For the record, this takes place before the book's events. Long before. It takes place before Johnny even got jumped, and before Ponyboy's parents even die. I'd say this takes place around a year before the events in the book. And, since Soda's seventeenth birthday is a few weeks after the events in the book, and it's a year before the book, his birthday is coming up in this story. A couple chapters from now.
After her shower, Valery had gone into Dally's room to find a basket of folded laundry. She put on a pair of black Capri pants, black stilettos and a white cotton top. She left with only word of goodbye and her purse, but Johnny was following her to her old Chevy in front of the house.
"I ain't gonna let you go alone, sis." he said.
Valery rolled her eyes, "I ain't gonna let you go in there with me, kid."
"Well, I'm gonna."
She shook her head, "Johnny, if they hit me, I'll slug them right back-once. But if they hit you, I will not restrain myself from beating the tar out of both of them."
Johnny smiled at her, "They wouldn't dare, not with you around."
She stared at him hardly before opening the passenger's side door for him, "Kid…" she muttered, "I swear to God…"
Johnny smiled and climbed in, then kissed her cheek once she got in too. "And the guys said not to drive too slow."
"Not my fault that I follow the law-You know, speed limits. Plus, Mrs. Curtis would yell at me if I got another ticket."
"You never get tickets for going too fast, you get them for going too slow."
"The car's engine doesn't go very high, you know."
"Soda and Steve always offer to fix this hunk o' junk up for you."
"Hey." she said sternly, "Don't be hating my car. The Bel Air doesn't need to be insulted."
They got to the house with a bit of bantering, but as they pulled into the driveway of the well-known, old house, they grew silent. "Alright." Johnny was the first to speak, "Let's go."
They got out and walked in through the unlocked side door. Their parents, Julia and Paul, were sitting on the couch. Paul was drinking a beer and it was only eleven in the morning. Julia, on the other hand, was sitting silently on the couch, only staring at her hands.
"Hey Ma, hey Pa." Valery said lazily. Her mother and father looked up at her, then to Johnny.
"Valery, Johnny." their mother said formally.
"Val, do you know why we asked you to be here?"
"Well technically, you didn't ask me. You asked Johnny to tell me, so…" Valery smirked then said, "No, Pa, I don't know."
"Well, we want you to get out."
"Excuse me?" Valery asked.
Julia sighed, "Valery, you're never here. That room is useless but to hold your crap. We want it out!"
"Either you pay rent or you have your shit out by the end of the week." Paul said.
"I have nowhere to put it. I don't have another home."
"Put it at the Curtis's. That's where you spend all your time."
"I can't just dump my stuff there, Ma!"
"I'm sure they won't mind."
Paul sighed, "We put boxes in your room. If you wanna start packing now, that'd be great."
"I don't wanna start packing now!" she shook her head.
Johnny piped up, "Val, it's alright. You can stay at the Curtis's. No one's gonna mind, they love you there."
"But I can't keep an eye on you."
"I'm barely here anyway." he said.
Valery frowned, "Alright, come help me, Johnnycakes."
Johnny nodded and followed his sister to her old room. It was painted a pretty robin's egg blue and had dark furniture. There wasn't a lot in there. Special memories-pictures-were all over the walls. Special trinkets were lined up on the dresser. Only a few of her clothes were left in the closet. Various items were left in the drawers of her desk and nightstand. The biggest thing was her books. There were tons of them on her bookshelf, all needing to be put in boxes one by one.
And then there were her records. She loved music, and had dozens of records. She didn't care about the genre, she loved all of it. She loved music so much, she learned how to play it. She only played the guitar and the piano, and she was a horrible singer, but she made up for it in good dancing skills. Whatever music was playing, she could really move. She used to take lessons at a dance studio since she was six years old. She had to stop when she graduated high school because he parents didn't have the money.
But she was a real music junkie. It calmed her and soothed her. She could go from furious to happy by the chorus of one song. Music and dancing made her glad, it made her cheerful. It relieved her of any issues she was thinking of and cleared her mind. It helped her in so many ways, but she didn't have a lot of time to simply relax and listen to music or dance anymore, what with her job and all.
"Alright, Johnny, just started on my closet. You don't need to fold my clothes, just stuff them in there." she said. He started and she began putting her books in a box. Soon, it was the time when they had to leave so Valery could get Johnny back to Pony's house and then meet Darlene at the DX. "Ma, Pa, I'll see you tomorrow. We gotta go now, but I'll be back."
She left without a word from them. She chatted with Johnny a bit in the car, then dropped him off and left for the DX. Johnny walked into the Curtis's house and flopped down next to Pony and Two-Bit on the couch. Sodapop and Steve were at work and Darry was in the armchair. The Curtis parents were both at work as well, since they worked during the day.
