Dally, Steve, and Sodapop walked into the Curtises' house just as it began to rain. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-Bit all sat in front of the television. Two-Bit was finishing off a bag of potato chips while Pony worked on his homework. Johnny had wrapped his arms around his legs and was staring at his shoes with this odd gaze in his eye.
"Guess who got a raise at work today?" Steve shouted as he swung an arm around Soda's neck, parading through the door with his boundless energy.
Two-Bit raised an eyebrow at this and replied, "How can you get a raise at your job when ya'll don't do nothin'?" He gave a high pitched laugh as Soda kicked him in the back lightly.
"I'm gonna get you a new pair of shoes, Ponyboy. That dinged up pair you got ain't helpin' you at all." Soda told his brother, rustling the hair on his head. "You better take good care of 'em, though."
Pony grinned. "Hey, thanks, Soda."
"Whoa, man, what's with Johnny?" Dally asked, taking a seat on the floor next to the sixteen-year-old. He nudged him. "Hey man, what's your deal? Somethin' happen at school?"
Johnny shook his head, looking at Pony knowingly.
"You want me to tell them?" Pony asked Johnny, who nodded in response. Pony grinned. "This girl came up to Johnny today during lunch and asked him where he lived."
Everyone hooted at this, giving Johnny pats on the back and congratulating him. Laughing, Pony tried to quiet them down before going on.
"Hang on, hang on. That's not all. Then, right as the girls were leaving...shut up, Steve! Listen...when they were starting to leave, Johnny gave the one chick his address!"
Dally chuckled and gave Johnny a noogie. "Alright, Johnny man, I knew there was a ladies' man deep down in you. Who was this broad, anyway? Anyone I know?"
Suddenly, Johnny was overcome with a look of helplessness. Pony knew exactly what he was thinking. How would he let Dally know that the girl's brother was the Soc he had gotten into a fight with? It wouldn't go down that well.
Johnny just shrugged and said, "She was a Soc. This brunette chick, I didn't catch her name." He glanced at Ponyboy quickly, then turned back to Dally.
"Was she cute, man? C'mon, details." Dally said with a greedy look on his face. "Seriously, man, this is like your first communion, or somethin'. C'mon."
Johnny laughed and said, "Yeah, I guess. She was pretty cute, huh Pony?"
"Yeah, I could dig her." Pony responded. "But she's your game, now." Of course, Pony meant that fully. Farrah Addams was fine, alright, but he had more of a thing for Cherry. She was exactly what he found attractive in girls. The sad thing was she hadn't even looked at him during the conversation today.
"Alright, alright!" Two-Bit shouted, leaving the kitchen with six bottles of beer. He passed them around and held his in the air. "A toast to Johnny!"
"To Johnny!" The rest of the gang shouted, toasting to a blushing Johnny Cade.
3
"You are the worst father in the world, I hope you know." Everett told his father as they got out of the handsome black Mustang. He glared at Mr. Addams with an extreme hatred. "You have officially lost your only son. When I graduate, I'm gone."
He handed Farrah one of her suitcases just as she said, "And I'm never speaking to you again."
Mr. Addams shook his head and looked like he was trying to ignore his kids' hateful comments. While Everett and Mr. Addams worked on trying to get all the luggage out of the trunk, Farrah stood in front of her grandmother's house with a look of disappointment. It was a dirty, gray-colored ranch with a pretty good sized porch. There was moss growing on the roof and ivy on one side of paneling. An enormous willow tree grew in the backyard, and there was a garden full of dying plants beside the house.
Farrah shook her head. "This cannot be happening...,"
"Well, it is. So deal with it." Everett said in an angry tone, shoving another suitcase in Farrah's arms and walking up the porch steps to the door. Farrah bit her lip, feeling like crying. She would have to hide this from all her friends at school for sure. If they found out, what would happen to her? Her social status would totally disintegrate, and she would be hated by both Soc and Greaser parties.
Then, she remembered Johnny. Maybe Johnny Cade would at least still be friends with her. Sure, he was a Greaser, but he wasn't exactly like the rest of them. He and Ponyboy were different. They didn't give off such a criminal vibe; a vibe that was perfectly demonstrated by Dallas Winston. Farrah could never picture Johnny being that way.
Mr. Addams, Farrah, and Everett went inside the house. It matched the outside almost exactly. There was no moss or ivy, but it was dull and gray. The living room was made up of a green couch with a broken spring or two, a couple of tv trays, and a shelf of old knick-knacks covered in a thick layer of dust. Everett looked around the room in disgust.
