Ch 11

I had to stay in school a whole month after that. That bugged me; I'm not the kind that can go to school without talking to my friends. I did my school work most of the time.

I know I had the usual Soc belief that being in activities makes you Mr. Or Miss super-tuff. But what about the person my friends knew. I was a nice girl; I didn't just hang out with people because they were smart. Sweet and friendly stands out from the crowd-that's what I had said. A real person, the best buddy a guy ever had. Did Johnny idolize me? Did Ponyboy hate me that one weekend? I hoped she did. I hope she wasn't full of the pity-the-victims of environment junk she had handed me about the prom situation. I'd rather have anyone's hate than their pity. But then, maybe others understood-like she did eventually.

I saw a few other seniors I knew leave, but they were just school friends, not buddies. But it bothered me because it was still sad.

Ponyboy was kind of upset about the prom situation.

I just looked at her. That was the dumbest remark I ever heard anyone make. She thought she was mixed up in this? She wasn't the junior, it wasn't her dance recital that conflicted with prom. She's a senior, she could just go to prom. What did she have to loose?

"I feel lousy about the whole situation and that's the first time I've felt anything in a long time."

The only thing I've felt in a long time was denial. I was in denial, I'd put off thinking about prom and the senior's last day for as long as I could. Ponyboy and Cherry didn't like to talk about it either, so we were all silently counting off the days we had left together. But with teachers sticking solidly to the subject, it was impossible to think about anything else.

"I guess your parents feel kind of awful about it too"

My Mom had everything under control. But what's worrying me is if I'm not good enough to dance on a team in college. "But the rotten part of this deal is when I have to miss everything because of dance."

Ponyboy looked worried. She really did. A greaser, even worried about a Soc's problems. That was really funny. I don't mean funny. You know what I mean.

The seniors are not gone.

"Don't ever say anything to her about the seniors." Sodapop said. "She's still wracked up about it mentally and emotionally. She'll get over it if we give her time."

I swallowed hard and blinked. Cherry was just like all the rest of the greasers. Cold-blooded, mean. It wasn't my fault that prom conflicted with recital.