AN: Hello, sup, hi, everyone! Not much to say here except I thank yawl for taking your time to enjoy my first ever story on here up until this high point. All of you that have been waiting so long for Jazz's life story will be thrilled to hear, I bet, that the chapter that'll be posted after this one will contain part 1 of his story (there will be maybe 5-7 parts of his story, properly!)
Thanks, my great, tuff, golden friends who are reviewing and I hope yawl like this chapter! Time to meet a cowgirl and hit the stable! Yehaw! :D
Chapter 34
The Greasers road trip was certainly another long one, of course. Two-bit's singing made some of the Greasers laugh and start singing along, but two certain Greasers, a.k.a Dally and Steve, tried their best to tune everything out as they gazed out the windows for the whole road trip. Jazz, Cassidy, and even little Jocelyn were certainly enjoying their first ever road trip with the Greasers gang with Two-bit's singing and jokes, Ponyboy and Kitten both sharing with the gang ideas and plots to stories of their own that they planned on writing one day, and even Darry talking about how he couldn't wait to see Beverly again. It has been two-to-three months since they last saw each other outside of the ranch, and the rest of the Greasers haven't seen her for the past year. Of course, that's when Soda started joking around about Darry having his first ever crush on his best female friend who would end up dating him, but it wasn't a surprise that Darry denied it...but only God knows what'll actually happen.
Hours went by fast in Steve's car driving down the snowy and icy roads under the clear blue sky. The snow was starting to vanish a bit, along with the ice, but it wasn't because of the sunlight. It didn't have a single thing to do with melting. It was only because in the country, it was actually a bit warmer there during the winter, and that means the snow doesn't happen as much as it does from the Greasers home town that they left hours back.
Just like Jazz and Cassidy not being able to quit thinking about how...actually great and sweet the night before was with each other, Kitten couldn't stop thinking about who she had been having stuck in her head ever sense she left with the rest of the gang from the Curtis's house. Like the gang would think if Kitty had actually admitted that someone was on her mind and she kept dreaming about them for a couple of weeks now, the Greasers would laugh and joke around about it being Ponyboy that was locked in her mind...but they didn't know that for sure...and Kitten knew that...it wasn't Ponyboy that she had been dreaming and thinking about a whole lot lately...hm...who could she be thinking and dreaming about for those past weeks?
After many more hours flew by with Two-bit's singing and jokes, Kitten resting her head on Pony's shoulder while she thought about who was on her mind, Johnny playing with Jocelyn, Steve, Soda, and Dally starting to have different kinds of conversations, Jazz and Cassidy thinking hard about the night before, and with Darry driving while listening to the radio, which was now turned on with some Elvis tunes, the Greasers gang had finally made it to the Curtis's family ranch.
There wasn't any ice around on the road or paths anymore and there was little snow, as if a medium amount of baby powder was all over the place other than heavy storms of huge buckets of snow creaming out all over the place. The temperature changed, too. It wasn't freezing cold like it was back at the Greasers home town. It was actually warmer, making them not need their winter jackets, but they would have to stick with wearing long sleeves to compete with the temperature that they actually recieved there in the country.
Just like Sodapop and Darry both stated at the beginning of the road trip, the time the Greasers actually arrived to the Curtis's family ranch at the exact minute the clock struck 6:25 P.M. Considering that it was obviously still winter, the sun was down, and the shade all around was in that moment of inbetween dark blue and bright sky blue. There was of course a big brown stable that was created with wood, and across a little walk from the gates that surrounded the stable was a country house that was painted white with a black spackled roof that was covered in some snow topping it off. Paths were shown around the area, too, which led into the woods and trail roads, along with the frozen lake, too.
The Curtis brothers and everybody in the gang smiled at the amazing and beautiful scenery of the ranch house, feeling completely glad to be back there after a long year had passed sense their last visited. Even though Jazz, Cassidy, and even Jocelyn haven't been there at the Curtis's family ranch ever before, that didn't stop them from smiling along with the rest of the Greasers at the beautiful scenery of the ranch.
Darry honked the horn a few gentle times with his rare, handsome grin remaining straight on his face, right before he drove Steve's car up to where he usually parked it and then of course parked the car, right before he and the rest of the gang unbuckled their seatbelts and hopped out of the car.
The exact second that the Greasers closed the cars doors behind them, the front stained-glass door of the painted white, two-story ranch house had opened right up, and there stood in the doorway a female figure.
Jazz and Cassidy exchanged confused expressions, Jazz's being a bit nervous at the same time sense he was the shy type, while Jocelyn just nibbled and drooled on her right hands fingers, while she continued being held by Johnny.
The female figure waved frantically at the Greasers and with big smiles on their faces, they all waved back from where they were all standing. Still remaining concerned, Jazz and Cassidy waved back to the female figure, right before she rushed out from standing in the open doorway that entered the ranch house, carefully walked down the front porches two stone steps, then skipped across the slightly snowy grass in a pair of brown cowgirl boots. That's when Jazz and Cassidy both figured out the truth that, that girl must've been Beverly, Darry's best female friend sense grade-school, and the girl who watched over the Curtis's family ranch and took care of the horses when the gang wasn't there, and even when the gang was there, Beverly would still feed and brush and do anything to take care of the horses.
"Hey, Beverly!" Darry greeted when the cowgirl finally stopped skipping in her tracks, and she finally stood there in front of him.
The confused/concerned expressions flashed right off of Jazz and Cassidy's faces and the second oldest Cade grinned beautifully as the twelve-year-old boy shyly formed a small grin the best he could as he jammed his hands in his jean jackets pockets and his face heated up a bit.
"Darry! It's great to see you again!" Beverly excitedly spoke with her beautiful voice as she threw her arms around the eldest Curtis and held him close, which is when he connected his hands around her back and felt her soft, silky, dark ash-black hair that was braided in two separate braids stroke the bottom of his left cheek a bit from Beverly resting her head on his shoulder when hugging him.
