I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but I was too stunned to move.
Oh. My. God.
We were in English that Monday, about a minute left until the end of the day, and everyone was getting up out of their seats to talk to friends. Mr. Jones had just handed us all our report cards. The flimsy paper shook in my hand.
I don't believe it.
"Hey, Pony." Heather came up beside me, hugging her books tightly.
Wordlessly I handed her what had me so speechless. "Look at this!" I was so close to shouting, but managed to keep my voice relatively controlled. "All A's! A's!"
Heather just smiled. "You always were a fast learner. I knew you could do it."
"Not without you, I couldn't have."
"Oh, please."
"Don't deny it, Heather, you're an angel."
She rolled her eyes, but her grin lit up her face so she looked even more heavenly than before, if that were possible.
The bell suddenly rang, a drawn out monotone scream that cleared everyone quickly from the room, except us two. As soon as they were gone I stood up and swept her into a tight hug. She laughed.
I set her back down, grinning ear to ear. "Darry'll be so excited!" I exclaimed, "We should celebrate. My house tonight. We'll have everyone over and…" I trailed off, seeing how her face suddenly darkened, looking like a wilted flower. "What?" I whispered.
She sighed, looking down. "I'm so sorry… I can't come over tonight. I just…"
"S'okay." That really put me down (No Heather? WHAT?!), but I didn't want her to feel worse. She obviously felt really bad about it already. I could see it in her eyes. But my stomach still clenched nervously. What had happened that I suddenly couldn't see her anymore?
She shifted her books in her arms uncertainly. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." She murmured.
"Yeah, of course." I bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'll be waiting."
She flushed and smiled at me, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Bye," she whispered, then left the room.
I watched her go, worry eating at me with sharp teeth.
What's wrong?
-0-0-0-
I walked into the house quietly and set my backpack by the door, light from lack of homework, next to Two-Bit's sneakers. "Get a job, Two-Bit!" I shouted.
"Aw, but then I wouldn't get to see my favorite kid named Ponyboy right when he gets home from school, now, would I?"
I smirked, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." I collapsed into the recliner, sighing.
Two-Bit looked up from where he lay on the floor with a confused expression. "No Heather?"
"No Heather. Had something to do this evening."
He frowned. "She'll be here tomorrow, though, right?"
I shrugged. "Dunno."
He was quiet. That shocked me. Two-Bit Matthews, speechless? No jokes? No smart ass remarks? But there he was, eyes sad and empty, turning back to his TV flipping.
Guess he liked having her around more than I thought. Though I couldn't blame him. Who couldn't like Heather Reed?
We sat and watched some old game show for about an hour but when that was over, we started flipping channels again. We didn't say anything. It was one of those silences that let you think about everything and nothing at the same time. I just stared unblinkigly at the screen without really seeing it, my thoughts a jumble. One idea led to another completely different, and then another and another until I was confusing myself by not knowing what I was thinking about.
Wow, how depressing.
By the time Sodapop and Steve walked into the door, Two-Bit and I were watching static, the white noise a harsh, cold knife cutting through our silence. I was only vaugley aware of everything that was going on.
"Oh, it's my favorite show!" Soda exclaimed, throwing his keys on the table and plopping onto the couch.
"It's a rerun." Two-Bit sighed, shutting off the TV. I still stared.
"Well, it's a shame we've missed out on such fun," Steve muttered sarcastically. "Darry will have a tough time calming down this party."
"What's the deal?" My brother asked, standing back up and standing beside me. I continued my staring. "Where's Heather?"
"Couldn't come." Two-Bit stood, groaning, and shambled into the kitchen for a beer. He grumbled angrily when he couldn't find one. "Something else to do tonight, I suppose."
"That so, Pony?" I heard him, but it didn't register that the question was directed to me. When I didn't reply, he waved an open hand in front of my face. "Pone? Hello? Ponyboy?" He smacked me on the cheek.
Startled, I jumped up and fell out of the recliner. Steve and Two-Bit roared with laughter.
"Jesus!" I shouted, getting to my feet.
"My name is Sodapop!" he threw up his arms, exasperated.
I sighed, putting a hand over my eyes. I hadn't realized, in my daze, what a headache I had.
"You okay?" Soda ruffled my hair.
I nodded. "Yeah. Just a headache. I think I'm gonna go lay down."
He looked a little worried, but he nodded. "Got any homework?"
I remembered eighth hour with a jolt, surprising me into falling agian. "No!" I exclaimed, crawling over to my backpack. I hurredly unzipped it and started digging for my folder.
Soda watched me with confusion, so did the other two. "...huh?"
"I FOUND IT!" I shouted, throwing up the paper victoriously.
"Found what?" Darry walked in right then and grabbed the paper out of the air. He read it through, his eyes widening. When he turned back to me he had a mixed expression of shock and happiness, and he looked so funny I couldn't help but fall over laughing.
Soda shook his head. "What's the deal?" He asked, coming up behind Darry to read over his shoulder. His eyes bugged out of his head and he ran over to me and picked me up, spinning me around, laughing with me.
Two-Bit and Steve exchanged bewildered expressions. "Umm..."
Darry shook the paper. "English, history, sience, reading, math, all A's!"
Two-Bit jumped. "Seriously?"
Darry opened it up and ran through it again as Soda and I spun passed him. "Here, he's got a note from the teacher."
"Read it! Read it!" Soda chanted, pulling me up onto his back.
"'Ponyboy has improved his grades drastically within the past few months.' It says, 'I am very impressed!'"
Steve shrugged, but his eyebrows were up in his hair so I knew he was just as surprised. "Good job, kid."
Soda carried me back over to them. Two-Bit was grinning like an idiot -- which he was, but that's beside the point -- and Darry came over and pulled me off Soda's shoulders, crushing me in his giant bear hug. "I'm so proud of you, Pony!" he said.
I was beaming when he put me down, then I remembered...
"What?" Darry asked, seeing my face.
"I owe it to Heather." I said, "I couldn't have done that without her helping me out. You know I couldn't have. I'm just a little put out 'cause she couldn't come tonight, that's all."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Not even for this?"
I shrugged. "Guess not. She was real sad about it, too."
He thought for a minute, then, "Should we wait to celebrate until tomorrow then? Or the weekend?"
I nodded. "I think that'd be better."
Silence.
Soda coughed, breaking the tension. "So, uh, what's for dinner?"
"Some crap, you don't want it." Two-Bit pipqued.
Darry cuffed him hard over the head, and he laughed. "I was kidding! Glory, glory!"
"You had better be." he turned back to Soda. "Whatever you all want."
Now that the excitement had died down, I could feel my headache again. I rubbed the side of my head. "I don't really care," I stated, "I'm gonna go lay down for a bit. Call me when you've got food."
Darry gave a significant look to Soda, but just said, "Sure. Go ahead."
My room was real dark and cold with the blinds closed. I fell on the matress and twisted myself up in blankets, letting the throbbing in my head lull me to sleep.
-0-0-0-
Soda came up a little while later, saying sloppy joe's were ready. I followed him back down to the table where everyone was waiting.
We ate in silence. It was a weird silence, the kind where you don't just know something's missing, you can feel it, too. It made me nervous.
I hadn't realized how much the rest of the gang needed Heather. It made me miss her even more.
Yeah, not too exciting... Please reveiw anyway! Next chapter will be better!