We were still sitting on the couch when the kid from the DX station
burst in the door. Two bit's mother didn't look surprised that he just
came in like that. It must happen all the time.
"Steve, what's going on, man?" Two bit said, ignoring the almost frantic look on Steve's face. I noticed it, though. And I knew what he was going to say.
"They found a dead kid in the park, a soc," He was breathing heavily. I wondered if he ran all the way here from the gas station. Two bit's eyebrow shot up but he didn't look upset.
"But that's not the worst part," Steve continued. His cheeks had two hectic red spots. Worry crept into Two bit's eyes.
"Johnny killed him,"
"What?"
"Johnny killed him. Him and Ponyboy took off somewheres, Dallas is talking to the fuzz right now,"
"No, shit!"
Steve didn't stay long. I wished he hadn't come and told Two bit that.
"Marcia, do you know about this? It was one of those super socs from last night, right?" I nodded, mumbled, "Bob,"
He was distracted now, naturally. He looked around everywhere all at once and seemed ready to take off, all his muscles were tensed.
"Marcia, I'm sorry, but I gotta go, I gotta see if I can help them..." I hung my head. I felt such dissappointment, I could taste it.
He tucked a stray hair behind my ear and whispered in it, "Can I see you tonight?" I nodded.
"Eight o'clock by the fence near the drive in?" He said. I nodded again and he left so fast I couldn't believe it.
I drove home, thinking of Bob half the time and meeting Two bit the other.
Randy's car was parked in my driveway. I sighed. Seeing him was all I needed.
I walked into the heavy atmosphere of the news that Bob was dead. My parents looked upset in their own fashion. My mother looked shocked and sad. My father looked shocked and angry. Randy just looked lost, sitting on our couch with his hands folded between his knees. And I felt pity for him so sharp I could have cried.
"Marcia," he said quietly.
"Marcia, Bob was killed last night," my mother said calmly, softly. I nodded.
"I know, Cherry told me,"
My parents retired to the kitchen to give me and Randy privacy. He didn't say anything for a long while. I thought he was going to lecture me about being with Ponyboy and Johnny last night and now they've killed Bob. But he didn't. When he finally spoke all he said was, "He was my best friend," I touched his arm gently near his shoulder and he buried his face in his hands.
Randy left and my parents came back in, eyeing me carefully.
"The boys who killed him are eluding the police," my father said. Eluding. Because he was a lawyer my father felt like he always had to talk like that.
"Do you think they'll catch them?" my mother said, the slightest concern evident in her quiet voice.
"Oh, yes, they'll catch them. They are only 14 and 16, they can't hide for long,"
The community was in an uproar. My parents and their friends talked about the "moral less youth" and the real threat of the criminal element on the east side. I almost laughed, though it wasn't funny. It was about Johnny, that scared kid who stopped Dally from attacking Cherry and who didn't even yell back at Ponyboy when he insulted him. It was hard to believe he could kill anyone.
Near eight o'clock I headed for the drive in, the nervous butterflies crashing into each other in my stomach. I parked the car and stood by the fence, hugging myself against the chill. I waited and started to fear he wouldn't show.
He did, rushing toward me, a distracted grin on his face.
"Marcia, hi," he said, grazing my cheek with a kiss.
We walked and had a cigarette, the knowledge of Johnny killing Bob heavy between us.
"Dal's been at the police station almost all day," he said, running a hand through his hair, pitching the cigarette into the weeds.
"Wanna go with me to Buck's and see if he's there?"
"Yeah,"
I heard the music long before we got there. It was a twangy country and western song punctuated by the yells of the people inside. I saw people hanging around outside, lanky cowboys smoking and swearing. I was suddenly conscious of my pressed and fancy clothes.
18 wheelers roared by and I could smell the diesel sharp in my nose. Two bit walked quickly toward the door and I had to run a little to keep up with him.
"Dallas here?" He said to the bleary eyed drunk who answered the door.
"Mmmm, think so," he said and let us in. I felt the eyes of the men crawling over me. I cringed inside but stood straighter and followed Two bit toward the stairs.
"How do you know where he is?" I said loud so he could hear me over the music.
"He always uses this room," There were people upstairs, too, leaning against the hallway walls and drinking, smoking, making out. Two bit knocked on a door and headed in. Dallas lay on the bed dressed in jeans, one arm shielding his eyes from the light.
"Dally," Dallas didn't move or acknowledge Two bit in any way.
"Dally," Said more forcefully. He groaned and turned his face away.
"Two bit, I've been talking to the fuckin' cops all day. Leave me alone,"
"Dally, c'mon, I know you know where they are,"
"I don't know shit,"
"Bull shit, Dallas! You know when Johnny gets in trouble you're the first one he fucking turns to! Christ, Dallas, where the hell are they!"
I looked from one to the other. The serious look suited Dallas but seemed out of place on Two bit's face. Dallas sat up and rubbed the blond stubble on his cheek.
"O.K., you wanna know where they're headed?" Two bit nodded and I saw Dally look at me funny, calculating.
"They're headed for Texas,"
"I'm going," My eyes went round but Dally looked unsurprised and merely shrugged.
