THREE:
"Come on Pony, just chose a top already!" Mandy complained Friday night. I had pulled on one of the two shirts I owned (both presents from Mandy) but the collar was tight around my neck, and I pulled at it angrily.
Mandy was sitting on my bed watching me get dressed. At first she was patient, but now that she'd been sitting there for nearly ten minutes she had that familiar "I've just about had all I can take" look on her face. She was dressed in a nice black dress with her hair bound up on her head.
"Well I'm just not comfortable in shirts Mandy, you know that. This collars going to choke me." I complained. "Why couldn't we go somewhere where you don't have to wear slacks and shirts?"
"Because," Mandy said slowly. "This is where everyone goes Pony. You can't be a greaser your whole life. You can't wear T-shirts and jeans your whole life!"
I glared at her as I did my shirt up. I thought it was perfectly acceptable for me to go through life as a greaser. After all Soda and Darry were greasers and they did all right didn't they? And what the heck was wrong with T-shirts and jeans? "Don't see why not." I mumbled.
"I meant you have to look presentable some times Pony," Mandy explained. "You're at college now, things are different here. That's why I bought you those shirts and slacks."
"So I could go to swanky bars with snobby socs?" I asked before I could help myself.
Mandy's face went pale. "I'm sorry if you don't like my choice in bars and friends Ponyboy. Maybe you'd be better off staying here tonight." She said stiffly.
I sighed as I did the last button up and went over to sit next to her on the bed. "Mandy I didn't mean that." I assured her. "It's just I'm not used to things like this. I thought you liked me the way I am."
"I DO!" Mandy assured me. "I've never tried to make you into anything else have I Pony? It's just your eighteen now, you're in college and soon you'll be out in the real world. It's a little different to life back home don't you think?"
I thought about it. I could hardly see any of the gang wearing shirts and slacks and going to a bar. But then none of the gang were at college, none of them had the ambition I had in my life. And just because I got dressed up to go out once didn't mean I was any different; I was still a greaser! And could it possibly hurt me?
"I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of it Mandy." I told her. "You're right of course- it's just clothes. But god if the gang could see me like this they'd die of laughter."
"Let them." Mandy said haughtily. "And when you've got your degree and are a famous writer on a huge salary are you going to care who laughs at you?"
I laughed. "They'll all be begging me for money." I said. "Especially Two- Bit. I was speaking to Soda and he said Two-Bit's parents are nagging him to death to get a job."
Mandy stood up and grabbed her bag, while I stuffed my wallet and keys into my pocket. "You mean he still doesn't have one?" She asked rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, well you know Two-Bit, I guess he's waiting for his dream job." I said with a shrug.
"If we all waited for our dream job we'd all be on social security for years. Sometimes you have to settle for second best." Mandy said.
I shrugged. Mandy had a point of course, but I sometimes got the impression she wasn't exactly slow to critisice the gang. I'm not saying she didn't get along with them because she did. In the few years we'd been a couple she'd spent a lot of time at my place so she got used to them and even had fun with them on occasions. But ever since we'd arrived at college she'd been even worse. I knew for her college was an opportunity to leave her old life behind and become the person she'd always wanted to be, but it wasn't the case for me. I had every intention of returning home when I'd finished and writing from my familiar old house. As far as I was concerned the past wasn't something I wanted to erase.
"Pony? What are you waiting for?" Mandy demanded impatiently, and I hurried out of the room with her.
"Anyway Soda was also saying Darry had a girlfriend." I continued.
"About time." Mandy replied. "I always wondered why he didn't have a girlfriend. He's not exactly the hunchback of Notre Dame is he?"
"But when I asked Soda about him getting a girlfriend he was quite adamant he didn't need one." I said with a sigh. "I thought that he was over Sandy, but clearly some wounds are a lot deeper than others."
"He just needs time." Mandy advised. "And after all it's up to him. You can't run everyone's life Pony."
"Huh?" I asked stopping and turning to her. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing!" She said starting to walk, but I grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Mandy, is there something you want to say?"
