American Misfits, chapter 2: Graduation Day.
I can't help but sense myself become more and more nervous by the minute as I sit here, in between Mr. Syme, and Mrs. Fitzgerald. I feel that I am breathing hard as I grip onto my cue cards with a deadly tightness.
I look out into the crowd, the whole Senior year class sits before me, staring up at the Principle who of course is making their tradition but pathetically boring speech about 'Moving onto the next stage in our life…..blah,blah,blah…….Like we really give a damn, most of us are joining the Peace-core or working for a sun-tanning company after this'
I blow annoyingly at the small piece of rope fabric from my hat; I move it to the side.
I'm blinded for a brief moment as a sudden flash overcomes my vision, I raise a hand up to my face and when I can finally see correctly, and the freakin' dots disappear, I spot Darry standing by the side plat-form. He wears his green-turquoise suit and is holding a camera that is as big as his head, which is big. I'm kidding, oh god, I can't even joke right now. I feel my heart pounding as if it's next beat will make it rip through my chest. Whoa, gruesome thought, actually.
I let myself be startled as someone taps me on the shoulder; I wince and quickly look to my left. Mr. Syme puts his hand on my back and gestures for me to go up, he keeps saying, "It's time, Mr. Curtis. Break a leg…….but not literally" Gosh, teachers sure weren't ever going to get over the whole Greaser thing.
I nod and as I get up from my cheap, white painted wooden foldout chair, I glance at Darry who still stands by the stage, he gives me a heads-up.
I smile quickly and look back at my class, their parents, and the teachers, as they stand on the sidelines.
I squint my eyes just a bit as I feel the sun beam down on me, it was an extremely sunny day. Just the perfect day for graduating from High school.
I try to adjust the microphone, which was a bad idea and just ends up making a loud noise; everyone flinches at the same time.
I hold back a smirk but then my heart is in my throat once more and I feel like hiding under the chair again.
I find some sort of calmness as I pick out Sodapop, Steve, Two-Bit, and their girlfriends sitting in the swarm of people.
Soda fidgets and pulls distractedly at his tie, but Mary quickly slaps his hand and points to me. He looks up at me and a huge smile spreads on his always and forever go-lucky face. He mouths "Good Luck"
I begin……….
At least not before Principle Snyder got up from his seat one more time and without even using the microphone, he shouts "Settle down, kids….er, I mean, young adults! You haven't graduated yet…..…Hey, you, yeah the one making that obscene gesture with their finger…..I saw that!, see me after graduation…….Now, listen up, we're going to hear some words from our Valedictorian, Ponyboy Curtis……Go on."
I gave him a "God, Even though you're a total idiot Principle Snyder, don't ever change" expression.
The last thing I look directly at, before I begin my speech is the huge banner that hangs opposite of me and reads "CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF '69" in big red-letters.
This was all happening. The youngest Greaser was moving on, but why wasn't I the least frightened? I wasn't afraid of what was going to happen to me in college, maybe some 'butterflies in my stomach', okay, a swarm of butterflies! But it wasn't anything horrifying like I had thought it would be years ago, hell, I didn't even think I would make it this far. I always knew I was……bright. But I just thought some circumstance would have me drop out of school along the way.
That sure didn't happen. It was more like the opposite, every time something did happen; Darry wanted me to try even harder in my studies. I think he meant a lot by this, as if both Soda and him wanted me to be…….different, be something more than just a Greaser. Even though I didn't have a problem with that, or did I really?
I didn't see Darry, Sodapop, even Steve, and Two-Bit as just Greasers, I saw them as my friends, my brothers, really neat guys.
But back to my speech…………
"They say high-school are our Golden Years, these are the days that we're going to look back on and smile upon……..Whoever said that was seriously mistaken and disturbed,(Small laughter from the crowd)……High school is not at all fun and hugs, it's torture, everyone and I mean everyone has problems, ups and downs, your high points and your not so high points. Whether you're a good student or a bad one, Popular or un-popular, Greaser or Soc…….We all go through this…….thing is…….We learn from them as well. These years shape what we are going to be, become. They somehow give you a…..sense on who you are, or want to be. Either you're going to be the most successful person in this group of students or not. No one really knows, and to tell you the truth, most of us really don't care if your sitting beside the next Clark Gable or even better, the next astronaut to actually land on the moon.(Snickers, and small "You got that right!")……. I say, let's not worry about that right now. You have your whole life ahead of you to think about this. Some of you probably will never even find who you really are but do you actually want to? That's the question that is in everyone's head. What's going to happen to me? What's going to happen to my friends?……..No one knows. We just have to wait and see…….So, let's not look back at the past and miss those days, but instead, look ahead for the future and what new memories we're going to make of it. A step forward not backwards. Good-bye class of '69 and hello…….Our life."
