Hey guys! Here's the revised chapter, and I feel a lot better about the direction the story is taking so I hope you all agree. Thank you for the reviews of the original chapter, I just hope you guys are just as happy if not more with this one! Please review with your honest opinion and maybe some ideas for the future of the story. Also let me know if you have any questions or are confused. ENJOY ~~
Never in my life had I ever heard our house this quiet, and it made me even more angry. Was no one gonna stand up for me? They went out and partied all the time, why the hell couldn't I?!
"No," I say, surprised at how calm my voice was and I know I wasn't the only one. The guys are all lookin' nervously between Darry, who's face is turnin' purple in rage, and mine, which is stony and cold.
"Excuse me?" Darry asks, taking a step closer to me and my glare intensifies while my hands clench in anger.
"I said no. You can't stop me from seeing him!" I say before yelling, makin' everyone except Darry jump. Darry's breathing gets even heavier and the veins in his neck are pulsing, showing me just how much he's tryin' to control his anger.
"Yes I can, and I will! What the hell were you doin' at that party, Lilyrose? You lied right to my face!" He yells and I feel tears buildin' up, but refuse to let them fall.
"The guys go to parties all the time! And why the hell am I not allowed to see Tim anymore?" I scream back and Darry lets out a loud, angry laugh before leanin' close to my face.
"Tim is a no good hood, Lilyrose! You keep hangin' around him and you'll end up pregnant or dead!" he yells and I let out a loud scream before stomping towards my room before I end up doin' something I regret. I hear him follow me into my room while the rest of the guys stay crowded around the doorway.
"Stop bein' such a hypocrite and don't tell me what to do! Tim isn't a hood, you just can't accept any more guys in my life other than the gang!" I scream as I rip clothes out of my dresser and closet to wear for bed.
"You're grounded for two months, and don't ever talk back to me like that again," Darry says in a quiet voice, his jaw clenched, and the rest of the gang part like the Red Sea to let him through the door. They all glance at me before followin' Darry like puppies, making me roll my eyes as I throw my pajamas on quickly and flop into bed. Lucky had been disturbed by the yellin' and was sitting, tail curled around her paws, lookin' at me with her big brown eyes. I sigh and pull her close, closing my eyes and listenin' to her start to purr, almost as if she knew I needed it. Before I realize it, I've drifted off to sleep.
Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump
The air is still tense a few days later, but all conversation is kept civil and not too rowdy in fear of disturbin' the current peace. Darry and I haven't talked face to face but the rest of the gang tells me he's pretty mad, but I still don't think it's fair. The boys never got in trouble for going to parties and comin' home late, and the one time I do it Darry grounds me for two months? I know for a fact that he went to his fair share of parties and came home after curfew lots of times! As I lay in bed, my mind once again flashes to Tim Shepard.
He hasn't been brought up around the house and the topic has become somewhat of an elephant in the room. This train of thought leads me to an epiphany and I feel the excitement and nervousness start bubbling up. I throw off my covers, disturbing Lucky and pattin' her on the head in apology, before putting on a pair of skinny jeans, my white canvas shoes, and a red tank-top with a black cardigan in case I get cold. I tip-toe through the house, rollin' my eyes and shaking my head at Two-Bit who's passed out drunk on the couch.
I write a quick note to the gang, telling them that there was somethin' I needed to do and that I would be back before morning. I figured that if I got back before anyone else saw the note I could just toss it, but I didn't want anyone panicking if they woke up and I was missin'. The fifteen minute walk to Buck's was nerve-wracking and I had to force myself to climb the steps and push open the door when I finally got there. The party inside was more low-key than on the weekends and I pushed my way through the dance floor lookin' for a familiar set of dark eyes.
When I spot the person I was plannin' on confessing my feelings for, my heart splinters at the sight of a scantily clad greaser girl straddling him. A few seconds pass as I feel tears well up in my eyes, and when Tim looks up at me with glassy, drunken eyes I turn around and shove through the crowd. I burst out the door and wipe my face, taking deep breaths, as I start off back down the road.
Suddenly a hand clumsily grabs my wrist and I let out a little scream, whipping around ready to punch the person in the face as best I could. I freeze when I see Tim staring down at me with clearer eyes, but soon snap out of my trance when the image I had seen moments before pops back into my head. I try pullin' my arm out of his grasp but he holds firm, sighing.
"Stop, I'm not lettin' go until you tell me why you're here," he says in a hard voice and I scoff, the tears fallin' from my eyes now as I try to hold them back.
