Chapter Seven: "Cooperative" Cherries

Featuring:

Cherry Valance*

Marcia*

Ponyboy Curtis

Kyle Bowey:

Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews

Dallas Winston*

* = featured character narrates part or all of the chapter

/ = character isn't ever physically present in chapter but is still featured

: = original character that wasn't in the original book, movie, or musical and was created for this story

Cherry Valance:

Marcia and I began walking to school together. I rang the doorbell to her house. It never takes long for her to come out. She skips down her porch steps as happy as she normally does it every morning. Marcia is definitely a morning person, she doesn't drink coffee, or anything caffeinated, she's just naturally bright and energetic.

I tagged along behind her and began to walk. "Can we go again Cherry? Oh please! We have to go again! Two-Bit says he's swinging by today we have to go!" It's been two days, it's Thursday now. Marcia hasn't stopped talking about it. Now that she's gotten a whiff of the East Side she doesn't want to be anywhere else. And if I was honest neither do I. "We can't make this a routine Marcia."

She grunted, "Why not? You wanna go, I know you do so don't even try to lie about it, and I wanna go. We can be really careful and it won't hurt anyone!" I sighed. She had a point, but it still couldn't happen. "And what if we do get caught? What happens to us? I don't want to get into a habit of going and increasing our chances."

Marcia was stubborn, she knew what she wanted she was going to get it. I knew she understood what I was trying to say, but she wanted to be East more than she wanted to have a good reputation. "Please Cherry, don't you want to see Dallas again? You can't just leave him like that after what happened Tuesday night."

There she goes using my feelings to get what she wants. She's stubborn and smart, which is hardly ever a good combination. "Same time as Tuesday, come over to my house and we'll walk there. I'll talk to Ponyboy at school, I don't want to come over unannounced again."

She jumped, with a full smile on her face. She nearly knocked me down when she forced a hug on me. "Thank you Cherry! This is going to be so fun! Oh! What if we went every other day? Wouldn't that be so great?"

"In your dreams Marcia."

We ended up making this a habit and going every other day.

Pony and I have the same home room, most of the time I'm reading but I thought it'd be a good time to talk to Ponyboy about going over. The only Socs besides Marcia here were Emma and Kyle, if Marcia can shut Kyle up then it'll be easy.

I walked over to him and I already saw Kyle glancing at me but I kept going. "Hey Pony," he looked up from his book, it was 'The Great Gatsby' the one Dallas gave to him. He looked almost surprised when I spoke, I guess he had pretty good right to be, I did say I wasn't gonna talk to him in school. Things are changing, but it doesn't feel like it.

Well I feel a difference, but it feels like a natural difference, something that was meant to happen. "Yeah Val?" I didn't question why he called me Val, I suspected Soda called me that in front of him and he caught onto it.

"We were thinking about swinging by this evening, like the way we did last Tuesday? You mind?" I saw Two-Bit grin at Marcia as she covered her giggle. 'You comin'?' He mouthed. She nodded, keeping that giggle inside of her even though that smile of hers gave everything away.

"Oh, no, no I don't mind none. You want me to call Dally or-" I coughed over him, signaling not to mention Dallas. Does he know what happened? He couldn't have... "Tell him I'll be at the creek at 8:00." I whispered, he nodded diligently.

Marcia:

Bowey hollered over at Cherry, "Yo Cherry whattaya doin' talking to a greaser?" He was awful loud. I looked over at Two-Bit and he wasn't looking too pleased. "Leave it Kyle, it doesn't involve you." I firmly stated. Looking back at Two-Bit again. He was biting his nail, staring Bowey down.

"Cmon Marcia, Cherry's a Soc gal with a life ahead of her. You see that greaser? You think he's goin' anywhere, you think he's worth anything?" He was pissing me off, just like he always does. I just wished he didn't talk so much.

"Just sit and be quiet please Kyle." I urged. He groaned like a child, I'm not one to talk about childish behavior but Bowey is on my last nerve. "Hey what kinda broad are you to talk like-"

"Hey, what's your name? Kale? Sumn like that? Pipe down there will ya? How many time's that doll gon' hafta speak to you till ya shut yer trap? She sounds like she's training a dog goddammit." Doll, he called me a doll. I smiled to myself, I could tell Kyle saw me, and it riled him up even more.

"It's Kyle you hippie, you wanna fight or somethin'?" Two-Bit didn't get up, he laughed. "How you gon' fight with those jeans? Those things could be leggings man, ya might wanna size up." I had audibly laughed that time. Kyle's gotta be insane to try to pick a fight, and Two-Bit was right about the leggings thing.

