Summers were hot and muggy. The heat kept us from doing anything outdoors or even doing anything at all. The worst part of it all was that Sandy was with us all the time. Luckily, Evie and Two-Bit's many blondes would come over too, so I had them to talk to. We played football when the days got cooler and at night the boys were all up to no good. Dallas was in jail for a reason I was not sure of and I was currently at the Curtis house making up homework I never did. I was trying to get Soda to help me but he didn't even want to try. I wasn't getting much done because Soda and I were having so much fun plus most of the gang was there. It was good because the two of us haven't spent this kind of time together in such a long time because of Sandy. Darry walked outside and back inside and yelled for everybody to come help him with some Socs near by jumping Ponyboy. I had strict rules, from my friends, to stay away from fights.
They were out there for at least half an hour, leaving me inside, alone, with nothing to do but the homework sitting in front of me. I looked outside for a second and saw that everyone was still out there, including Dallas, he must have gotten out of jail early. I kept working on my homework until Darry and Soda came back inside. Soda joined me at the table again and we started right where we finished.
"Ponyboy you got homework." Darry said, forcing Pony to come inside. Pony said hi to me and went right to his room to do his homework.
"Jeez, Darry, it's not like he was never going to do it." I commented.
"I'll be the parent." Darry argued.
"Don't worry about him; he's always like that with Ponyboy." Soda said.
When Soda and Pony went to bed that was my sign to leave. I was happy to leave, only because I was tired myself. I came home and saw Steve sleeping on my couch. I put a blanket on top of him and accidentally woke him.
"Hey, I thought you'd never come home." He groaned.
"Sorry to wake you up. What're you doing here?" I asked.
"My old man kicked me out again for getting into a fight with the Socs. You don't mind do you?" He started picking up pillows that fell on the ground.
"No, you can stay here, it's totally fine." I left him be and went to my room for bed.
Steve was still sleeping when I woke up the next morning. He did wake up though when I started making pancakes for breakfast. We were hanging out all day until it was time for the game he was going to with Soda, Evie, and Sandy.
"Are you sure you don't wanna come to the game with us?" Steve asked before leaving.
"Hanging out with Sandy is not my idea of a good time." I said.
"Alright, see ya later." Steve walked out the door, waving good-bye. It wasn't the game I wasn't interested in, I would love to go; it was Sandy I didn't want to be with. I think what also really bugged me was the fact that Steve was right—when he said I better get Soda before someone snatches him from under my nose—I let Soda get snatched right from me because I wasn't ready to move on from Bobby. But most of my emotions were focused on Sandy, anger and disappointment.
I cleared my mind of Soda and Sandy, I let it go blank. Thinking nothing of hate and fights I've been in but of friends and falling in love. I smiled, knowing I couldn't get away from the bad past experiences, they've scarred my memory and will stay with me forever. Hate and fights were all that was out here in Tulsa, though.
I slowly started falling asleep and I got to the point where you fall asleep and wake up five minutes later and not realize what just happened. It wasn't a five minute nap though, it was a nap that lasted a couple hours or until two o' clock in the morning. I tried to fall back asleep but I just wasn't tired anymore. I went to the living room to watch some TV. I flipped on the TV and saw the black and white static come on. Nothing was ever on at two o' clock in the morning. I turned the TV back off and laid there on the couch for a little bit. Falling asleep again, the phone woke me up before closing my eyes.
Typhani: Hello?
Darry: Have you seen Ponyboy or Johnny?
Typhani: Who is this?
Darry: It's Darry.
Typhani: I haven't seen them. Bye Darry.
Darry: Yeah, bye.
He hung up when I hinted I was tired and didn't want to talk. I could tell by his voice he wasn't in a very good mood. I went back to the couch and fell asleep.
I am all alone, I can't find anyone. I am scared, afraid that I have no one to comfort me. I've looked in every house and found no one. There is one last house that hasn't been checked. The door creaked open and no one was to be found. I am not giving up hope. I continued walking through the house. What was that? A noise was made from a corner. It sounded like crying. I walked toward the sound. I found a little girl crying in a corner holding her knees; the little girl… looked like me. It was me as a little girl. I took her by the hand and said, "It'll be okay." This time I was really talking to myself. She followed me outside and I started seeing everything. My past was being played right in front of my eyes. "You can't do this to us. You're ruining us. You gotta stop." The young me said to me. Okay? So she was some sort of message saying: Knock it off before something really bad happens! I guess I had to get my act together and figure some things out.
