Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own The Outsiders.
Lucky
By Britney Spears
Early morning, she wakes up
Knock, knock, knock on the door
Cherry Valence rolled out of bed at 6:00 AM. Her alarm was screaming loudly, and she blindly tried to shut it off. She scrambled around for a minute or so before finally finding the light switch. She opened her eyes immediately, the light waking her up. She found her alarm clock and turned the alarm off. This was the start of another long day.
Cherry yawned and began to crawl back into bed when she heard her mother call for her up the stairs. "Cherry, honey, are you awake?" Cherry let out a small groan and mumbled an impolite phrase under her breath before ansering.
"Yes." She said pulling the covers back up over her head. The minute she'd settled down into her soft pillow again her mother burst through the door.
"Cherry, you need to wake up, you have to go to school." Her mother sat on the edge of Cherry's bed, but Cherry just rolled over covering her ears with her pillow.
"No, I don't." She said sleepily. Her mother laughed and stood up.
"Just get up, darling." She pulled the covers off of her daughter and then walked to the large window to open the curtains. An array of sunshine came in through the window, causing the room to be filled with even more light. Cherry moaned and got out of bed. Yep, this was going to be a long day.
It's time for makeup, perfect smile
It's you they're all waiting for
Cherry sat in front of her vanity, her hair wrapped in a towel. She looked closely at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful, she even thought she was. But she felt like she had nothing. She felt as though her life was a storybook, and the author wanted only the worst for the main character.
She carefully unwrapped the towel, exposing her thick red hair. She slowly picked up her brush and ran it through her hair. The reflection in her mirror looked so unhappy, like there was something missing. And no matter how hard she'd try, Cherry could never figure out exactly what was missing. She'd felt as though she'd had everything. But now, she wasn't so sure.
Cherry applied a light layer of blush, and a soft pink eye shadow before abandoning her vanity completely. She tiredly picked up the black skirt she'd picked out the night before. The skirt went right about her knees, flowing evenly throughout. She grabbed a blue sweater from her closet and a silver necklace to top the look. She then put on her favorite pair of shoes and tied her hair back in a blue ribbon. She took one more quick look in the mirror before going downstairs to eat breakfast with her mother.
"Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl?"
And they say…
She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there's nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night
Cherry stepped out of her candy apple red Corvette, looking around for a familiar face. She piled her books into her arms and preceded into the building. When she'd reached the front door, her best friend Marcia was waiting on the steps for her. Cherry smiled politely and then opened the door.
"So?" Marcia asked excitedly. Cherry looked at her friend confused.
"So, what?" She asked smiling at a boy who walked past her in the hallway. Marcia tapped Cherry's arm and then let out an exasperated sigh.
"So, tell me all about you're amazing weekend!" Marcia practically jumped out of her shoes. Cherry couldn't help but laugh. She had gone skiing over the weekend with her family, something Marcia's never been able to do.
"It was okay, but it was awful cold." Cherry said as the girls reached her locker. Marcia laughed and pulled her books in tighter to her chest.
"Well, you'll have to tell me all about it after school." Marcia said before smiling and walking away. Cherry frowned and watched after her friend. She knew Marcia would never understand the way Cherry felt, so she just pretended that everything was perfect. She would never tell Marcia that she'd actually had no fun at all on the ski trip and that she'd locked herself in her hotel room. No, Marcia just wouldn't understand.
"Hey, baby." A loud voice came from behind Cherry as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Cherry turned around quickly to find her boyfriend, Bob, laughing. "I missed you this weekend." He said matter-of-factly. Cherry nodded without any emotion and then turned her attention back to her locker.
"What, you didn't miss him, too?" Bob's friend Randy asked laughing hysterically. Cherry slammed her locker shut and spun around.
"Are you drunk Randy?" She asked in an annoyed tone. Randy continued laughing, glancing at Bob.
"Heck yes!" He spat. Cherry folded her arms over her text books and glared at Bob.
She shook her head angrily before turning on her heel and walking the opposite direction. Bob couldn't really be classified in the 'boyfriend' category if he never acted like one.
Cherry went through the rest of the day like a normal one, avoiding Bob and not speaking to anyone. She was popular, and everyone seemed to want to be her friend. Normally, she wouldn't be opposed to the idea of spending some time with a complete stranger, but today it just didn't seem that great.
Cherry walked from her last period class to her locker. Marcia was already standing there waiting for her. Cherry smiled again, and Marcia tucked a piece of hair behind one ear. "Hey." Cherry said quietly. Marcia nodded.
"What are you doing after school? I was hoping we could do something, you know, since we don't have cheerleading practice or anything." Marcia said turning to make sure Randy wasn't standing anywhere where he could hear the conversation. Cherry spun the combination on her lock and then looked up at Marcia.
"He's drunk." She said plainly. Marcia looked at Cherry with wide eyes. Cherry almost never warned Marcia about the boys being drunk or hung over. "He probably went home." Cherry turned to look back at her locker.
"You mad?" She asked turning to lean her back against the set of lockers next to Cherry's. Cherry shook her head.
"Mad, yes. Surprised, no." Marcia nodded and decided it was best to change the subject. Randy obviously wasn't going to invade their 'girls night', so they could talk about anything else.