"Ya think this is just talk? Well, hippie, let's go. Stand up, you wanna pick fights here? Let's see if your fighting is as good as them wisecracks." Two-Bit grinned.

"I ain't goin' easy on ya Kale." Two-Bit grabbed a sharp switch blade and that's when I realized this wasn't a laughing matter. I didn't want either of them getting hurt, even if Bowey annoyed the hell outta me.

That teacher's always out so no one's going to be here to break it up. I can see Cherry look at me like I'm supposed to do something. I don't know what to do. I saw Ponyboy look back at them. He looked worried, I knew Pony didn't like fights, "Two-Bit, cmon it ain't worth it." Ponyboy pleaded.

Two-Bit looked at him with a hint of sympathy, and in that time of weakness Kyle punched Two-Bit right on the jaw. I wanted to cry. I was so angry I could sob my eyes out. I could even feel my eyes burn.

Cherry doesn't like fights, but I'm scared of them. She's not scared she's just against it, but I can't watch them. And when I'm scared I always get angry. Two-Bit dropped his knife, I could tell he saw my eyes redden.

Kyle didn't care though. He picked up that fallen knife, slicing through part of Two-Bit's arm. It wasn't a stab but it got a good cut. A tear pierced itself down my cheek.

"Kyle, stop!" I cried. I ran over to him but it did no good, he was angry. I normally had him wrapped around my finger. But not this time. He pushed me to the wall. My back hurt and I was choking back a really ugly cry.

Cherry and Emma ran over to me, trying to be comforting. I stood next to Cherry, angrily shaking off her hand that attempted to rest on my shoulder. I could hear Two-Bit grunt as he grabbed onto Kyle by his shirt.

It all felt like a big blurb of a memory. I was rubbing my eyes, I didn't shed anymore tears, but my eyes were bloody red. Kyle was gone, maybe to find another Soc or a teacher, who knows. Two-Bit looked at me like he held all the guilt on Earth. I felt an even greater urge to cry at that moment.

I never want to see a fight again. I'm angry for ever having to witness it. And even though I was a little upset at Two-Bit for contributing to this, I wasn't really mad at him. "I'll take you to the nurse?" I knew he wanted to say no, and claim that it didn't hurt that bad, but he didn't say that, "It's a date." He grinned, so I did too.

Cherry Valance:

Pony and I were talking outside of the nurse's office trying to kill time since we were granted a hall pass. "I really dig 'The Great Gatsby', and you were right about the Soda-Gatsby thing Val, I see it." He said, I could tell he really did like it because of how he used enthusiastic hand gestures while he talked. I smiled.

I forgot to respond what he had said, I just knew I felt relieved when I talked to him. It wasn't pressuring, I didn't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. I just said what felt right. "You know Pony, I was wrong before. We should talk more in school." Pony smiled at me. It was real sweet.

"Dally's picking me up t'night from the library. I'll tell him to go to the creek." He whispered Dallas' name, learning his lesson from before. I nodded and went to class.

I thought about what would happen at the creek. And I was even more excited to go. I knew Marcia was pretty pumped herself.

Dallas Winston:

I took my time gettin' there, I don't run for nothin' and I'm not gon' start. When I got there I could tell she didn't see me, she wasn't intuitive the way I was. "Baby, you're early." I said to her.

Her hair blew in the wind, she was sitting with her legs crossed facing the water. I could see her flinch, somethin' 'bout the way she gets nervous 'round me is awful pleasin'. Blast it, I could love her if I let myself.

She abruptly stood up, sending visible rays of anger that I'd love to mock her for as she crossed her arms. "You're late." I held my hands up mockingly which must've annoyed her more. That don't bother me none, she's kinda cute like that.

"It's 8:10." I stated. I patted down my pocket to find a box of them cancer sticks. There weren't any. I silently cursed at myself for not thinkin' of getting them before. I had just walked past the gas station with the cigarettes I dig a minute ago.

"That's late, I said 8:00." She said firmly to object my previous statement. I scoffed, mocking the way she normally would. "It's a ten minute walk, ten minutes ain't even that bad don't get so hacked off baby."

She sighed, hugging herself even tighter. "You should've planned it out more, if you left around 7:50-"

"Aw cmon baby, I'm early enough. Don't gimme that tone, it's the thought that counts ain't it?" I smirked at her even though she wasn't lookin' at me. I approached her from the back and gave her a hug that wrapped 'round her waist.

