Ok so after much consideration, everyone in the story will now be calling Two-Bit by his real name, and whether or not it goes well when it's Rain narrating what's going on will determine whether it'll continue or not with her narrating
-/-/-
September 1, 1973
Just like the doctor said, we had all started to call him Keith. It took some time getting used to, considering we had all called him Two-Bit for about twenty years now. Thankfully, it didn't take that long to readjust with what he was now going to be called- his real name.
Ever since that doctor's appointment, Keith- like I said, his new addressing- hadn't had any those flashback things. That calmed both of us down, considering we were both kinda jumpy at first about the whole PTSD thing. His mom actually didn't seem very concerned about it, which really shocked me. When we asked her why she wasn't very concerned, her answer was: "I have my reasons." We didn't really know what she meant, but we just figured she knew what she was talking about and that's all that mattered.
"Rain, do we have everything we need?" Keith- again, like I said, to get used to it still- called from the next room over.
I picked up KJ and went to where he was. "Yeah I think so," I answered a bit unsurely, "I mean, it's the same as usual, right?"
We were getting ready for everyone to come over. It's not like we hadn't had everybody over the house before, but this time it was for KJ's first birthday. For some reason, the two of us were kinda running around the house like chickens without heads trying to get the house ready or whatever the reason was. I don't really know why, though/
Originally, Keith and I weren't going to really doing anything. Sure, we were going to do our own little thing at home, but Darry and Marilyn had done some little thing for Mariah and invited everyone, which gave us the idea to have some sort of little thing for KJ. I don't think we really grasped how special it was, the fact that it was his first birthday. It's not like it was problem or anything, considering it had been a while since everyone had been together for something.
Our original plan was to have our own little celebration at home with just the three of us. Then we had plans to go to Mrs. Mathews' house cause she wanted us over for a little while, considering KJ is her grandson. And Keilah wanted us over too cause KJ is her niece. We would be going to her place around 6:30 in the evening… in summary, we kinda had a full day, and little KJ wouldn't remember a thing of it
"Just imagine how hectic it'll be if he ever wants to have a party here at the house when he gets older," I said and sat down on the couch, resting a smiling KJ on my leg, "Is it just me or is it like this whole year kinda flew by?"
Keith laughed, "I thought it was just me that thought that. I thought I was going crazy or somethin'."
"That's what I thought about myself," I laughed.
A moment later, there was a knock on the front door. Keith went over to the door and when he opened it, Candy and Soda stood there along with Darry and Marilyn and little Mariah. They all came in, saying hello and then we all fell into whatever conversation like we always did and probably always would. A few minutes later, Evie and Steve got to the house and did the same exact thing. Ponyboy and Cherry weren't in town but for good reasons; both of them had gotten scholarships to study out of state: Ponyboy in Georgia and Cherry in Tennessee. While they were at their colleges, they would have a long distance relationship.
"Should I be worried that KJ hasn't started to walk yet?" I asked Marilyn, "I mean, he's starting talking a bit. He can say a few words, but shouldn't he be walking by now?"
She thought for a moment. "I don't think you should be worried. I mean, Mariah didn't start till a month after she turned one. I think that if he's not walking by the time he's sixteen to eighteen months, then you should start to worry," she answered with a slight shrug.
"I guess so." I let out a sigh. "I guess I'm just being paranoid," I shrugged.
"You've always been paranoid," she laughed, "Ever since I first met you, you've always been paranoid. But you do have a good reason to be as paranoid as you are, I can tell you that much."
I gave a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"Just everything you've been through… look, don't focus on that kind of stuff today. It's your son's first birthday, focus on that."
I gave a small smile and nodded at what Marilyn had said, and she gave a small smile back.
About two and a half hours later, everyone left out house, knowing we had to go to Mrs. Mathews' house. Keith and I cleaned up the house and what had been unintentionally left out, packed the bag we would carry with us when we went out with KJ and left the house. It didn't take long to get to Mrs. Mathews' house so we walked there instead of taking the car.
When we got there, even though we had a key for the house, we still knocked on the door. When the door opened, we saw Keilah, who smiled when she saw us. "Hey Rain, hey weirdo," she teased her older brother.
"Hey squirt," he teased her back.
Keilah stuck her tongue out and laughed. "Come in, mom's in the kitchen… as usual."
