At work that day, Ashlynn came in like I had asked her to and I drew a picture of her, colored it in, and wrote about everyone I had drawn.
After consulting my parents and Mrs. Brown, it was agreed that I could take up Madame Evelyn's offer on co-teaching the little kids next year.
That Monday was the first day back to school after Spring Break. Pony and I handed in our drawing projects and I gave Madame Evelyn my answer later that day when I went to dance.
"Oh, that's just wonderful, Miss Smith", she told me, taking my hand and patting it reassuringly. "You'll be a darling teacher for the little ones, I can just tell."
"Thank you, Madame", I said as I curtsied and went to pack up my dance bag.
Madame Evelyn was a Southern-belle in her fifties who called all the dancers by their last names, but tacked the "Miss" on with it. She had been a professional dancer for years before settling down and becoming a ballet mistress and tap and ballroom dancing instructor. She was like a grandmother to all the dancers, regardless of whether they were a Soc or greaser.
"Are you excited to teach the little kids?" Ashlynn asked me on our walk home. I was always dropped off first.
"Really excited. I feel like this is practice for when I'm older and an actual teacher."
"I'm excited for you", she told me and stayed silent for a moment before seemingly remembering something. "Lily!"
"What!" I exclaimed teasingly, mocking her tone.
"I got a job!"
"That's great! Where?"
"The diner downtown as a waitress."
"That's where Two-Bit's sister works."
"No kidding? Huh, I'll have to ask about her."
"When're you working?"
The two of us discussed the times that we would be getting off each day and talked about walking home together when we got off. It would be less lonely and safer for us to walk together.
After the rumble about a year-and-a-half before the Socs had been jumping the greasers less, but that didn't mean that they had stopped completely. They were definitely more cautious about going into greaser territory and jumping the greasers there. But if you were walking alone downtown or on the wrong side of town, you were free game.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Times were changing; that much was obvious.
Nothing else was ever on the news but stories on the war. Boys from both the East and West side were being drafted to Vietnam left and right and it scared the hell out of everyone, especially the gang. We couldn't lose another person. Not after Dally and Johnny. Sodapop, Steve, and Two-Bit were all eligible for the draft since they were all over 18. Darry would have been eligible, but wasn't since Pony was his dependent.
There were many protests against the draft and the war. People marched through the streets of almost every town and city the America, chanting as loud as their voices would allow and held up picket signs with slogans like "Resist the Draft" and "Don't Register".
Ashlynn was always terrified of getting Soda taken away, along with Rachel and Evie with Two-Bit and Steve. I was absolutely terrified of any of them getting drafted too, yet in the back of my mind, I was so thankful that Ponyboy and Henry weren't of age to be drafted yet. Pony was creeping ever closer to 18-years-old, though and if the war didn't end by then, I didn't know how I would soothe my constant anxiety.
There was also the Civil-Rights movement that had taken the country by storm. The amount of protests that brought on police brutality was jaw-dropping and things were constantly taken to the extreme. I hoped that Dr. King's message would spread soon because I couldn't stand the prejudice against African-Americans any longer. Many places in Tulsa were still segregated. Even the bathrooms.
The constant threat of the Soviets dropping a nuclear bomb was always present as well. We had drills every few months at school where an alarm would sound and we had to crawl under our desks and cover our heads. Since Pony and I always sat next to each other, we only used one hand to cover ourselves and held the other's hand with our free one. We weren't stupid. We knew that if an atomic bomb dropped near us, we were going to die, so we might as well comfort the other if it were to happen. And even during the drills, I always came close to having an anxiety attack. My heart leaped into my throat, my stomach dropped, and I wanted to start crying. Sometimes I even started shaking. Pony grasping my hand tightly, which calmed me down a bit. When the alarms turned off and we could sit back down in our seats, he always gave me a tight hug and whispered some comforting words in my ear before we had to sit again.
Towards the end of the school year we had a drill and I wasn't very calm. Pony and I crouched under the desks and I grabbed his hand tightly, intertwining our fingers. I was trying to take deep, calming breaths, but it wasn't working as well as it usually did.
"Lily", Pony whispered. "Look at me."
I turned my head in his direction, my forehead never leaving the floor.
"It's fine", he assured me. "We're fine. Nothing's gonna happen, baby. It's just a drill."
"I know", I whimpered quietly, "but I-I'm scared."
He slid closer to me and moved his hand from mine, wrapping it around my shoulders.
"I'm right here, darlin'. You're gonna be fine. Nothing's gonna hurt you while I'm here. Okay?"
