stand by me

chapter eleven

^^^listen to the song while you read^^^

~When Gordie comes back~
Milo had come back. I got on Chris's back and I get felt a wet splotch of water where Teddy had spit water at him.
We jumped the fence and stood outside waiting for Gordie. I could tell Vern was worried so a put my arm around him. He was always so caring. Vern had always been like a little brother to me.
I was kicking the dirt beneath me and I looked up to see Gordie back where we were before he had left. He was looking around for us and finally saw us behind the fence.
"Hey! Hey! You kid! What are you doing there?" Milo yelled. Gordie started running faster than I'd ever seen him run. "You, you! Come back here goddammit! I'll sic my dog on you!" Milo shouted as he was running after him.
"Run, Gordie, run!" We all shouted. "Chopper! Sic him! Sic him boy!" Milo yelled, catching up to Gordie.
I saw Gordie's face drop and he started running even faster and screaming.
"C'mon Gordo!" We all shouted as he got closer to the fence. He hopped the fence with the dog right on his tail.
By the time he had hopped the fence, me and the boys were on the ground laughing. "That's Chopper?" Gordie asked, wheezing.
The dog was very small and puny. It couldn't hurt a fly even if it wanted to.
"Come on, Choppy! Kiss my ass, Choppy! Kiss my ass! C'mon! Bite shit!" Teddy taunted.
I was just happy we were all behind the fence and safe from that old man. I was way more afraid of that junk man than I was that dog. He was crazy.
"Hey you kids! Stop teasing that dog!" He yelled as he walked up to the fence. "You hear me? Stop it! Sonny I'll beat your ass teasing my dog like that!" He threatened Teddy.
I could tell Teddy really didn't take the man seriously. All of the guys were laughing, even Vern. I was smiling but on the inside I just knew something bad was about to happen... I could feel it.
"Yeah? I'd like to see you try to climb over this fence and get me, fatass!" Teddy yelled back. "Don't call me that you little tin-weasel peckerwood looney's son!" Milo said sternly.
Teddy stopped laughing and his face got real serious. I'd never seen him like that. He was always joking around, never serious.
"What did you call me?" Teddy asked. "I know who you are! You're Teddy Duchamp! Your dad's a looney! A looney up in the nuthouse at Togus! He took your ear, and he put it to a stove, and he burnt it off!" Milo explained.
I'd always hated that man. My father would go up and visit with him once and a while and he'd drag me along so I wouldn't go and hangout with the guys. Every time we went to visit him, he would always treated me like a piece of shit.
"My father stormed the beach at Normandy," he told Milo. "He's crazier than a shithouse rat! No wonder you're acting the way you are! With a looney for a father!"
I was getting fed up with the way Milo was talking to my best friend. I was ready to beat the shit out of him but I kept still and didn't say anything.
"You call my dad a looney again and I'll kill you," Teddy threatened. "Looney, looney, looney!" Milo teased. Teddy lunged toward the fence and started screaming. It was hard for me to make out what he was saying. The guys were holding him back because we all knew he definitely would go over the fence and hurt him if we didn't.
I couldn't move a muscle. I tried to speak but no words came out. I just stood there. Teddy was my best friend and I could feel his pain when Milo insulted his father.
The boys were still holding him back but Teddy was struggling to get away. "He wants to go over there so he can beat the piss out of you and then take you to the cops!" Chris yelled. "You watch your mouth, smart guy! Let him do his own fighting!" Milo yelled back. "Sure! You only outweigh him by 500 pounds, fatass!" Gordie chimed in. "I know your name! You're Lachance! I know all you guys!" I guess he hadn't noticed me yet because I was behind the boys. "All your fathers are gonna be getting a call from me!" He threatened. "Except for the looney up in Togus." Teddy darted at the fence again and started screaming.
"Oh and look who we've got here! Y/N/Y/L! You're their little slut, right?" I sneered at the old man. "Hey! Don't you talk to her like that! You son of a bitch!" Chris yelled.
Gordie and Chris dragged Teddy away. Milo was still shouting after us.