Hey guys! All the characters belong to S.E. Hinton except Kathryn. This
chapter, in my opinion, isn't as good as the last. There isn't as much mood
and atmosphere as there was in the last one. But if you guys like the way
this one is written better, just tell me and I'll write like this more
often. Enjoy! Please review!
Chapter Two
I wished Steve would've stay with me instead of going to see a movie, since this was my first night in a new place but I didn't mention it to him. I knew if I had he wouldn't have gone to the movies but he seemed to be looking forward to it for some reason. There was probably some good- looking girl waiting for him there, or he just really wanted to see the movie.
It was a long ride from the train station to my new home. I didn't talk very much during the ride. Although Ponyboy wasn't going to let be stay quiet. He was trying to be friendly by asking me questions about what it was like in Kansas and what sort of things we liked to do. I felt a little rude when I would answer him so bluntly, it's just that I didn't feel like talking, but he didn't seem to mind. For some reason, he seemed strangely interested when I told him about the times I had gone horseback riding on my friends farm and all the barrel races I had entered and won. I hadn't been in a barrel race for a year and a half, I bet if I were to enter one now I would come dead last.
When Steve told me we had arrived, I almost thought he was joking since his house looked nothing like it used to. The once nice white wood paneling now had water stains and was all broken. The green grass in the front yard I once remembered playing in, was now dead and brown and seemed to have rough prickly texture to it. The shutters were practically gone and the windows seemed like they hadn't been washed in years. But what got me the most was what I heard inside the house. Screaming, cussing, things breaking, I didn't understand. I knew Uncle Jerry had a temper but I never imagined this. Steve must've noticed that I was nervous.
"Well here we are, I know it ain't much but it's home." He said smiling sweetly as if he couldn't hear what was going on inside the house.
Pony and Soda took the rest of the bags Steve couldn't carry out of the trunk and set them on the sidewalk. They didn't come up to the house with us. I knew this meant that Steve really was just going to leave me there. I felt like an abandoned dog who was afraid of everything since it was in a new place. We walked up the broken down wooden steps. I was careful not to step to hardly with fear they would break from under me. As we opened the front door it creaked and almost instantly the fighting stopped. The angry faces changed to warm happy smiles and the screams turned into cheerful welcomes. I didn't understand. Had they always been like this? Was I was to young to notice that whenever I was around everything was always peaceful but as soon as I left hell broke loose? My thoughts were interrupted when Aunt Susie came over to me and took my bags from my hands.
"You can stay in Steve's room until your room is finished." She said with a grin on her face, "I am so happy you're here, Kathryn." She added.
There was something different about Uncle Jerry. He hadn't said anything since I got there. He hadn't even looked up or given me any recognition what so ever. There was something strange about this. He wasn't usually so cold and hard. He had always been as happy to see me as everyone else. I didn't want to think about that then.
"Mom, I am going to the movies with Soda and Pony, I'll be home around 12:00." Steve told his mother.
It was 6:00 now, what movie could last for 6 hours. It was obvious that he must be doing something else afterward.
"Where else are you going?" Aunt Susie asked, thinking exactly what I had.
"I might go up to the Dingo for a few hours. You know, hang out, play some pool, the usual." He replied coolly.
"You know I don't like you going there." Uncle Jerry said. This was the first thing he'd said since I'd been there. "I bet your going to meet those brothers, the ah…Curtis boys. I don't like you hanging around with them, there a bad influence. No discipline. Just because there folks are dead doesn't mean they can run around town looking for trouble."
"Come now Jerry.." Aunt Susie said meekly.
I looked over at Steve. He was getting mad. I'd only seen him like this that one time he ran out.
"You just shut it, Susan. I'm tired of you sticking up for him. He's my son as well as yours and if I don't want him going out with those, those, hoods, then he damn well won't." screamed Uncle Jerry.
"Don't talk to her like that." Steve hollered back. There was a silence that seemed like it lasted eternity but only lasted about ten seconds. "I'm sorry Pop I didn't mean to yell." Steve said surprisingly calm. "Don't worry about me, I won't get into any trouble. Soda and Pony are good kids. Don't worry."
"Ok, son. Don't be out to late." He replied simply.
And with that Steve was out the door.
"Come dear," Aunt Susie said. "I'll show you were you'll be staying.
We walked down the hall passing about three doors. Aunt Susie was pointing out where the bathroom was and what the other rooms were but I wasn't really paying attention. I wanted to see where I'd be sleeping and stay there until Steve came back. We came to a door at the end of the hall and she told me that this was it. She apologized in her gentle voice for the mess and left my alone.
The room wasn't as friendly or livable as I'd hoped, but it'd do. I wouldn't be staying in it long anyway. Like Aunt Susie said, soon I'd have my own room. The comforter was plain blue and the bed hadn't been made properly. There were dirty clothes and half smoked butts all over the floor and the carpet was horribly stained with what looked like alcohol and cigarette burns. The walls weren't painted and there were a few posters of Mustangs and Corvettes on it. There was also a strange scent to it. A mix of cigarette smoke and motor oil. You could plainly tell it was a boy's room.
To pass time I decided to clean it up a bit. Even when I had finished it still looked revolting but I had done the best I could do. I looked at the small clock in on the corner of his dresser. It read 8:07. What had seemed like five hours had really only been two. His movie had probably ended. It'd still be a while before Steve got home so I took out my book and began reading it for the 7th time. Just when I was about to get to my favourite part I heard the sound of angry voices. I tiptoed quietly over to the door and opened it a crack so I could hear better. I wished I hadn't. What I heard changed my life in Oklahoma forever.