I nodded. "Okay."
"Now breathe with me, alright? In and out…in and out…"
We kept on like this for a minute until my breathing was back to normal.
"Better?"
I nodded again, holding the hand of the arm around my shoulder in my free hand.
He picked his head up from the floor and gave the side of my head a kiss before pulling it back down.
A few minutes later, the drill ended and we stood up. Some people groaned as they stretched their backs out or complained about how stupid the drills were.
Pony and I didn't talk as we stood up, him first, then me with his help. My hands were still quivering as he pulled me close and I buried my head into his neck with my arms around his middle. One of his hands rested on the back of my head while the other was wrapped around my waist.
"See?" Pony comforted. "Everything's okay. We're all fine. No one's hurt."
I nodded into his neck, knowing that what he was saying was true.
"I love you, baby."
"I love you too, honey", I told him, moving my head from his neck and looking up at him.
I gave him a quick kiss before we sat back down and Mr. Jacobs carried on with his algebra lesson.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Something about late spring and summer in Oklahoma that I wasn't too fond of was the heat.
One day in May, the weather reports called for an 85 degree high, so I wore the coolest thing that I could without showing the scars on my arms: a dress and an unbuttoned sweater. I had on my Converse and put my hair in a bun with my necklace and ring per usual.
As Pony and I walked to school, we passed stores with thermometers in their windows which already read 75 degrees and the humidity wasn't helping.
The heat only got worse as the day went on. I felt like I was melting and I desperately wanted to change into a t-shirt and shorts, though I felt bad for Pony, whose coolest allowed outfit was a t-shirt and jeans.
During lunch, my vision started to get a little blurry and I felt nauseous, but I just shook it off and told myself that it would soon pass and I would be fine. That wasn't the case.
During our next class, my blurry vision developed into a headache, which turned into a raging migraine. I felt like I was dying. By that point it was 88 degrees (not factoring in humidity).
Señora Williams was having us do some work in the book, which because of my spotty vision and blaring head, I couldn't read properly.
"You alright, darlin'?" Pony asked from next to me. I guess he had noticed me squinting as I tried to read and pulling the book closer to my face in an attempt to read the questions.
I forced a smile and nodded. My stomach suddenly started churning and I felt bile rise up my throat. My eyes widened and I didn't want to swallow.
Ponyboy immediately became concerned. "Lily, what's wrong?"
"Pony", I said weakly, "get me to the nurse."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Now", I ordered.
He scrambled out of his seat and jogged over to the teacher.
"Lily needs to go to the nurse."
As he started out his sentence, I could tell that Señora Williams was about to chastise him for not speaking Spanish, but when she heard "nurse" her eyes widened.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I don't know, but she told me that she needs the nurse now."
"Yes, yes, of course. Bring her down and make sure to grab a hall pass on your way out."
"Thank you", he breathed and came back over to me, helping me up. On our way out of the room he grabbed the hall pass and started pulling me down the hallway.
"I can't run", I told him.
"Why?" he asked, concerned.
"If I do, I'll vomit", I said bluntly. "And my head is already pounding."
Pony's eyes widened again.
"Umm…", he started and I could tell that he was trying to think of a solution to our problem. He seemed to think of something, but didn't like whatever it was. "I'm sorry."
I gave him a confused look, which quickly turned to panic as he picked me up bridal style in his arms and started sprinting down the hallway.
I would have told him that he better either put me down or get me to the nurse in the next 30 seconds, but I didn't trust myself to open my mouth without throwing up.
Luckily, we weren't stopped by any teachers and he got me to the nurse quickly.
When Ponyboy ran into the nurse's office with me in his arms, the nurse looked very confused, though, admittedly, I would have too. She had only started that year and neither of us had needed to come to her yet.
"What's going on here?" she asked, standing up from her desk.
"I don't know what's wrong with her, but she has a headache and she-", Pony started, but was cut off by me pushing myself out of his arms and launching myself at the trash can, where I emptied my stomach.
He dropped to his knees beside me and rubbed my back as I lost my lunch. I had started to cry because of how miserable I felt. My stomach convulsed and sucked in without my control, making me start to throw up again as I tried to take a few breaths.
"It's okay, darlin' ", he cooed, tucking some small strands of hair behind my ears.
I wanted to retort back, "That's easy for you to say", but when I opened my mouth to take a breath before speaking, I dry heaved again.
"I know", he told me. "It sucks. It'll be over soon and you can lie down."
The nurse had started to rush around, running to get me an ice-pack wrapped in a paper towel.
