Aunt Alice and I move back to Tulsa after all the court drama. We moved back in, and Tiffany left. The Socs didn't bother anyone at all. They were too busy with becoming hippies and protesting the Vietnam war. You couldn't really tell Soc from Greaser now that some Socs grew dreadlocks and whatnot. Not to forget that we greasers stopped wearing our hair combed back. Well, most of us did. I'm thankful Pony didn't, he looked better like that, and you could tell a graser was a greaser by the hair gel. Yeah, that may have been two years ago, but I still believed it. I had to quit smoking because of the surgery on my neck and that bothered me lots. I had been noticing things around school lately. Like how everyone was so hung over the war, and I was the only one who knew that we'd lose. The Vietnam war was all politics. And in Vietnam we won all the battles but lost the war. No one in the world knew that yet.
"Arizona?"
A voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Yes sir?" I ask, blinking. Then I remember that I'm in Mr. Pole's history class.
"What has been happening in the world?" he asks me. I hear a few students snigger. I look behind me and shoot them a death glare. "Well?" Mr. Pole asks.
"Well, you have the march on the Pentagon." I reply.
"What happened?" Mr. Pole asks.
"100,000 demonstrators including radicals, liberals, black nationalists, hippies, and other groups marched on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. protesting the war. They were waving the flag of the Communist Viet Cong. It was supposed to peaceful, but then the radical element reared it's ugly head and some demonstrators clashed with U.S. soldiers." I explained.
"And what do you think of protesting the war?" Mr. Pole asks, pacing in front of the board.
I'm quiet for a moment. "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion." I say. "But I personally think that protesting the war isn't such a good idea. I get that we don't want people to die . . . but, however" I pause. "I personally believe that Communism is a threat to the democracy of the United States of America."
Mr. Pole nods, pleased. Th class is deathly quiet. But the loud kind of quiet. It's like you're expecting the class to explode any moment. "Well said." Mr. Pole applauds. "Very well said."
"Thank you." I reply with a smile.
"Who gives a damn about the war when people are dying?" David asks. Yes, the very same David who dated Tiffany and jumped me. He turned hippie.
I turn to face him. "Yes, people are dying, but we're fighting what the politicians see as a threat. And . . ." I pause dramatically with a sly smile. "Frankly, the politicians do give a damn." I finish, ending with a Gone with the Wind quote.
I hear a single applause from the back. I see Aunt Alice, who had magically entered applauding. She sometimes reminds me of Madame Giry in Phantom of the Opera.
"Bravo Arizona. Bravo." she says with a smile. She turns to Mr. Pole. "May I have a word with you?" Mr. Pole nods and they exit.
"So, you're getting smart-mouthed?" David calls from the back of the room.
"Haven't I always?" I reply with a smirk. "When I got mouthy with some Socs, they beat me up. Or ran away with a broken nose." I say cheerfully. "Now that most of them became hippies" I shurg. "you can't beat me up anymore." I end on a singsong note. I'm provoking them and I know it. But it had been a while since I had some fun and now seems like a great time.
"You little-" David snarls, but is interrupted by another hippie next to him.
"David," he warns. "Remember, peace and love." he holds up the peace sign.
I smirk as David sits back down. I flash a quick smile at Ponyboy and Two-Bit in the middle of the room and sit back down.
"Nice speech, kid." Two-Bit tells me after class.
"Thanks." I reply. "Is it true that the Dingo got blown up?"
"Yeah. While you got kidnapped." he says with a shrug.
"Ouch." I reply with a nod and scan the hallways.
"Where Pony?" Two asks me. "You two didn't break up?"
"Dunno." I say nonchalantly. "We haven't really spoken, and I honestly think that we should."
Two-Bit stares at me wide-eyed. "What?"
I nod. "It isn't working. We're both too busy with our class stuff so . . . yeah."
"But-"
"No 'buts' about it." I say firmly. "It's true! I've thought about it for a long time now. Oh, there he is. Better get it over with." I jog up to Pony. "I need to talk to you."
"So do I." he replies. "You go first."
