Like I said, I don't own The Outsiders.
[Ponyboy]
My assigned seat was a seat up from the back, two rows to the right from the front door. To the right and three seats up, a girl sat. She looked awful familiar...
I was in the middle of writing notes when I had it! She was in my focus group! I thought she'd been at least a sophomore or junior. If she was. . . why was she in here? Mrs. Evans had said they don't mix age groups in any other class other than gym. So why was she here?
I guess she sensed I was staring at her, because she turned her head to the left and back towards me and said:
"What?"
I looked down like an idiot. She was a real looker.
I grabbed my journal from under my seat and started writing. (Darry asked me to keep track of what went on so he'd know.)
"It was only the first day of school. I had English first thing in the morning. It seemed as if we had seven-to-ten new girls in our school; but the one that stood out to me the most was the blonde in the red leather jacket, red Chucks, and a bandana of the same color to top it all off."
When I looked up, the girl was still looking at me confused, but quickly turned back to her notes when she had seen I was looking. It made my stomach churn a little. I'm not usually one to talk about girls, but there was just something. . . different about this one. Maybe I'll figure it out one day.
"Can I see that?" the girl from English class had found my locker and had asked to see my journal.
"Okay," I said. Maybe this was my chance to get to know her better. "But don't do anything to it. My brother asked me to keep that because he's a big worry wart."
She laughed. "You're secret's safe with me. Even if it's about. . ." she looked up teasingly, then back down. We both turned a rosy red color at the same time. "Me? You don't even know my name!"
"Well," I trailed off. "Could I?"
She smiled triumphantly. "The name's Roberts. Katie Roberts!"
"I'm Ponyboy Curtis." I replied sheepishly. I waited for the "You're kidding!" or "That's your real name?"
It is my real name, and I like it.
"I like that name!" said Katie.
"Really?" I was astonished. "Normally I get something like, "That's your real name"?"
"Well, sure! I mean, it's original." she smiled. Boy, I sure did like her smile.
"My Dad was an original person." I said.
"He sounds like a very nice guy."
"He was." My chest tightened up as I said that, and my throat had a big lump in it; my heart was racing more than it already had been.
"Was?"
"Yeah," I told her sadly. "He died in an auto wreck about eight months ago. Both my parents did."
"I'm sorry," she said. She looked down at her feet. "My parents left on a business trip a long time ago and never came back. I don't know what happened to them. My twin brother and I live with our aunt and uncle, who are always working."
"Oh," I said. "I live with my brothers. I'm the youngest. Sodapop, who we call Soda, is in the middle. He's always been happy-go-lucky. He can make anyone smile."
"He sounds great!" she said, and I smiled.
"Then there's Darry. He's the oldest. He works two jobs, he's at his roofing job most of the time. Other times, he helps down at the courthouse, I think. He's the legal guardian."
"It sounds like he loves his little brothers very much."
"He does, I think. Actually, he loves Soda. He's always yelling at me about something. I bet he'd send me to a boys home if he had the chance."
"Nah, he loves you," she reassured me. "My aunt and uncle are always working. Never home to spend time with us. Working or sleeping. That's why I already have a job. So I can pay for my stuff. Bray and I work at the local grocer, we help stock stuff."
"Fun. Say, you want to meet my buddies and brothers. I mean, I know we've only known each other for four minutes- crap! I've got a minute to get to class!"
"Don't worry!" she said. "Math is literally right here next to your locker!" she pointed to the door. "And I would love too! Meet at the big tree in the middle?"
"Sure," I said. The school was separated between the car side and the bus side. Normally, would walk with Two-Bit, but his hunk-of-junk-on-wheels had broke down again. "See you at lunch?"
"Sure, Ponyboy!" she walked off. I guessed she had gym.
I grabbed my math binder, walked in, and sat down. I was already ready for fifth period lunch to come along.