Alright! Here is the second installment. To all those who reviewed: Thanks so much for giving my story a chance! It's so cool to write a story because you enjoy doing it and get positive responses from it…
Vampire-Slaying-Greaser-Gal: Hmm where'd you get that idea from? Haha, actually I was considering it so it might be heading in that direction, although Im not sure if it will turn into a full blown romance, im trying to keep those things kinda subtle. And yes I do agree with you that Johnny needs some lovin'. Sheesh you just guess these things too well;)
Starstruck: What can I say? I loved your story "Stranger Steve stared" and after reading that and also after reading two cool stories in my lit class I got the idea to write this story. I was inspired by your style of writing to write this story.
Scarlett: Where's your next story? I've been waiting and waiting to read more great stories from you…
BabyG: Okay I'll tell ya a little ahead of time, there's gonna be a little bit of one of the hoody characters in the next chapter…you can probably guess who;)
MissLKid: Yes Johnny is very sweet isn't he? I'm so glad that you liked my story so far, even thought it was such a tiny piece! Hopefully I'll make the later chapters live up to the prologue, so you can enjoy itJ
This chapter may seem kinda slow but it'll pick up in the next one….
Oh yeah and I don't own any of the characters except the girl, blah blah…belong to SE Hinton (do I have to do this every chapter or is the first disclaimer enough?) Disclaimers…*shakes head*
She woke up. Her breathing was labored, her skin was sticky and moist. As she ambled around the house her breathing became normal again. She stepped outside, expecting the sweltering heat, the sultriness of her native home. But it was nice and cool, very different from what she was used to. But the heat followed her everywhere, the discomfort, the unpleasantness. She had to remind herself that she wasn't home anymore, she wouldn't ever be home again. Her past life was lost and it couldn't be regained.
~*flashback*~
She stepped out onto the pavement, her dark, shiny hair blowing in the scarce breeze. Her long hair was ill-fitted for the scorching heat that surrounded her. The air was damp and heavy and its discomfort was inescapable. Her big blue eyes glanced around, a smile on her delicate face. She was a pretty little girl and she knew it. She knew that looks were important. What did people see when she passed by them on the street, her head held high, a wry smile plastered on her face? Most older adults would look at her with an approving grin. 'Such a nice girl,' they would think to themselves. 'Her world is so easy, so fun, so…trivial,' most would think to themselves. She was on a migration in between childhood and adulthood, she was a typical adolescent. The newly adolescent boys would look at her in the corner of their eyes, a secret wanting, a new-found feeling that was beginning to rise up in them but hadn't fully matured yet. What was her story then? What was her story to come? Just how much do we have in common with the people that we see once in a lifetime, that we pass on the street?
~*end of flashback*~
She sat on the front step. Her ugliness was inside her; it was undetectable.
The school bell had just rung and Pony was late again. He hastened through the school doors past the office. Only one thing was on his mind, and that was to get to the classroom before Mr. Payne slammed the door and locked it like he usually did. Mr. Payne was the mathematics teacher, and his name wasn't too far removed from his personality. The man went through mood swings, one minute he'd be joking with the class, the next minute he'd be yelling like there was no tomorrow. Pony turned the corner and was a few steps away from the classroom when he felt his body slam into that of someone else. Books went flying, and all he could see was a giant mass of long dark hair. After the initial shock Pony glanced down at the figure that lay on the floor. She brushed the hair away from her face, her dark blue eyes gleaming through. Ponyboy did a double take as he viewed her features again. There was something about her eyes that seemed oddly familiar, something you didn't see too often in the girls at school. He gently placed out his hand, waiting for her to place her own hand in his so he could help her up.
"Geez….I'm so sorry," Ponyboy claimed apologetically as she hesitantly placed her hand in his own. Threads of hair covered one of her eyes, and the other seemed to emptily stare back into Ponyboy's own green eyes.
"It's okay I guess," she counteracted, "another shitty occurrence in my wonderfully shitty day." She turned to leave when she remembered that she had no idea where she was going. "Oh geez okay, I'm sorry," she sighed, glancing down at the paper that she held. "It's my first day here, I'm lost." Pony looked over to his classroom, seeing that the door had already been shut and locked.
"I can help you with that…well if you want me to," he stated. The girl gave him a slight nod of the head and handed him the paper, which told where her class was. They leisurely shuffled through the school halls until they finally arrived at their destination.
"Hey," she said, looking down. Her voice seemed a little more subdued as she said "thanks," and proceeded into the classroom.
Music was blasting from the parking lot that occupied two very truant greasers. The day had started out chilly, but now it was later on in the day and the sun was blaring down and delving into their pores. It was February and they were not prepared for the blistering heat that had crept up on them so quickly. But it wasn't that bad…they had their beer to cool them down. The one with rusty colored sideburns popped open his third beer and guzzled it down, his now red forehead beaded with sweat. He looked over to Johnny, who wasn't doing any better than Two-Bit. His heavily greased black hair seemed to attract the sun directly to his head, and despite the grease his hair almost seemed to hang limp from fatigue.
"Refreshments are available in the lobby," Two-bit cracked in a high voice, pointing to the beer in the backseat as he mocked the advertisements that were played before movies at the nightly drive in. Johnny quickly shook his head at Two-Bit's offer. The radio that was blasting from their car now switched songs and the two greasers instantly recognized it….
It's been a hard day's night…
And I been workin' like a dog…
Two-Bit quickly switched stations and settled on a station that was playing a song more suited for their tastes…
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girly action
Cause I try and I try and I try and I try…
Suddenly the school bell rang, signaling the end of school. Johnny automatically sunk lower into his seat, subconsciously avoiding the jumble of faces who were about to come crashing through the front double doors. Two-bit put on his jacket despite the blistering heat, and hid the beer he had half guzzled inside of it. Ten minutes passed and the main surge of the crowd had already come through. Johnny lifted his body higher in the seat as Two-bit cranked up the car, waiting for Pony to arrive so they could take off. Finally, after 15 long ass minutes, Pony came gliding through the doors and hopped into the car.
"Finally!" Two-bit exclaimed as he turned his head to Pony in the back seat. The car was on a hill and Two-Bit let off the brake without exactly looking forward…
He heard someone scream, and instantly stepped on the brakes as the car came to a screeching halt.
"Oh shit!" Two-bit screamed as he looked out over the door to see what he had almost crashed into…
"You asshole! Watch where you're going!" shouted a girl under a mass of dark hair, who had dived out of the path of the car and landed on the ground. Pony leaned out the car to see who it was, and his eyes instantly came into contact with her eyes. Recognition was instantly written all over her face. She brushed off her jeans and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I can't believe this," she stated as she began to walk away. Pony, Two-bit, and Johnny exchanged looks, both being shocked over how potentially dangerous the situation could've been. But they also exchanged looks because….because she was curiously attractive. Not as trashy as a greaser girl, not as preppy as a soc. Not as boring or naïve as a middle class girl was. She was….just different. "Just what exactly is her story?" they all thought to themselves.
Lyrics from "Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles and "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones