Sun. Feb. 18, 1968
I drove to Soda's house at five-thirty. Steve and Two-Bit were there. I ignored them and just waited for Soda.
"So how come we weren't invited to your family reunion?" Steve said.
"My grandmother didn't want to meet you, she wanted to meet Soda." I snapped back.
"Oh, I see how it is." Steve joked. Soda came out and he was dressed very well and made me smile. I was proud to say that Sodapop Curtis was my boyfriend. He kissed me and the other boys complained; but it's not like they never kiss their girlfriends in public in front of me. We left.
I led Soda inside and called out for my grandma. She was cooking in the kitchen.
"Grandma this is Soda, Soda this is my grandmother, Mary." I introduced them.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Taylor."
"It's nice to meet you too Soda. You two go have a seat and I'll bring the food over soon." My grandmother was happier than she normally was. Soda and I went to the table and took a seat next to each other. I could tell that Soda was nervous; I was nervous. Grandma came out with the food and sat down.
"So how long have you known Typhani?" My grandma started the interrogating.
"I've known her practically my whole life and we've always been best friends." It was true.
"Are you in school?"
Soda looked at me. He was definitely embarrassed to say that he dropped out. "Uh, I dropped out in high school."
"Ah, how come?"
"I wasn't doing well and then my parents died. Um, I got a job, though, at the gas station with my friend Steve."
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you live in a boys' home?"
"No, I live with my oldest brother Darry and my younger brother Pony. I got a job so I could help Darry with the bills."
"How old are your brothers?"
"Darry is twenty-three and Ponyboy is sixteen."
"Typhani's dad tells me that you almost married your ex-girlfriend after Typhani moved to California." Oh, my goodness, he would tell her that. I sighed.
"Yeah but she called it off because she believed that Typhani deserved me more than her."
"Why didn't you call it off? I mean you claim to love Typhani so much." This was gonna turn ugly, how was Soda to save himself from this? My dad just killed it by telling my grandmother that Soda almost gave up on me but was only saved because of Sandy.
"I was still in love with Sandy and honestly I didn't think I would ever see Typhani again." Soda was embarrassed and upset but I didn't care even if it was true.
"Obviously you didn't think! She cheated on you how could you still love her?" Grandma yelled.
"I didn't see her cheating on me so I still saw her in the same way. I wanted to hate her with every part of me but I just couldn't."
She didn't say anything for awhile but then said, "That's a pretty ring Typhani, where'd you get it?"
"Actually, Soda gave it to me. It's a promise ring. Promising that we will always be there for each other and that I will never lose Soda no matter what happens between us. I can know that Soda has always loved me."
"Well, you've redeemed yourself in my eyes and hopefully Typhani's. That was nice of you, Soda. But you better follow through on that promise."
"Absolutely. Typhani means more to me than anything in this world. I'd give my life for her."
"Good." That was the last word said until she said, "So Jonathon tells me a lot about Dallas Winston. Is he as bad as I hear he is?" Now my grandmother wanted Soda's opinion on his own friends and their actions.
"Yeah, he is. Dallas stole things and did a lot of bad things and that's why people stayed away from him."
"Why did you two stay friends with him?"
"Well, Dallas has always been my friend and we never leave friends behind."
"What about you Typhani?" I thought you were interrogating Soda, not me! I thought to myself.
"Um, well, I've known Dallas even before he started rebelling and he treated me better than he did any other girl. So I see him the same way I have always seen him."
The interrogating was finally over. I was not quite sure whether she would like him or not. It could go either way. After cleaning up, we sat on the couch for the final report.
"Well, Soda you seem to be a very good man and I trust that you will treat my granddaughter well. I like you Soda. Don't take advantage of your privileges." She got up to leave and patted Soda on the knee. Yes! She liked him!
"I told you she would like me. Why were you so worried?" Soda held my hands and looked into my eyes. I couldn't help but smile.
"I just didn't want anyone else hating you."
"Who hates me?"Soda was half-joking, half-serious. It was true, though, nobody really hated Soda. He wasn't a hateable guy. Even some Socs liked him, boy Socs liked him, I mean, they didn't have a problem with him. The only reason a Soc would hate him would be that Soda beat him in a fight or Soda was flirting with his girlfriend.
"Okay, okay, nobody hates you." We kissed and went back to his house.
"So how'd it go? Does Grammy like you?" Steve asked as we walked inside.
"Yeah of course she likes me. And what are you still doing here?" It was like seven o' clock now.
"Well if I stay away from home for a couple of days and go back home, my dad will give me five bucks." Steve explained.
"Why would he just randomly give you five bucks?" I asked.
"He always gives me money after he beats me as an apology." Steve said nonchalantly.
