A/N: Thanks again to those who reviewed my last chapter! I must warn you, this chapter will have such a giant cliffhanger! Anyway, thank you everyone for reading the last chapter, and thanks to those who also favorited and followed. Please review, follow, and favorite! Thanks so much, everyone!
And also, I know that one of Two-Bit's gifts to Sondra, the Mickey Mouse series on DVD, didn't exist back then, but just for the heads up, I'll be mentioning some other things that most likely didn't exist back then. Plus, I even made the Curtis' house have two floors. And to be honest, I ran out of ideas for what Two-Bit could've got somebody like Sondra at her age. I should've settled with just the Mickey Mouse pajamas. :) XD :P
Either way, now that that's out, enjoy the next chapter! :D :)
Sondra's POV
A full week has passed since my surprise birthday party at the Curtis' house. The guilt about mine and Johnny's secret was swarming around inside of me, begging to be released by telling somebody. How was Johnny doing a better job at acting as if nothing was wrong than how I was? Was it possible that it was because of my abusive past with by alcoholic dad and drug-addict mother? Or was it because the phony holiday that I called "Brother's Day" when Iris and I celebrated Gabriel was just around the corner? I have no clue, and I might never have any clue as to why I'm so much more jumpy. One moment I'm nervous, and then I'm calming my self down just by noticing how Charlie is in the same room as me, or I just simply sat down. My emotions have been a wreck ever since the second day that passed since Johnny and I ended up getting drunk and having it at Buck's party.
Since Kendra didn't have an official home here in Tulsa anymore, Dally ended up taking her to Buck's and saying that he didn't care if he shared his room with her, and not to mention that if she didn't, she could maybe find a box in one of the alleyways to sleep in, just a little across the road. That's Dallas Winston for you; him and his dry humor can seriously aggravate certain people quickly, but one of those people aren't Kenny. She was actually thankful, telling Dally that she'd appreciate it if he allowed her to stay with him at Buck's. In return, Dally rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath that I didn't quite catch, but I knew that it must've been something not pleasant. Though, that didn't stop Kenny from smiling at him, and she followed him out of the Curtis' front door after the party came to an end a little around 9:15 P.M.
Two-Bit sooner left himself, saying that his date with Kathy wasn't that far away now, and Steve said that he had a late shift to attend at the DX. The Cade's and Kitten ended up staying the night though, Kitten sleeping in the recliner while the Cade's had the couch to themselves. I would've stayed if I could, but I knew that Charlie wouldn't want me to stay in some area that was in greaser territory very late, and it was already close to 9:30 by the time I headed out the door. By the time I got back to Charlie's, he was half asleep in his robe and pajamas, sitting on the staircase and staring at the front door with Iris sleeping beside him, her head on his lap. I got one heck of a lecture that night before going to bed, but atleast Charlie decided to let it go since he had a long and hard day at the site.
I, however, couldn't get much sleep at all, all through the week. I kept on waking up every two or so hours, moaning to myself as I clenched my roaring stomach. I haven't felt such stabbing cramps in possibly my entire life as a teenage girl. Boys had no idea how lucky they were; no periods, no giving birth, no worrying about shaving...you name it, the boys don't have to worry about it. Girls had it rough.
Today was probably the second best October day that Tulsa has seen, but I honestly felt like crap. I must've only got through three of the seven nights with complete sleep, but as for the other four nights, I kept waking up to major cramps, or I had to vomit. I never knew that drinking alcohol and getting drunk would cause somebody to get so sick, especially for over a long week. I'm not even sure that Two-Bit or Dally suffered this much throw up or headaches, and Johnny seemed absolutely fine, even though that he was drowning in just as guilt as me, I'm sure.
I laid there under the cozy and warm covers of my bed, clenching them to the point where my knuckles were starting to grow pale. No matter how much I was trying to ignore my new splitting headache, I couldn't help myself to groan at the sunlight shining through my window. Last night was one of the four nights where I woke up to both cramps, and I threw up three times, one around midnight, the next about two-thirty, and the last one took place at four-fifteen or something like that.