"I guess so." She said, leaning her head back onto my chest. I scattered gentle kisses all over that neck of hers, memorizing the areas I got and noting the ones I hadn't gotten. "You were right- Pony, Pony likes the book."

I wasn't ever much of a talker when it came to shit like this, but I'm a goddamned sucker for her awkward attempt at conversation. "Told ya." I said between both kisses and breaths.

"You know, getting him that book was- it was, nice of you." Out of spite I nipped her neck. It wasn't painful, but it bothered her. "Ow, you bit me." I bit back the smile that was forming on my face.

"Say that again and I'll do it again." She scoffed which wasn't anythin' new. She was warmin' up to me awful fast. I could her stuff body begin to finally relax.

"Well, you said you read 'The Great Gatsby' right?" She asked. I moved her hair out of the way to kiss the back of her neck. "Parts of it."

She began to stutter again, she was getting a whole lot nervous, she's more relaxed than she used to be but I notice nerves take over her from time to time. "Well- did you read the story of Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker?"

I thought about it for a minute, lookin' back in the little I did read about the book. "Think so. The golfer and the poor guy? They was engaged weren't they?" She nodded slowly.

"Did you see the part where Nick breaks off the engagement? You think we'll end up like them?- Ow! You said you wouldn't do that again Dallas." I ignored her scolding me. "We ain't nothin' like them. There ain't nothin' like us."

She sighed, I could tell she didn't think I was listenin' well enough but I knew I was. "They broke up because of financial issues. What's the difference of them and us? You're a greaser and I'm a Soc."

She don't understand shit like this. She thinks she can compare whatever the hell we are to fiction. Fiction is forced to be tragedy, we can choose not to be. "The difference is they're stupid. Nick was too honest for his own good, he couldn't handle the real world."

She was bothered by my reasoning, I could tell. It hacked her off some but I needed to get through to her. "You seriously think honesty is stupid? Just because you lie through your teeth-"

Cherry Valance:

"I lie because honesty is weak. Nick couldn't handle shit and I can. No one's honest 'round so there ain't to point tryna be. I ain't honest and neither are you. You know it too." He was right. I was a liar. I'm disloyal to all of my Soc friends besides Marcia.

I can't even stick to a side. I have to lie to survive the West Side, and I have to be East to feel free. I'd never make it out if I wasn't a liar. Lying is what brought me here. If I was ever truly honest my reputation would be in ruins. Dallas knows that. Marcia knows that. Beverly knows that.

We all learn to be liars for our own benefit. He's right. "Baby I ain't a fool, and I ain't the screw-up ya see me as. Not as much of one at least. So we ain't endin' up like Nick, nobody's makin' a mess of anythin' here."He wasn't a fool, he wouldn't have made it this far if he was.

I stiffened a little. Being slightly angry at him for hardly any reason at all. He didn't notice though, in fact he just continued to kiss me. His kisses traveled up my neck to my jaw.

I moved away subtly, wanting to be angry but not wanting to leave. "Aw cmon, what's buggin' you now?" I slumped back onto his chest and scoffed. "Nothing." I huffed. Putting on that feeling of anger I instinctively do even when I'm not that angry.

"You ain't fooling nobody baby, it's always somethin'." He said, giving me an even better reason to be more bothered at him. "Don't test me Dallas." He laughed a little.

"Why are ya all feisty again? Is this 'cause I'm right? I'm right and you don't like bein' wrong?" I went silent. I never really do know why I'm angry, or want to be angry I guess. But somehow Dallas figured me out before I could find myself out.

"It is huh? And now a feisty cherry is all I'm gettin' for the rest of the night? Startin' to think cooperative cherries are just a blasted myth." He said with a completely unserious smirk on his face.

"Hey, I'm cooperative." I said defensively. I could feel my anger begin to dissolve, I don't know how it happened, it must have something to do with Dallas' magical charm. "Are ya?" Even him testing me felt charismatic.

"Show me baby," He understood that I took challenges seriously. We were both somewhat competitive.Somehow he just always understood me, how can I feel like he gets me more than Bob ever could? I'd known Bob since I was a freshman, and he was a Soc. I met Dallas in May, and he was more greaser-like than anyone else I knew.

I turned around, letting my lips touch his. I could tell he was somewhat waiting for it, his arms automatically pulled me closer and I enjoyed the embrace more than I ever thought I would.