AN: Hi, everyone! I bet you thought I had disappeared forever. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update. Life caught up with me and I haven't had much time to write! But, alas, here is the update. The final update. GASPWHAT. 'Tis true, this is the last chapter. I cannot thank you all enough for the reviews and favorites and everything else. I seriously appreciate it so much. Thank you again and don't be a stranger!
Bridgette spent a lot of time with Pony over the next couple of weeks. She would spend lots of time with her new friends just as he would spend lots of time with his new friends, but eventually their friends meshed together. They would invite each other along to so many things that it was more convenient for their respective friends to just take them in as one of their own. Bridgette had trouble at first dealing with the free spirits of Pony's art friends but they grew on her rapidly. Lucy loved having Pony around but soon realized he would never go for her so she reluctantly put up with him at practices and games. Bella was delighted with Pony and would frequently give Bridgette a broad grin when he had his back turned.
Even before their friends accepted the change, Bridgette and Pony spent just about every night together. As exciting as college was, it could still be very overwhelming and it was very grounding to have the other there with them. It was nice to have someone from back home. Bridgette always wanted to forget about home and start anew, but she never planned on becoming friends with Pony. She always considered college the motivation she needed to get over him once and for all. Now they were at school together, laughing about fond memories, listening to music, writing letters in silence, or complaining about homework.
Pony told her after only a few days after they reconnected that he had to meet the dreaded roommate so Bridgette took him over to her room. She introduced him to Megan and they had a really nice long chat about Two-Bit. As they walked up to her room, Megan winked dramatically at Bridgette and showed her approval by giving her a big thumbs-up.
Madison was about as delighted as one would expect. The whole reason they had a falling out to begin with was because Bridgette brought a boy to her room. Madison eyed him critically and then threw Bridgette a dirty look.
"Two-Bit did a great job of decorating," Pony admired, acting oblivious to Madison's less than friendly greeting.
"Another friend of yours?" Madison snapped.
"I'm Ponyboy," Pony introduced, holding out a hand for her to shake. She looked down at his hand in disgust and then shook it, looking as if she was doing so against her better judgment.
"Madison," she said stiffly.
"Nice place," Pony observed.
"Look," Bridgette said, walking over so that she could present to him her record player.
"Wow!" Pony whistled. "That is tuff."
"Thank you," she grinned.
"Are you going to be here long?" Madison asked.
"As much as I've tried, the school told me I have to stay here until June," Bridgette sighed heavily.
Madison scowled at her and then walked over to her desk in a huff.
Even though Bridgette wanted Pony to stay longer just to spite her, they both left to get food. Pony agreed that she was a piece of work and didn't question Bridgette when she would come to his dorm at least twice a week to stay the night.
Nothing ever happened between them on the nights she stayed over. Even when they were dating they never took it further than kissing. But that was honestly more to do with privacy than anything. She loved the damn kid and she trusted him and she was certain she would have gone further with him if the occasion ever came up.
Alas, they never got the chance. And now that they had all the privacy in the world, they were no longer dating.
Bridgette still loved him and being around him so much filled her with contentment and a strange sadness that washed over her at the most random moments. She wanted so badly to be with him but he never made it seem like the feeling was mutual. So she was just going to enjoy the fact that he was her best friend again and be happy about it.
They were in his room one night a few months into school and she was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he worked on homework. Winter break was approaching fast and Bridgette was dreading it. She had never had much of a fond Christmas memory. Her brothers were always either in jail or with friends or drunk. It was a great time for her mom to go and gamble because tourists were around for the holidays and she loved hustling them. If the family ever was together, no one ever really acknowledged that it was even a holiday, let alone Christmas. When she was younger she would get presents but pretty soon no one could afford it and Curly stopped stealing her gifts. She didn't care about the gifts. She always just wanted her family to be together. Now she wanted nothing to do with them.
"Hey, Pony?" she asked, her voice deafening compared to the silence.
"Hmm?"
"You're going back for the holidays, right?"
"Yeah, of course," he said, clearing focusing more of his attention on his homework than on their conversation.
"Oh, I thought so."
"You?" he asked.
