It couldn't have possibly seemed worse for poor Ricky, and at the look on his face I was ready to crack up.
Through that door, came the rest of the gang, Two-Bit and Steve. But trailing them was about half of the Shepard gang, and they were some tough looking guys. Poor Ricky must have thought that they were part of our gang, and just seeing his expression, with his mouth almost to the floor, didn't make me want to correct him.
Darry looked slightly exasperated, and Soda seemed to feel the same way about this as me. It was hilarious to us. The poor guy seemed completely overwhelmed, but then Darry casually stepped between our gang and the Shepards, being somewhat of a dividing line.
"What are you guys doin' here?" he said, addressing the other gang.
From the back, somewhere outside, a guy yelled, "We came to see Curtis!"
"Which one?" Soda yelled back.
"I dunno, send the little one!"
Darry looked at me worriedly, but then Soda leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He nodded. "Go ahead, Ponyboy."
I moved through the crowd, and I felt like Moses, parting the Red Sea. Have you ever walked through a crowd of adolescent guys whose top priority isn't bathing? Yeah, not fun. When I reached the porch, I took a deep breath, and Tim Shepard stood there, arms crossed and an envelope in one hand. He shifted it to his left hand and held out his right, and we shook.
"What do you need, Shepard?"
He grinned, and I noticed how yellow his teeth were. Did he get that from drinking? Smoking? As if on cue, he pulled out a pack, and stuck one in his mouth. "Have a weed?"
Maybe smoking did do that to his teeth...eh, I'll just take this one. Then no more. "Yeah, thanks. So what's up?"
"Well," he said, taking a drag. "I have people all over, and one of them said one of his guys gave this to him, and that I should give it to you."
That sparked some curiosity. "What is it?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Damned if I know. It says 'Do Not Open' and it doesn't look like anyone has, so I ain't gonna be first. Rumor has it, it's from Texas. All I know is that it's been changin' hands for over a month. Must be mighty important." Saying this, he handed the envelope to me. It was thick and a little heavy, at least for an envelope.
"If I were you, I wouldn't open it here," said a voice behind me. I turned to find Darry, leaning against the doorway.
"Uh...okay, Darry." His face was a mixture between worry, curiosity, and suspicion, and even though he always looked worried, I felt like this was actually a time to be worried.
"Well, uh, thanks Tim," I said, throwing down my cigarette and stomping it under my heel.
"Yeah, yeah. You're a good kid, Pony. You're lucky to have such a wisecrack here," Tim called to Darry, grinning.
Darry cocked an eyebrow, crossing his arms. I guess everyone looks like Two-Bit when they cock an eyebrow. "Yeah, well, it's about time he starts usin' brain, then he'll get back to you on that."
Shepard laughed. "Hah, good one. Well, the boys and I'll get outta your hair. Catch ya later, grease," he said, winking.
Darry and I trudged back into the house, which was a feat in itself, 'cause with all the Shepard guys leaving it was like walking against a current.
Soda saw us and propped himself up on his elbow. "What was that about?" he asked.
"Tim Shepard gave me an envelope," I said, holding it up for him to see.
He snatched it out of my hand. "Huh. Wonder what it's got in it." He started to open it, but Darry stopped him.
"Let Ponyboy do it. It was given to him, after all."
"Oh. Well, do it Pony," Soda said.
"Yeah!" Two-Bit agreed. "I wanna see the explosion too!"
Darry glanced at the clock. "Actually, c'mon Soda, we're late already. Steve, you wanna ride in the bed? You're already in your work clothes it looks like."
Steve glanced down at himself as if he'd forgotten, which wouldn't have surprised me. The guy's a nimrod, honestly. I hate Steve. I really do.
"Yeah, I'll hop in the back. Can Sodapop ride there too?"
"Sodapop's driving."
"Oh. Okay, I'll just go be lonely back there." This said, he made a spectacle of hanging his arms in the pretense that he was moping, and then grabbed the side of the our old Ford, flipping himself into the bed. His "Ouch, dammit!" was very audible.
Soda buttoned up his shirt, grinning, and ran for the truck. As Darry passed me, I could swear I heard him say, "Idiot."
Right before Darry left, he yelled, "Careful, it's gonna snow today; a lot, so you'll need to bring in some of the firewood and put in the wood stove!" Then the truck pulled out, and yep—it began to snow. Oh geez. I had a lot of work to do today.
Red poked her head through the bathroom door. "Are all the guys gone?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Now it's just me and Two-Bit, and that Ricky fella. And you." Gosh now I felt stupid. Duh, she knew she was here. And she's not a guy. I wanted to smack myself.
