Hey peoples! Well, I know its been a long time, okay over a month...but yeah.
I've been INCREDIBLY busy with school finals and trying to keep up with
life in general. Anyway....heres a short chapter for you...very short, mind
you. But sorry. Hopefully in the next few weeks more will come. We are
working hard on getting the next three or four chapters done and finishing
up with this one. Its just that, even though we have some of the next part
finished, like two chapters or so, if we put those up and get stuck
finishing it, you guys will want to kill us. But the excuse goes back to
being at an EXTREMELY hard part to write. In any case, be patient. We WILL
finish this if it takes forever or not.
Oh, and just FYI to y'all...we are adding a bit to Chapter 14 that we forgot to pu tin before. Sorry about that, but only read it if you aren't deeply disturbed by the events that took place in the chapters in that area of the plot. We warned you, now go read it, you might understand a few things better. Sorry again, we just didn't realize that its wasn't up until a few days ago. Thanks Tens!
Well, on to reviews then...
Stephanie: You are very welcome, although I haven't updated in forever and a day...LOL. Sorry, I didn't update my other stories till about a week ago anyway... so don't think this one takes the back burner or anything. Hope you like this short chapter to.
Tensleep: HAHA, Skye be up to something? NO! HAHA...no really, she's not up to anything...I don't think. LOL. But she normally is...so yeah. Well, I kept you waiting again! Sorry. You know the whole story behind it tho.
Oblivious Misconception: Okay, I'll say it for you... Finally an update! Again. HAHA. Im sorry, I really am, but yeah. We will finish this one, hopefully in the next few months, we are just at a major block right now on this. Yeah, poor bratty Skye, it almost makes you want to feel bad for her, but then again, can you blame the guys? LOL. And Darry was sincerely sorry for freaking out. Remember he was really whacked out and tired at the time. Reesa is so much like Darry in the way that they think that there is no way she couldn't understand where he was coming from, and she hates her past more than he ever will. And you are right, there is a ton of untold things still in this story. I'm glad that you like it. It was hard to pull off, putting it in the right places and all, but I think its gone good. Thanks for the great review that made my day!
DaNNi BaBezZz: Yeah, they are good now. HAHA, Reesa never gives the silent treatment, she's more the type to get up in your face or slap you or something. She's too much of a brat and a half to stay silent about something for long. Again, Skye's usually up to something, but that doesn't mean she always is, although a good guess. LOL. That's probably why no one trusts her. Remember she feels pretty bad at this point to, so she's not out to make trouble, if for only once in her life. HAHA, jk. Well, thanks a ton!
Julie: Wow, really? SWEET! You're seriously making us blush. LOL. I mean, We haven't heard that about any of our stories, so thanks! Sorry the update was slow and short in coming, but school is a pain.
Stephanie: Relax! We are updating now. LOL. Hope you like it!
BLoNdEaThEaRt: Okay, calm down...calm down...Lol. Yes, this story is MEANT to be non-cliché, although some people don't think its true. We've worked very hard to develop these characters to be true and PART of the fam. Thanks for acknowledging our hard work. Now, simmer down, and enjoy the little update you've gotten, even as little as it is. There is more to come, and longer too, but trust us when we say you don't want us updating until we get more written, you WILL be mad if we do. Updates might be a little more spaced, but hey will ALWAYS come, and they will ALWAYS be the best quality we can give you. Thanks!
Okay, have at it guys!
Chapter 23 (Pony's POV)
I can't believe I went to school. God knows I wouldn't have if I hadn't missed three days already. I can't afford to miss anymore. My homework is going to take hours to catch up on and I don't want to miss anything else. The suffering is already going to last an eternity and a day. Then there's the mere fact that I have a temperature and the glands in my throat are burning, telling me to be careful or I might just puke. And I'm so stiff, I can barely move. No, really, I am. Not to mention that I can't bend over if I drop my pencil or paper, and I have to skip out on track because I don't want to test my glands or my organ structure at the moment. Besides that, I felt like shit.
"Are you sure you should be here, Pon?" Two-Bit asked as we walked towards our seventh periods. He had auto and I had English, but they were in the same roundabout area. "You look like shit, man."
"Thanks."
"No, really. Why are you here? Why don't you just go home?"
"Because school's almost over and I don't want to not go to a class, especially English, when I've already missed three days and I have no idea where we are or what we're doing now."
"Oh." He didn't sound all that convinced of my excuse, but I didn't care. It made sense to me. I know he didn't hold the same importance I did on school, and that's all right. It doesn't bother me. There were just some things we didn't agree on. "Whatever. See ya."
