When I came into the house, I looked around. Man, the house was a mess. I
had my work cut out for me, Darry hadn't cleaned the house in ages. I
really want to lay down and have a smoke but I can't, if Darry comes home
and the house isn't clean and all that garbage he said to do, he'll kill
me.
I didn't even know where to start. I started by figuring out what to do for dinner. I love to cook so that was the easy part for me. I looked through the icebox and didn't find as much as I thought we had. I guess Darry hadn't gone to the store in ages either.
I decided to make fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and baked beans. Yum. I guess I should start some laundry. I went down in the basement and grabbed some random things and threw them into the washing machine. Where is the detergent? There's three bottles of stuff down here, how am I supposed to know what to use? I closed my eyes and grabbed a random bottle and splashed some in the washer.
I came back upstairs, laid down on the couch and turned the TV on. I figured I had time to rest my eyes before I had to clean the house and start dinner.
~~~
"Zeta! Zeta, wake up!!"
I opened my eyes. Man, what a refreshing little rest, but what on earth was Ponyboy doing home? It couldn't be more than 11:30.
"What are you doing home," I asked?
"It's 3:30," he said.
"Oh," I said laying down. 3:30?!?!
I jumped up. "Oh my God!!! Darry is going to be home in an hour and a half!" I screamed.
"And you're failing math?" Two-Bit asked sarcastically.
"You don't understand, he told me I had to clean the house and do the laundry and make dinner by the time he got home," I said.
"We'll help," Pony said.
"Speak for yourself," Two-Bit said and went into the kitchen to get a beer.
I started picking up random things and putting them away, frantically trying to hurry. Johnny and Pony helped too, they started cleaning the kitchen while I worked on the living room and the dining room. Two-Bit sat on the floor watching cartoons drinking his beer. "You're not helping," I said to him. "So you noticed," he said. I grabbed his beer from him. "Hey!" he shouted.
We continued working frantically until it was finally time to start dinner.
Two-Bit came into the kitchen. "I heard you got in a fight," he said.
I nodded, trying to peel potatoes as quickly as possible. He pulled a knife out of the drawer and helped. "How come?"
"This soc bumped into me in the hall and then said "watch it, you filthy bitch". So I broke her nose."
Two-Bit tried not to laugh, but I could tell he thought it was funny.
"Darry's not gonna be real happy about this, I reckon," he said.
"Yeah, I reckon not," I said, sarcastically mimicking him.
It seemed like just minutes later, Darry pulled up into the driveway. I saw Soda and Steve hop out of the truck and towards the front door. I wasn't quite finished with dinner, the baked beans were still in the oven with 10 minutes left to go and the potatoes were still cooking.
Darry walked in and I could hear by his footsteps he was going very slowly, surveying the house. He came into the kitchen.
"Smells good in here," he said.
"Thanks. Not quite ready yet, I tried, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he said. He went down the hall to his room and re-appeared a few minutes later in his black t-shirt. He went downstairs, probably to check the laundry. The laundry!! I forgot all about it. I could hear him laugh softly to himself and then I heard the washing machine go on. I didn't hear the dryer though. Then I heard his footsteps coming back up the stairs and back into the kitchen. "Remind me to never have you do laundry again," he said.
"I'm sorry, I totally forgot about it, and."
"Well, that's a blessing in disguise, you didn't add the laundry detergent, you washed everything with bleach." He held up a white t-shirt, now turned blue. I was shocked, I didn't know what to say. "It's okay," he smiled.
A few minutes later, everything was done and we sat down to eat. Steve went home but Johnny and Two-Bit stayed and Dally had just walked in the door so he joined us for dinner too. We ate in silence; I think they all know that I got into trouble today. I know Soda knows, Darry tells him everything.
When we finished eating, Darry looked at me. "Go up to your room, I'll be up in a minute."
I nodded and walked up to my room.
I didn't even know where to start. I started by figuring out what to do for dinner. I love to cook so that was the easy part for me. I looked through the icebox and didn't find as much as I thought we had. I guess Darry hadn't gone to the store in ages either.
I decided to make fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and baked beans. Yum. I guess I should start some laundry. I went down in the basement and grabbed some random things and threw them into the washing machine. Where is the detergent? There's three bottles of stuff down here, how am I supposed to know what to use? I closed my eyes and grabbed a random bottle and splashed some in the washer.
I came back upstairs, laid down on the couch and turned the TV on. I figured I had time to rest my eyes before I had to clean the house and start dinner.
~~~
"Zeta! Zeta, wake up!!"
I opened my eyes. Man, what a refreshing little rest, but what on earth was Ponyboy doing home? It couldn't be more than 11:30.
"What are you doing home," I asked?
"It's 3:30," he said.
"Oh," I said laying down. 3:30?!?!
I jumped up. "Oh my God!!! Darry is going to be home in an hour and a half!" I screamed.
"And you're failing math?" Two-Bit asked sarcastically.
"You don't understand, he told me I had to clean the house and do the laundry and make dinner by the time he got home," I said.
"We'll help," Pony said.
"Speak for yourself," Two-Bit said and went into the kitchen to get a beer.
I started picking up random things and putting them away, frantically trying to hurry. Johnny and Pony helped too, they started cleaning the kitchen while I worked on the living room and the dining room. Two-Bit sat on the floor watching cartoons drinking his beer. "You're not helping," I said to him. "So you noticed," he said. I grabbed his beer from him. "Hey!" he shouted.
We continued working frantically until it was finally time to start dinner.
Two-Bit came into the kitchen. "I heard you got in a fight," he said.
I nodded, trying to peel potatoes as quickly as possible. He pulled a knife out of the drawer and helped. "How come?"
"This soc bumped into me in the hall and then said "watch it, you filthy bitch". So I broke her nose."
Two-Bit tried not to laugh, but I could tell he thought it was funny.
"Darry's not gonna be real happy about this, I reckon," he said.
"Yeah, I reckon not," I said, sarcastically mimicking him.
It seemed like just minutes later, Darry pulled up into the driveway. I saw Soda and Steve hop out of the truck and towards the front door. I wasn't quite finished with dinner, the baked beans were still in the oven with 10 minutes left to go and the potatoes were still cooking.
Darry walked in and I could hear by his footsteps he was going very slowly, surveying the house. He came into the kitchen.
"Smells good in here," he said.
"Thanks. Not quite ready yet, I tried, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he said. He went down the hall to his room and re-appeared a few minutes later in his black t-shirt. He went downstairs, probably to check the laundry. The laundry!! I forgot all about it. I could hear him laugh softly to himself and then I heard the washing machine go on. I didn't hear the dryer though. Then I heard his footsteps coming back up the stairs and back into the kitchen. "Remind me to never have you do laundry again," he said.
"I'm sorry, I totally forgot about it, and."
"Well, that's a blessing in disguise, you didn't add the laundry detergent, you washed everything with bleach." He held up a white t-shirt, now turned blue. I was shocked, I didn't know what to say. "It's okay," he smiled.
A few minutes later, everything was done and we sat down to eat. Steve went home but Johnny and Two-Bit stayed and Dally had just walked in the door so he joined us for dinner too. We ate in silence; I think they all know that I got into trouble today. I know Soda knows, Darry tells him everything.
When we finished eating, Darry looked at me. "Go up to your room, I'll be up in a minute."
I nodded and walked up to my room.
