Warnings: Language

Addiction

9. Truancy

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

Eminem ft. Rihanna - Love the way you Lie

I twitched when in the distance I heard the school bell ring, signaling the beginning of class.

Darry is going to skin me alive if he finds out. After everything that had happened with Johnny and Dally, we all made it our number one priorities to get my grades back up, many I was barely passing. But that was better then failing.

One day is fine, just one. I kept telling myself. It ain't gonna be the end of the world.

It sure felt like it though.

But this was important. I had ran off on him the other day and I didn't even know if he would speak to me again. When he called last night, I wanted to meet him then and there to at least apologize but Darry got up before I could answer and stayed around until I went back to bed. He hadn't been happy that Curly Shepard of all people was calling the house so late at night. I had to make up something about him needing a ride cause Tim was blitzed way across the other side of town or something like that. It was good enough cause Darry bout it and went on to bed.

I took a deep breath and settled back under the tree I had taken up post. There were a cluster of them around me, so it would be hard to see me from the street or anywhere else, I had a good enough view though.

Thirty to forty-five minutes passed and I sat there reading while I waited. Maybe he forgot...mentally I started going through excuses I could think of that would be convincing enough to explain why I was late for school.

Before I could think of anything better than; I slept in, I heard the sounds of footsteps and chains jangling. I looked up and peered around the tree and I didn't even try to hold back the smile I had when I saw Curly.

I grabbed my book and stuffed it in my back pocket as I walked to him.

He turned my way and gave me one of his cool looking smirks, around the cancer stick in his mouth.

"Thought you chickened out again."

I shrugged feeling embarrassed that that was the one thing people connected with me, well at least Curly did.

"No..." I looked away from those intense blue eyes, not wanting him to see my red face. A lot of good it did in broad daylight. "Where we goin'?" I asked getting the attention away from me.

"Let's wing it." He said, playing with one of the new necklaces he had hanging around his neck, looked just like it was nothing more than some thick cord with a random scrap piece of leather attached to it.

I shrugged and followed him down the black where, thankfully the car Curly was driving was just parked, wouldn't do much good for me to be walking the streets in broad daylight, everyone knew me now from my face being in the paper and all. It was a different car than last time, I noticed. It wasn't that rolling rust bucket of bolts this time he had a nice looking Cadi. "Where-" I cut myself off, feeling that not knowing was the better way to let things be.

彡

He took me to his house which wasn't a surprise, without saying much of a word to me. His dogs, surprisingly didn't bark at me as viciously as they did last time that didn't make me get any closer to them though.

Inside I didn't hear a peep from his folks, he told me that his mom left for awhile after his step-dad got arrested for giving her a shiner in public.

We ended up in his room after he grabbed a couple of beers from the kitchen. I watched him look through his collection of vinyl records before he settled on one and placed it on the player.

I watched Curly mess with his hair trying to get his mane out of his face, that thick bunch of curls and twists that always looked dry in most places and even bounced when he walked. Curly didn't look a think like most Greasers. You'd think he was just one of those hippies if it wasn't for his jackets or the people he was around. Curly Shepard was just a hood with lots of hair, and there was no mistaking that.

"Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known," Curly started to sing alone with the band the words coming out slow like syrup from a bottle.

His voice wasn't bad at all. He was actually really good. My heart felt like it was trying to come out of my chest when he turned to me, his midnight blue eyes seemed to pierce mine, like he was trying to read my mind or something.

He came over and pushed me down, until my back was on the bed, I didn't fight back it was actually kind of nice.

I closed my eyes and just listened to his voice "Signs in the street that say where you're going, are somewhere just being their own..." I felt his weight settle on top of me, but he didn't make a move other than moving to my side, our shoulders were the only things touching.

I reached into my pocket to get a Kool, and I just listened to his voice.

"Sidewalk scenes and black limousines, some living some standing alone..." Then the voices faded out and the instruments took over. The drums were hammered and the guitar wailed.

"The Byrds." Curly finally spoke after the song finally ended, "You know...the other day." He sat up to light the cigarette between his fingers, "the other day I was fuckin' pissed at you."

