Identity Crisis
Nine: Part Two
"I can't believe this car is still one piece," I muttered. Two-bit grinned.
"So am I, but it gets me to where I need to be and it ain't killed me yet. So I reckon we'll be safe. Ain't that right guys?"
Pony and Johnny glanced at each other, but didn't say anything. Two-bit frowned. "Guys?"
I started giggling. "Aw, c'mon guys, it ain't that bad, is it?" Two-bit asked, glancing back at them.
"Uh..." Pony said, floundering. "It's nice out tonight, ain't it?"
I let loose, falling to pieces. I couldn't stop laughing no matter how hard I tried.
xxxx
Turns out Two-bit doesn't always have to drink to have fun. He didn't touch any for the entire first half of the dance, which Soda said was a pretty big deal. I danced with a lot of people, until Pony warned me that my hair was getting lighter. I had to duck out of sight and wait for the brief pain to pass before I could go back out to the party.
I took the time to think about some things. I guess the party was spurring Lauren instead of Angela. These must not have been her type of party. Which must mean that I'd be safe at this party... er... dance. I'm pretty sure it was just one of those community dances that I used to go to when I was in junior high.
I giggled a bit. I felt so stupid, being at another one of these. I usually just hit the movies or when to a local show. I hadn't been to a community dance in almost three years. I sighed and relaxed a bit. I was hiding out in a back room I had found in the place the dance was being held. The music wafted it's way through the walls, as did, the laughing and talking and excited screams. It was nothing like the parties I was used too. I blew a strand of black hair out of my face.
xxxx
Angela winced at the loud music that was beating it's way through her body. Jessica didn't seem fazed, talking and laughing already. She weaved through people that were all over each other like it wasn't unusual to see girls dancing that close together, or to see people rubbing against each other and making out in time to the music.
"What the hell are they doing?"
Jessica glanced over. "They're dancing."
"...What the-"
"It's called grinding. It's not really dancing but... ya know what, I'm not gonna bother. I know it looks stupid and that's because it is."
"I'm so impressed," Angela said sarcastically.
xxxx
When I finally decided to slip back into the dance, it seemed like someone had put a wall in the middle of the dance floor. Of course, the Socs showed up. I looked down at my clothes. Short, because Angela's clothes were very limited when it came to length. And since I looked like Angela, I guessed I would have to be careful of where I walked.
"Lauren! Over here!"
I weaved throw the dancing (and glaring) couples, smiling at Ponyboy when I finally reached him. "We were worried you got caught up with some Socs."
"No, just hiding out for a bit. When did they get here?"
"Few minutes ago," Pony said, his face darkening. "I keep waiting for some to start a fight. They've been throwin' it back and forth for a while now, but no punches yet."
"Should I bolt if it starts?"
"Nah. You'll be fine. No one's ever beat a Curtis and Steve, Two-bit and Johnny can hold their own in a fight. Just stay outta the way and don't lose sight of us, if somethin' happens."
"...Is Darry going to come?"
"I don't know. He said he'd try, but he's with his own friends tonight," Pony muttered, looking at his shoes.
"Hey, don't worry. It's no big deal. Older siblings do that sometimes. That's what my friends tell me. Most of them are happy about it, because then they aren't telling them what to do."
"Sounds like you don't have very good family relationships in the future."
"No, we don't."
I was thinking about what else I could say when my head started spinning. "Oh no," I mummbled, grabbing onto Pony's shoulders so I would fall over.
"Lauren? Lauren!"
xxxx
"Shit!"
"Someone catch her!"
"Ang- Lauren? Hey, c'mon, wake up."
xxxx
"Lauren? Hey, there ya are."
"Curtis?"
Soda frowned, glancing up at the gang crowded around him, before looking back down. "...Angela?"
"I'm back? I'm really back?" Angela asked breaking into a grin. The music wasn't as loud as it had been a moment ago and the people around her were just dancing, nothing else. Unless you counted the people standing to the side and making out, but at least it wasn't in the middle of the dance floor.
"Finally, I was really sick of that place."
xxxx
I groaned, rubbing my eyes with my hands as someone shook my shoulder.
"Hey, she's waking up."
"Someone get Jessica in here, huh?"
"Are you okay?"
I blinked a few times and looked up, trying my best to focus on the face above mine. "Jess? Where am I?"
"...Lauren? Laur, is that you in there?"
"Yeah, I think so."
Jessica squealed and hugged me, making the blood rush to my head. I sighed and enjoyed the hug. "I was so worried about you. What do you think happened? Where were you?"
