…July 12, 1971…
"You two, better come back to us the way you left and the only thing different about you guys is your hair and uniform," Candy said Soda as we all walked to the terminal.
"Please, please, please be careful," I said to Two-Bit.
He cupped my chin and pressed his lips against mine. "I will, I promise," he said when he pulled back.
I gave a weak smile and pulled on the locket that had been around my neck since Christmas 1966, along now with another heart shaped locket next to it that was added and had pictures from August 30, 1969. "You'll be in my hearts," I chuckled, both lockets between my fingers.
He smiled back, kissed my forehead then turned to Soda, who was saying bye to his brothers. Soda turned and looked down as he walked to the terminal, Two-Bit behind him. They both turned to look toward us, each gave a weak smile, then turned back and disappeared from sight as the flight attendant shut the door to the terminal, leaving us all standing there with teary eyes and upside down smiles.
I looked over and saw a few different reactions from everyone. Marilyn held Darry's hand and laced her fingers with his and she leaned against his shoulder, he was doing his best not to show too much emotion for Ponyboy's sake. Cherry stood behind Ponyboy, her chin rested on the top of his shoulder, he held tight to her hand as well, trying not to show too much emotion like his oldest brother. Steve stood there with a blank expression trying to show no emotion like the other two, Evie hugged his arm, knowing that on the inside he was scared. Candy stood next to me, her hands stuffed under her arms and I saw a few tears run down her cheeks.
We all were affected in different ways by this, different relationships coming into play with our emotions. I knew the two brothers and the best friend were doing their best to hold in whatever tears they had, but I knew these guys almost all their lives, and they weren't fooling me or anyone else. Especially Darry.
Mrs. Mathews- who had asked me to call her Lisa, but I couldn't fully bring myself to- and Keilah stood a few feet away. Keilah, who was now fifteen, hugged her mother tight, just like January 3, 1967. Unfortunately, Keilah had a pretty good understanding of the war and everything going on, and she was devastated that her brother and the closest person who was like a father to her would be gone until December.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Mrs. Mathews with a weak smile. "Remember what I said a few years back?" she asked.
I nodded, "Yeah…"
"It still applies." She hugged me, then left with Keilah.
We all left the airport after that, and no one really said anything. There wasn't really anything to say, not that I could think of. The two who made us laugh most, wouldn't be there to make us laugh till Christmas, and that really messed us all up.
I still played around with the two heart necklaces on the chain. Ever since two-Bit mentioned about going back, I'd started the habit again. It never really did stop, it was just a nervous habit, but it had become a frequent thing again.
I had offered for Candy to stay with me, and this time no one protested. I guess they thought it'd be better considering our circumstances. It's like how Ponyboy would be staying with Darry and Marilyn for a little while, then go back to the house for a little while. Soda and Steve had been living there as roommates, but Evie would be there with Steve for a week, then Ponyboy would go there and Evie go back to where she lived with Candy and Cherry. This is how we were all dealing with this, and we all reacted different ways.
For me, it was more Two-Bit than Soda. Though technically, Soda introduced me to Two-Bit. But either way, I would miss them both the same till they came back in the beginning of December. Two-Bit was my husband, Soda was exactly like if he was my brother, and I met Soda first of any of them. I knew him the longest out of everyone.
Steve because they were best friends. When I met Soda when I was six, Steve was right there with him. As far as I knew, it's like they've been best friends since they were babies almost. I knew Steve tried to show no emotion when the two went down into the terminal, but apparently, Steve was more than willing to enlist to go to Vietnam just so he wouldn't have to be separated from his best friend for a while.
Darry and Ponyboy don't even really need an explanation. They were brothers. They were blood-related. Sure, we were all like a really big family, but like I said, they were the three of who were blood. They knew each other better than anyone else in the whole world. Those boys were the closest of any family with more than one kid that I'd ever seen, ever before that car wreck years ago. Up to a certain point, they were the only family they had, and that brought them closer.
Candy was his girlfriend. They really did love each other, you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Soda had once told me that he loved Candy, even more than when he thought that he loved Sandy. And Candy told me once that she never cared about any past ex-boyfriend that she had before as much as she had cared about Soda.
"If some hippie comes up to me asking if I wanna join their protest, I'm seriously gonna kill them," Candy said as the two of us walked.
I couldn't help but laugh and she did the same. "Well, I may have to join you in that," I laughed.
I understood where she was coming from with that and agreed with her one-hundred percent. As the Vietnam war progressed, more protestors of the war started to come out the wood works. They would hold up signs in protest of the war, they would travel all over the country, they would be on the sidewalks and on street corners. They were everywhere. I get that they didn't like the war, I didn't either, no one did, but some of the things they did really offended me.
One time I was literally about to kill a hippie. I was walking with Two-Bit and he had his uniform on cause we were going to some dinner that one of his head officers was having and he was in Oklahoma City. We were walking and these hippies started throwing things at him, calling him "baby-killer", and saying that was he was doing was terrible. He had to hold me back cause I was ready to jump on them and kill them.
"Rain?" Candy said and pulled something out her pocket.
I looked at her. "Yeah?"
She unfolded the paper and smiled a bit. "Soda wrote me a note."
I chuckled, remembering when that happened to me. "Where have I seen that before…" We continued walking after she read the note, and we went to the stationary store.
"Why are we here?" Candy asked as we walked in.
"You're gonna need a lot of paper and envelopes up till Christmas hits."
This chapter was kinda sad, I'm sorry! I'm not even fully happy with this chapter/one-shot of the story, but it's all I could think of. I'm trying to figure out what date to start the next chapter:
Christmas Eve, 1971
Chistmas Day, 1971
New Year's Eve, 1971
or New Year's Day, 1972
maybe you guys could comment or something about it? :) that would be great if you did :3
anyway, bye! =^-^=