The rest of the gang exchanged playful smirks as they narrowed their eyes in also a playful manner, and they all chuckled, some of them then starting to do that kind of romantic whistle.
Darry rolled his eyes as Beverly secretly did, too, considering that she knew that the Greasers all agreed that Darry liked her and that she liked him back, but just like Darry, she denied it. The two twenty year olds (remember that Beverly's only a month younger than Darry) released each other from their arms and shared one more time with exchanging smiles, right before they both looked at the rest of the gang, who were all still playfully smirking at the two of them, except Jazz and obviously Jocelyn.
Ever sense the day that Kitten found out that Darry had fell onto his knees and prayed for Beverly to not die from such a terrible sickness years back and she actually got better the day after Darry's prayer for her, Kitten wouldn't let go the fact (which was a fact to her and everyone in the gang except Darry and Beverly) that Darry had feelings for Beverly that were much stronger than just being friends. The rest of the Greasers than became ones that believed the exact same thing as Kitty when she announced it to all of them during their little truth or dare game a couple of days back.
"Anywho," Darry mumbled, rolling his eyes again at the gangs childish behavior, which made them all chuckle some more a bit before they wiped their playful smirks off from their faces. "Beverly, you know everyone, considering that you've known them all sense I first was labeled a Greaser...well, except Dally. You remember him from realizing that he went to court so many times...and not to mention jail."
Beverly battered her shimmering teal eyes a bit as she chuckled at what Darry just said about Dallas being in court and jail so many times, while Dally just rolled his eyes at that, deciding to let that go sense it was the leader of the gang that he was in talking about him like that, which he really didn't mind one bit.
"Yes, I remember all of 'em. Ponyboy, Sodapop, Johnathan, Keith, Kitten, Steve, Dallas, and of course, you, Darrel," Beverly giggled, finding it funny on how she was calling the gang by their full, actual names instead of their nicknames or shorter versions of their actual names.
Johnny cracked one of his small, sweet grins as he nodded his head, while Dallas tipped a pretend hat on top of his head, and Soda, Ponyboy, and Steve bowed their heads. Considering that Beverly was one heck of a pretty hot cowgirl, Two-bit didn't care that she called him by his actual name once in awhile. Besides, the Greasers knew that she only did that to joke, fool, and mess around with them.
"Now, these must be the three new ones you mentioned to me over the phone, huh, Darry?" Beverly asked when her twinkling teal eyes met the sight of the absoluetly shy twelve-year-old boy, pretty twelve-year-old Cade, and the seven-month-old baby girl.
Proudly, Darry nodded his head, right before he playfully ruffled up Jazz's hair, and their Cassidy's, making them both chuckle as they fixed their hair back up to their actual styles. Johnny then handed his youngest sister over to the eldest Curtis, who playfully tickled her belly for a moment, making her giggle adorably, and then she got handed over to the dark, dark tanned skin cowgirl with the amazingly silky and shiny ash-black hair, pretty teal eyes, and an absoluetly sweet smile. She was totally one heck of a pretty farmers daughter, but just like the Curtis brothers, Beverly had lost her parents at such a young age that she had to go live with her grandparents, until Darry then offered her the job to live and take care of his and his brothers family ranch and the horses when they weren't there. That's when Beverely got her new life in a new place in a new enviorment. Good-bye to the city, hello to the country.
Gently and lovingly, Beverly smiled her amazingly beautiful grin as she carefully ran her fingers through the youngest Cade's jet-black, silky, shiny, bouncy curls, her fingertips carefully tracing around the top of her head as she watched the adorable baby girl actually smile and giggle up at the beautiful cowgirl. Sweetly, Beverly chuckled back, which made the rest of the gang smile, even Jazz a bit more than what he shyly did before.
Beverly continued smiling down at the seven-month-old baby girl for a few more seconds before she turned her pretty grin over to Johnny, who was grinning his sweet, kind, but small smile. Yep, he was still and most likely would always be that shy and unfortenetly abused teenager.
"You certainly have beautiful sisters, Johnny-cake," Beverly complimented as she gave Jocelyn one little kiss on top of her head, then gently and lovingly handed her back to the oldest Cade, who snuggled her up close to his chest, his amazingly sweet and handsome smile growing a bit more.
"Thanks. I know they're certainly beautiful. Beautiful girls with such great hearts and golden personalities," Johnny sighed happily, as he rested his free hand on Cassidy's shoulder, which made him recieve one of her golden smiles and her dark, dark brown eyes shimmering off pure happiness.
"So, you must be Carla, huh?" Beverly asked, her eyes now meeting the second oldest Cade, who was still grinning as she proudly nodded her head, then offered one of her hands for the absoluetly kind and beautiful cowgirl to shake, which she did without any hesitation between the offering. "Tell me, Carla," Beverly ordered, her voice yet still kind and not rude or demanding one bit. Beverly was actually just like Soda. She was always happy-go-lucky and she understood everybody, except Socs, of course, and she didn't need to drink or touch a single drop of alchol because she got drunk on just plain life and livin' it every single day. "How are your, Johnny, and Jocelyn's parents?"
"Our parents?" Cassidy sighed with a single roll of her eyes in an uncaring way. "They're still the same."
"I'm so very sorry," Beverly apologized right after she got the chance to take in and digest Cassidy's response to her question fully.
"It's alright. It's obvious though that they'll always be those psychotic alcholics and drug-attics, who don't give a crap about anything or anybody in the entire world, not even their own three children who they constantly torment with bitter hollers and painful beatings with their hands, feet, or just a leather belt day after day and they don't even care when we're out, nor if we come home or not! I seriously sometimes wish I would've gave our folks hard beatings with a leather belt for hurting us so badly with words and beat downs!"
