The Drive North 7
The Drive North 7
By Jess MacIntosh
AU Old West
The Outsiders characers belong to S.E. Hinton. I am not making any money from this.
"Well" Soda swallowed, the night seeming warmer than ever, "They're...they're real friendly gals that work in saloons and you can buy them drinks and...talk to them."
"I don't know why everybody is getting all excited about talking to some gals."
Pony's eyes were dark and shinning with starlight and Soda suddenly wished he could keep his little brother innocent and young and so damn—Soda couldn't think of the right word but he wished he could keep Pony that way, anyway.
"I think there has to be more than talking going on."
"Sometimes you kiss them." Soda admitted.
"Why would you do that?"
"Well, they're friendly and you have to be friendly."
"You're friendly to everybody but you don't go around kissing them."
Soda sighed. "Maybe you could ask Darry about this."
"He probably wouldn't tell me, the way he looks at people to hush up if he sees me around when they're talking about it. Besides, I don't think Darry likes us much anymore."
"What?" Soda propped himself up on one elbow, then remembered to lower his voice. "Why would you think that?"
"Well, he never talks to us anymore, or pays much attention to what we're doin'"
"He's got some older people like the Boss and Tim to palaver with, now, probably enjoying it. He'll get over it pretty soon."
Soda wasn't real sure that was the truth. Now that he thought about it, Darry did seemed kind of distant these days.
"So you got to tell me, Soda, what is it exactly that sportin' women do?"
Soda took a deep breath. Okay, he'd tell him, no telling what kind of mess he could hear about it once they got to Fort Worth.
"They work in saloons, or sometimes they have their own houses and you buy them drinks and paythemtomatewithyou."
Soda rushed though the last part but Pony had heard it all too clearly.
"You pay them to mate with you?" Pony whispered, horrified. "But I thought—Darry said, you mate with your wife so you can breed some kids. "
When both Soda and Pony were younger, and naturally wanted to know if humans mated like cattle or horses did, Darry sat them both down and explained everything in detail, complete with drawings in the dirt.
Soda realized with a wince that Pony knew how, he just didn't know why.
"Sometimes it might take you a while to find a girl to marry so you visit sportin' women."
"But...you don't want to breed kids with them, do you? So why?"
"It's fun." Soda said finally. "Some times you can't wait until you find a gal to marry so you have fun with saloon gals instead. Pistol says it's the most fun you can ever have."
Soda left out the part about when Pistol came home after his first cattle drive, his pa whaled the daylights out of him because he'd spent about half his wages on sporting women.
"Pistol" Pony's voice was heavy with disgust. "If he knew half of what he thinks he does he'd be the most valuable person on earth."
Soda bit back a laugh. Pony's insight and way with words were always amazing him.
"Anyway, I seen dogs and cats and what-all mating and nobody looked like they were having much fun to me. You ever hear the girl cats? They scream like they're bein' scalped."
"I hear the screamin' means they're having a good time."
"Huh," Pony wasn't convinced. "Well, I'm never going to do that. I mean, maybe later if I'm old and really think I need some kids. How the hell can people do that, anyway? "
Soda knew Pony did not want to hear "You'll understand when you're older" so he didn't reply.
"Soda!" Pony said suddenly, reaching over and grasping Soda's shirt front, like he had back when he was really little and ready to go to sleep sucking his thumb, "You're not planning on...on visiting those gals, are you?"
Soda said "Yes, I am. I need to. I got to find out about it now."
No sense lying at this point.
"I don't want you to."
"I'm going to anyway" Soda said gently.
"I'll tell Darry"
"Go ahead. Ain't like he never visited sportin' women either."
"There ain't no such women in Clearwater!"
"Nope, but there's some in riding distance, kid. Darry's a grown man. Some times you got to..."
Pony rolled over onto his back, and blinked hard at the stars.
"So 'sportin'' That means the same as—"
Pony said a word Soda didn't even know he knew and one that would have Darry washing his mouth out with lye soap.
"That's an ugly word for what can be a pretty nice thing."
"Nice?" Pony shuddered. "Well, I'm not going to be doin' any 'nice'thing like that."
Soda wanted to say "Tell me that a year from now."
But he didn't. He reached over and patted Pony's arm. In a little while they both rolled away from each other.
Pony's dreams were jumbled and confused, full of strange images and weird feelings and conflicting emotions.
Soda dreamed about real friendly girls.
