Author's Note:
Hi everyone, I hope you like the Halloween chapter. I'm working on the next chapter so stay tuned.
Disclaimer: The Outsiders is owned by S. E. Hinton
Chapter 4
(Halloween Week)
Harley's POV:
Monday…
Pony and I were going to the Halloween Track Party again this year. Hopefully, it will turn out to be better than last year. I was on edge from the whole track-bribing scandal last year. But the entire Halloween thing was at the back of my mind. The one thing that piqued my interest was the connection between the Beach Boys and Charles Manson. Also, I kind of wanted to see the Hinman House, where Gary Hinman was murdered supposedly by the Manson family. His house wasn't far from where one of the Beach Boys' houses was, so I could kill two birds with one stone and scope out both. I knew I had to ask Pony and tell him, but I knew he wouldn't like it. I could tell him though it would be all about getting in the holiday spirit. Hopefully, he would humor me and go. I planned to go on Wednesday after Pony's track practice. Perfect for a pre-Halloween celebration.
I decided to make some extra chocolate cake for dessert tonight to butter Pony up. On the way home from the grocery store, I also made sure to pick up some Halloween candy for the kids in the apartment building. There weren't many but I did see a few. I had also made sure to pick up Pony and mine's costume. We decided to go as The Sundance Kid and Etta Place from Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. The thrift store where we got our costumes last year had costumes that would work for the characters. Thankfully Pony wasn't at home yet from track practice so I could surprise him with the cake. I was also making Swedish Meatballs to put on some pasta for dinner. I was dreading asking Pony, but I thought that I should call the Curtis house to see if Soda could coach me on to broach the subject this time.
"This is Soda," I heard Soda answer the phone enthusiastically. "Hey Soda, it's Harley," I said cheerily into the phone. "Hey Motorbike, what do I owe the pleasure?" Soda asked. "I was wondering if you could help me broach a subject with Pony," I mumbled. I heard Soda let out a groan. "You want to go to another site don't you?" Soda said cheekily. I could practically hear him grinning ear to ear. "Ain't that right," I said cheekily back. "I'm just about to pull out the extra chocolate cake from the oven and I have Swedish meatballs and pasta on the stove." Soda chuckled. "You're trying to bribe him after that whole Manson Family Ranch incident aren't you?" Soda said. "Am I that transparent?" I asked worriedly. "Don't worry, it's the oldest play in the book, trying to bribe yourself back into the good graces of your significant other," Soda said. "Thanks for the letters and the constant updates of photos for us. Darry appreciates it." I smiled. I was glad that they were being put to good use. "Those copies of the pictures from the ranch were kind of spooky," Soda continued. "Where do you want to go now?" I hesitated. "I want to go to another supposed Manson Family victim's house," I said hesitantly. "Also the Beach Boys are somehow connected to Charles Manson, and the drummer's house isn't too far away, so it might be a good pit stop." Soda chuckled again. "You sure know how to deep dive into a project," Soda chided. "I would suggest leveraging Pony's love for movies and entertainment as well as need for inspiration." I nodded. "Thanks, Soda," I said. "How is it going with the only one in the gang without a date?" Soda sighed with exasperation. "You really had to bring that up didn't you," Soda said irritably. "The guys and their dates are dragging me to a Halloween party, so maybe I'll meet someone. I hate being the third wheel." I chuckled. "You'll find someone, Soda," I said. "I promise." "Don't make a promise you can't keep," Soda muttered. The timer went off for the cake. "I got to go Soda, the cake is done, talk to you later," I said hurriedly. "Talk later," Soda said.
Just after I pulled out the cake and started pulling the meatballs off the stove, Pony entered the room. When he saw the cake his mouth watered but then he had a weary look in his eyes. "What idea do you have now?" Pony groaned. I grinned at him guilty and kissed him. "Why don't you go put your stuff away and I'll fill you in at dinner. By the way, our costumes for the party are in the closet," I said turning back to the food. "Sounds good," Pony grumbled. As I was just putting the plates on the table for dinner, Pony came out with fresh clothes after hopping out of the shower. "So, what's the cake for?" Pony asked me looking at me nervously. I sighed. "I want to go to the Hinman House and then drive by one of the Beach Boys' houses which is nearby," I said hopefully. "There is a weird connection with the Manson Family with the Beach Boys and there is a connection with Hinman too." Pony shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you want to still go about this story after what happened at the ranch," Pony said with exasperation. I rolled my eyes. "I can't just drop a story because of a few scary people," I said annoyed. "I wouldn't be a good journalist otherwise." Pony grabbed my left hand and pointed at the scar that was left by the cigarette burns. "That's why you should stop," Pony whimpered. "I don't want it to escalate to the same level as the other stories." Pony gave me those puppy eyes of his. I sighed and rubbed his hand that was holding mine. "It's not like we are going to another compound," I said comfortingly. "Plus I just want to take photos from the outside. That's it." Pony let out a sigh. "Fine, if that's the only thing that you are doing." I smiled and kissed him. "Also, Soda knows about this plan so no need to tell him." Pony rolled his eyes and chuckled. "At least you didn't hide it from them," Pony said. For fun that night, I made sure to have a chocolate cake fight with Pony. It was fun, but it helped alleviate the mood and I made sure to take photos for the memory book with cake smeared all over our faces. I knew Two-Bit would get a kick out of it.