"Carla Cade, that's enough!" Johnny blurted out before she could go on with any other words about their abusive folks. Don't get Johnny-cake wrong, though. He seriously agreed completely with everything that Cassidy was angrily stating at that moment, but he also knew for a fact that the gang already worried and were constantly nervous about them with their abusive parents that he didn't want the Greasers to get even more panicked about it then how much they were really containing.
To the gang, though, after Johnny's stern stoned order, the world felt like had stopped rotating. Even Beverly felt that strong feeling strike her. Johnny Cade has never spoke like that to anybody. Nobody at all. It was his first time actually getting so close to hollering and it was to his own sister.
Cassidy looked at her older brother as the Greasers did, too, but Cassidy now looked like she was about to cry from everything that she just bitterly exclaimed out to the whole ranch. Her dark, dark brown eyes were big and full of plead, and she couldn't help from her bottom lip to start quivering. She seriously couldn't believe that she actually just proclaimed all of that out of her own mouth. Nobody in the whole gang could believe it, all of them now full of complete shock, even tough Darry and 'ol Dally, but Cassidy felt extremely guilty. She kept asking herself in her head two questions: What did I just say? What do I know?
Johnny didn't look pleased. He actually looked very upset...and it wasn't out of pain or misery with tears or anything like that...it was actually...anger.
"Carla Rabecca Cade, I don't ever want to hear you say stuff like that ever again! All of those evil words are nothing but words that Satan wants to hear from the pits of hell!" Johnny bellowed, his hands now covering Jocelyn's ears as he continued holding her close to his chest. Dang, now Johnny actually...said the word that was opposite of heaven...he's never said that word before...never ever in his entire life has he even cussed, and right there at that moment in front of everybody...it slipped out.
"Johnny, I'm sorry, but they're facts! You remember how Mom chased you out of the house and beat you with the broom! If Two-bit wasn't there that day to save you, you'd still be getting beat down by the broom on the sidewalk by our crazy mother!" Cassidy exclaimed as hot, steaming tears of pain began filling her eyes. Right after she said that to her and Jocelyn's older brother, she wished that she had kept her mouth shut.
Jazz was frozen stiff, his eyes now huge and looking straight down at the ground as a cold chill shock through his entire body. While the rest of the Greasers were shocked...Jazz was afraid, remembering tons of dark memories and painful flashbacks from his life story when hearing Johnny and Cassidy argue.
"Stop it, Carla! I just told you to stop calling our folks names and pointing out how abusive they are! Yes, I know that our moms a bitter drunk and I understand that our old man doesn't give a hang if he's hurting us or not with words or beatings, but we can't control 'em! Why do you think we're moving into Dally's house in a couple more months?!" Johnny asked
"To get away from that evil and disaterous place we call a home, but it's really a living hell!" Cassidy angrily proclaimed, her tears starting to poor out from her dark, dark brown eyes like a rapid, hot waterfall.
Johnny's heart dropped as the Greasers all released shocked gasps after they heard that last word in Cassidy's 'smart' response fly right out from her lips. Without any hesitation, the eldest Cade told Dally to take Jocelyn, which Dallas did with no trouble at all, and he covered her ears himself as he and the rest of the gang watched Johnny, having a hard time believing what was happening was actually happening.
Johnny had gripped Cassidy's arm with the strength of stone and he yanked her up to him, which instantly made Jazz shoot his attention up at the terrible show. It was as if Johnny wasn't even himself at that moment. It was like he was posessed by a demon creature or something.
"You watch your language, missy!" Johnny ordered as Cassidy tried her best to pull free from his hard grip, but he held her arm by its wrist with an absoluetly tough grip that was absoluetly impossible to snap free from. "I didn't raise you to have you mess up your life with those kind of words!"
"Johnny, you're hurting me!" Cassidy cried, still trying her best to break free from Johnny-cakes grip.
"I'm what?!" Johnny tried understanding what his little sister was trying to tell him, but she was crying so much now that it was hard for him to understand her.
Jazz's eyes shot huge again, completely understanding what Cassidy just blurted out the best she could through her steaming hot tears to get the message to Johnny, but he just didn't know that she was actually in great pain.
"Johnny, let go of her!" Jazz ordered, his voice rose with some anger, as his face heated up a bit. "You're hurting her! She said that you're hurting her!"
Without any hesitation from hearing Jazz's demand and explanation of what Cassidy was trying to say to him, but couldn't get it clear from crying so much, Johnny quickly snapped out of his shocking anger stage and he gasped, right before he released his little sisters wrist from his bone-crunching grip.
The gang watched, each of them completely tensed up and eyes big, even Beverly. Jazz wiped his angry look off from his face when he realized that Johnny was now starting to cry himself when he watched Cassidy begin to rub her wrist with her other hand, her wet, steaming tears falling and landing on the tender skin that was now bright, bright red from Johnny squeezing it to death, but he didn't realize that he was actually hurting her. Johnny didn't even know that he was that strong! He thought that he sucked at strength, like Two-bit!
"Carla, I...I'm so...so...oh my god...what have I just..." Johnny stuttered as he locked his hands over his face and cried to himself the best he could, as if he and Cassidy were the only ones around. But to Johnny's surprise, he felt Cassidy's arms wrap around his waist, and when he uncovered his wet face to look down at her, Johnny realized that she was trying her best to quit crying and smile at him, at least just a bit, and her soft, sweet voice apologized about how she cussed. Johnny then smiled back a bit the best he could actually get, and he stroked her brunette hair, right before he kissed her on top of her head, and apologized to what he just did.
"Johnny...I'm afraid I'll end up like Mama or Daddy," Cassidy admitted
"Second oldest Cade say what?!" Two-bit gasped, bewildered in what Cassidy just said, but all she did in response was hang her head in an ashamed way and continue crying. Nevertheless, Cassidy couldn't get passed looking down at the ground for three seconds with her tearful eyes because right when she looked down, Johnny quickly, but gently and carefully at the same time, placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head back up so they could look right into each others eyes.
