Well, I finally got around to this! It beats doing my homework! So hope everyone enjoys!
Disclaimer: I shouldn't own anything with my lack of updates, but PT's character is mine, the name is L'amour's and the Outsiders are S.E. Hinton's
Now, on with the shoe! Yes, shoe.
Now, going home with Two-Bit was, ironically, quiet enough. He seemed to be thinking on something and I wondered what he could possibly be worrying about. When we got to the beat up looking house not too far from the Curtis', he sighed and held out a hand to me. As we walked up to the house, I was reminded of my first home when I was a kid. It hadn't been much, but we'd been happy, or so I thought. If we were so happy, none of it would have ever happened and I wouldn't have ended up traveling the country with a duffle on my back and a dog at my heels. I supposed there wasn't much use in thinking on the past, especially when I was following Two-Bit into his house. That thought struck me like a ton of bricks. Sure, he'd made it clear that was where we were going, but he hadn't really elaborated.
"Do you live here alone?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Nope. My Ma and kid sister live here, too."
"Oh."
For some strange reason I always pictured Two-Bit from a huge family with lots of sisters he couldn't stand all the time, so he bummed it around at his friends' places and came home for the odd meal when he was down on his luck or too drunk to find anywhere else to sleep. I guess he had other reasons for bumming it around everywhere else. If I had to guess, I'd say he was too lazy to hang around where some mother-like figure would make him do chores. Two-Bit smirked at me and I had the feeling he was trying to keep from laughing at me.
"Don't sound so disappointed." he smirked "They keep the place up."
I was going to ask him what he meant by that when we walked into the house. It was an interesting first impression. You'd think with Two-Bit around the house would be in total chaos. Instead it was only in mild disarray. The front room welcomed us and so did all the noise it was encompassing. The TV was turned up, but the girl sitting on the chair opposite it was too busy talking on the phone to notice. There was the familiar smell of cooking coming from the kitchen and the sounds of pots and pans. Something sizzled and I was reminded it had been at least a day since I had had anything to eat. Hopefully my stomach could be bested by all this noise.
"Ma!" Two-Bit hollered, kicking his shoes off into the closet "Ma!"
"Keith, I'm on the phone!"
"Hey there, Katie-cat!" Two-Bit smiled brightly before wandering towards her
"Ugg, I'll call you back. My brother finally remembered where we live."
I could tell the girl was his sister. They had the same rusty-brown hair, but hers was lighter and his was darker – most likely because of the hair grease. They also had the same grey eyes. It was an interesting combination.
"14, such a tender age. I had to show up at some point to make sure you were on the right track. Smoking, drinking, hanging out with the other slutty girls with better reputations than yours; all the stuff proper young women are supposed to do."
Katie smiled slightly, trying to hide it, before glaring at her brother.
"Right."
Two-Bit grinned and looked like he was going to pounce on her when she stood up and kissed him on the cheek while he bear hugged her. I guess he didn't come home that often after all.
"Two-Bit? Was that you I heard?"
Two-Bit once told me even his mother forgot his real name was Keith. So I supposed she must have been the lady in the doorway. She just a little taller than myself was standing in the doorway to what I assumed was the kitchen. She had a spoon in one hand and a potholder in the other. She looked like she was dressed up to go somewhere, not to cook a meal for herself and her daughter. She had light colored hair and grey eyes, like her kids. She looked a heck of a lot more serious than Two-Bit, though. She smiled slightly and he set his sister down, coming over to where she was standing.
"Hi, Ma! What's for dinner?" he asked giving her a kiss on the cheek while she stood there with her hands on her hips
"Food," she answered still looking at him sternly, but a smile was tugging at her lips
"My favorite!" he beamed and she smiled along with him "Hear that, Pass? Food for supper!"
Two-Bit's mother looked over at me then and I tried to hide behind Two-Bit, but he stepped out of the way so she could see me better. Katie looked over at me, too, and I felt like I was under inspection; a new find in a familiar world. I wasn't sure I liked it. They both gaped for a full minute while Two-Bit smiled along.
"Oh Keith," his mother said in a hushed voice, apparently remembering his name after all.
"Ma, this is my friend, Passin' Through. That's the only name she goes by. Pass, this is my Ma and that's my sister Katie," Two-Bit introduced
"Hi," I offered in a small voice
"Oh Keith…" his sister spoke the same words, but there was a mocking tone and a vicious grin behind them and Two-Bit glanced at her
"Oh Katie," he replied with a raised eyebrow
Katie stopped smiling and glared at her brother for a minute before sighing and leaving the room in a huff. I had the feeling I had just been privy to a 'sibling communication' and I didn't understand a word of it. I doubt anyone beyond the two of them did. Maybe other siblings, but I doubted it. It was a unique thing between individual groups of siblings.