She put it on the back of my neck when I stopped throwing up and Pony kept it there, holding my head to his chest. I still hadn't stopped crying and the taste of vomit in my mouth wasn't helping my mood.
"What's your name, dear?" she questioned.
"Lily Smith", Pony answered for me.
"And your house's phone number, Lily?"
Pony answered for me again and when I looked up for a moment, the nurse was giving him strange look.
"And you are…?", the nurse started, waiting for Pony to finish.
"Ponyboy Curtis, ma'am."
"And why do you know all this girl's information?"
"I'm her boyfriend", he answered.
I had put my head down, but brought it up again to confirm his answer.
"Mm-Hmm", I hummed, not having the strength to speak.
Pony picked me up again and lay me on one of the nurse's couches.
The nurse was calling my house with the phone pressed against her cheek.
"Ponyboy, I think you should get back to class now", she told him.
"No", I finally spoke out of desperation, instantly loathing the pounding that it caused in my head. "Stay with me."
The nurse's face softened and she gave me a small smile.
"If she wants you, you can stay", she told Ponyboy.
"Thank you, ma'am", he said in relief.
After a minute the nurse sighed and put the phone back. "No one's answering, so we'll just have to wait and call back. Are you sure you don't want to go back to class, Ponyboy?"
He looked at me and back at her. "I'm sure."
She went into the next room, presumably to get something.
"Are you okay?" Pony asked.
I gave him a thumbs-down instead of risking shaking my head for fear that it would make the migraine worse. Tears were still dripping out of my eyes.
"What hurts?"
Moving my hand instead of speaking, I pointed to my head, then to my stomach.
He sat on the edge of the couch and took my hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing my knuckles softly before holding it with our palms pressed together and rubbing his thumb along the back of it. I smiled at him weakly in response.
The nurse came back in a few moments later.
"Do you think you can swallow anything, dear?"
Once again, I gave a thumbs-down.
She sighed and patted my arm.
"What do you think it is, Miss…", Pony started, waiting for her to fill in the blank.
"Mrs. Rhodes", she answered, "and I think it's dehydration. Lily, dear, have you had any water today?"
I curled all the fingers of my hand except for the index finger and the thumb, which I put close to each other, leaving a small space in between. A little.
"And did you feel sick yesterday or this morning?"
Thumbs-down. No.
"Can you give me your hand?"
Hesitantly, I gave her the hand that Pony wasn't holding. Then she pinched the back of my hand and let go.
"How long have you had the migraine?"
I held up two fingers and made the "P" sign in ASL. Second Period.
"Second period?" she questioned almost incredulously.
Thumbs-up. Yes.
"Glory, darlin'. Why didn't you tell me?" Pony questioned, pushing a piece of hair off of my face.
"…didn't wanna bother you", I answered in a whisper. "…thought it would go away."
"It's definitely dehydration", Mrs. Rhodes confirmed.
I felt exhausted, but I was scared that sleeping would only make me feel worse.
The ice pack had quickly become lukewarm and I needed a new one.
"Pony."
"What do you need, baby?" Pony asked.
"Ice pack", I muttered.
"You want another ice-pack?"
Thumbs-up. Yes.
Mrs. Rhodes took my old ice pack and brought me a new one wrapped in a paper towel and placed it on my forehead.
"I'm gonna call your house again, Lily", she said, walking back to her desk.
This time my mom answered and I could hear snippets of the nurse's side of the conversation.
"Hello, Mrs. Smith, this is Mrs. Rhodes. I'm the nurse at Will Roger's… Yes, Lily seems to have been dehydrated. She has a migraine and threw up…Ponyboy Curtis brought her down here and is with her right now…Can you pick her up?… Who do you think I should call?…Okay, thank you, Mrs. Smith."
After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Rhodes walked back over to me and Ponyboy.
"Lily, is there anyone else you think I could call to pick you up?" I knew that Mom wouldn't be able to pick me up. We only had one car and my dad had driven it to work.
I cautiously opened my eyes to look at Pony.
"I could call my brother", he told her. "He's probably on lunch break right now."
She nodded and walked over to her desk, sitting down before gesturing to the phone a couple feet away from her on a table.
Pony walked over to the phone and dialed a number in before putting it to his ear. I heard a faint voice answering over the line.
"Hey, Chris, it's Ponyboy…Can I talk to Soda?… Hey, Soda, are you on lunch break?… Lily got sick at school and her mom can't come and pick her up. Can you?… Okay. See you soon. Bye."
Ponyboy turned to me. "Soda's gonna be over in a few minutes to pick you up, okay, darlin'?"