"I don't have to tell you anything. Go back to your little whore, because I have nothin' to say," I croak out, my heart clenching when I spit out the word whore, and his hand tightens a little bit on my wrist. He tugs me closer to him and uses his other hand to grasp my chin and force me to look him in the eye.
"Now you listen to me babe, she's nothin'. She came onto me and I was tellin' her to go the fuck away," he says, anger burnin' in his eyes and the tears fall faster now as I try and shove him away, not knowin' whether to trust him or not.
"I'm going home! Let me go!" I scream and he just tightens his hold even more, causing me to squirm in desperation.
"Why are you here? Did you just come to yell at me, to piss me off?" he yells and I give him one last shove, finally breakin' free of his hold and reeling backwards in surprise. My ankles hit the curb and I fall onto my ass in a muddy puddle, becoming covered in crap and startin' an entirely new level of bawling.
Tim sighs and shrugs out of his jacket, sliding it over my shoulders before pickin' me up and sitting on the curb away from the puddle, adjusting me so I was sitting sideways in his lap. I'm cryin' so hard at this point that I just slump against him, defeated.
"I'm sorry I was such a bitch, it was just confusing, and I really like you. But Darry hates me now, and said I wasn't allowed to see you anymore. And now you're with that other girl, and I messed everything up," I manage to get out between my bouts of crying and after a few minutes of silence I'm only sniffling and I peek up at Tim who's starin' up at the sky with a very serious face.
I feel my stomach and heart drop when I realize that he doesn't like me anymore, that maybe he never did and was just being nice because I was the sister of some of his friends.
I feel the tears threatening to start again and push off Tim, who lets me up with no fight making my heart break a little more. I walk away slowly, not daring to look back, but hoping that he would follow me. Before I realize it, I'm standin' on the porch wrapped in Tim's jacket looking out into the darkness slowly disappearing with the rising sun.
I feel my heart finally break in half when I realize Tim wasn't going to follow and stop me, so I slide down the wall and put my arms around my knees. I don't know how long it was before the sun finally rose, but I do know that I just sat there staring at the beautiful sunrise covered in mud and tears.
It was probably around seven that I heard movement in the house that soon moved out onto the porch, stoppin' short when I came into view. Fortunately, it was Soda and he didn't say anything as he observed my face before sittin' down next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I leaned onto my twin's shoulder, letting the tears fall silently this time because I was exhausted and we just sat there.
Soda understood that nothing he could say would make me feel better right now, and I had never been so grateful to have a twin that knew me so well. We were interrupted about twenty minutes later by Two-Bit walking onto the porch. He stops when he sees us sittin' there, Soda in his pajamas and me covered in mud and Tim's jacket, before moving on into the house after Soda subtly shakes his head. The door isn't slammed but shut quietly and I close my eyes, allowing myself to drift into a dreamless sleep.
Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump
My eyes feel swollen and dry when I wake up in Soda and Pony's room later that day, still dressed in my muddy clothes but Tim's jacket is missing. As I think of Tim, my heart spasms and a few tears fall before I wipe them away and vow to stop crying over him. After showering and changin' into a pair of Soda's old sweatpants and a white t-shirt of Darry's I shuffle into kitchen, ignoring the gang in the living room who all turn to look at me. I hear whispering before Soda walks into the kitchen, smilin' though it looks strained. I sigh and answer his question before he even asks it.
"I'm fine," I say as I get a glass of water from the sink and walk back to my room, once again ignoring everyone in the living room. I quietly shut my door, set the glass of water on my desk, and sink onto my bed allowing Lucky to curl up in my lap. I absentmindedly stroke her soft fur as I begin reading The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not able to concentrate so I decide to go back to sleep.
The next time I wake up it's dark outside and there's a plate of food on my night stand. I crack a small smile at Darry's thoughtfulness, happy that he isn't completely ignoring me, and nibble on some of it before puttin' it back in the kitchen and grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch.
Two-Bit is passed out in the living room while Dally is smoking in the recliner, starin' at me with an unreadable expression. I ignore him and shuffle out onto the porch, sittin' on the steps wrapped in the blanket and looking out into the darkness. A few minutes pass before Dally comes out in just his jeans and settles down next to me, lighting another fag and taking a puff. We sit in the dark for a while before Dally decides to get to the bottom of my problems.
"Where were ya yesterday night? Seemed pretty bummed when you got back," he says quietly and I'm surprised at how reserved and solemn he's being. I don't say anything for a few seconds, eyes flickerin' from star to star slowly.
