Chapter 3: The Past
Dally POV:
"Dally?" Darry asked me. All I could really do was look at him. I didn't have any words to say to him.
"Dally," Steve began, "where've you been?"
"Yea, you had us worried sick!" explained Soda.
"I-" I paused to swallow down the pain in my throat, "I had to get away."
Ponyboy spoke up, "Where did you go?"
I turned my focus to him, but my eyes shot right to the girl behind him, "I went out of town," I stated plainly still looking at the girl behind him.
I think Ponyboy noticed that I was staring at the girl, because he moved her closer to him in a protective manner.
"Who is that?" I asked.
"Her name's Nichole," an unfamiliar voice said. I turned my attention to where I heard the voice. There I saw a cute short girl. She looked like she was from a different country or something.
"And who are you?" I asked. The girl crossed her arms across her chest.
"My name's Jane."
"I'm gone for a little over a month, and you bring in two new greasers into the group!" I exclaimed.
"Chill out will ya," Two-Bit told me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Look Dally, we understand that you're still upset about Johnny, but-" Darry said before I interrupted him.
"Don't even try to talk about Johnny!" I yelled in a fit of rage.
"I'm sorry Dally, but you can't just keep running away from the fact that Johnny's gone," Darry stated.
"Shut up Darry! Johnny was the only thing holding the group together, and you know it," I exclaimed.
"You're being selfish Dally. Can you just think about what Johnny would've wanted?" Darry paused to let me process his comment,"Johnny would've wanted us to move on being happy, not tearing ourselves apart just thinking about the fact he was dead!"
"You don't understand how much Johnny meant to me!"
"He meant a lot to all of us Dally!" Ponyboy yelled.
"Shut up Ponyboy! Johnny wouldn't be dead if it weren't for you!" I barked. I regretted every word I had said.
Ponyboy ran out the door without another word.
"Ponyboy wait!" the girl named Nichole yelled as she ran after him. Darry tried to stop her, but she was too fast.
After that everyone gave me a dirty look. This made me feel worse than I did before. Deep down inside I knew everyone was right. I was being selfish, but I couldn't help it. Johnny was the only thing I had close to family. I knew I was going to be lost without him. For the first time in a while, I'll admit something that I haven't admitted to myself sense I was a little kid. I'm scared.
Ponyboy POV:
I wasn't running away from home. I was running because I needed to get away from Dally. My heart dropped when he said that. Now I feel even worse than I did before. The guilt thriving within me was worse than ever. I didn't know where I was running, but after awhile I began to get tired. I finally decided that I needed to stop running and sit down.
So I sat at the top of a hill next to my high school. I started to think about everything that happened a little over a month ago. I thought about Johnny. I thought about Dally. I thought about how happy Dally was, but then I remembered how happy I was before Johnny killed that soc.
As I started to drift off into further depression, I heard a familiar voice call my name.
"Ponyboy!" it was Nichole.
I looked up at her. She was trying to catch her breath, "Man, I'm outta shape," she gasped, but then stopped and looked at my face, "Hey, what happened back there?"
I looked down at my knees, "It's just," I paused trying to think of something to say, "Dally's comment got to me."
She wrapped her arm around me, making my heart beat faster than it was before, "Look, I don't know what happened in the past. I don't know what you're going through right now, and I can't tell you that everything's going to be okay," she paused and brushed a tear off my cheek leaving the imprint of her thumb there on my face," but I can tell you that even though I've only known you for less than a day, I'll be here for you like you were for me."
I looked at her with wide eyes. This girl just said something to me that I'll never forget. She said something that I needed more than anything. She was the first person who actually said they were going to be there for me. She was the first person who didn't force anything out of me that I didn't want to talk about.
I embraced her in my arms and let tears roll down my face. I think we both knew that our relationship would be a very strong one, and that nothing could break it, but most importantly, we both knew that would always be there for each other.
We decided to sit and talk about happy things for awhile. I told her about the greasers, and she told me about her life in Tennessee. I even told her about how I liked to watch sunsets. She became interested in the subject.
"I've always liked watching them. For some reason they make me calm down," I stated.
"There are too many hills to see the sunset long enough in Tennessee," she chuckled, "You would't have enough time to enjoy it."
"Well, we should watch one sometime," I smiled.
"Yea, we should," she said starring at the flower in front of her.
"Ponyboy! Nichole! Where are you at!" yelled Darry's voice.
Nichole took my hand and helped me up. "We should probably go."
I smiled, "Okay."
We walked down the hill to see Darry walking by. He turned his head and saw us. "Oh thank God! Are you guys alright?"
I looked at Nichole smiling and she smiled back. Then I looked back to Darry, "Yea we're alright."
Jasmine POV:
After Ponyboy and Nichole left, Darry had a stern talk with Dally before looking for them. Dally had seemed to have cooled down, given the fact that he was talking to Jane.
"So Jane, where did you come from?" asked Dally. He was giving Jane a very flirtatious look, and Jane seemed all for it. "Barf!" I thought.
"I'm from Virginia," Jane looked over to me, "Jasmine is too."
"Oh, I remember you Jasmine," said Dally. I just nodded in response. He turned his attention back to Jane, "Would you like to go to the diner with me sometime?"
Jane blushed, "I'd love to!" Dally chuckled at her enthusiasm. Uh oh, this isn't good! Dally is going to hurt her, I know it!