Tuesday….
After my shift at the library and my courses, while Pony was at track practice I talked to music, psychology, and a neuroscience professor about some of the connections between cults and music. As well as the rumored interaction that Manson had with the Beach Boys. The psychology around the music with cults to help control their followers. It made me wonder if Manson wanted to connect with the Beach Boys to make music with them to use in his cult, unbeknownst to the band. That's just speculation on my part though. Manson did go to the recording studio though with the Beach Boys and reportedly worked on a song with them before things got a little hairy. There were also rumors of acid and orgy's happening at the Wilson house with some of the Manson family members where LSD was used. LSD had powerful psychological effects and I wondered if it had a big effect on the orgies. Acid probably had a big impact on how members experienced music, so maybe that was another connection with the Beach Boys. Who knows though? Some members of the Manson family had also lived at Wilson's house reportedly for months. It was an intriguing connection, that I wanted to explore. I got to talk to the professors about all of this, and it was interesting to hear their input.
When I told Pony all of this, he insisted we had a mini Beach Boys concert before we went to bed. Our little concerts helped us release tension and relax from homework and school. It also allowed me to practice my singing and choreography for theater. Surprisingly Miss Adams said I was improving, but I didn't buy it. In our mini concert we sang along to "Good Vibrations", "Surfin' USA", "God Only Knows", and "Fun, Fun, Fun."
Wednesday….
Today was the day that we got to go to scope out the areas, I couldn't wait. I had splurged and gotten In N' Out Burger. I of course got Pony his favorite, a cheeseburger. We rarely went out for dinner. It was always a treat. I thought Pony deserved it for keeping up with my antics. When Pony walked through the door from practice I held up the In N' Out Burger bag and his mouth watered. "You sure know how to suck up to me don't you," Pony said with a smirk. "Don't I know it," I murmured into his ear. I had made sure to work on homework earlier before he got home and I encouraged him to bring his homework in the car. Even though it was still warm out, I wanted to go in a car to give us a more enclosed environment and less conspicuous. Plus, the Manson Family might've found our moped last time.
It was an hour drive to Topanga Canyon, but it was worth it. When we got there, it was fairly dark out and the wind was rustling the leaves in the trees. Topanga Canyon was beautiful, I was kind of rueful that I didn't get to see it in the daytime, but it was probably the best we were here in the cover of darkness. We pulled up outside Hinman's house. I took some photos of the Mediterranean-style house. It didn't look like it had changed much from the murder. "Are you sure it's safe to be here?" Pony asked nervously looking up from his homework. "It's only 8 miles from the Manson Ranch." Pony shuddered. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're fine," I reassured him. "The murder was in July, the family probably doesn't want to be caught dead near here." Pony gave me a small smile as I continued taking photos. I got out of the car to get a little closer to the house without drawing attention. Soon enough we made the four-mile drive to where Wilson lived, which was on Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades. "This house isn't what I expected for a musician," Pony murmured. I nodded in agreement. It was a house that resembled a log cabin. "Well, it certainly meets the vibes we get from the music," I said with a smirk. This caused Pony to relax a little and give a small laugh. When he did that, it made my heart flutter. The lights were on inside the house, so I didn't get out of the car this time but did take some photos outside from the street. Then out of nowhere, a 1959 Ford Galaxie pulled down the street slowly. I paled. "What is it, Harley?" Pony asked me in concern. "Manson Family car," I mumbled. Pony's eyes darted over quickly and I saw he started shaking like a leaf. The car slowed down and the drivers of the car looked like the guys that caught us at the ranch a month ago. I gulped. They had a weird warped version of "Good Vibrations" coming from the stereo. It made my hair stand on end. It was warped in a way that you would expect to hear from a horror movie before something bad happened. Then they sped up again. "Well, that was something," Pony murmured. "Can we please get out of here?" I nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more," I mumbled.
