Hey e'rbody! This fic is coming to a close real soon!
News: if you haven't heard, S.E. Hinton is coming out with a new book! It's called "Hawkes Harbor." I have not the slightest clue what its about...well except that the main character is a vampire and it's leveled for adults, not teens. Maybe being for adults just means there's more smut? But I've read some smutty teen books so I dunno...for more info(on outsiders news, not smut), go to theoutsidersmovieandbook.com
Reviews of reviews:
Robot In Disguise: hiya! glad that you're still reading my fic! you like my writing style? Thanks!!!!
antique orange: shrieks with happiness yes! i lurve that someone new is reading my fic, haven't got many reviews lately cringes, then remembers you like my fic and smiles again thanx! I've seen your fic "Five for Fighting" but I haven't read it yet. Angela's gonna be in it? Sounds cool! I'll try to check it out real soon. By the by, I like your name!
Oooh, guess what I feel like doing today? Writing a disclaimer!!!!
Disclaimer: This is not a completely original work. It is based on the books The Outsiders and That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton. This is, afterall, www.fanfiction.net!!!
Please read and review!!!
On with da fic:
Bryon
Two weeks since I got out of jail and I just had another row with Cathy. We were sitting at the table in the kitchen, my mom asleep in her room, and I pulled out a drink from the fridge. She had come over, hugged me, and started talking about colleges she was applying for, trying to rub off on me probably. I didn't really want to hear it. She knew I wasn't going to college. What's the point? Not like I have the cash anyways.
"How am I supposed to pay for it?"
"You need a job." I had lost mine at the grocer's. Like they'd save it for me till I got out of jail. Ha.
"Yeah, well, I still won't have enough."
"If you save enough, and don't waste it...like on beer."
"God, Cathy. I can do what I want. Stop bugging me about it."
"Well what do you want to end up like? One of those drunken bums on the street down by Charlie's? It's what you've been acting like since you got back!"
I set my drink down.
"Shut-up! You don't know what I'm going through!"
"I hate it when you're like this, Bryon! When you say I don't understand! You can be such a jerk! Why do you keep doing this?"
"I-"
"I know Mark hasn't tried to talk to you. Is that why?"
I shut my mouth. It was getting to me bad. I would do anything for him. Anything. I was sorry and he still won't talk to me. I've passed by him a few times and he just acted like he didn't see me. I wish he'd say something to me.
She had gotten up and was walking towards the door. "That's not a good reason, Bryon. Not to treat me like crap. I love you and if you love me you'll just stop all this!"
"You...dammit Cathy!"
She looked at me and walked out the door, leaving it open. "Fine!" I yelled at her from inside. "Fine! Leave!" I slammed the door. "DAMMIT!"
"Watch how you talk, Bryon." I spun around to see my mom, standing behind me. She looked sad. Hmm...failed her too, did I? What a great son I was...
"I'm going out." I mumbled, brushing past her to grab my beer.
"Going to go catch up with Cathy?" She asked, her face brightening a little bit.
"No," I snorted. If Cathy wanted to be like that, then fine. I walked out of the house.
----
Things were so less complicated with Angela. We yelled, we kissed. Who cared? Okay, I had cared, I was...obsessed with her. Yeah, maybe things hadn't been easy riding, but it wasn't as serious as it was nowadays. Things seemed so much more fun back then.
I had caught a ride uptown. Didn't really feel like driving myself. I was with a group of guys and I could see Angel leaning up against somebody's truck. Her hair, long again, was blown around by the wind. She was still gorgeous, but had a few scars on her face now. I remembered the night when me and Mark picked her up, how she said that I was the only boy she had ever cared about. Me. I hadn't really thought about it before. She had been drunk and was spilling a lot of stuff. Had she been saying the truth? Did she really care about me? Or was she just trying to come on to me?
