Ch 6
"Where have you been?" Marcia scolded me as we exchanged books at our lockers. I shook my head. "Nowhere." my answer trailed. Marcia tapped her red shoe. "Puhh-leese. I've tried calling you all weekend; your mom said you were out,"
I looked at her and opened my mouth, but closed it just as quickly; Christy Meyer had come swerving around the corner. She looked shocked.
"Hey Christy!" I called cheerfully. She looked at me like dirt on her spotless shoes. My smile faded.
"Don't talk to me, greaser!" she snapped. Marcia gasped. Christy marched right up to me, until we were nose-to-nose.
"I've seen you hanging out with those greasers! I saw you kissing that greaser-kid at that Lot!" she spat. She glared at me, and then continued walking, leaving all behind her staring at me.
Marcia's eyes widened. "No!" she gasped. "Ponyboy?!" she ran her hand through her hair. "Are you serious? What about Bob? And Pony's only fifteen! A whole year and a half younger than you!" she cried. I winced.
I looked down at my feet. I heard Marcia sigh. Then, with a sharp bang of her locker, she was pulled into the wave of high school students, leaving me alone at my locker, torn between pride and love.
* * *
I lay in the Vacant Lot, my hands resting under my head, gazing up at the stars. I heard the soft padding of footsteps beside me. I looked up into Dally's face. I blushed, though it was hardly distinguishable through the night's veil of interminable darkness. His eyes glowed.
I sat up sharply. "What?" I hissed, remembering our first encounter, the way he'd been so rude.
He smiled. But it wasn't one of his mischievous smiles. It was actually a pretty nice smile.
I gazed at him expectantly, though my heart began to melt. "Cherry," he began hoarsely. He offered a hand and pulled me to my feet. I brushed the dirt off of my back.
"Cherry, I, well, It's hard for me to say this, but, I." he stopped abruptly, and stared up at the sky, avoiding my piercing eyes.
"Cherry I. I like you." he gasped. He pulled his face down, and our eyes connected. I whimpered, dropping my gaze.
"What?" he asked softly, lifting my chin as Ponyboy had. He pulled me close to him, and I felt like I was back in Bob's arms. But then, I pulled away.
"I'm. Dally. I'm really sorry. But." I looked into his penetrating, glowing eyes. A look of disconsolation crawling across his face. I took a sharp breath.
"I. It's Ponyboy, Dally." I prayed he understood me. My prayer was confirmed when a look of utmost hatred slashed his face. His gentle eyes froze, his fluffy smile hardened. I winced. Brutally, he grabbed my wrists.
"So you'll choose Pony over me huh?" he growled, his eyes now competing with those of an eccentric maniac.
My eyes widened in shock. "Dally, I--, It was. Pony, he." I gasped, subtle hints of fear hidden in my voice. Dally glared at me and dropped my wrist; they fell like heavy lead.
"Oh don't you worry Cherry, Ponyboy will be just as Bob is. A memory." and then, he vanished into the darkness. I fell to my knees as my tears began to flow, just as rain began to drizzle from the midnight sky.
"Where have you been?" Marcia scolded me as we exchanged books at our lockers. I shook my head. "Nowhere." my answer trailed. Marcia tapped her red shoe. "Puhh-leese. I've tried calling you all weekend; your mom said you were out,"
I looked at her and opened my mouth, but closed it just as quickly; Christy Meyer had come swerving around the corner. She looked shocked.
"Hey Christy!" I called cheerfully. She looked at me like dirt on her spotless shoes. My smile faded.
"Don't talk to me, greaser!" she snapped. Marcia gasped. Christy marched right up to me, until we were nose-to-nose.
"I've seen you hanging out with those greasers! I saw you kissing that greaser-kid at that Lot!" she spat. She glared at me, and then continued walking, leaving all behind her staring at me.
Marcia's eyes widened. "No!" she gasped. "Ponyboy?!" she ran her hand through her hair. "Are you serious? What about Bob? And Pony's only fifteen! A whole year and a half younger than you!" she cried. I winced.
I looked down at my feet. I heard Marcia sigh. Then, with a sharp bang of her locker, she was pulled into the wave of high school students, leaving me alone at my locker, torn between pride and love.
* * *
I lay in the Vacant Lot, my hands resting under my head, gazing up at the stars. I heard the soft padding of footsteps beside me. I looked up into Dally's face. I blushed, though it was hardly distinguishable through the night's veil of interminable darkness. His eyes glowed.
I sat up sharply. "What?" I hissed, remembering our first encounter, the way he'd been so rude.
He smiled. But it wasn't one of his mischievous smiles. It was actually a pretty nice smile.
I gazed at him expectantly, though my heart began to melt. "Cherry," he began hoarsely. He offered a hand and pulled me to my feet. I brushed the dirt off of my back.
"Cherry, I, well, It's hard for me to say this, but, I." he stopped abruptly, and stared up at the sky, avoiding my piercing eyes.
"Cherry I. I like you." he gasped. He pulled his face down, and our eyes connected. I whimpered, dropping my gaze.
"What?" he asked softly, lifting my chin as Ponyboy had. He pulled me close to him, and I felt like I was back in Bob's arms. But then, I pulled away.
"I'm. Dally. I'm really sorry. But." I looked into his penetrating, glowing eyes. A look of disconsolation crawling across his face. I took a sharp breath.
"I. It's Ponyboy, Dally." I prayed he understood me. My prayer was confirmed when a look of utmost hatred slashed his face. His gentle eyes froze, his fluffy smile hardened. I winced. Brutally, he grabbed my wrists.
"So you'll choose Pony over me huh?" he growled, his eyes now competing with those of an eccentric maniac.
My eyes widened in shock. "Dally, I--, It was. Pony, he." I gasped, subtle hints of fear hidden in my voice. Dally glared at me and dropped my wrist; they fell like heavy lead.
"Oh don't you worry Cherry, Ponyboy will be just as Bob is. A memory." and then, he vanished into the darkness. I fell to my knees as my tears began to flow, just as rain began to drizzle from the midnight sky.