I nodded microscopically.
"I'll come by your house later and bring your stuff and the homework you missed", he told me as he sat back down on the couch.
"You have work", I argued softly. My head now only throbbed when I spoke.
"Princess, you're more important than work and it's not like I don't go in often. I'll be fine. It's not like you're going to work either."
I sighed and opened my eyes.
"Ponyboy?"
"Yeah, darlin'?"
"I love you."
He smiled sweetly. "I love you too. And I always will."
After a few minutes, Soda got to the school to pick me up.
"Hey, doll", he greeted. "How're you feeling?"
"Like crap", I answered honestly.
"D'you think you can walk?"
"I dunno", I said and slowly tried to stand up. My knees buckled and I started to sink to the ground.
"C'mon, baby", Pony said as he picked me up. "I gotcha."
"You sure you don't want me to carry 'er, Pone?" Soda questioned.
"I'm sure, Soda. I got her."
I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder as he carried me into the school parking lot, using my other arm to shield my face from the sun. The heat and humidity didn't help my misery much and I showed my distaste through a small whimper.
"I know, baby", Ponyboy cooed.
When we got to the car, Soda opened the passenger door and Pony gently placed me in the seat, buckling my seatbelt before kissing my temple.
"Remember, I'll be by later to check up on you and give you the homework you missed", he reminded me, giving my hand a slight squeeze. "I love you, darlin'."
"I love you too, honey", I told him, leaning up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
"Soda, take good care of her and give Darry a call to tell him that I'm going over to Lily's house after school."
"Got it, kid brother."
The ride to my house was quiet, which was strange since Soda was there. I could tell he wanted to talk, but was refraining from it because I didn't feel well, which I found sweet.
When we got to my house, my mom came rushing out of the door, asking me every question under the sun.
"Thank you, Sodapop, honey", she said after I waved her off, leaning up and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Oh, it's no problem, ma'am. I was on my lunch break anyway and even if I wasn't, she's like my kid sister. I wouldn't be right not to help her."
Mom helped me out of the car and I gave Soda a chaste kiss on the cheek as well before I was led into the house where I brushed my teeth to get the taste of vomit out of my mouth, shakily dragged myself up to my room and stripped off my dress, changing into one of my dad's old, big t-shirts and not even bothering to put on any pants. I brushed out my hair and pulled it up into a quick bun and closed the curtains
After I got into my bed, my mom came upstairs with some toast, iced water, and a cold-water-soaked facecloth on a tray. A bedcover was draped over her arm. She placed the cloth on my forehead and handed me the glass of water, which I took a few hesitant sips of.
"You're not going to work today", she ordered as she put my blanket at the end of my bed and put the cool cover over my bare legs.
"Okay."
"You're not going to fight me on that?" Mom questioned, disbelief lacing her voice.
"I feel awful."
My mom pursed her lips a little and nodded. "Eat some toast. You need something in your stomach and you'll feel worse if you don't."
"I will", I assured her.
She sighed and kissed my forehead, going downstairs soon after.
I ate as much of the toast as I could stomach and drank most of my water before I lay down and fell asleep.
XxXxXxXxXx
A few hours later, I woke up to Pony lightly kissing my forehead. My tired eyes fluttered open to see his face, tinted pink from the heat and smiling gently.
"Hey", he whispered softly, pushing some hair behind my ear. "How're you feeling?"
I shrugged. "A little better. Still hot."
"Do you still have a migraine?"
It wasn't a migraine anymore. More of a dull throb.
"Not really", I answered.
"And your stomach?"
"I'm still feel a little nauseous."
"Do you want anything?" he questioned, taking my hand in his.
I thought for a minute. Honestly, I just wanted him more than anything.
I sat up in bed and opened up my arms. "Cuddles."
Pony chuckled, but complied, kicking off his Converse and climbing into my bed next to me. I only had the covers covering me, which I pulled up to let him in. My curtains had been opened, allowing sunlight to flood the room.
"You don't want any food or water or anything?" Pony smiled.
I shook my head. "Nope. Only you."
"Okay", he laughed, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and hugging me close to him before laying down.
I snuggled into him and sighed quietly in contentment.
"Is this what you wanted?" Pony smiled.
I nodded, a grin forming on my face as well. "Yeah, you're cozy."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"I missed you for the rest of the day", he told me.
"I missed you too."
"Did you already eat and drink something?"
"I had some toast and water when I got home."
"Princess, that was three hours ago. I think you should drink some more." He got up to leave once again, but I tightened my grip around his midsection.
