[A/N. I still haven't quite worked out what is going to happen with the
Curtis' winning the competition for a trip. Part of me likes the idea of
taking them over to London for a holiday, the other part of me likes the
idea of them selling the trip and using the money for something else. I'll
have to decide VERY soon though, I guess..]
FIVE:
The next few days seemed to fly by. Darry was enjoying his new job, and I was busy getting back into the whole school routine. It was about four days later when Mandy spoke to me again.
"Pony, can I speak to you for a moment?" She called after me. I'd just thrown my books in my locker and was on my way to have lunch with Two-Bit, and also Soda, who was coming over to have lunch with us.
I hesitated. I'd noticed her hanging around with all the socs lately, and so as far as I was concerned she was one of them! "Sure." I said with a sigh.
She put her books in her own locker and then closed the door and leant against it. "Pony, can you tell me who Bob was?"
I was sure I went pale. My legs turned to jelly and I leant against the nearest locker for support, trying to look like it was casual. "Bob?" I repeated, feeling as though my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. "Why are you asking me?"
"Because you've been here a lot longer than me." She replied.
I sighed. I'd been worried that she was asking me who Bob had been because she knew about the whole incident.
"They sometimes mention Bob, Pony, but when I ask who he was they say a friend who died. But I get the impression there's more to the story.." She looked at me expectantly.
"What do they say about him?" I asked instead.
"They seem to miss him, but they also seem to think that what happened to him-whatever it was-was his own fault. Even Randy, and he was Bob's best friend, thinks that." Mandy explained. "I've seen a photo of him-Cherry showed it to me! He looked cute, and nice. He didn't look like the sort of person who would do something that even his own friends thought was wrong, and caused his death!"
I was surprised to hear this. The socs actually thought that Bob had caused his own death? When he'd decided to pick on Johnny and I, to jump us when we were outnumbered he'd done something that meant even his friends thought was wrong and-
Mandy spoke again, interrupting my thoughts. "Don't get me wrong. When they speak about the people who were responsible for Bob's death they still get all angry about it! But Pony, I want to know what happened to him."
"Why?" I demanded.
"Because these people are my friends Pony." Mandy replied, surprised. "They're great in all other things, but when it comes to Bob I feel as though they're speaking about something and I'm completely on the outside."
I frowned. Her friends? Why would she want to be friends with the socs in the first place?
"Pony!" Now she was angry. "Why can't you tell me? Why is it some big secret?"
I bit my lip. What was I meant to say? 'Sure Mandy, I know what happened to Bob. I was there when he died because he attacked my friend and me, and he was trying to kill me, holding my head under the water, when Johnny killed him, and saved my life!'
"Pony?" She asked, gently. "Are you alright? You went kind of pale then."
"I'm fine." I said. "Look Mandy, Bob was no saint despite what you might hear about him from your friends-"
"-They never said he was!" Mandy protested.
I still didn't understand why it was so important for her to know what had happened to Bob. Just so that she wouldn't feel left out when the socs spoke of him? Or was it simply curiosity? "Well he used to go round in his car jumping people like me. He always picked on people who were alone or outnumbered since he was a coward at heart. And then one day, the people he jumped fought back for once, and he was killed." I said.
Mandy's eyes widened. "Wow." She whispered. "That's terrible!"
I shrugged. "He got what was coming to him that's all." I said, harsher than I had intended.
Mandy glared at me. "How can you say that Pony? He's dead, and you say something like that?" She asked.
"Mandy, look at me okay? You've said it yourself-I'm a hood right? A greaser? Bob and his mates, and your mates too now, make fun of people like me. They jump us, they beat us up." I said, pushing myself off the locker to stand taller and glare at her.
"I know what I said Pony." Mandy admitted. "But don't judge me by that. I've seen you around school a few times, and I've heard you in class, and you're not just some typical hood. You're smart. I bet you're a million times smarter than the people you hang out with! In fact I heard that Tim person you sometimes hang out with in the corridors, in class, and he's got no clue!"
"Mandy, I'm a greaser." I said. "I don't mind being one. I don't want to be a soc!"
"I didn't say that I wanted you to be one." Mandy argued. "I just want you to know that I think you're different Pony. Better even. No matter how much you might not want to hear it, or agree with it! You'll do something with your life. They won't."
I didn't know what to say now. So instead I muttered that I had to get to lunch, Two-Bit and Soda would be wondering where on earth I was!
"Okay Pony." Mandy said. "And if you don't speak to me at school I'll understand. I don't like this idea of having two different groups, but I'm resigned to it. And I'm also resigned to the fact that if I fit in anywhere, it's with the socs."
I didn't reply. I went to lunch instead. As I raced to meet my friend and brother I briefly thought about the conversation. It was weird that something which began with a question about what had happened to Bob ended up being about me being a greaser and her being a soc I thought. But then I spotted Two-Bit and Soda, and the conversation went out of my head for the moment.
