The boys, their girlfriends and I trampled up the stairs and into the house. Johnny and Ponyboy disappeared to Pony's room. Soda headed to the kitchen to find something to make for dinner for ten people and the rest of us gathered in the living room and dining room.
Dally counted the money we won from the Sheppard gang and handed it over to Darry. "Here you go. There's twenty dollars to help pay for all the food we eat." Dally was always sure to give us money to help pay for things. We had played Sheppard's gang four times for money and only lost once. Even when my parents were alive Dally was sure to convince all the boys to give their share of the winnings to the Curtis family kitchen. No one ever disagreed because our house was the place that everyone hung out.
I sat on the couch next to Sandy and Evie while Steve looked for something to watch on the television.
"Scout," Evie started the conversation with pride in her voice, "you sure showed that girl where to go!"
"And she's gonna be there for days!" Two-Bit laughed on his way to the kitchen.
Sandy laughed along with the others and added, "You're going to be fighting off a lot more girls than her in the next few years."
The comment drew everyone's attention but I didn't understand what she meant. I sure wasn't planning on becoming one of those girls who gets into a lot of fights. "What do you mean?"
Sandy tucked her golden blond hair behind her ear. "Well with your blue eyes and the Curtis family good looks pretty soon your brothers are going to have to beat the boys off with a stick." I laughed, I couldn't imagine that to be true. "I mean it!" Sandy blushed hoping the gang wouldn't think she was stupid for commenting. "She is going to be breaking a lot of hearts."
Steve found a show to watch and jumped on the couch with Evie crowding the rest of us. To make room I decided to get up and go to my room. I made it about two steps before Sylvia came in to the house.
"Dally!" She called to her boyfriend. "I just came from Connie's house and she said you all whooped the Sheppard gang in football." Sylvia was a rough girl with trashy clothes and the desire to spread herself around, if you know what I mean. She sat on the edge of the armchair and rubbed Dally's bare chest that shown through his torn t-shirt. "And you!" Sylvia screeched and pointed at me. I pointed back to myself to be sure she was talking to me. I rarely talked to Sylvia, she was a hood. "Yeah! You sure did a number on that Cindy girl. I heard you took her down with one punch because she was hitting on your boyfriend."
I thought about the words and knew the rumors were beginning. "He's not really my boyfriend. We aren't going steady or anything like that."
"Girl!" Sylvia rambled on. "You don't need a letterman's jacket or anything like that to be someone's boyfriend. The way James has been rambling on about you in the past few weeks at parties and at the Dingo I swear you two were engaged or something."
Now Darry's curiosity was peaked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean he's nuts about her. He's been counting the days till her birthday and telling everyone how pretty she is." Sylvia blew a big bubble with her gum and let it pop and snap before sucking it back into her mouth. "Darry I'm surprised you are even letting her date someone with a juvie record."
Darry looked over at me for an answer. I was as confused as him so I asked. "What do you mean a Juvenile record?"
Sylvia sat up oblivious to the fact that Darry and I considered a criminal record to be unappealing. "Yeah, he just got out before he moved here with his mom."
I felt my hopes for James and I sink. "What was he in for?"
"I can't remember. Fightin' I think."
I looked at Darry then I looked at Dally. He was a product of the reformatory system and no one held that against him. I began to make excuses. "Well James seems nice enough. Maybe reformatory school worked and he is … well… reformed?"
Sylvia blew and popped another bubble. "Yeah kid, maybe."
I finished leaving the room. Instead of going to my room to read I went to talk with Ponyboy about what I had learned. I walked through the kitchen and was stopped by Soda and Two-Bit who were boiling potatoes and had a ham in a pan ready to go into the oven. Soda looked over. "Don't worry about that Juvie thing Scout. If he is nice to you that is all that matters."
Two-Bit added. "Yeah… and if he isn't let us know so we can beat the crap out of him."
I laughed. "Ok Two-Bit I'll let you know."
Two-Bit winked at me. "You do that!"
I walked down the hall thinking about how the boys didn't know anything about my first date with James. If they had known about the deception they would not be sticking up for him now. I knocked on the door to Pony's room. When I opened the door I could smell cigarette smoke as it wafted out into the hall. I flopped down on the bed. "Pony that stuff is gonna kill you!" Then I choked on the lack of fresh air. "Or kill me!"