"Wake up!" Steve was shaking me. "We gotta get to school in like ten minutes."
"Okay, I'll go change." I yawned.
"Be fast!" He yelled as I ran to my room.
I came out five minutes later and Steve pulled me to the car. He was driving pretty fast for someone who didn't want a ticket. Luckily, he got us to the school without us being killed but we weren't on time. Our first class was together, math. Mr. Tam wasn't the best teacher and didn't really notice if you were there or not. Walking around school you still needed to be sneaky because some teachers walked around campus watching for wanderers like Steve and I right now. I thought Steve was behind me, watching our back, but I guess not because we were caught.
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" The man said. "Mr. Steve Randle and Ms. Typhani Taylor, you both can join me in detention after school. Now go to class!" The man was just another teacher and no one I feared but if you missed detention, they'll hunt you down. Steve and I continued making our way to math class. Whenever the door opens, people always stare at those walking through the door and that's what happened when Steve and I walked in. We took our seats and Mr. Tam didn't even know we were never there. The teacher turned and gave me that goofy hello face. I smiled back.
Detention was more than I thought it would be. Steve and I were not alone. There was a couple of Socs and Sandy Mason, the girlfriend of my best friend, Sodapop Curtis. Steve and I were negotiating whether to approach her or not. We decided not to, leave her be. When detention was over, we right to Soda's house, only to find out that Sandy came too. She gave us the dirtiest look ever, saying "Don't say anything to Soda." I avoided Sandy all afternoon or at least for the time she was there. When she did leave though, Soda and Darry had some very bad news to us.
"Ponyboy and Johnny ran away last night. No one knows where they are and, uh, do you know anything?" Soda said. Dallas walked in on the wrong moment and we all looked at him when he came in.
"What?" Dallas said, confused of what was happening.
"Pony and Johnny ran away, do you know anything about it?" I asked.
"Nah, I don't know anything." Dallas walked away. I got up and followed him.
"You're hiding something, what do know?" I interrogated him.
"If I knew something, wouldn't I tell you?" He shot back at me.
"No, you wouldn't tell me." I said to him, shaking my head.
"Okay, I'm still not telling you where they are." He walked away again. I walked back to the couch and didn't mention that Dallas might know where they are.
"He'll come back, he couldn't stay away forever. But why did they run away?" I asked.
"Darry hit Ponyboy." Disappointment was in Soda's voice when he spoke and Darry's face was shameful. I left without saying another word.
Afterschool, Steve, Two-Bit, and I all had detention. Steve and I were late again and Two-Bit was caught for cutting class. Sandy was in detention again, too. This time I was going to approach Sandy. I got up and walked up to her.
"How come you're in detention?" I asked. "I'm in because I've been late to school."
"That's none of your concern." She snapped.
"Ah, c'mon, I told you why I was in."
"That's not as bad as what I did. And besides I didn't promise I would tell you if you told me." She sighed.
"What'd you do?" There was a long pause. I got up to leave, but then she spoke. "I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anybody."
"I won't tell." That was no guarantee.
She whispered it into my ear, "I'm in because I've been cutting school. I'm pregnant and not with Soda's baby." She leaned away. I had nothing left to say because the shock on my face said enough. I walked back over to Two-Bit and Steve.
"What'd she say?" Two-Bit asked. Sandy turned around and looked at me.
"Nothing, girl stuff." I lied.
"Uh, I don't wanna know anymore." They both complained.
Detention was over around four and we all went to the Curtis house, like always. I had the same shocked expression on my face. I was gonna follow through and not tell anyone, especially Soda, he doesn't deserve to let his heart be broken, not yet at least and not by me. I sat in the car for awhile after the other two got out. I slowly stepped out of the car and Soda stepped in front of me.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.
"You didn't come out here to ask me that did you?"
"No you just look sad." He was genuinely concerned.