"Bye," I sighed and pushed the door open to Mr. Thorp's room.
I do have to agree with Two-Bit on one thing about all of this. If I'm honest, I don't want to be here at all. Not Mr. Thorp's English class. I love English, but Mr. Thorp needs a psychiatric evaluation. He's not fit at all for the job. Not just that, but he doesn't even try and connect with his students. It's no wonder his hate club consists of all his students, except maybe Molly Dunket. But that's because she's not all the way there either. She OD'd on LSD and it permanently screwed up her sense of who she likes and doesn't like, along with a few other things. One more incentive to never do drugs.
"Hello, Mr. Curtis," his voice drawled from the corner opposite me, where his desk sat. "Decided to come back, did we?"
Oh, shut up. "Actually, I was sick," I told him and sat down. Hey, I can lie whenever I want. I don't have anything to prove to an old prick like him.
"Oh, is that so?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. More or less. If it could be considered sick, that I was beat badly enough that I am still running a fever, yeah, I'd say I was sick. "Why? What'd I miss?"
"Nothing you can't make up. Come here and check the file."
Great. Now I have to go near the mental case? Whatever. I suppose it won't hurt too badly, if it'll keep my grade from falling. I got up and went over to the filing cabinet next to his desk and found the eleventh grade English folder for the last week. I found all the papers I hadn't gotten and was about to go sit back down when he stopped me.
"Where's Reesa?"
"Sick." I moved closer to my seat.
"Still? It must be serious."
"Well, yeah, it is. I was out for three days, over the weekend." I made it sound so simple. Although I knew he wasn't going to buy it. It's none of his business where she is. He has no right to pry into our personal lives.
"But she's been gone for nearly a week. Aren't you going to at least take her home the assignments?" Gawd, I hate him. Of course I would, what was I thinking? I knew I should've, and I would've eventually remembered, but having to be reminded by someone such as him was just degrading.
"Riiight." I went back to the file and got out another set of papers plus a couple more for her that she hadn't gotten even when I was around last week.
I was again almost back to my desk when he stopped me.
"Where's Skye? Is she sick too?"
I swear that if I wouldn't get expelled I would've punched him right then and there. I know I was overreacting for such simple questions, and it wasn't all just because he was who he was, but also that I didn't want to even think about it. I go school to get away from it. Why did he have to keep this up?
"As a matter of fact, she is."
"With what? The flu? Cold? Food poisoning?"
"The flu," I lied. Hey, it sounded good and it was communicable, so it would make sense, right?
"Huh... Its still summer, Ponyboy." And that was supposed to mean something?
"Yeah? And...? So, we all came down with the summer flu." I finally just went to my seat anyway because the bell was about to ring and I didn't want him to mark me tardy. He's such a slime ball.
I separated our assignments and pulled out my folder to put them in. Man, damn folder was filling up like crazy. Oh well, I guess that's what I get for... doing whatever it was I did to get nearly slaughtered. Probably just the fact that I'm a grease, right? Not forever. No way. I'm not going to live like this forever. I don't blame my parents, or now Darry, for this, but I won't raise my own kids in a lousy neighborhood. I don't want them to be Soc's by any means, but maybe nice middle class or better, but I don't want to live like this forever.
"Mr. Curtis?" Oh, you're kidding me. He couldn't have anything else to say. But knowing him, he would do anything to poke and prod where he didn't belong.
"Yes, Mr. Thorp?" I looked up from my backpack.
"Can I speak to you in my office for a moment, please?" Why all the politeness? We all know that deep down he's just a bag of manure with a head. He's already foul; there isn't any covering it up.
What does he care so much about us for? Sure, Skye was probably his worst student ever, and it's not common of Reesa to miss school ever, but I don't know what his problem is. He's always had a beef with us and it drives me insane. Sodapop never applied himself and Darry was most likely only getting the grades because it mattered to him and he wanted to stay on the team, but he didn't care about English. So what? How many people are like that? How many families has he taught that has given him as much grief? Plenty, I'm sure.
"Um, sure," I said and got up to follow him out of the room. What was I supposed to say? No?
"Ohhohhh!" someone called immaturely. "Ponyboy's in for it now."
"Shut up, Jerry," someone else said.
I ignored them after that and walked into the office, which was right next to the classroom. This was absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe him.
"Sit down, Ponyboy," he said while lowering himself into his own chair.
"No, thanks." I ain't lowering myself to his level. Nope. Even if that meant standing for centuries, or however long it took his mind to process information.