"Just had to go see someone, that's all," I mumble and he flicks the butt of his cigarette away and turns to look at me with an uncharacteristic sigh.
"He'll come around," he says after a few minutes of observing my face and goes back inside, his Christopher medal thumpin' against his bare chest. I'm surprised at how observant Dally is, and feel a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall from my already swollen eyes.
"Not this time," I whisper to the moon before shufflin' back inside to my room, passing a now sleeping Dally on the recliner.
Time Jump - - Time Jump - - Time Jump
I couldn't sleep. It's been five days since Dally and I talked on the porch, well more like since Dally talked to me on the porch, and my life was a complete mess. Darry and I were at least talkin' now, though it was polite and only done when necessary. I still felt as though he had betrayed me by treating me like the baby of the gang, which he swore he would never do. But the main source of my sleepin' problem is Tim Shepard. After confessing my feelings to him and walking away I've seen Tim only twice.
The first time was on my way to work, when he was standin' in front of the local grocery store with some of his gang smoking a fag. The second my eyes landed on his leather-clad form I wanted to be invisible and my heart stung. I quickly locked my eyes onto the ground and quickened my steps, even though they're on the other side of the street. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally step inside the diner and feel the familiar sting come to my eyes, but refuse to let the tears fall.
The second time I saw Tim was in the diner on my lunch break. He walked by outside the window with his brother Curly, glancing in and meetin' my eye. I couldn't read the expression on his face because he left so quickly, but I hoped that it was one of regret for lettin' me walk away. At this point, I was starting to get a little angry with Tim for making me feel sorry for myself like this so I vowed to start actin' like myself again. And for a week, it worked.
Until Ponyboy and Johnny dragged me to the Nightly Double, convinced I was still moping about but only in secret now. I threw on a pair of white shorts and a pink tank top with black flats. I decided to leave my sweater at home because it was uncharacteristically hot for August here in Tulsa. We had no trouble gettin' there, and Johnny helped me up from the hole under the fence as Ponyboy got distracted by the Soc Cherry Valance who was a ways away with some of her friends. I sigh, clappin' a hand on his shoulder and pulling him over to the seats with Johnny and I.
"I'm gonna get us some Cokes and popcorn," Ponyboy says, rushin' off and I look at Johnny who smiles a little bit.
"Goin' to stalk Cherry, I bet," he says quietly and I giggle, nodding my head.
"Have you seen this movie before? I heard it's about the beach or somethin'," I ask, settling into my seat further and angling my body more towards Johnny. He's without his infamous jean jacket tonight because of the heat, but his old jeans and loose black t-shirt are still there along with his shyness.
"Nah, that's why me and Pony wanted to come tonight," he says and I nod, jumping about a foot in the air when Ponyboy pops up right next to me with Cokes and popcorn in his arms. I take a small Coke and small popcorn before lettin' him climb over me to get to his seat on the other side of Johnny. Ponyboy leans over Johnny to ask me something but the screen starts to play the movie and he frowns, leanin' back in his seat.
I direct my attention to the movie where a woman is laughing with her friends on the beach, checkin' out a group of cute guys. The movie seems to pass in the blink of an eye, and the three of us turn to smile at each other when it ends. Empty popcorn buckets and cups are scattered around our feet along with the occasional piece of popcorn and I feel more at peace than I thought was possible with everything going on.
We sit there for about five minutes discussin' our opinion of the movie when suddenly shouting begins. I stand up to get a better look at the commotion by the concession stand but Johnny grabs my arm and starts to pull me towards the hole in the fence. I blindly stumble along behind him, getting flashes of the fight going on.
One of the greasers fighting suddenly looks at me, breathing heavily, and my heart thumps rapidly when I meet Tim's eyes. He's not wearin' a shirt and sweat is drippin' down his face, hair still perfectly greased. I wince when the other guy lands a punch straight to his jaw as he's distracted and Pony steps in front of my line of vision, an understanding look on his face.
I shake it off, climbing back under the fence after Johnny. As we start off back towards home I look back at where the fight was and almost fall over in shock when I see Tim leanin' against the fence, still inside the Nightly Double, watching me go. He's still missin' his shirt and a cut is bleeding lightly on his forehead, but his eyes stay trained on me. I take a deep breath, turning around and walking away from him. And once again, he doesn't follow.
So there it is, the revised chapter! I was able to finish it before tonight because we're getting out early because of snow, so YAY! Let me know what you thought, and any ideas you might have. The next chapter should be up within a week, I've got really good ideas for it. Thank you, and please REVIEW!
J :)
