Not What You'd Expect

Chapter 2: Markie Curtis

"Flight 497 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Tulsa, Oklahoma has landed. I repeat flight 497, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Tulsa, Oklahoma has landed. Thank you."

"Darry, that's his flight! Markie's here!"

Sodapop jumped off the plastic seat he was sitting on at the Terminal where he and his two brothers Darry, and Ponyboy were suppose to pick up their cousin Markie. Of the three brothers, Sodapop was the most excited about meeting the cousin none of them knew existed.

"Don't forget were going to the Dingo after we get his bags," Soda reminded Darry. "And me and Ponyboy are gonna show him around after he meets the gang, right Pone?"

"Soda, he had a long flight. I'm sure when we get back to the house Markie's gonna wanna relax," Darry said.

"Well we'll just have to ask him when he gets off," Soda shot back. "Ponyboy you got that sign we made?"

"Yeah, it's right here," he said, taking a small handmade sign out of the bag he was carrying.

Sodapop was concerned that Mrs. Chilton would not know recognize Darry, and think he had forgotten about Markie. So he and Ponyboy got a piece of paper, and a black marker, and made a sign which read:

WELCOME TO TULSA MARKIE!

"Is the sign really necessary?" Darry asked.

"Yes it is," Soda, answered.

"Darry, Soda, they're letting people off," Pony said, catching his brothers attention.

All three of them watched as people walked into the Terminal, all three of them looking for a sixteen year old boy who beard some sort of resemblance to them.

"Hey I think that's him!"

"Nah, he's too old."

"What about him?"

"To young."

"Him! That's Markie!"

"That's a girl!"

"Huh, so it is. She is kind of cute though."

"Sodapop Curtis we're looking for our cousin, not for girls," Darry scowled.

Soda shrugged his shoulders, "Can't help it that I notice cute girls."

Darry started to say something back, when he felt someone tap him on his shoulder. He turned around, to see a short, grey haired woman in her late forties. Her mouth was a tight line, which Darry doubted ever turned into a smile.

"Mr. Curtis, I assume."

Darry recognized the high pitch voice, and knew instantly that this was Mrs. Chilton.

"Yes, but I go by Darry normally."

He offered his large hand for her to shack, but she only stared at it with disgust. Darry got the message, and pulled his hand back.

"Yes, well let me take you to where I left Markie, and you can grab her bags and leave. I will be sending the papers you need to sign so you can become her legal guardian in a few weeks."

Ponyboy noticed something odd about what Mrs. Chilton said. Darry had said Markie was a boy, yet Mrs. Chilton had called Markie a she. Unless Markie was somehow both a boy and girl, Pony guessed that Darry had gotten Markie's gender wrong.

"Um, Mrs. Chilton," Pony started. "You said that Markie was a she right?"

Mrs. Chilton rolled her eyes, "Yes of course I said she is a she. Didn't your brother tell you that your cousin was a girl?"

"Mrs. Chilton, you never said Markie was a girl," Darry said. "All you said was her name was Markie, which sounds like a boy's name."

"I'm sorry, but you must have heard wrong, because I clearly said in our conversation on the phone Mr. Curtis, that Markie was indeed a girl."

Darry replayed their phone conversation in his head. Not once did Mrs. Chilton say Markie's gender. She only referred to her as Markie. Not wanting to cause a scene in the Terminal, Darry let Mrs. Chilton lead Pony, Soda, and himself to a bench where a red headed teenage girl sat gazing off into space.

"Ms. Curtis!"

Mrs. Chilton's sharp voice snapped the girl out of here daydream. She looked at Mrs. Chilton, then at the Curtis boys, her green eyes full of curiosity.

"Ms. Curtis, these are your cousins Darry," she pointed to Ponyboy. "Sodapop," she pointed to Darry. "And Ponyboy," she pointed to Sodapop.

The three brothers looked at each other, all three of them hearing the sarcasm in her voice as she said each of their names. None of the boys felt the need to correct the social worker, knowing she would not remember who was who.

"Well, I'll leave you four alone. I have a plane to catch back to Philadelphia."

She took a card out of her pocket, and handed it to Markie.

"Call me if you need anything at all or if they don't treat you right."

Markie nodded her head, pocketing the card.

"And Mr. Curtis, I'll be back in three weeks to check up on you to make sure you are providing a good home for Ms. Curtis."

"No worries Mrs. Chilton. Me and my brother will take good care of Markie."

"Yes well goodbye all."

Without another word, Mrs. Chilton walked away, gone from their lives for a mere three weeks. The four were silent for a moment as Darry, Soda, and Pony took in Markie, and Markie took in the three boys.

Sodapop was the first person to speak.

"I've always wanted a little sister," he said sitting down next to Markie. "I told my mom and dad when they were pregnant with Pony that I wanted it to be a girl so I could spoil her and play with her, and have lots of fun. Then of course they had Ponyboy over there, and I was really made 'cause he wasn't the sister I wanted. But it was cool 'cause I still got to play and have fun with him. But he never let me spoil him. Looks like I finally got my wish though. I'm so glad you're a girl!"

Markie's eyes went wide as she listen to her older cousin speak at an incredibly fast rate. Most of his words were running together, so she could only register half of what he was saying to her.

