Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton does.
Darrel Curtis Senior and Darrel Curtis Junior sat in the kitchen, chatting away and drinking beer. They could have been brothers rather than father and son they were so close. Ponyboy was already fast asleep and Sodapop was out in the back with Steve Randle, his best buddy. That left Elizabeth Curtis alone in her room with her box full of photographs.
She had always loved photographs. There was a certain thrill that ran through her fingers whenever she held a moment captured in time. It was simply amazing how a simple moment captured in time could bring upon tears and laughter at the same time, and it thrilled her in ways words could not describe.
She held four photos in her hands for the a long time. One of the day she and her husband had moved into their home and had been so happy, another of her three sons after Easter mass, looking extremely handsome in their Sunday best, another of the entire family out in the country, just enjoying the day and each other's company, and lastly, one of her sons and their friends. Each held a certain place in her heart, but the photo of her three sons stuck out the most. It seemed as if just yesterday, she had been bringing Ponyboy home from the hospital, Sodapop was running around making a mess, and all Darry wanted to do was hold his baby brother.
Around one in the morning, her husband walked into their bedroom to find her sound asleep with photographs strewn across the bed. She clutched the photograph of their three sons tight to her chest and turned slightly. Darrel bit back a laugh and climbed into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around his wife.
That had been last night. Now her oldest son was graduating high school. He was smart, talented and handsome – a spitting image of his father. The entire day he flitted around the house nervously, kissing his mother's cheek when she cooked meals and tickling his youngest brother off the couches. The ceremony was set for six that evening, and by five Darry had left in the old truck he had worked so hard to get. The same could not be said for his family however.
"Mom?" Sodapop called at half past five as he frantically searched around his room. The excitement radiating from the fourteen year old was spreading throughout the house.
Elizabeth Curtis walked into her second oldest son's bedroom as she pulled her shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair into a barette. "Yes baby?" she asked, her soft voice ringing with golden laughter. Her sons always brightened her days, but Sodapop had an uncanny ability to make it even brighter with his antics.
"I can't find my other sock," he replied as he stuck his head under his bed in search of it.
She laughed at the golden-haired boy and took a glance around his room. "Try your pillow, honey."
Soda scooted out from underneath the bed and popped his head up to look at his pillow. He gave a little cough when the dust flew up around him and grabbed his sock. "Thanks, Mom."
She smiled and walked out. "Hurry up now, we're going to be late otherwise."
Sodapop grinned and pulled on his sock as peals of laughter came tumbling out of his little brother. Someone, no doubt his father, was tickling Ponyboy. The laughter stopped and the sound of the screen door opening and slamming shut could be heard throughout the house. Soda walked out past his mother to the front porch where Ponyboy and his best friend were waiting.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Darrel Curtis Senior was sneaking up on his wife. She had just finished putting her favorite pair of earrings on when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly on the neck. She reveled in his touch and turned to face him. "Our baby's graduating tonight," she whispered.
He nodded and smiled as he kissed her. Elizabeth felt shivers up and down her spine as if it was their first kiss all over again; his kisses always did that to her. He kissed her again, but pulled away abruptly at the sound of feet scurrying into the kitchen.
"Aw, do you have ta do that when we got friends over?" Ponyboy whined as Two-Bit snickered behind him.
Mrs. Curtis blushed and pulled away from her husband, straightening her blouse. "Is Dallas here yet?"
Two-Bit gave a smile. "You know Dally, Mrs. C... He's always got to make an entrance. I'm sure he'll meet us at the ceremony or somethin'."
She smiled half-heartedly and pushed them out the door. Elizabeth had been hoping to have the whole gang at Darry's graduation and couldn't help but feel disappointed that Dallas Winston had stood the event up. But despite her feeling of disappointment, she got in the car and listened to the boys cheerful racket surrounding her.
They made it to the ceremony with just a few minutes to spare and climbed to the top of the bleachers. The graduation ceremony was to be held outside in the football stadium and a make-shift stage had been built for the graduates to receive their diplomas.
The music sounded soon afterwards and the graduates started their procession to their seats. Sodapop started bouncing in his seat, anxiously awaiting to see his brother walk so he could cheer him on. It was a sea of red and white, making it difficult for Elizabeth to see her son. By Sodapop's constant movement beside her though, she knew he hadn't made it out in the open yet.
"Hey Dally, we thought you weren't gonna show," Ponyboy said from behind her.
Elizabeth turned just in time to see the tough, tow-headed boy plop down on the seat next to her. "I'm here," he growled, a scowl placed on his lynx-like face.
She placed a hand on his knee and gave it a little shake. "Thank you Dallas," she whispered and out of the corner of her eye saw his expression soften just the tiniest bit.
All of a sudden, Soda and Two-Bit started cheering like madmen and Elizabeth spotted her son; he was beaming with pride. She looked to her hands, to her lap, and to her purse. "Oh, where is that darn camera?" she asked, frantically. How could she have forgotten her camera on one of the most important events of her son's life?
A light flashed in her eyes and laughter sounded immediately after. The spots cleared and Elizabeth found the smiling face of her husband staring back at her, her camera in his hands. "Oh you...," she scolded with an amused smile on her face and snatched the camera out of his hands. He was always pulling things like that.