I am sorry to anyone reading this as it may be painful to see the
characters acting so out of character. I tell you now that it is not
intentional and when I first started writing this it was meant to be a
fanfic of the Outsiders. The likelihood is however that is shall morph into
an original fiction using the characters names. This is not planned. So
don't say you weren't warned. None of the characters belong to me which is
very lucky for them, I am just borrowing them so please don't sue me. Here
we go.
The Girl in Red
As Dianne looked at her reflection she laughed. She felt there was nothing else she could do. To think she had been, just a few hours before, at a cocktail party of a hugely influential business man in New York with many of her family and friends to then be in this run-down train with $10 in her shoe and a hope to get to Los Angeles keeping that $10 in her shoe. It seemed ridiculous. As she dried her tear stained face with the already stained serviette the make-up she had been wearing was removed to leave a very scared 17 year old girl.
Dianne dragged herself back to her seat. The only person other than her in the carriage was a balding man of about 50. He was looking her up and down in a way that no one had ever dared look at her like. There wasn't a person to protect her in this new world and so she tried to shrink into her seat and make herself invisible despite the deep red dress that she was wearing. It had attracted attention at the party it was meant for so undoubtedly would attract attention here, even if it was not the attention she wished for.
Her previous feeling of anger at her parents had subsided to become fear for herself. She should not have reacted so badly it was quite inappropriate Dianne scolded herself but soon realised that these were not her thoughts but her mothers. This sudden thought made the anger return and give colour to Dianne's cheeks. That would be her mother, not caring about her only daughter but about what the Carltons would think, or, even worse, the neighbours. How did they expect her to react to meeting her future husband? She was only 17 for Christ's sake. The same day Dianne had been informed that she should not and could not go to university because "she would not need an education as she'd got a husband to look after?" and that was when she had snapped. It seemed funny now. Dianne had simply stood up, politely shook hands with the future son-in-law of her parents, kissed her parents goodbye and left. No huge tantrum, wouldn't want to cause a scene, she had so wanted to smash the plate her meal was on but it was china and one should never waste china.
The anger, and more, the humiliation of just being some meat at a market, returned with a vengeance as she remembered the night's events but she was woken from her reverie by the ticket collector entering her carriage. Dianne tried to look as upset as she had a few minutes before covering her face in her hands and slouching in the corner. She had had enough acting classes to know she was convincing.
"Tickets, please"
"Tickets, please" the collector boomed at her as she showed no sign of hearing him the first time.
"Just wait a minute" Dianne said between sniffs as she rummaged through her purse.
She knew that it was not there but she still looked thoroughly - lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, foundation, a lucky charm and a paper clip (how did that get there?)
"I'm very sorry, sir, but I seem to have mislaid my ticket"
He was not impressed by her charms and so snorted "Where are you going?"
"Los Angeles, I'm going to see some of my relatives, my parents just packed me off on my way, they must have kept the ticket by mistake" It was a half- truth. She was on the way to LA and she did have family there that she wished to visit but she was certain that her parents had not been at the trainstation waving there farewells.
"An adults ticket to LA will cost $79 in 3rd class" he looked at her dress and carried on "in 2nd class it is $140 and 1st $200."
She had been kicked off a few trains before this so Dianne knew what to do "but I don't have that much money" a dramatic sob followed which even to Dianne's ears sounded over the top "I told you my parents paid for the ticket"
"Do you have the receipt?"
"No"
"Well in that case you're going to have to get off at the next station"
Fair enough, Dianne thought, she'd just get the next train. "May I ask where the next station is?"
"Tulsa"
At least she was past half way on her journey.
The Girl in Red
As Dianne looked at her reflection she laughed. She felt there was nothing else she could do. To think she had been, just a few hours before, at a cocktail party of a hugely influential business man in New York with many of her family and friends to then be in this run-down train with $10 in her shoe and a hope to get to Los Angeles keeping that $10 in her shoe. It seemed ridiculous. As she dried her tear stained face with the already stained serviette the make-up she had been wearing was removed to leave a very scared 17 year old girl.
Dianne dragged herself back to her seat. The only person other than her in the carriage was a balding man of about 50. He was looking her up and down in a way that no one had ever dared look at her like. There wasn't a person to protect her in this new world and so she tried to shrink into her seat and make herself invisible despite the deep red dress that she was wearing. It had attracted attention at the party it was meant for so undoubtedly would attract attention here, even if it was not the attention she wished for.
Her previous feeling of anger at her parents had subsided to become fear for herself. She should not have reacted so badly it was quite inappropriate Dianne scolded herself but soon realised that these were not her thoughts but her mothers. This sudden thought made the anger return and give colour to Dianne's cheeks. That would be her mother, not caring about her only daughter but about what the Carltons would think, or, even worse, the neighbours. How did they expect her to react to meeting her future husband? She was only 17 for Christ's sake. The same day Dianne had been informed that she should not and could not go to university because "she would not need an education as she'd got a husband to look after?" and that was when she had snapped. It seemed funny now. Dianne had simply stood up, politely shook hands with the future son-in-law of her parents, kissed her parents goodbye and left. No huge tantrum, wouldn't want to cause a scene, she had so wanted to smash the plate her meal was on but it was china and one should never waste china.
The anger, and more, the humiliation of just being some meat at a market, returned with a vengeance as she remembered the night's events but she was woken from her reverie by the ticket collector entering her carriage. Dianne tried to look as upset as she had a few minutes before covering her face in her hands and slouching in the corner. She had had enough acting classes to know she was convincing.
"Tickets, please"
"Tickets, please" the collector boomed at her as she showed no sign of hearing him the first time.
"Just wait a minute" Dianne said between sniffs as she rummaged through her purse.
She knew that it was not there but she still looked thoroughly - lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, foundation, a lucky charm and a paper clip (how did that get there?)
"I'm very sorry, sir, but I seem to have mislaid my ticket"
He was not impressed by her charms and so snorted "Where are you going?"
"Los Angeles, I'm going to see some of my relatives, my parents just packed me off on my way, they must have kept the ticket by mistake" It was a half- truth. She was on the way to LA and she did have family there that she wished to visit but she was certain that her parents had not been at the trainstation waving there farewells.
"An adults ticket to LA will cost $79 in 3rd class" he looked at her dress and carried on "in 2nd class it is $140 and 1st $200."
She had been kicked off a few trains before this so Dianne knew what to do "but I don't have that much money" a dramatic sob followed which even to Dianne's ears sounded over the top "I told you my parents paid for the ticket"
"Do you have the receipt?"
"No"
"Well in that case you're going to have to get off at the next station"
Fair enough, Dianne thought, she'd just get the next train. "May I ask where the next station is?"
"Tulsa"
At least she was past half way on her journey.
