"What exactly are you doing here?" Dally asked as everyone now hung around the garage of the DX. Beverly bit her fingernail.
"I was headin' down to the grocery store to shop some while lettin' the paint dry and passed by. Decided it'd be nice to say hi," Beverly sighed. "I really should be on my way to get this shoppin' done." The boys nodded and Beverly sighed. "Hey Steve, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked gently. Steve looked down at Beverly who stood beside him and nodded.
"Sure, I'll walk you out." He offered, following behind Beverly. Sodapop patted him on the back, but then punched him in the back when he caught Steve's eyes roam down Beverly's body. Beverly stepped up the step and walked back into the store with Steve close behind her. Once he turned back around and closed the door that entered the garage, Steve looked at Beverly. "What's up?" He asked, seeing Beverly's smirk. Beverly chewed her nail, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Your friend, Two-Bit. He sure is a little… uh… how do I put this without it seeming rude?" Steve scoffed, throwing his head back.
"Retarded? Slow? Stupid?" Steve helped her out, watching as Beverly's shoulders hunched with each laugh that racked through her body.
"D) all of the above," She answered. Steve's smile lit up the room, seeing how Beverly stared at his mouth. Was she wanting a kiss? Looking at his smile? Remembering what had just happened? "It just seems like everytime we get to have a conversation, one on one, with each other…" Steve knew what she was talking about. How everytime they were together they were gonna kiss but-
"Two-Bit manages to come through and interrupt?" Steve finished. Beverly nodded, letting her hand fall down to her side.
"Say, Steve… how about you come over to my house sometime tonight? We could get to know each other a little better, huh?" She offered. Steve could feel his insides go warm. Was… was she for real? Was Beverly Paradise asking Steve Randle to come over as company? What were they gonna do? Talk? Eat? Watch a movie? Fuck?
"Sure! That sounds fine." Steve agreed, seeing Beverly's face widened with a smile.
"Great! Walk home with me after dinner?" Steve nodded. Beverly took a skipping jump towards Steve, standing on her tip toes and giving him a cliche kiss on the cheek. "See ya at home, Steve!" She called out, running out of the store. Steve walked up to the window's and watched Beverly skip down the hill of the parking lot carefully, then practically float down the sidewalk. He smiled, feeling his cheek tingle with sensations he'd never felt before with Evie.
He walked back towards the garage before noticing he some how managed to end up with Beverly's paint brush once again. He sprinted outside the door, seeing Beverly wasn't too far. "Hey! Bev!" He called out, Beverly stopping and turning out. She could feel the breeze through her body suit as she stared at Steve. "Don't you want yer brush?!" He yelled. Beverly laughed, waving her hand.
"Keep it! You clearly need it more than I do!" She watched Steve smile and tuck it behind his ear before walking back inside, leaving Beverly to walk alone to the Safeway.
The Safeway was partially empty that Saturday. Upon strolling through the isle of cereals, she saw a familiar strawberry red headed girl. "Oh, hi Cherry!" She greeted. Cherry twirled around, fooling with the strings of her ski jacket and flashing a toothy smile in Beverly's direction.
"Hey, Beverly. How are you?" Cherry returned in her smooth voice. She met Beverly halfway down the aisle, seeing Beverly holding a basket with fruits, cake mix, and other various goods. Cherry was with her mother, the two having a shopping cart that their mother held down the other end of the aisle.
"I'm well. And you?"
"Oh, I've been better. Just now shakin' this darn cold."
"I'm sorry to hear that, is that why you haven't been at school?" Cherry nodded, her nose matching her hair color.
"Yeah," Beverly could hear how she sounded congested. "It's just a little cold, though. Nothing too serious. I should be back on Monday. I didn't miss anything too serious, did I?" She asked, walking with Beverly up the aisle and turning into another one. Cherry and Beverly have known each other since grade school and always were close with each other. Cherry didn't mind being seen with a girl like Beverly because she appeared to others as a Soc. Anything but a greaser. Hence why Beverly had much more Soc friends then greaser. But then again, Beverly was acquainted with just about everyone at school. Her kind heart mixed with the simplicity it took to befriend a girl like Beverly was beyond comprehensible. She always introduced herself to others with a smile, her name, and asking their name and how they were.
