Please read & review. Dead Flowers is set after That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton which is sort of the continuation to The Outsiders my main character starts off as Bryon, but Pony and Mark and Cathy and Two-Bit are very very important, too.
Okay, thanks for reviewing...
.... Deadly Wisteria-Always glad to hear from you.
....and Robot In Disguise-You changed your name from dollwithouteyes to Robot In Disguise, did ya? I noticed before but hadn't chatted with ya since...And oh, that's the name of the c. thornton howell movie? My mistake. Well, I was working on my fic when I was watching I Love the 80's so it was hard to pay complete attention. I've watched some more episodes of it and Rob Lowe seems like he's in a lot of them.
Hmm...I'm trying to get back to Bryon and Mark in my fic, but I gotta do some stuff with Mark and Two-Bit first...
Chapter 17
-------------------
Two-Bit shook off a cramp in his leg as he took a good look around the place. He had been their for hours tonight and figured he was getting a good hold on how things were. There was a big track out back where the horses were racing, and stables and pens on one side of it. Only trainers and the hands were hanging around there. They didn't let the people who were at the rodeo just for a good time over there. The guys would just get in their way. Besides, some of the riders were too serious or high-strung right before they raced, so guys didn't want to hang around them right then. You also had your rings set up for trick riders and other special competitions. There wasn't a lot of those still set up since it was so late. There were a lot of tough guys hanging out and chewing tobacco and drinking down whiskey or whatever else they could get their hands on. They didn't want to see the pretty ponies gallop over white fences. Even the cattle tying and roping was dying down. Bull-riding and mechancial bull-riding were the favorites. Two-Bit tried to think where Mark would be. Mark didn't seem like he wanted to just bum around and catch up with people. Mark would probaly be looking for some action. Action that he could get on. The races were out since Mark had been plainly sick of them since he couldn't get away with rigging them, and the ropings would seem to red-neck for Mark's taste. So all that was left really was the bull-riding, and likely mechanical bull-riding cause only professionals rode the real ones unless they were plain dumb. Two-Bit could picture Mark flying off one of those jerking hunks of metal...Mark would do anything and riding one of those wasn't an exception.
Two-Bit knew him well. Mark was sprawled out on the ground when Two-Bit first saw him. Another guy, Wade Byers, was helping Mark up and laughing his head off while Mark rubbed his twitching shoulder and pulled out a fiver to give him.
Wade stopped laughing as he pocketed his newly acclaimed money. "You ain't gonna try again, are you? I could use the money, but I don't know if your body can take another throw."
"I could handle it."
Two-Bit came up and tugged at Mark's arm. Mark pulled it back and turned away from Wade as Two-Bit started talking."You've never rode a day in your life before, have you?"
"Nope."
"So let's go, you can handle riding in the same truck as the gang, can't ya?"
"Yeah, but what you doing when we get back in town?"
"Going over to the Curtis'."
"It's one thing to hitch a ride, and another thing to hang around with them. I ain't doing it."
"So we can drop you off at your house."
"Don't got one remember?" Mark said, sagging his hands into his pockets. Glancing over his shoulder, Mark saw that Wade had walked back over to watch another man try his luck on the bull. Two-Bit kept talking.
"I mean my house."
"So I can pal around with your mother and your little sister? No thanks, you promised me some fun. I'm gonna stay here."
"How you gonna get home?"
"Don't know, maybe hitch a ride from Wade. Besides I need some money."
"What for?"
Mark flipped back out his hands and cracked his knuckles. "That bar. I tracked down the guy who owns it, and if I don't want it turned into a candy shop, we gotta give up a first payment real soon."
"I would kill for a Hershey's right now...Hey, why do you want to open the bar anyway?"
"Yu want to back down?" Mark said a little sharply.
"Do I ever back down when booze is concerned?"
"Not since I've known you." Mark didn't say anything for a minute, and Two-Bit just shrugged and asked,
"So, how are we gonna scrape up the money?"
"I got an idea..."
____
Darry woke up and jerked, shaking the whole truck a little bit. They were sitting in that darned lot still and who knew where Two-Bit and Mark were? Everyone else in the truck was still asleep. Pony was curled up in the front and Steve was pressed against the side of the truck bed snoring slightly and Soda was shaking with his arms wrapped up inside each other. It was getting colder at night this time of year. Thoughtfully, Darry tucked his jacket around Soda. He looked like a little kid when he was asleep. Truthfully, Soda always did, but it was nicer when he was asleep because he wasn't talking so much and running around and driving Darry crazy.
