Ponyboy was released the next day. To celebrate, he and I ditched school to
hike up to the hills. It was a beautiful day, and I vaguely wondered what
Marcia was thinking about me. But I pushed the thought of her and her
socially prejudicing friends away from my thoughts.
"Cherry. Look! Gosh, the lake is sure pretty." Pony's green eyes twinkled in the afternoon sun. He looked so young. So innocent. And then a horrid thought struck my mind. Ponyboy was too young. Soda. Soda. Soda's name blurred my mind like and unbidden meditation, and I found myself pining for Soda, not sweet, innocent Ponyboy.
"Cherry?" he asked lightly. I had been staring into space, my mouth slightly agape. I turned slowly towards him. "You know," I began, my mouth suddenly feeling dry, "Ponyboy, I'm not feeling too good. Do you mind if we go back." My sentence hung.
Ponyboy looked crestfallen, but his expression was hesitantly replaced by concern. "Yeah, sure." he said. I smiled gratefully.
As we hiked down, it happened. Delusions began to overtake me, and I felt myself swirling, and then, I was in Bob's arms.. It's just that. I no longer wanted to be in Bob's arms. He was truly, only a memory, and then in a thrice, the swirling, black shadows of unconsciousness lured me into their grasps.
"You ok Cherry?" Soda's face was hazy, staring directly above me. Grass prickled my back. My eyes looked straight into his blurry face, and steadily he became solid. His hands clutched my arms. I jerked up, barely avoiding knocking his forehead.
"Yeah." I gasped, my voice sounding hoarse and unsure. Ponyboy stood behind him, white-faced and shivering. Soda took a deep breath and grinned another of his insane grins. I felt my lips begin to curl, and soon I was smiling as well. Ponyboy shoved him aside and grabbed my hands. I could barely contain my annoyance, but I kept a straight face.
I grabbed my hands away from him. "I'm fine." I said sincerely. I stood up, brushing the grass off my backside. Ponyboy looked stunned. I sighed and closed my eyes, and reached out a trembling hand to pat Ponyboy on the shoulder.
"I'm ok, kid, I'm ok." I said to him, staring right into his green blue eyes. I guess that's when my meaning hit him, and boy did it slap him hard. He was but a child, I, nearly a woman. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he turned sullenly around, dragging slowly away. Soda stared after Pony. He didn't understand what had just occurred.
"Well, you ok Miss Cherry?" he said cheerily to replace the moment of absolute silence. I nodded, feeling a weight press down upon my heart; but I did what I had to do.
Soda smiled and stepped closer to me, so that his face was directly above mine. "I said, you ok Miss Cherry?" he grinned. I blushed. And that's when his face came down, and his lips were on mine; my emotions were a dizzy mix of crazy emotions. I was kissing Sodapop Curtis! And I couldn't help the nagging feeling writhing in my stomach that I wasn't doing the right thing.
"Cherry. Look! Gosh, the lake is sure pretty." Pony's green eyes twinkled in the afternoon sun. He looked so young. So innocent. And then a horrid thought struck my mind. Ponyboy was too young. Soda. Soda. Soda's name blurred my mind like and unbidden meditation, and I found myself pining for Soda, not sweet, innocent Ponyboy.
"Cherry?" he asked lightly. I had been staring into space, my mouth slightly agape. I turned slowly towards him. "You know," I began, my mouth suddenly feeling dry, "Ponyboy, I'm not feeling too good. Do you mind if we go back." My sentence hung.
Ponyboy looked crestfallen, but his expression was hesitantly replaced by concern. "Yeah, sure." he said. I smiled gratefully.
As we hiked down, it happened. Delusions began to overtake me, and I felt myself swirling, and then, I was in Bob's arms.. It's just that. I no longer wanted to be in Bob's arms. He was truly, only a memory, and then in a thrice, the swirling, black shadows of unconsciousness lured me into their grasps.
"You ok Cherry?" Soda's face was hazy, staring directly above me. Grass prickled my back. My eyes looked straight into his blurry face, and steadily he became solid. His hands clutched my arms. I jerked up, barely avoiding knocking his forehead.
"Yeah." I gasped, my voice sounding hoarse and unsure. Ponyboy stood behind him, white-faced and shivering. Soda took a deep breath and grinned another of his insane grins. I felt my lips begin to curl, and soon I was smiling as well. Ponyboy shoved him aside and grabbed my hands. I could barely contain my annoyance, but I kept a straight face.
I grabbed my hands away from him. "I'm fine." I said sincerely. I stood up, brushing the grass off my backside. Ponyboy looked stunned. I sighed and closed my eyes, and reached out a trembling hand to pat Ponyboy on the shoulder.
"I'm ok, kid, I'm ok." I said to him, staring right into his green blue eyes. I guess that's when my meaning hit him, and boy did it slap him hard. He was but a child, I, nearly a woman. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he turned sullenly around, dragging slowly away. Soda stared after Pony. He didn't understand what had just occurred.
"Well, you ok Miss Cherry?" he said cheerily to replace the moment of absolute silence. I nodded, feeling a weight press down upon my heart; but I did what I had to do.
Soda smiled and stepped closer to me, so that his face was directly above mine. "I said, you ok Miss Cherry?" he grinned. I blushed. And that's when his face came down, and his lips were on mine; my emotions were a dizzy mix of crazy emotions. I was kissing Sodapop Curtis! And I couldn't help the nagging feeling writhing in my stomach that I wasn't doing the right thing.