*****
When I got home that afternoon the phone was ringing, and I raced to pick it up.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Is this Mr. Ponyboy Curtis?" The man on the other end asked.
"Sure is." I replied, wondering who on earth it was.
FIVE:
The next few days seemed to fly by. Darry was enjoying his new job, and I was busy getting back into the whole school routine. It was about four days later when Mandy spoke to me again.
"Pony, can I speak to you for a moment?" She called after me. I'd just thrown my books in my locker and was on my way to have lunch with Two-Bit, and also Soda, who was coming over to have lunch with us.
I hesitated. I'd noticed her hanging around with all the socs lately, and so as far as I was concerned she was one of them! "Sure." I said with a sigh.
She put her books in her own locker and then closed the door and leant against it. "Pony, can you tell me who Bob was?"
I was sure I went pale. My legs turned to jelly and I leant against the nearest locker for support, trying to look like it was casual. "Bob?" I repeated, feeling as though my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. "Why are you asking me?"
"Because you've been here a lot longer than me." She replied.
I sighed. I'd been worried that she was asking me who Bob had been because she knew about the whole incident.
"They sometimes mention Bob, Pony, but when I ask who he was they say a friend who died. But I get the impression there's more to the story.." She looked at me expectantly.
"What do they say about him?" I asked instead.
"They seem to miss him, but they also seem to think that what happened to him-whatever it was-was his own fault. Even Randy, and he was Bob's best friend, thinks that." Mandy explained. "I've seen a photo of him-Cherry showed it to me! He looked cute, and nice. He didn't look like the sort of person who would do something that even his own friends thought was wrong, and caused his death!"
I was surprised to hear this. The socs actually thought that Bob had caused his own death? When he'd decided to pick on Johnny and I, to jump us when we were outnumbered he'd done something that meant even his friends thought was wrong and-
Mandy spoke again, interrupting my thoughts. "Don't get me wrong. When they speak about the people who were responsible for Bob's death they still get all angry about it! But Pony, I want to know what happened to him."
"Why?" I demanded.
"Because these people are my friends Pony." Mandy replied, surprised. "They're great in all other things, but when it comes to Bob I feel as though they're speaking about something and I'm completely on the outside."
I frowned. Her friends? Why would she want to be friends with the socs in the first place?
"Pony!" Now she was angry. "Why can't you tell me? Why is it some big secret?"
I bit my lip. What was I meant to say? 'Sure Mandy, I know what happened to Bob. I was there when he died because he attacked my friend and me, and he was trying to kill me, holding my head under the water, when Johnny killed him, and saved my life!'
"Pony?" She asked, gently. "Are you alright? You went kind of pale then."
"I'm fine." I said. "Look Mandy, Bob was no saint despite what you might hear about him from your friends-"
"-They never said he was!" Mandy protested.
I still didn't understand why it was so important for her to know what had happened to Bob. Just so that she wouldn't feel left out when the socs spoke of him? Or was it simply curiosity? "Well he used to go round in his car jumping people like me. He always picked on people who were alone or outnumbered since he was a coward at heart. And then one day, the people he jumped fought back for once, and he was killed." I said.
Mandy's eyes widened. "Wow." She whispered. "That's terrible!"
I shrugged. "He got what was coming to him that's all." I said, harsher than I had intended.
Mandy glared at me. "How can you say that Pony? He's dead, and you say something like that?" She asked.
"Mandy, look at me okay? You've said it yourself-I'm a hood right? A greaser? Bob and his mates, and your mates too now, make fun of people like me. They jump us, they beat us up." I said, pushing myself off the locker to stand taller and glare at her.
"I know what I said Pony." Mandy admitted. "But don't judge me by that. I've seen you around school a few times, and I've heard you in class, and you're not just some typical hood. You're smart. I bet you're a million times smarter than the people you hang out with! In fact I heard that Tim person you sometimes hang out with in the corridors, in class, and he's got no clue!"
"Mandy, I'm a greaser." I said. "I don't mind being one. I don't want to be a soc!"
"I didn't say that I wanted you to be one." Mandy argued. "I just want you to know that I think you're different Pony. Better even. No matter how much you might not want to hear it, or agree with it! You'll do something with your life. They won't."
I didn't know what to say now. So instead I muttered that I had to get to lunch, Two-Bit and Soda would be wondering where on earth I was!
"Okay Pony." Mandy said. "And if you don't speak to me at school I'll understand. I don't like this idea of having two different groups, but I'm resigned to it. And I'm also resigned to the fact that if I fit in anywhere, it's with the socs."
I didn't reply. I went to lunch instead. As I raced to meet my friend and brother I briefly thought about the conversation. It was weird that something which began with a question about what had happened to Bob ended up being about me being a greaser and her being a soc I thought. But then I spotted Two-Bit and Soda, and the conversation went out of my head for the moment.
*****
When I got home that afternoon the phone was ringing, and I raced to pick it up.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Is this Mr. Ponyboy Curtis?" The man on the other end asked.
"Sure is." I replied, wondering who on earth it was.