"No, I'm hanging around here."
This got his attention. He set down his pen and turned in his seat to looked at her in confusion.
"You're not coming back?" he frowned. "But…you have to."
"No," she shook her head but grinned. "I don't."
"But you have to see the gang!" he cried. "Two-Bit would be devastated. So would Soda and Darry. Shoot, even Steve would be upset. They all want to see you."
"I want to see them, too," she said sadly. "But I can't go home. I…don't want to."
The words made her even sadder. She had just been thinking that exact thing but saying it loud made it too real.
"You wouldn't be staying with them," Pony insisted. "You'd stay with us. Of course you would. Come on, you have to."
"I can't go back to Tulsa and not see my family."
"Yes you can," he said simply. "You don't owe them anything. And you're not going home for them. You're going home for the gang."
"I honestly don't think I can," she frowned.
"Hey, think it over. You don't have to decide now. But you know we would never let anything happen to you. And we can protect you."
"Yeah," she said distantly. She imagined herself arriving at the Curtis house and being the center of a group hug with Pony. Soda would enthusiastically fill them in on everything that had been happening and introduce them to his new girl. Darry would then insist that they tell him everything about college. Two-Bit would crack a few jokes but spend most of his time talking about Megan. And Steve would hang around, laughing and talking when appropriate. The thought made Bridgette smile and she almost confirmed she would go right then.
But then another image floated across her mind. Some people around town would see her and report back to Tim. Old habits die hard and word would get back to her family that she was home. Her parents would throw a fit that she hadn't told anyone she was coming home or that she was back in town. They would scold her for not coming to see them after everything they did for her. Curly would be really hurt, if he was even in town still. Bridgette didn't know what Tim would do. He would either lose his temper and make a big deal about it or he would act really cold and distant. He might even act like she wasn't there. Maybe—and the thought made her feel a little sick—he would be annoyed that she was back.
"Just think about it," Pony said, watching her closely.
And she did think about it. She thought about it long and hard. She was on the cusp of making the decision to go when her coach and recruiter pulled her aside after practice. They told her very calmly and politely that the soccer players do not typically go home for any holidays during their season because they need to practice and keep on top of things. They explained that people tend to overindulge during holidays and it would take a week or two for them to get back on track once they returned to school and they couldn't afford to lose any time. Bridgette thought that it was a bit extreme and she didn't agree with their logic, but she also didn't argue with them. Now she had an iron clad reason she couldn't go home and she felt relieved.
"They can't do that," Pony fumed as he paced around his room. Bridgette was sitting in his desk chair and she watched him.
"They can," she shrugged. "Other girls can go home if they please. They're not being forced to stay against their will. But I'm on a scholarship. The only reason I'm in college at all is because of the team. So, yeah, they can do that."
"It's not right," he continued.
"Pony, it's fine," she rolled her eyes. "As much as I really do want to see the gang, I wasn't looking forward to going home. I like it here and I'm kind of excited to spend Christmas here."
Pony made a loud sound of disapproval but she just shrugged.
Pony continued to complain about it all until the day he left. He packed a small bag and Bridgette saw him off at the bus station. She went back to her room and relished the solitude. Madison was gone until the end of the holidays and Bridgette was loving every moment. She wrote some letters to her friends and went downstairs. Megan, like most of the people in her dorm, was gone for the holidays so Bridgette went into the small office and helped herself to some stamps, leaving the correct amount of change in the designated envelope. She sent them off and returned to her room.
Seeing as how Bridgette never had much of a Christmas, she didn't mind one bit that she was on campus for it all. She had practice with her teammates twice a day until the 23rd, when everyone went home to be with family. Everyone but Bridgette, of course. They would return by the 26th so she wasn't worried about getting lonely.
Christmas Eve rolled around and she spent the majority of her day down at the soccer field, conditioning and kicking the ball around on her own. It was freezing and the ground had a thin layer of snow, but Bridgette didn't mind.
On Christmas she read through all the letters she had kept that were from Nadine and the occasional letter from the gang. She smiled down at each letter and sighed happily. Despite being alone on Christmas, she couldn't deny she had some amazing friends in her life.
