Embracing the Future

Chapter 13: The End

A/N: I'M GONNA DO IT! I'M GONNA FINISH THIS STORY! OK, GO TEAM, GO! You can thank summer I believe it was who reviewed saying: "UPDATE, OR ELSE…" and I realized if I didn't finish this, the death threats would start coming. On the bright side I'm up to chapter three on my original story, Nempin. I'll start posting it on fiction press when I get up to 5, I hope. Neway, on with the story!

My mother called me every night at the Curtis house to make sure I wasn't dead yet from one of my random bouts of clumsiness, and to tell me how the house hunt was going. I was afraid to tell anyone, but a house in Connecticut she said was almost for sure going to be it. I was torn between sadness and happiness.

Now, unlike most people who hate change, I loved it. I never stay in one place very long, so it's just programmed into me to say "Arri, don't you get too attached now, things don't stay the same anyway." But there was a problem with this town: While walking along the crappy roads and dark alleys, I'd somehow gotten used to it. It's not liked I'd even been here long, but the people had, unbeknownst to me, become my life. I revolved around them, and it wasn't like I could take my universe with my when I moved.

Anyway, the Curtis's were overjoyed that I was at the house. When I was there, the laundry got done (no more embarrassing incidents, much to my disappointment), they got actual meals, and the place was slightly clean. They looked at me like I was the angel of cleaning, sent down to save the house by God himself. It was quite amusing.

"Did it hurt?" said Pony as he walked into the kitchen where I was making spaghetti.

"Did what hurt?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him as he sat down at the table and propped his chin in his hand.

"When you fell from house-wife heaven, of course."

I suppressed a snort, "It was terribly painful emotionally. I dropped my laundry detergent somewhere over Japan. It was Fresh Breeze scented, too." I added a dramatic sigh of remorse, and then quietly added, "You know, I think God's going to want his favorite maid back soon."

I heard Ponyboy sigh, "Yeah…Yeah, I know."

My grip tightened on the handle of the pot. I plastered a smile on my face and twirled around to beam at the crestfallen Ponyboy. "Hey, will you help me? I need you to stir the sauce so it doesn't burn while I strain this, ok?"

He blinked at me before shaking his head with a small smile on his face as he got up and came over to the stove, "I swear Arri, I could search my whole life and never find someone like you."

I grinned and shoved the wooden spoon into his hand, "Yup, that's right! I'm the definition of unique!" I chirped, turning back to the pot of spaghetti and taking it to the sink. I hummed a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little and did a little hip and head dance to the beat.

"Jeez, you can't keep still for a minute, can you?" a voice said from the door.

I turned around with the successfully drained pasta in my hands as Darry and Soda-pop sat down at the table. I could tell from the look on Ponyboy's face how happy he was that Darry had been making his best attempt to eat dinner with us. "You got that right, Soda," said Pony from the stove, "She's a leg jiggler. I've witnessed it with my own two eyes in English class."

"Don't get me started on you," Soda said with a small smirk, "What are you? Her new little house wife apprentice?"

"Oh, shut up." Grumbled Pony.

"Aw, don't worry," I said in a little baby voice as I pinched his cheek, "Even if all the men in the world are against you, I'd still love you."

"Ha ha, very funny, Ri." I knew I shouldn't, but it was just too much fun picking on Ponyboy.

Halfway through dinner, the phone rang. Darry being closest to the phone got up to get it. He came back in looking slightly pale and said, "Arri," in a kind of quiet voice which was very unnatural for him.

I felt a knot form in my stomach as the table quieted down. I licked my lips nervously, brushing my hair back and giving a nervous smile, "Everything ok, Dar?"

"It's your mother," he said in a flat voice, holding out the phone.

I jumped out of my seat, slamming my hands down on the table in my nerves, "Is she ok?" Darry nodded and I got up and apprehensively took the phone from him, walking into the living room. "Mom?" I said into the phone.

"Guess what? I've some good news! We got that house in Connecticut, Ri. It's not anything special, but still I think it's just lovely. It's got a nice spot on the roof for you to watch the sunset, and there's a good school system which was quite lucky. Arri? Are you listening?" My mom said, finally stopping her rant to take a real breath.