Mandy looked at me, and then raised her head defiantly. "Okay, there is!" She said calmly. "Pony I understand you love your family, and friends. And that's fine. But you're a college man now, not a kid. Sometimes I just wish you'd grow up a little that's all."
"Grow up?" I repeated frowning.
"Well look at the way you were carrying on about wearing nice clothes for a change Pony!" Mandy said. "You're not like an average greaser Pony- you're smarter and nicer.." She trailed off.
I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair. What on earth was wrong with her? Since when had she ever complained about me being a greaser? I was about to ask her this when she sighed and spoke again. "Look Pony, if you want to be a greaser all your life then it's fine with me. I love you regardless."
"It didn't sound like that." I said.
"I wasn't saying I don't love you!" Mandy protested. "I met you and fell in love with you as a greaser for god's sake. I just think that you need to be a bit more mature about things sometimes."
"Like clothes?" I asked incredulously.
"Among things." She admitted.
"We've never had a conversation like this in the last few years Mandy, why now?" I asked.
"I don't know." She said looking away. "I guess it's just been bugging me a little since we arrived here. But look Pony, like I said I love you regardless, so don't worry about it all right? We're not going to fight over clothes are we?"
"Of course not." I said with the best grin I could muster. "Let's get to this place. What time is Randy getting there?"
"Eightish I think." Mandy said as we kept walking.
As we walked we were silent. I was thinking about what Mandy had said; what had made her talk about it? Why had she suddenly decided that I shouldn't be a greaser anymore? What was so wrong with greasers? That was who I was, wasn't it?
"Pony, you're thinking about it aren't you?" Mandy asked.
"No." I lied.
"Good because I didn't really mean it. I was just frustrated at you complaining about the clothes. I think you're mature enough, and great enough as you are!" She assured me.
I smiled again, and took her hand as we walked. She wasn't fooling me- there was clearly something at the back of her mind to even begin a discussion like this! But for now, for tonight, I wasn't going to think about it- I was going to be mature and grown up and enjoy the bar!
"Come on Pony, just chose a top already!" Mandy complained Friday night. I had pulled on one of the two shirts I owned (both presents from Mandy) but the collar was tight around my neck, and I pulled at it angrily.
Mandy was sitting on my bed watching me get dressed. At first she was patient, but now that she'd been sitting there for nearly ten minutes she had that familiar "I've just about had all I can take" look on her face. She was dressed in a nice black dress with her hair bound up on her head.
"Well I'm just not comfortable in shirts Mandy, you know that. This collars going to choke me." I complained. "Why couldn't we go somewhere where you don't have to wear slacks and shirts?"
"Because," Mandy said slowly. "This is where everyone goes Pony. You can't be a greaser your whole life. You can't wear T-shirts and jeans your whole life!"
I glared at her as I did my shirt up. I thought it was perfectly acceptable for me to go through life as a greaser. After all Soda and Darry were greasers and they did all right didn't they? And what the heck was wrong with T-shirts and jeans? "Don't see why not." I mumbled.
"I meant you have to look presentable some times Pony," Mandy explained. "You're at college now, things are different here. That's why I bought you those shirts and slacks."
"So I could go to swanky bars with snobby socs?" I asked before I could help myself.
Mandy's face went pale. "I'm sorry if you don't like my choice in bars and friends Ponyboy. Maybe you'd be better off staying here tonight." She said stiffly.
I sighed as I did the last button up and went over to sit next to her on the bed. "Mandy I didn't mean that." I assured her. "It's just I'm not used to things like this. I thought you liked me the way I am."
"I DO!" Mandy assured me. "I've never tried to make you into anything else have I Pony? It's just your eighteen now, you're in college and soon you'll be out in the real world. It's a little different to life back home don't you think?"
I thought about it. I could hardly see any of the gang wearing shirts and slacks and going to a bar. But then none of the gang were at college, none of them had the ambition I had in my life. And just because I got dressed up to go out once didn't mean I was any different; I was still a greaser! And could it possibly hurt me?