Halloween…
Pony didn't have track practice today since there was the track team Halloween Party tonight. I knew it was going to be a long night since we didn't have class tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure that I got enough sleep for tutoring sessions and work at the library this weekend. Pony and I got into costumes and headed off to the party. It was held in an event space that had a garden outdoor space in the back. I knew I was going to be loving that garden space in the back while Pony mingled with his track buddies. Even though they were mostly my friends too, I hated big social gatherings. "I'm going to go grab a drink, do you want anything?" Pony asked me as we bopped to the songs. I shook my head. "Go have fun," I said giving him a wry smile. Pony nodded at me. A few minutes later Pony showed back up again. Then all of a sudden "Jump in Line" came on the sound system. "It's our song," I whispered to Pony. Pony smiled. "Let's show them your new moves," Pony chuckled in my ear. We showed the track team how we rolled back in Tulsa. I had given a camera to someone on the track team to take some photos of us, so we could send them back home. They gave us a round of applause after our performance. We partied for another couple of hours until I had to get some fresh air. "I'm going to slip out to the garden to get some air," I mumbled to Pony. Pony nodded but then was swept away but another track member.
Finally, some fresh air. I was the only one to step out to the garden. It was a great feeling to actually get room to breathe from the body to body room inside and the smell of alcohol. It was all good and fun, but there was only so much I could take. Then in the alleyway behind the garden, I heard what sounded like a glass bottle break. I felt my breath hitch. Get a hold of yourself Cooper, I thought to myself. It's probably just some kids running through the back alley to pull a prank. I decided to go check it out though. When I opened the back fence door to step out, I didn't see anything in the alley. There was just a street lamp at one end of the alley that was flickering in and out. I looked back and forth by didn't notice anything. Then I saw something move in the corner of my eye as I was turning around. Before I could do anything I was slammed against the brick wall of the building behind the party venue. I let out a scream, but then a hand covered my mouth to silence me. It was the guy that held a gun to my head at the ranch. He had a knife in his hand. "I thought I told you to drop it," the man growled. "Charlie doesn't like it when people can't be controlled." I bit down on his hand. The man yelped but then swung the knife at me. It got embedded in my shoulder. I yelped in pain. Then I kneaded him in the groin. He stumbled back, but he had yanked out the knife with him causing me to yelp in pain again. Then I remembered I had hidden a switchblade in my dress. I pulled it out and glared at him. The guy spit on the ground. "Bring it on, missy," The man growled. "With pleasure," I replied. The guy lunged first. He got me in the right arm deep this time. I hissed and I clipped his collarbone, then quickly plunged the knife into his thigh. The guy let out a scream. Then before I could do anything he slashed me across the scalp and knocked me down. I fell and my head was screaming in pain. My vision was swimming. Before I knew it, I heard a familiar voice.
"Harley! Where are you?" My head continued to swim. "Pony?" I croaked. Then I heard the gate door slammed open and I saw Pony's face swim in front of me. "Look out," I whimpered. "The guy from the ranch is here." Pony's eyes lit up in concern. "He isn't here anymore," Pony said cupping my face. "I promise. Let's go get you stitched up." I nodded. Pony helped me stand up and he helped me stumble to the car. "I think I might have a concussion," I murmured. "I bet you do," Pony chuckled hysterically. "I'm so sorry I didn't go out there with you." I shook my head but winced in pain. "It's not your fault," I said trying to sound reassuring. "You couldn't have known." We pulled up to the hospital and Pony helped me inside. I was quickly stitched up in the shoulder and on the scalp. I was correct and diagnosed with a concussion. I was allowed to go home for tonight as long as I monitored my concussion. "We should call home to let them know what's going on," Pony said with a sigh. I shook my head. "Soda said they were going to a Halloween Party tonight," I said. "We'll call in the morning." Pony nodded reluctantly. Whatever the Manson family thought I saw at the houses yesterday, they didn't want me to let it out.
Pony's POV:
Monday….
Today had been a long day of classes, work, and practice so I was really happy to be back at the apartment. But just as I walked in the door, I was hit by the smell of my favorite extra chocolate cake. My mouth started to water when I saw Harley pull it out of the oven. Harley gave me a sly smile when she saw me walk in the door. Then it hit me. She was trying to bribe me. She must have wanted to do something else that was stupid. I could see why Darry was always so nervous about me when I would go to the west side for the movies. This was her version of that. Albeit more dangerous. "What idea do you have now?" I groaned. Harley gave me a guilty smile but leaned forward to give me a kiss, which I happily returned. "Why don't you go put your stuff away and I'll fill you in at dinner. By the way, our costumes for the party are in the closet," Harley said turning back to the food. "Sounds good," I grumbled. She was trying to let this play out as long as she could so I could give in. She knew I had a weak spot for that cake and wanted me to suffer through smelling it.
