Cherry walked into the school with Kathy and Lily. It was her first Monday back at school, which was the first day of her senior year- the rest of the school had already been in attendance for the past two and a half weeks. She walked behind and with the two blonde girls, her books in her arms and clutched tightly against her chest. She spoke in a soft voice with the two girls, ignoring the curious and questioning looks that the three got from those around them that occupied the high school hallway.
"Just ignore these assholes," Kathy said in a hushed tone, "They're gonna be houndin' you in a weeks' time, trust us."
Cherry nodded in understanding. "I get that," she confirmed, 'And trust me, I can ignore anybody pretty well."
The three laughed at her comment. "You don't mind hanging 'round the two of us?" Lily asked curiously, "Or my brother and the rest of the idiots? In or outta school?"
The redhead let out a chuckle and nodded a bit sadly. "I don't mind. At the moment, I trust all of you more than the people I used to hang out with."
Kathy gave a questioning look. "Really? Even after this summer?"
Cherry nodded. "Really. Besides, if I remember correctly, you guys seem to have more fun than they did." Genuine fun, she thought.
Cherry and Kathy had three out of seven classes together. The classes they had for class together were: Physics for second period, American Literature for fifth period, and Girls Physical Education for seventh period, and then they had the same lunch hour. Unfortunately, Lily was a grade below the two, so she didn't have any of the same classes with them, yet they shared the same lunch hour. The rest of the day, the only other times when the three were all together- along with their other friends- was when they were at lunch or when they were in the hallways in between classes.
The school bell rang, signaling that it was time for first period, and the three girls went their separate ways. Cherry walked to her French class along, ignoring everyone and anyone around her. She knew she was never so secluded and recluse before the summer, but that was before she'd lived the lives of both a Soc from the West Side, and a Greaser from the East Side.
Cherry's whole outlook on life had changed once she regained her memory. The fact that she'd lived her whole life as a Soc, then lost her moment and lived as a Greaser… it was kind of an eye opening experience. She now knew what life was like on both sides of Tulsa, so she felt she had a better understanding of both sides than she did before everything had happened. Granted, she didn't know everything just after three months, but she knew she had a better understanding than she did before the summer. She had witnessed first-hand what life was like on the other side of town.
Not everyone was so lucky to get that opportunity.
Cherry got a few questioning looks from those in her French class as she walked in and took a seat closer to the back of the room, both out of confusion and shock at her presence. The class all then focused their attention at the teacher as she walked in, moving to their seats in an annoyed fashion so that the class would start.
Before the teacher could speak, she gave a surprised yet pleased look at the presence of the redhead. "Ah, Mademoiselle Valance. Bon pour vous à nous rejoindre. Vous rappelez-vous ce que vous avez appris l'an dernier afin que vous puissiez aller de l'avant avec le reste de la classe? (Ah, Miss Valance. Good for you to be joining us. Do you remember what you were taught last year so that you may move forward with the rest of the class?)"
French had always been a strong point for Cherry in school. "Oui, madame Dupree," Cherry answered, "Je me souviens assez pour passer avec le reste de la classe. (Yes, Mrs. Dupree. I remember enough to move on with the rest of the class.)"
The teacher smiled then looked toward the rest of the class. "Avec cela, nous allons commencer. S'il vous plaît passer à la page vingt-cinq dans vos manuels. (With that, let's begin. Please turn to page twenty-five in your textbooks.)"
-/-/-
Soda continued to work on a car in the garage in silence. He knew his best friend was also in the garage at the DX, but he paid no mind. He just focused all his attention on the undercarriage of the car, zoning out all other surrounding noises and distractions. He had decided that he'd focus on all his work at the DX so he wouldn't think about everything that had happened over the summer with Cherry.
Guilt didn't fill Soda's body, mind and soul as much as it did during the summer. Part of that was probably due to the fact that his dirty little secret that had now been revealed from the shadows. The other part he believed to be was that he no longer was lying to or causing anyone else to lie. The guilt was still there every once in a while, but not as much as it used to be there.
Steve had grown worried about his best friend. Ever since his best friend had stopped by the week previous, he'd become more and more worried. He felt a bit bad about not being able to fully be there for his best friend for the present time, but he had to help his now wife take care of their baby girl. He had no problem with that part, but he would've liked to have been able to also be more of a help to his out of sorts best friend.
"You been able to talk to Cherry yet?" Steve asked cautiously as they worked.
