Stand Together (a Stand By Me fanfiction)

The Tree House (chapter one)

 I sat in my bedroom in the old office chair I stole from my dad's unused office. I heard the front door open and close, and footsteps coming up the stairs. My doorknob turned quickly as I jumped up from the chair. Reflexes. I came face to face with a short dirty-blonde haircut, blue eyed boy. Relieved, I sat back down in the chair and cupped my chin in my hands.

"Hey Lauren," the boy said.

"Hey Chris," I replied.

"I knocked on your door but no body answered. At first I thought you weren't home, but then I remembered the spare key under the plant next to your house and I let myself in," Chris explained.

"Yeah, okay," I replied.

"You know we where supposed to meet in the tree house today," he reminded.

My senses became more alert and I jumped off the chair and ran to the hall closet and grabbed my beat-up black high-top converse and struggled to put them on my feet. All the while Chris was laughing at me and walking behind me at a slow pace.

"Shut it, Chambers, will ya?" I teasingly asked. Chris just kept laughing as we went out the front door and onto the sidewalk. The way to the old tree house. As we walked, we didn't say much. Nearing the tree house, I could see Teddy, another member of our gang, climbing the tree house ladder.

 I climbed up the ladder after Chris, and I could already hear Teddy hyena-laughing about something.

"So, Chambers, brought your girlfriend?" Teddy asked, laughing.

 "We are NOT dating," Chris and I said at the same time. 

"Sure," Teddy said while rolling his eyes, but let the subject go. The two boys started playing some weird card game, and I picked up one of Gordie's magazines and started reading. Now, you probably don't want to hear me talk about reading a car magazine, so I'll tell you a little bit about me and the gang:

Chris: He's the unofficial leader of our gang and he is my best friend. We've been through everything together, like when my parents got divorced. Chris was the one who snuck in through my window and comforted me while I cried. I always thought, and even to this day, that I was the reason for my parents divorce. I mean, I wasn't, but that's what I thought. Chris's parents both drink and his older brother and their gang pick on us all the time; Ace Merrill and the Cobras. Chris has dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He doesn't smile often, but when he does the whole room lights up. He is also about my height and is always trying to compete with me to see is the tallest (I totally am though).

Teddy: He's the crazy one, as you can tell by his laugh. His father is crazy and a few years ago held Teddy's ear to a stove and nearly burnt it off. I honestly don't know why Teddy still gives a hang about his dad, I mean, I don't and mines living 3,000 miles away. He has brown hair that gets blonder as it nears the top of his head. His eyes always have a crazed look to them and a smirk never leaves his face.

Gordie: He's soft, but still tough. He loves to write and read, which is probably how we became friends. He changed though. Ever since his older brother Denny died three months ago Gordie hasn't been the same, none of us have. His parents, ever since Denny died and before, ignored him and only focused on Denny's football playing and not Gordie's writing. His brown hair is always combed to one side and his eyes always have a thinking look to them; or they used to.

Vern: He's the baby. I honestly feel bad for him because of the way Teddy picks on him. But, then again, he has the nicest home out of all of us and needs to toughen up a little bit. But, then again, no one deserves to be picked on, especially by Teddy, who after many times of telling him, won't stop. Vern loves to eat, considering he's kind of chunky. But he's sweet and a good friend, even though 99% of the time he's whining. He has a short, brown buzz cut, the style, and large blue eyes.

Lauren: Yeah, well that's me. Two years ago my parents had a fight and of course, I was on my moms side. Well, my dad was drinking and my mom wasn't, so why would I go on a drunk persons side? I wouldn't. My dad moved 3,000 miles to New York and I haven't seen him since, nor do I want to. I don't cuss at all, unlike the other guys, and won't be using profanity in this paper.  I would if I could, but this is an essay, so no. I love to read and write, like Gordie, and have since I was real little. Reading was my escape from harsh reality and when I wrote I could make my own Utopia. I loved it. I have shoulder length blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Believe it or not, I'm also the tallest.

There where five quick knocks on the trap door followed by two long knocks coming from Teddy; the secret knock. We moved the makeshift table off of the trap door and opened it. Up climbed Gordie with a new magazine. He sat in between Teddy and me, and started playing the stupid card game. I never play, I get too frustrated and confused. I cautiously watched them play, hoping to figure out what on earth they were doing, when Gordie got out. He cursed under his breath and we all started laughing. As Teddy and Chris played, there were a few knocks on the trap door.

Gordie didn't look up from his magazine and said: "That's not the secret knock!"

"Well, I forgot the secret knock! Come on guys let me in!" the voice called, muffled by the distance seperating us from the person.

"Vern," we all said in unison. We let Vern climb up through the trap door and he was clearly out of breath. 

"Your not going to believe this. This is so boss," Vern started. "Just give me a minute, I ran all the way from my house."

The rest of us all smirked and looked at each other.

"I ran all the way hooommme!" we broke out in song. 

"Just to say I'm sorry. Sorry ooh. Why can't I say it?" we sang. We then stopped on Chris' cue and listened to what Vern had to say.

"Okay. So I was-" he started. We cut him off with our absurd and off-key singing, when he waved us off and told us to forget it. We stopped singing and actually listened.

"What is it?" Chris asked him, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Do you guys want to go see a dead body?" Vern asked us.

That's where it all began.