My mouth was dry, and my tongue felt stuck to the roof of my mouth. I swallowed nothing but air, making me slightly nauseous. I managed to open my mouth and say, "Yeah, Ma that sounds lovely. So, uhm, when do you think we'll be moving?"

She was quiet on the other end of the line for a minute before stating quietly as though she just realized I wasn't exactly hopping up and down in excitement, "About 9 days, but I'll come to pick you up in 7."

I leaned my back against the wall, tilting my head towards the ceiling and closing my eyes. "Right. One week."

"Arri, are you-"

"Fine," I said, cutting her off, "I'm fine, really. Don't worry, I'll…" My grip on the phone tightened, "I'll be ready in a week."

"Ok sweetie. Love you, bye."

"Yeah, I love you too, Mom." I hung up the phone and slowly walked back into the kitchen. I had to stare a second before the scene totally soaked in. Darry was staring blankly at his plate, Soda was staring at his plate but with much more emotion, and Ponyboy was gripping his fork so hard that his knuckles were white. I nervously fiddled with the end of my hair and stared out the ground, trying to fight the urge to cry. "Uh…well, I'm guessing you all heard, but just in case I'm leaving in-"

"We know," snapped Ponyboy, catching me off guard and making my head snap up, "You're going to leave in 9 days, Darry told us."

"7 days," I corrected automatically, and then mentally sowed my lips shut at Pony's expression.

Pony got up and angrily stormed past me and out of the kitchen. "Pony, wait!" I said grabbing his arm frantically. I couldn't stand it if he was mad at me when I when I was about to leave.

He shook me off and grabbed his jacket before walking out the door, probably to go and sit on the swings at the park. I stared at the door, the unshed tears making my eyes burn. I stared at the ground, gritting my teeth. For the fourth time in my life I was scared to death, and this wasn't even a fight for your life situation. But I couldn't help it, my feet were rooted to rug as I sat there screaming at myself to go after him, to say something to him. But it was what he would say that terrified me.

"Arri," said Soda, coming up behind me and placing his hand on my shoulder, "You're not one to hesitate. What are you doing here?"

What am I doing here? The question echoed around in my head until I listened.

I bolted out the door and headed for the park. My head was spinning with so many thoughts, but only one stood out among all the rest: Find him. And I did find him, exactly where I thought he would be. I sat down on the swing next to him as he smoked a cigarette. I was slightly taken aback since without realizing it we'd both quit smoking. I touched my mouth in surprise. When was the last time I had a cigarette? I didn't even know Pony still had a pack.

"I don't get how you do it, Arri," he mumbled, putting it out in the dirt, "You can charge ahead at full speed, not caring what tomorrow is going to be, as long as you smile you're ok. But you can't just smile and leave here, and think that people you left behind are going to be ok."

My eyes were wide as I realized what I'd been neglected to think about. I could leave this place, and everyone else here couldn't. I'd keep moving, making a life all over the place and making a name for myself. All the Greasers would be stuck here their whole lives. All they could do was struggle against the fate that was laid down for them, and that fate was to stay in the shadows where everyone else thought they belonged.

"I…I'm so sorry," I choked out as I started to cry, "I wish I could take you all with me and show you that the hold world isn't Greasers and Soc.'s, and rumbles, and getting mugged, and having to be on your guard every second just to survive. I wanna stay with you Pony. I wanna stay." Pony moved me off of my swing and onto his so I could sit on his lap while I cried.

"I know, Ri. I know." He whispered. I'm not sure how long we sat like that in silence, with just my occasional sniffle as we both drifted through our thoughts.

I think it was that moment I realized what I wanted to do with my life: sing. Show people the world through the songs that played on a constant reel in my head. I jumped off of the swing with a sudden burst of moral strength and as I stared at the stars as I said in a voice that told people this wasn't a "what if" dream, it would become my reality, "I'm going to be a famous singer when I get older. I'll show you Ponyboy; I'll show you what us Greaser's are made of." I turned back to him with a broad grin on my face, "You can add that to the list of promises I've made you."

