DARLING, chris chambers

five

Jackie Favelle

Today is a new day, a normal day with my four best friends. A nice sunny summer day perhaps.

Instead of hanging out in the tree house we're chilling on my back porch. A cool breeze blows our card game off of the table and we all groan. "At least the tree house blocks out the wind!" Vern whines. "But, at least my back porch has this." After I say this, Ricki walks out of the house with a tray filled with cheese, crackers, and meat.

First Vern sees Ricki, then the rest do. The boys give me weird looks and focus back on the tray of food. "Hey, there's food," I shrug before sticking a bite-sized cracker in my mouth. We continue to chat for hours and basically plan the whole summer.

The tray of snacks was demolished and Gordie helped me with whatever there was to bring inside.

I place everything aside of the sink and turned to walk away, when I was doing so Gordie grabbed my wrist.

"Jackie?" Gordie buzzed.

"Yeah Gordo?"

"Chris really likes you, you know?" He speaks softly. "Really?!" I say a little too loud and excited. I clear my throat. "I mean, really?"

Gordie just giggles, "he told me not to tell you but you totally like him too." I laugh, "I can't deny it Gordo." The two of us walk out quietly and I make eye contact with Chris. Chris gives a heart-warming smile and I practically melt. Gladly nobody notices.

It was now night and almost midnight. I am still thinking of what Gordie told me this morning. Everyone was saying the weirdest things and enjoying each other's presence.

After about twenty minutes of this they got tired. I knew the boys were sleeping from how steady their breathing was, until I heard someone shuffle in their sleeping spot. It frightens me even more than I already am.

"Chris?" My voice is shaky. "Yeah, darling?" My breathing slows to a steady pace. "I'm scared." I can feel him shuffling over next to me in my sleeping spot. He lifts up my covers and lays next to me, but we are back-to-back. "What can you possibly be afraid of?" I feel the vibration of his voice on my back.

"I don't know. I'm just thinking too much."

I exhale deeply trying to relieve my fear. Chris turns over to face me and I do the same. "You're alright love," Chris kisses my forehead. My eyelids soon get heavy and I fall into a peaceful slumber.

-

Once again I'm woken up the giggles and snickers. In a trauma response to yesterdays rude awakening, I immediately check for water at my side only for my fist to collide with someone under the blanket. Chris sits up clutching his pearls, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" I stifle a laugh, but still feeling so bad.

"It was an accident." He wheezes and winces. Vern and Gordie wince almost as if they felt Chris' pain. Meanwhile, Teddy is laughing his ass off. "I'm so thankful I did not wake up over water though." I sigh.

"Water?" The four boys asked, some scrunch up their noses in confusion.

"Tracy thought it would be funny if woke up in the middle of her pool." I shrug. "It was funny, I guess. Anyways, are you alright?" Chris nods and smiles.

We all return to our own houses. The smell of alcohol fills the air and I sigh already knowing that my cousin had fallen off the wagon. Ricki lays on chair in the living room, a few beer bottles surround him. I cringe in disgust at the sight of him.

"Ricki?" I shake his shoulder and he mumbles a few swear words making me scoff. I grab hold of his forearms and yank him up. I try harder to pick him up and accomplish that.

Ricki staggers next to me, we reach his room at the end of the hall. "I can't believe I have to do this for you." I huff. Ricki removes his shirt and plops down on his bed, but before I leave he mumbles a little "sorry."

"I don't blame you." I reply back and slamming the bedroom door. Making my way downstairs, rubbing my eyes because of the tears that threaten to pour out. Also, grabbing the beer bottles and chucking them in the garbage.

My bedroom floor is covered in clothes, clean and dirty. I sort through them and get ready to take a shower. Adjusting the knob of the shower and wait for the hot water to come out, but it doesn't. I sigh and every curse word known to man pour out of my mouth.

After successfully finding a place to freshen up, which was of course Teddy's. I have reasons not to go to all of the other boy's houses.

First of all, Eyeball at Chris', the second is Gordie's old man dislikes the boys and I, and Vern's parents aren't so fond of him having girlfriends.

I'm sitting on the blue sofa staring into space when Teddy comes around the corner eating a sandwich. "Did you eat anything yet Jack?" He muffled. I shook my head.

"There's sandwiches in the kitchen." I follow behind him and sit at the table.

Teddy gives me a soft smile. "Are you okay?" I shrug, "I'm not sure.. really. But little things like this..." I point to the sandwiches, "make my day better."

"You know Jackie, we're here for you. I love you so so much and I'd hate if anything happened to you."

The two of us stand up at the same time and Teddy wraps his arms around me.

"I know Teddy, I love you very much too."

I put my face into the crook of his neck. We stay like this for a bit. Then there was a knock at the door and it slowly creeps open. "Teddy?" Gordie calls. "In here."

Before they enter the kitchen Chris says, "Hey Teddy, you see Jackie around? She wasn't ho-" Chris cuts his sentence short when he sees me. "Oh, there she is." Chris smiles big and places his hand on my cheek and gives it a gentle squeeze.