"Nothing's wrong, what's up with you?"
"I have something big to tell you. I'm gonna marry Sandy." He cheered. Now I had to tell him.
"Sandy's pregnant!" I shouted only loud enough for him to hear.
"I cannot believe you would stoop that low just to keep me from marrying Sandy." Soda complained and marched right back into the house. I followed him in and yelled, "Soda, I wouldn't lie to you about this."
"You would when it comes to Sandy. I know you like me but I wanna marry Sandy not you." The room fell silent. Two-Bit and Steve were staring at each other, they got up and went to the kitchen. Soda sighed and went to his room. I watched him walk away. I was recalling the time Soda said, "I just like her too." I guess that too wasn't for me, he didn't like me and Sandy. It was Sandy and some other girl. Steve came back out and caught me before I collapsed from pain.
"He didn't mean it. I know he didn't." I sat me on the couch and I cried on his shoulder. "Let's take you home."
"No, no, I'm gonna go see Dallas." I got up and wiped the tears away, you never cry in front of Dallas.
"Alright." Steve let me go. The guys were pretty protective to let me go out when I was upset. They were only afraid that I'd go out and do something stupid. Dallas' house was only a five minute walk, which would give me time to cool down.
We all left the front door open for anybody to come in when they needed somewhere to stay but sometimes barging in wasn't something you should do. Steve learned that from Two-Bit. He went right in without knocking and interrupted Two-Bit making out with his girlfriend and those kinda things you just don't wanna see. Any who, I went on my way to Dallas' house and barged right it. I wasn't thinking straight due to the last incident at Soda's house earlier.
"What're you doing here?" Jack, Dallas' father, got up out of his chair and yelled.
"I'm here to see Dallas." My heart was pounding.
"Nobody invited you here to see Dallas." He said. Dallas came out and pushed me outside.
"Don't ever come to my house." He said when we were outside. Dallas was only wearing a white tank top—or a wife beater, but I didn't like to call it that—and blue jeans. "Why are you here?"
"You know why I'm here." I said.
"Do you need money?" I rolled my eyes at his comment. He knew I was someone who didn't need money.
"Where are Johnny and Ponyboy?" I yelled in his face.
"I told you I wasn't going to tell you."
"Why not?" I sighed, losing hope that they will never come back.
"Because you will go and find them and bring them here and Johnny will be charged with manslaughter." Dallas explained.
"Manslaughter! What did Johnny do?" I shouted. He covered my mouth and shushed me.
"He killed a Soc. Here I'll tell you what happened. Let me put a shirt on." Dallas walked back inside. Dallas' side of the neighborhood was the poor, cheap houses. It was kinda eerie in a way. I rarely ever came over here. I normally just called him and told him to come to my place. When he came back out, he led me forward away from his house.
"I was over at Buck's house and Pony and Johnny come by. They came right out and said that Johnny killed a Soc and that they didn't know what to do. They needed my help because they knew no one else would help them. I brought them upstairs and gave them fifty bucks," He stopped, looked around and whispered in my ear, "and a gun." I looked at him like he was crazy, and he was. "I told them to go on a freight train to Windrixville, about forty-five minutes away. I told them I'd go up there and check on them when things cooled down over here." We walked in silence for a little while and then Dallas spoke again, "So what was wrong with you earlier?"
"What was wrong with me?" I was confused, not sure what he was talking about.
"Earlier you didn't look so happy, did something happen before hand? That's what I mean." He explained.
My mind shot back to the incident from earlier today. I had a hard to speaking of it at first but I got over my fear and told Dallas, besides he told me what happened to Pony and Johnny. "Earlier I told Soda something about Sandy, not good news, and he got real upset and he said 'I know you like me and all but I wanna marry Sandy not you' and that completely torn my heart in two. Steve told me he didn't mean it but I don't know if I should believe him or not." Dallas pulled me in for a hug; a real, authentic, genuine hug. This hug shouted more words than any other hug I've gotten from him. He really meant it this time; he was actually trying to make me feel better, console me. I had to process the thought that Dallas was hugging me, and then I hugged him back and dug my face into his chest, beginning to cry again. Then I heard a car pull up beside us.