I thought that maybe I could talk to her now. Maybe compare with her how much life sucked. Who was I kidding? Angel wasn't a talker anyways. Not that kind of talker. Not unless she was drunk. She was a looker. And damn. She looked good. I could almost have walked up to her right then and kissed her...
I was just being stupid. That would've just been one more screw-up. One more screw-up. Had plenty all ready, didn't I? I stuck as many beers in my coat pockets as I could and walked off down the alley.
I had done plenty enough shit. I woke up everyday in a sweat, knowing what a fucking screw-up I was. I knew I'd been lousy to Cathy. I saw a pay-phone and threw in some change and dialed her number, but I got her answer machine. I started crying on the phone. Trying to tell her I was sorry...
"I've been so horrible to you, baby...you're too good for me. You don't deserve this. I'm a fucking low-life and..." I paused. "You're not gonna have to...have to deal with my shit anymore. I'm sorry Cathy. I'm sorry."I hung up the phone and wiped my face.
I had been horrible to her. But I couldn't handle it. I tried to get Mark to forgive me. Couldn't he see how sorry I was? I'd do anything for him not to hate me anymore. But he still does. I've tried, but I can never get him back. It's worse than if he died. I did this to him! He should be mad at me! I sent him to jail! I did it. I screwed things up and he hates me for what I did to him.
And me, I was in a small jail for two weeks, and he was in the state prison for months.
And it's my fault.
And he's never going to forgive me.
And I'll never forgive myself.
I've lost my brother.
-----
3rd person
It was nearly one in the morning. Cathy had went back to the Douglas' house at nine, but Bryon wasn't there, so she went looking for him. She had found some of his friends. They pointed a direction they thought he had went and she went that way. "Stupid me," She muttered. "Why'd I even ask them? Like they really know where he went. Those low-life creeps are either always drunk or stoned."
It was so cold and so late. She was scared. It's never safe to be out on the streets like this. She bit her lip. She had to go home. Her parents would already be furious. But she wanted to find him. She wanted to make sure he was alright. She wanted to find him. She wasn't sure that when he said she wouldn't have to deal with his stuff anymore that he meant he was going to be better for now on...what if he meant something else?
Cathy turned around and started walking home, she wasn't that far away now. Still glancing around, she finally saw him.
He was sitting down an alley, his head facing the cement and most of him overshadowed. She caught her breath. He was mumbling. "I'm sorry...Didn't I tell you that? I told you that, Mark! I tried, but Mark, I can't take it! I can't take it. If you can't forgive me. I won't forgive myself either. I'm fucking sick of this. Fucking sick, man. I'm so fucked up. I fucked everything up."
"Bryon!" Cathy said, already crying, and dropping to her knees a few feet away from him. He lifted up his head and his eyes swirled around and he was breathing heavily. "Bryon...baby...stop. You're scaring me."
He jerked and covered up his face. "Stop. Don't. Cathy get away from here. Go. " She reached out for him and he flung back against trash bins, knocking them against each other. "Go! Get the fuck away from me!"
He stumbled holding a bottle of liquor with the label scratched off and halfway empty. He lifted up his arm and threw it against the ground. Breaking, shattering, jagged shards lept up from the concrete and pierced through his arm. Cathy shook as blood ran down from his arm. She closed her eyes and cried out. And when she looked up he was gone.
---
It was 1:30 at night. He was sitting on the steps outside at night, smoking a cigarette and flipping through a skin mag. The cold didn't bother him, even though he was only wearing jeans and a wife-beater. He would've been at Charlie's, mixing drinks-taking a sip every once in a while, but only a sip. You gotta be sober to run a buisness.
But Mark had been caught. In a way. Even if he hadn't been the one arrested for it, he still had to stay away from Charlie's. It was only a matter of time before the bar was shut down for good. The police had left it open and not charged Two-Bit with anything, but Two-Bit wouldn't be able to handle things himself. It was only a matter of time.
