Well, here is the product of my Saturday afternoon. But it wouldn't let me post it then, or yesterday for strange reasons I do not understand. So,I think it's high time I got busy with these updates I promised. Here's hoping everyone enjoys!
Disclaimer: The usual
On with the show!
I wasn't so certain whether I liked Two-Bit Mathews at all anymore. An hour ago he had been assuring me that everyone crashed here and that I would be fine. That was before he'd left me completely on my own because he had a poker game and some booze to meet up with. Some friend he was turning out to be. If it hadn't been for the fact he practically saved me from killing 'the guy who makes more work for me', I would have definitely disliked him. He did talk too much and he was very loud. It would serve him right if I let him talk himself to death the next time I saw him. I sighed and stretched out a hand to where a fuzzy head was resting on my hip. I guess I wasn't completely alone and I never would be as long as I had Sam. At least that was one male I could count on.
I rubbed at my right eye and blinked a few times before returning my attention to the book I had been reading for the last half an hour. It had been hiding behind the couch and I wondered why. A book should be treated like a treasure. So should a house and a hot meal, but I wasn't about to judge anyone. I knew a lot of people did take them for granted, but that didn't make them any less human. I moved to rub my eye again and consciously stopped myself. I was tired, exhausted in fact, but I didn't want to sleep in this house with its strange noises and darkened presence. The lamp by the couch cast odd shadows across the room where any form of boogieman could possibly be hiding. I was far too old and adventurous to even think about boogiemen. I sighed and decided I would use the fact I hadn't asked permission to sleep here as my excuse for not doing so.
Nodding to myself, I returned my attention to the book and started reading from the top of the page because I couldn't remember where I was. This kid in the story, Pip, was an odd one. He cared too much about what people thought of him. If people looked down on me, which they did on a daily basis, I would just shrug it off, which I did, and move on to where the people were a little less hypocritical, which I planned to do as soon as I got paid. Maybe there wasn't a place where I wouldn't be looked down on, but I could at least look for it. I sighed. Great Expectations, indeed.
Sam raised his head from my hip and his ears perked. I laid a hand on his head and listened. There was a vehicle outside and someone just cut the engine. A door was opened, the closed with a squeak and then thump in the night air. Shoes scraped the sidewalk and someone with longer legs than myself walked up to the house. I glanced at the front door, expectantly and then back at the book, hoping I didn't seem too hopeful for Two-Bit's return. Especially since the plan was that I was going to ignore him until I left town.
"Hi."
I glanced up at the deep voice and froze. He was tall and muscled and definitely could take me down in a fight. I mentally traced the lunge required to get from where I was to where my knife was in the pocket of the coat across the back of the couch -- and just out of arm's reach -- just incase he wasn't so friendly. It was Sam that got me to relax. He didn't seem concerned that this man was at the door. In fact, the traitor wagged his tail in greeting. I was fully convinced when I saw the curiosity on the man's face. I'm sure I wasn't what he expected to find sitting on the couch at ten o'clock at night.
"Hi," I replied, closing the book with a thumb between the pages to mark my place
"Who are – oh," he said frowning at Sam "You must be Two-Bit's…friend?"
"I must be," I answered taking my hand off Sam's head
Sam hopped off the couch and greeted the man who had moved from the doorway and set down a set of keys on the small coffee table against the wall. He scratched Sam's ears absentmindedly, as he looked me over. I assume he'd heard about me. I had no idea who he was. For all I knew, this was the tooth fairy looking down the hall with a frown on his face.
"I'm Darrel Curtis," he introduced
"Passin' Through," I returned, folding the corner of the page and setting it down
Darrel Curtis nodded and made his way down the hall he had been fixated with. I heard him utter a small curse before coming back out to join me. He sat down in the armchair stiffly, like he had been working of a long time and it was relaxation time – whether he thought so or not. He looked more relaxed as he got comfortable. I noticed I was still watching him and patted my hip for Sam. He was back in his place before Darrel could protest, which he seemed about to do. He glanced at me again and I guess he thought we should have some form of a conversation.
"Do you happen to know my brothers?" he asked taking me by surprise
"I've met Ponyboy," I answered
"Do you have any idea why he's not home and in bed?" he asked and I shook my head "He was supposed to be home twenty minutes ago."
So, that's why he was down the hall. I supposed he was a good brother, if he cared enough to look down the hall and wasn't mad, but only tired and worried. Or maybe he was mad and I couldn't tell. I sighed, thinking Two-Bit was the easy one to figure out.
"I'm sure he is just running late," I suggested, hoping for some of the solitude I had almost been afraid of before
"The story of his life. That kid can't use his head for much more than growing hair on." Darrel shook his head and settled into his chair a little more "I take it you don't sleep under bridges anymore?"
