A/N: Wow you guys are soo awesome! And for being awesome, I have decided to reward you with...a chapter from the POV of Ponyboy ;)
Disclaimer: I only own Valerie and other characters not from the Outsiders...S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders!
Ponyboy's POV
It's just a party. That's what I kept telling myself on the way there. It didn't mean anything because it's just a party. I could see Valerie playing with the hem of her skirt out of the corner of my eye. She seemed off, but I couldn't figure out why. She'd been off all day though. Maybe it had something to do with the bet...or maybe not. Maybe she was picking up on all my goofy awkwardness. I had tried to keep it a secret all these years, but she's really bringing it out of me. I just can't help it; I think she's cute. No, I think she's more than cute, I think she's pretty. But it's not like it matters because I wouldn't have a clue what to do with her. She's got all the experience and she'd probably just laugh at me if I tried anything. But then again, she did ask me to come to this party with her...Did she mean like as a date? I thought she hated me -like really hated me- and here she was asking me to go to a party with her. Girls are confusing.
"Ponyboy," Valerie called, snapping me out of my thoughts, "We're here."
I looked from the window to her shining light gray eyes. Just like Two-Bit's, I thought to myself. She was looking at me, but again like I said something was off.
"Oh, okay," I responded. I got out of the car, said goodbye to Two-Bit, and waited for Valerie to cross in front of the car before meeting her.
"You are so not ready for this party, are you?" she laughed.
"Yeah I am," I countered.
"Whatever you say," she sing-songed. She walked in front of me and I quickly followed her.
The music was blasting as we entered the house that belonged to someone I didn't know. Valerie had said it was some guy from school's house, but that really didn't clarify who it was. I knew a few people there, but probably not as many as Valerie did. Some how she knew a lot of people, yet she never talked to anyone but Angela.
I felt something on my hand and realized it was Valerie pulling me through the crowd of people. We finally got to the kitchen and she grabbed two beers out of one of the many coolers sitting around the kitchen. She handed me a beer and I popped it open. It wasn't very often that I got to have a drink, thanks to Darry's rules. Valerie downed her drink in a matter of seconds and I wasn't surprised. If her and Two-Bit had anything in common it was their stormy eyes and their love of beer. She pulled out another beer and guzzled that one down the same as the first one.
"Valerie?" Curly asked as he walked into the kitchen with his arm around a blonde girl that I recognized from around school.
"Curly," she said. It was more like something to say and not like she actually wanted to talk to him.
"What are you doin' here? You come to see me?" He removed his arm from the girl and draped it over Valerie's shoulder.
"Maybe," she answered. That answer hit me like a hammer. I thought maybe she had really wanted to come with me, but she just didn't want to show up alone. Curly whispered something in her ear and she shoved him. Hard. He staggered backwards and almost fell, but regained his balance at the last minute.
"Damn broad, I knew it was a good thing that I broke up with you," he slurred.
"Fuck off, Curly," she snapped. He smirked at her and turned to other girl who was standing there looking as dumb as she probably was. He grabbed her hard and kissed her. Sometimes I wished I could be like Curly and have all that confidence. Then I probably wouldn't still be waiting for my first kiss or my first girlfriend.
Valerie watched as Curly kissed the other girl and I could see it was tearing her apart. Of course she would never admit that out loud, but I could see it in her eyes. She didn't move though, she just stood there and I assumed she was waiting for Curly to leave first. He did eventually leave and Valerie let out a heavy breath.
"You okay?" I questioned.
"Oh, I'm fine," she answered without meeting my eyes. Not that I expected her to. She poured something in a glass and took two quick sips to finish the drink. Then she repeated that process and I raised my eyebrows at her. She sent me a glare that had me looking the other way in a matter of seconds. I knew she was going to get drunk before it happened, which is why I stayed relatively sober. I had only gotten drunk one time and that was a mess. Soda had to help me hide the hangover from Darry and luckily he didn't care enough to notice. I wasn't exactly a big fan of getting drunk so it wasn't something that was hard to resist for me.
"Let's dance!" Valerie yelled over the music. She didn't give me time to respond before she grabbed my hand and dragged me out to the middle of what was supposed to be the dance floor. I can dance fairly well, not great, but I'm okay. When Valerie wrapped her arms around my neck my breathing became uneven. I was closer to her than I'd ever been with another girl. I forced my hands to lightly grip her waist and swallowed hard when I took in her scent. She smelled great, like roses and...something tropical. She kept pulling her shirt up because while she was moving -to my delight- it kept falling down. I wasn't sure where to look because everytime I looked down I found myself looking at Valerie's chest and everytime I looked at her she smiled. Her smile was enough to make me blush everytime.
"Valerie, you're really drunk," I told her, leaning towards her to say it in her ear.
"I know!" she giggled.
I began to lean back, but she tightened her arms around my neck causing me stay close to her. I could feel her body against mine as she moved to whatever song was playing. I really wasn't paying attention to the music. I was just paying attention to the drunk, pretty girl that I was dancing with. She looked at me and looked like she was thinking something over. I wondered what she could possibly be thinking about while being drunk as a skunk, but I didn't get as much time as I would've liked to think about it. With the shoes she had on, she stood about the same height as me so all she had to do was lean in a little bit closer. And that's exactly what she did. Without warning she brought my face closer to hers and kissed me. My first kiss and it's with Valerie Mathews. Who would have thought it? Not me, that's for sure.
I got back to reality and kissed her to the best of my ability. It's not like I had any experience so I wasn't one hundred percent sure what I was doing. But I'm not stupid so I mimicked her actions and wrapped my arms tighter around her waist. It's not what I thought kissing her would be like. I always pictured it happening at my place or hers, not at some party where she got drunk. But no matter the place, I still got to kiss her. We slowly pulled apart and she let a giggle escape her lips.