"All right then. Would you like to tell me what is really going on?" Way to be blunt. Couldn't be anymore creative, eh?
"Nothing's going on. Honest."
He nodded as if he didn't believe me but was going to try and pretend he did. "Right. I'm just curious as to what is going on, because your family has been seeming to have issues lately and—"
"We're fine," I nearly snapped. It was as if he was throwing balls of that manure at me. Couldn't he leave me alone and quick the torture?
"I'm not saying that you are." How do you contradict yourself without making yourself look stupid? Easily, but obviously not for him. "But noticeably, you are the only responsible one, and I am merely wishing that you have answers to my questions." He motioned to the empty chair in the corner again but I shook my head. He wasn't luring me in. Not even a little.
"I can try," I said. I can't be disrespectful to a teacher, no matter how little I like them. I just have something against it. It was probably in the way I was raised, as strange as that sounds, but my mom was very adamant about respecting teachers and anyone who was our elder. But, Gawd, why couldn't she have made an exception to the rule?
"Good. Now, really, tell me where your sisters are. It's not like you to lie."
He thought he knew what he was talking about and was using that tone to prove it. Well, sorry, sir, but you don't have anything.
"I'm not lying. They are sick. I promise. If you call my house, my brother will tell you that they are both very sick. But don't do that, because he's probably sleeping. He was up all night." What made all of this so unbelievable for him? What was wrong with the picture I was painting? Did it not all work out?
"As true as that may be, I can't always excuse everything as a case of sickness, otherwise your little sister would be permanently hospitalized." As much as I agree with him, that pisses me off. He can't talk about Skye like that. Especially if he's going to mistake everything right along with it.
"She's not my little sister. We're twins... I'm Reesa's little brother.... I was skipped ahead a grade..." I don't think he was catching on to anything I was saying. Never mind, that's not what's important. "Mr. Thorp, I know Skye has just about the worst attendance record ever, but I swear on my mother's grave that's she's sick." And if that didn't do it for him, nothing would.
"What about Reesa? She's not taking a vacation from school?"
"I swear about her too. I can't give you anymore than that, Mr. Thorp." I really can't. I could start swearing on my father's grave too, but it wouldn't have anymore of an effect, I'm sure.
And just as I knew it was coming, Mr. Thorp got a look of satisfaction plastered across his ugly face. He thought he had my painted into a corner. "And how alive is your mother?"
"...Not. At. All."
The smile wiped off his chapped lips.
At that point I returned to the classroom. Whether his discussion with me was over or not, I was finished with him. It was a mistake to have brought my mom into this, but if he going to go there, I was done.
Oh, and just FYI to y'all...we are adding a bit to Chapter 14 that we forgot to pu tin before. Sorry about that, but only read it if you aren't deeply disturbed by the events that took place in the chapters in that area of the plot. We warned you, now go read it, you might understand a few things better. Sorry again, we just didn't realize that its wasn't up until a few days ago. Thanks Tens!
Well, on to reviews then...
Stephanie: You are very welcome, although I haven't updated in forever and a day...LOL. Sorry, I didn't update my other stories till about a week ago anyway... so don't think this one takes the back burner or anything. Hope you like this short chapter to.
Tensleep: HAHA, Skye be up to something? NO! HAHA...no really, she's not up to anything...I don't think. LOL. But she normally is...so yeah. Well, I kept you waiting again! Sorry. You know the whole story behind it tho.
Oblivious Misconception: Okay, I'll say it for you... Finally an update! Again. HAHA. Im sorry, I really am, but yeah. We will finish this one, hopefully in the next few months, we are just at a major block right now on this. Yeah, poor bratty Skye, it almost makes you want to feel bad for her, but then again, can you blame the guys? LOL. And Darry was sincerely sorry for freaking out. Remember he was really whacked out and tired at the time. Reesa is so much like Darry in the way that they think that there is no way she couldn't understand where he was coming from, and she hates her past more than he ever will. And you are right, there is a ton of untold things still in this story. I'm glad that you like it. It was hard to pull off, putting it in the right places and all, but I think its gone good. Thanks for the great review that made my day!
DaNNi BaBezZz: Yeah, they are good now. HAHA, Reesa never gives the silent treatment, she's more the type to get up in your face or slap you or something. She's too much of a brat and a half to stay silent about something for long. Again, Skye's usually up to something, but that doesn't mean she always is, although a good guess. LOL. That's probably why no one trusts her. Remember she feels pretty bad at this point to, so she's not out to make trouble, if for only once in her life. HAHA, jk. Well, thanks a ton!
