Disclaimer: The Outsiders belongs to S.E. Hinton and Tommy and Gina belong to the band Bon Jovi. Most of the things Tommy and Gina say in this chapter were said in Livin' On A Prayer, which also belongs to Bon Jovi.
"Tommy, I want to get out of here!" Gina said.
"Gina we won't make it out there." Tommy tried to convince her.
"Yes we will! We've got to hold on to what we've got, 'cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot." She had a point.
They hated Chicago; there was nothing there for them. It was tough for them. Tommy worked on the docks. Gina worked in a diner and barely made enough money.
Tommy stared into her ocean blue eyes. "Baby, are you sure?"
"Yes." Gina replied looking into his green eyes.
"Fine, let's go."
"Tommy, have I ever told you how much I loved you?"
"Every day." He said kissing her forehead. "Get your stuff ready."
Gina ran into their bedroom and seconds later came back with a backpack.
"You planned this didn't you?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Alright where do you want to go?"
"Where ever the road takes us."
Low gas prices, the open road, and the person you love, what could be better in the spring of 1966? Tommy and Gina didn't know and they didn't want to. This was the happiest they've been in months.
Gina stared at Tommy. First she looked at his wheat hair. Then she looked at his sparkling green eyes. Lastly she looked at his mouth. There was a frown.
"Tommy, what's wrong?" Gina asked worried.
"We have to make a stop. Look for a pawn shop."
"Why?"
"Look what's in the back seat it'll help us if we sell it." Tommy said sadly. Gina looked back puzzled. There was his guitar case.
"Tommy, no."
"We need to do it. Do you want to live on the streets?"
"I'd rather live on the streets than have you give up your guitar! It makes you happy! If you give it up, I-I wont talk to you anymore!"
"Don't be stupid. If I need to sell, I'll sell it."
"Wait until we get there then we'll figure it out."
"Fine." He kept staring at the road. Gina started fall asleep. As she did, a small smile crept onto his face.
"Gina we're here."
"Where's here?"
"Tulsa, Oklahoma. Let's find us a place to live." They were in Soc territory. People on the streets were giving them disgusted looks. Someone even called them a greaser. As the houses got smaller, the looks became less disgusted and tougher.
They came across a large brick building. Music was blaring and it wasn't even noon. Tommy looked at Gina and she shook her head no. They kept driving. They were running low on gas, so they pulled into a DX gas station. A boy with the nametag "Steve" was at the pumps and started to fill the tank.
"Go get something to drink." Tommy said handing her some money. She got out of the car and went into the station. It was crowded by teenage girls. They were all there to flirt with the cashier. She worked her way to the back to grab a Pepsi. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting to the register. She pushed her way through the girls, getting scoffed at along the way.
"Is that all?" The boy at the register asked when she finally got to there.
"Um, yeah." She paid him the money.
"I haven't seen you around here before." The boy said. She read his name tag. It said "Sodapop." The girls cleared out of the building. They had to be getting back to school.
"I just got here with my boyfriend." She said looking out the window.
"Well, I'm Sodapop."
"I'm Gina."
"So where are you living, Gina?"
"That's a good question." She muttered.
"What was that?"
"What? Oh, do you know where there's a house for sale?"
"Yeah, the one next to my house is having an open house today. I don't think anyone's gonna want it. You should go. Here's my address. Good luck, maybe I'll see you around."
"Thanks." She ran outside. "Tommy I found us somewhere to live!"