"I'm sorry for making such a big deal out of it Mandy." I told her. "You're right of course- it's just clothes. But god if the gang could see me like this they'd die of laughter."
"Let them." Mandy said haughtily. "And when you've got your degree and are a famous writer on a huge salary are you going to care who laughs at you?"
I laughed. "They'll all be begging me for money." I said. "Especially Two- Bit. I was speaking to Soda and he said Two-Bit's parents are nagging him to death to get a job."
Mandy stood up and grabbed her bag, while I stuffed my wallet and keys into my pocket. "You mean he still doesn't have one?" She asked rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, well you know Two-Bit, I guess he's waiting for his dream job." I said with a shrug.
"If we all waited for our dream job we'd all be on social security for years. Sometimes you have to settle for second best." Mandy said.
I shrugged. Mandy had a point of course, but I sometimes got the impression she wasn't exactly slow to critisice the gang. I'm not saying she didn't get along with them because she did. In the few years we'd been a couple she'd spent a lot of time at my place so she got used to them and even had fun with them on occasions. But ever since we'd arrived at college she'd been even worse. I knew for her college was an opportunity to leave her old life behind and become the person she'd always wanted to be, but it wasn't the case for me. I had every intention of returning home when I'd finished and writing from my familiar old house. As far as I was concerned the past wasn't something I wanted to erase.
"Pony? What are you waiting for?" Mandy demanded impatiently, and I hurried out of the room with her.
"Anyway Soda was also saying Darry had a girlfriend." I continued.
"About time." Mandy replied. "I always wondered why he didn't have a girlfriend. He's not exactly the hunchback of Notre Dame is he?"
"But when I asked Soda about him getting a girlfriend he was quite adamant he didn't need one." I said with a sigh. "I thought that he was over Sandy, but clearly some wounds are a lot deeper than others."
"He just needs time." Mandy advised. "And after all it's up to him. You can't run everyone's life Pony."
"Huh?" I asked stopping and turning to her. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing!" She said starting to walk, but I grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Mandy, is there something you want to say?"
Mandy looked at me, and then raised her head defiantly. "Okay, there is!" She said calmly. "Pony I understand you love your family, and friends. And that's fine. But you're a college man now, not a kid. Sometimes I just wish you'd grow up a little that's all."
"Grow up?" I repeated frowning.
"Well look at the way you were carrying on about wearing nice clothes for a change Pony!" Mandy said. "You're not like an average greaser Pony- you're smarter and nicer.." She trailed off.
I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair. What on earth was wrong with her? Since when had she ever complained about me being a greaser? I was about to ask her this when she sighed and spoke again. "Look Pony, if you want to be a greaser all your life then it's fine with me. I love you regardless."
"It didn't sound like that." I said.
"I wasn't saying I don't love you!" Mandy protested. "I met you and fell in love with you as a greaser for god's sake. I just think that you need to be a bit more mature about things sometimes."
"Like clothes?" I asked incredulously.
"Among things." She admitted.
"We've never had a conversation like this in the last few years Mandy, why now?" I asked.
"I don't know." She said looking away. "I guess it's just been bugging me a little since we arrived here. But look Pony, like I said I love you regardless, so don't worry about it all right? We're not going to fight over clothes are we?"
"Of course not." I said with the best grin I could muster. "Let's get to this place. What time is Randy getting there?"
"Eightish I think." Mandy said as we kept walking.
As we walked we were silent. I was thinking about what Mandy had said; what had made her talk about it? Why had she suddenly decided that I shouldn't be a greaser anymore? What was so wrong with greasers? That was who I was, wasn't it?
"Pony, you're thinking about it aren't you?" Mandy asked.
"No." I lied.
"Good because I didn't really mean it. I was just frustrated at you complaining about the clothes. I think you're mature enough, and great enough as you are!" She assured me.
I smiled again, and took her hand as we walked. She wasn't fooling me- there was clearly something at the back of her mind to even begin a discussion like this! But for now, for tonight, I wasn't going to think about it- I was going to be mature and grown up and enjoy the bar!