearby area was silent.

She nodded, and got up, carefully to avoid eye contact with any of the girls at her table, whose minds were no doubt racing with ideas for Chris Chambers wanted to talk alone with her of all people. Her mind was confused and racing all the same. When her hands started shaking at the thought of what they were going to say about her, she had to remind herself today was her last day here. He probably just wanted to say goodbye.

They slipped out into the hallway, past the teachers and the whispers and the stares, the ashen-hair boy's hood poorly concealing the purple swell around his left eye.

"Hey I changed my mind. I want to go."

A moment of silence settled between them, as she processed what he had just said. "Go? Like leave leave?"

"Leave leave," he repeated, his shoulders tensed up as if he was preparing for a fight, or for someone to pop around the corner and attack.

"But I'm leaving tonight--"

"I know. I know, and if you don't want me to come with I get it. Really. But I could help yuh know? I've got some money stored away and some food and I'm really good with getting out of tough spots and--" He stumbled over his words, thinking of more to say, trying to convince her to let him come with, as if he he knew from the rumors that were told and by the family he came from she would never let him.

But instead our girl's heart lit up. Her racing mind fell still with peace; if he went with, she wouldn't have to be alone. She wouldn't have to be terrified, she wouldn't have to leave it all behind. It didn't matter to her why he changed his mind, her only worry was that he would change it back again.

"--Yes! Yes you can come. I put together a sort of plan." She looked around, nervous to find out a teacher or curious student had followed them. "I don't think we should talk about it here though," she whispered, seeing no one but still paranoid.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah you're right. They hear us and they'll rat on us for sure. We could meet at the treehouse after school? It's not too far but we shouldn't walk together, not with the guys. They'll be asking a thousand questions for sure."

"Treehouse. Okay. Go home and pack first. We've got somewhere to be before eleven tonight." It felt strange talking to him. Talking to him about something so big and real and so binding. "Are you sure you want to leave? What about your friends?" She was worried he hadn't thought this all through. Worried they'd leave and he would turn miserable and want to go back. Worried he would hate everything and blame her.

"I've been thinking about this for half my life. Trust me, I know what I'm doing," his voice cut off in a sneer that caught her off guard as rude, until she saw Mrs. Patterson emerge from behind her.

"Mr. Chambers. Miss Wright. How would you care for me to write you both a pass to afternoon detention?" Mrs. Patterson snapped and looked at them, as if vermin or criminals.

Our girl, not being used to being addressed as such by a teacher, froze, already on edge. Had she heard them?

"Mrs. Patterson, Betty and I were just talking about our project for Mr. Olsen's class. We're partners and we've got to get it turned in today," the lie poured out of him, as relaxed and natural as breathing.

"Well then Mr. Chambers, I'm sure you can find a better place and time to discuss it than sneaking out into the hallway in the middle of lunch. Miss Wright please return to lunch." Betty suddenly realized Mrs. Patterson wasn't looking at them both like vermin or criminals, she was looking at Chris that way.

"Really Mrs. Patterson, we were just--" From behind Mrs. Patterson, Chris was shaking his head, no. Betty stopped mid sentence, and took off back to the lunch room just as Mrs. Patterson grabbed Chris's arm to take him to god knows where. But before they left completely, Betty caught his eye and he nodded. Treehouse after school. Bags packed. Then getting the hell out of here.