Chapter 7
Two-Bit took me back home and then he left to go and pick up Cathy. I sighed as I sat on the couch. I glanced at the clock. 3:30. I decided that I would leave at 4:00, so when I got there I could get a Pepsi and help out with the cars before 5:00. I figured Shelby was working as the cashier and not a mechanic. That was just my assumption though because I couldn't picture Shelby working on cars and Soda had said a little while ago that the DX needed a new cashier. I sighed and looked around. I was hungry but I wasn't quite sure I could hold anything down. I walked to the icebox and looked in, there wasn't much. I decided to have some ice cream. We only had vanilla which surprised me, Soda, Darry and I love chocolate. Maybe Steve brought it over. I remembered that he preferred vanilla to chocolate. I took it out and I pressed the plastic case against my forehead. I sat there like that for at least five minutes. It sort of relieved my pounding head ache that occurred between my eyebrows.
I scooped out two large scoops into a small bowl. I licked my lips and scooped some into my mouth. It didn't really relieve my hungry but at least it was something in famished stomach. After I finished and watched TV for about fifteen minutes I looked at the large clock overtop of our table. It read now read 3:50. I thought about staying for another ten minutes but I was bored out of mind. I can never just sit around like Two-Bit can. I walked out of the house. But not before I ran a comb once more through my hair. I was only wearing a grey t-shirt and light blue jeans. I grabbed Dally's old brown jacket and put it on. I liked wearing it because Dally had given it to me, but it reminded me of everything that happened just a year ago. I thought back to the smoky interior of Buck Merrill's place. I sat down beside Johnny on the bed shivering from the icy water I had just been dunked in. I looked at Dally as he handed me the loaded gun and fifty dollars with surprise. This could mean jail for him and that's when I knew why Johnny looked up to him. He was gallant.
I shook those thoughts out of my head and put my other arm into the thick brown jacket with sheep's wool inside. I put my wallet into my jacket pocket and walked out of the house slamming the heavy screen door. I started my short walk to the DX station.
I turned the corner onto Lincoln St. where it got busier. I looked across the street at the rundown gas station. It got the most business around, that wasn't saying much though, and there aren't that many gas stations on our side of town. I crossed the street and walked across the parking lot to the main office where I could buy my Pepsi. I walked in and the little bell rang Shelby was sitting on the counter talking and laughing with Soda as he did an impression of somebody I couldn't place. "Hey Pony" Shelby said smiling sweetly at me. She was leaning against the wall with one leg up and Soda was leaning on one elbow on the counter top. Sodapop smiled at me too. He straightened up.
"Hey Shelby and Soda." I said. I looked around.
"Where's Steve?" I questioned.
"Working on Mr. Berk's car. He said we were getting in the way, fine by me that means less work." Soda said taking a swig of Shelby's Pepsi.
I nodded smiling "Hey Shelby are we still going out for lunch to the diner?" I asked walking over to stand beside Soda.
"Yah, we can leave in about 5 minutes when I officially get off work." Shelby said. She yanked the bottle of Pepsi back from Soda and finished it before throwing it into the small plastic garbage can by her foot. Suddenly the small bell rang as Mr. Berk walked into the small store and looked around. I knew him pretty well, the only reason I liked him is because he would never judge us because we were greasers. He lived near us too but I hadn't really seen him around lately. He nodded at me.
"Alright Sodapop how much is that gonna be...?" Mr. Berk asked digging into his deep worn pockets.
"It'll be $27.60 Mr. Berk." Shelby said ringing up the cash box and looking up at Mr. Berk. Mr. Berk squinted revealing the thick, deep wrinkles in his cheeks and forehead.
"...Shelby?" It was actually more of a question then an answer. Shelby nodded looking at Mr. Berk quizzically.
"It's me, um Michael, Michael Berk. You delivered my newspapers and I brought you to the hospital that one time...I think you broke your leg." He said with a good-hearted smile. Shelby tilted her head slightly to the side. Trying to gather up the details from her past.
"Oh my god! It really is you Mr. Berk. I can't believe I didn't recognize you...you look almost exactly the same." Shelby said with a smile.
"Oh Shelby, you always were a fantastic liar." He laughed obviously being able to tell Shelby was lying. Most people couldn't, for what I remember, tell when she was lying. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders cutely. "It's a gift," She joked and took the money from Mr. Berk and placed it noisily into the cash box.
"Well, I best be going, take care kiddo." Mr. Berk said nodding to me as well and walking away. Shelby looked over at the clock and sighed into a smile.
"I'm outta here!" Shelby yelled and grabbed a heavy black leather jacket, which I could have sworn I saw Two-Bit wear before. She swung around the counter humming a song and messed up Sodapop's hair and ducking his swing, as she grabbed my arm pulling me out of the small store. We began to walk to the store; Shelby was telling me about her day, I was kind of dazed into her deep brown eyes as she spoke. She was telling me about how she had scared Steve into draining oil all over him. She noticed I was staring at her so she stopped.