The next day Bridgette was rudely awoken by someone launching themselves onto her bed. Bridgette groaned loudly and tried to push off who she assumed was Bella. Bella would have returned back so that the team could continue practicing.
"Why is she being so mean to me?"
Bridgette shot up in bed in bewilderment. That was definitely not Bella. That was a very pouty Sodapop. She looked around and, sure enough, it was Soda that was bouncing on her bed.
"What?" she asked breathlessly.
"She probably should have pushed you harder," a second voice teased.
Bridgette tore her eyes away from Soda and realized the other boys were in her small dorm room as well. Darry, Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, and Pony were all there.
"What?" she repeated, unable to voice anything else.
"We couldn't let you be alone," Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Pony told us you weren't coming back with him and imagine how heartbroken we were."
"We had to come see you," Soda added. "We would have come sooner but we already had plans and we had to stick to them."
"I understand," she said slowly. "I can't believe you guys are here."
"Believe it!" Steve shouted.
"Now get up and get ready," Pony instructed.
"I have practice," she said reluctantly.
"No you don't," Two-Bit said.
"No, I really do," she countered. She appreciated Two-Bit's cavalier lifestyle but she had commitments.
"No, you really don't," Darry said and she looked at him in confusion. "We got a truly white Christmas a little late this year."
"It's a blizzard out there," Steve said.
"Then…what are we going to do? Why should I get ready? Wait, how did you even get here?"
"I'm a really good driver," Two-Bit said seriously and she smirked.
"And the storm wasn't that bad until we got a little closer to campus," Steve said. Two-Bit tackled Steve and they started to wrestle.
"Let us worry about what we'll do," Soda said dramatically, tossing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him.
The boys left the room to let her get ready and she grinned after them. She really was quite lucky. She still had no idea what the guys had planned so she put on a long warm sweater, jeans, and she draped her jacket over her arm just in case they went outside.
She joined them in the game room.
"Megan said we can check out equipment as long as you pay me fifty dollars an hour," Two-Bit announced.
"In your dreams," Bridgette smirked.
"Fine, thirty," Two-Bit said.
Ponyboy was already digging through the back desk and he pulled out the pool table supplies. Bridgette was on a team with Steve and they played against Two-Bit and Soda. It was a surprisingly close game but Bridgette could thank Steve for their success. She had never played before and Pony sheepishly helped her out, shooting Soda looks to make him stop giggling.
Bridgette sat the next game out and let Darry and Ponyboy play the next round. Steve watched the game intently so Bridgette just sat back and watched her friends fondly. All of the Curtis boys were good at pool but Darry was great. He was so focused and precise and it was fun to watch him.
After a few hours of pool, everyone looked outside to see how the weather was doing. It had stopped snowing for the time being. Bridgette was surprised by how much snow was on the ground. She put on her coat and walked outside with everyone.
"You know what we have to do, right?" Two-Bit asked.
"What?" Pony asked warily.
Two-Bit's response was to gather snow in his hand and launch it at Steve. Steve was caught off guard and the snowball hit him in the face. Steve spluttered a few choice words before he full on tackled Two-Bit. By this point, Soda had already created a pile of snowballs by his feet and he started to throw them at the boys wrestling on the ground.
Bridgette stood there in silence as she picked through every memory she had and she came to a very depressing conclusion: she had never been involved in a snowball fight. Even when she was a kid she had never had the pleasure. She could vaguely remember making a small snowman with Curly when she was about five but no snowball fights.
Before she could dwell too much on how sad her childhood was, a snowball hit her in the shoulder. Soda laughed heartily and then ran off. Bridgette broke into a smile and squatted down, creating snowballs as fast as she could. Without anyone establishing anything, Bridgette, Steve, and Darry went onto one team and Pony, Soda, and Two-Bit were on the other team. Everyone was laughing and shouting and some people were being tackled.
Bridgette was laughing hysterically at the fact that Soda was laughing so hard. While she was laughing, a snowball hit her square in the face and she thought she was going to die from laughing so hard. She couldn't catch her breath and she had a pain in her side. Eventually she just plopped down in the snow and laughed.