I noticed how long her hair was. Glory, it must've been past her waist. And there was something else odd about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"Okay, great, thanks..." She snatched the clean clothes off the floor, and after five minutes came out fully dressed. She was wearing a navy-blue t-shirt of mine that had the sleeves cut off, and a pair of my old jeans she had to wear her belt with. Even in a baggy shirt and jeans that were too long, Red looked good. The t-shirt was real big on her, even tucked in, so luckily it didn't press tight and reveal anything...I cursed myself as I felt my face get hot.
She turned her head inquisitively. "Why do you always get red? Is it me, or do you normally do that?"
I opened my mouth, but then Two-Bit came in and threw an arm around me. "Well, what fine lady do you have here, Pony my boy?" he asked, grinning and checking her out.
I cut in, "She's not—"
"I'm Red," she said, holding out her hand for a shake. Two-Bit, though, grabbed it, leaned down, and planted a kiss on it. Ah, geez.
"And I, little lady, am Lord Two-Bit, esquire," he said, bowing. Red cracked a smile.
He straightened up, letting go of her hand, but making a point of looking her up and down. "Wow, Pony, you must be doing real good, she's wearing your clothes and everything."
Red laughed merrily, but I fumed, going over to the wood stove in the corner and loading in the last few logs, then slamming it harder than necessary.
"Aww, c'mon Pony, I ain't doin' no harm, calm down. I was just complimenting you on the fine friend you have here. 'Cause damn, she really is a looker." Did he have to swear in front of a girl?
Red smiled though, her laugh tinkling again. Boy, she had a pretty laugh."Thanks, Two-Bit," she said.
"Of course. But less talk, more food! I could eat a horse, but instead, I'll just resort to eating like one." He got the last of the bacon and eggs, and Red sat down to finish what was dished out earlier.
I cleared my throat. "Uh, Red, if you want to get your long—I mean—your hair, to uh, fry—uh, dry—faster, you could—"
"Go sit by the stove? You're right, good idea." She smiled at me, and got up to sit on the couch next to the stove in the corner. Let me tell you, her smile could make you melt quicker than candle wax.
Two-Bit looked to me and did his signature expression, cocking his brow. "Smart girl you got there, Ponyboy."
I nodded absently. Then... "Wait, no, no, you've got it all wrong, she's hurt, she got pounced by a couple o' Socs, so Soda brought her in and put her in my bed—" Two-Bit's eyebrow flew even higher, "—she needed to clean up, take a shower and she didn't have extra clothes, and oh glory, Two-Bit you're embarrassing her and me—" but his laughter cut me off.
"I don't think...I know anyone who...can get...as red as you can, Ponyboy," he said, heaving with laughter.
I looked over to Red, who was looking at me, and I could tell she was trying not to laugh. Two-Bit was practically cackling. That's it, I thought. Then, without warning, I gave him a a left hook to jaw. His face changed from amusement to surprise as he fell backward, catching himself on the kitchen counter. His hand flew to his jaw, cupping it. My gaze shifted subconsciously to Red. Her mouth was in a wide O again. I instantly felt bad.
"Ow, Pony. I didn't know it bugged you that bad." He rubbed his jaw, where I could already see a bruise blackening his skin. "Glory kid, you sure can pack a punch, you should have gone out for boxing instead of track."
"Sorry Two-Bit, I just..."
"S'alright kid, I shouldn'a been teasin' you."
I held out a hand to pull Two-Bit up, but he brushed it off. I tried cocking an eyebrow at him, and he grinned, grabbing my hand, hefting himself up.
He turned to Red, who looked at us like we were nuts. I couldn't help grinning at that.
"Are you guys always like this?" she asked.
Two-Bit actually looked prideful. "Yes, ma'am. Always."
She half-smiled, rolling her eyes. "So is that your real name?"
"Which one?" Two-Bit and I said together.
Red shrugged. "Both of you, either of you."
"Well," I started, "Ponyboy is my real name. Ponyboy Michael Curtis. It says so on my birth certificate and everything."
This seemed to bother her. And that bothered me. "What's wrong with my name?"
She frowned, but then half-smiled again. She has the prettiest smile. "Nothing at all. It's unique. I like it. What about you, Two-Bit?"
"Oh, I like it fine," he said, his gray eyes on her.
She rolled her eyes again. "No, I mean, is Two-Bit your real name?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah, it is now," he winked. "But I let pretty girls call me whatever they want."
She giggled. Huh. She didn't really seem like the giggling type. But her laugh made me smile, and Two-Bit must've noticed, because he said, "Pony, what're you grinnin' like a nut for?"
