Chapter 3
As we walked inside the corner store and sat down on the cherry-colored booth, it dawned on me how odd this really was. I, Ponyboy Curtis, was on some kind of date with a Soc. Since it made that little sense to me, I decided not to think about it and try to enjoy myself.
"So, have you lived in Tulsa your whole life?" Meg asked, taking a look at the slender menu provided by the small restaurant. I cleared my throat for a moment, and then answered her,
"Never been anywhere else. What about you. . .is this your first time here?" As the waitress approaches us, I ordered a soda for myself and the same for Meg.
"I was here once when I was a little girl. . .some Christmas I came up with Cherry and her family. That was-" she paused, "that was before my mom died,"
"I'm sorry. . .my parents are dead, too," I replied, letting my eyes wander around the building. For some reason I just did not want to make eye- contact with her.
"Both of them?" she asked. I nodded solemnly, still not able to look her in the eye. She continued, "My father isn't dead. . .actually that's why I moved here. He's moving in with his new wife this week and decided it would be best for me to come and live with Cherry. I know it sounds bad but I don't hold it against him. I mean, he needs to get me out of the way for a little while in order for him to start a new life, right?" she replied. It sounded to me as if she was saying this to reassure herself more so than me, so I let her continue, "So tell me a little about you, Pony."
"What's there to tell? My mom and dad both died, Darry dropped out of school to raise me and Soda. . .my best friend died this year. . ."
"Sounds to me like theres a lot to tell," she commented as our drinks came and the conversation ended at that.
After our drinks and a series of minor conversations about practically nothing more exciting than the weather, she asked me to walk her home. Normally, if she were any other girl I would have right away, but the thought of walking at night with a Soc was frightening. However, it would be nothing less than rude if I didn't, and so I agreed to walk her home.
Nervously looking around, we walked down the path past the Drive-Thru. That place was usually loaded with Socs, so I started to speed up as we walked past it. I could tell Meg was still confused, so I tried the best I could to explain to her about the Socials and the Greasers.
"See, Meg, not everyone in Tulsa is the same. There are the Socials, a.k.a the Socs, who live on the west side. Then there are the Greasers, like me, who live on the east side. Cherry is a Soc. . .I guess you are too then. Do you get it?" Meg stopped
"I'm a Soc? So that's it? I move here with my cousin and I all of a sudden get labeled as a Social. I'm not, Ponyboy. Do I look like I want to hurt you or beat you up? I like you, Pony! Why can't you understand that?" I thought about it for a second. I knew she didn't want to hurt me. She only wanted to be my friend, but I labeled her as a Soc and that was that- nothing more had to be said.
"I can't help it Meg! You don't get it! No one wants us to be friends! Do you know what those other Socs would try to do to me if they found out I was hangin' with you? They'd beat me 'till I was knocked out, that's what. Maybe you never had no Socs or Greasers in that Canada you were in, but they're here and not you, not me, not no one can change that." I felt a bead of sweat drip down my forehead and I quickly wiped it off. I took a deep breath and anxiously awaited her reply; but to my surprise there was none. She just kept walking and sighed deeply. "Well?" I asked.
"Well what?" She asked, sighing heavily again, "you know everything about me, I guess. I'm a 'Soc' and it ends at that. If you really feel that way, that's fine. Theres no use for me even trying to be your friend," she continued walking and I followed her. I was amazed. How could she just stop all of a sudden like that? I had never met anyone like her before, that was for certain. After a while of just walking and saying nothing I got restless, and I longed to hear her voice again. Why was I feeling this way? I just couldn't help it.
"Wait," I said, running around in front of her, placing my hand softly on her arm. "I don't want to do this. I like you too, I just don't see how it can work; me and you," A subtle smile crept across her face and as she tried to wipe it off, I noticed that she found it not possible.
"Not everything has to be easy, Ponyboy," she replied. It was at this moment that I realized how much she reminded me of Cherry. Her long, flowing hair, that unforgettable smile, and even the way she talked. "If things are as serious between the Socs and the Greasers as you say they are, we're going to have to work at it and it might be hard at times, yeah. . .but if you really like me, you'll make that sacrifice."
"I do like you," I replied, and the rest of the walk was narrated by nothing other than the divine sound of silence.
When we reached her house there was a kind of awkward silence lingering around us. I was waiting for her to go inside, and I think she was waiting for me to leave. So in reality we were just standing there, staring at each other.
"I guess I should go inside," she commented, turning to leave but then she turned back around and further approached me. My mind started racing and my heart started beating as her face came closer and closer to mine, and finally she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I could feel myself blushing, but I tried not to let it show. I smiled weakly, and for the first time in a long while I felt totally and completely happy.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I added as she opened her door and walked inside.