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Hey guys! Sorry I took so long posting it. I was all ready to and then it got deleted and I had to write it all over again. The original one was longer had more detail and better written so if this chapter seems to have a less writing quality about it that's why. I know it's short but bear with me! Thnx! Please review and tell me what you think! I love suggestions!
Chapter Two
I wished Steve would've stay with me instead of going to see a movie, since this was my first night in a new place but I didn't mention it to him. I knew if I had he wouldn't have gone to the movies but he seemed to be looking forward to it for some reason. There was probably some good- looking girl waiting for him there, or he just really wanted to see the movie.
It was a long ride from the train station to my new home. I didn't talk very much during the ride. Although Ponyboy wasn't going to let be stay quiet. He was trying to be friendly by asking me questions about what it was like in Kansas and what sort of things we liked to do. I felt a little rude when I would answer him so bluntly, it's just that I didn't feel like talking, but he didn't seem to mind. For some reason, he seemed strangely interested when I told him about the times I had gone horseback riding on my friends farm and all the barrel races I had entered and won. I hadn't been in a barrel race for a year and a half, I bet if I were to enter one now I would come dead last.
When Steve told me we had arrived, I almost thought he was joking since his house looked nothing like it used to. The once nice white wood paneling now had water stains and was all broken. The green grass in the front yard I once remembered playing in, was now dead and brown and seemed to have rough prickly texture to it. The shutters were practically gone and the windows seemed like they hadn't been washed in years. But what got me the most was what I heard inside the house. Screaming, cussing, things breaking, I didn't understand. I knew Uncle Jerry had a temper but I never imagined this. Steve must've noticed that I was nervous.
"Well here we are, I know it ain't much but it's home." He said smiling sweetly as if he couldn't hear what was going on inside the house.
Pony and Soda took the rest of the bags Steve couldn't carry out of the trunk and set them on the sidewalk. They didn't come up to the house with us. I knew this meant that Steve really was just going to leave me there. I felt like an abandoned dog who was afraid of everything since it was in a new place. We walked up the broken down wooden steps. I was careful not to step to hardly with fear they would break from under me. As we opened the front door it creaked and almost instantly the fighting stopped. The angry faces changed to warm happy smiles and the screams turned into cheerful welcomes. I didn't understand. Had they always been like this? Was I was to young to notice that whenever I was around everything was always peaceful but as soon as I left hell broke loose? My thoughts were interrupted when Aunt Susie came over to me and took my bags from my hands.
"You can stay in Steve's room until your room is finished." She said with a grin on her face, "I am so happy you're here, Kathryn." She added.
There was something different about Uncle Jerry. He hadn't said anything since I got there. He hadn't even looked up or given me any recognition what so ever. There was something strange about this. He wasn't usually so cold and hard. He had always been as happy to see me as everyone else. I didn't want to think about that then.
"Mom, I am going to the movies with Soda and Pony, I'll be home around 12:00." Steve told his mother.
It was 6:00 now, what movie could last for 6 hours. It was obvious that he must be doing something else afterward.
"Where else are you going?" Aunt Susie asked, thinking exactly what I had.
"I might go up to the Dingo for a few hours. You know, hang out, play some pool, the usual." He replied coolly.
"You know I don't like you going there." Uncle Jerry said. This was the first thing he'd said since I'd been there. "I bet your going to meet those brothers, the ah…Curtis boys. I don't like you hanging around with them, there a bad influence. No discipline. Just because there folks are dead doesn't mean they can run around town looking for trouble."
"Come now Jerry.." Aunt Susie said meekly.
I looked over at Steve. He was getting mad. I'd only seen him like this that one time he ran out.
"You just shut it, Susan. I'm tired of you sticking up for him. He's my son as well as yours and if I don't want him going out with those, those, hoods, then he damn well won't." screamed Uncle Jerry.
"Don't talk to her like that." Steve hollered back. There was a silence that seemed like it lasted eternity but only lasted about ten seconds. "I'm sorry Pop I didn't mean to yell." Steve said surprisingly calm. "Don't worry about me, I won't get into any trouble. Soda and Pony are good kids. Don't worry."
"Ok, son. Don't be out to late." He replied simply.
And with that Steve was out the door.
"Come dear," Aunt Susie said. "I'll show you were you'll be staying.
We walked down the hall passing about three doors. Aunt Susie was pointing out where the bathroom was and what the other rooms were but I wasn't really paying attention. I wanted to see where I'd be sleeping and stay there until Steve came back. We came to a door at the end of the hall and she told me that this was it. She apologized in her gentle voice for the mess and left my alone.
The room wasn't as friendly or livable as I'd hoped, but it'd do. I wouldn't be staying in it long anyway. Like Aunt Susie said, soon I'd have my own room. The comforter was plain blue and the bed hadn't been made properly. There were dirty clothes and half smoked butts all over the floor and the carpet was horribly stained with what looked like alcohol and cigarette burns. The walls weren't painted and there were a few posters of Mustangs and Corvettes on it. There was also a strange scent to it. A mix of cigarette smoke and motor oil. You could plainly tell it was a boy's room.
To pass time I decided to clean it up a bit. Even when I had finished it still looked revolting but I had done the best I could do. I looked at the small clock in on the corner of his dresser. It read 8:07. What had seemed like five hours had really only been two. His movie had probably ended. It'd still be a while before Steve got home so I took out my book and began reading it for the 7th time. Just when I was about to get to my favourite part I heard the sound of angry voices. I tiptoed quietly over to the door and opened it a crack so I could hear better. I wished I hadn't. What I heard changed my life in Oklahoma forever.
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Hey guys! Sorry I took so long posting it. I was all ready to and then it got deleted and I had to write it all over again. The original one was longer had more detail and better written so if this chapter seems to have a less writing quality about it that's why. I know it's short but bear with me! Thnx! Please review and tell me what you think! I love suggestions!