Outside Darry pulled his old pickup truck to a stop behind the shiny black car. He thought about whose car it may have been, or worse, if someone from the gang had stolen it! Darry shook the second possibility from his head. He thought it would have to be someone with a lot of money and a good job. A thought crossed Darry's mind that filled him with fear – The State! Maybe Scout's dreams had been right and the State would come to get her and he wouldn't be around to do anything about it!
Without grabbing his tool belt he flew out of the truck, ripped open the front gate and ran up the porch steps. His heart was pounding in his chest as he opened the front door. "SCOUT!" He yelled, not noticing the boys laying on the couch and the living room floor.
"Hey Darry where's the fire?" Soda teased him. "What are you all excited about?"
Darry looked over at Pony and Soda who were calm and relaxed. The scene didn't fit Darry's thoughts as he became confused. "Is Scout here? Is she ok?"
Now it was Soda's turn to look confused. "Sure Darry she's ok, what's the matter?"
I went to the kitchen doorway when I heard Darry yell my name to see what all the fuss was about. I heard Darry ask "whose car is out there?"
"It's mine." Darry spun around on his heels to see the young lady who had joined me in the doorway.
"Kathryn!" Darry had a shocked look on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi Darry," Kathryn laughed, "Scout called me to get some advice about your guardianship proceedings so I came over."
Darry relaxed his stance but retained the stunned look on his face. I quickly interrupted his stare by handing him a pile of plates. "And she helped me cook dinner too, so set the table."
Darry looked down at the dishes. His heart rate was returning to normal.
Kathyrn strolled closer to the table to flirt. "You looked pretty surprised to see me."
My oldest brother looked up at the girl and smiled. "Well I…I was worried about…" He sighed and started over. "It's nice to see you again."
Kathryn grabbed a few of the plates from him. "Thanks." It was unclear just what she may have been thanking him for.
Everyone sat for dinner and ate every leftover we had. Ponyboy seemed to regain more of his appetite, even though I didn't. Kathryn ate leftovers with the rest of us with out snubbing her nose at a thing. Through out dinner she and Darry quietly shared a conversation about how well her family knew Judge Carlson, how her first semester of college had been and favorite high school memories.
Sodapop looked across the table at me and threw a pea at my nose. I looked up surprised and he asked me a question. "Hey Steve and I are headed to a dance at the bowling alley tonight. Do you and Ponyboy want to come along?"
I thought about the idea. Mom and dad always planned on Ponyboy and I not being allowed to attend dances until we were fourteen. That was still a few weeks away, but I loved to dance. Everyone in my family did. Since I can remember on Sundays after dinner my dad would turn on the radio and he and my mom would dance. The rest of us danced too, but mostly to the fast music. Darry was the best dancer of all of us. He had to take some dancing classes in gym class. He loved it! At first Soda and Pony just laughed at him as he and I would dance alongside mom and dad. A few years later Soda began to realize that knowing how to dance well was the secret to wooing a woman and he wanted to know all the moves. Dancing with my dad and brothers was the most intoxicating fun I had all week. As we would glide across the floor and dip and turn I felt lightheaded and carefree. I loved to dance! "Sure I'll go!" I said hoping Darry wouldn't remember my parents rule and enforce it.
"Pony you in?" Soda took count.
Ponyboy looked over at Johnny who smiled a little and shrugged his shoulders. Neither one said a thing, but Pony laughed and answered. "Yeah we'll go." If either of those two looked even remotely alike you would swear they were the twins and not Pony and I.
"That just leaves you Darry!" Soda called out.
"I don't think so little buddy." Darry always called Soda his little buddy which made Ponyboy just a little jealous. He really was the only one in the family without a nickname.
Soda's face lit up and his smile stretched out far and wide. "Oooh Noo Darry! You're going! We are all getting out of this house for some fun! Besides you've already got yourself a pretty date for the night."
Both Kathryn and Darry's faces went red. Darry shook his head laughing at Soda. He knew there was no use in fighting, Soda wouldn't take no for an answer. The only problem was he had suggested that Kathryn come with. Normally this wouldn't be a problem if Kathryn had been a greaser girl. She would fit right in at the bowling alley, but in a pretty yellow skirt set, she would certainly stand out and not be very welcome. "Alright Soda, I'll go." Darry said then turned to Kathryn. "It's kind of a rough crowd down there."
"I'd love to." She jumped at the subtle invitation. "Don't worry about me, I've got some other clothes in the car." Darry looked at her oddly and she felt compelled to respond. "Well with studying social work I volunteer a lot. I have to go into a lot of different situations and most of them aren't upper class. I'll go get my jeans."
I looked over at Pony and Soda who were surprised by how down to earth the girl was.
"Soda and Pony, do up the dishes and clean the table." Darry commanded. "I'm taking a shower, Scout wear something nice to the dance."
Everyone hustled around the house and got cleaned up. Just before we were all ready to go I bounded into Ponyboy's room. Johnny was sitting at the desk in his dirty clothes and Pony was standing shirtless in his closet. I leapt onto the bed propped up my elbows and rested my head into my hands. "Are you excited Pony?" I was so excited to be going to my first dance. Soda and Darry loved dances so I was sure this was going to be a great time.
"Yeah I am." Pony smiled back. "That outfit looks really nice on you." I was wearing a pair of my girl jeans rolled up to my mid calf. I had a red button up the front shirt on that was my mothers. It was long so I tied the shirt tail ends into a bow around my waist. Kathryn had helped me pick the outfit. I was also wearing my black loafers again, they would be cramping my feet, but I didn't care because they looked better with the jeans then my tennis shoes. Pony stepped back out of the closet and squinted at my appearance. "Scout are you wearing make up?"
