Hey everyone! Thanks for all your great reviews! I absolutely LOVE getting them! Anyway about the chapter, It's a little predictable but it's still kind of cool. You learn more about Kats past and her family. Something bad happens at the beginning and it's kind of sad. But not like "Oh my god! How could this happen." bad, more like, "Aww poor Kathryn," bad! So, enjoy and please review!
Soda had woken up early the next morning and decided that he'd take me to Jay's for breakfast. I told him he didn't have to take me anywhere. As long as I was with him, I was happy. But he said that he really wanted to, so we went. It wasn't to busy that morning since it was only about nine o'clock. The only people that were in there were two boys that looked about twelve who were playing pinball and three girls that were sitting in the corner giggling childishly about something. One of them was very stunning. She had golden hair that she had in a complicated braid and was wearing a pale yellow dress not unlike mine. The other two seemed to be laughing along with whatever she was saying. They were noticeably different from the girls I had seen at the Dingo yesterday. They weren't wearing much make-up, from what I could tell, and the skirts were a reasonable length. Maybe they were the type of people that Two-Bit had classified as "Socs".
Soda left to get our food and almost instantly the girls came over and slid into the booth. There was something about the way they were constantly looking at one another and smiling that made me a little nervous.
"Hi there," the pretty one said with a hint of a Southern accent. She was even more beautiful up close. Her eyes were the same shade as her hair which was rare and striking, "I haven't seen you `round here much. Are you new in town."
The other two girls giggled when she said this. I didn't know what was going on here but I didn't exactly like it. I did the only thing I could do-answer truthfully.
"Yes, I am actually," I started, "I just moved here from Kansas to live with my cousin Steve. I'm Kathryn." As I said this I put out my hand but was only greeted with what could be classified as a look of disgust. I quickly retreated my gesture and took a sip of my vanilla milkshake that had already been brought to me.
"I'm Cindy and that's Rachel and Julie." She said pointing to the other two girls. One of them had jet-black hair and was rather small where as the other one had short brown hair with bangs and was a little more heavy-set than the other girls.
"Wow, Kansas," Rachel, the black haired girl said, "that's pretty far." She seemed more timid and quiet than Cindy had, as if she was a good person but didn't really want anyone to know.
"I see you're here with Sodapop Curtis. He's a real doll." Julie said with a sort of smirk.
"Yeah, I like him." What was I thinking, I didn't like him, I was in love with him, but I decided not to correct myself.
"You know," Cindy said leaning closer to me, "That's a really nice dress you have on there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were one of us."
"One of you? What do you mean one of you?" then I remembered Two-Bits words, `You have your Socs, from
the south west side and then the greasers from the other side of town. Us, we're greasers. We don't like to mingle with other Socs.'
"You know, upper class, the rich kids, the south side Socs." Julie explained, as I had lost my mind not knowing what a Soc was.
"We really would've liked to have you on our group but once we saw you walking around with Soda well...I mean he's cute and all but...you know." Cindy told me loving every minute of it.
I just sat there staring blankly at her.
"He's a hood, a JD-", Julie started before being interrupted.
"He's a greaser." Cindy said with slyly. I didn't like this girl. She didn't seem like a very friendly person. We had people like her back home. The type of person that enjoys watching other people suffer and making their lives a living hell. I usually wasn't so quick to judge but, she obviously was, so I think this time I'd make an exception.
"It doesn't matter what a persons image is," I told her nobly as if it was right out of a novel or a film of some sort, "It's the person they are that counts."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Kat." She said putting emphasis on my name, "And to think, we almost thought you were one of us." As she got up to leave she purposely hit the table causing my milkshake to spill all over my dress. I couldn't believe that someone could be so horribly cruel.
I heard her laughing and her little friend soon joined in. Rachel however wasn't laughing. She looked sympathetic and a little embarrassed as if she hadn't wanted to be with someone so coldhearted and mean.