He wasn't going to stick around and see it happen. Tulsa didn't have anything for him anymore. He had lost his bar and he couldn't stand mooching off of Two-Bit's family. Mrs. Matthews already had Two-Bit mooching off of her, she didn't need Mark too. And besides, Two-Bit was her kid and Mark wasn't. Mark's mother was dead.
He couldn't stand this town. He was sick of them all. It might be nice to leave, wouldn't it? He wouldn't have to run into the Shepards anymore, the Curtis', or...
"Mark!"
The voice suprised him. He hadn't hear anyone walking up to him. It was Cathy. That suprised him more. It took some guts for her to come up to him. The last time he had seen her, she was crying and Bryon and Pony had to come save her sorry ass. He would've have made her real sorry for being such a two-timing bitch, too...Nah, she didn't have guts. She was stupid.
She tried to talk, but her teeth were chattering and he wasn't about to put his arm around her. "What d'ya want?" He said, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and looking at it cross-eyed.
"It's Bryon." Dumb girl, she looked like she was about to cry. Or had been crying. "I'm worried about him."
"That's not my problem. Hey, get off my fucking stairs."
"They're not yours. Their Two-Bit's?"
Mark gave her a funny look, stood up and walked inside of the empty house as Cathy stared at him.
"Wait...please..." He shut the door behind him and she leaned on it, sobbing and pounding weakly on the door.
"Mark...ppplease...you got to do something...Mark...he's sorry.."
"FUCK HIM!" Mark yelled from inside.
"Mahhhrrkahh..." She sucked her breath. "I think he's going to kill himself..."
Pause.
"Good! I wish he would've done it years ago! Don't you?"
"I think he's gonna...he's gonna kill himself."
Pause.
"Let him die."
"Mark," she sobbed, "please."
Mark opened the door quickly and she fell against the floor, still crying with her head faced down.
"Go home, Cathy." She looked up at him. She didn't say anything to him as he walked off the porch and down the street.
But then, she shut her eyes, and mouthed
"please."
News: if you haven't heard, S.E. Hinton is coming out with a new book! It's called "Hawkes Harbor." I have not the slightest clue what its about...well except that the main character is a vampire and it's leveled for adults, not teens. Maybe being for adults just means there's more smut? But I've read some smutty teen books so I dunno...for more info(on outsiders news, not smut), go to theoutsidersmovieandbook.com
Reviews of reviews:
Robot In Disguise: hiya! glad that you're still reading my fic! you like my writing style? Thanks!!!!
antique orange: shrieks with happiness yes! i lurve that someone new is reading my fic, haven't got many reviews lately cringes, then remembers you like my fic and smiles again thanx! I've seen your fic "Five for Fighting" but I haven't read it yet. Angela's gonna be in it? Sounds cool! I'll try to check it out real soon. By the by, I like your name!
Oooh, guess what I feel like doing today? Writing a disclaimer!!!!
Disclaimer: This is not a completely original work. It is based on the books The Outsiders and That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton. This is, afterall, www.fanfiction.net!!!
Please read and review!!!
On with da fic:
Bryon
Two weeks since I got out of jail and I just had another row with Cathy. We were sitting at the table in the kitchen, my mom asleep in her room, and I pulled out a drink from the fridge. She had come over, hugged me, and started talking about colleges she was applying for, trying to rub off on me probably. I didn't really want to hear it. She knew I wasn't going to college. What's the point? Not like I have the cash anyways.
"How am I supposed to pay for it?"
"You need a job." I had lost mine at the grocer's. Like they'd save it for me till I got out of jail. Ha.
"Yeah, well, I still won't have enough."
"If you save enough, and don't waste it...like on beer."
"God, Cathy. I can do what I want. Stop bugging me about it."
"Well what do you want to end up like? One of those drunken bums on the street down by Charlie's? It's what you've been acting like since you got back!"
I set my drink down.
"Shut-up! You don't know what I'm going through!"