I smiled bigger. "Yep, Kathryn put it on."
Johnny was smiling too. "Gosh Scout you look really nice dressed up like a girl." Then he noticed the scent. "Are you wearing perfume too?"
I sat up onto my knees. "Yeah, it's Kathryn's too. She is so cool!"
Pony pulled a white t-shirt over his head and tucked it into his jeans. "Yeah she is. I wonder why Darry never dated her in high school?"
"Pony Darry never dated anyone in high school. Well no one for very long." I answered.
"Yeah I know, but she really likes him. I didn't think anyone liked Darry that much." Pony commented as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his white tennis shoes on.
"I think lots of girls liked Darry." I scooted to the edge of the bed near Pony. "I just think Darry was so focused on school, working out and football that he never noticed girls."
"Oh he noticed them." Pony shook his head. He had heard the stories and knew that Darry had been with a lot of girls.
I turned my attention to Johnny who was smiling and contently listening to the conversation. I know he wished he had a brother or sister to share things with. One night at the vacant lot a few years ago he and Pony and I had talked about how great it was to be a twin and know that no matter what you would always have someone to share things with. It was at that time that Pony told Johnny he was his honorary brother for life. It was a corny comment because Johnny had been our brother for years before that. Still I think it meant the world to Johnny that Ponyboy actually said it. I smiled back at Johnny. "Hey Johnnycake if you don't find a girl to dance with I'll dance with you."
Johnny's face went flush and he laughed a little.
"What?" I asked confused by his embarrassment. I always danced with my brothers so I didn't know what he could have been thinking.
"Nothing, it's just I don't dance is all." He said with his dark black eyes shinning.
"Come on Johnny! One thing you should never pass up is the chance to dance." I understood that even better now that my parents have passed away.
Johnny didn't say anything, he just shook his head no.
I stood up from the side of the bed and strolled out of the room glancing over my shoulder before I got to the hall. "Ok Johnny, what ever you say."
The living room smelled like aftershave as Soda and Steve were waiting by the door ready to go. Steve whistled as I walked in and I spun around, proud to be looking like a young woman.
"Scout you sure do clean up well!" Steve complimented.
"Well it's my first dance so I need to make a good impression."
"You will." Steve grimaced as Soda punched him in the arm. "Oooowe! Geez Soda lighten up will ya?"
"Quit looking at my sister that way!" Soda stared down Steve for fun then yelled out. "Come on ya'll let's go!" He and Steve headed out the front door and I followed them, interrupting Darry and Kathryn's quaint conversation on the front porch. Pony and Johnny joined us shortly and we all piled into Darry and Steve's cars. I rode in the truck with Darry and Kathryn and the boys rode with Steve.
As we walked toward the front door of the bowling alley I could hear the music blaring through the walls. Steve and Soda let out little yelps of joy and Darry passed out a dollar to each of his siblings. It was twenty five cents to get in and the rest of the money we could use for cokes and stuff.
Once inside the older part of our gang headed for the girls and the dance floor. I joined Pony and Johnny by the chairs along the wall. We just sat there quietly for a while and enjoyed watching all of the older kids dancing. As the music played I tapped along with my foot and wanted to get up and dance just like I did at home, but at a dance you needed to have someone to dance with. I thought about dancing with Ponyboy or Johnny, but they didn't seem to be interested in dancing at all. Besides if I danced with Pony then Johnny would be waiting on the wall all alone.
About thirty minutes into the dance Darry and Kathryn joined us along the wall. Darry leaned toward me. "Why aren't you and Ponyboy dancing?" I shrugged my shoulders. I really didn't know why we weren't dancing. Darry leaned toward Kathryn and then back toward me, "Let's go." Darry grabbed my hand and we headed out to the dance floor.
Dancing out there was even better then dancing at home. The music was louder and the colored lights added to the intoxicating feeling. As Darry swung and twirled me around I felt weightless in his strong arms. Darry was one of the best dancers in the place. Those dances were by far my best memory of my oldest brother.
A few songs later I sat again on the chairs and looked out onto the dance floor noticing Soda dancing with a pretty blond girl. I thought about the friend of Evie's and figured the blond was her. It was a good match for Soda, because he loved blonds just as much as Two-Bit. I glanced over at the boys sitting to my side I don't think Ponyboy or Johnny were planning on moving from their seats at all. I was disappointed because I wanted to dance again. Breathing deep I worked up the nerve to ask either one to join me. Just before I opened my mouth a greaser came up and blocked my approach.
"Hi there." He smiled. His hair was short, but greased back, and his eyes were an amazing green that were accented by his jet black hair. "I was wondering if you would like to dance?"
Blinking I looked up and smiled. I was flattered and accepted the young man's invitation. I turned and waved goodbye to Pony and Johnny and heard my brother ask Johnny to go with him to get a coke.
"I'm Scout." I said as I accepted the boys hand and he led me to the dance floor.
"Hey, I'm James." The boy was dressed in black shoes, white socks, black jeans and a white t-shirt. I would later learn that he was a new member of Curly Sheppard's gang. He had just moved to the neighborhood from Austin Texas.
James and I danced the rest of the night, other than the slow songs, those were just for lovers. Kathryn and Darry danced half of the slow songs and Soda hung all over his blond during every slow song. James was a nice boy, and respectful. I appreciated that, especially from a greaser. Of course his respect may have been partly because of Darry and Sodapop cornering him near the coke machine to give him fair warning to behave. That night I went to bed without thinking of my parents once. That was the first time since the accident.