carnival // a lachambers fanfic

chapter 1

    3 more hours.

    3 more hours and the boys would be free. Free from the draining assignments Vern and Teddy, wouldn't attempt or let alone look out. Free from the group projects Gordie would end up doing all on his own. Free from fourth period gym where Chris would always make up an excuse to sit out and have a cigarette. Gordie would be free from being shoved into lockers by upper classmen. Teddy would be free of constantly being scolded by teachers for his outburst. Vern would be free of the dissatisfying school lunches didn't even include a dessert. Chris would be free of every teacher and staff member expecting him to be a miniature version of Eyeball.

    6th grade would be over in 3 hours. All they had to do was this; Gordie and Chris had to sit through a session of honors science and english and Vern and Teddy had to survive woodshop and home economics. After the final bell rang, the boys would met up at the bike rack and head to the Castle Rock June 1st Carnival. It was a tradition for the boys, and ever since the previous summer's adventure, the boys had decided to keep their endeavours PG; avoiding dead bodies and sticking to rides and cotton candy.

Gordie couldn't concentrate. In 3 hours he would be on the ferris wheel with Chris, his boyfriend. Even thinking about it gave him a rush. No one could really say they were surprised when Valentine's Day came around and Chris handed Gordie a small heart shaped card and in return Gordie gave Chris a poem he had been working so hard on ever since the idea came to mind. Vern and Teddy watched from the side as the two boys exchanged a quick hug and Chris popped the question. Gordie was extremely eager to say yes.

And here they were, almost 5 months later and still very happy with the title of boyfriends. Despite this, they still made sure to keep time on hand for Vern and Teddy. However, whenever the gang got together and Chris would make an effort to make Gordie blush, Vern would then question if the group was actually on a double date and he was being set up with Teddy. The memory of that day made Gordie grin.

"What's got ya grinning, Lachance," Chris quipped, eyeing his boyfriend with curiosity. The class wasn't really doing anything too challenging, just some end of year 'games' including crossword puzzles and word searches. Chris had finished his work and was reclined in his seat, itching for a cigarette.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about tonight," the brunette replied, resting his chin on his hand. With that, Chris smiled and nodded, turning to glance at the clock. An hour had passed and he could feel his own anticipation begin to grow. He normally wouldn't let himself get so excited about such a childish event, not wanting to shed his cool guy demeanor. However, one could not see the childish excitement painted on Gordie's face and not feel the same. His boyfriend's passion was contagious.

And with that, the boys sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the day. Their minds were far from the classroom, focused on how they wanted the night to go. Chris envisioned winning Gordie stuffed animals, treating his boyfriend to cotton candy, and watching
the sunset from the top of the ferris wheel. From across the English classroom, Gordie was picturing them sharing a Coke, Chris holding his hand on the bigger rides, and the pair watching the fireworks from the merry go round.

Both boys were pulled from their day dreams when the sudden clang of the bell echoed throughout the junior high. Gordie crammed his writing notebook into his messanger bag as Chris threw his worn bookbag over his shoulder. They smiled softly at each other and met at the door, Chris taking Gordie's hand in his and rubbing his thumb over Gordie's knuckles. They walked slowly behind the crowd of ancy students and made frequent eye contact, the two trying to stare at the other without the other knowing.

The crowd died down and eventually the two were at the set of double doors leading to the free world. Chris let go of Gordie's hand and pushed one upon, letting Gordie out first. They were met with Vern's cry of relief, "There you two are! Jesus, we've been waiting forever. What if they sell out of funnel cake, huh? Then what will we do?"

The group laughed, although Vern wasn't joking. The larger boy of the group pouted at his friends disconcern, kicking his foot and watching kids get into their cars. Teddy flicked the back of Vern's head, at which he flinched and gave him two punches. Gordie shook his head at how childish the two were and took Chris's hand back into his, starting to walk down the stairs.

The rest of the gang started to follow Gordie, Vern still mumbling about the wait for funnel cake. Gordie had easily persuaded his folks to give him money for the carnival. He simply reminded them of how much fun he used to have when he went with Denny; the thought of their late son sparking the memory that they had another child who was just as affected by the lose as they were and from time to time, Gordie deserved a chance to unwind to. His dad gave him 5 dollars in change, 4 quarters for food and the rest in nickels for the rides.

Getting money hadn't been as easy for the rest of the gang, Vern's mother fearful of the high calorie snacks her son would spend the money on. Teddy had to sneak some out of his father's stash in his sock drawer, leaving some board game money in return to fool his father. As for Chris, he had been saving up for months. Ever since the plans were put in place, he had been saving every penny he found and earned for the night.

The boys walked in the direction of the distant ferris wheel; the carnival was set up in a field on the edge of town, rides of all sorts and food stands you couldn't stomach in one evening. This was the extent of Castle Rock's fun, the carnival one of the few things to do. The boys shared some small talk, sharing the stories of their day at school. Vern blabbed about woodshop and how he got a certificate for most splinters (he didn't understand this wasn't a real accomplishment).

By the time they arrived, Teddy had punched Vern 6 times, Vern's stomach had rumbled around 10 times, and Chris had rolled his eyes at an uncountable rate. The boys entered the marked off area, taking in all the things they could do in one night. It was around 4:00 now, the sun still above the trees and the night was still ahead. According to the advertisements, the carnival closed at midnight and the boys had no reason to get home before hand.

"So," Vern said looking to the group, "Where do we start?"

author's note
thank you for reading! the second chapter should be posted shortly and it should be a bit lengthier than the first. and i promise more will happen in the second chapter, i just needed to get the story in motion. don't forget to comment and vote. :)