"Good morning, Sondra," Charlie greeted as I entered the kitchen, dragging my feet across the floor and trying my best to take my mind off of my splitting headache. How in the world could morning come so fast? To me, it feels like I just attempted closing my eyes and getting some sleep a couple of minutes ago. To hell with Mother Nature...
"Mornin', Charlie," I tried my best to grin atleast a little, but all I got was a weak smirk for about three or so seconds.
I joined Iris at the table, kicking back in my chair in one of my new pairs of jeans and the baggy black T-shirt that had Elvis' face on it in the center from Darry. I didn't know if the spiked punch was still in my system or what, but I was starting to grow more tired, I was still throwing up here and there, and...
Suddenly, my eyes went wide at the delicious smell of freshly flipped pancakes and homemade chocolate muffins. A big smile then swiped across my face as Charlie rested a plate in front of me, there being three medium-sized pancakes that were bathed in maple syrup, and a chocolate muffin on the side of my dish, along with a glass of chocolate milk. And I was also starting to get an increase in my appetite.
At my huge grin, Charlie chuckled and playfully ruffled up my hair, right before he placed Iris' plate down in front of his chair so he could help feed her like he always did. Then he headed back over to the fridge to fetch some orange juice for himself.
Without waiting, I dove right in and started chomping, chewing on different pieces of my pancakes at one moment, and then switching over to my chocolate muffin.
Iris slowly turned her head in my direction, not blinking a single time as her grayish, silver like eyes seemed to glow in the morning sunlight as it shined through the windows and the backdoor that led out onto the back porch. I could tell that she must've been wondering why I was eating as if I was lost in the desert for God knows how long with no food or drinks, but when she didn't say anything, I didn't either. Besides, I really couldn't. I was too busy filling up my empty like tummy.
As Charlie slowly approached the table again, now holding his plate in one hand and glass cup of orange juice in the other, his eyes grew at the sight of me. I don't think I've ever ate so fast before in my whole life, but I was craving. Another stupid curse from Mother Nature...
"Dang, Sondra!" laughed Charlie, now smiling widely as he sat down inbetween me and Iris at the table.
I stopped, completely frozen as I looked back up and fixed my eyes on Charlie, who seemed to only want to laugh even more at the scene of my lips covered with the sticky syrup, and not to mention that my cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk.
"...What?" I asked, making sure I was blocking my mouth with one of my hands before speaking.
"You can slow down, you know? I'm not allowing you to play hooky today just so you can eat yourself sick, especially during breakfast. We still have lunch and dinner to go, and I believe that you have a list of chores to do while Iris is at Rebecca's, and when I'm off to the grocery store." Charlie lectured, but his smile vanished and absolute confusion appeared all over his face at the mention of him going shopping. "For some reason, I can't seem to find any cookies or chips."
...I did say that I was starting to crave more food. Sometimes I came downstairs when I couldn't get some sleep in the middle of the night or very early in the morning only so I could snack on a couple of Oreos and whatnot. It wasn't long before they returned though.
I could feel my face beginning to grow hot, and I swallowed what all was packed in my mouth before I stopped to realize how I already finished one whole pancake, and half of the second one. My chocolate muffin was half eaten too, crumbs resting a little on the sides of my mouth, and my chocolate milk was almost gone.
"I'm sorry, Charlie-arlie. I can't help it; I'm just really hungry." I softly spoke as I picked up my napkin and wiped away the syrup and crumbs from my lips.
"I understand that, but I think that you should know that it's very important to catch your breath and breathe instead of packin' food into your mouth like you haven't eaten in years." Charlie went on lecturing me, as if I was a five-year-old instead of a new fifteen-year-old.