"What?!" Johnny then gasped, who, just like the rest of the gang, was caught and taken off guard.
"...Yeah...I'm afraid I'll end up like Mama or Daddy," Cassidy repeated herself, her voice sighing with her words as she continued crying and sniffling a bit.
Johnny quickly placed his hand on her back and asked her to follow him into the ranch house, which was before he told Dallas to just please watch Jocelyn for a few moments, which Dally had no trouble with doing, and Johnny led Cassidy into the ranch house.
The rest of the Greasers gang had to take a couple of minutes to get caught up on what all just happened in just five or so minutes between Johnny-cake and Carla before Beverly introduced herself to Jazz, who was shy all over again on the inside, but on the outside, he looked bright, bright red from anger, remembering how hard Johnny was holding Cassidy by her wrist and causing her great pain. Beverly then apologized to Jazz for thinking that he was a girl over her phone conversation with Darry during the gangs little truth or dare game a couple of days back, and just like Jazz did during truth or dare, he told Beverly that it was okay, him being the one actually saying it this time, though, instead of somebody else informing her.
"Well then..." Beverly took in a deep breath and let it out, catching up on what happened between Cassidy and Johnny yet again. "I better get started on cooking dinner."
Just as Soda opened his mouth to say something, Beverly grew one of her pretty grins, and she said before Sodapop could say a single word the exact words, "Don't worry, Sodapop. I got food coloring all settled and ready to be used for tonights dinner."
"Yehaw!" Soda cheered, as if he was a cowboy (well, they are in the country and visiting the Curtis's family ranch)
The gang couldn't help themselves to grin and chuckle at that. Even Dally grinned a little and released some small laughs from his lips, as Jazz even did the same. They couldn't help it. It sometimes felt like that Sodapop Patrick Curtis was another version of Two-bit Erwin Matthews.
"I'll also talk to Johnny and Cassidy, if yawl want me to, that is," Beverly offered, but Darry shook his head.
"No," the oldest Curtis instructed. "They always pull through things that are much worse together...I know that they'll get over this arguement and pretend that it never happened in a few minutes or so."
"Alright then," Beverly shrugged her shoulders, then turned herself around and started across the slightly snowy-powdered-like grass to get back and enter the Curtis's ranch house so she could get started on making a colorful dinner. "Dinner will be ready in about a half-an-hour, so yawl can visit your horses and settle into your usual rooms in the mean time! I'll call yawl when dinners actually ready!"
"Thanks, Bev!" Darry called out to her, right before she responded with a thumbs up and a beautiful smile, then she entered through the front stained-glass door of the ranch house.
The Greasers watched until the door finally closed behind the beautiful cowgirl all the way, Two-bit being the first one to speak up and break the silence with one of his goofy grins now on his face.
"You are totally in love with her, Superman," Two-bit chuckled
Darry wiped his handsome smile off from his face as what Two-bit just stated through his small laughter.
"I do not!" Darry objected
"Yes you do," Sodapop playfully smirked, giving his and Pony's oldest brother a poke in the ribs.
"Not!" Darry objected yet again as he battered Soda's hand away from him.
"You do so!" Ponyboy laughed
Darry narrowed his eyes and crossed his tough arms over his rock-hard chest, feeling how hot his face was starting to heat up, but it wasn't out of anger...why was he feeling so hot if it wasn't actually out of anger? Hm...
"Can we just stop acting like a bunch of sixth graders that are trying to play match-maker and go visit our horses in the stable already?!" Darry asked
"Sure," Dally shrugged his shoulders, still holding Jocelyn in his arms. "Why not? I want to see Darkness again anyway."
"Lightning, I'm coming, boy!" Two-bit cheered as he bolted away from the rest of the gang, his hands up in the air over his head as he raced as fast as his two legs could go until he was actually inside the stable.
Dallas rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Unstable...he's completely unstable.", right before he followed Darry, Ponyboy, Soda, Kitten, and Steve into the stable so they could see their horses again after that long year.
Jazz, though, on the other hand, just sat outside the open doors of the stable on a bucket that he turned over and rested his eyes a little, while he gazed up at the sky a bit, too, and he waited for Johnny and Cassidy to come back out from the ranch house, as he listened to the rest of the gang talk to their horses inside the stable. Jazz had peaked in a few times to realize how much love they had for their amazing horses, which Jazz couldn't believe what he was actually staring at with his own china-blue eyes.
Darry was just patting his brown horses neck, feeding him a carrot as he whispered his name, which was Racer, and also that it was great to see him again.
Sodapop's horse was golden and female, and he had named her Gumdrop, because when he first got her, he was only nine, and she was just a newborn to visit and look at once in awhile as Mr. Curtis raised her until she was big enough to ride. So, Soda named her Gumdrop because he was just a kid.
Two-bit's horse was gray, like a puff of smoke, and his name was Lightning, obviously because he was a fast runner. The wisecracker had climbed up high in that sattle that he had placed and carefully fixed on Lightning so he could just get the feeling of being on a horse again. He knew he wasn't going to ride that day, considering that nobody was because it was getting late, but Two-bit enjoyed just sitting on top of his horse again.
Dallas was (surprisingly) being gentle and kind to his pitch black male horse, Darkness, who was tough as nails and wildly fast, but you could hardly put a sattle on him, unless you were Dally, the Curtis brothers, or Beverly. Other than that, you would end up getting in a wrestling match and would lose big time against Darkness.
Steve was brushing his horse a bit, whispering that he was glad to be back for a full week to see and ride his horse again. Steve's horse was just like Sodapop's, golden and female, but Steve's was obviously named something else. Since Steve was so young and got to pick his horse out when he visited the ranch with the Curtis's as a kid, Steve was hooked on the female given name of Fiona, because he used to have a crush on this girl named Fiona in his class at school, but now, Steve didn't like her one bit, and he developed feelings for Evie.