"What?" Shelby said, smiling with a small giggle.
"Oh, uh... err nothing." I stuttered out. I felt my ears burn with embarrassment.
"Ok," She giggled, "Anyways, so Steve says to me 'don't you two have anything better to do 'sides bother me? You know this is a job maybe you can find some work!' Shelby said doing an incredible impersonation of Steve. And I says 'you mean this isn't just for fun? Coulda fooled me,' I said it with sarcasm though. And just as I thought he was about to pound me into a pulp I ran outta the garage." She said, she laughed with me just as we turned into the diner. I walked in and noticed it was pretty busy, with lots of adult's milling around. My stomach sort of sank, because we were greasers, and we looked it, and I knew they would judge us. I looked sideways at Shelby, she smiled at me. I let out a sigh, why did I care anyways? I was with Shelby. Since it had been a long time since Shelby was in here I led her to a booth at the back of the eating area.
"Nice place...this is the kind of stuff I missed in New York, places like this, ay dig? They sure as hell don't have these there." She said and then she sort of went into her own world of thought that she did sometime, where her eyes would widen and she would absent mindedly chew on a finger nail or tap a surface as if she was playing drums. I smirked at her. We started a conversation. She ended up talking non-stop of everyone in New York. Including a couple of sentences of her dad. Whom I have never heard her speak of.
A waitress walked up in the middle of our conversation. She had on the red and white uniform, and looked in about her mid-thirties. But she had deep defined wrinkles and metallic blue make-up almost up to her eyebrows. I sort of cringed at the stare she gave us.
"Great...of all the customers in here..." She mumbled to herself. We stopped to look at her.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" She said almost as fake as her smile. She chewed and smacked her gum way too loudly. She glared at the lady with a face I had never seen Shelby wear before.
"Are you kids gonna order or should I go serve some customers with money?" She asked, this time not even trying to smile at us. Shelby looked at me through the corner of her eye and winked. I knew all too well what this meant.
"Yeah, can we have two Pepsis and a..." Shelby then knocked over her glass of water onto the table so it spread onto the floor. She gave the waitress a completely fake 'oops' face with a shrug. The lady didn't need to give us the look she did then. It was so cruel I almost backed up. She bent over slowly to clean it up muttering about 'stupid, trouble causin' teenyboppers.' Shelby gave me egging on look. I knew she wanted me to knock over my water too. I sort of widened my eyes and then Shelby knocked over my water as well. The lady half straightened up so we could see her. I had to stifle a laugh. Her puffy beehive hair was now sopping wet and dripping down making her heavy mascara run down her face. She looked at me with such hate. I tried to stutter out an oops, an apology or anything. But all that came out was carbon dioxide.
"Listen you little hood! Next time you come in here you'd better be..." She didn't get to finish, because Shelby stuck out her leg from under her side of the table and gave the lady a swift shove sending her into the puddles. I was kind of bewildered, stupefied. Nonetheless I saw the look the lady was wearing while on the floor. Shelby was already on her feet and reached over to grab my arm and yank me up. I stumbled a bit looking at the lady. We just got to the door when the owner grabbed Shelby by the shoulder yanking her roughly. Shelby yelped it pain. Instinct took over me and I walked over to the guy and punched him square in the nose. I was a pretty good puncher, considering my size, and that guy stumbled backwards fast. He stumbled to the ground and pulled Shelby down with him which also knocked me down. So there were two teenage greasers and a 50 year old man stumbling and rolling around on the ground cussing and grabbing at things for stability while we struggled to get out. I grabbed a hold on a table cloth sending the food and drinks flying, but nevertheless get me on my feet. I reached down and my arms encased Shelby's waist while she was still cussing out the owner. With that we were out of the place, running for our lives but laughing so hard that aches and pains racked our chests. We got to Dairy Queen before we slowed down in the slightest
As we ran into the Drive-In parking lot of Dairy Queen I spotted Two-Bit's car. Shelby and I ran toward it and we both leaned against it, trying to catch our breathe. Two-Bit look at us,
"Glory Halleluiah! So you decided to show up did ya? Jesus Christ, I have been waitin' here for twenty minutes." He then gave a nod to the three greasers he had been talking to before we arrived. Me and Shelby ignored his remark about waiting and climbed into the car. I was still breathing heavily as we sat in the backseat glancing at each other a couple of times. Two-Bit jumped into the front seat which he had lowered. He glanced behind him before squealing out onto the road.
"So, how was the diner tonight?" Two-Bit asked after about 3 minutes of silence because everybody was either looking for or lighting up cigarettes.
"We didn't stay long," Shelby said with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth.
"Why not?" Two-Bit asked.
"Cause this waitress was pissing us, well me off, and then I spilled water and one thing led to another before Pony punched out the owner." Shelby said giving me a little shove. I smiled and flexed my muscles playfully.
"Nice one Ponyboy, was it that old broad with the blond hair?" He asked us.
"Yeah," I said surprised that Two-Bit could guess who we were talking about.
