just a lil filler cause i'm in a sbm mood. also i didn't want to spend a lot of time on this chapter. and idk i just kinda felt like after this happened chris probably thought over it like.. what if teddy actually wasn't gonna dodge? so yeah sorry to get emo...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Have Gun, Will travel, reads the card of a man! A knight without armor in a savage land!" the boys sang.
"His fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind," Rose joined in. Teddy pulled her under his arm, Vern doing the same on the other side of her.
"A soldier of fortune, he's a man called Paladin!"
Rose laughed after getting out of their hold, Teddy continuing to sing while Gordie thought aloud.
"We could fill up at the junkyard. Dad says it's a save well."
"Not if Chopper's there."
"Chopper, sic balls," Rose mumbled. Vern chuckled with a nod.
"Yeah, yeah! Chopper sic balls..."
"If Chopper's there, we'll send you in!" Chris joked.
"Ha ha," said Vern. "Very funny." He placed his hands over his stomach and moaned. "Hey, I'm kinda hungry, who's got the food?"
"You mean you didn't get food, Vern?" asked Rose.
"No!"
"Chris?"
"Not me. Gordie?" Gordie shook his head in response.
"Well, this is great. What are we supposed to do? Eat our feet?"
"Did you bring anything, Rose?"
"It was your idea, you shit!" Rose called out.
"Yeah, it was your idea!" Teddy added.
"What am I supposed to do? Think of everything? I brought the comb!"
"Oh great, you brought a comb. What do you need a comb for if you don't have any hair?"
"For you guys! A-And the lady!"
Rose threw her head back and sighed. "Verno, I appreciate the thought but food is more important. Looks like we have to sacrifice someone and eat them so we don't starve. And it was your plan, so we get to sacrifice you!"
Vern screamed. "No, don't! I can go back and get something!"
Rose fell into Chris' chest in laughter, Chris wrapping his arms around her and joining in.
"Hey, let's see how much money we've got! I've got a dollar two," Gordie exclaimed. Everyone sat in a circle on the tracks, digging out their money and placing it in his hands.
"Sixty-eight cents from Chris, fifty cents from Teddy, ten cents from Rosanna... seven cents, Vern?"
"Haven't found my pennies yet," Vern muttered sadly.
"Well, two thirty-seven's not bad," said Gordie in an attempt to be optimistic. "Quidachioluo's is at the end of the little road that goes by the junkyard. I think we can get stuff there."
Everyone looked up at the train from a distance.
"Train coming," Chris stated. He helped Rose up and got off the tracks.
"Geronimo!"
Chris turned to see Teddy standing in place. "Come on, Teddy."
"No. I'm gonna dodge it."
"Teddy, man, don't scare us like that," Rose laughed nervously. "So just get down."
"Train dodge. Dig it."
"Get the hell off the tracks, Teddy! You wanna get yourself killed?"
"Just like the beach in Normandy," Teddy raised his hands up and pretended to shoot at the train.
"The joke isn't funny anymore! It was never funny but still. Get down, man!"
Rose backed up in fear as the train got closer.
"Shit, is he trying to kill himself?" she muttered.
"Come on, come on," Chris begged. He finally hopped onto the tracks and pulled him away. Rose nearly passed out seeing the train pass.
"You're trying to kill yourself! Huh, is that it? You're trying to kill yourself!"
Rose trembled at the thought of the train killing Teddy. If no one had saved him, he would've been gone. Chris could have been late, getting hit along with Teddy.
"You had us scared shitless, Teddy! Rose looks like she's about to have a damn heart attack! I almost did too, shit!"
Teddy squinted his eyes up at Chris. "Don't need no babysitter."
"Do too!" Chris held out his hand. "Skin it."
Teddy walked around him, Rose stepping in front of him to stop him. "Don't be like that, Rosanna. Let me go."
He turned around to be met with Chris.
"Skin it," he repeated.
"I could have dodged it."
"You can dodge it on the way back, man. Peace. Skin it."
Rose connected her arm with Chris', the gang continuing to the junkyard.
"Do you think he would have dodged?" asked Rose. Chris shrugged, obviously not wanting to talk about it. "You saved his life, Chris. You should be happy."
"But what if I was late?"
"You weren't!"
"And now he's pissed at me."
"Better than being dead."
Chris nodded. "It is. Yeah. Thanks, Rosie."
"No need."
"I'm happy you're coming around. You mean an awful lot to me and I'm happy to see you get along with my best friend and the others. I wanted that. Always," he admitted. Rose held his hand, stopping him while the others walked further away. Once they were some ways ahead, Rose stood onto her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. She quickly got onto her knee and pretended to tie her shoe.
"You guys are slacking! Hurry up!" Gordie called back.
Rose stood up. "I had to tie my shoe!" She looked back at Chris and grinned. He intertwined his fingers with hers, the two running to catch up with the group. They didn't know that Gordie saw them. He never mentioned it to anyone, not even when they grew up.