Who else drove him crazy? Two-Bit. Darry remembered him and left the truck to go find Two-Bit, drag him back, and finally leave. Darry wasn't pleased. The place was still infested with people. Didn't people ever go home anymore? He was considering tying Two-Bit to the truck and dragging him back into town when he heard the familiar laugh. Fuming, Darry barged through the people in his way, and thought he felt someone hit him but just kept going.
Mark was on top of a guy, beating the tar out of him while a bunch of people watched and Two-Bit cheered Mark on, a wad of money in his hands. With a yell, the guy gave up and pulled his wallet out. Mugging as a sport? Darry faintly considered.
"What are you two doing?" Darry yelled.
Two-Bit lifted his nose out of a nice wad of bills and grinned at Darry.
"Duking it out for cash. You know could make us a lot of money, Dar."
Darry grunted. "We...are...leaving. Now." He clenched his teeth, trying to calm himself.. Probably to keep himself from lunging on Two-Bit and ripping him to pieces. They had been waiting on Two-Bit for hours and here he was playing around. And, maybe, Darry was a little agitated since he couldn't get much sleep running around after him. Two-Bit stuck out his bottom lip and looked at Mark, who answered back,
"I'm staying. I'll hunt up a poker game, maybe."
Two-Bit handed over most of the money in his hands to Mark, gave him a small knock on the chin, and followed Darry docilely, who refused to carry him back to the truck.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
The bumpy ride back woke the rest of the gang up halfway, and then they had to get up and walk into the Curtis house. Darry, Steve, and Two-Bit got on the couch while Soda and Pony laid on the floor by the coffee table. Two-Bit had gotten the selector and was flipping through the channels, hoping for a cartoon, but not getting one. All he saw was the news (war coverage), commercials(Pepsi, Sears, and Wrigley's spearmint gum), and one channel had a cooking show on.
".....and everyone's worse nightmare is lumpy gravy. Adding this will keep it nice and smooth...." The round woman on the screen promised, dumping some sort of magical concoction into it.
Two-Bit sighed. "Is that what's been making you scream all these years, Pony? All those horrible dreams...Lumpy gravy?! Gosh a mighty. You have to confront your fears, Pony. Fix me some biscuits and gravy will ya?"
"It's 3 o'clock in the morning."
"So?"
"So I'm starving. I'll have to fix some eggs and bacon, too."
----end of chapter seventeen-----
next chapter: mark continues trying to get his bar...
Okay, thanks for reviewing...
.... Deadly Wisteria-Always glad to hear from you.
....and Robot In Disguise-You changed your name from dollwithouteyes to Robot In Disguise, did ya? I noticed before but hadn't chatted with ya since...And oh, that's the name of the c. thornton howell movie? My mistake. Well, I was working on my fic when I was watching I Love the 80's so it was hard to pay complete attention. I've watched some more episodes of it and Rob Lowe seems like he's in a lot of them.
Hmm...I'm trying to get back to Bryon and Mark in my fic, but I gotta do some stuff with Mark and Two-Bit first...
Chapter 17
-------------------
Two-Bit shook off a cramp in his leg as he took a good look around the place. He had been their for hours tonight and figured he was getting a good hold on how things were. There was a big track out back where the horses were racing, and stables and pens on one side of it. Only trainers and the hands were hanging around there. They didn't let the people who were at the rodeo just for a good time over there. The guys would just get in their way. Besides, some of the riders were too serious or high-strung right before they raced, so guys didn't want to hang around them right then. You also had your rings set up for trick riders and other special competitions. There wasn't a lot of those still set up since it was so late. There were a lot of tough guys hanging out and chewing tobacco and drinking down whiskey or whatever else they could get their hands on. They didn't want to see the pretty ponies gallop over white fences. Even the cattle tying and roping was dying down. Bull-riding and mechancial bull-riding were the favorites. Two-Bit tried to think where Mark would be. Mark didn't seem like he wanted to just bum around and catch up with people. Mark would probaly be looking for some action. Action that he could get on. The races were out since Mark had been plainly sick of them since he couldn't get away with rigging them, and the ropings would seem to red-neck for Mark's taste. So all that was left really was the bull-riding, and likely mechanical bull-riding cause only professionals rode the real ones unless they were plain dumb. Two-Bit could picture Mark flying off one of those jerking hunks of metal...Mark would do anything and riding one of those wasn't an exception.
Two-Bit knew him well. Mark was sprawled out on the ground when Two-Bit first saw him. Another guy, Wade Byers, was helping Mark up and laughing his head off while Mark rubbed his twitching shoulder and pulled out a fiver to give him.
