Hey, yet another chappie from Holden Caulfield's beloved wife!
SqUiDsLiLpYrO: I'm glad that you finally got review the right chapter (lol!). yes, I shall try my best to make this as funny as a double date with Two-Bit would be!
Miss cheerful: Thanksie for za complimont! (Maybe I should talk like that all the time!) First time reviewer? I love first time reviewers!!!!!!!!
AngryPrincess13: Really? I actually thought that was one of my worst, but thanks anywayz! Yay, you're being loyal and reviewing, like, every chapter, like, that I ever wrote!
Ponyisgoldxxx: Yes, fluffy stories do rock!!!! By the way, keep those ideas a-swarming in your head, cause I love your sequel to "the aftermath"!
Vincenza: hey, I love that idea! You know what, I think I'm going to try to pull it off! I was thinking about it last night, so I hope you enjoy!
Ponyboys–girl3: oh yeah, that was a total fumble-wumble on my part! Hey, you like Don't Say it out Loud too? But, anyways, I'm getting off subject! The whole POV switching thing wasn't even supposed to be happening, but I just got bored with Angelina's so I switched Johnny, then everything went haywire from there! It's only going to be Johnny in this chapter, though b/c...well, Angelina's not exactly available....dun dun dun!
Chapter 10: Three Drunks and a Sane Person
(After a long day of school–yes, Two-Bit and Natasha have been informed of the upcoming date–Johnny's POV)
Thankfully, when I got home my parents weren't there. I wasn't in any mood to listen to them fight or anything.
I dug a cigarette out of my jeans pocket and paused to light it before turning on the radio that sat on the small desk beside my bed.
"...Next hour nothing but looove soongs!"
"Oh great," I said out loud, but I didn't bother to change the station.
"Just call Little Walter's Time Machine at LUV-SONGS to dedicate that special melody to the one you really care about..."
I almost dropped the cigarette that was held between my lips as I wrote down the number of the radio station hurriedly. For a while, questioning what I was doing, I just sat there and stared at what I had just written down. Well, you might as well,I thought frustratedly as I dialed Angelina's phone number.
"Hello?" an unfamiliar voice answered. I briefly considered hanging up, but before I realized what I was doing, I had already asked for Angelina.
"Hello," she said, sounding oddly mature, "this is Angie."
Wow, she sounds awfully nice on the phone...
"Hello?"
I kicked myself mentally (if that's possible) and forced a few barely audible words to come out of my mouth.
"Hi, Angelina. It's Johnny."
There was a pause on the other end of line, followed by her voice which sounded slightly breathless.
"Oh, hi, Johnny. How are ya?"
"Okay, I guess."
Get to the point, get to the point!
"I just called to tell you that Little Walter's Time Machine is on right now and–"
"Are you listening to that too?"
Don't get me wrong, I wanted to stay on that phone with her forever, but if I didn't call the station soon enough, the song wouldn't play.
"Uh, yeah. But I can't talk long, so I just wanted to tell you to keep listening, alright?"
"Why?"
"You just...have to, okay?"
There was another pause in which she seemed to be considering my request.
"Alright, Johnny. I don't care if the president calls to tell me James Dean has come back from the dead and is right outside my door, I will still be listening!"
She actually sounded fairly serious when she said that, and I couldn't help but smile to myself.
Immediately after we said goodbye and I had put down the phone back into its cradle, I dialed the number of the station.
It took about seven songs and fifteen minutes of waiting for my dedication to play. As soon as Little Walter came back on declaring that they were going to start the dedications I just about fell off of my bed:
"Alright, now, we've got a special dedication for a doll by the name of Angelina from a certain someone named Johnny Cade. It's called I Only Have Eyes for You by the Flamingos–one of my favorites–now, darlin' listen to the lyrics...here we go!!!"
The piano began, my heart barely beating as the song played
My love must be a kind of blind love.
I can't see anyone but you.
(Sh-bop, sh-bop)
Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright.
I only have eyes for you, dear.
The moon may be high,
but I can't see a thing in the sky.
I only have eyes for you, dear.
I don't know if we're in a garden
or on a crowded avenue.
You are here and so am I,
maybe millions of people go by,
but they all disappear from view.
And I only have eyes for you...
Finally, I was able to breathe as the tune faded away and another song started up. My hands were sweating something awful and I unsuccessfully tried to wipe them on my jeans. I lit up another cancer stick, trying to call my nerves, when the phone rang.
Oh god, I thought frantically, what if that's Angelina...
Hesitantly, I picked up the receiver after taking another drag on my cigarette.
"Hello?"
"Eh, JOHNNY!"
It was Two-Bit, I could tell by that shrill voice.
"What, Two-Bit?"
"Just callin' to tell ya," he said, raising the pitch of his voice, "that I really loved that song that you dedicated to me. It was soooo sweet!"
I groaned loudly into the phone, smoke billowing from my nostrils.
"Look, Two-Bit, if ya ain't got nothing better to do, don't waste your time botherin' me."
I hear the sound of the television in the background, accompanied with the sound of laughter.
"Alright, alright, Johnnycake, but let me warn you now: you ain't never hearin' the end o' this!"
Once again, there was an explosion of laughter from the Peanut Gallery.
"So are you ready yet?"
I thought for a while, trying to remember what it was that I had to be ready for.
"Oh yeah, the date!"
"Yeah, stupid. Why don'tcha get ya love-struck" (more laughter) "self over hear. It's almost time to pick up the girls."
I hung up, not wanting to hear anymore of that conversation.
As quickly as I could, I changed into some more decent looking jeans, a clean white t-shirt and made my hair as perfectly greased as I could–though it still didn't compare to Pony's or Soda's–and rushed out the back door.