"Steve, you can't let him continue to beat you. What happens if he goes too far and you get seriously hurt?"
"Stinks for me then. I get five bucks out of it; I don't care how hard he hits me." Steve should care. This might get him hurt and maybe even killed if it got too far.
"Fine put your life in danger for a few bucks a week. I'm gonna go. I'll see you guys later." I kissed Soda good-bye.
I drove home and it was pretty cold outside. I used the extra blanket in my car to wrap myself up. I'd hate to be walking home in this weather. Though, I was given clear instructions to never walk alone. The boys were worried that someone might try to beat me up or something. I didn't let it bother me. I walked up to my porch and found my brother sitting on the steps.
"Max, what are you doing here?"
"Mom let me stay for a couple of days to visit some friends." He said.
"Does Dad know you're here?"
"No."
"Where were you planning to stay? The street?"
"I was hoping I could stay with you."
"Uh, I guess so. Come on." Max followed me inside. Cherry and Casey were both home. They ignored Max. "You can help yourself to food and TV but don't use the phone after midnight. Oh, and don't leave the house." I went back to my room.
Mon. Feb. 19, 1968
"Can you take me to the movies today?" I was awake, thankfully, when Max asked me to take him to the movies. "I'm gonna meet some friends there."
"What time?"
"Eleven o' clock. I'm gonna go get ready." Max was turning into Travis. He was always trying to impress people and be a show-off. He'd do anything to show that he's all-that.
At eleven me and Max left for the movies. He kept fixing his hair and making sure he looked good.
"Can you drop me off around the corner?" I looked at him like he was crazy. Was he seriously embarrassed to be seen with me? I could not believe him.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, I don't wanna be seen with you!" Max was turning into a little Travis. I parked at a corner, playfully pushed his head and told him, "Get out of my car."
"Be back here at two." He slammed the door closed. I saw him nod toward one of his friends. I rolled my eyes and drove back home.
Travis: Hello?
Typhani: Hey Travis its Typhani.
Travis: Hey Typhie! How's Max?
Typhani: Oh, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about.
Travis: Is he okay?
Typhani: What has California done to him?
Travis: What do you mean?
Steve walked in. He could never be anywhere but my house. I gave him a look but he ignored it and went to the fridge.
Typhani: Well, I took him to the movies and he told me that he was embarrassed to be seen with me. He's acting like you and as a twelve-year-old, that's not a good thing!
Travis: Wow, thanks Typh.
Typhani: Travis I'm serious. Max is too young to be acting like this.
Travis: Typhie, there's nothing to worry about. I gotta go.
Typhani: Bye.
"What was that about?" Steve was so nosy.
"My little brother is turning into a little Travis." I said.
"Is that a bad thing?"Steve asked.
"It's a very bad thing! Travis jumps other kids and throws beer blasts for fun! I don't want Max to be that way too."
"It was gonna happen one time or another. You guys have always lived on the south side. That's how things go over there." Steve was right, unfortunately.
"Uh." I sighed.
"Haha, you know I'm right and you hate it." Steve rubbed it in my face. We talked until I had to go. Steve stayed at my house.
I parked where I had dropped Max off. He wasn't there so I waited a few minutes for him to show up. I waited a total of ten minutes before I went to go look for him. I looked everywhere. Then I ran into one of his friends.
"Tommy, where's Max?" He turned around and gave me a look of uncertainty. I could tell he knew where Max was but didn't want to tell me.
"He kinda just disappeared."
"Oh, so he just wandered off?" I asked.
"Yeah." He hesitated.
"Tommy, don't lie to me. Where is he?" I snapped.
"He got hauled into the station, alright?" I scared the truth out of him. I couldn't believe that Max was at the police station where he could potentially get caught by our dad. I got back in my car and drove to police station. What could Max have possibly done to get himself hauled in? I marched right in and walked up to the officer I knew: Ron.
"Where's Max?" He directed me to the waiting area. I sat beside Max. "Max, what did you do?" He looked at me with a blank look on his face.
"You just gotta calm down, why don't you have a beer?" He was drunk. I cannot believe that his so-called friends intoxicated him.
"You've got to be kidding me." I sank back in my seat, contemplating my options. Then I heard a voice that was almost like nails on a chalkboard, a sound you just don't want to hear. It was my dad. If he was to catch me here, which he would, I would be dead. I sank lower into the seat and tried to hide myself. Does he know what the back of my head looks like?
"Typhani?" He found me. Only a miracle could save me. I looked at him and he was clearly not happy to see me. "What are you doing here?" Then he dragged me and Max into an interrogating room. "What's going on? Why is Max drunk and why is he even here?" My dad was so mad. Even if I explained that I had nothing to do with it, he would still find a way to get me in trouble.
