Not much to say today. I'm not going to drown you with boring author's
notes. Read on!
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Dallas, Johnny, and Two-bit all left around midnight, pretty early for the
gang. The emotional day had left me exhausted, my eyes were swollen from
crying and my face was flushed. I'd never looked uglier, or felt worse. I
kept trying to tell myself that me leaving wasn't the end of the world, but
just the end of my life as I know it. Not a much more comforting thought.
I lied awake on my sofa bed for a long time, I was thinking too much. "We all knew this day would come, but... What if I change? What if Pony changes? When will I see him?" I wished that there was and 'off' button for my brain.
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up short of breath. Beads of sweat had formed on my face and my blankets were completely twisted around me, another nightmare. I never remembered what my nightmares were about; I only knew the emotion they left, fear.
I sat up for a minute, waiting for Pony to come in and ask me if I was alright, but he never came. I was glad I didn't wake him up, but at the same time, I wished he had woken because I was very aware of how alone I was and it scared me. "Get used to it, Mattie." I thought to myself.
Knowing I'd never be able to sleep, I got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of water. The clock above the stove read, '2:04.' I had major time to kill. I found myself in the doorway of Pony and Soda's bedroom. Where was Soda? Only Pony lay there. As I moved closer I noticed he was curled up into a ball with all of the covers bundled around him. I could have sworn I heard him whisper 'no'.
"Pon, Are you okay?" He was shaking. He was having a nightmare, too. I sat on soda's side of the bed and began to run my fingers through Pony's hair. "Shh, Pony. I'm here. Shh." I said soothingly.
"Mattie?" He whispered between sharp breaths.
"Yeah, it's me." He rolled over on to his back to look up at me.
"Glory, what time is it?" He said rubbing his head.
"Around 2"
"What are you doing up then?" He questioned sleepily.
"Couldn't sleep, can I stay here, tonight." I couldn't believe I had asked that. The darkness kept me from interpreting his expression, but he nodded. I laid down beside him and pulled the covers up above my waist.
"Goodnight, Pon." I said, yawning.
"Goodnight, Mattie." He whispered back, half asleep.
I woke up later that morning; the sun had barely risen in the sky. The clock on the bedside table said that I still had 3 hours until my departure from Tulsa, but I tried not to think about that. I wasn't surprised to find that no one was awake, but I was surprised to find Soda sleeping on the couch. I hoped Darry wouldn't find out that I had slept in Pony's bed; I didn't have a clue what his reaction might be to that.
I went through my daily routine like normal. I didn't make breakfast, disobeying the Curtis household unwritten law. I wondered stupidly if any of the gang would get up to say 'goodbye'. Of course they would come; I guess I wasn't thinking straight.
"Morning, Mattie." Darry laid his hand on my shoulder, startling me; I hadn't heard him come into the kitchen. "Are you alright, baby?"
I gave him a half-hearted smile.
"You'll be alright." He said as he left to make breakfast, although it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.
I didn't eat the breakfast when Darry put it in front of me. I chopped up the eggs and pushed them around on my plate so it looked like I'd at least eaten a bit. Darry would skin me if he found out I'd skipped a meal. Why did he have to be so over-protective? When I took my full plate to the sink to be washed, he gave me a stern glance, but didn't say anything.
Right after I turned around and began to walk away he spoke up. "So Mattie, do you care to explain how you and Soda switched beds last night?" He asked coolly. I knew he had seen Soda sleeping on the couch, but it was so strange that he hadn't started hollering.
"Oh, Superman," Soda had woken up and was standing behind me as I faced Darry, "You know they didn't do anything. Geez, Mattie, that couch sure is uncomfortable." He said rubbing his side.
"You get used to it." I reasoned.
Darry dropped the subject after that. "Why don't you go in and wake up Pony, Mattie, it's almost eight." Darry suggested. That last hour went by with terrifying speed. The rest of the gang showed up about quarter 'till nine and said goodbye. I was amazed that Dally and Two-bit didn't forget to come.
A white out-of-date car showed up in front of the house at exactly nine, just like Mrs. Parker had said. I was thankful that Mrs. Parker wasn't going to be the one to drive me to North Carolina. A younger woman with short, straight dark brown hair knocked at the door. I wasn't really thinking at all, at that point. Mechanically, I shook her hand, walked to her car, and lifted my big blue suitcase into her trunk. Then, I turned around to face the gang, who had all come out behind me. As I went down the line everyone had their own interesting way of saying goodbye. Steve and Two-bit promised that they'd straighten everyone out and lay down the law while I was gone. Yeah, sure, I trusted them. Mostly, though, there was an awkward pat on the back or a hand shake. I gave Johnny, Darry, Soda, and Pony quick hugs, knowing I couldn't take a long goodbye.
"You take care of yourself, Mattie." Darry said as I got into the car. I just nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Wait, stop!" I said to my driver, Ms. Candrea. We weren't even 2 minutes down the road. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten something; can we go back, please?" Ms. Candrea smiled slightly and made a U-turn.
Pony was sitting on the bottom step of the porch when I arrived. He stood up, surprised to see me. I ran up to him, not wanting to make Ms. Candrea wait.
"Pon, I just came to say...to say that," I stumbled over my words; I couldn't get out what I was trying to say. Wait, what was I trying to say? Impulse took over and I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to stop myself from crying, and kissed him gently on the lips. I wasn't implying anything, really. When I pulled away Pony looked confused.
"I just had to say that you're my best friend, Ponyboy Curtis." I smiled sweetly and began to walk away.