Beverly shook her head, gripping her basket with two hands. "Nah, not really. Besides Bob asking me constantly where you were and Marcia asking me constantly if you were okay and Randy asking me constantly if me and Marcia wanted a ride over to Bob's so we could check on you, you didn't really miss anything in those two days you've been gone." Cherry laughed, coughing a little at the end. Her cough racked her small frame, and Beverly frowned. "Wow, you sure are ill, huh?" Cherry waved it off.
"It's nothing, really," She took a breath, straightening back up. "Haley," Smokey's daughter. "Told me about your new hook ups with the Curtis boys." Beverly smiled cheekily, looking at the new items on the fresh aisle. She felt Cherry nudge her. "Well? What's up? How is it?" She saw Beverly shrug.
"Eh, it's nothing too serious. I just clean up, do some mandate chores, cook, garden. Just stuff that a mom would do, ya know?" Cherry nodded, Beverly missing her friend's eye rolled.
"Uh huh… how are the boys?" This was where Beverly gasped and turned to her friend with the biggest eyes and cockiest grin. Cherry know Beverly adored talking about boys, so she brought it up.
"Oh. My. God. Cherry! They're so hot! I can't get over this! Sodapop, it baffles me I've managed to find a way to spend my days around him and at his house, at that! Darry sure is a looker as well. His muscles make me blush so bad, I'm sure he's noticed already. I've had all of them tell me Dallas and I look alike and now that I think about it for a day or two, I see it! We really do look like we could be related. Hey, I could hook ya up, ya know?" Cherry laughed, shoving her friend playfully. Beverly laughed along, straightening up. "But this Steve Randle… I dunno why but I've really been keepin' my eye out for him. He's such a looker." Cherry nodded, listening to her friend babble on and on. "And their friend, Two-Bit! He's so… so…"
"Different?" Cherry suggested. Beverly blew up, jumping and pointing at Cherry.
"That's the word! Like, Steve and I almost kissed twice today and we've been so intimate and everytime something real is about to happen, Two-Bit has managed to throw things off!" She continued on, telling Cherry about the morning happenings, then the paint brush incident. She let Beverly follow her around after she took Beverly's groceries and list to finish up the shopping for her.
"…anyways, we finally decided that he could come over tonight an-"
"Whoa, I thought we made plans tonight? We were gonna go to the game, 'member?" Cherry refreshed. Beverly stopped in her tracks, Cherry swooning over her friends outfit. She loved it, wishing her mother and father allowed her to wear things like that.
"Oh… shit! Cherry! I'm so sorry! I forgot! Look, I'll just tell Steve somethin' came up and he come over Wednesday. Ya know, my free days?" Cherry nodded, sighing in relief.
"Okay! That sounds alright. I totally didn't want you bailing on me. I'm real glad we ran into each other." Beverly placed a reliving hand over her hand, knowing Steve would understand.
"Yeah, you and me both! I would've felt like the shittiest friend if we saw each other on Monday and I ditched you!" Cherry nodded, Beverly looking around and seeing they were in an aisle foreign to her. Cherry handed her the loaded up basket.
"Here, I've gotta return to my mom. Thanks for clearin' things up, really Beverly." Beverly nodded, holding the basket and readjusting her purse.
"Of course! You're my best friend. I've known you my whole life and Steve about two days. He can deal with it if he has a problem." Cherry smiled.
"Thanks, bestie. See ya tonight," Cherry looked back at Beverly. "We meetin' at my house?" She suggested. Beverly gave a thumbs up.
"Sounds good, bye Cherry!" She let Cherry wave back to her, watching her disappear around the corner to her mom.
Steve had to understand!
Right?
