That same piercing cry brought her out of her thinking. Walking over carefully, because she wasn't sure the house was safe, she headed towards the kitchen and grabbed a bottle from the ice filled cooler, before warming it with the kitchen sink's hot water.
It wasn't like Cherry had a whole lot of time once her parents made the decision. She had only minutes to pack. Though her grandmother had tried to talk sense into them, they'd wanted her gone.
Rocking the baby back and forth in its carrier, Cherry couldn't stop the crying. Gently, she began to pick up the baby, but it squirmed too much, and she quickly sat down so she didn't drop it. Dropping a baby was the last thing she needed.
The baby eventually settled down, so Cherry just held him, wondering what they were going to do with him. As she grabbed his blanket, a note fell to the floor. Cherry was excited—she could finally find out who this baby belonged to.
Ten minutes after finding the note and absorbing every word, every letter, Cherry knew who the baby now belonged to.
And she knew the baby was hers now.
Gently, Cherry picked up the baby and put the bottle in his mouth—thankfully, he took it. Cherry didn't know if she could take anymore tonight. She didn't like this place; she had no bed to sleep in, only blankets, and she had to make sure the baby wasn't cold.
After the baby finished eating and burping, Cherry finally set him down in his carrier.
It seemed like no time at all when her parents and grandmother came through the door, home from another night at the country club.
"Sherry, darling, what is that," her mother said, stopping short in the living room, eyes landing on the baby.
"A baby." Obviously. Cherry was trying to stay strong.
"Whose baby?" her father thundered, causing the baby to fuss a little. She quickly calmed him before answering.
"Mine." And Cherry waited for her life to fall apart around her.
"This isn't a thing to joke about, darling," her mother said, eyes shifting from the baby to Cherry continuously.
"I'm not joking," Cherry said seriously.
"I told you she was getting fat a few months ago. I told you. I can't deal with this—she's your daughter, you do something," Cherry's mother said to her father, walking toward the brandy. Her hands shook as she poured a glass.
"Cherry, it's okay. We can fix this; you'll give the child up and nobody has to know," her father said gently.
"No. I'm keeping him," Cherry said firmly, her lips quivering.
"Not if you want to live under my roof," he spat, suddenly furious.
"Well, I'm not giving him up," Cherry said strongly, looking at the baby.
"Well then, I guess you're not living here. So get out," her father said, deadly calm.
Cherry flinched and tears began to fall.
"Honey, are you sure there isn't another way?" Cherry's mother said to her husband.
"Not if she's going to keep that baby," her father thundered.
"Let's go talk in the study," Cherry's mother said, pulling her husband away with her.
"Fine, but don't think she's staying. Can you imagine what people would say?" Cherry's father muttered as his wife dragged him away.
Silence settled in the room. The only sound was Cherry's tears.
"Cherry-berry," her grandmother said lightly from the doorway, reminding Cherry that she was there.
"Grandma—" Cherry said, but started to cry harder as she spoke.
"Honey, we'll talk more later, but for tonight, take my car and go to the house your mother hates, and stay there. Your trusty butler has packed enough stuff for tonight… oh, and it seems you left your baby bag in the driveway," her grandmother said. She clearly the baby wasn't Cherry's."I'll come by tomorrow and we'll get you what you need. If you can take your father asking you to leave, you're dedicated to this child…but go we'll talk more tomorrow," she said lovingly as she handed Cherry the keys to the car and the house.
Crack was the noise that brought Cherry out of her memories. Taking a deep breath, Cherry tried to calm down, but it was difficult staying calm when the electricity wasn't turned on yet and all you had was a flashlight.
Scratch.
…Scratch, scratch.
Scratch.
She could do this. She could stay calm. Looking at her watch with the flash light, she saw it was two am. The scratching noise seemed to be getting closer. The only people she could run to were the Curtises, and she didn't think they would be too happy about being woken up—if they were asleep, that is.She hadn't heard any party noises the whole night, just a door opening and closing everyone and a while.
Scratchscratch . The noise was getting closer. Most of all, she was scared she would fall asleep and whatever animal or monster she kept hearing would be able to hurt the baby. Scratch. The noise just kept getting closer. She could to this, she could do this, she could do this—
Scratchscratchscratch!
Coming from right behind her.