You know how when you want time to go fast it seems to just crawl by, giggling at the twitch you get every time you look at the clock? But then when you're dreading something it flies right by. That was basically my next week. Spending time with Ponyboy and everyone else as much as I could before I had to go, and putting off packing until it was completely necessary. I seriously think that I have a slight mental block of those days, anyway. I was trying so hard to not look sad so that everyone else would be happy too, but the fact was I was dying inside.

Then came the day where I finally left my universe for planets unknown. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd actually manage to get a new universe to orbit around me. I furiously shook my head. No, there was no way I could get a new one. Two months in this place and I never wanted to leave.

"You ok?" Pony asked me as he sat on his bed his legs spread apart so I could sit in between them.

I snorted in an extremely un-lady like way, "I'm just peachy," Neither of us knew what to say, so we sat in silence. But, really, what was there to say?

I heard a car horn honk and a muffled shout from outside of, "ARRI! I'm back, babe!"

My heart swelled at the thought of seeing my mom again and I grabbed Pony's hand as I leapt up and stumbled in a clumsy gait down the stairs and out onto the porch. There in the yard stood Darry, Soda, Two-Bit, and Keith along with my starry-eyed mother. "Mom!" I squealed, dropping Pony's hand and running over to her and giving her a huge hug as he dragged his feet slowly along the grass to come stand with us. Seeing him like that reminded me I was going away and my happy face immediately dropped.

"I'll go get her bags," Two-Bit volunteered and ran back up into the house.

I turned to Steve and gave him a hug. When I turned to give Soda a hug, he lifted me right off of the ground and spun me in the air before putting me down and saying with a sad grin, "We sure are gonna miss our little cleaning fairy." I smiled him and turned to Darry who held out his hand to me. I stared blankly at it for a second, before a slow grin spread across my face and I tackled him in a bear hug, "I'll miss you, Dar!" He patted my head awkwardly. I released him as Two-bit came back out and I hugged him, too, "Thanks for everything." I said.

"Actually," He said with his usual Two-bit smirk, "I think we should be thanking you." He tickled my side. Yeah, some thanks that is.

I nervously turned to the last person and stared at him. I really took him in this time, though. His lovely red-brown hair, his gray-green eyes that were so dead when I'd first met him. He was almost like a different person, but not too much, I hope. He suddenly picked me up in an extremely tight hug which I returned. "I'm gonna miss you so much," he whispered in my ear.

"I'm gonna miss you, too." I pulled away slightly and kissed him. It was so full of the things that were left unsaid, but it was still full of love and we both took out time breaking apart.

"I love you," he said, running a slightly shaky hand through my hair.

I grabbed the hand and held it tightly in mine, "I love you, too." It was like some sappy scene from one of those disgustingly romantic movies, and I was loving and hating every nanosecond of it. I knew if I didn't let go of his hand now, I never would be able to. So I let go. I quickly turned around on my heel and opened the passenger side door of the car where my mother had been patiently waiting and Two-Bit had put my bags.

As I was about to get in, Ponyboy grabbed my arm and said, "You remember all of those promises you made me. I'll never forgive you if you break them."

Like I wasn't already on the verge of hysterics, but I managed to get out an only slightly constricted, "Yeah, I know." He managed to let go of my arm and I got in the car and closed the door behind me, eyes transfixed on the road ahead of me as my mom drove away. I couldn't stand it after a few seconds and rolled down the window and leaned out of it, yelling back at them, "I love you guys!"

"Don't you forget us, now!" Soda yelled back.

I felt the tears leak down onto my face, as I swallowed the lump and yelled back, "How could you expect me to forget?" I then put my head back in and rolled up the window. I cried silently as we drove past all of the familiar places, my Mom thankfully said nothing, knowing that words could do nothing to help me.

After a few minutes of silence she finally said, "So, Ri, you ready for a new life?"

I managed to smile and stop my tears as I yelled in slight triumph, "Hell yeah!" I pumped a fist in the air, forgetting the roof of the car and banging my knuckles. I let out a small yelp and rubbed my fist as my Mom laughed. I sighed to myself; I guess I've still got a long way to go.

THE END

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.
Green Day

THE END! I'm sorry it kind of sucks, but this is the first story I've actually written and finished, so personally I am very proud. Just so you know, Arri becomes a famous singer.

Emmy