Wade stopped laughing as he pocketed his newly acclaimed money. "You ain't gonna try again, are you? I could use the money, but I don't know if your body can take another throw."
"I could handle it."
Two-Bit came up and tugged at Mark's arm. Mark pulled it back and turned away from Wade as Two-Bit started talking."You've never rode a day in your life before, have you?"
"Nope."
"So let's go, you can handle riding in the same truck as the gang, can't ya?"
"Yeah, but what you doing when we get back in town?"
"Going over to the Curtis'."
"It's one thing to hitch a ride, and another thing to hang around with them. I ain't doing it."
"So we can drop you off at your house."
"Don't got one remember?" Mark said, sagging his hands into his pockets. Glancing over his shoulder, Mark saw that Wade had walked back over to watch another man try his luck on the bull. Two-Bit kept talking.
"I mean my house."
"So I can pal around with your mother and your little sister? No thanks, you promised me some fun. I'm gonna stay here."
"How you gonna get home?"
"Don't know, maybe hitch a ride from Wade. Besides I need some money."
"What for?"
Mark flipped back out his hands and cracked his knuckles. "That bar. I tracked down the guy who owns it, and if I don't want it turned into a candy shop, we gotta give up a first payment real soon."
"I would kill for a Hershey's right now...Hey, why do you want to open the bar anyway?"
"Yu want to back down?" Mark said a little sharply.
"Do I ever back down when booze is concerned?"
"Not since I've known you." Mark didn't say anything for a minute, and Two-Bit just shrugged and asked,
"So, how are we gonna scrape up the money?"
"I got an idea..."
____
Darry woke up and jerked, shaking the whole truck a little bit. They were sitting in that darned lot still and who knew where Two-Bit and Mark were? Everyone else in the truck was still asleep. Pony was curled up in the front and Steve was pressed against the side of the truck bed snoring slightly and Soda was shaking with his arms wrapped up inside each other. It was getting colder at night this time of year. Thoughtfully, Darry tucked his jacket around Soda. He looked like a little kid when he was asleep. Truthfully, Soda always did, but it was nicer when he was asleep because he wasn't talking so much and running around and driving Darry crazy.
Who else drove him crazy? Two-Bit. Darry remembered him and left the truck to go find Two-Bit, drag him back, and finally leave. Darry wasn't pleased. The place was still infested with people. Didn't people ever go home anymore? He was considering tying Two-Bit to the truck and dragging him back into town when he heard the familiar laugh. Fuming, Darry barged through the people in his way, and thought he felt someone hit him but just kept going.
Mark was on top of a guy, beating the tar out of him while a bunch of people watched and Two-Bit cheered Mark on, a wad of money in his hands. With a yell, the guy gave up and pulled his wallet out. Mugging as a sport? Darry faintly considered.
"What are you two doing?" Darry yelled.
Two-Bit lifted his nose out of a nice wad of bills and grinned at Darry.
"Duking it out for cash. You know could make us a lot of money, Dar."
Darry grunted. "We...are...leaving. Now." He clenched his teeth, trying to calm himself.. Probably to keep himself from lunging on Two-Bit and ripping him to pieces. They had been waiting on Two-Bit for hours and here he was playing around. And, maybe, Darry was a little agitated since he couldn't get much sleep running around after him. Two-Bit stuck out his bottom lip and looked at Mark, who answered back,
"I'm staying. I'll hunt up a poker game, maybe."
Two-Bit handed over most of the money in his hands to Mark, gave him a small knock on the chin, and followed Darry docilely, who refused to carry him back to the truck.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
The bumpy ride back woke the rest of the gang up halfway, and then they had to get up and walk into the Curtis house. Darry, Steve, and Two-Bit got on the couch while Soda and Pony laid on the floor by the coffee table. Two-Bit had gotten the selector and was flipping through the channels, hoping for a cartoon, but not getting one. All he saw was the news (war coverage), commercials(Pepsi, Sears, and Wrigley's spearmint gum), and one channel had a cooking show on.
".....and everyone's worse nightmare is lumpy gravy. Adding this will keep it nice and smooth...." The round woman on the screen promised, dumping some sort of magical concoction into it.
Two-Bit sighed. "Is that what's been making you scream all these years, Pony? All those horrible dreams...Lumpy gravy?! Gosh a mighty. You have to confront your fears, Pony. Fix me some biscuits and gravy will ya?"
"It's 3 o'clock in the morning."
"So?"
"So I'm starving. I'll have to fix some eggs and bacon, too."
----end of chapter seventeen-----
next chapter: mark continues trying to get his bar...