The Outsiders © S.E. Hinton. This story is non-profit.
All notes/disclaimers in Chapter 1.

Author's Note: This one is a little short, but there will be another chapter tomorrow, I promise. Thanks for reading and reviewing! More notes at the end.




Not Today
Chapter 3: Priorities

"Where'd you meet her? How come you didn't tell us about her? Are you dating her? How long have you known her? Where's she come from?"

I was bombarded with questions the second I walked back into the house and I had to talk myself out of taking one look at my brothers and Steve and turning around and walking right back outside again. Instead, I walked past them and started cleaning up the kitchen, and they just started repeating the same questions over and over again until it felt like my brain was gonna fall outta my head.

"It's late," I finally said in a brief instance of silence. Even my brothers had to take a breath on occasion. "Pony and Soda, you need to get to bed."

"Oh no, uh uh," Soda said, folding his arms across his chest. "We saw her kiss you before she left. You can't just not tell us anything!"

It crossed my mind to say I can and I ain't, but I wondered if they'd ever stop badgering me if I didn't at least come clean about something.

"The kiss was on the cheek," I settled for saying, focusing on tying up the full trash bag.

Soda and Steve began to giggle amongst themselves again and I decided I was done with explanations for the night. "Excuse me, girls," I said, lugging the trash bag through the kitchen and toward the back door. I heard the television click on and was about to yell at Pony about it being too late for TV when I saw Two-Bit fling his jacket over a chair and settle in on the couch. Only Two-Bit would have his leather coat with him during a heat wave. He'll have his leather coat on when they bury him, sure as shootin'.

When I came back inside, Steve and Soda had relocated to the living room with Two-Bit and Pony was back at the table with his homework. It was nearly 10:30 and I'd be lucky to get my brothers in bed by midnight.

"Sounds like I missed the grand unveiling," Two-Bit announced at me, standing up and hooking his arms around my shoulders. He smelled like beer and sweat. I took hold of his arm and flipped him neatly over my back. He tucked and rolled, just like I'd taught him to a few years back and hopped to his feet without a hair out of place.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, throwing a glare Sodapop's way. Not surprisingly, it went completely unreceived.

"Of your new girlfriend!" Two-Bit shouted jovially.

Even Pony looked up and laughed. He was tapping his pencil against his book which usually meant he wasn't paying any mind to what he was reading no matter how much it looked like it. It took me a while to figure out but it was his real clever way of eavesdropping.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I said, and boy I was getting frustrated. Maybe it wouldn't have bothered me so much if I could figure out why I was so fascinated with Jules but I couldn't and I didn't need those boys on my back about it either.

"She lives in those apartments, the ones we're re-roofing," I finally divulged, and the boys calmed down long enough to listen. "She made me move the ladder so she could get into her apartment one day, that's how I met her."

Steve was nodding as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "She's got all these, whatta ya call em?"

"Superstitions," Pony supplied.

"Superstitions," he told Two-Bit. "She made Darry move the ladder on account 'a she won't walk under one. And she's gotta drive into the DX from the north side and leave from the south or she thinks her car'll break down or somethin'."

Two-Bit hooked his fingers into his belt loops and eyed me somethin' fierce. "Sounds like the kinda broads I'm always attractin'," he said after a pause. "The crazy ones!"

Steve cracked up again and all I could do was thump him on the back while he was doubled-over. "Don't you got your own home to go to?" I asked, but I knew it was futile. Steve and Two-Bit were characters and sometimes there was nothing you could do but ignore 'em.

Man, it was hot in the house. I took off my over shirt and opened a window. Not that it'd help much. There wasn't a breeze to be wished upon; everything outside was dark and still. The heat just blanketed us. Soda's hand on my shoulder startled me and I forced myself to stop thinking about the heat.

"I liked her anyway," he announced. Pony who chimed in with, "She was real nice."

My brothers may not have felt the need to get to bed but I sure did, for nothing if not for some peace and quiet. I walked through the kitchen and pointed what I hoped was a threatening finger at my younger brothers. "Not too late," I said gruffly. Then I looked at Two-Bit and Steve who had stopped laughing but looked about to burst at any moment. "She's not my girlfriend," I said for good measure, and heard the two boys release their guffaws as I stalked toward my bedroom.

Sometimes if I got up early enough, I would catch Pony on the back porch, smoking cigarettes and watching the sunrise. I don't have time to watch the sunrise, but after Dally and Johnny died, Pony rounded us up one morning and made us. Then he made us watch a sunset, and we all sort of started looking at them more.

We wouldn't have done it (well, Soda would have, but the rest of us would have complained or flat refused), except Pony showed us Johnny's letter. After that, I tried real hard to listen to Pony more and not be so quick to dismiss everything as a waste of time. But Pony had to understand, when you're working as much as I am to support not only him and Soda but Two-Bit and Steve too half the time, you gotta prioritize, and sunrises and sunsets get pushed pretty low on the list.

So do girls, and so should Jules but somehow she was still on my mind.

I was real surprised to see Pony on the back porch the next morning on account that they got to bed real late. He wasn't even dressed, only wearing his boxers and a thin t-shirt and I didn't really blame him. It was still hot as blazes. I made a cup of coffee and took a clean pair of his jeans from my closet before heading out there. It was something I never woulda done before Johnny died, but I'm trying now. Plus, Mrs. Blake next door would be out watering her bougainvillea any minute and she'd holler at Ponyboy somethin' awful if he didn't get dressed.