It dropped off my face like grease. "Nothing."
"Well, my hair's all dry now," Red said, sitting upright.
The locks swung up around her arms, about to her elbows, where they hung in loose curls. Now I saw what was so odd. Her hair was almost black at the top, and slowly it was gradient until it reached white blonde at the tips. Red must have noticed me staring, because she cocked an eyebrow at me. I swear, the whole lot of them are turning into Two-Bit.
"Is there a problem, boys?"
I looked over at Two-Bit to see that he was staring too, his mouth open a little. "Your hair is so long..." he mumbled.
She picked at one of the locks. "Oh, this? Good heavens, no." That's when she stood up, and Two-Bit made a sound and fell into a chair. I didn't blame him. I didn't even bother hiding my dumbfounded expression when she stood up, because she had so much hair. It was long, down to her hips, and there was so much of it, and the colors were so weird...black to brown to blonde to white.
"Why is your hair...?"
"Different colors? Long? Well, that's a rather lengthy story, except it's for the fact that my hair is long because I want it to be. I won't cut off my favorite part of it," she said, picking up an piece of it and putting it under her nose, like a white mustache. Red grinned.
I noticed how perfect Red's teeth were, straight and pearly-white.
"Well, enough of this, I noticed you have chores to do," she said, her hands flying back and gathering her hair as she began to work with it. Her hands moved fast. "So, we need cut up wood and do laundry. You take one, I'll take the other, good?" she said, slowly sinking to her knees, her hands working even faster. She then put her wrist to her teeth and yanked off an elastic band, her hand disappearing behind her again.
"You don't have to help—" I started, but as Red stood up, her face contorted and she inhaled sharply, her hand flying to her side.
Two-Bit and I rushed over to her. "I...do have...to help, after you...took care of me," Red groaned, her face beginning to pale.
I ignored that. "Where does it hurt?" I asked.
"Right...here..." she breathed, tracing a line from her right rib down and over to her left side, above her hip.
"Mind if I...?" Two-Bit asked.
She nodded. "Go ahead."
I picked her up and moved her to the couch, laying her down gently. Two-Bit pulled up her shirt a little, so nothing showed. I was relieved, until I saw what was causing her pain.
There was a long gash that cut across Red's midsection, and it wasn't too deep, but deep enough to hurt. The skin around it was bruised even.
"Did those...Socs...do this to you?" Two-Bit asked, his voice quavering with anger.
She nodded, her eyes closed and her mouth in a tight line. "They had a switchblade...and they just came at me, and I backed up, and that's why my face is fully intact. "
Two-Bit looked as angry as I'd ever seen him, but he tried to speak calmly. "Damn Socs. They should go back to the pit in hell that they came from."
"Two-Bit—"
"I know, Pony, but it's not fair."
That's when Red cut in, "If it's escaped your notice," her jaw clenched. "Life isn't fair." Her eyes opened and stared into mine. The blue ice in them seemed to cut into me, beautiful but deadly at the same time. I could almost feel the cold they seemed to radiate, so wickedly familiar. I dropped my gaze.
"What, Pony?" Red asked softly. "You, of all people, should know that things are rough all over."
That's when Ricky poked his head in the door. His medium-brown hair had snowflakes scattered through it like real bad dandruff. A cold wind came through the door, chilling us and making some of the snow fall out of his hair. Despite the dark conversation, I bit back a snicker. Ricky just looked at me funny-like.
"It's snowing pretty hard—"
"We noticed," Two-Bit muttered.
"—and it's already gatherin'. If you need to cut wood, you'd better get to it." He scooted out the door, and it slammed.
But Two-Bit called, "Hey! Couldn't you figure on helpin' out a little? Ponyboy here let you in his house over the night—"
"Nah, Two-Bit, it's alright, I got this."
"No, you should get a little help, you could use it. Do you have bandages?"
"Yeah, I reckon we do. I'll go get some."
I headed to the bathroom and popped open the medicine cabinet, and took out a bottle of alcohol and a small measure of bandage wrap. Not enough. We needed more, but didn't have a way to get more.
I took the bandages and alcohol to Two-Bit, and he grabbed the towel Red had used for her hair, and turned the alcohol bottle onto it, pressing tightly. The alcohol darkened the towel in a ring around the bottle, and I pitied Red even more. This was gonna hurt.
"Are you ready?" Two-Bit asked. She nodded, biting her lip.
He took a deep breath. "Well here goes..." and pressed it to the wound.