The Curtis living room contained just about every person in our neighborhood: of course, the three brothers, Two-Bit, Dally, and Steve.
"Hey, Darry," Two-Bit was saying as I entered the house, "I wonder, how come you don't ever lock your door?"
I sat down on the floor beside the couch, as it was the only other vacant space available in there. Darry narrowly avoided being collided with a flying piece of meat as he answered Two-Bit's inquiry.
"Even if I did, you guys'd probably break it down anyway."
Just as he got these words out of his mouth, Angelina and Natasha waltzed through the door. She was dressed in a peach-colored sleeveless dress with a ribbon pulling her brown hair up into a ponytail. You could now only faintly see a light shade of blue on her right cheek, which I guessed was due to makeup. As soon as her light brown eyes fell on me, her face immediately turned a bright red color and she looked away, hiding a shy smile.
I don't know how I could have ever believed Steve about how girls were...he must have been talking about girls who only acted like Sylvia. Angelina was nothing like Dally's ex-girlfriend. First of all, she didn't have all that trashy makeup all over her face. She had more of a natural beauty–but not the type of beauty that I'd seen in any of the girls around here. Her beauty was more...innocent, and I guess I could appreciate that a lot more than just a pretty face.
"Eh, Two-Bit," I said, startled at their sudden presence, "I thought you said we were going to pick them up?"
Two-Bit just gave me an I-never-said-that look and explained, "Well, I figured, they live close enough so what's the use of wasting perfectly good gas?"
I rolled my eyes and got up, since evidently Two-Bit had no sense of good manners.
"Hi, Angelina." I said, trying to control the heat that was overcoming my face.
She merely giggled in response. This time, it was Natasha's turn to roll her eyes.
"So which one's Two-Bit?" Her voice sounded a lot harder than Angelina's, matching the bored expression on her face.
"At your service, madame," announced Two-Bit, waving to her from his position in front of the T. V.
"Oh yeah, him."
Well, I couldn't exactly blame her for not being excited about going on a date with Two-Bit Matthews, considering his previous antics.
"So where are we going," asked Angelina, apparently having composed herself.
"Well," stated Two-Bit as he pulled on his leather jacket, "that's for me to know and you three to find out."
In about ten minutes, we arrived at the Nightly Double–yeah I know, what a spectacular surprise, huh? I didn't really care about that, though. I was just thankful that I didn't have to bear Two-Bit's singing "I Only Have Eyes for You" anymore.
We sat toward the middle half of the rows, not wanting to disturb the array of couples who were practically glued to each other's faces. Angelina and I were left to wait through the opening credits as Natasha and Two-Bit left to get the drinks.
"Johnny?"
I nearly fell out of my seat at the sound of her voice beside me.
"Yeah?"
She seemed to be thinking real hard about what to say next.
"You know, I thought it was really nice what you did...with the song and all."
"Thanks," I blurted out. As soon as it had rolled off my tongue, I could have smacked myself for saying it.
Evidently, she didn't care too much, because she kissed my cheek and linked her arm through mine.
I couldn't even look at her, for fear of giggling like a little school girl.
Come on, Johnny, pull yourself together.
Natasha and Two-Bit came back a few moments later, arms empty.
"Hey, where's the food," I said.
Now, c'mon Two-Bit can't be dumb enough to have forgotten the food...
"Ah, me and Natasha here decided on something a little better."
He pulled two small bottles of beer out of the inner pockets of his jacket.
"Natasha," began Angie, staring at the bottles, "I didn't know you drink."
Natasha just laughed passively and handed her friend the alcohol.
"Oh, relax, Angelina. It's only root beer."
I gave Two-Bit an angry look.
"Johnny, really it is. What do you think I'm dumb enough to get these girls drunk on the first date?"
I didn't answer that question.
"Besides, I already know you wouldn't drink for a million dollars."
I guess I believed him. I mean, I hadn't seen them leave the concession stand at all. I took a drink to make sure. It tasted like root beer, so I figured he was telling the truth.
"Hey, Johnny, guess what?"
Two-Bit and Natasha had already drank most of their bottle by the first fifteen minutes. It seemed as if they couldn't drink anymore and Natasha handed it to Angelina.
"You want the rest of this?" She was hiccuping through the whole sentence.
After considering it for a moment, Angelina took the bottle from her friend, finishing it with one swallow. She immediately frowned at the taste of it.
"God, this tastes awfully bitter. You guys got ripped off."
For some reason, Two-Bit found this comment extremely hilarious.
He sounds drunk as ever, I thought, grimacing at the possibilities.
"Hey, Two-Bit?"
"Huh?" he said, his voice barely understandable.
"Who'd you get the drinks from?"
My mind was now racing.
"Ol' Timmy. Hey did you ever know he worked out here?"
I shook my head and cursed under my breath. Two-Bit could be real stupid sometimes. I think anyone in their right mind wouldn't have trusted any type of substance from the hands of Tim Shepard to be clean in anyway.
Apparently, "Ol' Timmy" had given Two-Bit one bottle of root beer and one of some type of alcohol.
I could tell that the beer was already starting to kick in Angelina's system. She seemed sleepy and her head kept dropping onto my shoulder tiredly. I raised her head to look at me.
"Angelina, are you drunk?" I didn't care how dumb that question must have sounded. Especially after she laughed right in my face. Boy, that alcohol sure must've been straight vodka or something. I was glad that she had only consumed the amount that she did. Judging by the states of the two teenagers sitting beside us, this was going to be a long night...
Okay, that's it! Don't worry, though! I'll continue the double date in the next chapter. Ha ha ha! I love having power over all of you weak and pathetic minds–just kidding, of course! I hope my whole theory of how they received the alcohol was believable. I couldn't think of anything else. Please Review!!!!