Chapter 21-A Cherry on Top of a Perfect Day

Chris' POV

Chris looked up at Skylar as he set up one of the amps. "It's pretty cool that Conner was able to get us a spot in here so soon." Chris said standing up to stretch his back. Conner did all that stuff, organize the gigs and transport most of the equipment they would use. After all his dad works in a music shop in downtown Tulsa.

"Well that is Conner for you. He has his ways." Skylar said lifting up another amp and placing it on the stage. Skylar sighed and jumped up onto the stage to plug in the amp. "And anyway, we'll recognize the guy if he comes in cause we'll recognize the group of socs that came into that party."

"I wish I remembered better now instead of waiting to see them to remember. I would have gone through the south side in my car looking for them, or better yet got the fuzz to find the guy." Chris tossed a cord to the ground.

"Wait it out. We'll see the group, we'll recognize them, and if he's in the group Reilly will know his voice. You just got to be patient." Skylar said quietly. "We'll get him Chris…"

"I know we will, but I've been waiting for two fucking years and we still haven't found him. We could have gotten him in the cooler by now if only we remembered the group that came in that night." Chris snorted and nearly tripped over a cord laying on the stage.

Skylar was quiet for a moment then finally said, "Remember, this is better then what you were doing. Plus this is a bar where both sides can come in. It isn't directed towards either Greasers or Socs like The Dingo is." Skylar sighed and picked up the cord that Christian had tripped over. "Let's just keep performing in places like this and hope he comes in."

Chris sighed then said, "I reckon."

Reilly's POV

"This whole gig is kind of sudden ain't it?" Reilly asked coming into the empty bar with her guitar case on her back. There was a few people playing billiards, some sitting at the bar and a couple sitting in a booth but that was about it.

Chris, Skylar and Conner looked up and smiled at the sight of their lead guitarist. "Well Conner found an opening and figured we should do it. Besides it's been a while since we all played together. We all want to do it more often." Skylar said looking up at Chris and Conner. They both nodded.

"Besides you get payed too." Conner said while setting up the drums. Chris held one of the drums in place for Conner.

"True." Reilly said placing her guitar down on the stage. "They others will be here soon. They said they'd come." Though she didn't expect them to come for every show if they were going to perform more often. It was hard enough getting Two-bit away from the TV and Dallas to drive anywhere near the south end.

"Alright well hopefully you told them to get here early. I reckon the place is going to become packed in about an hour or so." Chris said pulling his arm up briefly to look at his watch.

"I have done a show before you know." Reilly said placing her guitar case on the stage. "They should be here in about ten minutes." Reilly said jumping onto the stage. She knelt down and opened the black case. Inside was a red and black guitar, some cords, lyrics, guitar picks and pencils.

"Where's the party!?" a voice called from the door way. The four band mates looked up from what they were doing and stared at the door. The voice came from none other then Two-bit. Behind him were Ponyboy, Dallas, and Sodapop.

"It left when it saw you coming." Chris smirked. Steve started laughing, followed by a few chuckles from Ponyboy and Sodapop. The boys decided to find a seat over in front of the stage, but over a bit so that they weren't directly in front of it. Reilly got up to put extra cords and equipment back stage where the rest of their stuff was set.

"So you guys suppose to be good?" Dally asked raising a brow.

"When people know we're performing we usually bring in a crowd. " Chris said. He shrugged putting his guitar over his shoulder to play a few cords. The notes rang through the speakers loudly. Conner was tapping the microphones to make sure they were all working properly.

"Just because you bring in a crowd don't mean you're any good." Dallas pointed out.

"Well you'll just see then Dal'," Christian said.

Ponyboy looked at Dally then whispered, "I heard they were good." Ponyboy said. Sodapop and Steve looked up, Two-bit was at the bar getting some beers and cokes. "Some kids at school saw them one night."

"That doesn't mean they're good." Dallas pointed out. Dally pulled out a pack of cigarettes and slipped one in between his lips. With a swift motion he lit up the weed with a match and put the burnt match in the ash tray on the table. As he did this Steve looked up at the door and gradually saw more and more people coming inside. They were taking seats at the bar, booths and tables like the one they were seated at.

Steve looked up once Two-bit came back with his beer. He snatched it off of the tray and opened it. Sodapop and Ponyboy took their cokes, Dallas took his beer and Two-bit sat down with the last beer. "Lots of people comin' in." Two-bit commented gawking at the door.

"When's this thing going to start?" Dallas asked impatient as usual. He exhaled the cigarette smoke from his mouth.

"What time are we starting?" Reilly asked watching her brother pace back and forth. Reilly shifted herself slightly on the old couch backstage.

"Five minutes." Chris said stopping to look down at his sister. He looked up at Skylar who was looking out from backstage. "How many have showed up?" Chris asked. It had been a while and he felt he was getting a bit of butterflies in his stomach.

"A lot have showed…news spreads fast in this damn town." Skylar said looking up to his best friend. Conner was sitting on another couch tossing a drum stick up and down, catching it as it fell.

