Disclaimer: Hmm…Holly, her parents, Mary, Parker, Brent, Mr. Caldwell, Mr. Peterson, George Duke, Steward Yale, Billy, Todd, the Brumly Boys' names and personalities, Two-Bit's sister's name, uhh….and anything else that isn't S.E. Hinton's lol…please read and review!
Chapter 5
I groggily awoke and nearly had a heart attack. Two-Bit was hovering over me, about two inches from my face. He started to laugh when I gasped, but cried out when I punched his shoulder.
"Hey! Ow!" he protested, "What was that for?"
"For scaring me to death!"
"Well, I needed to get you up. We need to go to school now."
I swore and Two-Bit laughed. I hastily changed into the outfit I wore yesterday as Two-Bit averted his gaze. We ran out the door, snatching toast and an orange from the kitchen table, and hopped into Two-Bit's car.
"Oh, boy, school," I said, with toast in my mouth. I reckon it came out as, 'Umph, phoy, sphool,' because Two-Bit gave me a weird look.
I swallowed and tried again. "Oh, boy, school," I repeated, "The weekend goes by way too fast."
"Got that right," he muttered, and pulled into the school parking lot. We hopped out of the car and were soon joined by Ponyboy and Johnny.
I ruffled their hair and slung an arm around each of their shoulders. "Hey, boys, what's hanging?"
Johnny grumbled and Pony sighed. "We hate school days," he said with disgust. I laughed, and so did Two-Bit.
Steve came jogging over and lightly punched Two-Bit's arm. "Hey gang!" he said with a cheerful grin.
"Why are you so happy?" Ponyboy muttered, but Steve didn't seem to hear him. He changed his tone and asked, "Where were you yesterday, Holly? I thought you would have come over after you went to the movies with Parker."
My grin washed away and Two-Bit cleared his throat. "Uh, well, Parker turned out to be a huge jerk and I spent the night at Two-Bit's house."
After sharing their sympathy, Steve suddenly grinned. "Oh, you slept over at Two-Bit's house?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively, "Did you guys sleep in the same bed? Did you…"
Two-Bit silenced him with a punch on the shoulder and I started to laugh. "And what if we did?" Two-Bit growled defensively. He winked at me and Pony's ears got all red. Johnny coughed loudly, and muttered something about not wanting to hear about this. That made me laugh harder.
I spotted Evie and Sandy, Soda's girlfriend. The three of us are really tight-sometimes we go on 'triple' dates. I usually go with Two-Bit. I used to go with Dally a lot also, but lately he's seemed…I don't know, out of it. Johnny too. Maybe I'm just missing something…
"Well, boys, have fun at school today. And Two-Bit, don't forget to pick me up for lunch today!" I smiled and walked towards Evie and Sandy. I instantly tapped them on the shoulder and joined in the conversation-Steve and Soda…what else would they talk about?
I won't fill you in on the mushy details, because they're boring and pointless chatter of lovesick teenage girls. The three of us are in all the same classes, which really works out. First period math, second science, third English, fourth gym (running-YES! I loved it so much I even help Ponyboy practice for track season), fifth lunch, and finally study hall for sixth period. (A/N: I have no idea what the schedules were like in the 60's, so I made them up to sound somewhat realistic LOL!)
The day went by relatively slow until lunchtime-that, being the highlight of the school day, when super fast. Two-Bit and I hit a corner deli and ordered barbecue sandwiches-I was DYING for one! We shared more pointless blabber, and he asked if I had seen Parker in school at all. I told him I hadn't, that I had overheard teachers say he was absent, which was a lie. I saw him numerous times in the hallway, making eye contact with me. I just gave him a rude gesture with my finger and walked off. I hadn't told Mary about Parker; nothing good would come from it. Either she would take Parker's side because Brent was Parker's best bud, and totally exile me from her life, or take my side and exile Parker from her life, leaving Brent pissed off. So either way someone is pissed at someone. Which is not good.