"I was like... fourty years in the past."
"What?"
"I dunno how I got there, but I swear to God, that's where I was. How was Angela?"
"Oh, she didn't take to the future too well. How'd you handle it, being that far back? Did you see your Grandparents? Your parents?"
"No, I didn't see them," I said with a laugh. I could feel the bass of the music in the room I was in. "Are we upstairs?"
"Yeah. You remember that party we got invited too?"
"...Are you serious? I'm in Jacob's bedroom?"
Jessica giggled and let out a little squeal. "Yeah!"
"Oh my God," I said, laughing and looking around the room. "Oh my God! Damn, if he only he were here with me."
"I know right? That'd be the only thing we'd talk about for a year... I really missed you Laur. I was so scared, because you came to soccer practice and you were sucking and you didn't know who I was and you were saying, 'I'm Angela, who the hell are you?' I didn't know what to think, until I realized, 'Hey... she really isn't Lauren.'"
"Yeah, I kinda had the same treatment in the past. I met the cutest boys though."
"Too bad I couldn't have come with you! They're all old now," Jessica said, making a face. I laughed. "Who knows though, maybe they age well, huh? Like all of those movie stars."
"Maybe. One 'em kind of looked like a movie star. Absolutely gorgeous."
"Yeah? Go on, tell me more, huh?"
xxxx
"You think Lauren made it back okay?" Pony asked Two-bit, who was watching Angela carefully.
"I dunno. I'm kinda surprised she's not in there anymore. I keep waitin' for her to change back."
"... She was nice."
"Yeah, I guess she was," Two-bit said with a shrug.
"Kicked your ass at soccer."
"Yeah, but she couldn't catch for shit," Two-bit said, laughing. Soda seemed just as bothered by the sudden change as Two-bit and Pony, but Johnny hadn't said a word. He hadn't really known Lauren that well, so Pony couldn't imagine him being affected by her leaving.
"Maybe we should have taught her how. Yeah, maybe. Too late for that now."
"I guess-" Ponyboy stopped, watching as Angela suddenly stopped dancing. He noticed that her eyes looked empty and he thought he saw something like cigarette smoke floating up to the cieling above her. Two-bit, how ever, suddenly wasn't there. Pony blinked and watched the older boy catch Angela as she pitched forward.
xxxx
I almost started screaming when Jessica's face became blurry again. I reached out and grabbed her hand, hoping it would keep me anchored down or at least bring her with me. I didn't want to be stuck there alone, not again. It didn't hurt this time, which confused me. I was so used to the pain... so where was it now?
"So, you're Lauren."
I looked down. I was standing up now and Angela was standing in front of me. Jacob ran into his room, right through Angela and me. I think we both got a scare out of that one; I yelped and she shuddered. I looked over my shoulder. Jessica and Jacob were trying to wake me up.
"...I guess we're like ghosts now."
"You mean, dead?"
"No, I think that's what's been happening."
"Okay... so... like, something's ripping the souls from our bodies and switching them?"
"I dunno. I guess."
"Why?"
"Oh, how should I know? I ain' the one doin' it. To honest with ya, I hate your life. It's so boring."
"Well, I'm not a fan of yours either."
Angela sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well? Are you going back to your body or what?"
"What about you?"
"I'll will myself back, just like I did before."
"What if it doesn't work?"
Angela shrugged, silent. I sighed and walked toward my body. I stared, for a moment anyway. It was kind of eerie, seeing myself like that and I could see why Jessica and Jacob were worried. My eyes were wide and unseeing and for an instant, I remembered the third Harry Potter movie, when Hermione was paralyzed. I kind of looked like her, but I wasn't in a weird position or anything. I reached forward, to touch my body, but my hand was stopped. I tried again.
"I can't get back in!" I said, my voice rising in panic. Angela rushed over, her eyes wide.
"Try again!"
"I've tried three times already! It's not letting me in!"
"Well I don't-"
xxxx
I felt very warm all of the sudden and moved a bit. I guessed I was in a bed and I felt sick, remembering that this was how I had woken up last time. I was probably back where I had started. Carefully, I opened my eyes, but I snapped them shut a second later. I was back in Soda's bedroom.
"Don't cry, don't cry," I whispered, grabbing a pillow. I dug my nails into the fabric. "I hate this... I just want it to stop... I was so close," I said, my voice cracking slightly. I wasn't sure who I was talking too, but I didn't really care. I held the pillow against my face and screamed.
I get a kind of rushed feeling with this chapter. I dunno...