𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐌𝐄 - 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐢'𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

"well, see you in school," spoke vern.

"yeah."

"see you in junior high," responded caroline.

with his head down, vern left the group. however, as he walked away, something caught his eye--a shiny penny on the ground. turning around, he eagerly showed it to the group. smirks spread across their faces, accustomed to vern's usual penchant for finding joy in simple things.

following his departure, it was teddy's turn to say his goodbyes. as he left, a familiar tune had escaped his lips, the same song that had accompanied their journey to the woods.

"as time went on we saw less and less of teddy and vern until eventually they became just two more faces in the halls. that happens sometimes. friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant. i heard that vern got married out of high school, had four kids, and is now the forklift operator at the arsenal lumberyard. teddy tried several times to get into the army but his eyes and his ear kept him out. the last i heard, he'd spent some time in jail. he was now doing odd jobs around castle rock."

as the moment arrived for chris to bid farewell, a hint of worry stayed in his eyes. the weight of the little town pressed upon him, and uncertainty clouded his thoughts. however, gordie reassured chris that he could achieve anything he set his mind to.

"i'll see you," gordie said, offering a parting glance.

"not if i see you first."

"chris did get out. he enrolled in the college courses with me. and although it was hard he gutted it out like he always did. he went on to college and eventually became a lawyer. last week he entered a fast food restaurant. just ahead of him, two men got into an argument. one of them pulled a knife. chris, who would always make the best peace, tried to break it up. he was stabbed in the throat. he died almost instantly."

as the time came for gordie and caroline to say their goodbyes, a quiet gravity settled between them. after exchanging heartfelt farewells, caroline looked deeply into gordie's eyes.

caroline spoke, "never apologize for being yourself, gordie."

"as the years went on, caroline and i stood the test of time. our friendship endured longer than any other bond within the group. we used to be the only ones who truly understood each other, that was a connection that made us inseparable. we tackled college together and faced life head-on. but adulthood had other plans for her, such as marriage and kids. i find myself missing her. good friends like caroline are a rarity these days. she is the kind of friend you can't easily replace."