The Six ➯ Stand By Me

|Four|

Teddy suddenly threw his hand in Vern's face, making the boy flinch.

"Two for flinching," Teddy stated before punching Vern in the arm twice.

The six stopped at a bridge and looked at how far the train tracks went on for.

"Here comes my summer body," Kaitlyn said with a sigh to Ella, who nods in agreeance.

"How far do you think it's gonna be?" Teddy asked.

Chris sighed thinking, "If we follow the tracks all the way into Harlow, it'd be about twenty miles."

"Jesus," Ella muttered.

"Sound about right to you, Gordie?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," Gordie agreed, "It might even be thirty."

"Gee, maybe we should just hitchhike," Vern said.

All five looked at the boy in disagreement.

"No way," Teddy replied after sending him a look, "That sucks."

"Why not?" Vern asked, "We could go out Route Seven to the Shiloh Church then down the Back Harlow Road. We'll be there by sundown."

"That's pussy," Teddy replied.

"Hey, it's a long ways!" Vern shot back.

"Did your mother have any kids that lived?" Teddy asked him.

Ella bit back a laugh.

"What do you mean?" Vern asked, and the two stop walking and just look at each other.

"C'mon children, we can talk about this later," Kaitlyn said, ushering the boys to keep walking.

The six of them walked for a little while in silence before Vern started singing, which the five other kids started to sing in sync with him.

"Have gun will travel, reads the card of a man. A knight without armor in a savage land. His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind. A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin," The six kids sang the lyrics over and over, trying to past up some time.

"We have to fill up at the junkyard. My dad said it's a safe well," Gordie said, remembering the fact once he saw Chris drink some water from his canteen.

Chris offered Kaitlyn some water but she shook her head, sending him a grateful smile which he returned with a nod.

"Not if Chopper's there," Vern stated.

"If Chopper's there, we'll send you in," Chris replied looking at Vern.

"Very funny," Vern replied sarcastically.

Chris skips his feet, almost tripping Kaitlyn in the process.

Kaitlyn sent Chris a look which made him smile, even though Kaitlyn's look wasn't the nicest. But he knew that she was just messing around.

"Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Who's got the food?" Vern asks.

"Oh, shit," Teddy curses, "Did anyone bring anything."