Applause erupted from the crowd as I finished, I couldn't help but smile brightly as everyone got up and cheered. For me? My speech? I didn't know, and didn't care but I liked the feeling of it. It was not as bad as I had thought it would be. I had actually had the notion that after finishing I would blow up into a million pieces, or worse, throw-up on the stage but now, now that feeling of nervousness was gone and all was left was……..Satisfaction, dwelling in everyone's applause and shouts of approval from the teachers.
I bowed my head somewhat and continue to smile; I turned to the side to see Darry. He had a strange expression on his face. As if I had just caught him doing something wrong, he absently looks down at his feet and still holding his camera, he stares up at me and a grin appears on his face. "Way to go, little brother" He said, loud enough for me to hear over everyone.
This time it was my turn to do the "Darry Move", I shoved my hands into my pockets, bashfully.
I glance at Sodapop and Darry as they sit on my right, looking down at my diploma. They were reading down it, for what I counted as the millionth time. Even Two-Bit was there, he held a magnifying glass over it. Was he checking if it was real? Wow, How much faith those guys have in me. Feeling the love in this corner.
Darry is touching, subconsciously, at his chin and nodding with approval as he studies the piece of paper. Steve suddenly came from behind him and looked down "Hmm, wow, can't believe the twerp actually made it" He commented, but I knew that was his of saying "Good for you, Ponyboy. I knew you could do it"
Evie wrapped her arms around his waist and said "Yeah, you know, honey…….I could of gotten one of those" Obviously talking about the diploma.
"Really? If she can, then I'm pretty sure Fred Flinstone could too" Soda muttered, Steve poked him in the back, then turned to Evie "Baby, you got to finish high-school to get one of these….…..But it doesn't matter, I'd love you either way" He responded, nuzzling her neck. Evie shrugged him off "I could, I know someone who could get me one…….I have my connections"
"Connections to…….What? Some guy who can sneak you a free hamburger from McDonalds" Two-Bit piped in, laughing, like always at his own lame joke.
Darry elbowed him, well actually, he elbowed Sodapop, and Soda fell to his side, making him elbow Two-Bit. "Hey!" the two Greasers bellowed in unison.
Darry smirked and pretended not to hear, he continued to look down at the diploma.
I shook my head, and a good roll of my eyes; I turned away from my bickering family to look up front at the stage.
"……..Catherine Fargo, Stephanie Fegbert, Carl Frelance,………"
Yes, we were in the F's finally!
"……….Angel Figoro, Anthon Figar, Magaly Figrosa,……….Maria Figueroa"
There she was, I sat up straighter in my seat as I tried looking overheads that were seated in front of me. I managed to sneak a peak ahead towards the aisle, which was where she sat.
"Hey, Pony, they even spelled your name right" Two-Bit observed still on the freakin' subject of the stupid piece of paper.
"My name is not hard to spell" I replied, still keeping my vision directed to Maria, as she smiled curtly, she seemed to…..glow as she was up there, she radiate somehow. Don't ask me how. The only thing that was different about her than the night we shared was she wore her dark hair loose, it fell over her shoulders. "Yeah, but they usually put a space between the Pony and the Boy" Two-Bit continued to put his two-cents in.
"You noticed that too! Jeez, I hate when they do that, and it's not even my name" Soda remarked, as he took the beer that was handed to him by Mary, she had gone to the Counter store down the street and must of brought it.
I made a double take as I saw Sodapop open it, my eyes widened "Soda, you can't be drinking a beer here" I hissed, whispering.
He shrugged "Don't worry, Pony, I'll drink it up fast"
I made a noise, clearly getting annoyed and turned away from them, crossing my arms. "Don't get your briefs in a twat, Ponyboy,……I've been drinking one ever since I got here" Two-Bit said, holding up another beer bottle from his jacket.
I glared but tried not to pay any attention to them, of course Darry half-threatened and told them to throw it out…….Or the bottles would be shoved up their………..Need I finish?
I saw Maria as she sauntered to her seat with a smirk, I grinned as she threw her diploma that was laced in red ribbon mid-air and a man that sat before her (Must have been her step-father) caught it, laughing.
"Congratulations Class of '69…….you are, and I'm very honored to say this……..You have all just graduated from Tulsa High" Principle Snyder announced, even though we already knew that, and this time he used the microphone.
