*I don't own The Outsiders.
Thanks, again, for the reviews and support. Please excuse grammatical errors.
(PPOV)
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"Pony, what do you say about letting me pierce your ear for you?" I glanced a Taylor as if she were crazy.
"Don't give me that look. I've pierced a lot of people's ears and not one of them have ever had an infection. I wash my hands, use gloves fresh from the box, new clean needle, and clean earrings, I promise. Plus, you know me, I would feel horrible if I caused anyone any harm, I take all preventions. If it got infected, it would be 'cause you're not taking care of it. It would look tuff."
I glanced at her face, bright brown eyes with flowing brown hair. She was right, I know she takes every caution and that if I did go through with getting a piercing it'd be my fault if it got infected.
"Darry will kill me. Do you want me dead?"
Her eyes widened, she thought I was seriously asking her if she wanted me dead, her hand flew to my arm, "Of course not! I don't want you dead! That's the craziest thing I ever heard you say Ponyboy Curtis."
I continued to stare at her, she flushed bright red, "Oops, you were kidding." She whispered.
I laughed at her.
Smile back in place, "Well I don't want to get you in trouble with your brother, but if you really do want the piercing you could always cover it with your hair, it's long enough."
I thought about it, a piercing would be tuff. No one in the gang has gotten a piercing, Dallas had a tattoo but not a piercing. Soda would find out, he'd notice, it was inevitable since we share a room. Darry I could keep in the dark, at least long enough for the hole to be healed, six weeks. Okay, I might not be able to. If Two-Bit finds out I'll have to bribe him into not telling anyone.
There were only a few of us hanging around Taylor's house, it was still before noon. One of the girls, Emily, decided to voice her opinion. I could have really done without it though, she's not my favorite person in the world. "It would look good, Pony. It doesn't hurt too bad." She motioned to show both her ears, each had dangling earrings hanging from her lobes.
"What the hell, why not? Yeah, I'll let you pierce my ear."
A couple minutes later I was in the bathroom still holding ice on my ear to numb it. Taylor got a marker and made a mark where the earring would be, a small fake diamond with a back made out of twenty-four karat gold. I agreed with the placement and I held the ice on my ear for a little while longer. It didn't hurt, the needle felt like a small prick, didn't hurt bad at all.
Taylor has pierced a lot of ears. Girls and some guys, like myself, go to her if they want to get a piercing. The funny thing is, Taylor hates blood. There isn't a whole lot of blood involved in getting your ear pierced but it was still enough to make Taylor squirm. Yet, she kept doing it over and over again, even asking people if they wanted a piercing. Ironic.
Glancing in the mirror, my ear was red, but the cubic zirconium sparkled in the light from the fixture above and through the window. It looked better than I thought it would.
Taylor came up behind me and smiled broadly, showing a row of perfect white teeth, "I think it looks great. Do you? You can take it out and it'll heal up, if you want to that is."
"It is great, thanks. Do I owe you for the supplies?"
"I missed your birthday earlier this year, forget about it. Plus, it was only one ear."
"You didn't know me when my birthday came around." I chuckled a little, I had her there.
"Yeah, good point. Whatever, it's not that big a deal, I only charge people who I don't like." I laughed at this, she was blushing again so I knew it was true.
"Your secret is safe with me."
I snuck out and made it home without anyone knowing, and a new piercing to show my efforts. Wasn't a really difficult feet, seeing how no one is home or has been since this morning so I could just walk out the front door. I guess I can't really say it was all that great then. Maybe if Dar had been home and I left through the window...I can only imagine what would happen if I were caught.
I headed toward the bathroom and moved some hair, taking a long look at the piercing. I wanted to show Soda, but then he'd know I wasn't home today and I don't want him to get in trouble if Darry did find out. I swear he had eyes and ears watching me and listening to me across the city. Either that or he is all knowing and hasn't told me.
Maybe he should sit on the porch and hand out candy with a crystal ball on a card table, telling people their futures for Halloween. He could dress up and everything. That would be a sight, I'd defiantly need to find the camera for that one.
I headed out the bathroom, turning out the light, knowing Darry will be on my case if he thinks I left it on all day and was running up the electricity bill. I went into my room, finding a sketching pad and pencils, I drew. I love to draw. Sometimes things didn't look the way I wanted, sometimes they came out better than I could have hoped for. It was my thing, with no pressure to do well at it, I improved and could work at my own pace. Art was one of the few ways I could just let myself drift away and relax, it was therapeutic. After a while, I was hungry so I made a sandwich.
I looked over to the piano and guitar in the nook, pictures lined the top of the piano, junk all over the bench from lack of use. Dad's guitar and Mom's piano were covered in a layer of dust.
I got a rag, cleaning off both instruments carefully. I put away or threw out whatever crap that was on the bench. I tuned both instruments. I started playing a few songs on each. I missed playing with my parents, I missed hanging out in the living room with Mom, Dad, Soda, and Darry. Soda and Darry listened as the three of us played, all of us just having a good time. Most of the time, one of the guys would come hang out and listen too. Sometimes all of us would be crammed into the living room.
Music was the one thing I had with my parents. It was the only thing. Darry and Soda did a lot more with Mom and Dad, I figured once Darry left for college and Soda was becoming more independent, I'd get my chance with them. My chance to shine with something other than just music. Darry already shined in sports and he did well in school, Soda could fix Dad's car and could always make my parents smile, then there was me in the back round. Always in the back, listening, watching. I didn't mind it, I was never jealous because I always figured I'd get my chance. I wanted to shine in something other than music so badly, I wanted my parents to be proud, I wanted to give them something to be proud of. My parents never saw me run track on the varsity team, but they got to see Darry on varsity football.
I was just waiting for my turn. I never got it.
I didn't feel jealous towards Darry and Soda, this wasn't their fault. It was a horrible accident, a glitch in my parents' fate. I wasn't mad about it either, it just hurt and made me melancholy. I prayed that what everyone told me was true, they were watching. But, I would never get that pat on the back from my Dad, or a hug and a kiss on the cheek from my Mom.
I started playing, filling the unusually silent house with tunes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that despite the fact I hadn't really played at all in the last ten months, that it all came back to me. I let my fingers dance away on the keys of the piano, allowing time to flow away unnoticed with it. Grabbing Dad's guitar, I strummed and let cords fill the room, poring my heart and soul into it, again surprised at the release it gave me. I closed my eyes and continued playing.
I heard a thump on the porch. I opened my eyes, it was five o'clock already and I'd played the day away. I smiled and flushed a little when I realized the entire gang should be around by now.
They'd been listening through the door the whole time.
