Lachambers- What If?

3

9:53
Read the clock above Chris's head. He was two hours late to school, but he wasn't there for an education. He was planning to beat up the Lachance kid, just as he had promised.

There he stood at 9:53 inside his school's empty hallway. It seemed like forever since Chris was in this hallway. He never bothered to show up to school and when he did all he would cause is trouble. It followed him everywhere he went.

Chris's back was pressed up against the wall as he lit a cigarette. He held the end of the cigarette in his mouth and the match in his right hand. He leaned into the flame and watched how the butt of the cigarette sparked. Smoke rose up into there air, filling the hallway with the smell of burning tobacco. Chris pulled the match away and shook it until the flame went out.

The bell that would release all the students from their classroom would ring at 10. So for the next seven minutes Chris stood in the hallway and carefully inhaled, making sure not to actually take in any smoke. Truth be told, Chris was scared that he would one day take a drag from a cigarette and choke to death. He's never told anyone he never actually smoked. Not even Eyeball. The only reason he pretended to smoke was to fit in with the Cobras, look intimidating, or to be entertained by the smoke coming from his lips.

The bell started ringing, letting out an ear splitting noise. All the classroom doors swung open with an aggressive shove.
Chris observed all the kids flooding out of the classroom, making sure to examine each one. Without realizing it, Chris stared directly at Gordie as he walked out of the classroom, not thinking once of it.
Once he identified Gordie's face to the dead Lachance kid's younger brother, he gasped so hard he nearly choked. Chris quickly stomped on his cigarette and hurried after Gordie.

"Hey, Lachance. How've you been?" Chris said and began walking along side Gordie as if they were good buddies. Chris smiled a smile identical to his older brother's. It was gentle and forced.

"Look who showed up." Gordie said and turned to Chris, who was getting threateningly close.

"Yeah. Speaking of which do you mind helping with what I came here to do?" Chris asked. He wasn't going to consider Gordie's answer no matter what it was. If he said no Chris would still carry on with what he was up to. If he said yes Chris would think he was plain stupid.

"No way. Get lost, Chambers. All you do is get me in trouble." Gordie grumbled.

"That's not very nice." Chris snarked and grabbed Gordie's arm, squeezing it until it was numb.

"Let go right fucking now," Gordie snapped. "We're not playing this stupid game again."

"We're not playing a stupid game," Chris said and dragged Gordie to the boys bathroom. When all the boys that were in the bathroom saw Chris Chambers storming in, they'd rather piss their pants then stay one more second in the same room as him.
"We're just solving a problem."
Chris let go of Gordie's arm and looked him up and down.

"What? Are you gonna beat me up like you're Dad beats you up?" Gordie teased and crossed his arms.

"Aw, how'd ya know?" Chris said and tilted his head a bit. After all the years he spent studying Eyeball and Ace and shadowing everything they do, it's kind of become his whole personality. The only behaviors he's witnessed have rubbed off on him.

"Just a lucky guess," Gordie shrugged, unbothered.
"Go ahead. Hit me like your Dad hits you."

The way Gordie talked about his father made him a little afraid. It was like it didn't matter. It wasn't serious. The fact that a father was hurting his children was equal to a leaf falling off a tree. Smooth and easy. As much as Chris's blood was boiling, he didn't lay a single hand on Gordie.