"Mattie," I turned to look at him, "Call me as soon as you get there, you hear?" He grinned at me. (Were his cheeks a little more red than normal?)
"Yeah, alright."
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Okay then, I'm done for today. I swear it's gonna get more interesting soon. Please Review.
I lied awake on my sofa bed for a long time, I was thinking too much. "We all knew this day would come, but... What if I change? What if Pony changes? When will I see him?" I wished that there was and 'off' button for my brain.
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up short of breath. Beads of sweat had formed on my face and my blankets were completely twisted around me, another nightmare. I never remembered what my nightmares were about; I only knew the emotion they left, fear.
I sat up for a minute, waiting for Pony to come in and ask me if I was alright, but he never came. I was glad I didn't wake him up, but at the same time, I wished he had woken because I was very aware of how alone I was and it scared me. "Get used to it, Mattie." I thought to myself.
Knowing I'd never be able to sleep, I got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of water. The clock above the stove read, '2:04.' I had major time to kill. I found myself in the doorway of Pony and Soda's bedroom. Where was Soda? Only Pony lay there. As I moved closer I noticed he was curled up into a ball with all of the covers bundled around him. I could have sworn I heard him whisper 'no'.
"Pon, Are you okay?" He was shaking. He was having a nightmare, too. I sat on soda's side of the bed and began to run my fingers through Pony's hair. "Shh, Pony. I'm here. Shh." I said soothingly.
"Mattie?" He whispered between sharp breaths.
"Yeah, it's me." He rolled over on to his back to look up at me.
"Glory, what time is it?" He said rubbing his head.
"Around 2"
"What are you doing up then?" He questioned sleepily.
"Couldn't sleep, can I stay here, tonight." I couldn't believe I had asked that. The darkness kept me from interpreting his expression, but he nodded. I laid down beside him and pulled the covers up above my waist.
"Goodnight, Pon." I said, yawning.
"Goodnight, Mattie." He whispered back, half asleep.
I woke up later that morning; the sun had barely risen in the sky. The clock on the bedside table said that I still had 3 hours until my departure from Tulsa, but I tried not to think about that. I wasn't surprised to find that no one was awake, but I was surprised to find Soda sleeping on the couch. I hoped Darry wouldn't find out that I had slept in Pony's bed; I didn't have a clue what his reaction might be to that.
I went through my daily routine like normal. I didn't make breakfast, disobeying the Curtis household unwritten law. I wondered stupidly if any of the gang would get up to say 'goodbye'. Of course they would come; I guess I wasn't thinking straight.
"Morning, Mattie." Darry laid his hand on my shoulder, startling me; I hadn't heard him come into the kitchen. "Are you alright, baby?"
I gave him a half-hearted smile.
"You'll be alright." He said as he left to make breakfast, although it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.
I didn't eat the breakfast when Darry put it in front of me. I chopped up the eggs and pushed them around on my plate so it looked like I'd at least eaten a bit. Darry would skin me if he found out I'd skipped a meal. Why did he have to be so over-protective? When I took my full plate to the sink to be washed, he gave me a stern glance, but didn't say anything.
Right after I turned around and began to walk away he spoke up. "So Mattie, do you care to explain how you and Soda switched beds last night?" He asked coolly. I knew he had seen Soda sleeping on the couch, but it was so strange that he hadn't started hollering.
"Oh, Superman," Soda had woken up and was standing behind me as I faced Darry, "You know they didn't do anything. Geez, Mattie, that couch sure is uncomfortable." He said rubbing his side.
"You get used to it." I reasoned.
Darry dropped the subject after that. "Why don't you go in and wake up Pony, Mattie, it's almost eight." Darry suggested. That last hour went by with terrifying speed. The rest of the gang showed up about quarter 'till nine and said goodbye. I was amazed that Dally and Two-bit didn't forget to come.
A white out-of-date car showed up in front of the house at exactly nine, just like Mrs. Parker had said. I was thankful that Mrs. Parker wasn't going to be the one to drive me to North Carolina. A younger woman with short, straight dark brown hair knocked at the door. I wasn't really thinking at all, at that point. Mechanically, I shook her hand, walked to her car, and lifted my big blue suitcase into her trunk. Then, I turned around to face the gang, who had all come out behind me. As I went down the line everyone had their own interesting way of saying goodbye. Steve and Two-bit promised that they'd straighten everyone out and lay down the law while I was gone. Yeah, sure, I trusted them. Mostly, though, there was an awkward pat on the back or a hand shake. I gave Johnny, Darry, Soda, and Pony quick hugs, knowing I couldn't take a long goodbye.
"You take care of yourself, Mattie." Darry said as I got into the car. I just nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Wait, stop!" I said to my driver, Ms. Candrea. We weren't even 2 minutes down the road. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten something; can we go back, please?" Ms. Candrea smiled slightly and made a U-turn.
Pony was sitting on the bottom step of the porch when I arrived. He stood up, surprised to see me. I ran up to him, not wanting to make Ms. Candrea wait.
"Pon, I just came to say...to say that," I stumbled over my words; I couldn't get out what I was trying to say. Wait, what was I trying to say? Impulse took over and I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to stop myself from crying, and kissed him gently on the lips. I wasn't implying anything, really. When I pulled away Pony looked confused.
"I just had to say that you're my best friend, Ponyboy Curtis." I smiled sweetly and began to walk away.
"Mattie," I turned to look at him, "Call me as soon as you get there, you hear?" He grinned at me. (Were his cheeks a little more red than normal?)
"Yeah, alright."
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Okay then, I'm done for today. I swear it's gonna get more interesting soon. Please Review.