"Snow angels!" Steve yelled and he fell into the snow not too far from her. Pretty soon everyone was falling to the ground. Pony ran over and made sure he made his snow angel right by her. She had finally stopped laughing but her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
"We're heading inside," Darry announced. His white shirt was soaked through and Bridgette could see every valley and slope of his chiseled torso. Darry caught Bridgette ogling him and he looked surprised but slightly flattered. He smiled timidly at her while she tried to disappear into the snow from humiliation.
"I'm going to stay out here a little longer," Bridgette called, partly to avoid Darry for another few minutes and partly because she felt so content lying in the snow.
"Yeah, me too. We'll meet you in there," Pony said.
The boys laughed and talked before disappearing into the dorm. Bridgette closed her eyes and laid there with her arms spread out. She was content. Things were going really smoothly and she wanted to remember this moment, memorize everything about it. She loved the company, especially considering they drove through a snow storm to get to her. She loved laughing and goofing off without having to worry about curfews or spies. She loved not having to worry about Tim or her family at all. She loved school and soccer and being on her own and she absolutely loved being with Pony. She even loved the snow seeping into her clothes because it was a constant reminder that this was real. It was all happening.
"Hey, Bridgette?" Pony asked quietly.
"Hmm?" she responded.
"Things are pretty good, huh?"
"Yup, Pony," she sighed happily. "Things are pretty good."
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas."
They fell silent again and Bridgette was sure she could fall asleep if she wanted to. She probably would have, too, if it weren't for Pony getting up and then assisting her to her feet. She brushed the excess snow from her which was useless but she didn't mind. Pony put his hand on the small of her back as they walked back into the dorm. It was so warm and toasty. The guys were all hanging out in the game room and all of them had stripped down to their underwear. Their clothes were hanging to dry all around the room.
Bridgette was in college so she should have grown accustomed to boys in little clothing. She had been to more than a few parties and even more sporting events where clothing was not always a priority for most boys (or girls for that matter). So while it was shocking to her at first, she had learned to accept it and roll with it.
So why she started to blush up a storm and back out of the room with her eyes averted to the ground was a mystery to her.
"I'm going to change," she said. Well, that was what she intended to say but it came out as one mumbled mess that made Two-Bit scratch his head.
She turned on her heel and literally ran away. She decided a nice warm shower was just the ticket to warm her body and to get over her embarrassment. She made it quick and then changed into the coziest clothes she owned that weren't pajamas. She took the stairs two at a time and found the guys all missing except for Pony.
"Where did everyone go?" she frowned.
"I sent them to my room to get some dry clothes," he said, trying and failing not to grin.
"They didn't have to do that," she said sheepishly.
"I insisted. I don't want to see Two-Bit's pasty legs."
"Well, you're alone on that one," she joked and he laughed. "So, uh, why aren't you changing?"
"I will," he shrugged. "I didn't want you to come back to an empty room."
"Oh, I wouldn't have minded. I would have figured it out eventually."
"I know you would have," he laughed. "You're smart, I guess."
They smiled at each other. The door burst open and the guys ran inside. Steve had Soda in a headlock which made it difficult for either of them to run. They were all wearing dry clothes that belonged to Pony. Bridgette momentarily wondered if Pony had any clothes left because surely the guys would go home in those dry clothes.
The group decided to head back to Bridgette's room and hang out. It had been awhile since Bridgette had really seen the guys and she was looking forward to catching up with them.
And catch up they did. They talked for hours. Hours and hours. They ran out of records to play before their conversation was even halfway complete. Bridgette pulled out every food item she owned and everyone snacked. Bridgette learned all about Soda's girlfriend, who was named Laurie. Laurie was a pre-med student who had an epiphany one night that her entire life was a conveyer belt. She would have been a Soc if she had been born in Tulsa, but instead she was born in Dallas. Her dad was a doctor and his good name and connections got her as far as they could. She took the classes she needed and participated in internships and did what was expected of her. Then it hit her one night after class that she never wanted to be a doctor and she was only doing what her family wanted her to do. So she hopped into her car and took off. She bought supplies on her way and then wound up in Oklahoma. Soda was smitten. And Laurie was enamored. Bridgette was so happy for him.