"Our wine cellar was cleaner than this." He muttered to himself.
"Don't say that, Everett." Mr. Addams scolded his son in a whispering tone. "Do you want to hurt your grandmother's feelings?"
Farrah rolled her eyes and responded, "You already hurt ours, you hypocrite." Her father shot her an angry look, but let it go and walked into the kitchen. Everett stuffed his hands into his pockets, shifted his weight between his feet uneasily, then cursed and walked out onto the porch. Farrah, being the only one left in the room, sighed and looked around. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she made her way down a hallway at the back of the house.
The hallway broke off into about four rooms, two on each side. She peered into the first room on her left and found an almost empty room with only a twin bed and a dresser inside. The room across from it was a bathroom that looked as though it had seen better days. The next door was closed halfway, so Farrah tried to look in the opening. She listened for a minute to see if anyone was inside. Finally, she pushed the door open to find an elderly woman with long silver hair sitting upright in her bed with a book on her lap.
Mrs. Lillian Adler smiled at her granddaughter and said, "I'll be damned. You look exactly like your mother."
3
Around ten or so, Dally offered to walk Johnny home. Steve came along with them, while Two-Bit stayed back to finish watching Mickey Mouse. The night was pretty brisk, the chilly air stung if it blew strong enough. Dally lit a cigarette and took a long drag on it.
"Shit, man, I ain't ready to go home yet." He said loud and restlessly. "Hey Steve, you wanna go to the Dingo, man? I ain't got nothin' better to do."
Steve shook his head and replied, "You know I would, Dal, but I've got work real early in the mornin'. You'd have been better off askin' Two-Bit. He ain't got nothin' to do."
About halfway down the road, Johnny noticed a shiny, black Mustang sitting in the driveway of the old house that everyone thought to be deserted. Then, he noticed that there was someone sitting on the porch swing. Whoever it was had noticed them and was making their way towards the door. Then, Johnny remembered that Farrah had said she was moving.
"Farrah?" He asked without thinking. Johnny and Steve looked at him as Farrah turned around and smiled weakly at Johnny.
"Uh, hi...Johnny." She said nervously, holding the door open.
Dally's eyes widened at this. He looked over at Johnny with a chuckle and asked, "Hey, is this the chick you dig?" He turned back towards Farrah, squinting through the dark in order to see her better. "You got pretty good threads for livin' round here, babe."
Steve was already examining the Mustang with a greedy gleam in his eyes. "This thing's a beaut. Where'd you find it? Great condition. You must've robbed a bank to get one of these babies."
"Look, guys, it's gettin' kinda late." Johnny stammered, hoping that they weren't bothering Farrah. "We should probably go."
Dally began to walk towards the porch, and Johnny could see a look of panic on Farrah's face. He knew she probably despised Dally.
"Wait a minute...," drawled Dally as he realized the familiarity of her face. He wagged a finger at her accusingly. "I know you from somewhere. You're that chick from the Seven-Eleven with that stuck-up Soc brother, aren't you? You're the one with the mouth."
Farrah crossed her arms and glared at him. "Yeah, I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would really like it if you left. Bye Johnny." She turned to go back in, but Dally ran up to the porch and stopped the door from closing. Farrah gasped and pulled it closed.
"What the hell are you people doing living on the eastside?" He asked her with a confused frown. "Don't you get that this ain't your territory?"
Farrah replied angrily, "I'm not stupid, and I can't help it that I'm living here! You think I want to live around a neighborhood full of white trash and hoods? Dream on, Winston! Just stay the hell away from me!" Then she slammed the door in his face.
Dally retreated back down the steps with a scowl on his face. He began to walk towards Johnny's end of the road with Steve and Johnny trailing behind him. They kept their distance until they heard him chuckle. Then, he turned around and said, "That girl has the biggest fucking mouth I've ever heard. You've got yourself a handful, Johnny man." He chuckled again.
When they reached Johnny's house, Dally gave his friend a pat on the back and said goodbye along with Steve. Johnny did the same, went up the steps, and walked inside the house. He listened closely as the guys left, and he swore he could hear them talking about Farrah.
3
A.N.: Another update! I'm really thankful for all the comments I've been getting, but I'm feeling a little greedy. I would like a few more, so please leave the love! 3