Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders, but I own Maggie and Karen and Elizabeth. On with the reading…
Chapter Four- Enough With Homecoming!
Vote Maggie Richardson for Homecoming Queen
Cherry read the flyer that was posted on Maggie's locker and shook her head. "You really don't care that I'm putting flyers up, do you?" Cherry laughed. Why was the whole Homecoming ordeal such a big thing? Someone would be crowned queen, somebody would be crowned king, they'd dance and then the night would be over. No big deal.
"Not at all! I told you, I don't even really want to run." Maggie rolled her eyes at Cherry before closing her locker. The two girls began walking slowly down the hall, watching people pass by.
"So do you have any idea of who you're going to go with?" Maggie's voice was quiet and Cherry smiled. Yeah she had an idea, would he ever go with her, no. But she wanted to ask him, even though she knew it was wrong.
"No, not really. That kid from my Chemistry class is cute though," Cherry said, making something up from the top of her head. "Maybe he'll ask me." She didn't even know who she was talking about, and apparently neither did Maggie because they two girls continued walking in silence.
"Cherry!" Bob walked toward the pair and waved. "What's up Maggie?" Cherry rolled her eyes and stepped into the girls bathroom, Maggie followed her. This was Cherry's way of trying to get away from Bob, but it didn't work very well, he waited outside the door for the two girls to come out.
"I wish he'd leave me alone!" Cherry wined, looking at her hair in the mirror. Maggie smiled.
"Actually, I think he's kind of cute," she said applying a raspberry colored lipstick. Cherry glanced at Maggie and then back to the mirror.
"Yeah, well, you can have him," Cherry picked her books up from the counter and walked out of the bathroom. Bob was standing around the corner and began following her down the hall again. He didn't say anything, he just walked behind her. Cherry tried ignoring him, but it was rather odd that he just followed her. "Are you stalking me, Bob?" she asked whipping around to face him. Bob laughed and turned around in a circle.
"No, I just wanted to see how annoyed you'd get if I followed you." Cherry bit the inside of her cheek. He just wouldn't give up would he? She turned around to start walking again, but Bob took her arm, roughly. Cherry had a flashback of Monday in the DX parking lot when Dally'd taken her arm to keep her from getting in the car. She glared at Bob and tried to jerk her arm away, no luck.
"This is all just a game to you, isn't it? You'll chase me, but you know you'll never catch me, it's the thrill of it, right?" Cherry knew she was yelling, and she knew people were staring, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting Bob to leave her alone.
"Cherry," Bob's voice was soft and his smiled had faded, "I love you." Cherry rolled her eyes and yanked her arm free, turning to walk to her class. She heard Bob's heavy laughing behind her and then a loud smack. She turned around to see Marcia standing in front of Bob, who was clutching his cheek in pain.
"I guess you didn't get the memo, Bobby, but you two broke up months ago!" Marcia's voice was loud and angry. Cherry smiled, Marcia was the one person who wanted Cherry and Bob to get back together, and now Marcia was on Cherry's side. People stood in a circle around Bob, and Marcia walked over to Cherry.
"Thanks, he needed that," Cherry laughed and Marcia gave her a look so serious Cherry could've cried.
"Yelling at your ex-boyfriend in the middle of the hallway isn't very good for you're queen-like image," Marcia said. She paused for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter, Cherry laughing with her. "He's such a jerk," Marcia said before turning to walk up the steps. Cherry nodded in agreement and left for her first period class.
"I can't believe you hit him!" Karen and Elizabeth were carrying on about Marcia and Cherry's blow up. Marcia nodded and picked a roll off of Maggie's tray. She held it up and examined it, before placing it on her own tray. Cherry was reading a book, her lunch tray pushed off to the side. Maggie was painting her fingernails, all three girls pretending not to hear their friends.
"I would kill to have Bob tell me he loved me. You must be crazy, Cherry," Elizabeth said as she tied her back into a ponytail. Cherry just flipped a page in her book and licked her lips. "Everyone in school is talking about it, you know."
"Even greasers are talking about it!" Karen's voice sounded intimidating, but at the comment, all three girls looked up at her. Cherry's eyes were blazing, the way Dally's did when he was mad. Maggie had missed her fingernail and painted the table instead, and Marcia was biting her lip so hard it almost bled. "What?" Karen sounded so clueless.
"What's wrong with that?" Cherry asked closing her book. Karen shrugged and opened her mouth to say something, but Marcia cut her off.
"There's nothing wrong with talking about us, Karen." Marcia pushed a piece of her dark brown hair out of her eyes and Cherry glanced at her. Was she actually sticking up for greasers?
"Okay, sorry. I can see that's a touchy subject," Karen said trying to change the subject. "So, Cherry, do you have a date yet? It's Wednesday, Homecoming's close." Cherry rolled her eyes and stood up.
"No, I don't have a date yet! Geez, why is it such a big deal?" She marched off to the garbage cans with her lunch tray that was still full of food. Karen wrinkled her nose and Elizabeth shrugged. Maggie and Marcia looked at each other then got up to follow Cherry.