"I'm sorry," she told me softly, "She's always like that. Maybe we can get together some-", she began saying before being interrupted by Cindy.
"Julie, come on. Let's go." Cindy called out.
"Well, I'll see you around." Rachel said meekly before running off with the other two ignorant girls.
Soda had come back moments later and saw me standing there soaking wet, covered in milkshake. He apologized for me to have to go through that and instinctively pulled me to his grasp. I just wanted to get out of there. I needed to be somewhere where the people aren't so stupidly immature.
The drive back to the Curtis house wasn't as awkward as I had imagined. In fact, it wasn't awkward at all. The fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything to talk about vanished as soon as it had occurred. Soda told me all about how he, Pony and Darry used to go up to the country with his parents. I loved hearing about all the picnics they went on and how they'd swim in the lake. It reminded me of the times I went up to Texas to visit my grandfather when I was just a little girl. I'd go there every summer. It was just me, him and my grandma. He'd teach me how to ride like a man and barrel race like all the pros did on his old horse Minnie. I loved that horse. She was so well natured and hardly ever nipped. Not like Bandit. He was always kicking and bucking everyone off him, but he was still a good horse and I loved him. We'd go on hikes and pick blueberries and when we returned, if we picked enough then grandma would make a pie. I loved those fun-filled summers with my
grandparents, but I'd never be able to have one again. They were gone. I remember the day of their funeral. Everywhere I looked my family was crying, but me, I hadn't shed a single tear. It's not as though I wasn't sad; I mean I was miserable. It was the first time I truly ever felt the pain of depression; the pain of loosing someone that close to me, but it was not to be the last. But the reason I hadn't cried was because I knew that they wouldn't have wanted me to. My grandparents were the kind of people that would travel around the world just so I wouldn't have to feel on ounce of pain. I didn't want to disappoint them. I couldn't disappoint them.
When my mom ran off, I couldn't handle it anymore. I tried not to be upset, I tried not to show emotion but I couldn't. I just wasn't that strong. I remember the sharp sickening pain I felt when she left. I had entirely blamed myself. I mean I knew she knew I loved her, but I don't think she knew how much. She was always so caring and sweet, but I never paid any attention to her. Lord knows she tried to be apart of my life but I just kept on shutting her out. I had thought that the only person I needed in the world was my father. But I knew now I was wrong. Don't think that every night I don't go to sleep wondering about her, how her life is, how my life would be if she never left because I do. I wonder every night. I miss the way that she used to tuck me in. The way she used to call me her little ray of sunshine. I had always felt so proud. But I never told her. All I would do was push her aside and ask for my dad. I didn't know it then, but I was hurting her more every
time I did that. I wished so much now that I could go back and change things. But if I saw my mother now, I don't know what I'd do. It wasn't as though I'd run into her arms, weep uncontrollably and we'd both leave happily ever after. She was the one who did this to us. She didn't have to leave. I'm pretty sure I could never forgive her.
"Are you coming?" Soda asked me.
I looked around and without even knowing it we had arrived back at the Curtis' house. I felt a little embarrassed since I wasn't exactly sure how long I'd been sitting there.
"Oh," I said smiling at him, "Yeah, sorry, I'm coming."
We walked up the rickety stairs that I had spent so many nights sitting on. I could here the noise that came from inside the house and laughed in spite of myself. If only the people who fear these boys so much could see them now, wrestling, playing poker, eating cake and watching Mickey Mouse. But as soon as we opened the door it instantly became quiet.
I looked around to find four blank looking faces staring back at me. At first I was a little uncomfortable. But as soon as I saw Two-Bit crack his famous smile my nerves were more relaxed.
"Well, well, well," Two-Bit said walking over to us, "It's about time you two kids showed up." He said this while affectionately punching Soda in the ribs. "And all this time, I thought Kat here was falling for the ol' Two-Bit."