Two-Bit was dating Megan, of course. Bridgette learned that the pair saw each other more than she realized. More than anyone realized. Things were going well for them. Darry was still working, though he had time to breathe now that Pony was off to college. He made jokes a lot about the financial difference buying groceries for two boys instead of three. Bridgette didn't think he was joking at all. She had been at that house a lot and she knew all three of them could eat an astronomical amount of food.
Steve then shared with the group that he had two very big announcements. The first was that he was planning on proposing to Evie. The second was that the current owner of the DX was retiring and he was leaving the business to Steve.
"Partner?" Steve asked, turning to Soda. He held out his hand for a handshake and Soda stared at his hand in awe for a moment.
"Are you sure?" Soda asked.
"Of course I'm sure," Steve rolled his eyes. "We've been partners from the start. If you're not in, then I'm not in."
"Well of course I am," Soda guffawed. He shook Steve's hand and then they hugged.
And just like that Steve and Soda became business owners. Everyone cheered and congratulated and no one could stop smiling. Big things were happening for the group.
"Now we just need something big to happen for Darry," Two-Bit said.
"He could start his own roofing business," Bridgette suggested without thinking.
"Yeah!" Soda enthused.
"No," Darry shook his head.
"Why not?" Pony asked. "I can advertise for you."
"And I can plan your finances," Bridgette offered.
"You two just started college and you're already trying to test your abilities?" Darry asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Hey, businesses take years to get started. By the time things get serious, we'll be done with school and able to make it something big," Bridgette said.
"I'll think about it," Darry said lazily. Everyone knew he was full of crap but Bridgette and Pony kept exchanging looks that meant they were entirely serious. They would make it happen no matter what. Darry deserved to be the boss and call all of the shots.
After they finished talking about the big events in their lives, they talked about the little things. They talked about classes or gossip back home. Before they knew it, it was nearing nine at night.
"Whoa," Two-Bit winced. "We have to get going."
"Work tomorrow," Soda said, and then flashed Steve a smile.
"Is it safe?" Bridgette asked uncertainly.
"It's not snowing anymore," Steve said as he looked out the window.
"But won't the roads be slippery?"
"Don't worry about us," Two-Bit said, pulling Bridgette into a hug and rubbing her head like she was a dog. "We'll be good."
"You better," she said and wiggled out of his embrace.
They said their goodbyes and they left.
"It's surprising that hardly anyone is back yet from break," Bridgette told Pony, looking out the window at the deserted campus.
"The only one crazy enough to drive in this weather is Two-Bit," Pony shrugged and Bridgette nodded.
"I don't really want anyone to come back," Bridgette admitted.
"Yeah, it's kind of nice like this," he agreed. He looked around. "Hey, why don't you sleep in with me? Prolong having to see Madison."
She didn't need to be asked twice. She grabbed anything she might need and they headed to his dorm. Bridgette changed into her pajamas as Pony went to shower and she nestled into his bed. He returned and laughed at how she had taken over his bed.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
"Very," she sighed happily.
"Can I trouble you for a few inches of space?" he smirked.
"I suppose," she said thoughtfully. She scooted over to one side of the bed and he turned out the lights before getting into bed with her.
Bridgette was so happy and so at peace that she didn't think twice about cuddling up to him. She didn't think about the implications or that it might actually make him really uncomfortable. After all, he was the one that ended the relationship so he would be the most likely person to be against cuddling. And yet, she didn't care. She was so happy that she couldn't fathom anything going wrong.
"Hey, Beej?" he asked uncertainly.
"Hmm?"
"Um, can I talk to you?"
"Of course you can."
He squirmed out from under her arms and that was the first time it hit her that she might be overstepping some boundaries. She shrunk away from him, scooting as far from him and as close to the edge as possible. He sat up and leaned against the wall and she looked up at him apprehensively.