"Its nice to meet you," his mother offered with that soft look still in her eyes "I'm Shirley. Come on in and we'll get you fed before this one starts in on it."
"Hey, a guy can always make room for several helpings of his mother's cooking," Two-Bit answered with a smile "It's the only reason I come home."
Shirley shook her head and Two-Bit grinned widely before leading the way to the kitchen. Shirley motioned me ahead of her and I brought up the middle of this little caravan. The kitchen was small and cluttered and there was laundry all over the table. For some reason it felt very homey, despite the mess. Shirley seemed to be following my eyes around the kitchen and blushed a little.
"Sorry 'bout the mess. I've been cooking and getting ready for work," she excused as she moved around the kitchen, picking up the odd things that had found their way scattered all over the place
"It's fine," I assured her "It's homey."
"She wasn't apologizing to you, Pass," Two-Bit sighed "She knows how demanding I am and how much I hate coming home to this."
Two-Bit was waving an arm around the kitchen, trying to look like the mess upset him. His mother smiled at him and threw a t-shirt at him before scooping up the rest of the laundry in her arms.
"Put your laundry away and stir the pot on the stove while I get rid of this mess," she directed
Two-Bit looked at her like she'd lost her mind as she sauntered out of the room, heels clicking after her. Two-Bit turned to the stove and then grabbed for a spoon to stir the sauce frying pan. I sighed and took off my coat, moving to help him before something caught on fire. He handed over the spoon gratefully and hopped up on the free counter space. He looked the t-shirt over and shrugged.
"Well, it's something clean to wear," he commented
"Don't you ever – no, dumb question. Don't you ever come home and let your mother do your laundry?" I asked
"When I need to change clothes." He shrugged and I rolled my eyes at him
We were like that for a few minutes; me watching the stove and him pretending he was supervising. Finally Shirley came back and looked us over with that warm, mother-like stare. It was uncomfortable to be under it. But at the same time it was nice. I handed over the spoon and she checked the meal while I stood by Two-Bit's knee. She shooed the pair of us over to the table with dishes to put out and a couple wilted daisies in a cup of water. I noticed she only gave me enough plates for three people and I wondered who was being left out of this little family plus the random stranger dinner. She caught my look as she put the different dishes on the table and smiled.
"I'm gonna be late for work if I don't get going. Katie come kiss me good night!" she hollered down the hall
Katie came tromping in on cue as Shirley shed the apron and looked for her purse. She picked it up and turned to look at all of us.
"Well, you all have a nice dinner. Keith, make sure Katie eats something. She's been a bit down because she thinks she's fat –"
"Mother!" Katie seethed
I glanced her over involuntarily and thought she was anything but fat. She was very pretty. I glanced over at Two-Bit, thinking he could stand a little less beer and chocolate cake. Then I looked at myself and was amazed at how skinny my wrists were. I discreetly set them in my lap under the table and hoped no one else had noticed them. Katie had stormed off and Shirley looked a little miffed as to why. I tried not to smile back at Two-Bit who was full out grinning.
"Well. You two save something for Katie. I'll be back after closing, so remember to lock up. And if you're staying, there's a guest bedroom down the hall, or the couch. Keith!"
"Wha-?" he asked around a mouthful of food
"Say grace before you go and stuff your face. I swear, I tried to raise you with manners," she scolded and Two-Bit put the spoon he had been using down "Well, have a nice night dears and it was lovely to meet you Passin' Through. You make sure you're not a stranger, hon."
I nodded and Two-Bit smirked at me until his mother left. Then he laughed at me. I merely shrugged and helped myself to the pot of spaghetti and the meat sauce that was in another pot. I dished out enough for Katie, too, before letting Two-Bit go at it full kilter. It didn't take him too long to stop laughing and start eating with the odd tale of his day thrown in between mouthfuls. I sat back and enjoyed them while I picked at my dinner. I had been starved when we came in the house, but after Katie rushed off, I felt kind of bad. Bad enough so I lost whatever appetite I had before. I knew I had to eat something; it was either that or end up passed out somewhere. So I chewed a few bites, listening to Two-Bit talk about random things until he finally finished.
"Well, I'm gonna change and then I'm off to get –"
"Rip roaring drunk before you find a good game of poker," I finished for him "Have fun."
"You're the perfect girl," he stated, smiling at me "Kathy would have a bird if I told her I was off to do that."
"Well, I'm not Kathy. Now get going or you're not going to get anywhere with your drinking or poker."
