"I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before," Candy smiled at me as I stood in front of the mirror in the dress shop.
Marilyn took me, Evie, Suzie and Candy out to get dresses to wear to the Valentine's Day dance at school. I wasn't too fond of the idea of going dress shopping, but they all nearly dragged me to Marilyn's car to go with them. I'm almost positive that the other three had dresses already in their classes that they could wear, and I had a skirt to wear- but they all insisted that we go and get new dresses. And from what I understood, they wanted to go get new shoes too.
The dress that I chose was dark blue, sleeveless, and the collar was a light green and so was the belt on the dress around my waist. Suzie's was exactly like mine except instead of blue, her dress was yellow and the belt and collar were white. Evie had a light blue dress with thin straps. Candy had a red dress with tiny white polka dots and a white belt. When we went to get shoes, we all got flats the same exact color of what color our dress was.
"Yeah, well don't expect it all the time," I said to Candy as we all walked out of the shop.
"Well, all of you will look absolutely beautiful and every guy in that gym will wish you four were single," Marilyn smiled when we got to her car.
If you couldn't tell, I was closer with Candy out of all of them. Maybe cause we were in the same grade and class and literally, all of our classes were together. Or maybe cause she was dating Sodapop, who I was pretty close with considering he was only a year older than me and that he's easy to get along with, plus I met him first out of everybody when we were little. He was that annoying big brother that you had to love no matter how much he annoyed you. Maybe it was both that made me so close with her. Probably both, not that I'm complaining.
"So, how'd it go?" Darry asked Marilyn when we got back to the house.
"It went great and all four of them will be complete heartbreakers in that gym," she smiled.
"You're gonna wear a dress?" Ponyboy asked me with a shocked expression.
"Don't expect it all the time... or ever again," I answered and he laughed.
"Oh!" he got up, grabbed something off the table and held it out to me, "This came for you." I took what was in his hand and read the front of the envelope. I quickly opened the envelope and unfolded the paper inside:
"Rain,
There's someone who's been flirting with you?! I'll kill him! Wait, you threatened him? Wow, that's my tough girl. Anyway, that don't sound too bad to do with the three of 'em. But are you actually gonna wear a dress? Never thought I'd see the day when you wore a dress- no offense! I just never saw you in a dress cause I know you hate them! And I'm shocked that Sodapop, Steve and Ponyboy didn't decide to take the rest of 'em. It must've took a lot of convincing cause I remember a few years back you saying how much you hated dances and thought they were boring. I know you and Johnny went that one year and you said you never wanted to go to another one of 'em in your whole life. But, I hope you have fun with the three of 'em. Anyway, if I don't write to you again before Tuesday... Happy Valentine's Day. I love you and I always will.
- Two-Bit"
I ran to my room and wrote a letter back:
"Two-Bit,
Don't worry- Darry, Sodapop and even Steve have their eyes on him for me. Shockingly, so does Tim Shepard (we're still on good terms with the Shepard's so that helps). And yes, believe it or not, I will be wearing a dress. It's dark blue so that's one reason I'm wearing cause you know I absolutely love dark colors. Sodapop, Steve and Ponyboy aren't taking them cause Evie said just the four of us and they all convinced them of it. I don't think the guys were too disappointed that they wouldn't be able to take them though with how they reacted. And trust me, it did take a lot of convincing. And just cause I'm going doesn't mean I still don't hate those things. Maybe I can send you a picture of the four of us so you can see me in a dress! You probably won't recognize me that way! Anyways... I miss you, so much. Happy Valentine's Day, I love you too and always will.
-Rain"
I quickly put the letter i the envelope, put on my jacket, ran out my room and to the porch to go to the post office. "And she's off!" Sodapop called in a teasing voice. I quickly turned back around and stuck my head in through the doorway. "At least I run faster than you," I smirked and teased him then headed back out, not without hearing "ooh's" going around the room.
...Valentine's Day Dance...
"C'mon! Steve's lettin' me borrow his car," Evie smiled.
The four of us got into the car, with EVie driving. SHe had a license, but I'd never been in a car with her driving. Was I nervous about being in a car with her behind the wheel? Hell yeah. But maybe since she was dating Steve- who, I admit, is a pretty good driver, especially in drag races- she wasn't too bad either? I have no idea, but I'm just tryin to think positively that I won't die in this car wiht her.
We got to the school in about ten minutes. Thankfully, Evie was n't a horrible driver. Everybody was piling out of their cars. Some couples were rushing into their cars. Some couples should've gotten into their cars with how they were making out on the front lawn of the school. Some people were stumbling around with flasks and bottles in brown paper bags in their hands. Out of all the sights, that one made me wanna gag the most.
"Guys, c'mon! I can hear Pink Floyd songs playing!" Candy smiled. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the gym with her and Evie and Suzie. I liked Pink Floyd, but as far as rock bands went, I preferred the Rolling Stones most over most bands. I'm not saying I don't like Pink Floyd, but when it came to music, my favorite would always be... Elvis Presley. The only person close to who was my second favorite was Johnny Cash, but I don't think anyone or anything would change that I loved Elvis.