"Now can you leave me alone?" We left.
"Steve, what's going on, man?" Two bit said, ignoring the almost frantic look on Steve's face. I noticed it, though. And I knew what he was going to say.
"They found a dead kid in the park, a soc," He was breathing heavily. I wondered if he ran all the way here from the gas station. Two bit's eyebrow shot up but he didn't look upset.
"But that's not the worst part," Steve continued. His cheeks had two hectic red spots. Worry crept into Two bit's eyes.
"Johnny killed him,"
"What?"
"Johnny killed him. Him and Ponyboy took off somewheres, Dallas is talking to the fuzz right now,"
"No, shit!"
Steve didn't stay long. I wished he hadn't come and told Two bit that.
"Marcia, do you know about this? It was one of those super socs from last night, right?" I nodded, mumbled, "Bob,"
He was distracted now, naturally. He looked around everywhere all at once and seemed ready to take off, all his muscles were tensed.
"Marcia, I'm sorry, but I gotta go, I gotta see if I can help them..." I hung my head. I felt such dissappointment, I could taste it.
He tucked a stray hair behind my ear and whispered in it, "Can I see you tonight?" I nodded.
"Eight o'clock by the fence near the drive in?" He said. I nodded again and he left so fast I couldn't believe it.
I drove home, thinking of Bob half the time and meeting Two bit the other.
Randy's car was parked in my driveway. I sighed. Seeing him was all I needed.
I walked into the heavy atmosphere of the news that Bob was dead. My parents looked upset in their own fashion. My mother looked shocked and sad. My father looked shocked and angry. Randy just looked lost, sitting on our couch with his hands folded between his knees. And I felt pity for him so sharp I could have cried.
"Marcia," he said quietly.
"Marcia, Bob was killed last night," my mother said calmly, softly. I nodded.
"I know, Cherry told me,"
My parents retired to the kitchen to give me and Randy privacy. He didn't say anything for a long while. I thought he was going to lecture me about being with Ponyboy and Johnny last night and now they've killed Bob. But he didn't. When he finally spoke all he said was, "He was my best friend," I touched his arm gently near his shoulder and he buried his face in his hands.
Randy left and my parents came back in, eyeing me carefully.
"The boys who killed him are eluding the police," my father said. Eluding. Because he was a lawyer my father felt like he always had to talk like that.
"Do you think they'll catch them?" my mother said, the slightest concern evident in her quiet voice.
"Oh, yes, they'll catch them. They are only 14 and 16, they can't hide for long,"
The community was in an uproar. My parents and their friends talked about the "moral less youth" and the real threat of the criminal element on the east side. I almost laughed, though it wasn't funny. It was about Johnny, that scared kid who stopped Dally from attacking Cherry and who didn't even yell back at Ponyboy when he insulted him. It was hard to believe he could kill anyone.
Near eight o'clock I headed for the drive in, the nervous butterflies crashing into each other in my stomach. I parked the car and stood by the fence, hugging myself against the chill. I waited and started to fear he wouldn't show.
He did, rushing toward me, a distracted grin on his face.
"Marcia, hi," he said, grazing my cheek with a kiss.
We walked and had a cigarette, the knowledge of Johnny killing Bob heavy between us.
"Dal's been at the police station almost all day," he said, running a hand through his hair, pitching the cigarette into the weeds.
"Wanna go with me to Buck's and see if he's there?"
"Yeah,"
I heard the music long before we got there. It was a twangy country and western song punctuated by the yells of the people inside. I saw people hanging around outside, lanky cowboys smoking and swearing. I was suddenly conscious of my pressed and fancy clothes.
18 wheelers roared by and I could smell the diesel sharp in my nose. Two bit walked quickly toward the door and I had to run a little to keep up with him.
"Dallas here?" He said to the bleary eyed drunk who answered the door.
"Mmmm, think so," he said and let us in. I felt the eyes of the men crawling over me. I cringed inside but stood straighter and followed Two bit toward the stairs.
"How do you know where he is?" I said loud so he could hear me over the music.
"He always uses this room," There were people upstairs, too, leaning against the hallway walls and drinking, smoking, making out. Two bit knocked on a door and headed in. Dallas lay on the bed dressed in jeans, one arm shielding his eyes from the light.
"Dally," Dallas didn't move or acknowledge Two bit in any way.
"Dally," Said more forcefully. He groaned and turned his face away.
"Two bit, I've been talking to the fuckin' cops all day. Leave me alone,"
"Dally, c'mon, I know you know where they are,"
"I don't know shit,"
"Bull shit, Dallas! You know when Johnny gets in trouble you're the first one he fucking turns to! Christ, Dallas, where the hell are they!"
I looked from one to the other. The serious look suited Dallas but seemed out of place on Two bit's face. Dallas sat up and rubbed the blond stubble on his cheek.
"O.K., you wanna know where they're headed?" Two bit nodded and I saw Dally look at me funny, calculating.
"They're headed for Texas,"
"I'm going," My eyes went round but Dally looked unsurprised and merely shrugged.
"Now can you leave me alone?" We left.