"Not by choice," I answered "I've got a temporary arrangement with my uncle, but I can't remember where he lives at the moment. Two-Bit said it would be alright if I slept here tonight."
"It's fine. Just be on your guard. We've got some pretty tough guys around here and at least one will end up here."
"Two-Bit mentioned that."
"Let me guess, he brought you here and went to go and get rip roaring drunk and maybe hunt up some action?" he asked and I nodded. That was what I got out of our earlier conversation…
"I gotta go, baby. I have plans tonight."
"You're leaving me here? On my own?" I asked a little shocked
"You'll be fine. You've got the dog and the TV for company and I know you can take care of yourself," Two-Bit answered waving off my concerns
"What if I'm not a good person? Do you really want to leave me in your friend's house all alone?" I challenged
"They leave the door open all the time so random hoods can come in and make themselves at home instead of blowing up and robbing a liquor store or something. If they had anything worth stealing, it was taken a long time ago and I would hate to see what Superman would do to them if he caught anyone trying it. So, yeah, I think I want to leave you here on your own."
"It's the prefect set up, huh?"
"Yep, the best. Now, I'm behind on my drinking and I'm not going to win any money sober. If you need anything, holler for Ponyboy and he'll get ya whatever ya need. I'll be back later, if I remember…"
I sighed, wondering what a promise from Two-Bit Mathews was worth. I glanced over at Darrel as he grabbed the paper and squinted at it. I assumed he was as tired as I was. I guess he was done with talking. I opened the book up again and tried to find my place again. I was getting tired of reading about Pip whining about how everyone had it better than he did, but I was very self conscious with Darrel in the room just reading the news paper. Social workers read the paper and so did court people. I doubted Darrel was any of those, but it put me off balance all the same.
It was nearly an hour later when Sam's head lifted from my hip again and his ears perked. I listened as well to the faint steps on the walk up to the house and the cautious opening of the front door. Darrel was listening, too. He glanced at the clock and looked relieved and annoyed. I glanced over at where Ponyboy was slinking around the door, closing it softly behind him. He glanced from Darrel to myself before sighing and looking at his tennis shoes.
"Curfew was over an hour ago," Darrel snapped and I jumped along with Ponyboy
Darrel glanced over at me and I imagine my eyes were wide with shock. It was just hard to believe that he was showing the annoyance rather than the relief or maybe it was that I had never heard that tone before. Either way, I had done something. Darrel looked back at Ponyboy and sighed.
"You're grounded this weekend. Get to bed, you have school in the morning," he said tiredly and Ponyboy didn't have to be told twice
I could feel Sam's indecision at that point and sighed, pushing gently on his shoulders. The traitor was off down the hall after Ponyboy in the next moment and Darry sighed again.
"I'm off to bed. Sodapop will be home in the next hour or so," Darrel said matter of factly before folding the paper and moving off down the hall
I shrugged. It was late and he was most likely annoyed with me for several reasons and normally I would feel bad. But it didn't matter in the long run. I'd be gone this weekend never to see him or Ponyboy or Two-Bit again. With that thought in mind, I shut off the lamp and curled up on the couch. The house didn't seem so empty with the two boys home and I had permission to sleep. Something told me more than hoods were scared to cross Darrel Curtis and it was an oddly comforting thought.
The next morning I woke up when the front door slammed. I sat bolt upright and willed my heart back into my chest from where I seemed to have swallowed it. A boy was making his way towards the kitchen, having totally ignored me. I assumed this must have been Sodapop and he was very late – judging by the fact the room was full of sunshine. He wasn't very considerate, either.
I rubbed my cheek a bit, trying to get the feeling back into it and brushed a strand of hair from out of my eyes. I was completely awake now and there was no sense in trying for more sleep. I stuck a foot over the side of the couch and drew it back like a shot when it contacted something or rather someone. I glanced over the side of the couch and wanted to laugh or yell at Two-Bit who seemed to be sleeping pretty deeply. The day instantly seemed better and I smiled.
"'Mornin' Darry. Sodapop up yet?"
"Yeah, he's looking for something to wear," Darrel answered "Just like he does every morning."
"I'll wait in the living room, then."
"No, stick around here, Steve," Darrel ordered and there was a pause in the conversation "Two-Bit is sleeping in there."
"So? It's about time that wiseass got up," Steve answered
"He's not the only one asleep in there," Darrel explained
I watched the entrance to the kitchen and sure enough, the guy I assumed to be Soda but turned out to be Steve, stuck his head out of it. I waved hesitantly at him and he waved back looking confused. He withdrew his head and there was some muttered conversation in the other room. It was a minute later that Darrel looked out of the kitchen, too.
"There's breakfast when you're hungry," he offered and I nodded
I looked back down at Two-Bit and shook his shoulder a bit. He cracked an eye at me and closed it again.