Kitten was stroking her white female horses mane, feeding her one apple from a bucket while doing so, right before she patted her side. Kitten's horse was named Angel, because she was certainly an angel that was sent from heaven, but according to Beverly, she was the babe horse in the stable, or in other words, all of the male horses completely adored her. Even Darkness did. But no horse liked Angel like Ponyboy's orange male horse, Casper.
Speaking of Ponyboy and Casper, Pony had just fed him a carrot, just like Darry did with Racer, and then Ponyboy fixed a sattle on his horse, just like Two-bit did, right before he climbed up high in it to just get the adventerous and thrilling feeling that struck you greatly when you got up high on a horse.
"Ha! Ponyboy's riding his very own pony again! Ain't that right, Ponyboy?" Two-bit laughed, obviously cracking a joke, which the other Greasers just grinned a little to and rolled their eyes.
All Ponyboy did was roll his eyes, not really finding that joke funny at all. He's seriously heard better when others compaired his name to an actual horse just from random Regulars in his and Kitten's school.
"Oh, ha, ha, ha," Pony sarcastically spoke "I haven't heard that one before, Two-bit."
Jazz slightly grinned as he rested his head back on the wooden wall of the outside of the stable and he rolled his eyes, as he continued waiting for Johnny and Cassidy to come back out from the ranch house, and about two minutes later, Jazz's waiting was finally over. Well, it was for Johnny-cake, that is.
Embarrassedly, Johnny started fiddling around with his fingers as he walked over to Jazz, knowing for a fact that he had been waiting for him and Cassidy both to come back outside. Johnny's face burned up as he embarrassedly bit down on his lip.
"Jazz, I'm sorry that I treated Carla like that in front of everyone," Johnny-cake apologized "I know it was wrong, but I got so overwhelmed with shocking anger that I didn't know what I was doing."
"I understand that feeling, Johnny," Jazz informed the eldest Cade. "I ain't mad at you...just surprised, just like the rest of the gang is, too,"
Johnny pouted and took in a deep breath, releasing it as a sorrow sigh.
"And I completely understand that statement...but you got to believe me when I say this...my sisters are the most important things to me in my entire life and without them, I'd be nothing but a greasy piece of trash. The gang keeps me held up high and loved, which I completely adore, but I adore my sisters much more, which is why-" Johnny lectured, but Jazz cut him off before he could go on with anymore words.
"Which is why you want to protect them and raise them to be kind and respectful people, even to thoughs who mistreat them, who are your folks, correct?" Jazz asked
Johnny needed to take a couple of seconds to himself to make sure that Jazz hit the exact note that he wanted to message out to him, and to the oldest Cade's surprise, Jazz got it exactly right in just one go.
"The Lord said so himself to love our enemies and to pray for those who treat us badly," Johnny then informed the twelve-year-old boy, who smiled a handsome grin when he had heard one of Jesus's lectures come out of Johnny-cakes mouth.
"He also said," Jazz shared "if somebody strikes you on the one cheek, let it be the other one that looks away,"
"Exactly," Johnny nodded his head. "That's why I want my sisters to watch what language they use and actions they do towards other people...I'm only doing what the Lord said from his own mouth,"
"And Carla understood that what she said was wrong, but what'd she mean when she said she was afraid she would end up like your guys parents?" Jazz asked
Once again, Johnny frowned then sighed, right before he went into as much detail as he could possibly give as he spilled his guts to the twelve-year-old boy about his and Cassidy's talk that they had together inside the ranch house. Johnny shared about how it wasn't a demanding, rude, or a stern lecture or anything like that. He vividly described how gentle, loving, and consoling the two of them were to one another as they talked, as if what happened outside didn't ever happen at all. Jazz listened to every word that came out of Johnny's mouth from everything that Cassidy said and then everything that he replied, while he held her close, promising her that she wasn't going to ever turn out be like either of their parents with their Mama's rude and bitter drunk attitude and/or their Father's hurtful beat downs. That's when Jazz realized through the angry tone and bad words she used towards Johnny in front of the whole gang and Beverly, she thought that she would end up to abuse her own children in the future, but Johnny-cake promised her that, that would never happen.
"By all that I heard," Jazz said, but he hesitated to take in and release a deep breath before he went on with what he wanted to point out. "...She ain't anything like your folks..."
Johnny frowned a little, but then nodded his head with full agreement. "I know she ain't...but you should properly tell 'er that. I may be her brother, but she's caught up thinking about me getting hurt by our parents, too, that she doesn't know how to think about being her own person,"
Before going on, Johnny took in and let out a deep, but soft breath as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I bet you've already noticed that she doesn't feel like she has much to be fond over, minus me and Jocelyn being her loving siblings and you and the rest of the gang being her friends. Other than that, she doesn't like much about herself...she doesn't even like her name here, and we'll all know the truth about why that is after you share your life story later on."
"I'll talk to her," Jazz promised "but are you okay, Johnny-cake?"
The twelve-year-old boy was relieved that his question was answered with one of Johnny's sweet, small, handsome grins and a few nods of his head.
"I'm fine, Jazz, don't you worry 'bout me. Trust me, I've been through way worse, and Cassidy has been, too, but she has a lot on her mind right now, just like you do. So, please talk to her."
"I'll talk to her, Johnny," Jazz assured once again.
Johnny's smile grew brighter and sweeter as he gave Jazz a five second, friendly hug, then a few pats on his shoulder.
"Thanks, man," Johnny thanked
Jazz grew a slim, handsome grin as he bowed his head, then told Johnny it was no problem at all.
"Say, you comin' into the stable?" Johnny asked as he pointed a thumb into the stable, which is when Jazz shrugged his shoulders, but then stood up from the bucket that he was sitting on and nodded his head. Johnny smiled again as he gave the twelve-year-old boy a single pat on his back, then the two entered the stable together.
