Part 5
Daphne's POV
Mickey's was different than any restaurant I'd been to before in Miami. It looked like it had been designed with the 50's in mind, and as Soda put it there was some "tuff" music. Elvis, I think. Anyway, he seemed to know the song, since he was humming along a bit as we walked in. And no sooner had we grabbed a booth than some guy ran over to us like a shot.
"Hey, Sodapop! This your new lady?" he joked, cocking one eyebrow way up. Soda laughed and shook his head like he'd heard the joke a million times. "Yeah, don't tell Tracy," he kidded back. I assumed Tracy was his wife.
The guy winked and made a silly face at Amy, who giggled delightedly. Then he turned to me. "I'm Two-Bit. What are ya hungry for?"
I turned suddenly shy. I have a habit of doing that around strangers. Funny how it hadn't kicked in when I burst out at Soda, but then again, I had thought he was my father, so maybe I technically considered him already an acquaintance. But whatever. This guy was a stranger (with a weird name, just like Soda. Maybe I was right about the people in Tulsa giving their children strange first names!) and apparently, he worked at this diner.
"Um," I said. Um. That was definitely my word of the day. "I'm not sure…"
Soda took over, thank goodness. "I'll have a burger and fries. And how about one of those famous Mickey Mouse Milkshakes of yours?"
Two-Bit grinned. "I believe you mean to say the Donald Duck combo. Coming right up. And you, little lady?"
"Um, I'll just have that milkshake thing, please," I said. Really, I am so bad with decision-making in little things like this.
"A Donald Duck combo and two Mickey Mouse Milkshakes, coming right up!" he announced, and tickled Amy quickly, saying, "And pretty soon she'll be old enough to order our Minnie Meals."
I was quickly noticing that everything in this restaurant had to do with Mickey Mouse. As Two-Bit left, I looked at Soda for an explanation.
He grinned. "That's my old buddy Two-Bit Matthews. He runs this place and a couple other restaurants in town. And he has a bit of a thing for Mickey Mouse, if you couldn't already tell."
"Does everybody in Tulsa have, uh, unique names?" I asked, trying to sound polite. Soda laughed.
"No, just a few of us greasers," he replied, only confusing me more. I guess he saw the look on my face, since he explained, "We used to call ourselves that when we were growing up on the east side of town. We greased our hair and wore jeans and leather jackets. You know the deal. And we hated the Socs—the rich kids from the west side of town, with their mustangs and madras jackets and stuff. And some of us just happened to have highly original names. Like me and Two-Bit and my brother Ponyboy."
"Your brother's name is Ponyboy?" I exclaimed, unable to hide a snicker. Soda just drummed his fingers on the table and smiled. I could tell he liked the name he was given, and wouldn't change it no matter what anyone thought. "Um, I mean, that's a funny name, Soda." Very polite, Daphne.
Two-Bit soon arrived with our food, and to my surprise waved the bill off. "I don't charge for my friends," he explained as I watched curiously.
"Thanks, buddy," Soda said. "You and Suze coming for dinner tonight?"
"You bet," Two-Bit replied cheerfully and left us with our food.
I sipped my milkshake and prepared for the explanation of Soda's relationship with my mother, Sandy, seventeen years ago.
I know this isn't as good! I'm not exactly satisfied ending it here myself, but I wanted to post this weekend, and I'm gonna be uber-busy tomorrow, so…take this chapter, such as it is. But I promise, if I have time, I will post a much more satisfactory chapter soon! So…review and tell me how much you didn't like this chapter, how much you did like it, or whatever. Please and thank you!