A minute later his dishes were in the sink and he was up and down the hall, yodeling at the top of his lungs, causing Katie to turn up the volume of her music a little louder. A minute later and I had a very slobbery kiss on my cheek and Two-Bit 'I love to party' Mathews was out the door. I sighed, a long and satisfying one, before getting up from where I was seated at the table and ran some water for the dishes. To think, I did this all day for a living, but I was in no way feeling forced to do the dishes here and I was happy to, in fact. I looked over at where my mostly uneaten dinner sat with Katie's and shut the water off. I walked over to them and picked up the plates. I was down the hall before I could think about it and knocking on the door the music was coming from.
The music turned off and the door creaked open a little. I smiled at Katie and showed her my peace offering. She sighed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes before opening the door and waving me in. She sat down beside the bed and I joined her, handing her the plate I had put together for her. She looked at it doubtfully, but tasted it.
"So, are you going to marry my brother?" she asked and I jumped
"No. Why?"
"Well, he said the only time he was ever going to bring a girl home was if he was going to marry her." Katie shrugged, obviously amused by my reaction
"Well, he lied," I stated
Katie grinned at me and I sat down and tasted my own dinner, thinking that it wasn't so bad in her room. She had posters and pictures all over the walls and I could tell she liked to draw. That or she had a friend who drew her a lot of pictures. I picked one up off the floor, recognizing the likeness of Two-Bit and I smiled.
"You can have that if you want," she offered
"You drew this?" I asked
"Uh huh," she answered, shoving another bite of dinner in her mouth
"It's very good," I said truly meaning it "I would very much like to have it."
Katie blushed a bit and I let that pass unnoticed. I figured it wouldn't do any good for me to point that out. I hadn't sat down with a pencil and paper since I was a little kid and even then I was more of a Picasso than a Da Vinci. I admired her talent. The only talent I had was getting what I wanted, either by stealing or charming old ladies. It was something and it had helped me survive this long, but I suddenly wanted something more. To create something, like Katie, or to just have a friend, like Ponyboy. Even to come home to a good meal. But I wasn't stupid enough to think that would ever become permanent and if it did, it wouldn't happen here.
"Do you draw?" she asked
"No, I can't do much more than stick figures labeled Mommy, Daddy and Me."
That didn't embarrass me, but I was a little regretful. Who knows what could have happened if someone had encouraged that talent? I smirked. There was never a 'someone' around to do that.
"Just the three of you?" she asked and I shrugged
"I couldn't be bothered to fit in my sisters." I shrugged again "They all had big names."
Katie smiled a bit and grinned at her. I helped myself to another bite of dinner and was well reminded of the fact that I hadn't ever been in another girl's room since I took off on my own. Styles were changing.
"How many sisters did you have?" she asked
"Four," I answered "Two older, two younger."
"And what were they like?"
I shrugged. It had been years since I even thought about my sisters; let alone what they were like. I didn't care for a long time. With any luck I wouldn't care for a long time after this, but then I would have to close the door on Katie Mathews and it seemed like she really needed a friend. Hell, I was only going to be in town until Monday, anyway.
"Maryanne and Brianna didn't like me much. They were older and I was odd. I was the only one in the family who turned out looking like Dad's side of the family. Dad didn't even look like his side of the family. Blonde, too pale, blue eyes…They always called me the mail man's kid. I hated it," I admitted
"What about the younger ones?"
"Samantha and Marlene were to wrapped up in themselves to notice there was a world out there. It wasn't such a bad way to be. But I hated it then, too."
Katie nodded, like she understood exactly what I was talking about.
"Keith gets away with murder," she said, "Ever since Dad left."
"When did he leave?"
"About five years ago." she shrugged "Before that, Keith got yelled at a lot. Then he decided to be funny and no one could yell at him."
"That such a bad thing?" I asked
"No, I guess not, but sometimes I just wish I had my family back together again, the way it was."
I nodded. Yeah I got that one all right.
"Me too," I added
Sometimes. I amended. Only sometimes.
Well, that chapter did not turn out as I planned it to, but for reasons unknown even to me, it came out all right. So, I think I'll leave it there and get on with everything else on my long, long 'to update' list. I'm going to be grey before it gets done…
Any comments are welcome and flames are accepted.
See ya in the funny papers!
Tens
Oh! Almost forgot. Wrong side of the tracks awards for Outsiders fan fiction is running again for season 2/3. Check it out at the following address (just remember to get rid of the spaces):
www. angel fire .com /planet /outsidersawards /enter .html
I'll put up a link on my bio page. Hope everyone has some fun!