Johnny got up and opened a window to air the room out.
"What's up?" Pony asked.
"I don't know." I groaned. "Well I mean I don't know what to do." I rolled to my side and propped up on my elbow so I could look at Pony. "Sylvia just came over and told me that James has been in reformatory school for fighting. Why do you suppose he didn't tell me?"
Johnny sat up in the wooden desk chair he was sitting on. "It's not like that is something you would want to tell a girl right away."
Ponyboy laughed along with Johnny. "Do you think Dally pulls out a copy of his police record when he meets a girl he likes."
I rolled my eyes at the two of them laughing at me. "So you don't think it's a problem?" I sat up on the bed.
"I already told you that I don't think you should be dating anyone from that neighborhood." Ponyboy blew away the last of his smoke and put his cigarette butt into the trash.
I argued with Ponyboy's opinion. "Yeah but that's not really fair. How would you like it if someone constantly judged you on the neighborhood you lived in?"
Ponyboy shrugged and finally realized that he wasn't being fair.
"You know what," Johnny added. "Your mom always said how unfair it was that people judged Dally on his record, and that he was really a nice boy deep down."
Johnny had a good point. I think my mom would be cautious, but still approve of me going to a movie with James. "Thanks Johnny!" I said and headed off to the shower.
The second date worked out better than my first. Jon Weston lent his car to James and we went to the drive in, just the two of us. I tried to ask him about his criminal record before the movie, but it was hard to find time to bring it up. We spent that time kissing and making out. Thankfully James knew better then to go to far, I appreciated that. Once the movie started we watched it from start to finish because it was a spy movie and you had to pay close attention to follow along. James took me straight home after the movie and at nine forty five we pulled up outside my house.
"I had a good night Scout. Thanks for going with me." James leaned over and gave me a long kiss.
After we came up for air I knew I had to ask. "James, I had a good time too, but I want to ask you something… something personal."
"Ask me anything?"
"Did you just get out of reformatory school?"
James smiled nervously and wouldn't look at me. "Where did you hear that?"
I looked at him demanding an honest answer. "It doesn't matter who told me, I just want to know if it is true."
James sighed hard and ran his finger around the inside of the steering wheel. "Yeah it's true." He paused and thought. "I was in for beating my dad up, but he deserved it because he almost killed my mom by pushing her down the stairs. Really I was just defending her, but the judge didn't see it that way." He looked over at me with sad green eyes hoping I believed him.
I looked back and felt bad that I was considering him a hood when really he was fighting for his mother's honor. "Oh, don't worry about it James. I just wanted to know if it was true." I kissed him quickly. "Um… would you like to come in? I'm am sure Darry wouldn't mind."
James shook his head. "Naw, I think I better give your older brother sometime to cool down before I spend sometime with him."
I understood what he meant. "Ok then, good night." I got out and James pulled away from the curb. I took my time wandering into the house. I opened the door and was surprised to see Darry sitting on the couch with Kathryn.
"Hi Kathryn!" I smiled from ear to ear. "It's good to see you here!"
Kathryn stood up from the couch and gave me a tight hug. "Scout it is so nice to see you. You are getting prettier and prettier!" I blushed and Kathryn grabbed my hands and squeezed them tight. "Darry tells me you have a new boyfriend."
I blushed harder. "Well I am dating a boy, but he isn't my boyfriend… I mean we aren't going steady or anything like that."
Kathryn smiled and turned toward Darry. "Boy you sure are going to have your hands full with this one."
Darry stood up and rubbed Kathryn's shoulders. "I have my hands full with all of them." Then he smiled at me. "Scout, Kathryn and I want to go out for awhile so I can trust you to stay here right?"
I was so excited! "Of course Darry." I watched my brother hand Kathryn her purse and hold the front door open for her. "Soda and Pony are due in by midnight. See ya."
I was almost laughing I was so happy. "See ya!" The two of them walked out the door and I retired to my bed to read more of my book. I tried to concentrate, but I couldn't get images and wished of Darry and Kathryn getting married out of my mind. I so hoped those two would work out.