12 Years Young

Chapter 7

"You're early Chambers." Said Teddy from up in the treehouse.

"Shut up, Teddy." I said starting to climb up.

When I got up there it was pitch dark.

"Teddy? I can't see worth a shit." I said feeling around in front of me.

"Oh, right." He said with a nervous laugh. He was acting so strange today.
A lantern flickered on and Teddy stood right in front of it.

"Why are you acting strange today?" I asked as he stepped closer to me.

"For as long as I can remember I have liked you. But you go for Lachance?" He asked stepping closer again. I slowly took a step back. He was pretty unstable most of the time, but today he seemed worse.

"I can't help how I feel." I said bumping into the wall.

"I can though." He said with a creepy grin growing on his face.

"Teddy, look I'm sorry I just don't feel that way about you!" I said as he took another step closer. He was now only about two inches away from me.

He looked me up and down. His eyes glowed excitedly from behind his glasses. He reached out to grab my arm and I reeled away.

"Come on Teddy you're not thinking straight." I said.

"I'm the only one who ever thinks straight." He said with a grin before reaching for me again and grabbing my arm.

He tried pulling me towards him but I just resisted. He let me go annoyed and and was about to shut out the light. I scrambled back against the wall.

"Please JoAnne. I'm only asking for one night with you. Then you're all Gordie's." He said reaching up to the lantern.

"Your being a dumbass." I said looking at the hatch.

"For once, I'm not." He said with a grin that was etched in my mind even after he turned out the lanterns safe light.

"Teddy, I'm not doing this." I said sticking my head out the window.
"Gordie!" I yelled out.

I knew he had followed me. I could hear him crunching the leaves on the way up here.

Teddy grabbed me and pulled me back in.

"Boyfriend isn't here right now. I'm all you have." He said spinning me towards him. Pretty soon the hatch flew open and Gordie's head popped in.

"Bullshit." I said grinning at Teddy.

"Teddy we can pretend this never happened, alright?" Gordie said climbed up and grabbing me from Teddy.

"Fine. I'm done with younger woman." He said going down the hatch.

"Thank you. I was starting to get really freaked." I said throwing my arms around him.

"I know." He said playing my hair and breathing in my ear.

"I love you Gordon Lachance." I said pulling back to try and look at him.

"I love you too JoAnne Chambers." He said pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Let's get you home." He said opening the hatch. We walked hand in hand and in silence all the way to my house.