MATCH. ( stand by me )

08 ; RAY

"You're gonna be a great writer someday, Gordie. You might even write about us if you ever get hard up material."

Gordie sniffled and gave Chris a smile. "Guess I'd have to be really hard up, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What the fuck do you know about this?" Rose jumped at Ace's voice, turning to see Ace and Eyeball.

"Son of a bitch, my little brother!"

"You wasn't planning on taking the body from us now were you, guys?"

"You get away, man. We found him and we got dibs!" said Chris.

"Ah! Better start running, Eyeball, they got dibs!"

"Yeah, Ace. We do got dibs. So how about you and Eyeball leave us alone?" Rose demanded.

"We earned him!" Chris added. "You guys came in a car. That's not fair, he's ours!"

"That's not fair, he's ours!" Eyeball mocked. "Well not anymore!"

"There's five of us, Eyeball. You just make your move."

A few more gang members suddenly appeared, Rose's eyes going wide seeing her older brother.

"Vern, you son of a whore! You was under the porch!" yelled Billy.

"No, I swear it wasn't me!"

"What the hell, Rose? What are you doing?"

Rose glared at Charlie. "Making sure a bunch of asswipes like you don't take Ray's body from us."

"You guys have two choices: either leave quietly, we take the body; or you stay, we beat the shit outta you, we take the body."

"It's cute how you think you're so clever, dirtbag," Rose said sarcastically.

"Shut it, brat. Besides, me and Billy found him first!"

"Yeah, Vern told us how you found him. Oh, Billy, I wish we never boosted that car! Oh, Billy, I think I just turned my Fruit of the Looms into a fudge factory!"

"Your ass is grass!"

"Hold it," said Ace, holding his hand up in front of Charlie. He squinted his eyes at Chris. "Okay Chambers, you little faggot. This is your last chance. What do you say?"

"Why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more," Chris spat out.

Ace took out his switchblade and opened it. "You're dead!"

Chris pushed Rose behind him, taking a step forward.

"Come on, Chris, let's split!" Teddy begged.

"No, they're not taking him!"

"Come on, that's crazy."

"They aren't taking him!"

"He's got a knife!"

"You're gonna have to kill me, Ace," Chris told him.

"No problem!"

Rose jumped in front of Chris and grabbed Ace's wrist before he could get him. A gunshot went off, Ace shoving Rose back into Chris' body. Chris caught her before she could fall. They both looked back to see Gordie with the gun in the air, slowly bringing it down to aim it at Ace.

"You're not taking him. Ain't nobody taking him," he said.

"Come on, kid. Just give me the gun before you shoot your foot off. You ain't got the sack to shoot a woodchuck."

"Move Ace, or I swear to God I'll kill you," Gordie threatened.

"Give me the gun, Lachance. You must have some of your brother's good sense."

"Suck my fat one, you cheap dime-store hood."

"Are you going to shoot us all?" he inquired.

"No, Ace. Just you."

Ace swallowed hard when Gordie cocked the gun. "We're gonna get you for this!"

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," said Chris.

"Oh, we will. We're not gonna forget this if that's what you think. This is big time, baby."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that!" Rose called out after him.

"You're coming back with us, Rose," Charlie grumbled, wrapping his arms around Rose and picking her up. She screamed and started to kick at him.

"Let go of me, you shit!"

"She's not getting in my damn car. Leave her here," ordered Ace.

Charlie set Rose on the ground. She pulled her arm back and slapped Charlie across the face. Rose went back to Chris and the others, watching her brother leave with his gang.

"Suck my fat one? Who said you had a fat one, Lachance?"

Gordie gave Chris a wide grin. "Biggest one in four counties!"

"We're gonna take him," said Vern.

"No!"

Teddy and Vern looked up at Rose. "No?"

"No," Gordie answered.

"But we came all this way. We're supposed to be heroes!"

"Not this way."

Rose took out one of her blankets and handed it to Gordie.

"Thanks. Chris, will you give me a hand?"

After they covered his body, Chris pulled Rose into a quick hug. "If something like this happens ever again, don't you dare jump in front of me again. I can't lose you," he whispered in her ear. "I can't lose you, Rosanna. I can't."

i really want to continue this story but sadly, the next chapter will be the last and then an epilogue. i really enjoyed writing this story so much <3