"No", I argued. "You can get me whatever you want and do whatever work you want with me after we cuddle. Just stay here for a little longer."
Pony once again lay back down and held me close, kissing my forehead. We lay like that, in a comfortable silence. I once again fell asleep.
I woke up again about an hour later. My nausea had died down and my head wasn't aching as badly anymore.
"Have a nice nap?" I heard a soft voice ask. I jumped a little, forgetting that Pony was in the bed with me.
"Did I scare you?" he laughed lightly.
I nodded and looked up at his face.
"I'm gonna go get you something to eat and drink. You want anything in specific?"
"No, I don't really care."
He got up from the bed and padded downstairs while I stretched and brushed some hair out of my face. The next few minutes were spent yawning, rubbing my eyes and trying not to fall back asleep.
Ponyboy finally came back upstairs with a bowl and a glass.
"Whaddya got there?" I asked.
"A cup of water and some saltine crackers", he answered with a grin.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
The tray was set down on my lap and I yawned again before starting to eat a cracker. Pony sat back down next to me.
"How were Two-Bit and Steve the rest of the day?" I asked between sips of water.
"They were good. Worried 'bout you."
I smiled. As annoying as they could be, the gang was sweet.
"Two-Bit's goin' crazy since graduation is soon", Pony continued.
I had forgotten; Two-Bit was graduating at the end of the month. It would be weird to not have him at school anymore, quieter.
"I can imagine", I laughed.
"You want me to get out the homework while you eat?"
I shrugged. "Not really, but go ahead."
Pony dragged his backpack to the bed and leaned over, taking out the books of the subjects I had missed. Math and History. Whooptie-freaking-doo. There was also homework for Spanish and the lesson had to be explained to me again since I had been more occupied with my health during class.
Then he grabbed my backpack and plopped it on the bed. I stepped back for a second; I don't remember bring that home with me.
"Honey?" I asked to get his attention.
"Yeah, darlin'?"
"Where'd my backpack come from?"
"I brought it with me."
"I get that, but where'd you get it from?"
"Your locker", he answered in a 'this is obvious' tone.
"How'd you get into my locker?" I questioned.
"You gave me the combination in case I needed anything, remember? I gave mine to you too."
I thought for a moment before remembering. "Oh yeah."
He chuckled at me. "Did you think I broke into your locker?"
"Kinda. Yeah", I laughed.
Pony rolled his eyes at me. "You're hopeless."
"Love you too", I said with a smirk as I grabbed my History textbook and notebook, putting my tray on the floor.
He moved back over so he was sitting next to me again, our backs resting against the headboard.
"So", he started, "we had a pop quiz today."
"Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately."
I groaned and sunk down into my bed, trying to cover my head with the covers. Pony stopped me before I could, though.
"Jesus Christ, this woman…", I muttered, trailing off.
"Yeah", he agreed. "There were twenty questions. Some weren't even relevant to the Civil War itself."
"Of course they weren't!" I vented loudly, throwing my hands up in the air. "Why would they be? It's not like we're learning about the Civil War or anything!" My voice was heavily laced with sarcasm.
Pony wrapped an arm around my shoulders reassuringly. "I know. She sucks."
I grunted. "Let's just start the studying."
Pony seemed to get that I wasn't in that great of a mood and just did as I said. Since we had studied together before, he knew what methods worked best with me. One of the said methods was asking me questions and having me answer them.
"How many children did Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln have?"
"Three."
"What did Abraham Lincoln's mother die of?"
"Milk sickness."
"How old was Fredrick Douglass when he escaped slavery?"
"How the hell would I know that? Why the hell would I know that?"
"I dunno, darlin', but this stuff's on the quiz."
I sighed. "Keep going."
He continued to ask me both relevant and irrelevant questions about the Civil War and by the time he was done, I was just about fed up with Mrs. Pope and her ways.
"I never thought I would hear myself say this, but can we do math please?"
"I thought you'd never ask", Pony said, pulling his math things from out of his bag. He seemed just as done as I was. "Luckily, we didn't start anything new today."
"What did we do?"
"Just some worksheets on the Pythagorean Theorem." He pulled out the worksheets in question as he talked and put them on my lap.
I was surprised that the Pythagorean Theorem was the subject of the papers since we had learned about it the year before.
"Love?"
"Yeah, Princess?"
"I must sound really stupid, but which of the lines is the hypotenuse?"
"First of all, you could never sound stupid. You're the smartest person I've ever met. Second of all, it's the line across from the right angle."
I blushed at his compliment, my cheeks stained pink as I thanked him and looked down.