Soda jumped a bit at his best friend's question. "Uh," he hesitated slightly, "No, I haven't yet. I haven't really seen her 'round lately."
"What 'bout Ponyboy?"
"Probably at school, since she and Ponyboy are both goin' there."
"Think she'll talk to any of 'em?"
Soda sighed a bit. "I don't got a clue." He turned back to the car he was working on and away from his best friend somberly.
-/-/-
That lunch period, Cherry, Kathy and Lily all sat together in the school cafeteria. Along with them, a few other friends of their little "gang" joined them. The others to join them at their table was Two-Bit, Ponyboy and Johnny, who all had the same lunch period at the school. The redhead still felt a bit odd with those of the group, but she'd felt that she could actually trust them at this stage of the game. She didn't know why she felt that way, she just did for some odd reason that she didn't understand.
"Hello to all those who take part in this one hour times frames all mushed together known as high school," Two-Bit greeted as he sat down next to his girlfriend.
The other four gave confused and questioning looks at their friend. "He just got out of English and Literature class," Ponyboy informed the four before any of them could ask, and they all nodded in understanding.
Two-Bit grinned playfully. "Just tryin' to apply what I learned."
"For once in your life," Lily commented in a teasing tone, causing the rest to laugh.
Two-Bit gave his sister a non-serious teasing look. "I'm not always the smartest, but I ain't stupid, neither."
"Am not," Ponyboy corrected silently, "No I ain't."
Cherry couldn't help but smile at the playful teasing that was going on back and forth between the five friends. She remember that her friends from the West Side had never been able to do that without someone getting offended in some kind of way. It was a nice thing to see, friends being able to tease each other in a playful, lighthearted way, knowing good and well that none of it was real, just jokes. That they were close enough with each other that they could do that; almost like how brothers and sisters would be with each other.
She envied this closeness that they all had as friends.
Cherry was brought from her thoughts when she heard her name being called by someone at the table. "So, Cherry," Kathy began, "I forgot to ask how your first period went? You had French, didn't ya?"
Cherry nodded. "Yeah," she confirmed, "And it was ok, I guess."
"Heard you told someone off in class," Lily commented with a slight smirk.
Cherry chuckled lightly. "Uh, yeah, I did. Someone else I used to know from the West Side."
All five pairs of eyes widened at her words, and their memories of her being from the West Side fleeing their minds; as far as they were concerned, at the present time, she might as well have been from the East Side. "You did?" Johnny asked in a hushed tone of voice out of shock.
Cherry nodded again. "Yeah, I did. Then I said a few words in French, which probably started the saying: pardon my French. It was funny cause it was obvious they had no idea what I said."
"What'd you tell 'em?" Tow-Bit asked, "To shove off?"
"Somethin' like that, but not so nice."
"Why'd you tell 'em off?" Ponyboy asked curiously.
Cherry shrugged slightly. "I don't even remember, but it was bad, I know that." She was talking badly about you all and asking why I was hanging out with you guys, she thought.
I finished school officially, I'm so happy. I am no longer a junior in high school, I'm now a senior oh my gahd. To celebrate that, I watched movies all day on Monday; I watched: Mad Dog Time, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, Oscar and Young Frankenstein. It was great.
Just so you know, the French in this story is translated from Google Translate. I don't know how accurate it is or not, since I used that sight. I don't speak French, and actually, I don't speak any other language other the English. I know a small amount of Spanish, and a few words in other languages. Otherwise, I only speak English- but I plan on learning Clingon soon (yes, it's from Star Trek, don't judge me).
I don't know how updating will go for this story or any other stories for the rest of the summer, since I'm trying to find a summer job. I know that, if something happens, I will at least be updating once a month instead of twice a month (so once every four weeks rather than once every two weeks). This is not a definite yet, so as far as I know, it'll still be once every two weeks.
Oh, I just wanna say that I saw the new Captain America: Civil War film. It was so amazerful, oh my gahd. Me and my dad went without my mom cause she hates that kinda of stuff. Me and my dad loved it and when my mom asked us how it was we'd say, "it was great, but you would've hated it." Me and my dad pretty much like all the same film type stuff (except for alien sci fi stuff, with the exception of a few) and my mom doesn't so yeah.
Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter! And since I won't be updating till after the holiday- Happy Memorial Day! Peace from all the hippies of the world =^-^=