Jazz gazed around at the new scenery, thinking to himself that, that was what a stable actually looked like. Horses were in different lanes behind different gates, each of them looking different with only a few looking the same, not mattering if they were either male or female. The sound of hay crunched beneath Jazz's boots, which he actually liked. The new sound was something that he's certainly never heard before in his entire life, which is exactly why he liked it. The view of the latter to climb up into the upper part of the stable, which was where more packages of the horses food and empty buckets were at, was certainly a view that Jazz liked, too. However, Jazz laid his eyes on a rope swing that was hanging in the upper part of the stable, and when he gazed at that rope, it made him remember a dark memory from his past that instantly made him shutter. In Jazz's eyes, that rope wasn't just a rope swing...it was something else that gave him a terrifying, dark, cold memory...but what memory was it? Hm...
Jazz quickly took his eyes off from looking at the rope swing that was swaying slowly a bit from the soft draft in the stable and he trotted over to one of the horses that had none of his fellow Greasers next to them or doing anything with them.
Johnny was now gently patting and rubbing his female black and white mixed horses nose as he fed her one carrot, whispering that she was a beautiful horse and that she was very good at behaving, even though it has been a long year since he got to even ride his horse. Her name was Chole, named after Johnny, Carla, and Jocelyn's loving aunt, who passed away in her early thirties from bone cancer. She was seriously the only one in the Cade's family who actually loved Cassidy, Johnny, and Jocelyn with her whole golden heart.
Jocelyn even had her own horse, who was a male gray and white mixture and was only a colt that Jocelyn rode when Johnny or at least one of the Greasers guided the little colt by a rope collar. Other than that, when the gang rides, Jocelyn settles down and takes herself a nap, because no one can guide her horse when they're busy riding themselves on their own. Since Jocelyn was only seven months, her colt wasn't named yet, but the Curtis brothers were planning to just label the horse Bolt, but they didn't know if they'd do that just yet.
The rest of the gang just stood and continued doing what they were doing with their horses, smiles plastered on each of their faces and some small laughs coming out from their mouths as their horses playfully nudged and lovingly nuzzled them a bit. Jazz loved that scene totally, but he still couldn't forget about the dark and frightening memory that struck him when he first noticed the rope swing. The twelve-year-old boy just couldn't believe that he was surrounded and was actually gazing at real horses. The horse that Jazz was resting by was a blonde female that had parts of her shiny and silky mane braided beautifully with some rose clips and sparkling bows. The big blue eyes were both filled with love and care...and Jazz could just tell that.
"Who do you belong to, girl?" Jazz softly asked, but before the blonde horse could playfully grab onto his jean jacket to just give him a little tug so she could nuzzle his stomach, Jazz jumped back, hoping to death that nobody in the gang realized that he just did that. Luckily in Jazz's mind, nobody realized him leap back with a small yelp release from his lips.
The blonde horse just looked at Jazz, her big blue eyes still remaining filled up with care and love as one of her ears twitched, and she didn't move a single hoof.
Jazz just looked back at the blonde female horse, concerned on who she belonged to and what her name was actually, but just as he was about to step back up to the gate that the blonde horse was locked up behind, a female voice softly said the exact words, "I see you found my horse, Jazz."
Jazz knew that voice. It was Cassidy. He didn't need to question or hesitate about it one bit. He knew that it was the second oldest Cade. Jazz looked over and just as he knew it was, it was Cassidy, leaning in one of the open doorways that entered the stable with her hands resting in her torn up design jeans pockets and one of her boots now resting on the rim of the open doorway.
"This horse is yours, Carla?" Jazz asked
"Yeah, her name is Rosemary," Cassidy nodded her head as she walked over to her horse, she now standing directly beside Jazz as she stroked Rosemary's mane, allowing her to playfully nudge and nuzzle her a bit, which made Cassidy grow a small, happy, pretty grin. Seeing her smile just made Jazz smile. He couldn't help himself. Cassidy just had the effect on him.
Jazz rested his arms on the gate of the stable that Rosemary was behind and continued watching as Cassidy continued stroking her horses mane, then she switched over to her neck.
"You know, Carla...you ain't nothing like your folks. Johnny told me everything about your guys talk," Jazz informed her
"...He did, huh?" Cassidy asked
Jazz nodded his head. "Yeah, he told me because I ordered him to...I was worried 'bout you and Johnny-cake so much that I waited outside this stable until Johnny first came out, which is when we talked for about five minutes about how he's just doing what is best for both you and Jocelyn and that he just wants to protect you two because he truly does love you guys with his whole heart."
Cassidy turned her head towards her 'bestest' friend and she couldn't help herself to smile her full, beautiful, bright smile.
"Yeah, I know that he cares...he told me in the ranch house, and I knew that before I even went in there with him," Cassidy sighed, happily
"Well, that should give it away that you're nothing like your Mama or your old man. You're not going to grow up to abuse your own kids or anythin' like that...you have a golden heart, a rainbow personality, and...I think you're...very beautiful," Jazz shyly shared as his face brightened up and turned to a bright, bright pink.
It didn't take long at all for Jazz to say that for Cassidy to turn a very bright pink, too, but her eyes sure did spark off happiness, and when Jazz realized how joyful Cassidy looked after he said that, his eyes did the same thing, overfilling with so much happiness and...love.
"You really think that stuff about me, Jazz?" Cassidy asked as she fetched an apple from a bucket and fed it to Rosemary, who chewed and swallowed it all in one gulp.
"...Absoluetly, Carla," Jazz answered "and if you're a girl with a golden heart, rainbow personality, and not to mention that you're extremely pretty, you ain't nothing like your parents."
