:Yesterday Don't Matter:
::::::::::::::::::Scarlett::::::::::::::::::
The cars headlights flared in the night. I ran a hand through my hair and flipped it back, straightened my back and pushed my chest out – chances are it would be a man this time, I'd been able to get this far doing just this and it had worked, why should anything happen now? Sure, I hadn't had a shower in three days and my freshly dyed bright red hair looked like a crows nest, but hell, what happens happens, besides so far fate had been on my side. As the car approached, I stuck out my thumb to indicate my intentions, hoping for it to come to a halt.
My stomach churned as the car rolled up beside me. 'Every thing ok, ma'am?' Asked the policeman, leaning out of the window trying to get a better look at me.
'Yes, sir,' I said, my voice shaking, 'Just going for a walk.'
'Not the safest part of town to be going for a walk in, ma'am, maybe I could give you a lift somewhere?' he suggested, narrowing his eyes at me.
'Its alright, I live here.' I lied and waited for him to move on.
'Well you have a good night then, stay safe.' He said to my relief, as the car drove off. That was a close call; I must be more careful next time. Another car's light flared in the distance as I sprang back to my original pose and hoped for better luck this time
:::::::::::::::::Ponyboy:::::::::::::::
'Well I take it that Darry's happy with you now that your grades an all have improved again,' said Sodapop, 'Remember what I've told you, Pony.' He put his hand out the window and flicked the cigarette butt into the night.
'Yeah…I guess he is,' I picked up the box and passed him another cigarette, taking on for myself and lighting it, 'He's better than he used to be.' I slumped back down in my seat and stared out the window. A few meters ahead of us, a girl stood under the streetlamp, sticking her thumb out to their car in hope of hitching a ride. 'Hey, Soda, look.'
Sodapop whistled, 'Think we should give her a ride?' he asked for my opinion, checking himself in the mirror.
'Yeah, I guess.' he pulled over on the curb and the car stopped, the girl, her intense crimson hair falling down her shoulders as she ran over to the car and opened the back door.
'Hey!' she smiled at me and turned to look at Sodapop, 'I'm glad you guys came along, I nearly got a lift from the pigs instead!' she joked, her bright eyes sparkling as she arranged herself on the back seat. The dark circles under her eyes and disheveled appearance suggested that she was a street kid or a runaway…or could she be something worse…
'So where're you heading?' Sodapop asked, taking a drag on his cigarette before picking up the box and offering one to the girl.
'Thanks,' she smiled, took one and put it in her mouth, her lips curving as she held the cigarette in her mouth and waited for me to light it, 'That's for me to know, love.'
'Well where would you like me to drop you off then?' asked Sodapop.
'Wherever, I don't mind.' She said innocently and flicked some ash out the window,
'So do you boys usually pick up hitch hikers?' She was no older than me, maybe younger even, but she kept calling us 'boys' as if she was speaking to someone much younger. The jeans she wore were ripped and the leather jacket she wore two sizes too big – probably stolen – I decided. The bright red hair made it impossible for me to focus on anything else, obviously it was not her natural color but a dye, yet it still looked striking. Given a bath and cleaned up, she could be a really pretty girl and probably once was.
'Sometimes,' said Soda, 'But they're not always as pretty as you, sugar.'
She rolled her eyes, 'Cut the sweet talk, aren't you at least gonna start the car?'
'Oh my, princess, it's just that with your hair oh so bright, I don't know how I'm gonna be able to focus on the road.' He teased and started the car.
'Sodapop…' I groaned; this was just getting awkward. It's not like I hadn't seen my brother try to chat a girl up before, still, I didn't like being around when he did. She seemed like a nice girl, knowing Soda, he would probably keep chatting her up the whole ride.
'I like your hair, is that your natural color?' he asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.
'Oh yes, absolutely natural, straight from the bottle, the curtains match too!' she taunted him. I blushed scarlet and looked away. She looked at me and laughed, not the sort of giggle a nice girl might give, but a mocking laugh. I think Soda was embarrassed too though he tried not to show it, and laughed it off.
'Charming!' he exclaimed, 'Now I must find out for myself!' he kidded.
'When your done being a creep, be so kind as to tell me where you're going.'
'Ooh easy there! Well we're going home…and how about you? Got folk around here?'
'No.'
'So you're not from around here then?' I asked, 'What's your name?'
'Scarlett,' she said and paused, probably waiting for Soda to make some witty remark like I knew he was bursting to do, 'You're Sodapop, and you are…?'
'Ponyboy.' Now for her to say something about my name and ask if my parents were on crack when they named me, 'So what's a girl like you doing on the streets at night?'
She rolled her eyes, 'Selling my body to the night,' she said sarcastically, 'Look…' she paused and thought about what she was going to say, 'besides, that's for me to know.'
'And for me to find out.' Joked Sodapop. I wanted to ask where she'd run away from and why, but I knew better then to ask. If she wanted us to know, she would have said so.
Scarlett turned to me, 'How old are you?'
'Sixteen, and Soda's eighteen.'
'I'm sixteen.'
'So I guess you hitchhike a lot…I mean, aren't you scared we'll take you some where, and you know…' well at least I hope she knew what I meant, those things happened all the time.
She laughed, 'Not you two, no! Besides, I hitchhiked all the way here and nothings happened!'
The car pulled up in the drive and Sodapop stopped the motor. Inside Darry was probably sitting in the living room reading the paper, waiting for us; I could here the others too, Two Bit laughing about some Soc…
'So what are you gonna do?' asked Sodapop, 'You got anywhere to go?
'Bite me. I don't care really, whatever turns up.'
'Well, you wanna come in for a bit? Darry and the others won't mind.'
'A girl all alone in a house full of guys? Hmm…sounds a bit risky to me..' she said sarcastically and got out of the car.
'Don't worry, they wont hurt you, besides, Ponyboy Here will look after you.' Said Soda, winking at me as we walked up the drive, 'Wont you, Ponyboy?'
'Don't worry; it's a risk I'm willing to take.' Said Scarlet, walking beside me, back straight, head held high. What the hell was wrong with her? Wasn't she even scared? I though of the girls at school, girls like Cherry and Marcia – and tried to picture them doing something like this but couldn't. I'd never met a girl like this, who spoke to us on our own level and was so easy going about it. I wondered if she had a nice family back home missing her and waiting for her to come home. How long had she been gone for? What was I thinking?! A girl like that would never run away from her home in the first place! Girls like that wouldn't even give guys like me the time of day.
'Nice place you've got here, Ponyboy, now are you sure your parents won't mind me?' she asked, 'I mean, I'll go now if you want me to…'
'No!' I cried, surprised at myself, 'It's fine, I don't have any parents, and Darry's a nice guy, he'll understand.'
'Oh.' She put her hand on my arm, 'I don't have any parents either. But thanks for taking me in.'
'Did they die?' I asked, unaware of the effect this would have on her.
'No!' she shot back, 'I just don't have any, ok?'
'Ok, jeeze, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…' I waited to be rescued from this topic before she started to cry, because what was I supposed to do then? Soda knocked and Darry appeared at the door.
A/N: The characters from the book by S.E Hinton that you will recognise are all hers. The rest are mine. Its set two years after Johnny and Dally died. Please review so that I know if what I'm writing is worth it or not. Best wishes,
xXxSugarxXx