"Hey", he said, lifting up my chin, "don't look down. I can't see your beautiful face if you do."
If I was pink before, I was positively red at that. But, nevertheless, I raised my head and looked into Pony's face.
"It's crazy…", he muttered.
"What?" I questioned, tilting my head a bit.
"You're dehydrated and your hair's messy and you're in an old T-shirt, but you still look insanely gorgeous."
I continued to blush, it creeping up my cheeks and spreading all over my face.
"Well, I've seen you covered in soot and cuts and bruises, but you're still incredibly handsome to me", I smiled.
His ears turned red as he grinned shyly at me.
"You're too cute, you know that?" I asked.
"I could argue differently", he murmured as he leaned in closer to me.
"Is that so?" I whispered against his lips.
"Mm-Hmm", he hummed before kissing me.
His hands circled my waist and mine fell loosely around his neck. My mind went blank, all thoughts of Mrs. Pope's stupidity and my sickness from earlier melting away. The one thought that was still there, though faintly, was, thank God I brushed my teeth earlier.
We sat there kissing for a few minutes before the front door busted open and the twins rushed up the stairs, barging into my room. Pony and I flung ourselves onto the bed, our chests heaving, our faces flushed, and our lips red and a little swollen.
Anna's eyes went wide when she walked into the room and Henry was heard behind her asking, "What? What's happening?"
"Umm…", Anna trailed off, looking at Pony and I with a slightly disturbed expression. "Is now not a good time? 'Cause I could go…"
I shook off my shock. "No, now's a fine time. Whaddya need?"
"You know what? I forgot." She turned around and shooed Henry away from my doorway. Henry shoved her away and looked into my room, seeing Pony and I and his eyes going as wide as Anna's had.
"Ponyboy?"
"Yeah, Henry?"
"Why're you in my sister's bed?"
Pony swallowed hard, though he never faltered in his answering. "She got sick at school today and went home, so I brought her the work she missed and came to visit."
Henry stood at the doorway and crossed his arms, going into "protective-brother-mode". "That doesn't explain why you're in the same bed."
"Because I feel crappy and I wanted to cuddle with my boyfriend. Is there a problem with that, Henry?" I asked and sat up straighter.
He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it and walked to his and Anna's room. Smart kid.
Anna looked in at us. "You two don't do anything, ya hear? I'm not becoming an aunt anytime soon. I'm not even twelve yet."
And with that, the door was closed.
Ponyboy and I looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
After a few minutes, we settled down enough to start getting things done. We got the math work done, did the homework that we still had for English and Science, and Pony explained the Spanish lesson to me, along with the homework. By the time we had finished all that, it was 4:30. I really just wanted to get up.
I shoved the blanket off me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. When I stood up, all the blood rushed to my head, making my sight go fuzzy.
"You okay?" Pony asked as he got up from the bed himself.
"Yeah, I'm fine", I assured him.
"You know you're not wearing pants, don't you?" His ears had obtained a pink-ish tint.
I stretched. "Mm-Hmm. I don't really care if it's around you, though. If it were the gang, it would be a whole 'nother thing."
"Why don't you mind it around me? Not that I'm complaining", he paused, seeming to realize what he had just said. "Wait, no. I didn't mean it like that-"
I laughed a little. "It's okay, love. And to answer your question, it's because I feel comfortable enough around you."
He smiled before getting off my bed and going over to my radio, turning it on.
Grabbing my hairbrush, I got up once again, carefully bent over, and quickly re-did my hair. When I stood back up straight, Pony took me into his arms. My brow furrowed in confusion.
"I want to dance with you", he stated simply.
These Arms of Mine by Otis Redding was playing and the song was already about half-way done, but we danced to it nonetheless.
I think we were both just too tired to do something coordinated like a waltz, so I just wrapped my arms around his shoulders as his folded themselves around my waist. We didn't really move much, just swaying, even after the song had ended and other ones came on. Soon, bands like The Rolling Stones came on, their louder music causing Pony to turn the radio down.
We eventually we stopped dancing when there was the noise of the front door opening and shutting, meaning my dad was home.
"Dinner's ready!" My mom called loud enough that the entire house could hear her a moment after the door shut.
I gave Pony on the cheek before going over to my dresser, scouring it for a pair of pajama pants.
"Honey, are you eating here?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Does Darry know?"
"When I got here, your mom asked me if I wanted to have dinner with y'all and I said yes, so I called Soda to let him know and told him to tell Darry."
I nodded in approval before we both walked out of my room and went downstairs into the kitchen.