Julie: Wow, really? SWEET! You're seriously making us blush. LOL. I mean, We haven't heard that about any of our stories, so thanks! Sorry the update was slow and short in coming, but school is a pain.
Stephanie: Relax! We are updating now. LOL. Hope you like it!
BLoNdEaThEaRt: Okay, calm down...calm down...Lol. Yes, this story is MEANT to be non-cliché, although some people don't think its true. We've worked very hard to develop these characters to be true and PART of the fam. Thanks for acknowledging our hard work. Now, simmer down, and enjoy the little update you've gotten, even as little as it is. There is more to come, and longer too, but trust us when we say you don't want us updating until we get more written, you WILL be mad if we do. Updates might be a little more spaced, but hey will ALWAYS come, and they will ALWAYS be the best quality we can give you. Thanks!
Okay, have at it guys!
Chapter 23 (Pony's POV)
I can't believe I went to school. God knows I wouldn't have if I hadn't missed three days already. I can't afford to miss anymore. My homework is going to take hours to catch up on and I don't want to miss anything else. The suffering is already going to last an eternity and a day. Then there's the mere fact that I have a temperature and the glands in my throat are burning, telling me to be careful or I might just puke. And I'm so stiff, I can barely move. No, really, I am. Not to mention that I can't bend over if I drop my pencil or paper, and I have to skip out on track because I don't want to test my glands or my organ structure at the moment. Besides that, I felt like shit.
"Are you sure you should be here, Pon?" Two-Bit asked as we walked towards our seventh periods. He had auto and I had English, but they were in the same roundabout area. "You look like shit, man."
"Thanks."
"No, really. Why are you here? Why don't you just go home?"
"Because school's almost over and I don't want to not go to a class, especially English, when I've already missed three days and I have no idea where we are or what we're doing now."
"Oh." He didn't sound all that convinced of my excuse, but I didn't care. It made sense to me. I know he didn't hold the same importance I did on school, and that's all right. It doesn't bother me. There were just some things we didn't agree on. "Whatever. See ya."
"Bye," I sighed and pushed the door open to Mr. Thorp's room.
I do have to agree with Two-Bit on one thing about all of this. If I'm honest, I don't want to be here at all. Not Mr. Thorp's English class. I love English, but Mr. Thorp needs a psychiatric evaluation. He's not fit at all for the job. Not just that, but he doesn't even try and connect with his students. It's no wonder his hate club consists of all his students, except maybe Molly Dunket. But that's because she's not all the way there either. She OD'd on LSD and it permanently screwed up her sense of who she likes and doesn't like, along with a few other things. One more incentive to never do drugs.
"Hello, Mr. Curtis," his voice drawled from the corner opposite me, where his desk sat. "Decided to come back, did we?"
Oh, shut up. "Actually, I was sick," I told him and sat down. Hey, I can lie whenever I want. I don't have anything to prove to an old prick like him.
"Oh, is that so?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. More or less. If it could be considered sick, that I was beat badly enough that I am still running a fever, yeah, I'd say I was sick. "Why? What'd I miss?"
"Nothing you can't make up. Come here and check the file."
Great. Now I have to go near the mental case? Whatever. I suppose it won't hurt too badly, if it'll keep my grade from falling. I got up and went over to the filing cabinet next to his desk and found the eleventh grade English folder for the last week. I found all the papers I hadn't gotten and was about to go sit back down when he stopped me.
"Where's Reesa?"
"Sick." I moved closer to my seat.
"Still? It must be serious."
"Well, yeah, it is. I was out for three days, over the weekend." I made it sound so simple. Although I knew he wasn't going to buy it. It's none of his business where she is. He has no right to pry into our personal lives.
"But she's been gone for nearly a week. Aren't you going to at least take her home the assignments?" Gawd, I hate him. Of course I would, what was I thinking? I knew I should've, and I would've eventually remembered, but having to be reminded by someone such as him was just degrading.
"Riiight." I went back to the file and got out another set of papers plus a couple more for her that she hadn't gotten even when I was around last week.
I was again almost back to my desk when he stopped me.
"Where's Skye? Is she sick too?"
I swear that if I wouldn't get expelled I would've punched him right then and there. I know I was overreacting for such simple questions, and it wasn't all just because he was who he was, but also that I didn't want to even think about it. I go school to get away from it. Why did he have to keep this up?
"As a matter of fact, she is."
"With what? The flu? Cold? Food poisoning?"
"The flu," I lied. Hey, it sounded good and it was communicable, so it would make sense, right?