"Yeah, aint she a ray of sunshine? Kicked me and Dan out just last week." Two-Bit said, I knew who Dan was. I had only met him about twice, he was my age and he seemed like a cool old guy.
We pulled into the driveway and I jumped out of the car racing Two-Bit and Shelby into the door. Two-Bit lost because he was too damn lazy, Shelby lost because of her high heels. I walked into the door with a look of mock triumph on my face before I felt a hard blow to my back. I fell to my knees and turned around to see Shelby had lunged at me in the doorway. I laughed as she pinned me arms to the ground sitting on my chest. She thought she had won, but she couldn't hold me down if her life depended on it. I sat up and picked her up around the waist just as Two-Bit came in. He looked at me funny and I walked over to him with Shelby.
"I believe this is yours," I joked passing Shelby to Two-Bit.
He cocked an eyebrow and dropping Shelby to the ground said,
"I don't want her." He grinned down at Shelby and walked over to the TV set, fiddling with the knobs.
"That hurt!" A scowling Shelby said to the back of Two-Bit. Two-Bit ignored it and went to sit on the couch.
Just then Sodapop came in, grinning widely.
"Heya Pony, Two-Bit" Then he looked around and noticing Shelby on the floor he nodded, "Shelby" She saluted him and crawled over to the couch. I went over and sat in-between the two of them. Sodapop sat in Darry's arm chair. Nobody sat in that chair unless Darry wasn't here.
"So, Two-Bit why you home so early?" I asked, knowing that Two-Bit's dates usually lasted until midnight. I didn't actually expect him to meet us at Dairy Queen.
Two-Bit gave a sour look. "Cathy said she wasn't in the 'mood'." Two-Bit rolled his eyes as if this was impossible.
"I mean seriously, there is no mood you have to be in, at least not for guys. Sometimes I just don't get chicks, wish there was some way I could get in their head when they do those things. Ya dig?" Two-Bit said with a cigarette between his lips.
Shelby let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes.
"What are you laughing-," Two-Bit stopped and his eyes widened.
"Hey you're a broad!" He exclaimed pointing a finger at her.
"Cant get nothing past you Two-Bit," Shelby said cocking an eyebrow and looking from me to Two-Bit then looking back down at her magazine. Two-Bit wasn't joking though; he realized living with a girl was even better than getting into one of their heads.
"Well..?" Two-Bit inquired.
"Well what?" Shelby asked, looking at him as if he had just come back from the dead.
"Well, what's she mean 'I'm not in the mood'?" He asked her getting excited.
Shelby rolled her eyes, "It means you did something to piss her off, but she wants you to figure it out for yourself, and then apologize." Shelby said not looking up from the magazine she was not thumbing through.
"But I didn't do anything wrong," Then as if an idea struck old Two-Bit he said slowly, "Oh...you mean like a girl that comes up and recognizes you? Would that count...?" Two-Bit asked biting his lip.
"Yeah, definitely." Shelby replied.
"Aw well. She'll get over it I will just giver some time." He said.
Then we sort of settled down to watch I Love Lucy. After about an hour and a half of I Love Lucy, I didn't think I could stand the sound of her crying and whining anymore. After we took a vote we decided to change the channel. We found the Honeymooners which was pretty tuff. The gang always thought Jackie Gleason was pretty tuff too. I didn't feel much like watching so as the two remaining members of the gang started coming in I challenged them to a game of poker. Soda, Steve and Shelby took up the offer. Darry didn't because he had to cook supper and Two-Bit didn't because he was flat broke. We had played 3 rounds, we were on our fourth and so far I had only won one game. It was pretty good though and I was feeling lucky.
I looked down at my hand. I had a pair of sevens. That was a pretty rank hand. I looked around. Everyone was looking at me with their poker faces on, it was my turn. I had already wasted about half of my winnings trying to convince everyone I had a better hand than I did. I looked down at my withering pile of quarters. I sighed,
"I fold," I answered throwing my cards down angrily. It was Shelby's turn. She looked down at her cards with that expressionless dazed look she puts on. Like she doesn't know what's going on around her, sort of like Two- Bit's. She pushed four quarters into the middle. I just looked at her, she was either cocky about winning or had an incredible hand. Soda put in two quarters and Steve put in two as well. Then Shelby slid in another quarter, Sodapop looked down at his hand.
"I'm out," He said throwing his cards down, resembling me.
"Ditto" Said Steve angrily.
"Yay!" said Shelby scooping all of her quarters into a purse. She smiled and sat back looking at our stunned faces. She hadn't won a game yet and she ended up winning the biggest game of all.
"What did you have?" Inquired Steve.
"A lot worse than all of your hands." Shelby said winking. Well I am starting to get some cabin fever, anyone want to come on a walk with me?" She asked.