Keeping a pout away from my face, I nodded my head and watched as Charlie gently stabbed a piece of Iris' pancake and led it up to her lips. At first, Iris took a small width before she opened her mouth and allowed the small piece of her pancake to be popped in. Atleast that brought a small grin to my face, but it didn't last long.
I could feel my stomach starting to gurgle all over again, and I knew what that meant. As my eyes grew wide, I pushed my plate away and quickly stood up from my chair. Without any hesitation, Charlie turned his head and locked his full attention on me, his eyes now just as round and full of a massive amount of concern. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.
"Can I be excused?" I asked, hoping to God on the inside that Charlie would say yes.
"How come, Sonny?"
"I, um...I need to use the restroom..."
Charlie's concern only seemed to be expanding, and he quickly stood up from his seat. Iris' eyes followed his footsteps that tapped against the wooden floor as he made his way over to me, so we could look at each other face-to-face.
"Again? Sondra, you asked to be excused from breakfast, lunch, and dinner for these passed couple of days to go to the bathroom. Are you sure that you're not comin' down with the flu or anything?" Charlie asked. In response, I eagerly shook my head, but that didn't stop him from brushing my bangs out from dangling in front of my face and feeling my forehead.
"Charlie-arlie, I'm fine!" I jumped back, beginning to feel this huge cramp coming on right in the direct pit of my stomach. Not only that, but I could already feel the hotness of my returning breakfast making its way back up my body. I don't see how I could feel any worse.
"What's going on with you, Sonny? I mean it!" Charlie began to give me his drop-dead serious tone, but I didn't care at the timing that I was in. I just didn't want him to see me throw up.
"Nothin' is goin' on with me! I just need to use the bathroom! Can't anybody have atleast a tiny bit of privacy in this household?"
Instead of waiting for some kind of response from Charlie, I bolted straight out of the kitchen, bashing as fast as my legs could go. I could hear Charlie calling out my name as I continued to dash my way up the stairs, but I wouldn't say anything back or head back downstairs. Instead, I ran at what felt like the speed of lightning to me, slamming my door shut behind me and locking it before I entered my bathroom and did the same. Now I could see why Johnnycake said that I should go out for track; I actually wanted to.
The vomit made my throat feel like a burning flame of fire from the pits of the underworld, but I continued choking on it and holding it in until I finally turned on the water in the sink and made my way to the toilet. That's when I collapsed down onto my knees, held my hair back, and I released my delicious breakfast that actually wasn't so good on its second trip. God, my head was starting to feel as if I was bashed with a hammer all over again, and it felt like to me that the entire world was spinning right before my eyes. Why couldn't have Dally taken Johnnycake and I to the movies for my birthday or atleast some area that wouldn't have caused us to get drunk and especially have it?
After I finished emptying my stomach yet again and I flushed the toilet, right before I washed my face and cleaned my mouth out in the sink, I started to think about what day of the month it was. It wasn't just a week after my fifteenth birthday and the day that my virginity was taken away, but it just so happened to be the day when Mother Nature was apparently supposed to leave me my little gift. Like I said, boys have it way too easy compared to all of the suffering that girls have to go through.
Though, that would explain why I had been feeling so sick to my stomach. All of the cramps, mixed emotions, cravings, getting tired much faster...yeah, that's pretty much all signs of a girl's monthly friend. At the thought, I growled to myself and went on with every word in the book that I could think of, but when I opened up the small cabinets that were connected underneath the sink, all I could find were different towels, shampoos, small packages of bars of soap, and even a little rubber ducky. That was Iris'. No girl stuff though. Dang it! It looks like Charlie-arlie forgot...again.
Again, I grumbled and rolled my eyes, but left my bathroom and headed back downstairs to only find Charlie standing there at the bottom of the staircase. His eyes were huge and swarming with both anger and seriousness, and he had his back resting against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, too.
