Pony slammed the door shut behind him as he walked in the house. I knew it was him because it was only 15.30 in the afternoon, so the others were working and I knew Two bit had to baby sit his little sister, plus Pony has a tendency to slam doors. He walked in to my room and flung himself on my bed staring up at the ceiling.
"The strangest thing happened today…" he said thoughtfully and a little confused "…by the way Curly´s out…"
"Already?" I asked thinking time had really run away, five months already since he robbed that store, five months since Johnny and Dally died. I realized I hadn't thought about neither of them in a couple of days and somehow that made me happy, because that meant it would get easier with time. Easier to remember without being sad and easier to live normally. Pony didn't answer me, it wasn't a question anyways. He was running his hand trough his hair as he studied the ceiling.
"What was the strange thing Pony?" He looked at me and smiled.
"Angela Shepard walked up to me and invited me to a party tomorrow night" he said looking like he couldn't believe it. I don't know how he could have missed all her hints but apparently he had because he was really surprised.
"That's great!" I said, looking at his serious face I added "Ain't it?" He smiled uncertainly and nodded slowly. "You're going, right?" I asked him hoping he would say yes. I mean I don't think Angela is the best girl for Pony but she's ok, she's fun and she's one of us. He needed to have a good time and Angela was good at having a good time.
"Yeah I guess, Mark's probably going to…" he said "…anyways, it will be good to see Curly again" Curly and Pony had always been friend, not close friends but they had a good time together. Curly could always get him to loosen up and I thought that was good. Darry didn't though. "You going too?" He asked me looking at me with a curious smile.
"Nah" I answered simply. I hadn't talked to any of the Shepards since Tim drove me home a couple of days ago and I didn't like the idea of going to a party I wasn't invited to. I knew most of the people at these parties weren't invited but I wanted to be. Especially when it was at his house.
"Why?" Pony asked me his head hanging of the bed; I shrugged not really wanting to talk about it. "Angela told me to tell you to come" he added and smiled at my surprised expression. "You friends?"
"Nah, not really" I said "But she's a nice girl" I said that mostly because I really wanted Pony to have a good time with her. I understood perfectly well why she had invited me, she knew me and Pony were close and if she was on my good side she was on his too. Then again maybe she just liked me, maybe everything she did wasn't that calculated.
"So you'll go with me?" Pony asked looking at me pleadingly. I laughed; he had definitely learned that from Soda.
The next night I found myself at the Shepard family's house. Their house was even crappier then ours, at least we tried to fix it up the best we could. As I walked in the house I noticed that everything that could possibly be broken was, like the mirror in the hall that was all cracked, beside it a hole the size of a fist. In the living room the carpet was worn out and had cigarette burns on it, the furniture were worn and some broken. I wondered why I hadn't noticed last time I was here.
Mark looked around the room exited; he was like a puppy in a leash who just wanted to run around freely. Pony was standing next to him looking around curiously. I could see that they wanted to go talk to their friends, Mark was already walking over to a guy I knew was called Terry. Curly wasn't around and I knew Pony wanted to go find him.
"Go on, I'll go grab a beer in the kitchen" I told Pony motioning for him to follow Mark.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Yeah" I said smiling and patting his shoulder. He looked undecided for a second then shrugged his shoulders and made his way trough the crowd.
I walked to the kitchen hoping there weren't as many people there as in the living room, plus I was thirsty. When I got there it was empty, it was just me and a fridge full of beer. I grabbed a beer and stood leaning against the counter drinking it when Tim walked in.
He nodded at me and made his way to the fridge getting himself a beer.
He stood by the fridge drinking and looking at me not saying a word, his eyes cunning, I could feel his eyes piercing trough mine. What did he look at? It felt quite unnerving him looking at me like that so I felt I had to say something.
"Nice party"
He didn't answer though, but continued to stare at me, he was really scaring me now, he must have noticed because suddenly he looked way from me and out the door to the living room.