The two of us walked into the house, Keith carrying KJ and I was carrying the bag holding whatever we needed for KJ. "Keilah, who was at the door?" we heard Mrs. Mathews call from the kitchen. Keilah signaled for the two of us to go into the kitchen and greet her. The two of us quietly went into the kitchn. Mrs. Mathews placed whatever she was working on down on the counter and wiped her hands on her apron and started to turn around, "Keilah, I asked you who-"
"It was us," Keith answered when she fully turned around, "Unless you want us to leave or…"
"No! I didn't know you two had gotten here," she answered and came to hug us both, "I'm sorry, I just lost track of time." She let out a chuckle.
I chuckled, "Don't worry, we all do that."
"It happens after you have your first baby, trust me on that, Rain," she smiled.
We were there for a couple hours after that. After a while, Keilah had gone out to see her boyfriend. His name was Daniel and they had been friends nearly their whole lives. A while back, Keilah had asked what it was like to date someone you've known for your whole life. About a month after she had asked me about it, she came to me smiling and saying how he had asked her to be his girlfriend.
When she got back to the house, she took my arm and pulled me toward her room. I stumbled over the coffee table, making Keith and Mrs. Mathews both jump and go wide eyed. I signaled to the two of them that I was ok and Keilah apologized for nearly killing me.
"What's so important that you nearly killed me?" I asked Keilah when we got to her bedroom.
"Sorry about that," she said, "But I really have to tell you something."
"Well then, you gonna tell me or not? And it better be worth nearly killing me over," I teased.
She chuckled then let out a slight sigh. "Daniel told me that he loves me…"
My eyes widened a bit. "And what did you do after that?"
"I said it back…"
"Did you mean it?"
Keilah's cheeks turned bright pink, which answered my question. "Yeah," she smiled and started to twiddle her thumbs a bit.
We sat there talking for a little while longer after that until we heard Keith and Mrs. Mathews calling for both me and Keilah to come to the living room. To be honest, their tones made me nervous. I started to think that something was wrong. Keilah and I ran out of her room and to the living room. "What's wrong?" I asked nervously when we got to the living room.
"He's walking!" Keith smiled at me.
I was confused for a moment until I looked over at KJ and my jaw dropped. He was slowly walking to his dad, smiling, and his little arms in the air to keep himself steady. "Oh my gosh, KJ! You're walking!" I smiled and got down on the floor next to Keith, which was a few steps in front of KJ. I saw KJ smile again as he kept coming toward us then falling against me, laughing his head off. I kissed his forehead, "That's my baby boy."
Keith nudged my arm. "And you were worried that somethin' was wrong," he teased.
Awwwww
I'm still not happy with this book and the little stories.
Anyway, I'm sorry it's been a while! I've kinda been having writer's block for this story, yet for "Cherry Flavored Soda" and "Loyalty" I haven't, and then my own book that I'm working on too so yeah. So how are you all?
Just as a fill in for another reason I haven't updated: I'm behind in my high school classes cause of my college course, my birthday was last week so I've been going everywhere for that, I've been on a wild goose chase for new headphones cause my nakamichi's broke and I don't really like any other company so we ordered a new pair online, I saw "Maid to Order" for the first time last night on tv (it's so funny and Ally Sheedy is amazerful), I saw "Ghost" for the first time last week (don't tell my parents, my dad doesn't want me to watch it so my mom ha to agree with him yet she's seen it), we came in contact with a "long lost" cousin so we went out with her for lunch last Sunday before she has to go back home to Georgia then South Carolina (if you know the somewhat popular singer Christine Fusaro or Christine Vales- her married name- then that's her), plus I've started to watch "Days of our Lives" (don't judge me, it was originally cause James Read is there), and I've been reading "Charleston" by John Jakes, and me and my two best friends are trying to find the movie "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension" on amazon so we can buy it and watch it cause we saw the ten minute long trailer on youtube and it looks amazerful so there's that too
Ok so I'm watching fresh prince of bel air and carlton and will are dancing to it's not unusual
There was something else I had to say but I forgot but whatever, I apologize for the long author's note but whatever
Also- how did it work with "Keith" instead of "Two-Bit"? did it work out? I feel like it didn't and this girl in the black opium commercial wishes she was Joan Jett what the heck
Sorry, off track and that commercial came on so… peace from all the hippies of the world! =^-^=