"I hate it when you're like this, Bryon! When you say I don't understand! You can be such a jerk! Why do you keep doing this?"
"I-"
"I know Mark hasn't tried to talk to you. Is that why?"
I shut my mouth. It was getting to me bad. I would do anything for him. Anything. I was sorry and he still won't talk to me. I've passed by him a few times and he just acted like he didn't see me. I wish he'd say something to me.
She had gotten up and was walking towards the door. "That's not a good reason, Bryon. Not to treat me like crap. I love you and if you love me you'll just stop all this!"
"You...dammit Cathy!"
She looked at me and walked out the door, leaving it open. "Fine!" I yelled at her from inside. "Fine! Leave!" I slammed the door. "DAMMIT!"
"Watch how you talk, Bryon." I spun around to see my mom, standing behind me. She looked sad. Hmm...failed her too, did I? What a great son I was...
"I'm going out." I mumbled, brushing past her to grab my beer.
"Going to go catch up with Cathy?" She asked, her face brightening a little bit.
"No," I snorted. If Cathy wanted to be like that, then fine. I walked out of the house.
----
Things were so less complicated with Angela. We yelled, we kissed. Who cared? Okay, I had cared, I was...obsessed with her. Yeah, maybe things hadn't been easy riding, but it wasn't as serious as it was nowadays. Things seemed so much more fun back then.
I had caught a ride uptown. Didn't really feel like driving myself. I was with a group of guys and I could see Angel leaning up against somebody's truck. Her hair, long again, was blown around by the wind. She was still gorgeous, but had a few scars on her face now. I remembered the night when me and Mark picked her up, how she said that I was the only boy she had ever cared about. Me. I hadn't really thought about it before. She had been drunk and was spilling a lot of stuff. Had she been saying the truth? Did she really care about me? Or was she just trying to come on to me?
I thought that maybe I could talk to her now. Maybe compare with her how much life sucked. Who was I kidding? Angel wasn't a talker anyways. Not that kind of talker. Not unless she was drunk. She was a looker. And damn. She looked good. I could almost have walked up to her right then and kissed her...
I was just being stupid. That would've just been one more screw-up. One more screw-up. Had plenty all ready, didn't I? I stuck as many beers in my coat pockets as I could and walked off down the alley.
I had done plenty enough shit. I woke up everyday in a sweat, knowing what a fucking screw-up I was. I knew I'd been lousy to Cathy. I saw a pay-phone and threw in some change and dialed her number, but I got her answer machine. I started crying on the phone. Trying to tell her I was sorry...
"I've been so horrible to you, baby...you're too good for me. You don't deserve this. I'm a fucking low-life and..." I paused. "You're not gonna have to...have to deal with my shit anymore. I'm sorry Cathy. I'm sorry."I hung up the phone and wiped my face.
I had been horrible to her. But I couldn't handle it. I tried to get Mark to forgive me. Couldn't he see how sorry I was? I'd do anything for him not to hate me anymore. But he still does. I've tried, but I can never get him back. It's worse than if he died. I did this to him! He should be mad at me! I sent him to jail! I did it. I screwed things up and he hates me for what I did to him.
And me, I was in a small jail for two weeks, and he was in the state prison for months.
And it's my fault.
And he's never going to forgive me.
And I'll never forgive myself.
I've lost my brother.
-----
3rd person
It was nearly one in the morning. Cathy had went back to the Douglas' house at nine, but Bryon wasn't there, so she went looking for him. She had found some of his friends. They pointed a direction they thought he had went and she went that way. "Stupid me," She muttered. "Why'd I even ask them? Like they really know where he went. Those low-life creeps are either always drunk or stoned."
It was so cold and so late. She was scared. It's never safe to be out on the streets like this. She bit her lip. She had to go home. Her parents would already be furious. But she wanted to find him. She wanted to make sure he was alright. She wanted to find him. She wasn't sure that when he said she wouldn't have to deal with his stuff anymore that he meant he was going to be better for now on...what if he meant something else?