"Yeah sure!" I said, sounding a little too excited. I jumped up and walked outside with Shelby. She took a deep breath, but then as if the clean Tulsa air wasn't enough, she frowned and pulled out a cigarette. I smirked. I always found myself looking at her. Her light soft skin, her long black eyelashes, and the beautiful green with brown specked eyes they accented. The way when she got mad or frustrated her long hair would fall in her face. Then her feminine pink lips would blow the hair out of the way. She sometimes caught me staring at her. Once I caught her staring at me, she looked down quickly; I sort of blushed but didn't look away. She then looked up at me and flashed her breath taking smile.
There was mostly silence and then she inhaled and looked at me deeply. Like she was looking into my mind, reading me like a book.
"How did you do it?" She asked softly. I felt myself put on a confused look.
"How did you lose so many people, so many things and keep going." It was then I realized what she was talking about. She was talking about mom and dad, she was talking about Dally...she was talking about Johnny.
She sort of sobbed and said, "I mean, Two-Bit told me last night about everything, he told me about your mom and dad, he told me about Dally and he told me about...Johnny." She said then a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away and then glanced at me, seeing if I saw. I had, and she gave a little smirk.
"I cried the whole night, I hadn't known Dally that well, and I think we all knew how he was going to die, and I hadn't really known your parents, but Johnny, I mean Johnny he was different. Johnny was something special." Shelby said she was now pretty much crying but wiping them away too. I felt kind of weird but being silent and all but there isn't much to say while someone is reliving the hardest parts of my life.
"Just so you know Pony," She said after a little while of silence, "I kind of know how you feel." I looked at her quickly wondering how in the world she would know how it feels to lose two of your best friends and your parents.
"Well, not to your extent. When I was 12 I was living in Tulsa, and then when mom died dad couldn't afford the house anymore, even thought it was small. So dad decided to move to New York, its horrible there Pony, I'm serious I will never go back. Everything was going ok, Dad got a better job, but then he noticed the other side of New York. The side of New York I hung out in. He went to strip clubs and got boozed up every night. Don't tell nobody Pony, I aint told no one this. He beat me when he got drunk. He'd throw punches at me and asking me who I was and what I was doing here. Or why I didn't have any money and was always in his house. I started doing lots of drugs, and I started getting drunk a lot. I started realizing how much my life was screwed up. The first friend I ever made in New York died, the next day. She was found in a river, she was 13 years old. That's not long enough I thought. She shouldn't have had to die; mom shouldn't have had to die. I know now that no matter how old you are its too early to die. Nobody should have to die because no matter how long you lived there's always something you wish you would've done. There's always one day you wish would've gone differently. Suddenly one day changed all that. Dad came home and said he was gonna change. I'm so stupid, because I believed him. He said he got a new job with good pay and would be home at eight o'clock every night. He said he wouldn't get drunk anymore! He said I wouldn't have to rob gas stations and grocery stores for food and money. Dine and dash had become a way of life for me. I was so happy. This is the day, I thought this is the day that's gonna change it all. So I cooked a big supper for us. I went out and got all the food and I didn't steal nothing, I used the little welfare money we got in the mail. But dad didn't come home that night; in fact he came home at three in the morning. I was bawling by then and when he came I was madder at him then ever before. I didn't care about him beating me, I wanted him too, so I could let out all my feelings and cuss him out, I wanted to slap him back and threaten him. He came in and I started screaming 'You lied, you always lie! All you do is smoke and get wasted! I can't live like this dad!' and all that lovely stuff and then he turned around and stared at me. 'What are you doing here?' He asked. 'I thought I threw you out.' And then he pushed me down ontop of the coffee table cussing me out. I still have the scar on my ribs from the broken glass. I was screaming too and then he started throwing stuff at me, everything he could get a hold of. He threw plates and knives at me. I threw one back at him and then he pinned me against the wall with a knife at my throat; he-he told me everything would be better if I was gone. Everything will be easier, he said. I didn't doubt for a second he would have killed me. Then the police knocked down the door and he dropped the knife and pretended to clean. I stood there and watched them taking my dad away. Suddenly not caring, not wanting to care. I watched them take my dad away. He kept screaming the same thing over and over. 'Do something baby!' But I couldn't, I loved my dad but he deserved to go to jail more than anyone I have ever known. It turns out the bastard hit somebody on the way home from the bar and almost killed him." Shelby said, sobs were now racking her chest and she was crying uncontrollably. I looked at her as we sat down on the swings at our old elementary school park. The chains creaked as we swung slowly.
I looked at her tear stained soft cheeks. I suddenly wanted to change the world so she didn't have to feel an ounce of sadness. I didn't want her to feel any of the pain that she has felt. I didn't want her to feel the similar pain I had felt. I could handle it, she couldn't. I reached over and turned her face towards me. She sobbed and I leaned in really fast so my lips met hers.
That's when I knew this is what I want. This is what I have been looking for since Johnny and Dally died. This is what is going to fill that gap that's been eating me away for a year. Shelby's what I want...
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Wow, that was pretty long...I wasn't going to continue this story because I didn't get many reviews, I thought maybe you didn't like it but there wont really be any more filler chapters like before so it will be more exciting like the last part. I really love writing this story so I hope you guys review to make my day. If you think I should continue please review for me!