"Huh... Its still summer, Ponyboy." And that was supposed to mean something?
"Yeah? And...? So, we all came down with the summer flu." I finally just went to my seat anyway because the bell was about to ring and I didn't want him to mark me tardy. He's such a slime ball.
I separated our assignments and pulled out my folder to put them in. Man, damn folder was filling up like crazy. Oh well, I guess that's what I get for... doing whatever it was I did to get nearly slaughtered. Probably just the fact that I'm a grease, right? Not forever. No way. I'm not going to live like this forever. I don't blame my parents, or now Darry, for this, but I won't raise my own kids in a lousy neighborhood. I don't want them to be Soc's by any means, but maybe nice middle class or better, but I don't want to live like this forever.
"Mr. Curtis?" Oh, you're kidding me. He couldn't have anything else to say. But knowing him, he would do anything to poke and prod where he didn't belong.
"Yes, Mr. Thorp?" I looked up from my backpack.
"Can I speak to you in my office for a moment, please?" Why all the politeness? We all know that deep down he's just a bag of manure with a head. He's already foul; there isn't any covering it up.
What does he care so much about us for? Sure, Skye was probably his worst student ever, and it's not common of Reesa to miss school ever, but I don't know what his problem is. He's always had a beef with us and it drives me insane. Sodapop never applied himself and Darry was most likely only getting the grades because it mattered to him and he wanted to stay on the team, but he didn't care about English. So what? How many people are like that? How many families has he taught that has given him as much grief? Plenty, I'm sure.
"Um, sure," I said and got up to follow him out of the room. What was I supposed to say? No?
"Ohhohhh!" someone called immaturely. "Ponyboy's in for it now."
"Shut up, Jerry," someone else said.
I ignored them after that and walked into the office, which was right next to the classroom. This was absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe him.
"Sit down, Ponyboy," he said while lowering himself into his own chair.
"No, thanks." I ain't lowering myself to his level. Nope. Even if that meant standing for centuries, or however long it took his mind to process information.
"All right then. Would you like to tell me what is really going on?" Way to be blunt. Couldn't be anymore creative, eh?
"Nothing's going on. Honest."
He nodded as if he didn't believe me but was going to try and pretend he did. "Right. I'm just curious as to what is going on, because your family has been seeming to have issues lately and—"
"We're fine," I nearly snapped. It was as if he was throwing balls of that manure at me. Couldn't he leave me alone and quick the torture?
"I'm not saying that you are." How do you contradict yourself without making yourself look stupid? Easily, but obviously not for him. "But noticeably, you are the only responsible one, and I am merely wishing that you have answers to my questions." He motioned to the empty chair in the corner again but I shook my head. He wasn't luring me in. Not even a little.
"I can try," I said. I can't be disrespectful to a teacher, no matter how little I like them. I just have something against it. It was probably in the way I was raised, as strange as that sounds, but my mom was very adamant about respecting teachers and anyone who was our elder. But, Gawd, why couldn't she have made an exception to the rule?
"Good. Now, really, tell me where your sisters are. It's not like you to lie."
He thought he knew what he was talking about and was using that tone to prove it. Well, sorry, sir, but you don't have anything.
"I'm not lying. They are sick. I promise. If you call my house, my brother will tell you that they are both very sick. But don't do that, because he's probably sleeping. He was up all night." What made all of this so unbelievable for him? What was wrong with the picture I was painting? Did it not all work out?
"As true as that may be, I can't always excuse everything as a case of sickness, otherwise your little sister would be permanently hospitalized." As much as I agree with him, that pisses me off. He can't talk about Skye like that. Especially if he's going to mistake everything right along with it.
"She's not my little sister. We're twins... I'm Reesa's little brother.... I was skipped ahead a grade..." I don't think he was catching on to anything I was saying. Never mind, that's not what's important. "Mr. Thorp, I know Skye has just about the worst attendance record ever, but I swear on my mother's grave that's she's sick." And if that didn't do it for him, nothing would.
"What about Reesa? She's not taking a vacation from school?"
"I swear about her too. I can't give you anymore than that, Mr. Thorp." I really can't. I could start swearing on my father's grave too, but it wouldn't have anymore of an effect, I'm sure.
And just as I knew it was coming, Mr. Thorp got a look of satisfaction plastered across his ugly face. He thought he had my painted into a corner. "And how alive is your mother?"
"...Not. At. All."
The smile wiped off his chapped lips.
At that point I returned to the classroom. Whether his discussion with me was over or not, I was finished with him. It was a mistake to have brought my mom into this, but if he going to go there, I was done.