As if everyone was in some sort of trance, including myself, suddenly got up on their feet and threw our hats up into the air, all could be seen for moments were those pointed things at the end in the sky, I soon remembered that the school had posted a notice to all seniors that we were not suppose to throw our hats up into the air after the ceremony. But they would only be ruining an extremely good stereotype that we seniors, or at least use to be seniors get every year.
Then the answer to why the school board didn't want us to throw them was…..heard?……
"OW!" voices shrieked from all over.
"Watch out……their coming down" Darry warned as he put my head down, as well as everyone else did. It was like we were just being bombed for War World III,……..kind of cool.
"Ponyboy! Stand over there, I want you to take a picture with me and Soda, holding your diploma" Darry instructed, more like ordered me as he handed his camera to Two-Bit who grumbled as he was interrupted his flirting with some kid's single mother.
"Again!" I moaned, rolling my eyes the thousandth time today and sighing loudly. Soda hit me upside the head and put me in a headlock, he rubbed his fist into my hair. "Come on, kid brother, don't whine, suck it up" He said, with a good-heartedly laugh. I managed to quickly get out of his grasp and pull his arm behind his back. I was as tall as him now, just as strong as him too, sometimes our "play fights" could last hours until Darry would slam our heads together to stop. "You keep forgetting, Pepsi-Cola, I ain't a kid anymore" I replied, through clenched teeth as we wrestled. "Yeah, but I'm still older……wiser"
"You two" Mary said, as she watched us and giggled.
We were suddenly pulled apart and I felt an arm over my neck, "I'm always going to be the oldest and wisest" Darry's voice cut in, "kid brothers" he added, chuckling. Even though Darrel was older, 24, and even though I said I was more built, my older brother was still always going to be the strongest of the three of us, hell, out of the gang. He would until the end of time, be Superman.
"Say Cheese" I looked up to see Two-Bit's grinning face, right before I was once more blinded by that damn camera flash.
I shook my head, dazed, as I looked around. We were standing in the crowded courtyard of Tulsa High, everywhere I turned I could see the use-to-be high school students, in there, what I've come to already get use to, red robes. I observed the Socs as they made-faces from the pecks their classy-looking mothers gave them on the cheek. Then I looked over at the Greasers who practically wanted to run away as their mothers gave them too sloppy kisses on their cheeks. The only thing I could think of was that I was strangely going to miss all of this. I didn't understand why, if you had told me a year back I that I would be thinking that, I would of thought you were mental and said "Hell no!" but even as I watch my worst enemies, I find myself going to miss them. Miss this school, miss being with my friends.
A group of people began to move, revealing a girl I had kept my eye on through-this whole ceremony.
She was talking with a few of her friends. She turned her head and as she saw me, she smiled slightly and nodding to her friends, she said something and began walking away from them. I stood there, watching as she came closer to me.
"Just the Pony I wanted to see," She said.
I grinned "And just the…….Maria I wanted to see" I replied
"……..Wanted to tell you, great speech you made up there." I noticed she didn't have her glasses on, well, duh! That's probably because I rolled over on them……..
"You're just saying that"
"No, I mean it……..Wow, look what this graduation has done to me……..I'm actually being nice, I feel a hug coming on" She said, enthusiastically.
I smiled "Woah, don't go talking crazy there…..Hug? Madness" I joked.
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at me, maybe because of the still beaming sun, even though it was going to be late afternoon now.
"I know, what am I thinking……..But that will probably sub-side another minute with my parents……..Will I see you over at The Dingo? I'm going with some friends over there, heard almost everyone is going. Sort of an after party kind of thing"
"I heard about that too", it was some plan that most of the seniors had thought of. They would somehow sneak out of their parties that the majority were being held for them and all meet up at "The Dingo" to have their own party, the point of it was to not have overly-proud parents, noisy little cousins, and their grandmothers who get a little too cozy with them there.
I nodded "Maybe, I'll see you……."
"Stevie, I want too dance…." Evie complained, as she tugged at Steve's sleeve.
"Don't worry, Baby, we're going to the club soon…….Ponyboy! Say good-bye to your little girlfriend, and get your ass over here! Mind you, but some people want to get drunk-
"And laid! future college-boy" Two-Bit finished Steve's sentence
"Preaching to the choir, here" Soda said, laughing, as he wrapped his arm around Mary and pulled her closer to him.
"You heard them, Pony" Darry added, his shoulders shrugging.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right over, hold your horses" I yelled over, beckoning them off.
I saw Maria laughing as I turned back to her "Is that your family?" She asked, pointing and waving at Two-Bit who, was……waving back at her? Damn, he really was going to get his ass kicked by me.