Two-Bit took me back home and then he left to go and pick up Cathy. I sighed as I sat on the couch. I glanced at the clock. 3:30. I decided that I would leave at 4:00, so when I got there I could get a Pepsi and help out with the cars before 5:00. I figured Shelby was working as the cashier and not a mechanic. That was just my assumption though because I couldn't picture Shelby working on cars and Soda had said a little while ago that the DX needed a new cashier. I sighed and looked around. I was hungry but I wasn't quite sure I could hold anything down. I walked to the icebox and looked in, there wasn't much. I decided to have some ice cream. We only had vanilla which surprised me, Soda, Darry and I love chocolate. Maybe Steve brought it over. I remembered that he preferred vanilla to chocolate. I took it out and I pressed the plastic case against my forehead. I sat there like that for at least five minutes. It sort of relieved my pounding head ache that occurred between my eyebrows.
I scooped out two large scoops into a small bowl. I licked my lips and scooped some into my mouth. It didn't really relieve my hungry but at least it was something in famished stomach. After I finished and watched TV for about fifteen minutes I looked at the large clock overtop of our table. It read now read 3:50. I thought about staying for another ten minutes but I was bored out of mind. I can never just sit around like Two-Bit can. I walked out of the house. But not before I ran a comb once more through my hair. I was only wearing a grey t-shirt and light blue jeans. I grabbed Dally's old brown jacket and put it on. I liked wearing it because Dally had given it to me, but it reminded me of everything that happened just a year ago. I thought back to the smoky interior of Buck Merrill's place. I sat down beside Johnny on the bed shivering from the icy water I had just been dunked in. I looked at Dally as he handed me the loaded gun and fifty dollars with surprise. This could mean jail for him and that's when I knew why Johnny looked up to him. He was gallant.
I shook those thoughts out of my head and put my other arm into the thick brown jacket with sheep's wool inside. I put my wallet into my jacket pocket and walked out of the house slamming the heavy screen door. I started my short walk to the DX station.
I turned the corner onto Lincoln St. where it got busier. I looked across the street at the rundown gas station. It got the most business around, that wasn't saying much though, and there aren't that many gas stations on our side of town. I crossed the street and walked across the parking lot to the main office where I could buy my Pepsi. I walked in and the little bell rang Shelby was sitting on the counter talking and laughing with Soda as he did an impression of somebody I couldn't place. "Hey Pony" Shelby said smiling sweetly at me. She was leaning against the wall with one leg up and Soda was leaning on one elbow on the counter top. Sodapop smiled at me too. He straightened up.
"Hey Shelby and Soda." I said. I looked around.
"Where's Steve?" I questioned.
"Working on Mr. Berk's car. He said we were getting in the way, fine by me that means less work." Soda said taking a swig of Shelby's Pepsi.
I nodded smiling "Hey Shelby are we still going out for lunch to the diner?" I asked walking over to stand beside Soda.
"Yah, we can leave in about 5 minutes when I officially get off work." Shelby said. She yanked the bottle of Pepsi back from Soda and finished it before throwing it into the small plastic garbage can by her foot. Suddenly the small bell rang as Mr. Berk walked into the small store and looked around. I knew him pretty well, the only reason I liked him is because he would never judge us because we were greasers. He lived near us too but I hadn't really seen him around lately. He nodded at me.
"Alright Sodapop how much is that gonna be...?" Mr. Berk asked digging into his deep worn pockets.
"It'll be $27.60 Mr. Berk." Shelby said ringing up the cash box and looking up at Mr. Berk. Mr. Berk squinted revealing the thick, deep wrinkles in his cheeks and forehead.
"...Shelby?" It was actually more of a question then an answer. Shelby nodded looking at Mr. Berk quizzically.
"It's me, um Michael, Michael Berk. You delivered my newspapers and I brought you to the hospital that one time...I think you broke your leg." He said with a good-hearted smile. Shelby tilted her head slightly to the side. Trying to gather up the details from her past.
"Oh my god! It really is you Mr. Berk. I can't believe I didn't recognize you...you look almost exactly the same." Shelby said with a smile.
"Oh Shelby, you always were a fantastic liar." He laughed obviously being able to tell Shelby was lying. Most people couldn't, for what I remember, tell when she was lying. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders cutely. "It's a gift," She joked and took the money from Mr. Berk and placed it noisily into the cash box.
"Well, I best be going, take care kiddo." Mr. Berk said nodding to me as well and walking away. Shelby looked over at the clock and sighed into a smile.
"I'm outta here!" Shelby yelled and grabbed a heavy black leather jacket, which I could have sworn I saw Two-Bit wear before. She swung around the counter humming a song and messed up Sodapop's hair and ducking his swing, as she grabbed my arm pulling me out of the small store. We began to walk to the store; Shelby was telling me about her day, I was kind of dazed into her deep brown eyes as she spoke. She was telling me about how she had scared Steve into draining oil all over him. She noticed I was staring at her so she stopped.
"What?" Shelby said, smiling with a small giggle.