"I came home yesterday and found Max on my porch. He said Mom let him stay for a couple of days to visit some friends. So today I dropped him off at the movies so he could hang out with them. I came back at two to pick him up but he wasn't there. So I went to look for him but then I found one of his friends and his friend said he was hauled in. Honestly Dad, I had nothing to do with him being drunk."
"So you thought it'd be okay to leave your twelve-year-old brother alone with just his friends?" My dad snapped.
"Dad, you don't think he's old enough to hang out with his friends alone? Has Max ever done anything bad?"
"You should know better."
"Why should I know better? Oh, because my dangerous friends roam the street and they might hurt him?"
"Okay, you're grounded for the rest of today and tomorrow. I'm gonna have people checking on you every half an hour. Don't think you'll be able to weasel you're way out of this. I'll take Max back to my house. Get outta here!" My dad was so mad and I really didn't have much to do with it. I got up and pushed the chair over. I marched out. I was so angry.
I ignored Casey and Cherry when I walked inside and they knew better than to bother me when I'm angry. I slammed the door closed and fell on my bed. I screamed into my pillow and practically threw a temper tantrum. Eventually I just fell asleep.
I woke up every once and a while, looked at the ceiling and passed out.
Tues. Feb. 20, 1968
At seven o' clock I woke up and was not able to fall asleep again. I lied there, staring at the ceiling, tossed and turned finding my comfort. I didn't know what to do with myself. My house had nothing much to do but eat and sleep and maybe watch TV but it's not a great place to hang out. What was I to do?
"Hey Taylor! Come on, let's go." Steve called out as he walked in. "Come on."
"I can't." I murmured.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I'm grounded."
"Grounded? What?"
"My little brother was drunk and my dad thinks it's my fault." I sat up. "So there are people checking up on me every half an hour."
"Ah, man. Sorry kid." Soda came in. "Hi."
"Bye." Then my dad came in and said, "Oh good you're up." He looked over and saw Soda and Steve. "What are these two doing here?"
Steve stuttered while trying to say the right thing but Soda came in saved them when he said, "We were just leaving."
"No really, what were you doing here?"
"Well, we were gonna go out with Typhani but she has other plans." Steve said but he still implied that I was going out.
"She's staying home." Soda saved him, again.
"Well, you boys need to go home." My dad said.
"Uh, they can't even stay here?" I complained.
"Some of them can."
"What do you mean some?"
"No boyfriend and this guy can't be here and neither is Dallas." My jaw tightened.
"Dallas is dead no thanks to you."
"Okay, I am sorry for that. But the Horseboy can be here and his older brother Dally."
"Are you kidding me?" I was saying that both to his calling Darry Dally, calling Pony Horseboy and that Soda and Steve couldn't be here.
"A punishment's a punishment. Oh, and no phone and no TV." Dad walked out and I fell back on my pillows.
"Sorry, see ya kid." Steve said but Soda kissed me good-bye.
I stayed in bed until Pony came over. I guess Soda told him to come. Thank goodness. Pony hadn't started college yet because Darry didn't have the money but honestly, Pony was happy he didn't have to go. So I didn't even offer any money. You're welcome Ponyboy Curtis. We moved to the couch. We sat there for a while just staring at each other and the ceiling. Then the next officer came in.
"Just checking on you. Who's this?" He pointed to Pony.
"Horseboy." I sarcastically said because that's all my dad knew him by apparently and the stupid cop believed me. He left.
"Horseboy?" Pony looked at me, not quite offended.
"That's what my dad thinks your name is." He understood. My dad wasn't actually going to keep track of all their names.
Pony and I bonded and talked a lot. I really do mean a lot because I wasn't able to watch TV or leave the house. The other officers checked on me every half an hour and sometimes it was my dad, unfortunately. At lunchtime Pony went out and got us some lunch. He went to Flinn's and brought back some burgers. To make it more interesting, we ate on the floor in front of the TV. I don't know why.
Soda and Steve snuck in after work; it was like five o' clock. They stayed for about fifteen minutes to prevent from being caught by the cops that checked in on me. Finally, at seven-thirty, my dad came in and told me that my punishment was over. He also informed me that Max was sent back to California by himself! I was so mad. My dad trusts that Max would know what to do at the airport but not downtown where he's been before. Geez.
"You made it through the day." Pony congratulated me.
"I could have never done it without you. Thank you, Pony." I patted him on the back. Then we went back to his house. I was extremely tired of my house. Pony drove us there. He was just learning how to drive. I wasn't too scared; I trusted that he wouldn't get us in a wreck.
We got inside and Steve and Soda cheered because I was finally freed. Two-Bit tried to convince me to have a beer but I slapped him instead and he was sober too. I stayed the night so I wouldn't have to go back to my jail cell of a house. I slept on the couch.