"Breakfast is on."
"I heard," he grunted "Why don't you bring me a beer and a slice of cake, Baby?"
"After your conduct last night?" I coated icily "You're lucky I feel kind enough to even speak with you!"
"Baby," Two-Bit sighed opening both eyes "I am hung over. I don't know if I can describe to you what that's like, but I can tell you it sucks, savvy? So, stop with the yelling-"
"I am not yelling!" I hissed at him "I should and it would serve you right!"
He groaned and closed his eyes again. I had never been drunk, but I didn't pity him in the slightest. Aunt June used to do a number on herself every few nights and so far I preferred a hung over Two-Bit to her any day. Keeping that in mind, I stepped over him instead of on him, and made my way to the kitchen.
/-/-/-/-/
"You look happy. Did you and Mr. Unavailable have a good night?"
I glanced over at Davie, the guy who was still making more work for me, and sighed. Since Davie had met Two-Bit, he had been nothing but a perfect gentleman towards me. It had made the afternoon almost nice; if you didn't count the scalding water, dirty dishes and the curses that came from Stella's cigarette smoke filled cooking area. Now, if I had to explain to him that Two-Bit was just that hung over slob I left throwing up in the Curtis' toilet that morning, than I had the feeling that things would get back to the way they had almost turned last night. I'd thought it before and I reminded myself of it again: he was too cute for my good or his. So, for now, Two-Bit could be Mr. Unavailable and work could be almost pleasant for the next two days.
"He's probably still fighting a hangover," I answered "So, his night was wonderful."
"Ah, but he left you at home to watch the kids, right?" Davie smiled
"Yeah, something like that," I replied glancing at where he was perched with a new stack of dishes to add to my workload
He smirked and leaned on the sink beside where I was scrubbing a pot that was almost warped beyond recognition. He seemed to stare at me almost intently and I was very self-conscious about my movements. It was disconcerting, off balancing and definitely distracting. It was a good thing I only got paid to wash dishes.
"So, tomorrow's Friday night. Are you and him going out? I happen to know there is going to be one hell of a party going on, if you're interested…?"
"I don't do parties," I answered "And Two-Bit should do fewer of them."
"Two-Bit, that would be Mr. Unavailable, right?" I nodded "Now, how do you figure he got a nickname like that?"
"I've never asked," I answered
"You know, you still haven't told me your name," Davie pointed out and I sighed. He'd been pestering me about that all morning, as well "Mrs. Blank Unavailable?"
"Passin' Through," I muttered and looked back at the dishes to avoid what I knew was coming
"Are you serious? That's got to be the weirdest name I have ever heard," Davie laughed, "You know, I'm not that much of a creep. You can tell me your name."
"That is my name," I answered, adding the stack of dishes into the sink
"No wonder you and this Two-Bit guy fell for each other. You both have odd enough names to get along with each other and you can just ignore reality."
"I am serious," I sighed
"Right. I told you, I'm not that much of a creep. And for someone stuck here washing dishes, you sure have a high opinion of yourself."
Davie went back out front to bus some more tables after that and only stopped long enough to drop off stack after stack of dirty dishes. For some reason I found his chatter more comfortable than his cold shoulder.
It was nearly sundown when I finally took off my rubber gloves and the apron I used when I was washing dishes. I knew there was another dishwasher – a 12-year-old boy who was saving up for a bike or something, according to what Davie had told me that morning – that would be showing up soon, so I didn't feel guilty about leaving a little earlier than I had the last time I worked a shift. I wanted to be able to find my way back where I belonged tonight. I wasn't going to impose on Darry – not Darrel, as he had told me this morning – again. I needed to get to my things, figure out what I could take from the home of my uncle to help me on my way, and set myself to leave. The last would be hard. As Davie had said, tomorrow was Friday and I was going to collect my pay and be gone that night, if at all possible.
But for the first time I had something to worry over. I would have to go and get Sam and when I did there was a good chance I would run into Two-Bit. Even if I could be mad at him, I didn't know if I could say goodbye to him. I considered a letter, but I couldn't write that well and it would probably come out as an insult to him if I went with the little easy words. The same would be true if I tried hard and used big words he didn't understand. Then there was finding words, period. There was a reason I didn't get attached to people. I couldn't afford to be and look where I had landed myself. I sighed and walked back towards the east side, assured by the fact whatever would come would come and I would have to deal with it when it did come. There was a lesson to be learned here and I wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
Well, there you have it. I thought it best to leave it there since I would be going on forever if I didn't. Let me know what you think and I'll get right on the next chapter since it is one I have had in my head since the beginning of this piece. Funny how that happens…
Any comments at all are welcome and flames are accepted.
See ya in the funny papers!
Tens