"What did your parents want from your sister?" Darry asked. It was strange how people did that. Whenever anybody referred to Valery around Johnny, they always said 'your sister' instead of her name. Only when they were talking with Johnny or to Johnny, or even if Johnny was around. 'How's your sister?' 'Johnny's sister was there.' 'Johnnycakes, say 'hi' you your sister for me.' All the time.
"They want her to move out." Johnny said.
"So is she gonna be completely hacked off when she gets back?" Ponyboy asked. Johnny just shrugged.
"She isn't gonna ask to stay here, that's for sure."
Darry nodded, "I'm gonna offer."
"She'll say no. She's gonna keep her stuff in her car or something."
"Someone's gonna swipe it if she does that."
"You know my sister, always doing risky stuff. She doesn't believe in evil."
"She believes in it alright." Two-Bit said, "She just thinks she's somehow invincible to it."
Darry chuckled, "So, Johnny, where did she say she was going shopping?"
Johnny shrugged, "She mighta' said something about the Hills Mall. I ain't sure about it though."
Darry frowned, "The Hills Mall is on the West Side."
"It's also the only shopping mall in Tulsa." Ponyboy pointed out. "You worried about the Socs getting to her?"
Darry only nodded, and Two-Bit said, "She can handle herself."
Johnny agreed, "She carries a switchblade with her, remember?"
"I thought it was a heater." Ponyboy said.
"She ain't carryin' no heaters with her. She ain't tough enough." Johnny rolled his eyes.
"No, she's tough enough." Two-Bit said, "She's just anti-gun and all that. She'd never carry a heater. But she's got her switchblade, and her fist. She throws a good few punches."
"Plus, no one would dare to jump her, Darry. She's a girl. And it's the mall. Public." Pony said, using common sense.
Darry nodded, "You're right… Now that I see how you guys think of her… Shoot, my girl's tough!"
XXX
Valery got back around five. Both Curtis parents were still at work, since Mrs. Curtis worked as a secretary until six in the evening and Mr. Curtis worked at a hardware store until eight. Valery had dropped off Darlene at her and Buck's, then drove home.
She walked up the path to the house and saw Johnny and Ponyboy sitting on the front step, sharing a cigarette. "Hi, boys." she greeted them, smiling. She had many bags in her hand, but that didn't stop her from snatching the cigarette out of her brother's fingers as she passed by them. "Thanks, boys." she smirked, taking a deep drag and walking into the house. There was no rule of not smoking in the house, since the Curtis parents smoked too, if scarcely. Everyone smoked though, and started at a young age, as Pony had once pointed out to Valery. It was true. She had started at the tender age of ten.
"Smoking is bad for you." Darry told her as she came in, blowing a plume of smoke in the air. He was playing cards with Sodapop and Steve, who were home from work, and Two-Bit.
"Well hello to you too." she said, rolling her eyes.
"How was shopping?" he asked.
Valery shrugged, "Fine."
"How much of this did you steal?" Two-bit asked. He was smirking, knowing of her slight kleptomaniac ways.
Valery's eyes widened and she sat next to him. She said loudly, "I did not steal any of this… It paid for it all with real American dollars." Then she whispered harshly to Two-Bit, "Shoot, boy, are you trying to get me in trouble with Darry? You don't say these things around him!"
He nodded, "Sorry."
She scoffed, "You're never sorry for anything."
"So how much of it did you steal?"
"A lot…" she said guiltily.
"The conscience clears itself eventually." he chuckled and picked up another card from the deck. "You didn't steal nothin' expensive, did ya?"
She shrugged and Darry said, "You didn't run into trouble at the mall, did you?"
She shook her head and grinned widely, "I mean, a homeless guy held a heater to our heads, but I fought him off."
Darry rolled his eyes and beckoned her over, "I'm glad you're all right."
"I'm mighty glad I am too." she said, lazily walking over. She sat down and Darry slung his arm around her shoulders. "Soda, what do you want for your birthday?"
"Nothing." he said simply.
"Soda, what do you want for your birthday?" Valery asked again. This happened every year.
"Nothing." Soda answered sternly.
"Sodapop Curtis. What do you want… for your birthday?" she said slowly.
"Valery Cade. I want nothing for my birthday." he answered in the same fashion.
"Sodapop. Curtis. What. The. Hell. Do. You. Want?" she asked, rubbing her temples in frustration.
"Val, honestly, I don't want anything."
"Well you know what, I'm giving you something!"
"I won't accept it."
"And then I'll slug you."
"On my birthday?" Soda asked. Valery nodded. He sighed, "You need anger management."
"I'll make you a cake too. Red velvet."
"How come red velvet cake tastes so much like chocolate cake?" Two-Bit wondered.
"That's a good question Two-Bit." Steve said sarcastically.
"It sure is a mystery." Valery rolled her eyes.