Stand By Me Preferences & Imagines ON HOLD

Understanding - Teddy

Requested by elzbelz1

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You'd spent the day doing something that wasn't exactly normal for a kid. Especially a girl. You and your best friends had set on a search for a dead kid, and the only reason you'd tagged along was because the guys all wanted you there. 

But of course, you couldn't go a day without getting into some sort of trouble. Milo, the big ugly junkyard guy, had decided to agitate Teddy and call him and his father a loony, and obviously Teddy wouldn't let that go lightly, he wouldn't go down without a fight. 

You'd managed to get him away, and everyone was trying to comfort him and stop him crying, but he'd snapped at them all to shut up. You all stood there, shocked, until you grabbed Teddy's arm.

"Um, you guys go ahead. Teddy and I will catch up," you smiled.

"Sure," Chris returned the smile and continued walking in between Gordie and Vern.

"Teddy, look at me," you sigh, trying to hold back tears of your own as Teddy wiped his eyes. Although you were only twelve, and you didn't really understand any feelings other than anger, sadness, happiness or excitement, you definitely felt a more extreme emotion when you saw him cry. "Hey, don't cry. Don't let him make you cry,"

"I-I'm not crying. It's allergies," he lied, putting his glasses back on, along with a fake smile, and threw an arm around your shoulder.

"Isn't it funny how your allergies start playing up at the time when you're supposed to cry?" he chuckled and looked at the floor, "you shouldn't let him upset you like that, you know? He's really not worth it. Compared to you and your old man, he's nothing,"

"Thanks, Y/N. I guess I just wish people would give him a chance, you know? Sure, he's done some bad things, but surely the good things he's done can balance that out?"

"I understand. People only notice your mistakes, they never notice when you do something good,"

Things got quiet between you two at that point, and you continued walking to catch up with your friends. You thought about the conversation you just had, as did Teddy, and you realized you didn't understand any of it. The only thing you were sure of was how right it sounded, and how someday you would understand.