He was looking only at me, his eyes shining. 'I dare you, Lachance.'

'Darers go first.'

'All right,' Chris said. He looked at the others as well. 'Any pussies?'

'No!' Teddy shouted.

'Why is it foolish to want to be with your friends?'

'It is foolish if your friends can drag you down.' Chris said finally.

'You're still young, Gordie——'

'Thanks, Dad.'

'I wish I was your dad,' he said angrily. 'If I was, you wouldn't talk about taking stupid shop courses. It's as if God gave you something——all those stories——and said, "Here you are. Try not to lose it." But children lose everything unless somebody is there to help them, and if your parents are too stupid to do it, maybe I ought to.'

                                                                    ——Stephen King