"Oh, uh... err nothing." I stuttered out. I felt my ears burn with embarrassment.
"Ok," She giggled, "Anyways, so Steve says to me 'don't you two have anything better to do 'sides bother me? You know this is a job maybe you can find some work!' Shelby said doing an incredible impersonation of Steve. And I says 'you mean this isn't just for fun? Coulda fooled me,' I said it with sarcasm though. And just as I thought he was about to pound me into a pulp I ran outta the garage." She said, she laughed with me just as we turned into the diner. I walked in and noticed it was pretty busy, with lots of adult's milling around. My stomach sort of sank, because we were greasers, and we looked it, and I knew they would judge us. I looked sideways at Shelby, she smiled at me. I let out a sigh, why did I care anyways? I was with Shelby. Since it had been a long time since Shelby was in here I led her to a booth at the back of the eating area.
"Nice place...this is the kind of stuff I missed in New York, places like this, ay dig? They sure as hell don't have these there." She said and then she sort of went into her own world of thought that she did sometime, where her eyes would widen and she would absent mindedly chew on a finger nail or tap a surface as if she was playing drums. I smirked at her. We started a conversation. She ended up talking non-stop of everyone in New York. Including a couple of sentences of her dad. Whom I have never heard her speak of.
A waitress walked up in the middle of our conversation. She had on the red and white uniform, and looked in about her mid-thirties. But she had deep defined wrinkles and metallic blue make-up almost up to her eyebrows. I sort of cringed at the stare she gave us.
"Great...of all the customers in here..." She mumbled to herself. We stopped to look at her.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" She said almost as fake as her smile. She chewed and smacked her gum way too loudly. She glared at the lady with a face I had never seen Shelby wear before.
"Are you kids gonna order or should I go serve some customers with money?" She asked, this time not even trying to smile at us. Shelby looked at me through the corner of her eye and winked. I knew all too well what this meant.
"Yeah, can we have two Pepsis and a..." Shelby then knocked over her glass of water onto the table so it spread onto the floor. She gave the waitress a completely fake 'oops' face with a shrug. The lady didn't need to give us the look she did then. It was so cruel I almost backed up. She bent over slowly to clean it up muttering about 'stupid, trouble causin' teenyboppers.' Shelby gave me egging on look. I knew she wanted me to knock over my water too. I sort of widened my eyes and then Shelby knocked over my water as well. The lady half straightened up so we could see her. I had to stifle a laugh. Her puffy beehive hair was now sopping wet and dripping down making her heavy mascara run down her face. She looked at me with such hate. I tried to stutter out an oops, an apology or anything. But all that came out was carbon dioxide.
"Listen you little hood! Next time you come in here you'd better be..." She didn't get to finish, because Shelby stuck out her leg from under her side of the table and gave the lady a swift shove sending her into the puddles. I was kind of bewildered, stupefied. Nonetheless I saw the look the lady was wearing while on the floor. Shelby was already on her feet and reached over to grab my arm and yank me up. I stumbled a bit looking at the lady. We just got to the door when the owner grabbed Shelby by the shoulder yanking her roughly. Shelby yelped it pain. Instinct took over me and I walked over to the guy and punched him square in the nose. I was a pretty good puncher, considering my size, and that guy stumbled backwards fast. He stumbled to the ground and pulled Shelby down with him which also knocked me down. So there were two teenage greasers and a 50 year old man stumbling and rolling around on the ground cussing and grabbing at things for stability while we struggled to get out. I grabbed a hold on a table cloth sending the food and drinks flying, but nevertheless get me on my feet. I reached down and my arms encased Shelby's waist while she was still cussing out the owner. With that we were out of the place, running for our lives but laughing so hard that aches and pains racked our chests. We got to Dairy Queen before we slowed down in the slightest
As we ran into the Drive-In parking lot of Dairy Queen I spotted Two-Bit's car. Shelby and I ran toward it and we both leaned against it, trying to catch our breathe. Two-Bit look at us,
"Glory Halleluiah! So you decided to show up did ya? Jesus Christ, I have been waitin' here for twenty minutes." He then gave a nod to the three greasers he had been talking to before we arrived. Me and Shelby ignored his remark about waiting and climbed into the car. I was still breathing heavily as we sat in the backseat glancing at each other a couple of times. Two-Bit jumped into the front seat which he had lowered. He glanced behind him before squealing out onto the road.
"So, how was the diner tonight?" Two-Bit asked after about 3 minutes of silence because everybody was either looking for or lighting up cigarettes.
"We didn't stay long," Shelby said with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth.
"Why not?" Two-Bit asked.
"Cause this waitress was pissing us, well me off, and then I spilled water and one thing led to another before Pony punched out the owner." Shelby said giving me a little shove. I smiled and flexed my muscles playfully.
"Nice one Ponyboy, was it that old broad with the blond hair?" He asked us.
"Yeah," I said surprised that Two-Bit could guess who we were talking about.
