[A/N. Sorry this chapter isn't too long, but I wanted to post something
since I've made a concerted effort to post new chapters for all my stories
this weekend. I've only got to post this one, and two others, so I should
be right. And then I can get on with my next two essays without thinking,
but I really should write some more of my stories!]
EIGHTEEN:
"Pony, get your lazy butt outta' bed." Soda said, shaking me awake the next morning. "We've got to get to the airport or you'll miss your flight."
"Go 'way." I muttered, trying to roll over and go back to sleep, but Soda wouldn't let me. The next thing I knew he was dragging me out of the bed, and I fell onto the floor, waking up with a bump. "Damn you Soda!" I complained as I got gingerly to my feet.
He grinned at me. "Screw you greaser." He said.
I didn't comment, instead I thought again about Steve's comments the night before, about how I had changed and should go back to college and not come back.
Soda appeared to be waiting for something, and I realised that normally a comment like that would start a playfight, but now that I'd started thinking about what Steve had said I wasn't in the mood. "I'm going to have a shower." I muttered, and I hurried out of the room.
The warm shower made me feel slightly better, but I wondered whether there was any way to broach the topic with Soda. I couldn't just say to him "Hey Soda, Steve reckons I've changed and I don't fit in anymore. He thinks I should stay at college and not come back. Do you feel like that?" And then even worse- what if he said "Well Steve's right- I just didn't want to say it to you. However now that you've brought the subject up I think you've practically turned into a soc Pony, so maybe Steve's right- if you left us alone we'd be a lot better off." I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts- there was no way Soda would say something like that, he was my brother for god's sake.
I went downstairs, sniffing the air. Soda had cooked bacon and eggs, and I gladly helped myself to a liberal serving. Two-Bit was sitting at the kitchen table looking half-asleep.
"Not a bad night hey Pony?" He asked through a mouthful of food.
"Yeah, not bad." I replied casually, taking a sip of my coffee.
Soda was looking at me thoughtfully. "You're going to tell her aren't you Pony?" He asked me.
I knew what he was talking about without having to ask him. "I probably will yeah." I admitted.
"Don't do it Pon." Soda advised me. "It was no big deal really, but a girl would make it into a big deal."
"Soda, Mandy and I are honest with each other." I said, putting my knife and fork down. "That's the point of a mature relationship."
Two-Bit raised an eyebrow. "Pity one of you isn't mature isn't it Pony?" He asked, but I ignored his comment.
"Listen Soda, Mandy and I've had a few problems since we started at college, and even though it's all sorted out now, and it wasn't even as bad as I thought it was, I don't want something like that to happen again." I argued.
Soda snorted. "Right so you go back and tell her what happened and you honestly think that she's not going to be mad? That she's simply going to thank you for your honesty." He shook his head. "Seriously Pony, that's not going to happen."
"What would you know?" I asked angrily. "I'm going to and get my stuff." I went upstairs and got my stuff, taking a few deep breaths. It wasn't like me to go off at Soda, at least not lately, and maybe it was because I knew he was right- telling Mandy what had happened could be like signing a death warrant on our relationship, but at the same time, I wanted to be mature and honest about things with her. Didn't that count for something?
"Ready to go Pony?" Soda asked, avoiding my eyes as I came back into the room.
I nodded soberly. Two-Bit waved to me. "See you next holidays Pony- behave yourself out there." He told me. "And eat up- I'm worried the next time I see you I won't see you. Skinny bones."
I rolled my eyes at him, and Soda and I went out to the car. The drive to the airport passed in a cold silence. Soda was clearly annoyed at me for cracking it with him, and my mind was in turmoil. It seemed like so much had happened the last few days and I didn't know how to put it all into perspective. Not only my stolen kiss, but also a realisation that I had changed, but I didn't know how much.
We went into the airport and I checked my bags and showed my ticket. Soda and I stood around near the gate waiting for my flight to be called, neither of us speaking. Eventually my flight was called.
"Well say bye to Darry for me." I muttered.
"Right. See you Pony." Soda replied.
I hesitated, wanting to say something to make things feel better, but not knowing what to say, not even knowing how Soda and my friends even felt about me anymore after Steve's comments. I sighed, and walked through to the plane.
*****
A few hours later I got off the plane in LA and looked around for Mandy, but instead I saw Randy, waving at me.
"Hi, how was the wedding?" He asked.
"Good, yeah." I replied. "Where is Mandy?"
"Um.she was busy so she asked me to come." Randy said.
Was it my imagination or did he look away when he said that? We walked through the terminal and towards his car- a flashy jeep which pretty much screamed "SOC!"
"So I saw your roommate last night at the bar. He was pretty drunk." Randy said as we drove along the freeway.
"That would be right." I said with a smile. In the few months Eric and I had been rooming together- including the short time in the frat house- I'd noticed that he certainly did drink a fair bit. I got the impression it was sort of a rebellion for him.
It wasn't long before we were back at college. I threw my things in my room and then hurried to visit Mandy. As I was walking down the steps of the frat house I heard Randy call from his window "Where are you going Pony?"
"To visit Mandy, mom." I called back, amused at his attitude.
"I said she was busy, didn't I?" Randy called to me.
"I'm sure she won't mind me coming to say hello since I've been away all weekend." I called back with a grin.