I heavily sighed as I trotted down the stairs, but I stopped in my tracks when I reached the last step so I could look at Charlie right in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, okay?" I said a bit too sassy, and I could tell by the redness that was beginning to spread across Charlie-arlie's cheeks that he wasn't pleased.
"What in the world is goin' on with you? Just last week, you were all positive and joyful to be around, but now you seem to be all over the place. One moment you're this, the next moment you're that...what's going on, Sonny?" Charlie questioned.
Without thinking, I was allowing my rapidly switching emotions to get the best of me. Annoyingly, I rolled my eyes and said: "Yeah, well, you don't know what's going on with me because boys don't have to go through a stupid period every month."
At the new tone of my voice, I thought that Charlie was only going to grow more impatient with me and set me straight right then and there with a lecture. But to my surprise, the redness began to fade into a lighter shade, as if he was embarrassedly blushing, and he began to roll his eyes around to look at anywhere but me.
"Oh..." Charlie sounded a bit humiliated, with a pinch of shame added in. He bit down on his thumbnail. "...So...I'm guessin' that's why you've been more moody, craving, and goin' to the bathroom more often, huh?"
To be honest, I felt pretty bad for treating Charlie like that, being extremely sassy and acting like a completely childish bitch since my emotions were wacked up at the time, but I couldn't break my promise to Johnny. We assured each other that we wouldn't allow it to slip about how we accidentally got drunk and gave our virginities away to each other. The guilt still wouldn't stop eating me alive, but if I wanted to keep my part of the word, I had to lie to Charlie.
So, I nodded my head, taking in a deep breath and releasing it shortly after to get a hold of myself.
The redness lf Charlie's face began to fade to this pink shade. "I'm sorry, Sondra, I honestly didn't even consider that. I've been living on my own ever since I moved here from New York. I've, um...I never considered how different girls are from boys."
I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. "Charlie, I truly am sorry 'bout how I've been acting this passed week, but you're right. My emotions have been all over the place. One moment I'm cranky, the next I'm calm, and then I'm scared...I honestly can't help it."
Embarrassedly, Charlie scratched the back of his neck. I could not believe that we were having this conversation, but he had to get used to the thought at some point since he was going to attempt getting custody of me and Iris. If he succeeded, then he had to go through this every month, and Iris would have to go through it all herself one day.
"Um...I'm guessing that, uh...I forgot to pick up some...female stuff again, huh?"
"...Yeah."
"Oh...um...well...I'm goin' to the store today, so I can pick some up then."
I would've smiled, but I could feel some more cramps coming on in the pit of my belly, including my sides.
"Thanks, but until then...can I go to the Curtis' house? I mean, since they have Kitten hang out there often, I bet that they have some pads or tampons." I innocently spoke.
At my words, Charlie paled, and his eyes seemed to go just as wide as saucers. It was the truth though. Whenever Kitten's attitude started to rise, and not to mention that Cassidy was twelve, Darry and Soda would loan some of their money to Kitten and have her buy some girl stuff to put under their bathroom sink.
"...I guess that's okay, but when you get back, Iris and I both will be gone, meanin' you have to get your chores done." informed Charlie, and I understandingly nodded my head as I stepped down from the final step and swiped up my new jean jacket that was from Cassidy, from the coat rack.
"All right, I'll be back in a few."
- Do the dishes
- Scrub the kitchen windows
- Organize the shelves
- Take out the trash
- Do the laundry (it's your turn!)
- Make lunch (again, your turn!)
- Get Iris' bath ready around 1:00
- Study for your upcoming health exam
- Clean your room if not already done
The list of my chores went on and on, but I kept reading every word that Charlie took this time to write down as I headed my way up the Curtis' front porch. I just stood there at the front door and silently mouthed the chores as my eyes met them one by one. Though, I finally stopped whence I thought about how I was reading my chores ever since I left out of Charlie's house in the first place. That's when I folded the piece of paper back up and tucked it away in one of my jean jacket's pockets. After that, I knocked on the front door and waited patiently. I knew that Johnny, Ponyboy, Kitten, Steve, and possibly Two-Bit would be gone at school today, but Darry had the day off, and Soda was already gone at the DX.
