Two-bit
"Two-bit come on!" my 10 year old sister Janice said, "You cant sleep all day!" she said and started to pock me.
I groaned "Elvis" I said, using Soda's nickname for her "just give me 5 more minutes, then I'll take you to school" I saw her roll her eyes "OK, first off its Saturday, and second off Mom's at work and we need to pick Nemain up from the airport!" Nemain! How did I forget?
"OK Elvis, this is what were going to do, go eat breakfast and I'll change and meet you in the car."
Janice nodded and left. I dull-fully got out of bed and put on some jeans and a clean T-shirt.
When I got downstairs Janice was almost done with breakfast
"Hey kiddo" I said " Do you want me to drop you off at the Curtis's house so you don't have to wait with me at the airport?"
Janice quickly shook her head to signal no
"Why not?"
"Dallas might be there"
I'd forgotten that Janice is TERRIFIED of Dallas, it began a few years ago, when Dally was new to the gang and Janis was six or seven, I had taken her over to play with Ponyboy and Dally was there, drunk as hell, cursing for all he was worth stabbing his knife, along with random kitchen utensils into a teddy bear. Janice was so scared she started screaming and I took her home, Dally still scares her.
"You certain Elvis?" I asked
"Yup" she said putting her now empty bowl into the sink
I shrugged "You call, now come on we have a cousin to pick up" I said grinning
"OK" Janice said jumping up and down "Let's go!"
A few minutes later I started the car, found she was acting up and called Soda to see if he could help out.
"Hey Elvis, how school?" Soda asked when he came, because while I don't do so well in school Janice LOVES school and even skipped third grade.
"Good, my teacher handed out candy yesterday"
"Cool" came Soda's muffled reply as he looked at Candy's (The car) engine, then he started cracking up
"What happened" Janice asked
"Well," Soda laughed, "I found were your older brother keeps his extra hair grease"
I looked in the hood and blushed. There in the middle of the wires was a can of hair grease right next to the engine.
"Oops" I muttered as Janice and Soda doubled over laughing, " So, can you fix it?"
Still laughing Soda nodded "It will only take a minute or to, now in the meantime, would you like the hair grease back?"
"Sure" I muttered and sat down " Hey Soda, do you want to come with us to the airport?"
"Sure, hey why you going there?" he said without looking up from the engine
"We have to pick up our cousin Nemain Wrynn" Janice said excitedly
Soda started giggling till he saw she was serious
"Her name is really Nemain Wrynn? I gotta meet this chick, where's she from?"
"New York"
" Tuff enough, maybe she knew Dally" he said with a smile "What part does she live in?"
"Upper east side" I said, knowing he would never believe me
I was right "Ha ha man, now come on I fixed the engine"
We climbed in and I started the car
"Oh, I almost forgot" Soda said, "Here's your hair grease"
I rolled my eyes as he handed me the grease "Gee, thanks. Now come on, were late"
We drove mostly in silence with the radio on full volume.
When we got there only a hand full of people were at the airport
"So, were is she?" Soda asked hopping and looking around " Hey look, there's a girl, she kinda looks like you to"
"Were?"
"Over there, let me see if it's her." Then he stepped on one of the chairs "NEMAIN" he yelled, a 13 girl turned around looking for the person calling her name "OVER HEAR NEMAIN!" Soda yelled jumping on the chair, then he fell off.
Janice and I started cracking up as Nemain rushed over
"HOLY SHIT! Are you OK?" she asked
"Yup, I'm fine, you're Nemain right?" Soda asked
She regarded him suspiciously "Not as if its any of you business but yes, I am. Who are you?"
"I'm Sodapop Curtis" Soda said, getting up
She raised an eyebrow
" Hey Two-bit, she can raise an eyebrow to" Soda exclaimed and Nemain turned, noticing me and Janice for the first time
"Hi Kenith, Hi Janice" she said rushing over to give us each a hug.
"Hey Nemain how's New York been?"
"Good, let me get my bags, K? I'll be back in a flash" and she want off running
"Wow, she's fast" Soda commented as we sat down to wait "But shorter than I expected"
"How so?" I inquired
" Well, your mom, you and Janice are all really tall and she's shorter than Pony was last year"
"He's a boy"
"All the girls were taller than him last year"
Just then Nemain came back with three suitcases, one backpack, and a few other bags.
"OK, lets go" Janice said helping Nemain with her bags as we exited into the bright sunlight
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