"What's wrong, Cher?" Marcia said as Cherry walked out of the cafeteria. Cherry shrugged.
"I've just had enough with Homecoming. I honestly don't see why it's such a big deal. It wasn't a big deal last year, or the year before." Maggie laughed a little and then placed her hand on Cherry's shoulder.
"But you're running for queen this year, so people naturally think you should have a date," Maggie's voice was soothing. Marcia walked in front of Cherry and turned around to face her.
"Don't worry about it, Cherry." Cherry shrugged and blew a short piece of hair out of her eyes. Maggie smiled and tucked her history book under her arm. Sometimes Cherry just needed someone to talk to, they were used to it by now. The three girls had been friends since sixth grade, and they only fought twice.
Cherry took a deep breath as she turned the corner that led to her classroom. "Can I ask you guys a serious question?" Maggie nodded and Marcia smiled to let her know she was all ears. "Is it really bad to hang around greasers? Are we that different?" Maggie closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of the right answer. Marcia looked at Maggie hoping she'd come up with an answer before her.
"It's not terrible, but we're just two different types of people," Maggie said, then she stopped. "Why, you have some friends from the North side?" Cherry nodded and looked at her feet.
"Sort of. I stop at the DX a lot, and talk to Sodapop. He's a good listener and sometimes I just need someone to talk to, you know." Marcia nodded and turned around to walk forward now. Maggie smiled, she thought Soda was really cute, he was awful nice, too.
"Don't think about it too much, just do it." Marcia said quietly, Cherry figured it was because she didn't want anyone to hear her say that.
"You think too much, Cherry," Maggie said laughing. Cherry laughed too and the girls parted at Marcia's classroom.
Cherry parked her car in front of the DX. She needed gas, but she was debating whether or not to go in. She wished she could understand the difference, but she couldn't. All the greasers she knew were real nice, why was it such a big deal to not talk to them? Cherry turned her headlights off and pulled the key out of the ignition, she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. She did think too much, maybe all she needed to do was stop thinking. Her parents were supposed to be home today, but if they came home they probably didn't care that she was out past dark.
Cherry opened her eyes to see Soda open the door with a key in his hand. He changed the sign on the door to read 'close' and began walking past her car. She jumped out immediately and slammed her door. Soda turned around instantly and stared at her, confused.
"Miss Cherry Valance, I just closed up, but if you want something—"
"No, it's okay. Are you doing anything tonight, Sodapop?" Soda shook his head and walked toward her. Cherry looked at the ground and then at her car. Did she really want to ask? Yeah, she did. "Do you think I could come home with you, maybe have dinner?" Soda smiled wildly and nodded.
"Of course, some of the boys are coming over, if you don't mind," Cherry shook her head and opened her car door again. Soda turned to walk away but Cherry stopped him.
"I can give you a ride, if you'd like," Soda nodded and walked to the passenger side of her car. Cherry didn't care what role she was breaking, she wasn't thinking, from now on, she wasn't going to think. Soda and Cherry got out of the car and walked up to the front door, Cherry had only been in the Curtis's home once before, but it was only for a minute. She was a little nervous, afraid of what everyone would think.
"Look who I brought home!" Soda yelled as he opened the door. Ponyboy was sitting on the couch reading a book. He looked up and smiled at Cherry before standing up and nodding in her direction. Darry was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Cherry could smell it the moment she walked in the house. Soda ran out to the kitchen to bring Darry in the living room.
"Well, if it isn't Cherry Valance. Nice to see you again, Cherry." Cherry smiled at Darry's comment and then took a seat next to Ponyboy on the couch. He flipped a page of the book he was reading and Cherry saw that it was the same book she'd been reading earlier at lunch.
"I'm reading that book, too. It's very good," Cherry said. Ponyboy looked up and smiled.
"Yeah, it is good," he looked toward the kitchen and then closed his book. "Do you have a date to Homecoming yet?" Cherry rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"No, and I'm so sick of hearing Homecoming. I just don't care about it." Ponyboy nodded and began to say something but the door burst open and Two-Bit, Steve, Johnny, and Dally came in. Two-Bit and Steve ran completely past the sofa to the kitchen, not even realizing Cherry's presence. Johnny nodded politely and then walked toward the kitchen also, and Dally just froze. His gaze was fixed on Cherry, and the door was hanging open behind him.
"Dallas, close that door, will ya." Darry said from the kitchen, "You're letting all the cold in." Dally closed the door slowly behind him and then walked to stand right in front of Cherry. Cherry looked up at him and then back to Ponyboy's book. Dally's surprised expression soon turned into a wild grin and he stomped his foot to get her attention.
"Cherry, baby, you're on the wrong side of town."
Dun, dun, dun. A wee bit of a cliffhanger there. So I have this really great idea for what's coming up. Will Cherry get a date? Will her friends stop pestering her? So many questions! This chapter is a little longer than the last one, so I hope that makes you all happy. Please, please, please review. I don't seem to be getting many.