"Want a drink Curtis?" he asked walking past me to grab a bottle next to me on the counter. I didn't have time to answer because this blond greaser girl walked in and up to Shepard and threw her arms around his waist. She looked familiar somehow.
"There you are Tim, I've been looking all over for you, come on and have some fun with me baby" she said looking up at Shepard who just stood there letting her cling to him. He looked down at her face and I saw something in his eyes I would have never thought him capable of, pity. He looked sad for this girl.
"Sylvia, I don't think so doll, but Kevin has been looking at you all night" he said and then it hit me why she looked familiar, she had been Dally´s girlfriend.
"Really?" she said her whole face beaming up at Shepard and when he nodded she smiled and walked out of the kitchen, probably to find this Kevin guy.
I watched Shepard look at her back when she left, his eyes sad but when he turned around and looked at me his eyes were back to their normal cold, emotionless glare.
"I need a drink" he said "you want one?"
"Sure" I said placing my empty beer bottle on the counter.
"Here" Shepard said holding out a glass of whiskey to me. I took it and downed it feeling the familiar burning sensation in my throat and stomach.
"So, Curly's out" I said smiling at him.
"Yeah, that little son of a bitch" He answered grinning, he chuckled after some more cursing about his brother saying;
"He'll probably go back soon though" he was shaking his head slightly "He just doesn't use his head" I almost laughed out loud as he said that, the resemblance with Darry talking about Pony was striking. Tim didn't see me trying to control my laugher as he had turned around.
He started to pour more whiskey in our glasses when Angela walked in.
"Tim, what the fuck's wrong with mom? She won't wake up" she said locking angrily at her brother.
"How the fuck am I supposed to know Angie, she's probably drunk" he gave her an annoyed glare. "What do you want with her anyway?" he asked looking both pissed and curious at the same time.
"None of your god damned business Tim" she stared at him for awhile then turned to me smiling a pretty doll like smile. "Hi Nora"
"Hi"
"Anyway Tim, just go fucking wake her up!" she demanded giving her brother at hateful glare.
"Angela, just get this straight once and for all, I will not take orders from you, and I won't help you with your pathetic little womanly problems, now get out!" He said this slouching down so that he was looking her in the eyes; his voice was low and calm. Not once did he raise his voice, he didn't have to, the way he was talking there was no arguing.
Angela glared at him for a few seconds then gave up and left.
Shepard turned around and continued to pour whiskey in our glasses. He was smiling slightly his lips parting to show of a tiny bit of his teeth and looked lost in thoughts.
"Here, you could probably use this after hearing Angie's lovely voice" he said sarcastically giving me my glass.
I looked at his profile trying to figure out what he was thinking, but I couldn't. His jaws were clenched, his eyebrows like sharp black lines on his face. I wondered what was going on with his mother; I hoped it wasn't anything serious. Pictures of my own mother popped up in my mind, her smiling face her blond hair bouncing as she laughed softly. I felt myself draw a sharp breath as I saw her dead face, white as snow as she was laying in her coffin at the funeral her hands clenching a white rose tightly.
"The drink too strong for you Curtis?" Tim asked me smirking and I smiled at him thankful he had made the pictures go away. He looked at me his eyes glimmering and moved closer to me. I felt my heart staring to beat rapidly, my blood was rushing through my body and I felt my face turning red.
"If it ain't the one and only Curtis sister!" I heard from the door and as I looked over I saw Curly standing there. He looked like I remembered him only his hair was shorter, he looked a lot like Tim, but his features were softer and his eyes a slight bit bluer than Tim's.
Tim had moved away from me and was now pouring more whiskey in his glass while he glared at his brother. Curly didn't notice the looks his older brother was giving him and walked up to me throwing his arm around my shoulder. He had always been like that, always hugging and flirting. I knew it didn't mean anything so I let him do it.
As I looked over to where Tim had been standing I noticed he was not there anymore, when my eyes moved over the kitchen I noticed he was walking out in the living room the whiskey bottle in one hand and his glass in the other.
So sorry it took so long for me to update this, I have been studiying. Thanks for all the reviews, I'm so happy you like it! Tack