We got to the gym and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. I didn't think the whole school would show up. Before we went in, they dragged me over to a man outside the gym who was taking pictures for the students who wanted a picture together. We all got a copy, and I got an extra to send Two-Bit like I said I would. We all put the pictures in our lockers to get tomorrow during school then went back to the gym.
I went to get a drink at the snack table while the three of them went to go dance a few feet away from where I was standing. I didn't really know how to dance. The only things I really knew I how to do was the twist and the hand-jive. But one- the twist was a couples dance. Two- I highly doubt that they would play the hand-jive. Last time I'd ever seen anyone do that was on American Bandstand in 1959, which was Marilyn's cousin and her fiance.
...three hours later...
Evie, Candy, and Suzie did manage to get me on the dance floor. Lucky for them, the DJ played ELvis a lot of the night. "We're gonna go to the bathroom, gonna come Rain?" Candy asked. I chuckled a bit and shook my head,"No, I think I'll wait here." The three of them nodded and walked off and I went to get a drink from the table.
James slumped to the table, knocking over a few things and the crash made me jump. "Hey Rain," he slurred.
I cringed at the smell of alcohol in his breath,"Um... hi James."
"You look real good tonight." He smirked and took a drink from the can in his hand.
"Um... thanks... thank you James... I-I gotta go, my friends are waiting for me." I started to walk away from him, until he grabbed my arm and turned me back to face him. "James, let me go..."
"I've wanted to do this since I first met you." His lips crashed onto mine. I tried to pull away but he held me tight. I could taste the alcohol he had been drinking and it made me think of that night with Griffin and his little gang. I wished Two-Bit was here, but at the moment, I had to fend for myself. I used my free hand to hit James on the side of his head and he pulled back. When he pulled away, I kneed him and he doubled over. I quickly ran out of the gym and out of the building to where Evie parked the car. I ran into the door and the handle cut my hand. I forgot the door was locked. I sreamed a bit and tried to ignore the pain on the cut on my hand. I leaned back against the car and let the tears roll down my cheeks.
This was literally the worst school dance I'd ever been to.
I walked a few blocks away to try and calm down then decided to call the house to get a ride home. I went to the nearest payphone and dialed the house number. "Hello?" I heard in Steve's voice.
"Steve? This is Rain," I sniffed and wiped my eyes with my other hand, thankful that I never wore makeup.
"Rain? Are you cring?"
"Um, yeah... can you meet me at the DX?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll be there in about five minutes."
I hung up and made my way to the DX, thankful I chose flats and thankful that the DX wasn't far away from where I was. It took about five minutes to walk ther but Steve wasn't there yet. I sat on the bench on the sidewalk in front of the building. I leaned my elbows on my kneess buried my face in my hands, careful not to let blood from the cut get on my face or in my hair. I felt tears run down my cheeks again and I cried loud. I didn't like crying, but it just happened and I didn't know what to do really right now. "Rain?" someone called out. I looked up and saw Darry's truck.
I stood up so they could see me since it was pretty dark out. The truck pulled over and stopped in front of me. I saw Sodapop in the driver's seat and Steve in the passenger's seat. I remembered that Steve lent Evie his car and that Sodapop was there probably cause it was Darry's truck. The two got out and sat down at both my sides on the bench. "Why'd you call before crying?" Steve asked, for the first time actually genuinely caring about me.
"What happened to your hand?" Sodapop asked before I answered Steve's question. He went back to the truck then came back with a white bandana in his hand. "Hold out your hand," he commanded.
"Now what happened?" Steve asked again.
I sighed,"Remember that guy who kept bothering me from my job?" They both nodded. "Well he was at the dance cause he comes to the high school. Evie, Candy and Suzie all went to the bathroom and I said I'd wait for them in the gym. I went to get something to drink and he showed up, completely drunk. He grabbed me the kissed me."
"How'd you get rid of the guy?" Sodapop wrapped the bandana around my hand with the cut.
"I hit him upside the head and he pulled away, then I hit him where it hurts."
"And the cut?"
"I hit it hard against the handle on the car when I ran out... look I just wanna go home right now..." My voice was quiet and they both nodded. We all go tback into the truck and drove back to the house.
All I could do was think about the letter I last got from Two-Bit. "I love you and I always will." I played with heart locket around my neck again, which had become a nervous habit of mine. I had to tell him what James did. He'd probably kill all the Vietnamese soldiers and end the war just so he could come back and kill James for what he did. There's a rule in the Greaser community: never steal anyone's girl unless you want a heater held against the side of your head and a bullet through your skull. Two-Bit had talked to Johnny and Ponyboy once about that.
But, would he still love me after this stunt? I mean, it's not like I wanted James to kiss me, and I didn't kiss him back. I tried to pull away but his hand was tightly around my one arm and it was nearly impossible to get free.
We got back to the house and I ran to my room, closing the door behind me and blocking it with a chair. I didn't leave the room the rest of the night and didn't let anyone in, no matter how much they knocked and the door to get in.
I'M FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH WATTPAD CAUSE OF COPY AND PASTE XD now I just need to update them both at the same time and work on this one an my new fan fic… this'll be fun