A/N: Well, look who decided to return. I could come up with a long explanation but I really doubt this has any readers and what not. In my defense, I had a hard time writing it because at first I just didn't like it, but after a bit of revising, a key fact is pointed out, and the Jolene/Jenna plot develops more and I felt much better about posting. Although, it is incredibly long and I feel that it was a mistake... Anyway, please review if you have any comments and just please give this story love.
Chapter Four-
I woke up to Liss bouncing around on my bed. It was the most unpleasant thing to wake up to, in my opinion. She squealed happily. "Liss get down," I mumbled, nudging her away with my toes. She squeaked unhappy. It annoyed me that she was well within the speaking age, but did not use her words yet, only squeaks and squeals like an animal. I got up and shoved her out of my room, slamming the door. I heard her cry and rolled my eyes. Crawling back into bed, ready to sleep for another hour or so, I was greatly annoyed when Jenna came in my room, opening the curtain.
"Get out of bed, kid, it's late," she said. I covered my head with my pillow and groaned. "Don't do that, you need to get up and get ready," she said. I could tell her patience was thin today so I removed the pillow and sat halfway up, resting on my elbows.
"Why do I need to get ready?" I asked, terrified she decided to start going to church. I never liked church after Mom had taken Jenna and me once or twice when we were younger. We wouldn't sit still for the life of us, and giggled while the sermon was going on. Mom hushed us, but we only smothered out giggles making them more noticeable. That wasn't what really bothered me, I could probably sit still now, but I thought most church people were judgmental on things. You can never drink, and premarital sex is bad, and you have to be a good person or you would go to hell, and all that stuff. I was not positive, but I knew the people would look down on us because our clothes weren't too nice or out makeup was a little too thick, or the fact that Jenna was young with a child.
"Well, Jakohb got a small bonus, and we have a little extra money so we're getting you some clothes," she said, looking around my room, possibly thinking about how messy it was.
"Really? But why, I mean, I have clothes. Why not get you or Jakohb or even Liss some clothes, she'll grow out of hers, I'm done growing," I said, now fully sitting up, intrigued with the fact that we have a little extra money.
"You have Jeans and no skirts, no dresses, no blouses, wouldn't you like some nice clothes?" she said, a scowl on her face as if I only dressed as a boy.
"I do have a skirt or two, and I do have dressier shirts, none necessarily blouses, but Jenna, my clothes are fine," I whinned.
Jenna bit her lip, looking at me. "I understand, but you really need to start dressing like a woman, Jolene, not a girl; and I don't mean dress mature only when you're going out somewhere, I mean in general."
I sighed and got up, stretching. "Whatever, I'm not dressing in blouses and skirts and perfect white socks and Mary Jane shoes all the time, if that's what you're thinking," I said, moving to my closet.
"Jolene, do not talk to me like that, I'm just saying, maybe some more skirts? I'd rather not have people thinking you're a weird cross dresser," My sister said heading to the door. "Hurry up and get ready," she added before she left.
I took out a pair of purple capris pants and a black tank top to match, careful not to wear a tee shirt or jeans. I slowly got ready, dreading having to go shopping. I happened to enjoy the greaser style. I knew many greaser girls who would love some Casmir sweaters and perfect pleated skirts, maybe I should feel that way, but something about it did not seem appealing.
I gasped for air, trying to control my laughter. "Jenna, Jenna, that's hideous!" I said, referring to the skirt she tried on to be funny; and it was funny. I felt like her and me were okay again. We would go home and tell mom all about the store. We would tell her all about the ugly skirt Jenna tried on, and we would tell her about all the nice clothes we wanted, we would try on the new clothes for Dad and he would smile and say we looked very lovely.
I felt myself grow sad, though I was still giggling. I knew we would go home and Jenna would have to take care of her child, her and her husband would have to talk about the bills. Nothing was the same, and it never would be. That is what made me sad about the whole thing. It wasn't like your parents were gone on a trip for a week, so you suffer your own poor cooking for a week, and go a week without a fun conversation, but when that week was over, they come back, and that meal is the best one you've had in a while and the conversation is memorable. They were gone, and they weren't coming back.
"You're thinking of them aren't you?" Jenna asked, her laughter ceasing as well.
"Yeah…" I said quietly.
We finished the shopping very quickly after that. I had gotten some skirts and more tops- none of them socy or even that many blouses, but they were all lady-like and I could safely say I'd actually feel fantastic wearing them. However, even my nice new clothes could not shake off the sadness. That was a problem; when I thought about sad things, they tended to stick around in my head for the rest of the day.