"So, do you want to hang out after school?" Marcia asked again. Cherry shrugged and slammed her locker door shut. She untied the ribbon in her hair and fluffed it out over her shoulders. She'd never tell Marcia why it was that she'd always make sure she looked her best for after school instead of during. Marcia would call her crazy or tell her that she was confused, but she'd never understand.
"I'll meet you at the tasty-freeze." Cherry said before walking out the double doors that would lead to her red Corvette.
Lost in an image, in a dream
But there's no one there to wake her up
Cherry checked to make sure that Marcia had gone before sitting down on the bottom step. She'd just sit and wait, they'd be there soon. Cherry looked up at the clouds for a moment. The sky was pink and the clouds were lined in gold. It was the perfect time of day, the sunset. She leaned her head back and took a deep breath, expecting it to be filled with that amazing sensation of being in the perfect place. Instead, she inhaled the smoky smell of factories, causing her to cough.
"It's beautiful, though, ain't it?" Cherry turned around, surprised at the voice behind her. Ponyboy Curtis stood holding his books under one arm. He looked straight ahead at the sunset, not even bothering to look at Cherry. Ponyboy was Cherry's get away. He was a greaser, and none of her friends would approve her hanging around him, but he noticed the little things, too. The things that seemed to be the most important.
Cherry smiled and turned back around to look at the sky. It was beautiful. Ponyboy came to sit on the step beside her. Neither one said anything, they just sat there, staring at the sky.
And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning
But tell me what happens when it stops?
"He's not coming." Ponyboy said suddenly. Cherry turned to look at him, surprised.
"Excuse me?" She asked tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She knew what he was talking about, but he rarely talked about it.
"Dally's not coming. He's in jail, again." Ponyboy said. He turned to look at Cherry. She nodded and stood up. Once again, her day seemed incomplete. See, Dallas Winston was the tough one, the one no one could ever get through to. But Cherry had. Whenever she was around him she seemed to melt. She didn't get that feeling around Bob anymore. But Dally, Dally was something different, something unexplainable. Cherry liked that.
"Well, it's getting late, I should go." Cherry said as she turned to walk down the steps. Ponyboy stood up, too, following her.
"Cherry, wait." Ponyboy's voice seemed to echo in the deserted parking lot. Cherry turned around and smiled. He tucked his head to look at the ground.
"I don't have a ride," he said just barely loud enough for her to hear him. She sighed and walked toward him.
"Come on, I'll take you home."
"Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl?"
And they say…
She's so lucky, she's a star
But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking
If there's nothing missing in my life
Then why do these tears come at night
Cherry drove faster than normal. Her heart was pounding, she'd never actually been seen driving on the North side. She usually made her trips there early in the morning or late at night. Ponyboy must have noticed how insecure she was and he began looking out the window. Cherry slowed down a little as they reached Ponyboy's block.
"Thanks," Ponyboy said as the car came to a stop. Cherry smiled and unlocked the doors.
"Anytime," she said back. Ponyboy was the nicest boy she'd ever met in her life. He didn't deserve the life he was given, to be an outsider. She stared after him to make sure he got into the house okay before tuning the key in the ignition again.
Cherry drove to the park, this was one of her favorite spots. She would sit there for hours and just think. It felt good to have an escape. She got out of the car and walked to the tree she'd used for shade in the hot summers. With tears silently rolling down her cheeks, she dropped down against it. She knew what she was missing, but she'd never be able to replace it.
Isn't she lucky, this Hollywood girl?
She is so lucky, but why does she cry?
If there's nothing missing in her life
Why do tears come at night?
The stars were slowly beginning to appear as Cherry pulled her began to feel the cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and brought her knees in to meet her chest. She sighed, she had everything and nothing at the same time. Ponyboy didn't have worries, he wasn't pressured to be the best. His friends were real friends, not just people he had to hang out with because of being a greaser. She reached up and wiped a tear from her eye.
Cherry stood up and got back into her car, she had to go see Dally, no matter how wrong it felt. She knew she was standing Marcia up, but right now, nothing seemed more important. She glanced in the mirror to make sure her make-up wasn't smeared and that her hair wasn't too frizzy. She felt like she was in a sad romance and these were the last moments for her to confess her love.
She stood outside the prison, staring at the large doors. It seemed so scary, a place so unsure. This must be why Dallas is so tough, she thought. It even scared her to be near a place so intimidating. Cherry took a deep breath and began walking toward the building. Just as she was ready to open the doors, Dallas walked out, a cigarette in his mouth. He looked just as surprised to see her as she did to see him.
"I…uh…I just came to see what you were in for this time." She tried to make her voice sound casual, but she knew it didn't work very well. Dally nodded and began walking past her, blowing a smoke ring. Cherry turned around and watched him walk, mentally kicking herself. "Dally, wait."
Dally turned around and looked at her with wide eyes. Cherry cocked her head, thinking of what to say next. "How come you got out?" She asked walking slowly toward him.
"I was a good boy," he said in a mocking tone. Cherry wrinkled her nose and then turned her head. Dally walked closer to her. "Go home, Cherry." Cherry looked at him again and tried to hide a smile, Dally's tone was more of a protective big brother one. Maybe he did care.
"Okay," she said and began walking toward her car. Dally watched her leave, smiling to himself the whole time.