Cherry jumped up, grabbed the baby carrier, and ran for the Curtis' house, up the steps and toward the front door. Setting the baby carrier down next to her, she pounded on the front door as hard as she could. After a moment the front porch light and a man in his twenties—she assumed he was Ponyboy's oldest brother, Darry—opened up the door.
"Can I…help you?" Darry questioned, confused.
"Is this the Curtis' house?" she asked. She could only ask for Ponyboy—although she'd seen Soda at the DX, she'd never talked to him.
"Yeah, it is," Darry said, no less confused.
"Is Ponyboy here?" Cherry asked quickly.
"Umm…yeah…just a sec," Darry said. He turned. "Ponyboy, get out here!"
Cherry watched as Ponyboy came out.
"Cherry?" Ponyboy questioned, obviously confused.
"Hi Pony, I'm so sorry about coming here so late, I just…need help," Cherry spoke quickly, just as the baby started to cry.
"Is that a baby?" Ponyboy asked.
"Yeah, he's mine," Cherry replied quickly.
"Well…come on in and tell me what's wrong," Pony said shyly.
"Thank you," Cherry said, picking up the baby carrier.
Cherry stepped through the doorway and glanced around nervously. Darry was standing back, his arms folded, just watching, Soda was standing against a hallway door, and Two-Bit, the guy she'd met at the movies, was there sitting in a chair, looking about half house itself was messy, but it had a homey feeling that Cherry had never felt before. She knew everyone here loved each other. No matter what.
"Go ahead and sit on the couch," Darry said, never moving. Cherry nodded and did as he said, glancing around seeing everyone watch her.
"Cherry, don't take this the wrong way…but you look horrible," Ponyboy said, sitting in the chair closest to the couch.
"Do I?" Cherry questioned, lightly touching her hair and face.
"Yeah…" Ponyboy said softly.
"Oh…I'm sorry for all this, I just didn't know who else to go to!" Cherry said sadly, before making sure the baby was okay, which he was—already sound asleep.
"Whose baby is that?" Darry asked, his voice quiet, but strength just radiated off him.
"He's mine," Cherry said sadly.
"Wow…" Pony said softly.
"How old is he?" Soda questioned.
"About six months," Cherry answered, touching the baby's face gently. She was glad she had memorized the note.
"Why are you here? You're welcome anytime, I mean, it's just…" Pony asked confused.
"I'm going to be living in that abandoned house next door," Cherry said trying to sound bright, but failing. Horribly.
"Really? Why?" Two- Bit asked, confused.
"Why wouldn't I?" Cherry replied.
"I think he means, why aren't you living with your parents?" Darry clarified sternly.
"Oh. They kicked me out when they found out about the baby. The…people I had taking care of him couldn't do it anymore," Cherry said, remembering the note.
"Oh…" Ponyboy said, dumbstruck.
"It's fine. They just…didn't want to deal with the talk that comes from having a baby so young," Cherry said, trying to sound light, but her voice broke slightly in the middle of talking.
Darry's resolve softened slightly. "So you were hoping to stay the night here," he said faintly.
"Not at first…I was over in the house. I was going to stay there, but then there was this noise and it just kept happening and then it sounded like it was right next to me, so I grabbed the carrier and ran. I was afraid that, if I fell asleep, it would hurt Jamie," Cherry said, rattling off a name without thinking.
"That's fine. You were scared for you and your child. You can stay here until we get things situated over there," Darry said softly.
"Can someone come with me? I left Jamie's diaper bag over there," Cherry asked, clearly frazzled.
"I'll go over, but you just stay here and rest," Soda said, grabbing a pair of shoes and heading out the door.
"I'll go find you some blankets," Darry said, turning and heading toward the hall closet.
"I didn't think he was gonna let me stay," Cherry said suddenly to Two-Bit and Pony.
"Darry got a girl pregnant, once, but she got rid of it. Too worried about what everyone would say. He don't like to talk about it," Two-Bit murmured. Pony nodded.
"Oh…" Cherry said softly.
"Since it's named Jamie, it's a boy, right?" Two-Bit asked with a grin.
"Yeah, he's a boy," Cherry said with a yawn.
"Does he have a middle name?" Ponyboy asked, motioning her to lie on the couch, putting the pillow Darry handed him under her head.
"Matthew," Cherry said, trying to stay awake.
"Jamie Matthew. That's nice," Ponyboy said, as Cherry fell asleep.
Darry placed a blanket over her, before moving Jamie away from the side of the couch.