Where I Belong - Ace Merrill

Chapter 3

Harper's breathe quickened as she watched the scene she'd so many times before unfolded right before her eyes.

Ace stole Denny's hate from Gordie's head. Chris called him an asshole. Eyeball told Chris he knew he didn't mean to his insult Ace. Ace offered Chris the chance to take it back.

Harper knew what was coming next.

Just as Ace went out to grab Chris's shirt collar, Harper quickly flung herself forward and into the firing line.

Ace's hands gripped her shirt as he yanked her aside.

"The fuck are you doing?!" He shouted at her as he let go instantly and stepped back slightly.

"Stopping you from flinging Chris down to the floor and using your cigarette to threaten him to take it back!" She blurted out without thinking.

Ace stepped back again. How the fuck had she known what he was about to do? Even Eyeball cautiously looked her up and down and stepped back slightly.

It was then Harper realised what she'd said.

"Oh come on, seriously?! You're still acting the cobra part?" She snapped at them both, as they stood there confused and in shock.

She turned to face the so called Chris and Gordie, who were also in shock at this strange new girl who had just stopped Ace beating Chris.

"Don't tell me you guys are in character too? I mean bloody hell!" She half shouted as she stepped closer to Chris.

"Man the whole world mourns River and you're over here looking like the fucking doppelgänger!"

Gordie looked behind her at Ace and Eyeball, who were just as in shock as they were.

"Who's River?" Chris mumbled quietly as he looked over to Gordie.

Gordie gave him a small shrug as Harper laughed.

"Okay seriously I've had enough of this shit. I mean I love this movie as much as the next fan but this is fucking nuts!" She shouted as she waved her arms up in the air.

"What movie?" Gordie asked quietly to Chris, who just shrugged in response staring at the girl.

Harper gave him a small laugh before she slowly began to look around. Everything had changed from when she first arrived, her dads Range Rover had been replaced with what looked to be an old Ford pick up truck.

The street looked exactly how it had in the movie.

Everything was exactly how it had been in the movie.

Turning back to the four guys, who were still all incredibly confused, she stepped closer slowly.

"Okay this is gonna sound strange but um... what year is it?" She asked quietly.

They all looked at each other blankly as Gordie looked up at her.

"1959."

Harper laughed slightly as she shook her head.

"Okay did my parents put you all up to this?" She asked them all.

Chris shook his head slowly. "No offence but we don't even know you, let alone your parents..."

Harper turned to him confused before spinning again and taking in Castle Rock around her.

"No no no no... somethings wrong... this isn't happening..." she began mumbling over and over as she raced over the newspapers stand.

Reaching out and grabbing one she saw the date printed on the top. 1959.

Chucking it back down she slowly walked back over to the others.

Ace half crossed the road and met her in the middle.

"You wanna tell me what the fucks going on?!" He tried not to shout in the middle of the street.

Harper looked up at him. Everything about him was way too similar.

"Kiefer..." She whispered.

He shook his head slowly. "I keep telling you I'm not this Kiefer." He mumbled as he watched her hand slowly reach out and touch his cheek.

Gasping slightly as her fingertips gently brushed over the stubble on his jaw.

"Ace Merrill..." she whispered as he nodded slowly.

"It's you... like it's actually you..."

"You're talking like you know me love?" He asked, forcing a laugh although this situation was even beginning to freak him out.

She shrugged slightly and smiled up at him. "You could say that." She forced her own laugh as she stepped back slightly and looked him up and down. "You're taller in real life though."

Ace laughed slightly and looked down before back up at her.

"Say again love?"

She laughed slightly and shook her head, her eyes drifted down to the hat he was holding.

"Gordie's hat..."

He nodded slowly as he tossed it about in his hands.

"Okay so I'm figuring I'm in some kind of coma or hella deep sleep."

"Huh?" Ace asked but was ignored as Harper pushed past him and began walking back to the others.

"Okay so I'm stuck in my favourite movie, I just gotta play it out and I'll wake up!" She tried reassuring herself as she reached the others, Ace hot on her tail as he stood beside Eyeball.

"What are you talking about?!" Eyeball snapped at her.

She laughed and shook it off, ignoring him.

"Just play out the movie Harper. You'll be fine. You got this." She repeated determined.

"What movie?" Gordie asked quietly.

She shook his question off as she looked over at Ace.

"Okay I won't let you shove Chris down but you're gonna need to deal with that hat." She practically ordered as she nodded down at the hat in his hands.

"I was only gonna give it to him..." Ace mumbled as he slowly offered it to Eyeball.

"Course you were." She mumbled as she watched Eyeball take it and put it backwards on his head.

Harper had to steady herself, this was really happening. She determined she must be in some kind of coma, her head playing out the reason she came to Oregon with her parents.

"Do we go now or..." Chris started as he gestured behind them.

Harper nodded quickly in response. "If you figure out what Goofy is let me know!"

Chris and Gordie gave each other blank and confused looks as they turned back to her and nodded. How had she known they discussed Goofy?

Harper watched as both younger boys turned and began walking down the streets.

"Three... two... one..." she mumbled as on one she watched Chris swing his leg up and kick Gordie in the ass.

A smirk came to her face as she watched Gordie retaliate.

"Okay love... you got some serious explaining to do."

She turned and saw Ace stood right next to her, staring down at her, looking to her other side she saw Eyeball giving her the same expression.