photographs | chris chambers ✅

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" I knock," Teddy knocks.

" You four-eyed pile of shit!" Dylan exclaims.

" A pile of shit has a thousand eyes!" Teddy declares, his eyes widening in the process. Chris and Gordie glance at each other. A moment passes before they give a belly laugh. " What? What's so funny? Come on, I've got thirty, what have you two got?"

" Sixteen."

" Eighteen," Dylan chuckles, coughing to hide his laughter.

" Go ahead, keep laughing. Just deal them out, Dylan."

A knock that is not familiar to any of the boy's echoes through the treehouse. The noise makes Dylan jump a bit before relaxing in his seat. He moves his calloused hand through his long vanilla bond hair. It's long to his standards, some strands coming to the top of his cheekbone.

" Not the secret knock!" Gordie hollers.

" I forgot the secret knock, let me in!"

" Vern." Chris and Teddy move the table, Vern whining until Dylan pulls him up and closes the trapdoor.

" Oh man, you guys are not gonna believe this. This is so boss. Oh man, wait'll you hear this, wait'll you hear this. You won't believe it. It's unbelievable. Let me catch my breath. I ran all the way here," Vern pants.

The guys glance at each other before singing," ' I ran all the way home. Just to say I'm sorry, sorry'!" Dylan hides his face inside his shirt, trying not to burst in hysterical laughter.

" Come one, guys, listen to me. Guys, come on! Okay, forget it. I'll tell you nothing," Vern pouts, arms crossed, similar to a toddler.

" Alright, alright," Chris shushed the guys." What is it, man."

" Okay, great, you guys won't believe the sincerely-" the sing again as Dylan bites into his shirt, before letting out a heavy cough, forcing his laughter to disperse.

" Screw you guys!"

" Alright girls, hush," Dylan shushed." What is it, Vern?"

" Can you guys camp out tonight? I mean if you tell your folks, we're gonna tent at my place? Chris?"

" I think so. My dad's kind of on a mean streak. You know, he's been drinking a lot lately," Chris answers, shuffling the cards. Dylan bites his tongue, his chest feeling like it was poked by a needle of remembrance.

" You have to man, sincerely! You won't believe this! Can you, Gordie? Dylan?"

" Yeah, probably," he says not looking away from his comic book.

" I don't know man. We'll see," Dylan answers vaguely. Chris takes a glimpse at Dylan, wanting to know what's going on his house, his mind, everything. He's so vague when he speaks of anything personal, especially his household, irking Chris to an extent. He looks away as soon his eyes meet Dylan's dark brown ones.

" So what are you pissin' and moaning about, Verno?" Teddy questions, moving his cards around until Chris knocks on the table.

" I knock."

" What! You lying shit!" Dylan yells.

" You ain't got no pat- hand. You didn't deal yourself no pat-hand!" Teddy asserts, pointing at a smug looking Chris.

" Make your draw, shitheap."

" Do you guys wanna see a dead body?"