"Wow, Jazz...no boy has ever serenated me like this before...you're the first...and not to mention the fact that I think you're very...cute, too,"
Jazz's bright, bright pink face grew hotter as his eyes sparked up more, and he grinned, thanking Cassidy for saying such kind things to him.
"Say, Jazz," Cassidy said, changing the topic since she now knew that she was nothing at all like Mr and Mrs. Cade and for a fact that she was never going to end up like either of 'em. "Have you ever rode a horse before?"
"Shoot," Two-bit's voice suddenly announced throughout the whole stable after Cassidy asked that question. Everybody was now looking at him with their full, undivided attention. Two-bit was still resting on top of his horse, one of his goofy smiles still plastered on his face. "I doubt that the kids ever seen a horse before, considering he's never been to the country before!"
"That ain't true, Two-bit!" Jazz objected "I've seen a horse before!"
All of the Greasers then turned their full, undivided attention to the twelve-year-old boy, who was now having his arms crossed over his chest and his face was now heating up bright red from what he was thinking to himself.
"Really? When?" Two-bit asked
"...On TV...I've seen horses on TV," Jazz admitted, his face now completely bright red from the embarrassment that he was carrying big time with that secret. The boy never rode a bike, he's never rode on a skateboard, and he's never rode a horse. There was so much in life that Jazz never did because he never got a chance to consider it, or if he actually did want to do it, something or someone would pop up and cause or force him to not want to do it anymore.
"Never in real life?" Soda asked, who like everyone now was, was surprised and shocked.
Jazz embarrassedly shook his head.
"Only on TV is when you actually saw a horse?" Steve asked, and for a change, Jazz nodded his head.
"Man, boy, you've been missin' out on a whole lot with riding. It's thrilling! Exciting!" Ponyboy cheered as he patted the top of his horses head a few times, him still sitting on his horses back.
Jazz took in a deep breath and let it out, it being loud enough for the whole gang to hear, and the twelve-year-old boy shrugged his shoulders when thinking about the two words that Pony used to describe riding a horse.
"I never rode a horse before in my entire life, nor saw one in real life until today," Jazz said
"Well," Cassidy stated "tomorrow, you're going to learn to ride."
Jazz's eyes shot big as he quickly turned his attention to the oldest female Cade, who was now smiling at him with both hands on her hips.
"W-what?!" Jazz gulped
"Ya heard me, Jazz. I seriously learned how to ride a horse when I was five. I bet you'll be able to ride at the age of twelve," Cassidy instructed
"But it takes a whole lot of practice, doesn't it?" Jazz nervously asked, his face getting even more and more red from being so nervous at just picturing himself riding a horse.
Cassidy continued grinning as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, yeah, it sometimes does," Kitten spoke up to answer Jazz's question. "But a full week should be enough time to actually learn how to do it. It's going to hurt every now and then, but when you fall, just climb back up in the sattle and continue trying."
Jazz could've sworn he felt his heart drop and the color just drain right out of his skin when Kitten said the words "Hurt" and "Fall"
That's that main reason Jazz gave up learning how to ride a bike, remember? He was afraid to fall and get hurt by getting scrapes and cuts on concrete, but falling off a horse and hitting the hard ground can cause you to break a bone or form major bruises.
"Um...I'd rather not learn how to ride a horse..." Jazz gulped
"Aww, come on, Jazzy boy!" Dallas came into the conversation, his voice all cool as usual as he leaned back on Darkness, Jocelyn still being held in his arms, close to his chest. "Riding a horse is actually very freeing and spirit lifting. It makes you feel amazing! As if you're flying!"
"That's the problem!" Jazz pointed out to the gang.
Confused expressions formed on each of the Greasers faces and they exchanged them for a couple of seconds before they each gazed back at Jazz, who was still red in the face and his china-blue eyes were still big a bit from feeling so nervous and embarrassed with this whole conversation between him and the gang.
"What's the problem, Jazz? We're not understanding what you're gettin' at. Are you afraid of heights or somethin' like that?" Johnny asked, but Jazz shook his head at that question.
"No, I'm not afraid of heights at all. I'm just afraid of...well, you know...falling and breaking bones, getting all bruised up and...possibly getting paralyzed and dying," Jazz gulped
"Jazz, you're not going to die from learning to ride a horse. All of us learned how to ride at such young ages, so you should learn, too," Cassidy told her 'bestest' friend.
Jazz gulped again. "But I like my feet to actually be on the ground!"
"Don't worry, Jazz," Cassidy comforted as she gently took a hold of Jazz's hand and held it with such a gentle and caring grip. "I'll teach you to ride. If there's one Greaser that you need to teach you to either kick butt in fighting or to actually ride a horse, then I'm your Greaser!"
"Carla's right, Jazz," Darry spoke, backing the second oldest Cade up with the statement that she just pointed out.
"Yeah," Soda nodded his head with full agreement. "She's the best rider in the entire gang!"
"I've seriously never seen such great riding in my entire life, Jazz," Johnny shared
Jazz just kept his mouth shut, keeping himself quiet as he gazed around at all of his fellow Greasers that were all looking at him, waiting for him to speak up and say something, but he was too busy in thinking if he should give riding a horse a shot. Just think 'bout it, Jazz kept telling himself that in his mind. He's never rode a bike or a skateboard, so he thought about a horse. It'd totally be something completely new and it would obviously be thrilling, and Jazz certainly did love to try new things.
"So, Jazz...what do you say?" Cassidy asked, her hand still connected to Jazz's as he continued thinking a bit. "You're learning one way or the other, though."
Jazz couldn't help himself to grow a slight smile at the way Cassidy pointed that out, and like already stated, Jazz loved trying new things.
"Alright, fine," Jazz gave in with a playful roll of his eyes. "I'll learn how to ride a horse."
Right after Jazz announced that to the whole stable, everybody in the gang, even 'ol Dallas and Darry, cheered and clapped their hands together, which made Jazz playfully roll his eyes again and chuckle.