I looked up at him, but I didn't move from my position on the bed. I knew he was upset with me, but I had hoped he would have understood.

"I went over to your house after that..."

My eyes widened, there was no way he could've. All the guys where there, someone should've seen him. "I didn't see you."

"I know," He laughed, but it was like he had something nasty in his mouth. "You were busy with Matthews." He spat out so roughly it made me flinch. "You were laughin' and havin' a good ol time. Not givin' a shit 'bout me."

I sat up then, "No Curly." God I felt awful. I didn't mean to upset him like that. I just...this was shocking to me. Curly Shepard was upset at me like he was...jealous or something? No, Curly Shepard doesn't get jealous. But, what was this? "No, Curly. That ain't it, I just didn't see you. The guys are always loud and distractin'." I rambled on. "And Two-Bit he-"

I was trying to make it better, I really was but it seemed to make everything worse.

"You promised me!" He turned to me his blue eyes blazing. I shrank back and my heart stopped. "You promised that I'm the only one!" I didn't even see his hand move but I felt the sharp pain on the side of my face.

Curly had slapped me.

Ponyboy was frozen for just a split second, his brain processing what had just happened. Before Curly could pounce on him, the young greaser moved out of the way his gray-green eyes meeting deep ocean blues.

"What the hell was that?" He asked a hand on his throbbing cheek. Not since that night his life changed forever had someone laid a hand on him.

Curly sat on the bed, and buried his face into his hands pieces of hair coming from the ponytail but he didn't say anything – both of them were silent and still as if time had just froze. It lasted for at least five minutes before Curly finally stood and went over to the younger boy who was still standing near the door.

He didn't say anything as he took the hand and moved it away from the bright red cheek, when he touched it Ponyboy flinched but didn't move or say a word either. He just stared into those dark blue eyes with conflicting emotions.

"…Sorry." He finally muttered, making Pony think he was hearing things. It wasn't often that Curly Shepard apologize, he could bet his last nickel that the hood never apologized. "I..I just." He pulled the stiff young greaser into his arms and buried his face into the crook of his neck.

"I can't lose you."

That stunned Ponyboy more than the slap did, "What are you talkin' bout?" He asked softly, "I ain't goin' no where."

Curly didn't answer so a long while, instead he moved backwards pulling Pony with him until they reached the bed again. He sat down on it, pulling Ponyboy unto his lap.

"You didn't notice me…"

The way he sounded, it broke the younger teens heart and once again he was feeling guilty, "I-I'm sorry..." He stuttered still confused and shocked. "I just didn't see you I'm sorry..." He awkwardly wrapped his arms around the older boy.

They stayed that way for a long time, neither one moving until Curly finally broke the tense silence between them.

"I just wanted to make you relax." He said into the soft skin of Ponys neck, "So we could have fun, ya know?"

"I know." Ponyboy said carefully and took a couple deep breaths to calm his self down. "I didn't then, I know now."

"This is new to me too..." Curly continued, his lips moving across his neck, trailing up to the jaw line, under the angry red mark. "We're learnin' together or whatever, yea?"

Ponyboy squirmed underneath him, the movements Curly was making we starting to cause him to feel weird and nervous again. His heart pace began to pick up again when he felt cool calloused fingers move under his shirt. "Cu-Curly."

"Please." Curly whispered, barely raising his lips from the skin. Skin that wasn't too soft or too hard. It was just right. The skin, the voice...it was all just right. "Baby Curtis."

Shivers went down Pony's spine at the nickname he displeased so much, but right now he didn't care. "Wha-" He bit his lower lip, not knowing what his question was going to be and also because of the near sense of fear brewing in his stomach.

He knew what Curly was suggesting. Can I...? He swallowed hard when he felt those hands on his jeans. Do I want to...?

"You in love with Sandy? What's it like?"

"It's real nice."

"Okay," Ponyboy finally said, opening his eyes he looked down and Curly who was staring at him intently, slowly he nodded and something flickered in those midnight blue eyes, but before Pony could figure out what – those thin lips were on his.

"It's real nice."

It is Soda. I just wish I could tell you...

to be continued

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