"Yeah, aint she a ray of sunshine? Kicked me and Dan out just last week." Two-Bit said, I knew who Dan was. I had only met him about twice, he was my age and he seemed like a cool old guy.
We pulled into the driveway and I jumped out of the car racing Two-Bit and Shelby into the door. Two-Bit lost because he was too damn lazy, Shelby lost because of her high heels. I walked into the door with a look of mock triumph on my face before I felt a hard blow to my back. I fell to my knees and turned around to see Shelby had lunged at me in the doorway. I laughed as she pinned me arms to the ground sitting on my chest. She thought she had won, but she couldn't hold me down if her life depended on it. I sat up and picked her up around the waist just as Two-Bit came in. He looked at me funny and I walked over to him with Shelby.
"I believe this is yours," I joked passing Shelby to Two-Bit.
He cocked an eyebrow and dropping Shelby to the ground said,
"I don't want her." He grinned down at Shelby and walked over to the TV set, fiddling with the knobs.
"That hurt!" A scowling Shelby said to the back of Two-Bit. Two-Bit ignored it and went to sit on the couch.
Just then Sodapop came in, grinning widely.
"Heya Pony, Two-Bit" Then he looked around and noticing Shelby on the floor he nodded, "Shelby" She saluted him and crawled over to the couch. I went over and sat in-between the two of them. Sodapop sat in Darry's arm chair. Nobody sat in that chair unless Darry wasn't here.
"So, Two-Bit why you home so early?" I asked, knowing that Two-Bit's dates usually lasted until midnight. I didn't actually expect him to meet us at Dairy Queen.
Two-Bit gave a sour look. "Cathy said she wasn't in the 'mood'." Two-Bit rolled his eyes as if this was impossible.
"I mean seriously, there is no mood you have to be in, at least not for guys. Sometimes I just don't get chicks, wish there was some way I could get in their head when they do those things. Ya dig?" Two-Bit said with a cigarette between his lips.
Shelby let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes.
"What are you laughing-," Two-Bit stopped and his eyes widened.
"Hey you're a broad!" He exclaimed pointing a finger at her.
"Cant get nothing past you Two-Bit," Shelby said cocking an eyebrow and looking from me to Two-Bit then looking back down at her magazine. Two-Bit wasn't joking though; he realized living with a girl was even better than getting into one of their heads.
"Well..?" Two-Bit inquired.
"Well what?" Shelby asked, looking at him as if he had just come back from the dead.
"Well, what's she mean 'I'm not in the mood'?" He asked her getting excited.
Shelby rolled her eyes, "It means you did something to piss her off, but she wants you to figure it out for yourself, and then apologize." Shelby said not looking up from the magazine she was not thumbing through.
"But I didn't do anything wrong," Then as if an idea struck old Two-Bit he said slowly, "Oh...you mean like a girl that comes up and recognizes you? Would that count...?" Two-Bit asked biting his lip.
"Yeah, definitely." Shelby replied.
"Aw well. She'll get over it I will just giver some time." He said.
Then we sort of settled down to watch I Love Lucy. After about an hour and a half of I Love Lucy, I didn't think I could stand the sound of her crying and whining anymore. After we took a vote we decided to change the channel. We found the Honeymooners which was pretty tuff. The gang always thought Jackie Gleason was pretty tuff too. I didn't feel much like watching so as the two remaining members of the gang started coming in I challenged them to a game of poker. Soda, Steve and Shelby took up the offer. Darry didn't because he had to cook supper and Two-Bit didn't because he was flat broke. We had played 3 rounds, we were on our fourth and so far I had only won one game. It was pretty good though and I was feeling lucky.
I looked down at my hand. I had a pair of sevens. That was a pretty rank hand. I looked around. Everyone was looking at me with their poker faces on, it was my turn. I had already wasted about half of my winnings trying to convince everyone I had a better hand than I did. I looked down at my withering pile of quarters. I sighed,
"I fold," I answered throwing my cards down angrily. It was Shelby's turn. She looked down at her cards with that expressionless dazed look she puts on. Like she doesn't know what's going on around her, sort of like Two- Bit's. She pushed four quarters into the middle. I just looked at her, she was either cocky about winning or had an incredible hand. Soda put in two quarters and Steve put in two as well. Then Shelby slid in another quarter, Sodapop looked down at his hand.
"I'm out," He said throwing his cards down, resembling me.
"Ditto" Said Steve angrily.
"Yay!" said Shelby scooping all of her quarters into a purse. She smiled and sat back looking at our stunned faces. She hadn't won a game yet and she ended up winning the biggest game of all.
"What did you have?" Inquired Steve.
"A lot worse than all of your hands." Shelby said winking. Well I am starting to get some cabin fever, anyone want to come on a walk with me?" She asked.