"We'll start riding lessons tomorrow, Jazz, and until you get the hang of it, you can ride Rosemary. She's gentle and easy, so it'll be easy to learn your lessons of riding with her," Cassidy explained as she patted Rosemary's side a bit.
"And after you actually do get the hang of it, you can start riding a horse of your own that you can pick out and name from the way, way back that are planning to be sold, okay?" Darry asked. Jazz didn't need to wait to nod his head with that, which allowed him to earn a friendly smile from everyone in the gang.
"DINNER IS READY!" came Beverly's voice from the ranch houses front door.
Without any hesitation, the Greasers all piled out of the stable, Dally and Two-bit closing the two doors afterwards sense nobody was going back in there until morning, and the Greasers entered through the ranch houses front stained-glass door. The ranch house was beautiful on the outside, but it was even more pretty on the inside!
The gang gathered and took their seats around the dining room table as Beverly served some pieces of purple ham, scoops of red mashed potatos, clumps of circular yellow rolls, and spoonfuls of orange corn that was cut fresh off the cobs. Dinner certainly looked great and it tasted even better, while the gang told stories and shared some more about their days, but there was more joking and fooling around with Darry and Beverly, which they just tried their best to ignore.
After finishing up everything on their plates, Kitten helped Beverly do the dishes, right before she helped the rest of the gang pile their bags out of the truck of Steve's car.
The bedrooms were all on the second-story part of the ranch house.
The girls, a.k.a, Kitten, Jocelyn, Cassidy, and Beverly shared a room while Jazz, Johnny, Steve, Two-bit, and Dallas shared the bedroom that was across the hall from theirs, and Ponyboy, Darry, and Sodapop shared the last bedroom that was down the hall a little from their two rooms.
All of the Greasers carried their bags up the stairs of the ranch house and settled themselves in all comfortably in the upstairs rooms of the warm ranch house that they stayed in when they visited.
Jazz had finished unpacking his clothes and had changed into an old pair of Darry's pajamas before Two-bit, Dally, Johnny, and/or Steve got the chance to even finish unpacking their clothes and changing into pajamas of their own.
The Greasers would be meeting together in the ranch houses cozy living room in front of the fireplace to keep warm as Jazz shared his life story and then Cassidy would share what truly happened between her and Joseph that caused her to look at some guys in different ways and spotlights.
Nevertheless, Jazz was just laying back on the bed that was his there in the ranch house, loving how soft and cozy it was as he watched the four guys he was rooming with for that week continue to settle themselves in.
"Well, tonight has certainly been a long road trip and then a visit to the stable," Johnny said as he stripped his shirt from his body and tossed it into his bag that was resting beside his bed, then unzipped and slipped off his jeans until he was wearing nothing but his boxers.
"Say, Johnny-cake," Two-bit said as he folded up one of his shirts that he brought to the ranch up and then settled it down in a pile of shirts of his that he so far folded up. "You and Carla both good now?"
Johnny nodded his head as he slipped on a pair of pajama pants, knowing for a fact that he totally wasn't wearing a shirt to sleep in because the ranch houses bedrooms were certainly so, so warm during the winter.
"That's good to know," Steve said as he unbuckled and pulled his belt off from around his waist, right before he stripped his worn out jeans from his body. "Anywho, Jazz, you ready for your life story telling?"
"I guess," Jazz shrugged his shoulders as he sat back up on his bed. "All I'm focusing on is getting it the heck over with."
"Well, it will be in only a few moments," Dallas said, pulling off his T-shirt and then unzipping his jeans, right before he did what Johnny did and slipped on a pair of his own pajama pants.
"...Yep," Jazz sighed under his breath after taking in what Dally just pointed out.
After Johnny, Dally, Two-bit, and Steve finished unpacking and changing into a pair of their pajamas, Jazz followed them out of the bedroom door that met Kitten, Cassidy, Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Darry in the living room, where a fire was already crackling in the fireplace, and the five other Greasers were already dressed in their pajamas, too. Beverly had just tucked Jocelyn in, in this crib that she had found and then was so tired that she went to bed herself, being too tired to take a single step foward any longer from another long day with working on the ranch.
Jazz sat inbetween Darry and Cassidy, while Kitten sat inbetween Ponyboy and Johnny, and Soda and Steve rested down on the carpet in the gangs circle by the fireplace next to each other. Two-bit sat next to Dally, who Dallas only allowed because he had no other choice.
At first, nothing but pure silence was in the Greasers gangs circle as they all just exchanged looks. Jazz could feel his heart pounding so hard and rapid in his chest, and he could've sworn that he was starting to sweat from feeling so nervous. That was the time...it was time...it was time for the gang to know his life story...
"Alright, Jazz...the floors all yours," Soda instructed, right before dead quietness formed again and everyone turned their full, undivided attention to their twelve-year-old male friend.
Jazz gulped, but knew that he was going to share his life story that night to get it over with and finally off of his chest, heart, and mind one way or the other.
"Well," Jazz began talking, and the whole gang listened with nothing else on their minds but what could all be contained in Jazz's story. Either way, though, they were going to find out such a huge amount of very little love, pain, sorrow, fear, and evil all mixed up in one whole big life story. "It all started when I was sitting in my bedroom of my old house. I was sitting on my bed, playin' a guitar..."
And so, the story was about to begin...
AN: Mwhahaha! XD! Cliffhanger! I know, I'm evil! I love creating so much suspense. Doesn't what Jazz said say in the last sentence ring any bells? Remember how he played his electric guitar in front of the Greasers in their mini concert chapters back and he had a memory come into his mind? Hm... *whistles innocently*
Well, what's the beginning of Jazz's life story? Find out in the next chapter! All of those questions I usually ask still remain and I'll read yawl in the next chapter! Stay tuned! :D :D :D :D