"Sure does," Chris said crossing his arms and leaning against one of the walls. 'Hopefully enough to lure that group of socs.' Chris thought. His eyes lead him to his sister sitting on the couch. Once that soc was in jail it would be a heavy burden off of everyone's shoulders. Of course though, Chris wasn't expecting his sister to forget what happened. That's pretty much impossible to do.

"Oh hey. We're up" Skylar said standing up straight and looking over at his band mates. He gestured with his thumb to the stage and smiled lightly. "Let's do our best." Skylar said. Reilly and Conner stood up nodding. Chris ran past Skylar and onto the stage.

They got a good crowd for being short notice. However the band had played for much bigger crowds before. This was going to be nothing. Christian scanned the tables, booths and the bar for the group he was looking for. He didn't see them, although the lights were rather bright to him so it was sort of hard to tell. Chris did spot some socs at a few tables though, and in about two booths, away from any greasers.

Ponyboy's POV

"Hey they're going to start in a minute." Ponyboy said. Sodapop and Steve stopped talking and looked up at the stage. The band was getting set up with their instruments and talking quietly amongst each other. Soda smiled as he watched Reilly put on her guitar. He was looking forward to seeing this. He heard Reilly on her acoustic guitar before but never with the whole band.

"Look who the cat dragged in!" Two-bit hollered with a wide grin. The boys looked up spotting the red-headed girl coming towards the table. "How's it been?" Two-bit asked.

Ponyboy forced a smile, "Hey Cherry" Ponyboy said. He was beginning to remember what Reilly had said to him back at the café two months ago.

Cherry Valance was dressed in grungier looking clothing. She had her red hair pulled back in a ponytail; she was wearing an old pair of jeans –in which had a hole in one knee- and a sweater jacket over and old white tee shirt. Dallas glanced up without moving his head and mumbled something to himself.

"Hey Ponyboy." Cherry smiled lightly. She looked at everyone at the table. "Soda, Steve. Two-bit…" Cherry stopped at Dallas. He didn't look pleased to see her. She could tell. "… Dallas." Dally looked up at her again, frowned and looked away. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I don't know if you remember Chris and Reilly at all?" Two-bit asked before taking a swig of his second beer. "They were with us two years ago when you swung by the lot." Two-bit said. This was the time when Ponyboy and Johnny were in the church on Jay Mountain that Dallas had sent them too.

"Barely remember," Cherry said taking a seat beside Ponyboy and Two-bit. She squinted looking up at the stage. She definitely didn't remember that far back, for people she barely knew. "I recognize them from the band. Not if I saw them on the streets though. Their band is Outcasts of Society, right?"

"Yeah. They performed at school one day." Ponyboy said. Cherry nodded.

The group stopped talking once they heard the strum of cords on a guitar. Soda perked up realizing that it was Reilly making that sound from her guitar. Soon after followed the sound of the bass. Seconds after that the drums kicked in to start the song and all four started playing together. After about a twenty to thirty second instrumental opening Chris' vocals kicked in, starting to sing the lyrics.

Reilly's POV

The band played about 4 songs; it was fun being back on the stage again. The band went back stage hearing the clapping of their audience. They placed their instruments down and started out to the table their friends were seated at. Soda leaped up and gave Reilly a big hug once she arrived at the table.

"That was amazing!" Soda said enthusiastically, giving Reilly a peck on the lips. "I wish I had some kind of talent like you guys have."

"You have talent you just don't know it." Chris said smiling. He looked up seeing Cherry. Though he didn't recognize her at all. Reilly squinted trying to get a good look at the red-headed girl. After a moment it clicked in where she had seen her. At work that one day. The soc that Ponyboy liked for a long time but never acknowledged him unless they were alone. Chris finally said, "Hey ain't you Cherry Valance?"

Cherry nodded. "Yeah that's me." She smiled lightly. "I heard a lot of your band." Cherry said. "You guys were good tonight."

"Thank you." Chris said coolly.

Skylar looked at Chris then to Cherry with a blank expression. "Ain't you a soc?" Skylar asked. It wasn't that he didn't know she was. He sure as hell did. Or at least if his memory was correct knew she was. He recognized her from school before he graduated.

Reilly slightly frowned, she may be a smart ass at times but she wasn't one to call out a soc for their class. She was better then that. Skylar just naturally hated socs, Reilly hated socs –after what happened to her- but she was still not going to be as low as them and call them scum or any other word under the sun. Only way she would do that is in a fight with them and they obviously were scum. She knew not all socs were bad, just like there are nice greasers. Reilly just hadn't come across a soc she liked.

"Do I need to remind you this is in the dead center of town?" Chris reminded. It wasn't mainly inhabited by socs or by greasers. Whoever came whenever they decided to come. Skylar rolled his eyes and sat down in a chair at the table next to the others.

Skylar looked around the bar at the crowd. It had thinned a bit since they were on stage. Looking over towards the bar there was a hooded boy sitting on one of the stools inhaling another bottle of beer. He appeared to be worse then Two-bit and Dally were at getting drunk. Skylar looked at Cherry from the corner of his eye. He did admit she looked half decent dressed up in her little outfit. She had a sort of charm to her. Though he'd never actually say that.