I grabbed Jane's arm and pulled her out of her seat, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I dragged her outside ignoring her protests.
"What was that all about?" Jane asked angrily pulling her arm away.
"You can't go out with him," I said sternly. She rolled her eyes.
"And why the hell not?"
"Because he's gonna hurt you!"
She laughed, "No he's not!"
"Jane," I began, "I know Dally! He will hurt you!"
"I know what I'm doing D.J.!" with that she ran back inside, leaving me on the porch by myself. I sighed. Why does she always have to go for the jerks?
I decided to take a walk. I tend to take a walk when I'm overloaded with thoughts. I thought about Jane and Dally. I thought about Ponyboy and Nichole. I hope they're okay. All of this was just to much for me. I couldn't take it! I couldn't go home. No one was going to make me feel better there.
I decided to just walk to wherever the road took me. The road seemed to take me by the football field. I could see "Tulsa Football Summer Camp" written on the sign on the gate door. I could see that the football players from my school were here for the summer. I watched all of them do suicides, and then I saw him. I saw Mason. He looked good in his football uniform. "Knock it off Jasmine! Get a hold yourself!" I mentally slapped myself.
I decided to just keep walking, but then I heard someone call my name. It was Mason.
"Hey Jasmine! Wait up!" he yelled.
I spun around to face him, "Oh hey Mason, shouldn't you be in there practicing?" he smelled like sweat and cologne.
"It just ended," he paused, "What are you doing walking all by yourself?" he asked taking a swig of water from his water bottle.
"Just had to clear my mind, that's all," I told him honestly.
"You need a friend to walk with, because my friends are going to pick up girls right now, and I really don't want to join them," explained Mason.
"Oh, why not?" I asked. He looked at me and smiled.
"Because, I'd much rather walk with you, and besides, I might need to be there if some socs come by to attack you again." I gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.
Mason was neither a soc or a greaser. He was kind of in between. I wish life was like that for me. Don't get me wrong! I love the greasers as my own family, I just sometimes wish that life as a greaser was as easy as a life for the people in the middle. They rarely have any problems.
"So how's your summer been?" I asked.
"All I've done so far is play football," he said plainly.
I smiled, "You're really good, I could never throw like that."
He stopped walking,"Maybe I could teach you sometime!"
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to bother you!" I told him.
"You wouldn't be bothering me at all! It was my idea anyways," he explained.
"You're sure?" I asked him.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," he said, making me laugh.
"Well okay then!" I felt like I was walking on air. He's actually talking to me!
"Where are we even walking anyways?" I asked him. He looked around.
"I have no idea. I thought you were leading the way," we both looked at each other and laughed.
"How about I teach you Saturday at one thirty?" he asked.
"That's fine with me," I said, "Well, I better go. My friends are probably wondering where I am."
"Okay I'll see you Saturday, and don't forget!" Mason laughed.
"I won't!" I yelled running back to the Curtis home. I couldn't wait for Saturday.
Ponyboy POV:
Nichole, Darry, and I walked into the house to see everyone sitting around the TV watching Disney cartoons. When Dally saw me walk in, he stood up. I grabbed Nichole's hand, and she squeezed it giving me the signal that everything was going to be okay.
Dally spoke up, "Ponyboy, I'm sorry for what I said."
I looked down at my shoes, "It's okay Dally. I know you were just upset."
"I'll never say anything like that to you again. I promise," he said.
"Thanks Dal," I appreciated his apology.
"No problem kid," he grinned.
After apologizing to Dally, we were all at peace. Everyone went their separate ways for the day, leaving just me, Darry, Soda, and Nichole. Soda, Nichole, and I decided to watch some TV while Darry worked on dinner. When dinner was ready, all of us sat down at the kitchen table and ate what Darry had prepared for us. After a long and awkward silence, Darry finally spoke.
"We need to talk about your whole situation Nichole."
Nichole looked down at her plate, "Yea, I know."
"I just don't know if we can keep you here for long. You deserve to be happy and go to school, but I don't know if I can pay for you to go," he said.
"Yea,"she paused, "I know."
"The bad thing is is that you have no where to go," said Soda.
"I don't want you to leave, but I don't think I can take care of you," explained Darry. My heart was getting torn apart. I needed her here so bad.
"I know this seems like kind of a long shot, but what if I got a job?" asked Nichole.
"What do you mean?" Darry asked confused.
"There are plenty of jobs for kids my age. I'm willing to do it. I can even work two jobs if necessary. I know it sounds crazy, but it is possible! I'm almost fifteen!" she said with hope in her voice.
"I can't possibly let you do that. With the condition you're in,you'll never make it," Darry said.
"I'm stronger than I look Darry. I know it's not gonna be easy, but it's possible!" she said.
"Yea! It's the only way to keep her here!" Soda said with excitement.
"I don't know Nichole-" I interrupted Darry.
"Come on Darry I- I mean we need her!"
"Oh okay fine, but if you get hurt or sick in any way working two jobs, I'll skin ya. You understand?" asked Darry.
Nichole smiled, "Absolutely!' she got up and hugged Darry, making him smile.
"She's staying!" Soda cheered picking Nichole up and hugging her. When Soda was done hugging her. I brought her into my arms and held her protectively. I almost lost her, and now she's here to stay, and we couldn't be happier. I couldn't be happier.
There you guys go! Chapter 3 is done. Sorry for not writing in awhile, but I'm happy to be back! Make sure to read and review!:-)
