Just do it.

Just do it.

Just do it!

I finally knocked on Cherry's door, and now I want to run back home.

There was a fair tonight, and I was thinking about asking Cherry out. Darry wanted me to take Pony, since Pony wanted to go. I drove down to Benny's and handed Pony off to Two-Bit (Darry doesn't know, and Pony promised not to rat me out.), who was also going to the fair. Now I have a chance to ask Cherry on a date. I bet she's going to say no. I'll have to go to the fair alone.

I waited a minute for the door to open, but it seemed more like a millenium. The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. I bet Pony was watching it right now through Two-Bit's car window. Pony once told me that Cherry watched sunsets. Maybe she was watching it right now, not noticing that I had knocked, and she would never open the door.

There was a tree in Cherry's front yard. It wasn't that big, but I could tell it had been growing for a couple of years. It was about six, maybe six-and-a-half feet off the ground, and in a few of the lower branches sat a bird. It was chirping. It's singing mixed with the sound of cars rushing down the highway that was a few streets away. I stood there for another moment, just listening.

I considered knocking again. Maybe no one had heard me. I raised my fist and stopped it an inch from the door. Instead, I retreated my hand to my pocket and turned on my heel. I'd just go alone. I was too chicken to even knock again - Why? I'd done this a million times before with Sandy and other broads. Why was Cherry any different?

"Soda?"

I was halfway down the driveway and I turned, being greeted by the sight of Cherry at her doorway, smiling. Her red hair was tied high up on her head in a ponytail, and she wore a simple white cardigan - the one she wore the night I first met her - and a blue skirt that touched the tops of her knees.

"What are you doing here?" she asked brightly, the smile still spread on her pink lips. I looked up at her face and into her eyes - green, kind of like the ocean, and sparkling partially orange due to the fleeting sun - and opened my mouth to answer.

"Well, there's a fair in town tonight, and I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to go. . . with. . . uhh. . . with me. . ." What have I done?

"Sure, let me get my purse." I exhaled the breath that I didn't know I was holding as she disappeared back into her house.

A few minutes later I had made my way to Cherry's front step to wait and she came out the door, a small black purse strapped over her shoulder. It probably couldn't have held more than perhaps a chapstick and some money. I held out my arm for her to take, not sure if it was gentlemanly or awkward. Luckily, she took it, and I began to lead her over to my car that was parked at the end of her street. If I had parked in front of her house, one of her Socy neighbors might have come out and worked me over for even being in this neighborhood.

Actually, this was a terrible idea all together. If I was lucky enough to make it to the car, someone could see me driving Cherry to the fair, and then, more likely, someone would see me at the fair with her. I should quit while I'm ahead. I'll tell Cherry that I remembered I had some chores or an emergency shift at the DX or something. Instead, I held the car door open for her and got in.

After forcing the possibility of danger just from taking this Soc on a date, I began to feel a bit embarrassed about my car - actually, it was Darry's Chevy. The red paint on the exterior was peeling in most places, and underneath the spots without paint it had turned a different shade of red with rust. The non smashed headlight was dim and barely gave any light, due to the dying bulb and the dirt crusted over the glass. There was a long crack in the windshield from the left corner to around the middle, branching off in several places to create new cracks. The glass of the windows was tinged light brown, since they were covered in mud. I think the last time the truck was washed was before I was even born, to be honest. Surprisingly, Cherry hadn't even acknowledged the truck or my clothes.

I was still in my work clothes, which also look as though they've never been washed, although Darry does laundry about every week and probably washes my clothes twice. There was oil covering every few inches of cloth on my shirt, making the sky blue color more of a brownish-grey, and there were even a black smudges on my jeans. There were the beginnings of holes in the knees and the cuffs around my feet were tattered from stepping on them. The legs were too long. They were hand-me-downs from Darry, since we didn't have enough money to go out and buy proper fitted ones. I felt bad that these would eventually go down to Pony. Poor kid always looked like he went through the mill. At least the torn Converse on my feet would be tossed instead of passed down.

An hour of idle chat and driving later, I pulled into the lot by the park where the fair would be held, helped Cherry out from the Chevy, zipped one of Ponyboy's hoodies over my grease-covered clothes, and entered the fair. Like every year, the decorations weren't as extravagant and bright as I've seen them in other cities, but you can tell that effort was put into it. Before mom and dad died, they would drive us around Oklahoma or Colorado and we would stop at fairs and carnivals if we saw them. All of the usual games and rides were there, like a ferris wheel and the ring toss. The lighting was mostly coming from the streetlamps that were dotted along the park and the sun that had mostly disappeared behind the horizon and the clouds. The lights on the ferris wheel began to shine, so there will be more light when the sun vanishes completely. Not many people had shown up yet, so there were a few families standing around booths while their children shot water guns or threw rings at bottles. It wouldn't be this serene for long.

Cherry had taken the band out from her hair and slipped it around her wrist, and now her hair curled along her shoulders and a few strands blew behind her in the light breeze. Her slender arms were wrapped around her chest to shield her from the brisk night air. I unzipped and shook the hoodie from my shoulders and draped it over her shoulders. Cherry smiled at me gratefully and thanked me, then pulled it tighter around her shoulders.

Darry had given Pony and I ten dollars apiece for the fair, money we saved every year just for occasions like this. There's not much money, but it's enough to have a good time by when we could. I had asked Darry for fifteen dollars this time, but refused when I couldn't tell him why. He thought I was taking Pony to the fair, not Cherry, and I was planning to show Cherry a good time. I knew that Cherry had plenty of money, but it would be selfish and a terrible date if I made Cherry pay. I just have to make the ten dollars go as far as I can.