That's what I liked about Two-Bit, he could always break up an uncomfortable moment. No matter how awkward. I looked over to see Ponyboy sitting on the couch blushing. I knew that he thought we'd done more than we had and as strange it might be, I'd have to talk to him and explain that nothing happened.
"Well little buddy," Darry said putting his strong hand on Soda's shoulder, "good thing you told me you might be out all night or I would have skinned you." Then he grabbed Soda and put him in a gentle headlock and began messing up his hair. Just as I was feeling at ease Steve came over to me with a stern look on his face.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked in all seriousness.
"Why'd I do what?" I asked him. What was he talking about?
"You know," he continued, "Why'd you go out with Soda. You know you can do better than one of us."
"Steve what's gotten in to you?" I asked confused. I didn't understand. I thought of all people that Steve would be the happiest to see Soda and I together but apparently I was wrong. Really wrong.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt ok," he said this and stalked over to the table to count his money from poker. There was something about the way he had said it that really bothered me. Was it wrong to jump into a relationship with out knowing hardly anything about Soda? No. Steve was just being his over-protective self. I was sure of it.
The next few days were kind of slow. Soda had to work most of the week so I just stayed at home with Ponyboy. Two-Bit occasionally came over and we'd have some fun but it was usually just me and Pony. He was a real special kid the kind that's always doing intelligent things like reading and writing. Though he seemed to be a little depressed. As though there was a part of him that was missing. I didn't exactly know what and it wasn't my place to ask him so I just kept to myself.
One morning I was washing the dishes while Pony was quietly watching some western movie and I saw a car pull up. I assumed it was Two-Bit or Soda home early so I picked up another mug. But when I heard the sound of knocking I realized it couldn't be one of them. They would've just barged right in. Since Pony was really into his movie and I didn't want to disturb him, I told him that I'd answer the door.
I pulled open the wooden front door to find a women standing with her back to me through the screen.
"Can I help you?" I asked politely. The women turned around and I could feel my eyes get wider with the sight of her. Everything went quiet except for the sound of the mug I was holding slipping out of my hands and shattering on the hard floor beneath me. I stood there in complete shock.
"Hello Katty dear." She said.
I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. What was she doing here? How could she have found me? Then the words came to me.
"Mom?"
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Soda had woken up early the next morning and decided that he'd take me to Jay's for breakfast. I told him he didn't have to take me anywhere. As long as I was with him, I was happy. But he said that he really wanted to, so we went. It wasn't to busy that morning since it was only about nine o'clock. The only people that were in there were two boys that looked about twelve who were playing pinball and three girls that were sitting in the corner giggling childishly about something. One of them was very stunning. She had golden hair that she had in a complicated braid and was wearing a pale yellow dress not unlike mine. The other two seemed to be laughing along with whatever she was saying. They were noticeably different from the girls I had seen at the Dingo yesterday. They weren't wearing much make-up, from what I could tell, and the skirts were a reasonable length. Maybe they were the type of people that Two-Bit had classified as "Socs".
Soda left to get our food and almost instantly the girls came over and slid into the booth. There was something about the way they were constantly looking at one another and smiling that made me a little nervous.
"Hi there," the pretty one said with a hint of a Southern accent. She was even more beautiful up close. Her eyes were the same shade as her hair which was rare and striking, "I haven't seen you `round here much. Are you new in town."
The other two girls giggled when she said this. I didn't know what was going on here but I didn't exactly like it. I did the only thing I could do-answer truthfully.
"Yes, I am actually," I started, "I just moved here from Kansas to live with my cousin Steve. I'm Kathryn." As I said this I put out my hand but was only greeted with what could be classified as a look of disgust. I quickly retreated my gesture and took a sip of my vanilla milkshake that had already been brought to me.
"I'm Cindy and that's Rachel and Julie." She said pointing to the other two girls. One of them had jet-black hair and was rather small where as the other one had short brown hair with bangs and was a little more heavy-set than the other girls.
"Wow, Kansas," Rachel, the black haired girl said, "that's pretty far." She seemed more timid and quiet than Cindy had, as if she was a good person but didn't really want anyone to know.