I walked to the kitchen to grab an orange soda- my favorite- and proceeded to attempt to read a book. Ponyboy had told me repeatedly reading was great. I was convinced repeatedly it was not. Every time I picked up a book, I could not concentrate. It was as if the singing birds got louder, the ticking of a clock became pounding, the television much more interesting. I just could never concentrate long enough to read a page or two and get everything out of it.
I gave up and started for the door, going to visit a woman who always was nice and could make me feel better. The walk to the Matthew's house wasn't a short one, and in the hot summer days it seemed even longer, but seeing Eliza-Ms. Matthews- made up for it. She was such a nice woman, and she was wise and strong. Trying to take care of an over grown child and a young girl has to be hard, especially when your overgrown child is Two-Bit; he has to give is mom quite a bit of trouble.
Next to my mom, I had always looked up to her. When her husband walked out on her, Two-Bit and Katy, she did not drown her sorrows in beer or give up; she went out and picked up more shifts as a barmaid. She was incredibly loving, she may have to put up with and 18 year old still living with her, but she loves him to death; everyone can see it. She would let that boy get away with murder. Apparently, she was a lot like Mrs. Curtis, but I never knew her. Eliza helped me through my parent's death. I was so close to her she easily comforted me, it was better than a friend showing empathy; it was like a close friend, with the wisdom of an adult.
As I neared the house, I saw Katy, Two-Bit, and some girl who appeared to be around Katy's age, out on the front lawn. Two-Bit was getting a lecture from Katy on how to brush a doll's hair and he looked completely confused, though I felt somewhat bad. Katy saw me but before she said something, I put a finger to my lips to signal her to be quiet. I jumped down behind Two-Bit and put him in a poorly executed headlock. "Guess who!" I laughed.
"Is it Twiggy? Lord, let it be Twiggy," he sarcastically pleaded to the sky.
"Sadly, I am not an extremely skinny pretty model, it's just me," I said releasing him and sitting next to him. "Hi, Katy."
"Hey, Jolene! This is Jeanie, she's really nice and moved down here recently," she said rather quickly, grinning and gesturing to her honey blonde doe-eyed friend.
I gave her a small wave and a smile. "So, Matthews, you don't know how to brush a dolls hair? Shame on you," I scolded sarcastically.
"Yeah, he brushes to fast and he doesn't brush all of it, he misses parts," Katy complained.
I heard little Jeanie sigh. "Yeah, he just doesn't get it."
I bit back my laughter. "I hate to tell you girls, but no one cares more about their hair than this kid and his pompadour," I said, referencing to Two-Bit's hair, which was a pompadour but with his own little twist.
"Well he doesn't know how to handle my doll's hair," Jeanie said.
I laughed and Two-Bit shook his head. "I'm going to see your old lady, she inside?" I asked him.
"Yeah, she's leavin' for work soon though, I got to go drop Katy and Jeanie off at Jeanie's house in a little bit ya wanna come?" he asked. I thought for a moment. I had no other plans, so I agreed and then headed inside.
"Eliza?" I called as I walked inside.
I walked in a little farther to see her trying to hold a conversation on the phone and clean, the phone cord wrapped around her thinning frame. She wasn't over worked or anything, I assumed she was just getting older. She saw and smiled. "Okay, yeah, I'll talk to you later Marissa, okay, bye." She untangled the cord expertly, and turned to me, flashing a signature Matthews grin. "Hey, Jolene."
"Hello," I smiled warmly. I noticed her warn out barmaid uniform and my smile just turned to an admired one. Two-Bit tells me that she's used the same uniform since she first got the job. Most just dismissed that, but I thought that was rather symbolic.
"How have you been? Two-Bit giving you any trouble? Lord knows no one can control that child," she laughed while shaking her head.
I giggled. Ms. Matthews loved her son fiercely. She asked about him a lot, and that's mostly because he just wasn't one to sit and talk with his mom. I'd seen on multiple occasions things like 'Where are you going, hon?' 'Nowhere, Ma, be back soon'. Or the classic, 'How are you, baby?'. 'Fine, Ma, but I ain't much of a baby anymore, huh?' he said it all with a sincere, heartfelt grin, and he loved him mom, but he was eighteen and had a taste of freedom, and there was no way he'd let his mother ruin that. That was who Two-Bit was though, a free spirit, I suppose, and I admired the kid in him.
I guess I just admired the whole of the Matthews family.
"I have been good. Been better, but I've been worse. And Two-Bit, he's been okay, never given me any trouble, but I can't say for anyone else," I said.
She shook her head once more. "I hear that. In fact, some of that boy must be rubbing off on Katy," she said, her tone becoming hushed in a gossipy way.