I probably had to wait for about ten seconds before I heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door, and then it finally opened up to reveal the eldest Curtis.
"Sondra?" Darry confusedly raised an eyebrow at me, holding a freshly made cup of coffee in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.
I gave him a weak smile and nodded, trying my best to ignore my sudden drowsiness as I tucked a piece of my golden hair behind me ear so I could see him better.
"Hiya, Darry," I greeted.
Darry took a sip of his coffee and swallowed what was in his mouth. "What are you doing here? It's a school day."
"Charlie's letting me play hooky just for today, but I need to get back to his place very soon so I can get a massive list of chores over with." I explained.
The confusion only seemed to be expanding in Darry's eyes. "Then why are you here?"
I could've sworn my face grew as red as the devil, and I embarrassedly scratched the back of my neck as I mumbled out the words: "I need a female thing..."
A short pause formed between Darry and I, but he shook his head at me as he swallowed another drink of his coffee.
"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you." He innocently informed.
I heavily sighed, feeling hotter by the minute as I gazed down at my shoes and began to roll on the balls of my feet.
"My monthly friend is visiting, Darry..." I muttered, quieter than I've ever spoken before in my whole life.
"Sondra, I can't make out what you're saying! Can you speak up?" questioned Darry.
Just like that, as if it was a flash of lightning, annoyance struck me, replacing my usual innocence.
"Mother Nature, Darry! It's Mother Nature, dang it!" I bellowed at the top of my lungs, irritated.
Darry was in the middle of taking another slurp of his morning coffee when my new emotion got the best of me, but after my outburst was out in the open, the oldest Curtis swallowed too hard and quick on his drink and began to rapidly cough.
The redness in my face began to fade away, slowly becoming a bright pinkish color. My eyes went soft all over again, and I unclenched my teeth that were remaining hidden behind my closed lips. My annoyance was already gone...oh, why can't Mother Nature stop torturing my emotions?
"I'm sorry, Darry. I've just been a wreck lately, but hopefully this week will go by." I sighed, both embarrassed and ashamed in myself, and I bit down on my bottom lip.
"...No...no..." Darry attempted to grasp a deep breath, but every time he tried to breathe, another cough would come hacking out of him. Patiently, I bit my tongue and waited for him to go on with whatever he wanted to say. It took him a few moments to finally be able to take in a deep breath and end his coughing, but he sooner got what he wanted.
"It's, uh...it's absolutely fine, Sondra...um, all girls go through this...it's very natural..." Darry seemed to be trying his best to string together a lecture, but other than forcing a smile to show on his face, he was growing red himself. He sometimes reminded me a lot of Charlie.
"...You mind if I come in and...you know...take care of it before I leave again?" I innocently asked, choking back on my own embarrassment the best that I could. Though, relief instantly struck me when Darry gave me a nod and told me that I didn't need to even think 'bout asking a question like that twice.
I headed into the Curtis' house, finding it desperately strange since everything was so quiet with no roaring laughter, the TV on as high as its volume could go, and no cursing going back and forth. All that there was, was complete silence, which I think Darry both liked, but yet hated on his day off. What's the point of a relaxing day off from a hardworking job like roofing houses when there were nobody else to spend the day with? Everyone was either off at school or work, unless if you were Dallas or Kendra...I think Dal actually said somethin' the previous night 'bout taking Kendra to "buy" some new clothes since she came to Tulsa unprepared to be staying for awhile. If I were Darry, I wouldn't adore my day off being on a day without the gang. What's the fun in a quiet day off?