"I don't think she's in her room." Randy said slowly.
"Well I'll find out." I said with a wave. And I hurried over towards Mandy's dormitory.
EIGHTEEN:
"Pony, get your lazy butt outta' bed." Soda said, shaking me awake the next morning. "We've got to get to the airport or you'll miss your flight."
"Go 'way." I muttered, trying to roll over and go back to sleep, but Soda wouldn't let me. The next thing I knew he was dragging me out of the bed, and I fell onto the floor, waking up with a bump. "Damn you Soda!" I complained as I got gingerly to my feet.
He grinned at me. "Screw you greaser." He said.
I didn't comment, instead I thought again about Steve's comments the night before, about how I had changed and should go back to college and not come back.
Soda appeared to be waiting for something, and I realised that normally a comment like that would start a playfight, but now that I'd started thinking about what Steve had said I wasn't in the mood. "I'm going to have a shower." I muttered, and I hurried out of the room.
The warm shower made me feel slightly better, but I wondered whether there was any way to broach the topic with Soda. I couldn't just say to him "Hey Soda, Steve reckons I've changed and I don't fit in anymore. He thinks I should stay at college and not come back. Do you feel like that?" And then even worse- what if he said "Well Steve's right- I just didn't want to say it to you. However now that you've brought the subject up I think you've practically turned into a soc Pony, so maybe Steve's right- if you left us alone we'd be a lot better off." I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts- there was no way Soda would say something like that, he was my brother for god's sake.
I went downstairs, sniffing the air. Soda had cooked bacon and eggs, and I gladly helped myself to a liberal serving. Two-Bit was sitting at the kitchen table looking half-asleep.
"Not a bad night hey Pony?" He asked through a mouthful of food.
"Yeah, not bad." I replied casually, taking a sip of my coffee.
Soda was looking at me thoughtfully. "You're going to tell her aren't you Pony?" He asked me.
I knew what he was talking about without having to ask him. "I probably will yeah." I admitted.
"Don't do it Pon." Soda advised me. "It was no big deal really, but a girl would make it into a big deal."
"Soda, Mandy and I are honest with each other." I said, putting my knife and fork down. "That's the point of a mature relationship."
Two-Bit raised an eyebrow. "Pity one of you isn't mature isn't it Pony?" He asked, but I ignored his comment.
"Listen Soda, Mandy and I've had a few problems since we started at college, and even though it's all sorted out now, and it wasn't even as bad as I thought it was, I don't want something like that to happen again." I argued.
Soda snorted. "Right so you go back and tell her what happened and you honestly think that she's not going to be mad? That she's simply going to thank you for your honesty." He shook his head. "Seriously Pony, that's not going to happen."
"What would you know?" I asked angrily. "I'm going to and get my stuff." I went upstairs and got my stuff, taking a few deep breaths. It wasn't like me to go off at Soda, at least not lately, and maybe it was because I knew he was right- telling Mandy what had happened could be like signing a death warrant on our relationship, but at the same time, I wanted to be mature and honest about things with her. Didn't that count for something?
"Ready to go Pony?" Soda asked, avoiding my eyes as I came back into the room.
I nodded soberly. Two-Bit waved to me. "See you next holidays Pony- behave yourself out there." He told me. "And eat up- I'm worried the next time I see you I won't see you. Skinny bones."
I rolled my eyes at him, and Soda and I went out to the car. The drive to the airport passed in a cold silence. Soda was clearly annoyed at me for cracking it with him, and my mind was in turmoil. It seemed like so much had happened the last few days and I didn't know how to put it all into perspective. Not only my stolen kiss, but also a realisation that I had changed, but I didn't know how much.
We went into the airport and I checked my bags and showed my ticket. Soda and I stood around near the gate waiting for my flight to be called, neither of us speaking. Eventually my flight was called.
"Well say bye to Darry for me." I muttered.
"Right. See you Pony." Soda replied.
I hesitated, wanting to say something to make things feel better, but not knowing what to say, not even knowing how Soda and my friends even felt about me anymore after Steve's comments. I sighed, and walked through to the plane.
*****
A few hours later I got off the plane in LA and looked around for Mandy, but instead I saw Randy, waving at me.
"Hi, how was the wedding?" He asked.
"Good, yeah." I replied. "Where is Mandy?"
"Um.she was busy so she asked me to come." Randy said.
Was it my imagination or did he look away when he said that? We walked through the terminal and towards his car- a flashy jeep which pretty much screamed "SOC!"
"So I saw your roommate last night at the bar. He was pretty drunk." Randy said as we drove along the freeway.
"That would be right." I said with a smile. In the few months Eric and I had been rooming together- including the short time in the frat house- I'd noticed that he certainly did drink a fair bit. I got the impression it was sort of a rebellion for him.
It wasn't long before we were back at college. I threw my things in my room and then hurried to visit Mandy. As I was walking down the steps of the frat house I heard Randy call from his window "Where are you going Pony?"
"To visit Mandy, mom." I called back, amused at his attitude.
"I said she was busy, didn't I?" Randy called to me.
"I'm sure she won't mind me coming to say hello since I've been away all weekend." I called back with a grin.
"I don't think she's in her room." Randy said slowly.
"Well I'll find out." I said with a wave. And I hurried over towards Mandy's dormitory.