"Lily? Ponyboy? Is that you?" Mom asked, not turning away from the stove.
"Yep", I answered.
"Would you be a dear and set the table, Lily?"
"Sure." I went over to the silverware drawer and counted out 6 forks, knives, and spoons before grabbing 6 plates, setting them all at the table and adding an extra chair for Pony.
"Can I help with anything?" Ponyboy asked Mom. "Napkins? Glasses?"
"I think we're just about set, dear, but thank you for the offer."
My dad and the twins filed into the kitchen and sat at the table.
"Go ahead", I ushered Pony. "Sit down. We're just bringing over the food."
He pecked my cheek and sat down at the table next to my dad and an empty chair that I assumed was for me.
"What's dinner tonight?" I asked my mom as I grabbed some glasses.
"Pizza."
I smiled and followed my mom to the table, carrying the glasses in my hands.
After we were all situated, the usual dinner table questions started.
"How was work today, James?" Mom asked.
"It was okay. How was the house today?"
"Good. No catastrophes as of yet."
Dad turned to Anna and Henry. "How was school?"
"Boring", they both said. It seemed that that was the only thing the two could ever agree upon.
He turned to me. "How was your day, Lily? You're obviously not at work so did something happen?"
"I got sick at school today", I told him, taking a sip of my water.
"What? Do you have the bug or something?"
"No", I answered. "Dehydration."
"Is that why Ponyboy's here?"
"Yes, sir", he said. "I came over after school to help her with what she missed today and make sure she was doing alright."
My dad smiled slightly at him, his 5 o-clock shadow twitching.
"And how's school going for you, Ponyboy?"
"It's going well. I've gotten all A's this semester and hope to keep it that way until the end of the year. One of my friends is graduating soon too."
"Part of your gang?"
"Yes sir."
"And how're they doing?" my mom asked. "The gang?"
"They're all good. They all have girlfriends now, except for Darry. Two-Bit's girl, Rachel, is a good influence on him. He got a job back in the winter and has held it since. We're all real scared of the draft, especially the girlfriends."
My parents nodded solemnly. "We can only hope that this war doesn't last much longer, or Henry here could be drafted too."
"Yeah, if it lasts much longer, I'll be eligible for it too", Pony agreed.
The table was filled by silence for a while, the only sounds being those of silverware, drinking, and shifting in seats.
"So", Mom broke the silence, "will you be staying over tonight, Ponyboy?"
"Maybe, if that's alright with y'all."
My parents both nodded. "Of course it's alright."
"I'll call my brothers and ask them if I can. They might say yes since it's a Friday."
"Do you have a change of clothes?" I asked.
"Yeah, I have one in my bag for after track practice."
"And you could sleep with me in my bed", I added.
Everyone turned to me and my cheeks turned pink. I felt stupid for even suggesting-
"Of course", my mom agreed, cutting off my thoughts. I was shocked. Were they really letting Pony and I sleep in the same bed? My dad looked hesitant about my mom agreeing, but didn't say anything about it.
After we ate Pony called his house and asked Darry if he could stay over and thankfully, Darry said yes. (Pony also asked if Soda could bring his DX shirt along with his own to work the next day, to which the answer was also yes.)
Pony stayed in my room as I took a quick shower. I ran upstairs to my room to change afterwards, only to see him sitting on my bed and staring at the wall. He was probably just thinking since he does that a lot. Though I do too.
"You better keep starin' at that wall, Ponyboy Curtis", I told him with a hint of amusement in my voice, "because if you turn around while I'm getting dressed it won't end well."
He laughed. "Thanks for the warning."
I slipped on my undergarments and put on a new pajama shirt and bottoms.
"You can look now." I was bent over, running my fingers through my hair to get the knots out before I wrapped it in a towel.
"Is that how you do that towel thingy?" I guessed he turned around and saw me.
" 'Towel thingy'?" I repeated with a laugh.
"You know what I mean." I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Yes, this is how you do the 'towel thingy'."
And with that I stood up and straightened out my shirt before walking over to my bed and sitting next to Pony. He had taken a book from my bookshelf and was reading one of the first few pages.
"Which one is that?"
He closed it, checking the cover. "Jane Eyre".
"How is it?"
"Eh, it's okay. I'm only on the third page, though", he responded.
"Is it as good as Gone with the Wind?" I teased.
"Nothing's as good as Gone with the Wind", Pony answered with a small laugh.
I grinned and grabbed my hairbrush, taking the towel off my head and brushing out my hair before parting it.
"Are you gonna take a shower too?" I asked.
