Eleven:
I sighed as I leant against the airplane window watching LA disappear below me as we took off. It wasn't too long a trip but I still had some of my homework to do on the way, although I knew it was more than likely my books would remain in my backpack untouched for the journey. Darry assured me that there would be someone waiting at the airport when I arrived. I thought back to last week when I told Mandy about the tickets arriving, and Darry's impending wedding.
*****
To my surprise Mandy hadn't been completely enthusiastic about a trip back home, even for Darry's wedding. "It's really bad timing Pony." She told me frowning, leaning back in her desk chair where she'd been working when I came in. "We're just about finished with our assignment for Sociology, but we've got to present it so we're working on that."
"Yeah, but Mandy, Darry's expecting us." I argued.
"I'm sure Darry would understand that we've got other commitments." Mandy said, a touch patronizingly. "After all- we ARE in college Pony."
I frowned and sat down on her bed eyeing her thoughtfully. "You don't want to go, do you? It's not that you can't, you just don't want to."
Mandy sighed and got off the chair to come over to sit next to me on the bed. "Maybe you're right Pony." She admitted.
"But it's just for a wedding." I protested.
Mandy sighed. "I know that Pony, I just don't really want to go back. Okay so I have got a lot of work to do here, but the truth is I don't want to go back at the moment. I'd have to see my parents and that would just drag up memories I don't need right now. Not when I'm coping so well."
I sighed too. "Fine, I guess I'm going alone then." I couldn't help but be a little annoyed at her. I thought she would have wanted to go for Darry's wedding, considering she really admired my older brother for all he had done for Soda and I. They'd always got on well, in fact both often sung the other's praises to me! I had thought, considering how well our relationship had been going lately, that she'd be more than happy to go to the wedding and be part of the family.
"I guess you are." Mandy replied. "But say hello to everyone for me and tell them I'm sorry I had too much work to do to make it. Give Darry a big congratulationary hug for me!"
I shook my head. "You want me to lie for you?" I asked.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "It's not really a lie Pony- I do have a lot of work!" She protested. "And besides what are you going to say to Darry? Sorry Mandy couldn't come back because she promised herself she wouldn't until the end of semester, and then she'd have to see her parents and she doesn't want to because they don't get along. Then you could even go into details about WHY I don't get along with them, and what happened to me a few years back!"
I was a bit surprised at her outburst, so I nodded humbly and said I'd give him her message. Basically since our discussion the other week we hadn't spoken directly about what had happened to her, and there was no way I was getting into it now.
She'd sighed and leant her head against me. "I just don't think it's good timing to go back Pony, you understand don't you?"
I nodded, even though I didn't understand entirely- I knew it was because of what had happened to her, but I didn't understand how that extended to not visiting my family for a wedding. But I didn't press her to explain it to me.
*****
At the airport I heard Soda before I saw him. "PONY!" He called across the terminal, and I felt myself blush a little at his loud greeting, but nonetheless I waved back. When I reached him he gave me a huge hug, as though it had been a long time since he'd seen me when I'd only been at college a few weeks.
"It's a pity Mandy couldn't come." He said as we went to get our luggage.
I laughed, sounding forced to me. "Well you know Mandy- she's a bit of a nerd when it comes to study." I joked. "Tearing her away from her books is a pretty hard task." Mentally I thought about how Eric had expressed similar sentiments to me not too long back.
"Well she's not the only one." Soda teased me. "I seem to remember someone even reading on the toilet."
I felt my face redden again, and changed the subject slightly. "Anyway Mandy tried out for the Cheerleading squad the other week. The list goes up Monday so she's worried about that, but I was watching the tryouts and I don't think she's got anything to worry about. She easily matched it with the best. And last week I moved into the frat house, with my roomie Eric. To tell you the truth I was apprehensive at best, but so far it's been fun. There's always someone there to talk to, or to play ball with or something." I said as we waited for my bag to come out on the carousel.
Soda raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, well, who would have thought?" He asked sardonically. "My little brother has changed."
"I haven't changed!" I argued angrily. "I'm still the same old Pony."
"Sure sounds like you've changed." Soda challenged me skeptically.
I spotted my bag and grabbed it, and then we walked out to the carpark and got in our old Ford. "I haven't changed exactly," I said as we pulled out. "I just am being open to having new experiences." I sounded just like Mandy when I said it, and it was lucky she wasn't there to give me a look or something to give the game away that it was actually her idea rather than mine!
Soda nodded, and then we spent the majority of the drive catching up on all the news with the gang. Steve and Soda were still working at the garage having a great time. Darry had been promoted to a site manager at his work, the extra money was coming in useful now. Two-Bit actually got a job interview the other day, but he turned up drunk and of course didn't get the job. I smiled and leant back in my seat contentedly as Soda gave me all the details. I hadn't realised it until now, but being all the way over in LA at college, I missed the gang. Sure I had Mandy, but it wasn't the same. I thought about how our relationship was going since she'd told me what had happened to her. In my opinion it was better than ever, especially now I knew she wasn't nagging me to do things with her because she didn't like the person I was, but because she didn't like the person she was. Before I knew it Soda was pulling into the driveway and I was home.
