Only if you Stand by me//Gordie Lachance

02

8:32 am
Castle Rock, Oregon
1959

I could barely even hear the ticks of the clock on the wall due to the commotion of noise in my first hour classroom.
Mrs. Rudyard's desk was covered in stacks of useless papers and broken sticks of powdery chalk. There was a single picture frame sitting on her wooden desk: a photograph of an open field of lavender flowers in Castle Rock, I usually pass that field on the way home from school.
I pluck two of the tiny light purple flowers, and stick them into my jean pocket until I get home. When I get home, I hand them to my mother and she sticks them in a glass vase filled with water, sitting right by the kitchen window where it can receive sunlight.

Teddy and Vern sat two desks away from me, in a deep conversation about the topic of the last "Wagon Train" episode that showed last night.
I've started to get to know Teddy, Vern, and Chris a lot better, but Gordie seems to be ignoring me. He's not quiet, I know he's not quiet, something is just bothering him.

A girl walked into the classroom, causing Chris to glance up from his desk. The girl was only a little taller than me, auburn locks of curls fell down her shoulders. She held her books tightly to her chest, her eyes drifting around the room for a place to sit. She wore a pastel purple dress, the same shade of purple as the lavenders in the photograph. Glossy black Mary Janes were strapped to her feet, a pair of lacy white cotton socks underneath.
My mother would have loved her outfit.

I looked over at Chris, who's mouth was completely wide open, as well as his eyes. This was the first time I've ever seen Chris blush because of a girl, and it's pretty adorable. His cheeks turn burgundy red, like a fresh ripe apple, and I could even hear his heart beating quickly.
I smirked. I could be a matchmaker, I thought, like Cupid but with better baseball skills.

I stuck my hand up and waved towards the girl, signaling towards the open seat in front of me. Chris' seat was to the right of it, and Teddy's was to the left.
She smiled, walked over to the seat and setting her stack of books down.
Chris looked at me as if I had three heads, I gave him a cheesy little smile.
I never knew Chris Chambers acted so different around girls, he was so sweet and his attitude did not resemble cocky one bit.

"I'm Kali," the girl introduced herself to our whole group. I looked over at Chris, who could barely even speak.
"I'm Jamie," I said," and that's Teddy, Vern, Gordie, and Chris." I pointed to everyone surrounding me.
She smiled towards everyone, then grabbed a book off her desk, flipping it open without saying another word.
I tore a sheet of lined paper and scribbled a note on it, passing it over to Chris. He read it then passed it back and our conversation went on until the bell rang.

You like her-Jamie
Do not-Chris
Do too-Jamie
Okay, so what? She's pretty, alright? Is that what you wanted to get out of me?-Chris
Yes, yes it was. I want you to talk to her-Jamie
I can't-Chris
Why not?-Jamie
I just can't, okay? She's so pretty and sweet and if I talk to her she'll think of me just like everyone else does in this town. She'll think I'm a troublemaker just like my brother, only because I'm a Chambers-Chris
Really, talk to her. Be more optimistic. I caught her eyeing you earlier-Jamie
Fine. I'll talk to her at lunch-Chris

He crumbled up the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trash can, then shook his head at me.

8:47 pm

It's been fifteen minutes since the bell rang and Mrs. Rudyard still hasn't shown up yet. It's been twelve minutes and Teddy and Vern still won't stop talking. It's been two hours and Gordie still hasn't said a word to me.

I turn around in my desk, facing Gordie.
He looks up from his converse and at me, that same look of confusion he gave me on the bus.
"Listen Gordie," I sighed," I just want to be your friend, that's all. I don't know why you won't talk to me, and I wanted to brush it off and say you're just a quiet person, but I don't think so anymore."
I took a deep breath once I finished my sentence, turning back around in my seat to face the back of Kali's head. I patiently waited for an answer from Gordie, but twenty seconds has already passed and still nothing.
"A year ago today my brother died," a small voice peeped behind me. I snap my head back around, facing Gordie.
"Wow, that's horrible.." I try to think of something more to say. People always say "I'm sorry" when something happens to you, even if it wasn't their fault, but I don't want to be that person.
I've never dealt with a death of someone close to me before, so I've never felt the way Gordie does, but his sorrowful and angry energy is reflected off of him and onto me, so I can feel everything that he's feeling all at once.
"Just forget it," he says,"it's not a big deal."
"But it is," I tell him," he was really close to you, wasn't he?"
"Yeah."
"I've never had that happen to me, but I've been hurt by someone I love before. It felt like someone reached inside my chest, grabbed my heart, and twisted it. Doesn't it?"
He stares at me,"yeah. Pretty much."
"You can talk to me if you want to talk about anything at all," I tell him with a serious expression on my face.
"Okay."

I turn back around in my seat, just as the school bell chimes. Mrs. Rudyard wobbles into the classroom, her arms filled with textbooks and yellow pencils. Her hair was pulled back into a big brown bun with streaks of silver, she wore a long blue floral gown above her chocolate brown flats.

Oh, poor Gordie..

***
Let me know if you liked it! Updating again this week.
-Regan