"I see you're here with Sodapop Curtis. He's a real doll." Julie said with a sort of smirk.
"Yeah, I like him." What was I thinking, I didn't like him, I was in love with him, but I decided not to correct myself.
"You know," Cindy said leaning closer to me, "That's a really nice dress you have on there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were one of us."
"One of you? What do you mean one of you?" then I remembered Two-Bits words, `You have your Socs, from
the south west side and then the greasers from the other side of town. Us, we're greasers. We don't like to mingle with other Socs.'
"You know, upper class, the rich kids, the south side Socs." Julie explained, as I had lost my mind not knowing what a Soc was.
"We really would've liked to have you on our group but once we saw you walking around with Soda well...I mean he's cute and all but...you know." Cindy told me loving every minute of it.
I just sat there staring blankly at her.
"He's a hood, a JD-", Julie started before being interrupted.
"He's a greaser." Cindy said with slyly. I didn't like this girl. She didn't seem like a very friendly person. We had people like her back home. The type of person that enjoys watching other people suffer and making their lives a living hell. I usually wasn't so quick to judge but, she obviously was, so I think this time I'd make an exception.
"It doesn't matter what a persons image is," I told her nobly as if it was right out of a novel or a film of some sort, "It's the person they are that counts."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Kat." She said putting emphasis on my name, "And to think, we almost thought you were one of us." As she got up to leave she purposely hit the table causing my milkshake to spill all over my dress. I couldn't believe that someone could be so horribly cruel.
I heard her laughing and her little friend soon joined in. Rachel however wasn't laughing. She looked sympathetic and a little embarrassed as if she hadn't wanted to be with someone so coldhearted and mean.
"I'm sorry," she told me softly, "She's always like that. Maybe we can get together some-", she began saying before being interrupted by Cindy.
"Julie, come on. Let's go." Cindy called out.
"Well, I'll see you around." Rachel said meekly before running off with the other two ignorant girls.
Soda had come back moments later and saw me standing there soaking wet, covered in milkshake. He apologized for me to have to go through that and instinctively pulled me to his grasp. I just wanted to get out of there. I needed to be somewhere where the people aren't so stupidly immature.
The drive back to the Curtis house wasn't as awkward as I had imagined. In fact, it wasn't awkward at all. The fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything to talk about vanished as soon as it had occurred. Soda told me all about how he, Pony and Darry used to go up to the country with his parents. I loved hearing about all the picnics they went on and how they'd swim in the lake. It reminded me of the times I went up to Texas to visit my grandfather when I was just a little girl. I'd go there every summer. It was just me, him and my grandma. He'd teach me how to ride like a man and barrel race like all the pros did on his old horse Minnie. I loved that horse. She was so well natured and hardly ever nipped. Not like Bandit. He was always kicking and bucking everyone off him, but he was still a good horse and I loved him. We'd go on hikes and pick blueberries and when we returned, if we picked enough then grandma would make a pie. I loved those fun-filled summers with my
grandparents, but I'd never be able to have one again. They were gone. I remember the day of their funeral. Everywhere I looked my family was crying, but me, I hadn't shed a single tear. It's not as though I wasn't sad; I mean I was miserable. It was the first time I truly ever felt the pain of depression; the pain of loosing someone that close to me, but it was not to be the last. But the reason I hadn't cried was because I knew that they wouldn't have wanted me to. My grandparents were the kind of people that would travel around the world just so I wouldn't have to feel on ounce of pain. I didn't want to disappoint them. I couldn't disappoint them.