I sighed as I leant against the airplane window watching LA disappear below me as we took off. It wasn't too long a trip but I still had some of my homework to do on the way, although I knew it was more than likely my books would remain in my backpack untouched for the journey. Darry assured me that there would be someone waiting at the airport when I arrived. I thought back to last week when I told Mandy about the tickets arriving, and Darry's impending wedding.
*****
To my surprise Mandy hadn't been completely enthusiastic about a trip back home, even for Darry's wedding. "It's really bad timing Pony." She told me frowning, leaning back in her desk chair where she'd been working when I came in. "We're just about finished with our assignment for Sociology, but we've got to present it so we're working on that."
"Yeah, but Mandy, Darry's expecting us." I argued.
"I'm sure Darry would understand that we've got other commitments." Mandy said, a touch patronizingly. "After all- we ARE in college Pony."
I frowned and sat down on her bed eyeing her thoughtfully. "You don't want to go, do you? It's not that you can't, you just don't want to."
Mandy sighed and got off the chair to come over to sit next to me on the bed. "Maybe you're right Pony." She admitted.
"But it's just for a wedding." I protested.
Mandy sighed. "I know that Pony, I just don't really want to go back. Okay so I have got a lot of work to do here, but the truth is I don't want to go back at the moment. I'd have to see my parents and that would just drag up memories I don't need right now. Not when I'm coping so well."
I sighed too. "Fine, I guess I'm going alone then." I couldn't help but be a little annoyed at her. I thought she would have wanted to go for Darry's wedding, considering she really admired my older brother for all he had done for Soda and I. They'd always got on well, in fact both often sung the other's praises to me! I had thought, considering how well our relationship had been going lately, that she'd be more than happy to go to the wedding and be part of the family.
"I guess you are." Mandy replied. "But say hello to everyone for me and tell them I'm sorry I had too much work to do to make it. Give Darry a big congratulationary hug for me!"
I shook my head. "You want me to lie for you?" I asked.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "It's not really a lie Pony- I do have a lot of work!" She protested. "And besides what are you going to say to Darry? Sorry Mandy couldn't come back because she promised herself she wouldn't until the end of semester, and then she'd have to see her parents and she doesn't want to because they don't get along. Then you could even go into details about WHY I don't get along with them, and what happened to me a few years back!"
I was a bit surprised at her outburst, so I nodded humbly and said I'd give him her message. Basically since our discussion the other week we hadn't spoken directly about what had happened to her, and there was no way I was getting into it now.
She'd sighed and leant her head against me. "I just don't think it's good timing to go back Pony, you understand don't you?"
I nodded, even though I didn't understand entirely- I knew it was because of what had happened to her, but I didn't understand how that extended to not visiting my family for a wedding. But I didn't press her to explain it to me.
*****
At the airport I heard Soda before I saw him. "PONY!" He called across the terminal, and I felt myself blush a little at his loud greeting, but nonetheless I waved back. When I reached him he gave me a huge hug, as though it had been a long time since he'd seen me when I'd only been at college a few weeks.
"It's a pity Mandy couldn't come." He said as we went to get our luggage.
I laughed, sounding forced to me. "Well you know Mandy- she's a bit of a nerd when it comes to study." I joked. "Tearing her away from her books is a pretty hard task." Mentally I thought about how Eric had expressed similar sentiments to me not too long back.
"Well she's not the only one." Soda teased me. "I seem to remember someone even reading on the toilet."
I felt my face redden again, and changed the subject slightly. "Anyway Mandy tried out for the Cheerleading squad the other week. The list goes up Monday so she's worried about that, but I was watching the tryouts and I don't think she's got anything to worry about. She easily matched it with the best. And last week I moved into the frat house, with my roomie Eric. To tell you the truth I was apprehensive at best, but so far it's been fun. There's always someone there to talk to, or to play ball with or something." I said as we waited for my bag to come out on the carousel.
Soda raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, well, who would have thought?" He asked sardonically. "My little brother has changed."
"I haven't changed!" I argued angrily. "I'm still the same old Pony."
"Sure sounds like you've changed." Soda challenged me skeptically.
I spotted my bag and grabbed it, and then we walked out to the carpark and got in our old Ford. "I haven't changed exactly," I said as we pulled out. "I just am being open to having new experiences." I sounded just like Mandy when I said it, and it was lucky she wasn't there to give me a look or something to give the game away that it was actually her idea rather than mine!
Soda nodded, and then we spent the majority of the drive catching up on all the news with the gang. Steve and Soda were still working at the garage having a great time. Darry had been promoted to a site manager at his work, the extra money was coming in useful now. Two-Bit actually got a job interview the other day, but he turned up drunk and of course didn't get the job. I smiled and leant back in my seat contentedly as Soda gave me all the details. I hadn't realised it until now, but being all the way over in LA at college, I missed the gang. Sure I had Mandy, but it wasn't the same. I thought about how our relationship was going since she'd told me what had happened to her. In my opinion it was better than ever, especially now I knew she wasn't nagging me to do things with her because she didn't like the person I was, but because she didn't like the person she was. Before I knew it Soda was pulling into the driveway and I was home.