That morning I didn't say a word to anyone. I lied to my mom that I was going to school with my friend Angela, I made her up, but I was really going with Soda. I pretended to walk to "Angela's" house but I just took a really long walk to Soda's house.
I walked right into their house and Soda was running around with a towel around his waist and his hair soaking wet. I figured he just got out of the shower. I shielded my eyes with my hands.
"Haven't you ever learned to knock first?" He shouted running to the bathroom.
"You're the one who told me that I could just come in!" I yelled back at him. I went to the kitchen to look for something to eat. I found Soda's Dad with his head in the fridge looking for something to eat as well.
"Hi Mr. C, hungry much?" I laughed and he pulled himself out of the fridge.
"Hey, is that my favorite little kid that's not my own?" He asked before he saw who I was. "Oh no, it's not. Nah, I'm kidding Little C." He joked. I called Darrel Mr. C and he called me Little C. The "C" standing for Curtis. He called me that because he figured out I liked Soda, I was always at their house and Sue had always wanted a daughter and I was as close as she was going to get. She even treated me like her daughter.
"We taking you to school?" Darrel asked.
"Yeah, Sue's driving us." I answered.
"Do your parents know?" He questioned. He always knew that I didn't listen to my parents much and tried to get me to.
"Well… kinda." I was always truthful to Sue and Darrel.
"Now, Typhani, you know your father doesn't approve of my boys but that doesn't mean you can disobey his rules. Your father is a good man and he's only trying to do what's best for you. You can call him and tell him the truth or go back home." He stated.
"I am not going home! My father is not a good man. He's trying to keep me away from the only friends I've got. He knows I like Soda—" I was cut off when Darrel said, "Um, Typhani…"
"What?" I turned around and saw Soda standing in the doorway. "You heard that didn't you?"
"Yeah, sorry." He sighed.
"It's not your fault." I reassured him.
Sue came in and said, "What's wrong?" Darrel whispered in her ear what happened and her response was, "Oh. Well then why don't we go to school? Typhani dear can you go and find Darry and Ponyboy. I'm just gonna have a word with Sodapop." I nodded and walked past Soda. I found the other two hidden in the living room listening and laughing about what happened in the kitchen. I was mad at them for laughing and eavesdropping.
"Man, your face looks like a tomato!" Darry joked. I glared at him. It was true though, I was blushing like crazy. Soda and Sue came out of the kitchen and we all went to the car to go to school. Soda sat in the front with his mother while I sat in the back with Darry and Pony to keep the awkwardness to a minimum. The car ride to school was silent and Pony and Darry couldn't help but laugh at my embarrassing moment.
We finally got to school and I literally jumped out of the car to escape the agony. I found Steve by himself checking out some girls, typical. I went to Steve the moment I saw him. I let out a sigh of relief.
"What's the matter with you?" Steve asked looking away from the other girls.
"Soda found out I liked him." I whispered. He burst into laughter. But he stopped laughing when he saw the expression on my face. "It's not funny! It's embarrassing!"
"Sorry, sorry." He apologized. "He's coming this way. What're you gonna do?"
"Act normal. Don't mention it or make a big deal of it. Okay?" I stated.
"Alright, my lips are sealed." He promised. Soda came over and stood closer to Steve. It was awkward until Dallas and Keith came over, who got us out of our quietness.
"Who died?" Dallas said.
"Nobody died stupid!" Steve shouted.
"No need to yell, Steve-o." Dallas commented. I stopped listening to the conversation for a little bit and it brought to my attention that Travis came to school in my dad's police car. My eyes widened and I ducked behind the closest person to me.
"What are you doing?" Keith asked.
"My dad's here and I'm not supposed to be with you guys. Hide me. If he can see me I'll be dead tomorrow." I warned. They all, including Soda, stood in front of me in sort of an unnatural way, which kinda made it obvious. I saw from behind that he left and I came out of hiding.
"That was a close one." I sighed.
"Yeah." They all agreed in unison.
The bell rang and we all separated to go to class. For the rest of the day I avoided the boys as much as I could. I didn't know why I did, I just did. It felt right for some reason. If they asked why I wouldn't talk to them, I said, "I don't know. I just am." They didn't ask any more questions and helped me avoid them by leaving me alone.
The day ended and I went home with my parents. I sat in the back seat, alone and quiet. Travis was in the front seat, chatting his mouth off. I didn't listen because I didn't care with what he had to say. All I could think about was how I lied to my dad and how Soda found out I liked him.
That night at dinner was the same. Travis talked till he was out of breath and Max gobbled up his food. Mom ate silently as did I and Dad asked Travis every question he could think of.
"So, Typhani, what did you do today?" Dad asked. I knew he wanted to know if I was hanging out with my friends or not, asking it in a very casual way. I thought a moment before speaking, deciphering whether or not to tell him the truth. I stood up from my chair and shouted, "I hung out with my friends, okay? They're the only friends I've got and the only ones I want to have!"
