« Jesus Christ. » Chris let out from the couch. Gordon shrugged and took another sip from his bottle of beer. Chris turned to him and sighed once more.

« Jesus Christ. »

« Chris, I know. I know, Jesus Christ, I know. Quit saying that, now, will you? It's not helping»

« I'm letting you drink my pop's beer, you gotta let me say Jesus Christ. »

« You're my best friend. You're supposed to be cheering me up and telling me I'm the best and I'm going to win Sadie and it's all going to be fine! » Gordie laughed. « Am… Am I? »

« Probably. » Chris agreed without much enthusiasm.

Steps were heard out on the porch of the Chambers' house, and after a second Vern burst into the room, followed by Teddy.

« It's funny, » Teddy laughed, out of breath from running. « I always thought Chris would be the one to die fighting over a girl. »

« Thank you. » Chris laughed sarcastically.

« Really, this is amazing, what this girl is doing to you! » Teddy chuckled. « She's making you brave, Lachance! This is a great day, I'm telling you! »

« It's the day that I die. » Gordon chanted.

« Ha. »

« Jesus Christ. » Chris sighed once more.

Teddy was smiling recklessly at Gordon, who sat with his head lying in his arms on the kitchen table. Teddy's sight went from the miserable Gordon to the astonished Chris lying on the couch.

« What…? » Teddy finally let out. « That's it? Come on! You know it's going to be alright! »

« Speak for yourself. » Gordon whimpered.

« Don't tell me you don't have a plan all figured out already to set all of this straight, man. » Teddy pleaded him. Gordon shook his head.

« Like what? Running away and hiding? »

« You should go someplace down in Louisianna. I hear they're great at hiding people in swamps and such. » Vern said seriously.

Gordon's eyes widened even more and he took another sip of the beer.

« Come on! » Teddy laughed once more. « It's easy to beat Ace Merrill. »

« With a club, perhaps. »

« No! I mean… get him by the emotions. »

« What? »

« Talk to Sadie! She'll talk him out of it! Everything will be fine! »

« And I'll look like a whimp who… who whimpered out. Jeez, I'm losing all of my good words. What's happening to me? »

« Stop doing that to yourself! » Teddy shouted. « You've only got forty-five minutes left to live before your possibly death, so cheer up! Do something with yourself! God, you guys are exasperating. Who would have known, huh? Who would have known the amazing Gordie Lachance would die so miserably. »

Gordon smiled and turned to Teddy.

« What do you have in mind, genius? »

« Show up on time. » Vern said before Teddy could start explaining what he believed was a truly brilliant plan, which included running away after hitting Ace on the head with a bag of jelly beans.

« What's that got do with anything? » Gordie asked.

« Well, people aren't going to believe you're scared if you showed up on time! It's a bluff! »

« And that's supposed to scare Ace Merrill off? »

« Well… well, I don't know! It's a start! » Vern snapped.

He started towards the door angrily and turned back to shout :

« Nobody ever listens to me, but I've got the answers, you know! I'm smart, now, you know! That's what Susie said! »

He slammed the door behind him and left his friends staring at each other with puzzled expressions.