"Here kid," I said, tossing the jeans on his head. The screen door on the other side of the fence slammed shut at the same time ours did, and we could see the curly gray top of Mrs. B's head as she unraveled her hose. Pony slipped the pants on.

"I'm surprised you're up," I said, sipping my coffee. I was already showered, shaved and dressed, but it hadn't been easy when my alarm sounded at half past five.

Pony shrugged. "Too hot to sleep."

He wasn't woofin'. The sun wasn't even all the way up yet and my shirt was sticking to my back. Still, I knew if my crew worked their butts off we could be done with the apartment complex by the end of the week. Finishing jobs quickly means taking more jobs on which means more money.

Pony had been quiet for a while and he seemed so fixated on the changing colors of the horizon I didn't want to bother him. I got up, having every intention of starting breakfast before I had to pick Soda up out of bed and dump him under an ice cold shower to wake him up. Don't think I wouldn't; I've done it before.

"So that girl, Jules, I'm not gonna razz you about her, I just wanna know about her."

When I turned back, Pony was gazing at me, leaning against the porch rail. My fist instinct was to tell him to mind his own business and get off the rail before he falls right off the edge. But he's always bugging me to trust him more, not treat him like a baby all the time, so I took a leap of faith and sat on the step with my coffee in hand.

"What do you wanna know?" I asked. "I don't know much."

"How long have you known her?" Ponyboy started.

I shrugged. "I met her a few days ago, on the job site like I told you. She asked me to help her install a deadbolt on her door which is how we got to talking. I honestly hadn't figured on seein' her again but she showed up here last night. That's it, Pony. Swear."

I sorta wanted him to drop it, but I shoulda known better. He was scrutinizing me, and any other day I woulda told him to cut it out and banged inside. But maybe it was good to talk about how confused she made me. And if I could trust anyone not to laugh at me or blab it around, it was Ponyboy.

He'd have been so happy if he knew I was thinkin' that. But I didn't tell him.

"Do you like her?" he asked finally.

Mrs. Blake was spraying her bougainvillea. I watched for a minute then sighed.

"I guess maybe a little," I said honestly. "She's different from everyone else and doesn't try to hide it."

Pony was nodding. "She seems to like you, too."

I considered this. "That part's different too," I admitted. It had been a long time since I'd been in any position to meet girls, much less talk to them long enough for one of them to like me. Sure, there were girls down at the DX all the time, but the girls down there had one thing on their minds, especially now that Sandy was gone: Sodapop.

I glanced at Pony and shrugged, offering him a discontented grin. Golly, Pony and I talking like this, it was unprecedented. I half expected to wake up any second, sweltering in bed, late because my alarm didn't go off. Ponyboy was smiling back at me.

"I think you should go out with her," he said with finality.

I had to laugh. "Oh you do?" I asked, standing up and ruffling his hair. I heard the screen door slam and Steve start yelling for Soda to rise and shine. "Where do you suppose I'd get the time to do that, kiddo?"

Ponyboy was grinning when he walked past me and put his hand on the screen door. "Guess you're just gonna have to start trustin' me and Soda to stay alone at night."

I thought of how they'd probably eat chocolate cake for dinner and Pony might never finish his homework and no chores would ever get done. Steve and Soda would invite girls over and Two-Bit would naturally show up like he always does, and before I knew it, they'd have an honest to goodness party going on. I shook my head and walked in behind him, heading to the kitchen to start breakfast. My personal life would just have to wait.

TBC…

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Reviewers for Chapter 2:

Robot In Disguise - Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you're liking it. You hit the nail on the head about Darry, too.

Kacey - I know that all three Curtis brothers are considered very handsome and I'd never think or try to imply otherwise! The story is from Darry's POV, so he'd have to be thinking he was handsome for me to write it that way, and I just don't think he'd do that. The way the story was supposed to read was that Darry had told Jules that Soda was handsome (since that's what most people say/notice about him first) and he was a little jealous when she reiterated it right in front of him. Thanks for reviewing, it means so much that you gave me your thoughts and that you're enjoying the story!

Bandit-Gurl42 - I'm really glad you're liking it. This chapter was a little shorter (don't get me all worried about the chapter lengths, darn you!) but next one is longer. I try to make them pretty even, but you know how it goes. I'm glad you think the gang is in character. It's hard to get even one of them right, much less all of them!

Tessie - You keep on writing Darry and I'll keep on writing Darry and pretty soon we'll take over the world! Muwhahaha! Just kidding, girlie. Thanks for the feedback.

Jessie13 - Thanks a lot! I enjoyed "Glory, What Now?" a whole lot. Dally is a hard character for me to wrap my head around, so I have a lot of respect for anyone who writes a story centered around him. Keep up the great work.

Sodapop's#1gurl - I'm glad you're reading and thanks for reviewing. Yes, there's lots more to come.

Oblivious Misconception - I think it's physically impossible for me to write romance with no angst, so never fear, we won't fall into fluff around here! I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far and I agree with you; Darry has so much to offer. As I said before, he is a character with a whole lot of potential. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

pisiform - It's pretty fun to write Darry's POV on everyone. Especially with Pony -- it gives you the "other side of the story". Thanks for reviewing!