"Yeah sure!" I said, sounding a little too excited. I jumped up and walked outside with Shelby. She took a deep breath, but then as if the clean Tulsa air wasn't enough, she frowned and pulled out a cigarette. I smirked. I always found myself looking at her. Her light soft skin, her long black eyelashes, and the beautiful green with brown specked eyes they accented. The way when she got mad or frustrated her long hair would fall in her face. Then her feminine pink lips would blow the hair out of the way. She sometimes caught me staring at her. Once I caught her staring at me, she looked down quickly; I sort of blushed but didn't look away. She then looked up at me and flashed her breath taking smile.
There was mostly silence and then she inhaled and looked at me deeply. Like she was looking into my mind, reading me like a book.
"How did you do it?" She asked softly. I felt myself put on a confused look.
"How did you lose so many people, so many things and keep going." It was then I realized what she was talking about. She was talking about mom and dad, she was talking about Dally...she was talking about Johnny.
She sort of sobbed and said, "I mean, Two-Bit told me last night about everything, he told me about your mom and dad, he told me about Dally and he told me about...Johnny." She said then a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away and then glanced at me, seeing if I saw. I had, and she gave a little smirk.
"I cried the whole night, I hadn't known Dally that well, and I think we all knew how he was going to die, and I hadn't really known your parents, but Johnny, I mean Johnny he was different. Johnny was something special." Shelby said she was now pretty much crying but wiping them away too. I felt kind of weird but being silent and all but there isn't much to say while someone is reliving the hardest parts of my life.
"Just so you know Pony," She said after a little while of silence, "I kind of know how you feel." I looked at her quickly wondering how in the world she would know how it feels to lose two of your best friends and your parents.
"Well, not to your extent. When I was 12 I was living in Tulsa, and then when mom died dad couldn't afford the house anymore, even thought it was small. So dad decided to move to New York, its horrible there Pony, I'm serious I will never go back. Everything was going ok, Dad got a better job, but then he noticed the other side of New York. The side of New York I hung out in. He went to strip clubs and got boozed up every night. Don't tell nobody Pony, I aint told no one this. He beat me when he got drunk. He'd throw punches at me and asking me who I was and what I was doing here. Or why I didn't have any money and was always in his house. I started doing lots of drugs, and I started getting drunk a lot. I started realizing how much my life was screwed up. The first friend I ever made in New York died, the next day. She was found in a river, she was 13 years old. That's not long enough I thought. She shouldn't have had to die; mom shouldn't have had to die. I know now that no matter how old you are its too early to die. Nobody should have to die because no matter how long you lived there's always something you wish you would've done. There's always one day you wish would've gone differently. Suddenly one day changed all that. Dad came home and said he was gonna change. I'm so stupid, because I believed him. He said he got a new job with good pay and would be home at eight o'clock every night. He said he wouldn't get drunk anymore! He said I wouldn't have to rob gas stations and grocery stores for food and money. Dine and dash had become a way of life for me. I was so happy. This is the day, I thought this is the day that's gonna change it all. So I cooked a big supper for us. I went out and got all the food and I didn't steal nothing, I used the little welfare money we got in the mail. But dad didn't come home that night; in fact he came home at three in the morning. I was bawling by then and when he came I was madder at him then ever before. I didn't care about him beating me, I wanted him too, so I could let out all my feelings and cuss him out, I wanted to slap him back and threaten him. He came in and I started screaming 'You lied, you always lie! All you do is smoke and get wasted! I can't live like this dad!' and all that lovely stuff and then he turned around and stared at me. 'What are you doing here?' He asked. 'I thought I threw you out.' And then he pushed me down ontop of the coffee table cussing me out. I still have the scar on my ribs from the broken glass. I was screaming too and then he started throwing stuff at me, everything he could get a hold of. He threw plates and knives at me. I threw one back at him and then he pinned me against the wall with a knife at my throat; he-he told me everything would be better if I was gone. Everything will be easier, he said. I didn't doubt for a second he would have killed me. Then the police knocked down the door and he dropped the knife and pretended to clean. I stood there and watched them taking my dad away. Suddenly not caring, not wanting to care. I watched them take my dad away. He kept screaming the same thing over and over. 'Do something baby!' But I couldn't, I loved my dad but he deserved to go to jail more than anyone I have ever known. It turns out the bastard hit somebody on the way home from the bar and almost killed him." Shelby said, sobs were now racking her chest and she was crying uncontrollably. I looked at her as we sat down on the swings at our old elementary school park. The chains creaked as we swung slowly.
I looked at her tear stained soft cheeks. I suddenly wanted to change the world so she didn't have to feel an ounce of sadness. I didn't want her to feel any of the pain that she has felt. I didn't want her to feel the similar pain I had felt. I could handle it, she couldn't. I reached over and turned her face towards me. She sobbed and I leaned in really fast so my lips met hers.
That's when I knew this is what I want. This is what I have been looking for since Johnny and Dally died. This is what is going to fill that gap that's been eating me away for a year. Shelby's what I want...
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Wow, that was pretty long...I wasn't going to continue this story because I didn't get many reviews, I thought maybe you didn't like it but there wont really be any more filler chapters like before so it will be more exciting like the last part. I really love writing this story so I hope you guys review to make my day. If you think I should continue please review for me!