"Yeah?"
"Got a call earlier today from a very displeased mother. You know that rich lady who runs that really nice shop downtown?" she started.
I knew it very well. My mom and I had frequented it when I was younger. We never bought anything, just admiringly looked around at all the nice jewelry. We were constantly told to buy something or leave. Eventually we stopped going, it was in the heart of soc territory and we did not have the courage to venture up there anymore. "I do, I do."
"She has a daughter. Now, I never knew that, but boy I do now. Apparently, she and Katy got into a scuffle the other day," she said.
I was genuinely surprised, and I could tell it shown from the look on Eliza's face. "But, how?" I asked. The girl, assumed from her back round, was clearly a soc, and I couldn't think of an idea that explained how they got into a fight, nonetheless why Katy, of all little girls, would fight.
"Apparently, the girl made a rude remark about her being a greaser," Eliza said. She glanced at her watch. "Oh! I need to go, I wish I could stay and talk, but I need to get to work," she said. I stood up after her and walked out the door.
"Keith, drop your sister and Jeanie off, I'm heading to work," she said as she got in her beat up car.
"Yeah, alright, Mama," he said, standing up and stretching. His mom drove off. "You ready to go girls?" He asked, and he looked at me, asking if I was still on board to ride with him. I nodded. He helped Katy and Jeanie into the car while I struggled with the passenger side door. "Dammit, Two-Bit, are you ever going to get this fixed?" I said giving up with the handle.
"Hey, watch your language, Jolene. There are two kids. And yes, I will get it damn fixed," he said. Katy and Jeanie giggled and I rolled my eyes. I shoved him as I walked over to his side of the car. I climbed over to the passenger's side, huffing as I sat.
"That wasn't fun," I glared as he sat and turned his key, once, twice, and third times a charm.
"Sorry, kid," he said, as he looked behind, baking out of the driveway. "Life's not fun."
I rolled my eyes, but smiled slightly. He was a dumbass, a reall dumbass, but you had to love him.
He dropped Jeanie and Katy off and was driving around to just drive around. "Alright, You gonna do anything, or you going to burn gas?" I asked.
"I dunno. I'm probably going to Buck's later, you want to come?" he asked.
"Really? Last time I went anywhere with you got beat up," I said wryly.
"Okay, that was last time. This is this time, and I got my car," he said. He had a very good point.
"Well, what time is later? If you give me enough time to shower and be ready, sure, I'll go with you. I ain't got nothin' better to do," I said. Truth be told, I really did like going places with Two-Bit. He was well known and well liked, so there was hardly an awkward 'what now' moment.
"Well then I'll drop you off at your house and pick you up at six?" he said, ending it with more of a question than a plan.
"Yeah, that works," I said.
"Alright, then hold on," he grinned as he made a sharp turn to get back on route to my house. I giggled as we were tossed around in the car while he turned, though it was probably illegal. Sometimes I questioned my sanity for driving around with him; I'm almost positive it'll be the death of me.
He got me home and I wondered if I should ask Jenna about going out again tonight now or later. I contemplated whether I should even ask her. Buck's was a wild place; everyone knew that. Parties damn near every night in the summer. I wondered if he even planned them out every time, or if enough people showed up every night to call it a party. Nonetheless, everyone knew it was a wild place to be at, and I'm sure Jenna was plenty aware. She didn't care for Two-Bit that much anymore, and I doubt she would trust him to take me to Buck's with him.
Then an idea popped into my head. Probably not the best idea, but it was bound to work. I walked to the kitchen where Jenna was trying to clean and keep Liss occupied. "Jenna, do you remember Bethany?" I asked her casually. I already felt my stomach twist at dragging an old, forgotten friend, into a lie.
"Uh, yeah, faintly. She was the smart one with dark hair?" she said absent mindedly.
"Yeah, well, I ran into her today and she invited me over so we could catch up. A sleepover, like we used to," I continued, acting as casual as possible. My stomach had stopped churning though, in fact, I had to force myself to keep down the smirk smug wanting to appear on my face. I could lie to Jenna, and she didn't know, just to spite her.
"Well that sounds like a good idea. Bethany was a good kid," she said, turning away from the dishes and looking at me. She looked genuinely pleased.
"Yeah, real sweet heart. She'll pick me up at six though, so I'm going to get ready," I said, and with that, I walked to my bedroom. I felt a small glow of satisfaction out of fooling Jenna. It put me at ease knowing I would get in no trouble with Jenna tonight; that she would think I'm off painting nails and ogling at pictures in magazines. I told myself not to make it habit though, and stated to go through my clothes.