After I entered the Curtis' downstairs bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind me, I was absolutely thankful, and even more relieved to find a girl's thing to use underneath the sink, inside one of the bottom cabinets. I couldn't help myself to moan a little from the new painful cramp slowly beginning to fade from the pit of my stomach, but just as I stripped my jeans and pulled down my underwear just enough to test if there was any red splashes, I instantly grew startled. My underwear didn't look like the flag of China at all; instead, it was the complete opposite. There was no blood at all.
How in the world could I have been going through all of that 'round my time of the month...and it isn't even here the day that it's supposed to be?
All of the sudden, I could've sworn I felt my heart take one heck of a gigantic leap around the whole globe and back, and my eyes shot bigger than ever before. Johnny and I...we got drunk and we had it at Buck's last party...and all of the sudden, I've been...all of the cramps, the sleepiness hitting me, the feelings of getting ready to vomit at any time; especially in the morning, my emotions being a complete mess, my massive cravings suddenly coming alive, and now I didn't have my period. I remember having a talk about these kind of signs in health class not that long ago. I actually had exam coming up about them, and when some girl is going through these symptoms, that could only mean...oh my god...NO way...NO!
"Darry!" I could feel salty tears already flooding around in the edges of my eyes and pooling down my beating red cheeks after I called out for the oldest Curtis. I took no hesitation to throw the female thing back underneath the Curtis' sink, and after that, I unlocked the door and yanked it open. I must've jumped atleast five feet in the air and squeaked at the sight of Darry suddenly standing there in the frame, his eyes now wide and he looked like he was breathing to the point that he had just finished a long run.
"Sondra, what's wrong?" The tone of his voice was full of both worry and seriousness.
"Do you have your keys?" I sniffled, wiping away as many of my tears as I could with my sleeve, but new ones just kept taking their places. The salty paths would only keep returning, so I just gave up on cleaning them away.
Raising an eyebrow, Darry continued to stare at me and he paused, not saying a word until he slowly gazed down at one of his jeans pockets and pulled out his car keys. "Yeah, I got 'em right here. What's wrong with you? Why are you cryin' all of the sudden?"
"Darry, listen..." I pleaded, and he understandingly, but eagerly, nodded his head. "I need you to take me to the hospital."
At the mention of me wanting to go to the hospital, Darry's jaw seemed to drop all the way down to the floor.
"The hospital?" He gasped with absolute shock, and it was then my turn to nod. "Why? Are you hurt? Were you jumped by a Soc? Another Regular? Some other greaser that Dallas and I can teach a valuable lesson to?"
"No, Darry!" I whaled, only so I could feel even more hot tears drench down my face. Man, I didn't know there could be so many tears in a person. "I wasn't jumped at all!"
Getting a grip on himself the best that he could, Darry took in a deep; but soft breath and released it before he wrapped one of his arms around my shoulders in a consoling manner.
"Then why do you want me to take you to the hospital?" He calmly and patiently asked.
I could've sworn that all I could hear after taking in his question was the loud thumps of my rapidly racing heart. Again, I tried my best to wash my tears away, but they were still pointless to get rid of.
I forced myself to look directly into Darry's eyes, noticing how they were gleaming off both plead and nervousness, but also a hint of protectiveness.
"Darry..." I ashamedly shook my head, whimpering as if I was some homeless puppy, begging for food and love. "...I think I'm pregnant."
A/N: OH! I TOLD you all that there would be a massive cliffhanger! XD
The more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to update! ;D Do it for Dally! (That was for my friend Nadine! XD)
How is Darry going to respond to Sondra's news?
Will Charlie get custody of Sondra and Iris?
Who is Ponyboy working on his science project with?
What will Kitten do if she finds out Jesse Sheldon, her ex and Bob's older hoodlum brother, is dating Amanda? Or what 'bout Dally for that matter?
What is Amanda planning to do to get back at Sondra since she "stole" Johnny from her?
Will Iris beat this new disorder or hers?
Find out all of the questions, and much more, in the upcoming chapters! Please favorite, follow, and review! See you all in the next update! Thanks, everyone! :D :D :D :D