SEVEN:

"Ponyboy Curtis the frat boy? Who would ever have thought?" a voice behind me said, and I turned around to see Randy grinning at me. I was standing in the lounge room of the fairly luxurious frat house, wondering whether I could fit in with the people who were wandering around. They were all like Eric- rich kids who'd always gotten their own way, and probably always would. Most of them were probably only at college to please their parents. In fact, they were probably just like the socs back home, except they were the Californian versions! Eric had introduced me to the president, Daniel, who had looked at me for a moment, and then back at Eric, before welcoming me. "Eric speaks very highly of you Pony." And then the two had wandered off in discussion leaving me standing in the lounge room looking, and feeling, like a moron. So in all honesty I was actually pretty grateful for Randy's coming over to speak to me.

"Oh, hi." I said, a little uncomfortably. Even though after Bob's death I got to know Randy a lot better I never felt completely natural around him, as though I couldn't really be myself. I wondered what the gang would say if they knew we were not really friends, but spoke to each other on occasions. Unlike myself they never spoke to socs, other than to insult them that is. And while I didn't really speak to any, Randy and I'd always had some kind of silent understanding after Bob's death, and I knew that he was actually a pretty good guy. "Are you in this frat too?"

Randy nodded. "My Father was in it, and my cousin was President a few years back. It's something of a family tradition. I didn't see you at any of the pledge events though."

"I didn't exactly pledge." I admitted. And then I told him about how the president owed Eric a favor, which I had no idea of, and he'd agreed to let me join.

Randy looked surprised. "It must be a pretty big favor. I've never heard of anything like that happening before."

"I have no idea, I don't even really know what I'm doing here to be honest." I admitted. "I think I sort of wanted to prove something to Mandy."

"What does she think?" Randy asked.

I shrugged. "I haven't seen her since this morning. She's studying, and probably practicing for cheerleader tryouts tomorrow, and Eric and I came over here pretty much straight away." I explained. "But you can bet she'll be pleased."

Randy laughed. "She probably likes the idea of dating a frat boy."

I sighed and wished I could smoke in the house. What kind of home was it going to be if I couldn't even do the things I was used to doing at home? "Perhaps, perhaps not." I said. "To tell you the truth she's been acting kind of strange lately. She flares up about the least little thing and she tells me it's because she wants me to grow up and experience things in college...I don't know though." Immediately after I'd spoken I was shocked. Was I confiding in Randy the soc?

Randy looked thoughtful. "Pony, I shouldn't say anything, but there's some things about Mandy you don't know..and judging by what you just said you probably should know.." He said. "Look come outside with me. I'm dying for a cigarette."

I followed him outside curiously, and we both lit up our cigarettes. Randy didn't speak until he'd had two big drags. "Has Mandy ever told you that the two of us go way back?" He asked.

I stared at him. This was news to me. As far as I'd known Mandy had lived in New York all her life until she moved to our town a few years back. And as far as I'd known Randy had lived in our town all his life.

"We used to go to summer camp together every year. All our parents used to pack us off there from when we were about ten until we were fifteen or sixteen. In all honesty it was actually a pretty nice place, set on a lake where we had tones of activities to chose from, and we even had a five-star chef! It was a holiday for us and our parents!" Randy said, leaning against the stone railings on the steps. "Anyway, Mandy and I got to know each other well- we always got on well. Don't look at me like that Pony, we were nothing more than friends, and we never will be! Mandy, as you no doubt know, is the sort of girl everyone wants to be friends with- both guys and girls. When she was fifteen Mandy developed a crush on one of the instructors there, the boating instructor if my memory serves me correctly. She wasn't the only one to have a crush on him, but she was the only one who he actually paid any attention to. They'd flirt together and Mandy was having the time of her life. One night he convinced her to sneak out and go for a midnight swim with him. But it turned out swimming wasn't exactly what he had in mind. He raped her Pony. Mandy was devastated of course, and she went home straight away. Her parents thought she was making it up to get home and they actually grounded her! So the bastard got away with it, and for all we know he could have tried it again since. This was about a year before Mandy moved to our town by the way. So when Mandy keeps talking about making a new life, trying new things, Pony she's not trying to change you- she's trying to change her. I don't think she ever completely got over it, but a few months after you two started going out she confided in me and told me that being with you was helping her get over her demons. All might have been fine and perhaps she wouldn't have been so adamant about becoming the new Mandy if she hadn't seen the bastard on the first day here. He's a student here, and I think it brought it all back for her. She only mentioned it to me, and when I wanted to talk about it, she refused and said she was fine. But if you're having problems because of her new attitude, well it's not because of you, or really even because of her. It's because of what happened in the past..."

I was shocked. I opened my mouth to speak but no words could come out. In part I was a little relieved that Mandy's "new experiences, new life" attitude wasn't anything to do with me, but the majority of me was shocked and saddened. How could someone have hurt her so badly? And how come she'd never told me? And lastly a tiny part of me was angry- not at Mandy, but at the bastard who'd done this.

"Mandy's going to kill me of course." Randy said, flicking his cigarette away. "But I know how much she loves you Pony, and you seem to love her as much. Losing you would kill her, and perhaps if you didn't know the real reason behind her recent attitude change she might have lost you."

I was touched. Randy must really care about Mandy to do this. And the fact that it was me, the guy who was involved in his best friend's death a few years back, made it even more obvious. "Randy, thanks. I would never have expected you to do something like this with me being involved in it, but thanks.."

Randy knew what I was talking about, and his face went slightly red. "I've told you before Pony, I know Bob was no saint. He really did deserve what he got. Johnny was only trying to save your life."

"Yeah...well..." I muttered equally embarrassed. I have enough trouble talking about this with the gang, let alone a soc! Luckily I was saved by Eric calling me from the doorway, relieving the tension.

"YO! Pony! I've bagged us the best room in the place. Another little favor." He winked. "Come and see it." And he disappeared back into the house.

Beside me Randy frowned. "What did he do I wonder?" He asked me in a low voice.

I shrugged. "I really don't know, but the chances are I'll know soon enough. Eric's not exactly the quiet type."

Randy laughed. "I noticed." He said.

"Well I better go look at this room, and then I'm going over to see Mandy. And don't worry Randy, she won't hate you for this. More likely she's going to be glad it's no longer a deep, dark secret. Sharing it will make her feel better." I promised as I started up the steps.

"I know it'll make her feel better." Randy called after me. "But she'll probably kill me first before she realises that!"

I laughed and went inside.