The next day was Tuesday. The first day of classes for Pony and me at the YMCA. Two-Bit was able to give us a
ride over there. We went our separate ways, with the plan to meet up later on, outside at the tables they had set up there.
The art class was daunting. To me, anyway. All I can really draw is stick people. Most of the other people in the class, (mostly kids, though
there were a couple of adults), seemed to be very good at drawing.
That's what the teacher said to do at first. Just draw something. Anything at all. I tried to draw one of the other tables,
that was covered with art supplies. It was pitiful, and I knew it.
The photography class, though, that was a different story. It was interesting, hearing about the different lenses and all
their abilities. And the speeds of film-all things that I knew nothing about. The teacher was young, maybe not much older than
Darry. He was a totally different type of guy, though. He wore loose fitting clothes, and he had long hair, which he kept pushing
out of his eyes. He seemed very relaxed.
He made the class interesting enough that I was actually looking forward to returning.
DPSJ
Pony and I had to walk home. It was a long, hot walk, too.
"I'm gonna drink two cold Cokes," I said, as we walked, brushing my hair out of my face.
"Yeah. Me, too."
"I wonder if that guy will pay Darry today," I said.
"Doubt it."
"Well, maybe he will," I said. "It would be nice if it happened. Then maybe Darry wouldn't be so worried."
"Yeah. He can pretty tense, alright," Pony agreed.
"He never goes out anymore," I said.
"He has a couple of times."
"Not-for a real long time, though," I said.
I was going to say something else about that when I noticed Pony give a quick glance behind, and then, again, a moment
or so later.
"What is it?" I asked, turning to look. I saw it, then. A car, driving slow, real slow, behind us.
"Just keep walkin'," Pony said. "And don't look back."
"Who is it? Do ya know?" I asked, feeling my stomach jump.
"I dunno. Just keep walkin'," he said.
"Soc's?" I asked.
"Yeah."
We came to a part of the street, where we could keep walking on the sidewalk, or take a shortcut thru the alley, and thru
some trees.
"Let's go this way," I said. "Thru the alley-"
"Naw. We're better off stayin' on the main part," Pony said.
And, Pony was probably right about that part. Because there were some other people walking, too, from the opposite
way. An older woman, and a couple of kids. So the car with the Soc's in it, turned off.
"Do ya think they were gonna do anything?" I asked Pony.
"I dunno. Let's just get home."
When we got home, we both did drink a cold Coke from the refrigerator.
"I'm goin' back over to help Mrs. Thatcher," Pony said. "We need the money."
"Okay."
Pony paused at the kitchen door. "Hey, listen, Junie. Let's not say anything about the car with the Soc's in it to Darry or
Soda, okay?"
"Not even Soda?" I asked.
"Naw. He'd just worry-and they've both got enough to worry over. Besides, nothin' happened."
"Okay," I agreed.
Pony left after that, and I did a little housework, listening to the radio. Rhonda called, and we talked for a while. She
was full of enthusiasm about her date the night before with her boyfriend. She asked me to meet her at the roller skating rink
the next day.
I was frying hamburgers when I heard the sounds of a car out front, and then feet coming up the steps, and the door opening.
I went to look, thinking it might be Darry, home early again.
It wasn't. It was Soda. And Steve.
"Hey, Junie," Soda greeted me affably, breezing into the kitchen, and going to pull out a Coke.
"Hi, Soda," I said, giving Steve a look as he flopped into one of the kitchen chairs.
"Hamburgers smell great," Soda said.
"Are you home for the night?" I asked, hopefully.
"Naw. Just to eat, and then I gotta get to Benson's, to work on the car."
"Oh," I said, disappointed. It was going to be lonely until Darry got home.
"Where's Pony?"
"Workin' over at Mrs. Thatcher's again."
Soda nodded, and then, remembering, he leaned against the counter, next to the stove. "How was your classes? You and Pony
like 'em?"
"The art one was stupid. But, I liked the photography one. And, Pony said he liked the creative writing one so far."
"That's good," he said.
He got out a loaf of bread, as I scooped the hamburgers onto a plate, and he and Steve began to dive into them, eating two
each.
"Aren't ya gonna eat one?" Soda asked me.
"I'll wait and eat with Darry," I said.
I hoisted myself up onto the cabinet, drinking my Coke, and swinging my legs, while the two of them ate.
"Classes again tomorrow?" Soda asked.
"Uh huh. And, then, none till Friday."
He nodded, and I said, "After class tomorrow, I'm gonna go roller skatin'. With Rhonda."
"Yeah?" Soda asked. "At the one on Fourth and Haven?"
"No. The other one."
Soda looked up from his hamburger. "All the way down there?"
"Yeah," I said, eyeing him warily. I could hear the 'protective Soda' comin' out.
"That's far. Did Darry say you could?" he asked.
Steve was listening with apparent interest, and that annoyed me mightily.
"I haven't talked to Darry yet," I said.
"Well-ya make sure he knows which one, and ya need a ride, for sure."
"I could catch a bus-" I began, but Soda was shaking his head.
"No bus."
I was suddenly irritated. More at the fact that Steve was listening, and, too, I thought Soda
was bein' a bit over the top.
"Other kids ride the buses, all over the city," I protested, and Soda stood up, taking his plate to the sink.
"Ready?" Steve asked, as he stood, as well. Only he left his plate on the table. I guess he thought we had a maid.
"I'll be out," Soda told him.
When Steve had gone, Soda came over and stood in front of me, putting a hand on either side of my legs. Sitting on the cabinet
that way, we were face to face.
"I know other kids do it," Soda said.