As we walked inside the corner store and sat down on the cherry-colored booth, it dawned on me how odd this really was. I, Ponyboy Curtis, was on some kind of date with a Soc. Since it made that little sense to me, I decided not to think about it and try to enjoy myself.
"So, have you lived in Tulsa your whole life?" Meg asked, taking a look at the slender menu provided by the small restaurant. I cleared my throat for a moment, and then answered her,
"Never been anywhere else. What about you. . .is this your first time here?" As the waitress approaches us, I ordered a soda for myself and the same for Meg.
"I was here once when I was a little girl. . .some Christmas I came up with Cherry and her family. That was-" she paused, "that was before my mom died,"
"I'm sorry. . .my parents are dead, too," I replied, letting my eyes wander around the building. For some reason I just did not want to make eye- contact with her.
"Both of them?" she asked. I nodded solemnly, still not able to look her in the eye. She continued, "My father isn't dead. . .actually that's why I moved here. He's moving in with his new wife this week and decided it would be best for me to come and live with Cherry. I know it sounds bad but I don't hold it against him. I mean, he needs to get me out of the way for a little while in order for him to start a new life, right?" she replied. It sounded to me as if she was saying this to reassure herself more so than me, so I let her continue, "So tell me a little about you, Pony."
"What's there to tell? My mom and dad both died, Darry dropped out of school to raise me and Soda. . .my best friend died this year. . ."
"Sounds to me like theres a lot to tell," she commented as our drinks came and the conversation ended at that.
After our drinks and a series of minor conversations about practically nothing more exciting than the weather, she asked me to walk her home. Normally, if she were any other girl I would have right away, but the thought of walking at night with a Soc was frightening. However, it would be nothing less than rude if I didn't, and so I agreed to walk her home.
Nervously looking around, we walked down the path past the Drive-Thru. That place was usually loaded with Socs, so I started to speed up as we walked past it. I could tell Meg was still confused, so I tried the best I could to explain to her about the Socials and the Greasers.
"See, Meg, not everyone in Tulsa is the same. There are the Socials, a.k.a the Socs, who live on the west side. Then there are the Greasers, like me, who live on the east side. Cherry is a Soc. . .I guess you are too then. Do you get it?" Meg stopped
"I'm a Soc? So that's it? I move here with my cousin and I all of a sudden get labeled as a Social. I'm not, Ponyboy. Do I look like I want to hurt you or beat you up? I like you, Pony! Why can't you understand that?" I thought about it for a second. I knew she didn't want to hurt me. She only wanted to be my friend, but I labeled her as a Soc and that was that- nothing more had to be said.
"I can't help it Meg! You don't get it! No one wants us to be friends! Do you know what those other Socs would try to do to me if they found out I was hangin' with you? They'd beat me 'till I was knocked out, that's what. Maybe you never had no Socs or Greasers in that Canada you were in, but they're here and not you, not me, not no one can change that." I felt a bead of sweat drip down my forehead and I quickly wiped it off. I took a deep breath and anxiously awaited her reply; but to my surprise there was none. She just kept walking and sighed deeply. "Well?" I asked.
"Well what?" She asked, sighing heavily again, "you know everything about me, I guess. I'm a 'Soc' and it ends at that. If you really feel that way, that's fine. Theres no use for me even trying to be your friend," she continued walking and I followed her. I was amazed. How could she just stop all of a sudden like that? I had never met anyone like her before, that was for certain. After a while of just walking and saying nothing I got restless, and I longed to hear her voice again. Why was I feeling this way? I just couldn't help it.
"Wait," I said, running around in front of her, placing my hand softly on her arm. "I don't want to do this. I like you too, I just don't see how it can work; me and you," A subtle smile crept across her face and as she tried to wipe it off, I noticed that she found it not possible.
"Not everything has to be easy, Ponyboy," she replied. It was at this moment that I realized how much she reminded me of Cherry. Her long, flowing hair, that unforgettable smile, and even the way she talked. "If things are as serious between the Socs and the Greasers as you say they are, we're going to have to work at it and it might be hard at times, yeah. . .but if you really like me, you'll make that sacrifice."
"I do like you," I replied, and the rest of the walk was narrated by nothing other than the divine sound of silence.
When we reached her house there was a kind of awkward silence lingering around us. I was waiting for her to go inside, and I think she was waiting for me to leave. So in reality we were just standing there, staring at each other.
"I guess I should go inside," she commented, turning to leave but then she turned back around and further approached me. My mind started racing and my heart started beating as her face came closer and closer to mine, and finally she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I could feel myself blushing, but I tried not to let it show. I smiled weakly, and for the first time in a long while I felt totally and completely happy.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I added as she opened her door and walked inside.