"I think so, why?"
"Because if you want any hot water, you should go before the twins."
"Good idea." Pony walked out of my room and soon after, I heard the shower running once again.
After a few minutes I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I could tell it was Ponyboy. Usually, I could tell who was coming just by their footfalls. Mom's were quiet since she was quite petite. Dad's were heavier. He was a loud Scotsman and was 6 feet to my mom's 5'5. Anna's and Henry's were similar, except for the fact that Anna was a little lighter on her feet. Mine were usually quiet. I suspected it came from years of ballet, but more than not, I could walk down the stairs with mostly no noise. Pony's weren't as loud as my dad's but they were definitely audible.
The door opened and Pony walked in with dripping hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. I turned away and looked at the wall so he could get changed.
"I'm good."
I was confused by how little time it took. It's not like he would take as long as me, but his announcement came about 10 seconds after he came in.
When I turned around it made sense. Pony was just in his boxers.
"Honey?"
"Yeah?"
"Why're you just in your underwear?"
"Because I don't have any pajamas in my bag."
"Why didn't you ask my dad for some? You're probably near the same size."
"But that's weird."
I sighed and rolled my eyes before getting up and going downstairs.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Can Pony borrow some pajama pants and an undershirt or something?"
Dad looked at me, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.
"He needs pajamas. At the moment he's just in his boxers."
"Maybe we should rethink the idea of the two of you sleeping in the same bed…" he muttered as he walked into his and Mom's room and grabbed soma pajamas out of his drawers.
"Dad, have I ever given you reason not to trust me and Ponyboy together?"
"No, thank God."
"And remember how you said no going past kissing? We haven't broken that rule. We'll be fine."
My dad handed me the clothes with a sigh. "Fine, just…no funny business."
"Yes sir." I walked back up the stairs and into my room, giving the pajamas to Pony.
"Here, try these on. I don't care if I see you in your boxers, but I think my family will."
He slipped the shirt over his head and pulled the pants on. The pants had to be rolled up a few times in order for them to fit, but they were passible.
"My dad was questioning if we should sleep in the same bed", I told Pony and sat on my bed.
"Why?" He was rubbing his hair with the towel to dry it off.
"Because I informed him that you were in your boxers in front of me", I laughed.
"Are we still allowed to sleep in the same bed?"
"I think so. I reminded him that we've never broken any of his rules before and that seemed to convince him."
"Y'know what's weird?", he said. "It's getting harder to fall asleep without you with me."
"Is Soda not an adequate enough cuddler?" I giggled.
"I have to say, I prefer to cuddle with you. He's not as pretty", Pony answered, coming over and hugging me.
I laughed again stood up on tip-toe to give him a kiss on the cheek. We both sat on my bed for a while, him continuing to read Jane Eyre while I leaned on his arm and read along with him silently.
"You wanna go downstairs?" I questioned after a few hours of reading. "I think my parents are watching Johnny Carson."
"Sure."
As I suspected, my parents were indeed watching "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". My dad was in the recliner and my mom was in her chair. Pony sat down on the couch, me plopping down onto his lap.
"Anyone good on?" I asked.
My dad shrugged. "Not really anyone that I know."
I watched the T.V anyway, listening to the interviews and skits.
At some point I subconsciously started to run my fingers through Pony's damp hair while my upper arm rested on his shoulder. Even when I realized that I was doing it I didn't stop. His hair felt soft and fluffy when there wasn't any grease in it. It was nice.
"You should stop putting grease in your hair, honey. It feels nice without it."
"It doesn't make me look very tuff, though, does it", he yawned.
"You tired, love?"
"Yeah, a little." He yawned again, which made me yawn too.
"I think you're more than a little tired", I laughed.
"You might be right."
"I always am."
We got up and brushed our teeth (we had an extra toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet that hadn't been opened yet) before saying goodnight to my parents and heading up to my room. It was too hot. I really didn't want to overheat or become dehydrated again, but I wanted to cuddle with Pony. My decision was to take off my pajama pants. When I looked over at him, I noticed Pony doing the same, but taking off his shirt as well.
We slipped into my bed and pulled the thin covers over us. Pony lay on his side and I lay facing him, his arm around my waist, pulling me closer.
"I love you", he whispered, kissing my forehead.
"I love you too", I told him, cuddling into his chest. "So much."
Hey, guys! I meant to update sooner, but I was somewhere with no internet for a couple weeks. But having no internet, I started Chapter 3 as well, so that should be up soon. I love y'all and stay gold!- AthenaRavenclaw13