"No, you go." I insist. I tap my boots against the concrete lightly.
"I was thinking, that we need a break." Pony says. "I mean we're both busy so . . ."
"You're saying we should break up?" I ask. "'Cause I was kinda thinking the same thing."
"Yeah, when you look at it." Pony says, looking down.
"Okay." I say. "Well, we're still friends right?"
"Yes." Pony replies. "Haven't we always?"
"Yeah. So we'll just see how things turn out?" I ask. This was getting really awkward.
"We will." Pony says and walks off. I walk back over to find Marcia and Two-Bit.
"Well?" Two-Bit asks. "How was it?"
"Not bad." I sigh. "But, I'm going to miss him."
"You broke up with Pony?" Marcia asks.
I nod. "We broke up with each other." I sigh. "But, I refuse to be sad about it! I'm single now and I'll enjoy it while it lasts."
I'm sitting on a wall, leaning against the pillar and reading a book when Angela Shepard walks up to me.
"Hey Arizona." she greets, sitting down on the wall pushing her dark hair out of her face.
I knew Angela Shephard. She's Curly and Tim's sister and from reading 'That Was Then, This Is Now' I knew her. "Hi Angela. What's up?" I ask, putting my book down.
"Bryon left me!" she cries in anguish.
I cock an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Didn't you break up with him to get Curtis?"
"No!" she lies. "He has you!"
"Umm . . . not anymore." I say softly.
"Wha - what?" Angela asks, looking up.
"We broke up." I tell her. Angela was known to be one of the gossipist girls one planet Earth. I watch as Angela's face glows with excitement. She squeals and jumps off the wall happily. I snicker and just get back to reading.
"Hey." To my surprise Pami shows up.
"Hi Pami? Umm . . . what are you doing?" I ask. "I thought you hated me?"
"Not anymore." Pami replies. Bryon and Mark approach me. Mark and Bryon are like brothers, they've been friends for that long. Bryon used to date Angela and Mark just like to live in the moment.
"Have you seen what Angel's up too?" Mark asks me.
"Um . . . no." I reply. "What is she doing?"
"Putting some moves on Curtis." Mark says. He turns to Bryon. "Man, I can't believe it! She dumped you to go for Curtis. Well, it's her loss."
"Yeah." Bryon growls. "But I could care less. Didn't love her anyway."
"She's got a bad temper." I say, watching Angela. It pains me just a little bit to watch.
"Hurts doesn't it?" Pami asks, squeezing my hand.
"No." I say quickly. "It doesn't hurt."
"Yes it does. It's in your eyes." Pami says gently.
"Okay! I admit it! I still love him!" I put my hands up. "There I said it."
"So you're jealous of Angel?" Mark smirks.
"Nah." I reply. "The girl's gonna end up drunk with short hair someday. Just watch."
"So are you going to the dance?" Pami asks, watching Bryon and Mark walk away.
"What dance?" I ask.
Pami looks at me in disbelief. "The school dance this Saturday night?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess." I say with a shrug. "I'll just take my car."
"Do you want to go together?" Pami asks shyly. "As friends?"
"Why not?" I ask. "Sure." 'It can't hurt. Can it?'
"What!?" Emily exclaims.
"You did what!?" Cherry shrieks.
"What did she do?" Dally asks, walking in.
"Pony and I broke up." I tell him.
He shrugs. "Okay." he sits down. "So what? You'll just get back together anyway."
"Can I go kill Angela?" Emily asks. "That low down, rotten, little brat! How dare she go after my best friend's ex!"
"Relax, Babes," Johnny calms her.
"What are you going to do?" Cherry asks.
"Nothing." I say firmly. "Absolutely nothing." I get up. "It wasn't messy. It wasn't complicated. It wasn't overly traumatizing. I'll just carry on like nothing happened."
AN: Well, there you have it! Good-bye Parizona? We'll have to see . . .
Reviews are welcome!
A few Disclaimers: I don't own the Outsiders.
I also don't own 'That was then, this is now' which is like a sequel of The Outsiders.
Thank you to Moomimad and FlyActing for your support!