"Exactly."
"You're not other kids, though," he said.
"Pony rides the bus," I said, stubbornly.
"Not very often, he doesn't."
"But, he has."
"Junie."
"What?" I snapped, in irritation.
In answer, Soda fixed me with a gaze that was regretful, nearly sad, at my bein' so contrary.
"You know what," he said. Not in a mean way.
I sighed, and lifted my eyes to the ceiling.
He just stood there, quiet-like, with his hands on either side of me. We could hear Steve honking the horn
outside.
"Steve's waitin'," I said.
"So am I," Soda said, pointedly.
"Okay. I understand about the bus," I said. And, then I added, "I guess."
I went on, "It's not as though any Soc's ride the bus, Soda. They'll be drivin' their cars-nobody is gonna bother me on
the bus-"
"That's not true-the part about nobody botherin' ya," he said. "Ya don't know that-young girls shouldn't ride
those city buses alone-"
"Okay, Soda," I interrupted him.
"Okay, what?"
"Okay. I understand that ya don't want me to ride the city bus," I recited.
He regarded me, still looking regretful.
"So-talk to Darry about the bus, and the roller skatin', alright?"
"Yeah. Okay," I said.
"And, a word of advice-don't take the same tone with him as ya did with me," he advised.
After Soda left with Steve, I cleaned up the dishes, and set back the rest of the hamburgers. I took my camera outside,
and took some pictures, trying to do close-ups of some leaves, with caterpillars crawling on them. I finished up that roll
of film.
It was after six-nearly seven, when Darry finally got home. I heard his truck pull up, and I went outside on the
porch to greet him. He was dragging, I could see that right enough. He was trying to appear as though he was not, but I
could tell. He righted himself and walked straighter, carrying his tool belt, when he saw me standing there.
"Hey, Junie," he greeted me.
"Hey," I answered, following, and closing the door behind him as he came inside.
He set the tool belt on the end of the couch. He looked stone-cold weary to me.
"Was it a rough day?" I asked.
"It was long." He looked around at the tables. "Did the mail come?"
"Yeah. It's there-on the desk," I said.
Darry walked over to pick up the stack of mail, and began sifting thru it. I knew what he was looking for-a check from Rudge,
for the work that was owed. I already knew there wasn't anything that looked like that. Only envelopes that had return addresses
of the city water and gas, and electricity. Bills. He went to sit down on the couch, with a sigh, and began opening the bills.
I went to get Darry a glass of iced tea, and brought it back to the living room. I held it out to him and he took it from me,
saying, "Thanks."
"I made hamburgers," I said. "I can go heat 'em up for ya-"
"Sounds good."
I went to do that, and heated up a can of corn, and then put some cut-up watermelon on the plate that I fixed for him.
"Want to eat in here?" I asked, going to stand at the kitchen doorway.
"No. I'll come to the table," Darry said. He laid the bills aside, and came to the kitchen. I set his plate in front of him,
and he sat down.
I fixed my plate, and we sat together, eating in quiet at first.
"Are your ribs hurtin'?" I asked him.
"Not so much," he said, but I knew he wasn't being truthful.
"If I lied to you, you'd say not to," I pointed out, ruefully.
Darry gave me a look that suggested he'd been 'caught out'. "Okay, fair enough. They're painin' me," he admitted.
"You can take one of your pain pills from the doctor," I said.
"I'd rather stay away from them. I'll take a couple of aspirin," Darry said.
After we ate, Darry swallowed some aspirin from the cabinet, and I stacked the dishes and left them in the sink.
He went to take a shower, and when he came out, he stretched out on the couch. I sank down in the chair just opposite.
"How were the classes at the Y?" he asked me.
"Pony liked the writing one. And the photography one was real tuff-"
"Good," Darry said.
I spent the next few minutes telling Darry about what the teacher had explained, about all the lenses and the rest of it.
"Real interestin' to ya, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah. And, he said we could bring in our cameras tomorrow if we wanted. So we could compare them and stuff. You know."
"Well, good."
He looked exhausted. As though he could fall asleep right then and there.
I said, "Darry?"
"Hmm?"
"After classes tomorrow, could I go roller skatin'?"
He opened his eyes. "Who with?" he asked.
"Well, Rhonda. And maybe some other girls."
"She plannin' to meet her boyfriend there?" he asked, sounding suspicious.
"Naw," I said, though I really had no idea.
"'Cause I don't want ya gettin' involved in that-" he began.
"No. I won't."
"It's on-Haven Street, right?" he asked, looking considering.
"There is-but we were goin' to the other one," I said.
"Other one? On tenth?" he asked.
When I nodded, Darry rubbed his eye, and said, "That's too far, Junie."
"It's not that far," I protested.
He only looked at me, silent, and I said, "I could take the bus."
"No." There was no give to his tone.
"Darry-"
"Junie. I said No," he said.
I sat, looking at him. Feeling frustrated. And rebellious. And, then-feeling badly for feeling rebellious when Darry was
so darn tired, and hurting.
I pressed my lips together, and decided to try once more.
"What if I got a ride?" I suggested.
"From who?"
"Two-Bit, maybe," I said.
"Two-Bit got that job, remember? He's workin' at the lumberyard for a couple weeks."
"Oh," I said, disappointed.
Darry was giving me a long look, as if waiting for me to keep whining. I sighed, and stood up.
I didn't say anything more at all. I went to my bedroom, and got into my pajamas. I turned on my radio, and only
went out once more. The shower was going, and I guess it was Pony, because Darry was still on the couch, still stretched out,
and sleeping.
Outsiders