"You're a good kisser," she noted.
"Y-You too," I replied. You too? What is wrong with me? I could feel my cheeks getting hot and I just hoped she didn't notice.
"I'm bored. Can we leave?" she asked with a frown on her face.
"Well we gotta call Two-Bit first," I told her.
"I don't feel like waiting for that bum. Let's just get outta here." I once again let her guide me through the other people and out into the fresh September night. She began to stumble down the street and I had hold onto her waist to keep her from falling over.
I knocked on the Mathews' front door, but I got no answer. I wondered if Two-Bit was even there, which he probably wasn't. Valerie pushed open the door and began to totter towards the stairs. I couldn't just let her wobble until she fell down the stairs so I ran in after her. I steadied her up the stairs and when we passed Two-Bit's room I checked to see if he was in there. Of course he wasn't; he was probably still out partying.
I sat Valerie down on her bed and she fell onto the pillows. I figured my job was done so I started to leave, but a small voice begged me to stop.
"Ponyboy," Valerie's muffled voice called. I turned back to look at her. She was now sitting up on the bed.
"Valerie, you really need to get some sleep," I informed her.
"No, I-I can't sleep. Not without you here," she began to lightly sob, burrying her face in her hands. I didn't say anything. I just took a seat next to her on her bed.
"You can't leave. Not like him...not like him," she continued to cry.
"Not like who?" I asked.
"Like him!" she tried to yell, but it just came out in a slurred mess.
"Okay, I won't leave," I assured her.
"You can't you leave...not like him," she murmered again, resting her head on my shoulder. She kept repeating herself until finally she stopped crying and dozed off. I gently positioned her so she was lying under her blankets after I removed her shoes. I was almost out of the room when again she woke up.
"Pony?" she called. I sighed and told myself not to turn around. It was already 11:15 and Darry would skin me if I got home late. But telling myself that didn't seem to work. I turned around and she was trying to keep her eyes open.
"Valerie, you need to get some sleep," I told her again.
"But you said you wouldn't leave...You're just like him," she began to cry again.
"Look, I don't know who you're talking about, but...but I won't leave you, okay?" I'd never seen Valerie so vulnerable. She always made a point not to cry over things and get upset, but I guess drunk Valerie is the opposite.
I took a seat next to her and she tugged at my arm until I gave in and laid down next to her. She was turned towards me as she rested her head against my chest. I wasn't planning on staying with her all night, but I had to at least make her think I was.
"I'm sorry...y-you're not like him." Her words were garbled and I could barely understand them.
"It's okay," I responded. I still wasn't sure who she was talking about, but she didn't seem to care.
"No, it's not...He was...he was a bad man," she weeped.
Her dad was who she was crying about. I couldn't believe I hadn't realized it untill she said he was a bad man. She was right. I knew how bad he was to some extent, but I'm sure he was worse than I knew. I knew that he usually came home drunk and treated his family like shit, but it seemed like there was more to it then that.
"I know. Shhh," I calmed her. She started to sink more into my body and I felt my eyelids growing heavier with each blink. I tried to stay awake so I could leave when she fell asleep, but I failed miserably.
I woke up and looked around. I started to get that Where the hell am I? feeling, but then I remembered what had happened at the party. The kiss and falling asleep with Valerie in my arms. But along with those wonderous feelings, I got another feeling; guilt. Darry was probably a mess, wondering where I was. After what happened the last time I didn't come home, I couldn't blame him. I looked to see Valerie not even next to me anymore. I slowly got up and walked out of her room. I could hear light snoring and the water running in the bathroom so I figured she was taking a shower.
I decided to go home first to let Darry and Soda know that I was fine, and then I'd come back to talk to Valerie. I crept out of the house being sure not to wake up Two-Bit, who I'm sure was the one snoring. I walked down the few streets that were in-between my house and Valerie's and carefully opened the door.
"Oh hey, Pony," Soda grinned. There was something else to the grin though, something like...a certain knowing.
"Hey, Soda. Where's Darry?" I asked. I didn't expect Soda to be too upset that I hadn't come home because he always thought optimistically. It was Darry who I was afraid of.
"He's in the kitchen," Soda answered. I nodded and walked into the kitchen where Darry was making breakfast.
"Hey there, Pony," Darry greeted.
"Listen, Dar, I'm real sorry I didn't come home last night. I just-"
"Slow down, kid. Two-Bit called last night and told me that you fell asleep over there."
"Oh." I guess that's why no one seemed upset that I'd been gone all night.
"He said you fell asleep with Valerie," Soda noted with a wink as he joined us in the kitchen.
"Shut up," I said while trying to hide the smile that was on my face.
"What's up with that? Huh? You two ain't ever got along."
"Yeah, well sometimes people change," I told him.
"So you two slept in the same bed?" he questioned. The sly grin on his face showed me that he wasn't at all thinking about sleep. My cheeks went red at what he was implying.
"Yeah. We slept in the same bed. But only 'cause she got real upset about me leavin'."
"Well ain't that cute. Pone's got himself a girlfriend."
"Never thought I'd see the day," Darry commented.
"Aww hush, you guys. She ain't my girlfriend," I snapped. They both went quiet, but I saw the glances they were giving each other and knew that they had the same silent language as Soda and I.
I went into Soda and I's room to get changed and then told Darry I was going back to the Mathews' house. Soda yelled for me to use protection and Darry slapped him on the head, but still gave me a stern look. God, my brothers are something else.
A/N: Hmm so now you know some things you did not know before...Wanna review about it? I bet you do! Let me know what you think it is gonna happen now and what you think about what happened between Pony and Valerie! :)