"Part of them, thank god"
"Ponyboy, you rock my world!" A by passer, actually, it was Bryon Douglass, Angela Shepherds ex, and apparently, my foe said in a mock girly voice. I looked down at my feet; I could feel myself turning a shade of pink. Maria was laughing some more.
I gazed up at her "Are you laughing at me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I can see why you were picked Valedictorian, Mr. State The Obvious…….and what are you going to do if I was?" She teased, tilting her head slightly to the side, and sizing me up.
A half-smile/smirk appeared on the side of my mouth. "……Something damn…..manly!"
"Oh, how macho, you be-still my heart" She said, pounding lightly on her chest, over her heart.
"Aw…….Sit on it, you see, something embarrassing is going to happen to you and I'm going to laugh……hard……in your face" I threatened jokingly.
She pursed her lips together and crossed her arms "Whatever you say, Sherlock"
Then suddenly, a voice washed over us like a pin dropped on needles.
"Sweetie, Sweetie, Stand up straighter, you're not waiting in line at a ATM machine. When talking to someone, especially a male, you must stand with your back straight to show your elegance and manners……and you must hold out your chest to show your-"
Instantly, I saw Maria go red and quickly turn around "Ma! ……I got it!" She said, embarrassingly
"Unclench those teeth at this moment, young lady……..You could shatter them. I don't want you to end up like those 40-something-year-old women who already wear false teeth," A woman with short light brunette hair, wearing a navy dress that ended at her knees, and a heavily made-up face with lots of jewelry advised.
"Like you, Ma?" Maria remarked.
"Sarcasm is not for a lady"
"Oh, but that wasn't sarcasm…….it was more like direct humor….."
"Cut the crap, Maria……..Let's go, I think your friends are eyeing my 1950's collectors Mercedes kinda of funny….." What looks like, Maria's stepfather, a man with already white-hair but a middle-age looking face whined. He also wore a navy suit (Matched with his wife).
"Then why the hell you bring here!" She argued, dropping her head into her hands and shaking it franticly.
"Calm down, Victor, Calm down" Maria's mother said.
"I am clam, Marion. Calm is my middle name"
"I thought it was Lavelle?"
"It is……It's a figure of speech, Marion……A figure of speech……and I told you to never say my middle name out-loud like that"
Maria slowly turned around to me, I kept on snickering "Look who's laughing now" I said, not holding back my laughter……at all.
But I noticed something………Maybe, I shouldn't make a big deal out of this…….But I can pretty much tell Maria came from a wealthy family. Just looking at her parents, you could get the picture.
"You're a……..You're a Soc?" I come out without even realizing I had.
She winced as if I had just offended her. "No" She plainly answered. I didn't know what else to say, I think she noticed my change in mood "Pony, I might come from a family with……god, money, but I assure you, I'm not a Soc and you have to understand, that term is hardly used anymore…….The only reason why I have…….again, and I'm not fond of just saying this…..money, is because two years ago my step-dad won the lottery and actually not being an idiot like most people think he is, or is it just me- he invested in stocks and started …….You know, that Italian restaurant on the corner of Fifth Street?"
"You mean "Big Al's Figuero"?"
She nodded "Yup, well that's my parents business…."
I arched both eyebrows "Your step-dad is Big Al?" I asked, feeling at ease on the whole Soc thing, Maria and her family had a lucky break and worked hard to have what they have now.
"His name is actually Victor, I don't know why he picked Big Al, I don't even know what goes on in that man's head……So, you're not freaked?" She asked, eyeing me.
"Freaked? Me? No" I replied, shrugging and trying to come across as if I hadn't notice anything in the first place, I was failing at it.
"Okay, yeah, I'm not freaked anymore" I said, truthfully
She flashed me a grin and I couldn't help but smile, I leaned in a little, just as we both turned, we heard a "Hey, you two!"
Two-Bit stood there, holding Darry's camera again. Before we could even object or put our hands up to our faces to hide from it, he flashed us.
"CLICK"
I never did meet up with Maria at the Dingo after that encounter; I had a sudden change of plans.
We did go to the club though, but Evie ended up getting food-poisoning from a basket of chicken fingers she had earlier to eat and Steve got drunk only twenty minutes of being there. Soda had to drive them home, since they had borrowed his car, plus, Mary sprained her ankle as she was dancing with Soda, he also had to drop her and I guess Evie as well down at the hospital, since Steve is seeing Pink Bunnies now, he has to stay with the two. I couldn't complain and told him he didn't have to feel bad for leaving me, but he promised he'd make it up to me…………I hope with a brand new shiny car. I can dream.