When my mom ran off, I couldn't handle it anymore. I tried not to be upset, I tried not to show emotion but I couldn't. I just wasn't that strong. I remember the sharp sickening pain I felt when she left. I had entirely blamed myself. I mean I knew she knew I loved her, but I don't think she knew how much. She was always so caring and sweet, but I never paid any attention to her. Lord knows she tried to be apart of my life but I just kept on shutting her out. I had thought that the only person I needed in the world was my father. But I knew now I was wrong. Don't think that every night I don't go to sleep wondering about her, how her life is, how my life would be if she never left because I do. I wonder every night. I miss the way that she used to tuck me in. The way she used to call me her little ray of sunshine. I had always felt so proud. But I never told her. All I would do was push her aside and ask for my dad. I didn't know it then, but I was hurting her more every
time I did that. I wished so much now that I could go back and change things. But if I saw my mother now, I don't know what I'd do. It wasn't as though I'd run into her arms, weep uncontrollably and we'd both leave happily ever after. She was the one who did this to us. She didn't have to leave. I'm pretty sure I could never forgive her.
"Are you coming?" Soda asked me.
I looked around and without even knowing it we had arrived back at the Curtis' house. I felt a little embarrassed since I wasn't exactly sure how long I'd been sitting there.
"Oh," I said smiling at him, "Yeah, sorry, I'm coming."
We walked up the rickety stairs that I had spent so many nights sitting on. I could here the noise that came from inside the house and laughed in spite of myself. If only the people who fear these boys so much could see them now, wrestling, playing poker, eating cake and watching Mickey Mouse. But as soon as we opened the door it instantly became quiet.
I looked around to find four blank looking faces staring back at me. At first I was a little uncomfortable. But as soon as I saw Two-Bit crack his famous smile my nerves were more relaxed.
"Well, well, well," Two-Bit said walking over to us, "It's about time you two kids showed up." He said this while affectionately punching Soda in the ribs. "And all this time, I thought Kat here was falling for the ol' Two-Bit."
That's what I liked about Two-Bit, he could always break up an uncomfortable moment. No matter how awkward. I looked over to see Ponyboy sitting on the couch blushing. I knew that he thought we'd done more than we had and as strange it might be, I'd have to talk to him and explain that nothing happened.
"Well little buddy," Darry said putting his strong hand on Soda's shoulder, "good thing you told me you might be out all night or I would have skinned you." Then he grabbed Soda and put him in a gentle headlock and began messing up his hair. Just as I was feeling at ease Steve came over to me with a stern look on his face.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked in all seriousness.
"Why'd I do what?" I asked him. What was he talking about?
"You know," he continued, "Why'd you go out with Soda. You know you can do better than one of us."
"Steve what's gotten in to you?" I asked confused. I didn't understand. I thought of all people that Steve would be the happiest to see Soda and I together but apparently I was wrong. Really wrong.
"I just don't want to see you get hurt ok," he said this and stalked over to the table to count his money from poker. There was something about the way he had said it that really bothered me. Was it wrong to jump into a relationship with out knowing hardly anything about Soda? No. Steve was just being his over-protective self. I was sure of it.
The next few days were kind of slow. Soda had to work most of the week so I just stayed at home with Ponyboy. Two-Bit occasionally came over and we'd have some fun but it was usually just me and Pony. He was a real special kid the kind that's always doing intelligent things like reading and writing. Though he seemed to be a little depressed. As though there was a part of him that was missing. I didn't exactly know what and it wasn't my place to ask him so I just kept to myself.
One morning I was washing the dishes while Pony was quietly watching some western movie and I saw a car pull up. I assumed it was Two-Bit or Soda home early so I picked up another mug. But when I heard the sound of knocking I realized it couldn't be one of them. They would've just barged right in. Since Pony was really into his movie and I didn't want to disturb him, I told him that I'd answer the door.
I pulled open the wooden front door to find a women standing with her back to me through the screen.
"Can I help you?" I asked politely. The women turned around and I could feel my eyes get wider with the sight of her. Everything went quiet except for the sound of the mug I was holding slipping out of my hands and shattering on the hard floor beneath me. I stood there in complete shock.
"Hello Katty dear." She said.
I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. What was she doing here? How could she have found me? Then the words came to me.
"Mom?"
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