"This, uh, has been a pretty crazy last few months, hasn't it?" he asked, looking down at his hands. She nodded, not sure what he wanted her to say. "I mean, we came into school almost as strangers and now look at us." Again, she didn't know what he meant by it all so she just continued to look up at him with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "It's nice to have you back."
"It's nice to have you back, as well," she said softly.
"I had a lot of fun today," he said.
"I…did too," she said. What was he getting at?
"You know, talking to the guys…it kind of seems like everyone has their life together. You know?"
"Yeah," she agreed. It was true. Soda and Steve were prospering in love and business, Two-Bit was in a happy relationship, Darry would one day own his own business if Pony and Bridgette had anything to do with it, and everyone just generally seemed happy. Things were going well for everyone and it made Bridgette smile.
"I just…I need to know something very important," Pony sighed.
"Okay," she said slowly.
"Do you still, you know…like me?"
Bridgette scrunched up her face and scoffed at him. He had to know the answer to that and she resented him for bringing it up. He looked perplexed by her response and she sighed dramatically.
"I never stopped liking you since I was six, Pony," she said defiantly.
"So…you still like me?"
She glared at him.
"I haven't stopped liking you since I ended it," he said quickly, rightfully assuming she was about to punch him in the shoulder. "I didn't end it because I stopped caring about you. I ended it because we weren't really…the same…as a couple. Not then. We both had things we had to work on, you know?"
"Things I needed to work on," she corrected.
"No," he said firmly. "Things we needed to work on. And I don't know…I think we've had time to kind of figure things out. I think we've both grown. I want to be with you, Beej. So bad. But I don't want to put either of us through another breakup. I don't want to rush anything because I can't do that again. I can't be without you, even if only as a friend. I need you in my life in one way or another but I just…I really want to be with you."
A million thoughts ran through Bridgette's head. The first was doubt that this was really happening. It was very possible she was still asleep in bed and she had dreamt that the boys had come to visit her. Any minute she would wake up to a cold but clear day and she would be reunited with all of her friends and she would slave away on the soccer field and everything would be as it should. But as dreamlike as it was, she knew this was real. So then she became suspicious. How did he think she had grown? His reason for ending it in the first place was her unwillingness to compromise. They hadn't been in any real situations since school started where either of had to compromise on anything so how could he possibly know if she had grown in that sense? Of course, as soon as the thought entered her mind she realized she didn't really care why he thought that. She was just glad he did. She had wanted to be with Ponyboy for as long as she could remember. She didn't know anything different. And there he was, telling her he wanted to be with her and he thought it would work this time and he needed her in his life. It was everything she had ever wanted and more. So instead of responding with some heartfelt soliloquy, she responded with a simple word:
"Okay."
"O-okay?" he repeated. "Um…is that all you have to say?"
His lips were curling upwards in a smile and she let out a breathy laugh.
"I want to make this work, Pony. Of course I do. But I agree with you in that I can't do another breakup. That just about killed me and I…I can't do it again. So we have to make some kind of deal."
"What kind of a deal?"
"I don't know. Like, you have to get me to compromise better and I have to get you to communicate better. We'll help each other stay on track. I promise I'm going to do everything I can to make it work."
"I know. And I promise I'll do everything I can to make it work."
"I know. I think I still need a little help and guidance in the whole relationship realm."
"We all do," he smirked. "But we can help each other."
"Yes we can," she said enthusiastically, unable to control the smile on her face.
"Okay, so…we're back on?" Pony asked.
"We're back on," she beamed. He slid back down and she cuddled up to him once again. He wrapped his arm around her and she nestled into his chest.
She knew that they would have their problems—everyone couple does. She knew that she would struggle to stray from her routine and he would get frustrated, but she also knew that she was ready and willing to make it work. She had lost him once and she didn't want to go through that again. So if she had to skip a class every so often or miss one soccer practice, it would be worth it, because she had Ponyboy.
She loved him and, if he didn't love her yet, she was confident he would eventually. She had the best friends a girl could ask for and she was no longer at the mercy of her crazy family. She was her own person with her own life and having Pony in it was just the cherry on top.
So as her eyes fluttered closed and she felt the steady rise and fall of his chest, Bridgette knew that she was finally free.