I'm sitting at a table with Two-Bit who wasn't in the mood to go get laid anymore since, get this, his feelings were hurt by some butch women who called him a "Little Man". He kept stirring his drink with a straw and muttering "I'm little…..well, she's huge"
Darry was at the bar, believe it or not, now and days he does it more often…….Flirting with the girl bartender.
"So, what's your name?" He asked, leaning on the pedestal and counter to his side. "Faith" The woman replied, not very amused to have Darry there, trying to find love in her.
"Oh, is it spelled F-A-T-E or F-A-I-T-H?" Where the hell was
he going with this?
"The second one" She answered, yawning.
"Oh" He said again "What's you sign?"
"Aries" She cleaned a glass with a small white towel.
"You know what they say about Aries, don't you?" Darry continued his …….flirting or whatever it was.
"No, what?" Faith looked at him directly now.
"…..Well, I don't know…….I think it was for Virgo's but give me a minute and I can think of something……(to himself) what was it?……….Oh, wait, I got it…….They're-…." Darry raised his finger as if he had a point and turned back to the bartender but she had already walked away from him.
"Two-Bit, you still thinking about doing that road-trip thing?" I asked, over the deafening music.
"Think? Oh no, I know I'm going to do it……to find-
I interrupted "Yourself, yeah, you told us"
"Hey, I hear hostility. No need for that, peace" Two-Bit said, messing my hair up. I slapped his hand away.
"…..Whoa. Whoa! I... I think I'm having a thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a thought. Now I'm having a plan...Now I'm having an idea…….Pony, come with me! On the quest to finding the real Keith Matthews. The man behind the ruggedly good looks. Who is Keith 'Two-Bit' Matthews?-…"
I interrupted again. Sorry, but with Two-Bit. He was like a kid with ADD on crack! If you didn't stop him, he'd keep going and going and going and going and going and going……..and going.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm still thinking about it" I responded, nodding.
"Don't think, say yes……..You only get an offer like this once in a life time, Pon"
"I can do it any summer" I replied.
"Yeah, but you can only do it the summer before school once" He had point. Two-Bit actually had a point. Wow, time has changed for the wicked.
"……um…er…." I didn't know what to say next. Should I? Should I go with him on this road-trip, on this overly-stated quest on finding the……blah,blah,blah……..?
"And don't worry, I got it all planned out, I even dream about this! I got the maps marked, a car which I borrowed from a guy I know named Charlie. He's a big guy, so we would have to be careful with it or you'd be seeing me with my arms ripped off, if you know what I mean, OK I pretty much told you what I mean"
With Two-Bit babbling, it gave me time to think. It sounded like a good idea but I knew there was a catch, no, a circumstance…….and I just realized what that circumstance was.
"No, no, I can't. If I go with you, then it wouldn't give me enough time to go back here and get my stuff ready for Cali." I turned the proposal down, shaking my head.
"…. Your right" He said, glumly. We were silent for a bit, then, he started once more.
"Woah again, I got it, I got it…….Wow, I'm on a roll here!" Two-Bit rambled, excitedly.
"What? What is it?" I egged on.
"You can still come. Just pack up your stuff now, and our last trip…….I'd drop you off in L.A, it's genius, am I great or am not great?"
"Two-Bit that's the most well-thought out idea you have ever had," I said, slowly. Still not believing what I heard, then I broke out into cheer and I felt like hugging him. I slammed the side of my fist on the table and say "I'm in!"
Two-Bit clapped, "Yup, Curtis and Matthews…….. I can see it now"
"See what now? Your over-due rent money I hope" Darry commented as he came to the table, and sat down.
"Nope, I'm going on that road-trip with Two-Bit. He's going to take me to California" I said, smiling broadly.
Darry looked at me oddly, "Are you outta your mind?"
I frowned "Why? What's so wrong about it?" I asked
"Nothing, it's just…….Are you sure? I mean, your going to be in a car……all day……driving……with Two-Bit, and you can't escape from him……I should know, I have to deal with him all day, he's like a child, and you have to take care of him"
"Um, STILL HERE!" Two-Bit barked, raising his hand.
"I know what I'm doing, Dar……..And hey, if he becomes too much…..I can just push him out of the car" We ignored the twenty-two-year-old's-frantic waving of his arm.
"hahahahaha, how funny you are not" Two-Bit grumbled, sitting back in his seat.
"Well……..Don't tell me I didn't warn you two" That was the last thing Darry said on the subject.
I was set.
A/N: Review, please. For the next chapter, I'm probably not going to write about the whole trip with Two-Bit, just the part where he drops Ponyboy off at the UCLA campus, he goes on and starts the wackiness or not so wacky life that is known as his College Years and a surprise (Well, I don't really know if it's a surprise or not) lies ahead.