She sucked in a breath and bit her lip even harder, but didn't cry out. I winced though. I've had enough cuts in my days to know that this hurt like heck. Red's eyes locked on mine, and through the tears starting to pool, the chilling blue bit me. The green and gray flecks seemed to move and dance around her irises. Why did her eyes seem so familiar?
"Okay, I need more bandages. Can you go get some, Pony?"
"No, I'll get them," Ricky cut in. "I need to get a look around town."
Two-Bit seemed skeptical, and we exchanged uneasy glances. He seemed to think about it, then said, "Alright, kid." He patiently gave the directions. "And hurry up."
Ricky nodded and left.
"Well, I'm going to go start bringing in that wood."
"Alright, I'll stick here with the princess, and keep an eye on her."
"Thanks, Two-Bit," we said simultaneously. Red laughed, then winced. I didn't blame her.
I pushed open the screen door, and went around to the back of the house, where the wood was stacked against the place, under a tarp so it wouldn't get too wet. I grabbed the ax underneath, positioned a log, and began to cut. I must have cut there for hours, the sun was past the noon point.
I used an old trick for telling how many hours of daylight there were left, stacking my fists on top of one another from the horizon until I reached the sun. Four. This time of year, that means it's about three in the afternoon.
I decided I'd just take in what I had, and start on my other chores. I looked down to see how much I would have to carry, and that's when I realized I must have really zoned out, because I had split most of the wood in the pile.
I stood there for a minute, dumbfounded, then just began stacking wood back up until there was only the amount I needed left. I tried to carry all of it in one trip, and I can say I was lucky that I didn't kill myself. I staggered through the door and dumped all the wood next to the stove.
I turned to find Red on the floor, tangled in blankets, and Two-Bit slumped in the armchair, both breathing deeply. Ricky was nowhere to be seen.
I knelt next to Red, and her face was, I'll admit it, she was beautiful. So peaceful. Her mouth was open slightly, and her cheeks were a little pink. I pressed my hand to one of them, and almost flinched in surprise. She was ice-cold.
She stirred, and I pulled my hand back quickly, but she didn't wake. Slowly, I eased my arms under her and all the blankets, and lifted her, surprised again by how little she weighed, like a hollow barrel. I tried to walk softly without bouncing her, and took her into my room and lowered her gently onto the bed.
But then her content expression was replaced by a grimace. "No...Dallas...please...Dally...don't..."
I froze. No. No. This wasn't happening. Dally. Dally. The name echoed through my head, from her quiet whisper until it seemed as if someone was yelling it.
Stop. Forget. You don't know who this is. You've never met anyone by this name. Forget. Forget.
Red bolted upright, her face gleaming with a sheen of sweat, and before I knew it, she grabbed onto me and pulled me down onto the bed, and began sobbing into my shirt. Her knuckles were white as she gripped me, and I vaguely noticed nicks and scars on them.
Without knowing anything better to do, I put my arms around her. I could feel her shaking, and Red sounded so pained that I began to feel horrible. It felt like this was my fault, even though I had nothing to do with it.
"Oh Ponyboy, he left because of me. It was me. I should have done something, but I was selfish and blind, and—oh Ponyboy!" she cried.
I hugged Red tightly. Then words that came out next weren't mine. "Red, it'll all be clear in the end. Just know you're not alone...you're home now."
She stopped crying, but stayed pressed against me, quivering like a puppy who'd been hit too much. I rubbed her back slowly, and we stayed like that for a long time, and I think I might have fallen asleep at one point.
When Soda came home, he found us like that, and he didn't look surprised. I realized Two-Bit must have told him, at one point I know he was standing in the doorway, even though I had my back to it. Soda lifted Red off of me, and I noticed how freezing cold she was, and how cold even Soda was.
He pushed me down. "Go to sleep Pony, you've got a fever."
I didn't say anything, just let him pull the covers over us, and closed my eyes.
"That kid, I'm tellin' you, he does better than all of us, and he doesn't even have to hustle," I heard Two-Bit say.
"Nah...I think he's been sicker than he lets on, even to himself," Darry said back. Huh...I didn't even know Darry was home yet. I wanted to open my eyes to see how dark it was out, but I couldn't muster the will or energy to do it.
"Yeah, but you should see the way he looks at her. Like she was the eighth wonder of the world," Two-Bit replied.
"Ah, leave my kid brother alone," Soda snapped. "I doubt he likes her, let's just go, Steve's hungry and we need to get dinner started."
"Well, Sodapop," Two-Bit argued. "If he did fancy her, would you blame him? She's the prettiest thing this side of the country."
The last thing I remember was Red wrapping her cold arms around my torso, and the guys all fussing at once as soon as they noticed. I was so tired, I didn't care.