"Sodapop slow down there, even I can't understand what you're saying."

Sodapop stuck his tongue out.

"Well sorry I'm the only one excited about Markie finally getting here."

"Were all excited about her finally getting here," said Darry. "You just want to tell her your whole life story before we even had a chance to get her bags and get back to the house."

Soda jumped off the bench, "Of course! Of course! We've gotta introduce her to the gang! And then dinner right?"

Darry nodded his head, "If Markie feels up to it."

Darry noticed the scared look on Markie's face from Soda's sudden outburst of energy. It could take a person a while to get use to Soda's eccentric behavior, and Darry had a feeling that there would be plenty more scared looks from his younger cousin when she finally meet the gang.

"Well come on let's grab your bags," Darry said to Markie.

The red head nodded her head, standing up. For the first time, the three boys got a full look at their cousin. She was around an average high, with her red hair falling down to her shoulders in a mess of wild curls, which framed her heart shaped face with the pair of green eyes the boys had noticed earlier. The boys guessed she had not slept in days from the bags under her eyes. Darry noted how thin Markie looked, as if she had not eaten in weeks. He made a mental note to cook a large dinner that night and to make sure that Markie ate a large helping.

"Which bag is yours," Pony asked, as the four watched an array of bags in different shapes and colors glide past them.

Markie pointed to a pair of medium size purple suitcases. Darry grabbed the two suitcases, and began leading the group towards the exit. As they walked, Soda tried to strike up a conversation with Markie, who he noticed hadn't said a word since they met.

"What was it like living in Philadelphia? I heard it's real nice up there."

Markie shrugged her shoulders and kept walking, her eyes staring straight ahead. It wasn't she did not like talking, in fact she was always in trouble for talking in school. She just stop talking after the accident, as if someone had cut her vocal cords. But Soda was determined to get Markie to talk, and he continued asking questions until they got to the car.

"Do you like cars?" he asked. "I love them. I work at a gas station called the DX."

Markie shook her head no as she climbed into the red truck, Ponyboy behind her, and Soda behind him. Darry was on the other side of her, putting the key into the ignition. The truck roared to life, and Markie was on her way to her new home.

"Don't mind Sodapop," Ponyboy whispered so only Markie could hear. "He might seem nosy, but he really just wants to get to know you, ya know?"

Markie nodded her head, giving Ponyboy a smile to show she didn't think Sodapop was annoying at all. He actually reminded Markie of her mother, and how she would always ask a million questions about the tiniest things. Maybe it was a family trait.

"Well here we are. Home sweet home," Darry said, parking the truck.

Markie gave her new home a look over, noticing everything from the front porch to the fence that surrounded the house. It looked a little run down, but it had a certain charm to it that it feel homey. Markie could defiantly imagine herself living in the house. As she hoped out of Darry's truck, she could hear the sound of boys yelling coming from the house. Ponyboy noticed the confused expression on her face, and decided to remind her about the gang.

"When the gang found out we were taking in you, they decided to wait at the house to meet you. Of course they all though you were going to be a boy. It'll be interesting to see their faces when they realize you're a girl."

"Ponyboy come help with theses suitcases!" Darry yelled from the back of the truck.

Markie followed Pony wanting to help carry her own bags, but Sodapop wouldn't let her.

"Can't let a lady carry her own bags," he said. "It isn't right."

Markie rolled her eyes wand walked towards the front door. The yelling got louder as she got closer the house. The sound of bodies crashing against furniture filled Markie's ears, and she knew someone had broken something.

Darry kicked the screen door open, yelling two names, "Two-bit! Steve!"

Markie peeked around Darry's large body to see two boyswrestling each other, pieces of broken wood surrounding them on all sides. The first guy had dark hair, and was wearing a DX shirt. He had the second guy with hair the color of rust, and sideburns to match in a headlock.

"Say uncle!" dark hair yelled.

"No!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Steve! Two-bit!"

Steve and Two-bit heard Darry yell, and quickly let go of each other. They both looked up at an angry Darry pointing at each other.

"He started it!" they both said in unison.

"You ate the last piece of chocolate cake!' dark hair yelled.

"Well you turned off Mickey!' sideburns yelled back.

Markie giggled noticing that sideburns was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt. She had never seen any boy brave enough to wear a shirt with the famous mouse on it. The two boys heard her giggling, and turned to look in her direction. Seeing them turning in her direction, Markie hide behind Darry, away from their curious eyes.

"Hey Darry who was that giggling?" dark hair asked.

"It's our cousin Markie!" Sodapop said.

Markie tried to protest as Sodapop grabbed her wrist, but no sound came out. She shut her eyes, letting her older cousin pull he into view. There was silence as everyone took in the newest Curtis.

"He's got boobs!"

"Two-bit!"

And that is the end of chapter two. I hope you all liked it, and I hope that Markie does not come off as a Mary Sue. As for the gang, I hope I kept Soda, Pony, Darry, Two-bit, and Steve in character. Johnny and Dally are in the house, Markie just hasn't noticed them yet.

And I want to congratulate Indiana9311, and kentuckylucky for guessing that Markie was a girl.

As always please leave a review, and constructive criticism is always wanted.