"Well I was under the porch, digging, you know.." Apparently they all knew except me. So, Gordie explained to me that at the beginning of the school-year he had buried a quart-jar of pennies underneath his house. He drew a treasuremap, so he could find them again. A week later his mom cleaned out his room and threw away the map.
Vern had been trying to find those pennies for nine months. Nine months, man. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
So Vern explained that while he was digging he heard his older brother, Billy, and Charlie's conversation. They saw the body while they were on the back Harlow road.
We had all followed the Ray Brower-story very closely because he was a kid our age. Three days before he had gone out to pick blueberries and nobody had seen him since.
"I know the Back Harlow Road! It comes to a dead end by the Royal river. The traintracks are right there! Me and my dad used to fish for cossies out there!" Teddy said excitedly.
"Jesus Christ, man. If they would have known you were under the door they would have killed you." Chris said to Vern almost in a worried tone of voice.
"Could he have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow? It's really far!" Gordie asked in disbelief.
"Sure. He must have started walking on the traintracks and just followed them the whole way." I said, it was the only reasonable answer.
"Yeah. Yeah, right. And then after dark the train must have come along -- El smacko!" Teddy hit his fist into his hand and I shivered at the thought.
"Yeah. Hey, hey guys! I bet you anything that if we find him we'll get our pictures in the paper!" Chris said excitedly.
"Yeah, we'd even be on TV!" Teddy added just as excited.
"Sure!" Chris agreed.
"We'll be heroes!" I said sharing their enthusiasm. This could be my chance to change how other people see me.
"Yeah!" Chris shouted.
"I don't know. Billy will know how I found out." Vern said worried.
Gordie talked for the first time in a while "He's not gonna care. Cos it's gonna be us guys who find him. Not Billy and Charlie Hogan in a boosted car. They probably pin a medal on you, Vern," he said trying to convince Vern.
"Yeah, you think so?" Vern said happily.
"Sure!" Gordie said sticking to his word.
"What'll we tell our folks?" Vern asked.
"Exactly what you said." I replied to him and Gordie nodded.
"We all tell our folks we're tenting out on your backfield. You tell your folks you're sleeping over Teddy's. Then we'll say we're going out to the drag-races the next day." Gordie said.
"Yeah then we're set until dinner tomorrow night." I added.
"That's a plan and a half." Chris said, still excited.
"But if we do find the kid's body over in South Harlow they'll know we didn't go to the drag-races! We'll get hided!" Vern said, still arguing.
YOU ARE READING
Stand by Me
Fanfiction"You're too young to hate the world." Mallory Amazon Davis had no place to call home. She was left to live with her Aunt after her mother lost custody of her. She just wanted friends, however she was frowned upon by many. Her family was never rich...