"Typhani Laryn Taylor, you go to your room right now and I don't want to see you for the rest of the night!" He demanded. I sat back down.
"Jonathon, is this really necessary? Typhani you stay right here and finish your dinner!" Mom yelled back. It was unusual because Mom normally was not a strict person. She didn't like to tell people what to do and most definitely when Dad was making rules and disciplining us.
"Ann don't you start with me, too! Typhani isn't listening to what I am telling her and she needs to learn!" He argued back.
"Jonathon, she is ten-years-old and doesn't need your grief. I believe that she will make the right decision." She paused. "Now we are all going to sit here and eat dinner together as a civilized family."
The rest of dinner was silent. Nobody had the guts to talk. When dinner was over, I helped Mom with the dishes. When Dad left the kitchen she spoke for the first time in a long while.
"Typhani, why do you keep lying and disobeying your father?" She asked.
"Mom, I didn't hang out with my friends at all today." I stated.
"What? Then why did you tell your father you did? Typhani, again with the lying!" Mom questioned.
"Because if I told him what really happened he wouldn't believe me. I know he doesn't trust me." I explained.
"Typhani, that's not true. Your father loves you and he does trust you." She reassured me.
"I heard you and Dad talking before about how he doesn't trust me. So you can stop lying to me too." I admitted.
"Typhani, don't you use that tone with me." Mom said.
"What a terrible family. We're all filled with lies, aren't we?" Travis butted in. I forgot he was there.
"Travis, have you started your homework?" Mom asked. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew he hadn't finished his homework.
"If by started you mean write your name on it?" He bit his lip wondering if she would buy it. I knew she wouldn't.
"Go do your homework." She instructed. "Typhani, I'll give you the week off of your chores if you promise to obey your father."
"I can't make that promise." I told the truth for the first time.
"Well at least it was the truth." Mom said.
"Mom, I want to be their friend. They're the only friends I've got. You make me sound like a broken record. I'm repeating this same thing every day!" I explained.
"I understand that sweetheart, but maybe you should find some new friends. Preferably ones that are girls." She suggested.
"I don't want any other friends. Can we stop talking about this?" I asked.
"Yeah." She said. I went upstairs to finish my homework I never started.
I had started my math homework and fell asleep after problem number two.
The next morning Max woke me up. He crawled on top of me and kissed my cheek. I rolled over and Max fell off beside me.
"Sissy, someone is here to see you." He patted the back of my head to wake me up.
"What's their name?" I moaned.
"I don't know his name."
"Alright, let's go find out who it is." I slowly got out of bed and carried him downstairs with me. I set Max down before I opened the door.
"Go on ahead and eat breakfast." I instructed.
"I don't know how. Mommy always does it." Max complained.
"Fine then go watch TV." I rolled my eyes at him after he turned around and his back was facing me. I opened the door not sure who to expect. I could tell right away who it was sitting on the steps of my house. Dallas.
His head was hanging low as if he was upset. I went to go sit beside him. He sighed before speaking.
"T," He started and I knew it was bad because my friends only called me "T" when something bad was happening. "My old man's making me move tonight."
"Tonight!" I stood up in shock. "Dallas you can't go!"
He kept his head down but continued talking, "I already got in a fight with my dad and he punched me. I have to go." He looked up at me and I saw his right eye, swollen.
"Dallas you look terrible. You can't let him do that to you." I said.
"He said if I told anybody he'd do it again whether it was illegal or not." He told me.
"I can't believe this."
"Neither can I. Man, T, my old man hates me. Do you know what he said to me? He said he wanted to beat me until I was tough enough to take on a full grown man. He thinks I'm weak." Dallas said. It was silent until Jack, Dallas' dad, came looking for him.
"Dallas Winston, get over here and quit messing around." Jack yelled. He grabbed Dallas's collar and pulled him back home. I sat back on the steps and watched them go home. Jack was yelling at him and Dallas was yelling back. They were finally out of sight. I was gonna miss Dallas like crazy. Someone came running toward me. It was Keith and Steve.
"Did Dal leave already?" Steve asked out of breath.
"Yeah, his dad just came to get him. But I wouldn't go see him, Jack's in a bad mood."
Keith cussed under his breath. "Man. Are you okay?" He only asked because my head was in my hands and tears were on my face.
"I don't know. All I can think about is never seeing him again." I whined.
"Well maybe when we're older, we can go and see him or he can come and see us." Steve suggested.
"C'mon little sister." Johnny, my older brother, picked me up and brought me inside. Right as I was walking inside, Soda, Pony, Darry and Johnny came running over. But it was too late; I was already half way through the door with Johnny's hand around my arm.