About an hour into the night, I had already spent all the money. Most of it was on tickets for games and the ferris wheel, and then the rest for food - actually two cotton candies and a Pepsi that Cherry and I split. The park filled within ten minutes of our arrival and a line for one game took about an eternity to get through. Cherry didn't seem to mind, which was fine by me. A bad time was the last thing I wanted her to have.

"We've got two tickets left," I told Cherry, handing her a small red slip that granted access to the fair. "You get to choose what to waste it on." Cherry let out a short, quiet laugh and looked around.

"How about the ferris wheel?" she suggested, looking at the giant illuminated circle towering above us. "We haven't ridden that yet."

"Sure," I agreed.

Together we walked over to the line that stood in front of the wheel. It wasn't as long as a lot of the other lines, but I knew we'd be there for a while. For twenty minutes we stood there, slowly inching our way closer to the ride as people got on and off, till it was our turn to board the wheel. It was much bigger than it looked from the line.

"You know," Cherry said as we were being strapped into the seat, "I've never actually been on one of these things before."

"It'll be fun." The ferris wheel jolted to life and we began soaring upwards.

From how high I was, I swear I could have seen the whole town, or even the whole world. Sparkling lights laid out across the earth before me, like orange, yellow, and white stars on the inky sky-like soil. Where the horizon met the sky was a dark pinkish orange shade from the sun that was still barely there, suddenly rising into a dark purple backdrop littered with stars that matched those on the ground. I could see my house from here!

I looked over at Cherry, who was breathing heavily. Her eyes were shut and her hand was clenched so tightly that her knuckles looked like they were dipped in white paint, as well as her face. I remembered she had told me that she had never been on a ferris wheel before. She was afraid of heights.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," I told her, placing my hand over her balled fist. Immediately, her hand unclenched and clung to mine. Shocked, but not at all hesitant, I laced my fingers in between hers. Cherry's fingers loosened a little when I squeezed her hand with my fingers, but they were still taut. My hand began to ache but I didn't let go.

The wheel slowly arched upwards and neared the top when Cherry finally opened her eyes. Her irises were as small as pinpricks as she examined the scenery but she didn't look down. The green orbs shone with fear in the dim sunlight and I squeezed her hand once more. Cherry looked at me and I smiled reassuringly - a smile that she returned.

"Just keep your eyes on me, okay? It's going to be okay." Cherry nodded and we began to descend. We spent minutes looking into each others eyes until the ride completed its cycle and we got off. Although our eye contact had broken, our hands were still intertwined.

After we had walked halfway through the park and past several couples making out in between booths, I spotted Two-Bit, Marcia, Courtney, and Ponyboy at a booth spraying ducks with a watergun. Cherry and I made our way to them and watched. Pony was the only one playing, Two-Bit and Marcia were talking quietly to each other while they waited for Pony to finish up. Courtney watched with her arms crossed. They looked up momentarily when Cherry and I walked up to them and exchanged warm smiles. A minute passed and Pony walked up to the five of us with a stuffed bear, the he handed it to Courtney. My little brother had a crush. How sweet.

Apparently Pony, Courtney, Two-Bit, and Marcia had just finished off the last of their tickets and were tired and ready to go home, too. We all made our way to the lot and eventually found our cars.

"Alright," I said, fishing the keys to the truck out of my pocket, "Two-Bit, would you mind dropping Pony off at the movie theater? I have to drop Cherry off at home." Two-Bit nodded and Pony smiled, clearly content with being about to see a movie. It wasn't a school night, so Darry wouldn't chew him out for staying out late. Two-Bit ushered Pony and Courtney to his ride with Marcia beside him. I would meet Pony and the others at the theater to take him home so that Darry wouldn't be suspicious.

I realized then that Two-Bit hadn't been drunk. It was something like a tradition for him to get drunk whenever the fair or any big event came around - actually, almost every night was when he got drunk. Maybe he was sobering up for Marcia. I remember that hers and Cherry's biggest problems with their previous boyfriends was that they got drunk constantly.

I helped Cherry into the truck and got in myself, then drove off down the road.

Cherry lived in a nice neighborhood. It was closer to the outside of town on the west side, where all the Socs lived. The lawns were neat and the grass was cut short. No weeds or trash littered the streets like on my street. The houses were each two stories at the least, with at least two expensive cars parked in each driveway. Straight wooden fences separated each lawn instead of ripped wire fences and everything was green and alive.

I pulled up to the curb beside Cherry's house. I considered parking at the end of the street again but decided no one would see us in the dark. Even if anyone could see us, a large portion of the block would probably be at the fair. I figured it was safe enough. Cherry stopped me when I went to get out to open her door.

"Yeah?"

"I had a great time," she said quietly.

"So did I," I said, smiling. "We should do it again sometime." Cherry nodded in agreement. "We'll avoid anything high, okay?" She laughed and nodded again. We sat there and looked at each other for a few minutes, laughing occasionally. I know that sounds cheesy and all, but it was great.

"So," I said slowly, regretting to ruin the moment, "I'll see you tomo-" I was cut off my Cherry's lips on mine.

My eyes widened a bit at first, but the closed after a moment and I kissed her back. She parted, her cheeks burning red.

"I-I'm sorry, I-" Cherry went to open the door but I gently grasped her wrist to stop her.

"It's fine. . . I liked it." I could see my reflection in the glass of the passenger side's window and my cheeks were red, too. She smiled. I gently cupped her chin in my hand, then slowly brought her face to mine once more. We stayed like that for who knows how long, just kissing.

My heart was racing like it was on a speedway and I could feel my face growing hotter by the second, but I just kept kissing her. We didn't go any further than that, and it was fine by me.

Cherry put her hand on my chest and pushed me away, looking down at her lap.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she opened her door and went inside her house.