We drove the truck to the Nightly Double so the boys went in legally for once. We parked so that we could all watch the movies sitting in the back of the truck since there wasn't enough room inside for all of us. Ponyboy had, of course, already seen the first movie and went off to find talk with some friends. Sodapop and Steve had gone to get popcorn and some cokes and Dally was God knows where. I was watching the movie swinging my legs off the end of the truck when some girls I used to be friends with walked by us, going towards the concession stand.
"Ain't those your friends Penny?" Johnny asked me softly.
"Hm? Oh…y-yeah," I tried to sound like I hadn't noticed them walk by, I think he believed me. Maybe not.
"Why don't you go and say hi?" Darry asked, a little suspiciously. I was going to say okay but then I realized that I could see the girls standing at the concession stand and that Darry would be able to see when I didn't actually go and talk to them. I hadn't talked to any of them in a few months, I kind of wanted to but I was afraid that they would reject me.
"Um…n-no, that's okay. I don't want to m-miss the movie."
Steve came back a while later and he looked pretty ticked off. He said that Soda had seen his new girl at the end of the line when they were coming back and had decided to wait with her. The line looked pretty long so Soda wasn't going to be back for awhile. I said I was gonna head on over to the washrooms and Darry said he'd come 'cause there was a big group of Socs between us and the bathroom.
Steve said he was bored and he'd take me, hopping of the truck without a response from Darry. We walked all the way there without talking to each other, Steve just yelling a few rude comments to the some of the Socs. It was awkward-like, me watching the ground at me feet as I walked and Steve with a scowl and his hands shoved in his pockets. Steve went into the boys washroom and was leaning against the wall waiting for me when I came out. I couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was, leaning against the wall with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and his seemingly permanent scowl of his face. He looked like the definition of 'bad-boy' if only he had had a leather jacket on.
We took the long way back, 'cause Steve had pissed off the Socs. I was starting to shiver a little from the cold. We were approaching a group of greasers and I noticed Evie hanging off one of the tough looking greasers arm. Steve turned towards me quickly and said, "You real cold?"
I was about to say "Yeah," when he threw his arm around my shoulders. I was shocked until I realized that one of the guys that Evie was with was waving at Steve to come on over to him. I decided to make the best of the situation and play along. I put my arm around Steve's waist then put it in his back pocket instead, like I'd seen some couples doing.
Steve was talking to the guys but I wasn't paying attention, they were talking 'bout hubcaps or something. I turned my head to look when one a little guy with lots of tattoos yelled out, "Curly, Ponyboy! Come on over." Curly and Ponyboy walked over, Curly greeting all the guys, Pony looking at me confused. He opened his mouth to say something but I gave him a look and after glancing around I think he understood. He went to talk to the guy with the tattoos. That's when I noticed Curly looking me up and down. I'm not gonna say I like guys looking at me like that but it's kind of flattering to know they're looking at me.
"Ain't you Curtis' sister?" he asked, his eyes not quite staying on my face. Steve had noticed his look and before I could answer he said,
"This here is Penny," when Curly ignored him Steve went, "There ain't nothing written on her shirt Shepherd, what're you staring at it so hard for?"The guys around laughed and even though I knew it was an act I loved his jealous-like behavior and my stomach went bananas when he said that.
"I ain't looking at nothing Randle," Curly said with a grin and noticed that he was pretty good looking.
"That's what I thought." Steve turned, said something to one of the guys, stuck his cigarette in his mouth to shake his hand and then we were walking back towards the truck. It wasn't until we were almost at the truck that we realized we were still holding each other and disentangled ourselves, all awkward-like again.
"Sorry 'bout all that," he said, not because he was sorry but because it was something to say to break the awkward silence.
"Don't worry 'bout it," my right side was still tingling from being in such close contact with him and I knew I'd be happy for days just thinking of those minutes I was pressed up against him. Soda was there watching the movie cuddled with a cute little brunette leaning onto his chest.
"Hey Sodapop," Steve hopped onto the truck and held his hand down, it took a sec for me to realize he was gonna help me up. That confused me but made me real happy. When I was sitting down Soda introduced the brunette as Shelley, his new girl.
Steve and Soda talked through most of the second movie and I sat there eating the popcorn Steve had forgotten he bought. Johnny took off to find Ponyboy and Darry joined in the boys conversation. I dangled my feet off the truck again and yawned.
I started daydreaming about me and Steve cuddling together like Soda and Shelley were. I waste most of my time daydreaming and have gotten into trouble at school more than once for not paying attention to what was happening in the real world because I was too busy thinking about my dream world. I drifted off into that place where you're half asleep but still semi-conscience to what's going on around you. I had brought my daydream into my half asleep consciousness and I could see Steve's face leaning in to kiss me when I woke suddenly and realized that the movie was over and that I had been leaning against Steve while I slept.
Johnny, Ponyboy and Dallas had come back at some point, me Steve, Dally and Soda, when he was done kissing his girl, would be riding home in the back. I yawned real big and stretched my arms over my head, my cheeks were burning from being caught asleep on Steve.
I said, "Sorry I fell asleep on ya Stevie," casual-like, so he'd think I thought it was no big deal.
He shrugged, "Doesn't matter." But he had a look on his face, not his usual scowl but a thoughtful look. I hoped that was a good thing.
Dally was looking at us both funny when Soda hopped in and went home. I went to my room as soon as we got there and fell asleep with thoughts of Steve drifting through my head and a smile on my face.
Edited Version. Feedback is awesome, especially constructive criticism, I want this story to be as good as it can be. If you see grammar, punctuation or spelling mistakes please tell me.