After our delicious lunch, we sped back to the school because we were already ten minutes late. Hoping not to get caught, we tried sneaking into many side entrances but gained no luck. After a while we decided to screw it and waltz into the front doors, only to be greeted with the assistant principal, who puts the 'ass' in 'assistant.' Seriously, he is a total jerk. I mean, yeah he should bust us and all for coming in half an hour late, but I'm just saying he doesn't do a damn thing to Socs. If the Socs came in an hour after us, he would pretend not to see them and concentrate on watching greasers pass by in the hallways. Ugh, it just makes me mad-almost the whole school staff is prejudice. It totally sucks, you know?
So there we were, Two-Bit and I, with a week's detention. After school. From 2:30 to 3:30. What better way to spend an extra hour than in a cold detention room at school? Boy, oh boy, let me in!
Grumbling and muttering about the gay school policies, we trudged into the detention room. We were greeted with a fuming Steve and a Soc named Billy.
"Steve? What are you doing here?" I asked, sliding into the seat next to him.
"No talking!" Mr. Caldwell barked, shoving his glasses up his nose. It didn't make any difference; they just slid right back down. He was shuffling papers at his desk standing up; no doubt looking up Steve, Two-Bit and my records. Sure enough, he retrieved three files and held them in the air. Wow, is it I or is there four people in this classroom? Prejudice, I tell you.
"These detention notices are going on your permanent records!" he spat at us, and I had this gargantuan urge to tell him to 'say it, not spray it.' Seriously, he almost gave Steve a bath. He nonchalantly started to wipe his face off with his sleeve, and I stifled a laugh.
Mr. C spun around to stare at me head on, and I glance back with as straight a face as I could muster. I'm pretty sure my lip twitched now and then.
"Do you think this is funny, Miss Carson?" he asked in that deadly whisper of his.
"Oh, no, of course not. I'm really ashamed to be here, I must say. I apologize for coming in late, Sir, but I feel it is my need to point out that us…lesser fortunate people have to suffer consequences deeper than those more fortunate than us when they do worse tasks than we do." I tried my best to sound professional and mature.
Mr. Caldwell looked me over, disbelieving that a greaser had such a way with words. Finally he sighed and said, "You're apology accepted, Miss Carson. You are free to leave. I don't know why Mr. Peterson sent you two here anyway; George Duke and Steward Yale came strutting into school twenty-five minutes after you, and he didn't even raise an eyebrow. Oh, and Steve," Mr. Caldwell added, glancing over at him, "You can either stay here for a week or write a 200 word essay on the Civil War."
I just sat there, dumbfounded. I had actually talked my way out of a week's detention! For three people!
We must have made it out of there somehow, because the next thing I knew Steve and Two-Bit were squashing me in a human sandwich.
"Talking your way out of detention!" Two-Bit was yelling, "That's ingenious!"
"Do you even know what 'ingenious' means?" I asked smugly, and he gave me a grin.
"Naw, I heard it on Mickey Mouse once. Him and Goofy were trying to build this flying thing and Goofy came up with an idea…anyway it isn't as important as getting the three of us out of detention!"
Steve picked me up and twirled me around. "Thank you! Now all I have to do it figure out stuff for a report. I'll ask Darry; he knows a lot right?"
Two-Bit grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me. When he pulled away he grinned. "I did not wanna spend a week with that dork," he smirked, "Thanks, babe."
I smiled back and rubbed his cheek. Steve made a snorting noise, and we all laughed. I hopped in Two-Bit's car as Steve sped off…probably to pick up Evie. Two-Bit slid into his car along side me and started the engine. "Curtis'?" he asked, and I nodded.
We arrived in front of the Curtis residence ten minutes later. I hopped out of the car and started to run towards the screen door, but stopped abruptly. Two-Bit walked alongside me too, and looked at me quizzing before following my gaze, and he stopped too. Soda was lying on the living room floor, with Darry and Ponyboy kneeling next to him. He looked pretty beat up-so much that I wanted to turn my face and hurl. Two-Bit and I stepped inside and sat down on the floor.
"Oh, God, what happened Soda?" I murmured, smoothing out his dark gold hair.
Pony sniffled. "The Socs," he said grimly.
What came out of Darry's mouth next made my blood turn cold.