Cathy turned around and started walking home, she wasn't that far away now. Still glancing around, she finally saw him.
He was sitting down an alley, his head facing the cement and most of him overshadowed. She caught her breath. He was mumbling. "I'm sorry...Didn't I tell you that? I told you that, Mark! I tried, but Mark, I can't take it! I can't take it. If you can't forgive me. I won't forgive myself either. I'm fucking sick of this. Fucking sick, man. I'm so fucked up. I fucked everything up."
"Bryon!" Cathy said, already crying, and dropping to her knees a few feet away from him. He lifted up his head and his eyes swirled around and he was breathing heavily. "Bryon...baby...stop. You're scaring me."
He jerked and covered up his face. "Stop. Don't. Cathy get away from here. Go. " She reached out for him and he flung back against trash bins, knocking them against each other. "Go! Get the fuck away from me!"
He stumbled holding a bottle of liquor with the label scratched off and halfway empty. He lifted up his arm and threw it against the ground. Breaking, shattering, jagged shards lept up from the concrete and pierced through his arm. Cathy shook as blood ran down from his arm. She closed her eyes and cried out. And when she looked up he was gone.
---
It was 1:30 at night. He was sitting on the steps outside at night, smoking a cigarette and flipping through a skin mag. The cold didn't bother him, even though he was only wearing jeans and a wife-beater. He would've been at Charlie's, mixing drinks-taking a sip every once in a while, but only a sip. You gotta be sober to run a buisness.
But Mark had been caught. In a way. Even if he hadn't been the one arrested for it, he still had to stay away from Charlie's. It was only a matter of time before the bar was shut down for good. The police had left it open and not charged Two-Bit with anything, but Two-Bit wouldn't be able to handle things himself. It was only a matter of time.
He wasn't going to stick around and see it happen. Tulsa didn't have anything for him anymore. He had lost his bar and he couldn't stand mooching off of Two-Bit's family. Mrs. Matthews already had Two-Bit mooching off of her, she didn't need Mark too. And besides, Two-Bit was her kid and Mark wasn't. Mark's mother was dead.
He couldn't stand this town. He was sick of them all. It might be nice to leave, wouldn't it? He wouldn't have to run into the Shepards anymore, the Curtis', or...
"Mark!"
The voice suprised him. He hadn't hear anyone walking up to him. It was Cathy. That suprised him more. It took some guts for her to come up to him. The last time he had seen her, she was crying and Bryon and Pony had to come save her sorry ass. He would've have made her real sorry for being such a two-timing bitch, too...Nah, she didn't have guts. She was stupid.
She tried to talk, but her teeth were chattering and he wasn't about to put his arm around her. "What d'ya want?" He said, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and looking at it cross-eyed.
"It's Bryon." Dumb girl, she looked like she was about to cry. Or had been crying. "I'm worried about him."
"That's not my problem. Hey, get off my fucking stairs."
"They're not yours. Their Two-Bit's?"
Mark gave her a funny look, stood up and walked inside of the empty house as Cathy stared at him.
"Wait...please..." He shut the door behind him and she leaned on it, sobbing and pounding weakly on the door.
"Mark...ppplease...you got to do something...Mark...he's sorry.."
"FUCK HIM!" Mark yelled from inside.
"Mahhhrrkahh..." She sucked her breath. "I think he's going to kill himself..."
Pause.
"Good! I wish he would've done it years ago! Don't you?"
"I think he's gonna...he's gonna kill himself."
Pause.
"Let him die."
"Mark," she sobbed, "please."
Mark opened the door quickly and she fell against the floor, still crying with her head faced down.
"Go home, Cathy." She looked up at him. She didn't say anything to him as he walked off the porch and down the street.
But then, she shut her eyes, and mouthed
"please."