Darry's POV
I couldn't help but think of the phone call Soda made a few days ago. It wasn't my fault. It couldn't be. What I did was for the better and it was Steve's choice to take the drugs or not. I didn't choose for him, so there was nothing to blame me on.
"Yo, Darry, the game is starting."
"Who against who?"
"Lakers against Kings."
"Oh, this will be good."
"Man, the Kings are gonna kick their asses this time. Lakers suck this year."
"I know, hey did you invite Chris and Anooj?"
"Yeah, Chris said he was coming a little late and well, like always, Anooj can't make it."
"Okay, well it's starting."
By the end of the game Kings ended up beating the Lakers by one point. It was a really close game. One of the best I had seen all season.
"Hey, Joey are you staying up?"
"No way man. That game wore me out."
"Yeah, me too. Night, then."
"Night."
He fell onto his bed and fell asleep immediately. I was pretty tired too, but I couldn't sleep. Memories were coming back into my head. The yelling coming from Soda still haunted me. I knew he would never forgive me. Maybe he wouldn't even accept me as his brother. Just a legal brother, but not at heart. What about Ponyboy? How did he feel about me? I hadn't heard from him since I left. Guilt was starting to fall into me. I missed Tulsa. I missed the ways things used to be. I missed everything about that damn city, and I wanted to go back.
Knock. Knock.
I got up from my bed and checked who it was. It was my new girlfriend Aurora.
I opened the door and let her in.
"Hey," I whispered.
"Hey. Is Joey here?"
"Yeah, he's asleep."
"Oh, well I came to tell you that this is my last week here. I'm moving to Italy next Monday."
"What? Why?"
"I was offered a job there to be a journalist and you know that it's my dream to become one, and well I wouldn't want to lose this opportunity."
"I wouldn't want you to miss this opportunity either. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks Darry. That means a lot. Well when I go I don't want to break-up with you. I'd like to have a long distance relationship."
"Well I don't wanna break-up either. You're the best thing that happened to me and I don't want that to change."
"Right. Well, that's all I wanted to say. I best go to bed now."
"All right, good night."
"Good night." I gave her a little kiss and then she left.
That was the last I saw of her.
As I thought of her leaving her life I thought about leaving mine. I thought of a place that would rid me from everything I ever knew. Far away from the people I knew. Far away from the horrible memories that have caused me pain for the past year. I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I gave up, but I knew I couldn't go back to Tulsa. It would be way too painful to go back and I may just face rejection. I had to go far away where I knew that neither Ponyboy nor Sodapop would be in. Far to where the lines of earth meet the heavens.
I couldn't help but think of the phone call Soda made a few days ago. It wasn't my fault. It couldn't be. What I did was for the better and it was Steve's choice to take the drugs or not. I didn't choose for him, so there was nothing to blame me on.
"Yo, Darry, the game is starting."
"Who against who?"
"Lakers against Kings."
"Oh, this will be good."
"Man, the Kings are gonna kick their asses this time. Lakers suck this year."
"I know, hey did you invite Chris and Anooj?"
"Yeah, Chris said he was coming a little late and well, like always, Anooj can't make it."
"Okay, well it's starting."
By the end of the game Kings ended up beating the Lakers by one point. It was a really close game. One of the best I had seen all season.
"Hey, Joey are you staying up?"
"No way man. That game wore me out."
"Yeah, me too. Night, then."
"Night."
He fell onto his bed and fell asleep immediately. I was pretty tired too, but I couldn't sleep. Memories were coming back into my head. The yelling coming from Soda still haunted me. I knew he would never forgive me. Maybe he wouldn't even accept me as his brother. Just a legal brother, but not at heart. What about Ponyboy? How did he feel about me? I hadn't heard from him since I left. Guilt was starting to fall into me. I missed Tulsa. I missed the ways things used to be. I missed everything about that damn city, and I wanted to go back.
Knock. Knock.
I got up from my bed and checked who it was. It was my new girlfriend Aurora.
I opened the door and let her in.
"Hey," I whispered.
"Hey. Is Joey here?"
"Yeah, he's asleep."
"Oh, well I came to tell you that this is my last week here. I'm moving to Italy next Monday."
"What? Why?"
"I was offered a job there to be a journalist and you know that it's my dream to become one, and well I wouldn't want to lose this opportunity."
"I wouldn't want you to miss this opportunity either. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks Darry. That means a lot. Well when I go I don't want to break-up with you. I'd like to have a long distance relationship."
"Well I don't wanna break-up either. You're the best thing that happened to me and I don't want that to change."
"Right. Well, that's all I wanted to say. I best go to bed now."
"All right, good night."
"Good night." I gave her a little kiss and then she left.
That was the last I saw of her.
As I thought of her leaving her life I thought about leaving mine. I thought of a place that would rid me from everything I ever knew. Far away from the people I knew. Far away from the horrible memories that have caused me pain for the past year. I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I gave up, but I knew I couldn't go back to Tulsa. It would be way too painful to go back and I may just face rejection. I had to go far away where I knew that neither Ponyboy nor Sodapop would be in. Far to where the lines of earth meet the heavens.