As I came out of the bedroom, Harley was setting the table with good-looking meatballs with pasta. "So, what's the cake for?" I asked her nervously. I was hesitant because of the last place we went. Harley sighed. "I want to go to the Hinman House and then drive by one of the Beach Boys' houses which is nearby," Harley said hopefully. She gave me puppy eyes, that made my heart melt. She really knew how to milk it. "There is a weird connection with the Manson Family with the Beach Boys and there is a connection with Hinman too." I shook my head in disbelief. When she got a bad idea, she always came up with more. She was like a dog with a bone. When she got a grip on a story, she didn't let go. "I can't believe you want to still go about this story after what happened at the ranch," I said with exasperation. Harley rolled her eyes. She was going to be the death of me. "I can't just drop a story because of a few scary people," Harley said annoyed. "I wouldn't be a good journalist otherwise." I grabbed her left hand and pointed at the scar that was left by the cigarette burns. I couldn't believe she could be so reckless. "That's why you should stop," I whimpered. I looked at her with begging eyes. I wanted to keep her safe. "I don't want it to escalate to the same level as the other stories." Harley sighed and rubbed my hand that was holding her. "It's not like we are going to another compound," Harley said trying to sound comforting. It was the opposite though. I didn't want to remember our whole encounter. Those guys gave me the creeps. They seemed to be worse than the Socs. I was just glad that Gary and Larry weren't that bad. "Plus I just want to take photos from the outside. That's it." I let out a sigh. "Fine, if that's the only thing that you are doing," I resigned. Harley smiled and kissed me. "Also, Soda knows about this plan so no need to tell him." I rolled my eyes and chuckled. She actually beat me to it this time. We are really getting close. "At least you didn't hide it from them," I said. "Let me get the cake," Harley said. I nodded. But when I was deep in thought thinking about the ranch, Harley shoved a piece of chocolate cake in my face. "What the hell," I spluttered. "Cake fight!" Harley shrieked. "I'm going to kill you," I laughed. Then the Cake War of 1969 started.
Wednesday…
I was dreading going to another Manson Family scene or associated area. Those people are bad news. But then, that's probably why Harley wanted to look into it. The whole thing was messing with my head. I still had nightmares from the attacks the previous couple of years and I got new nightmares of them burning Harley with those cigarettes. I would be waking up screaming some nights. Harley would come over and soothe me like Soda used to do. He must have taught her how to do it. It was comforting to have someone there that could help me out that wasn't my brother. Don't get me wrong, I missed my brothers but sometimes it was embarrassing to have your adult brother comfort you.
I walked into the apartment after track practice to Harley holding an In N' Out Burger. Oh boy, she is really putting in all the stops to make up for last time. "You sure know how to suck up to me don't you," I said with a smirk. "Don't I know it," Harley murmured into my ear. The hair stood up on my arms. She really knew my triggers. I really hoped that this wouldn't be a miserable drive. "Don't forget to bring your homework for the trip!" Harley said. I rolled my eyes. She was getting as bad as Darry about harping on the homework.
It was an hour's drive to Topanga Canyon, I was getting antsy. It was closer to the damn Manson Family ranch. Topanga Canyon reminded me of some sort of artsy country, and somewhere where all the Socs from back home would want to live. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, so I made sure to distract myself with homework while Harley took photos. "Are you sure it's safe to be here?" I asked nervously looking up from my homework. "It's only 8 miles from the Manson Ranch." I shuddered. Harley gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're fine," Harley reassured me. "The murder was in July, the family probably doesn't want to be caught dead near here." I gave her. That didn't give me any comfort at all. They could still be coming over to relive the crime. After Harley got all the photos she needed we headed over to the Wilson house. I looked up from my homework and I was startled to see that the house was different than I expected. It was a log cabin type of house that I would normally place in Montana. Not in LA. "This house isn't what I expected for a musician," I murmured. "Well, it certainly meets the vibes we get from the music," Harley said with a smirk. I chuckled at this and relaxed a little. I turned back to my homework while Harley started taking photos. Then I heard her breathe hitch. I looked up at her and she was as white as a sheet. "What is it, Harley?" I asked her in concern. "Manson Family car," Harley mumbled. I quickly looked out the window and saw the yellow car drive up to the side of us and slightly idle. They had a weird warped version of "Good Vibrations" coming from the stereo. My heart started to beat faster. Then my memories of the night that Bob tried to drown me started to swim in front of me. Then the car sped up again. "Well, that was something," I murmured. "Can we please get out of here?" Harley nodded in agreement. "I couldn't agree more," Harley mumbled.
Halloween….
I was looking forward to wearing the costumes that Harley had gotten us. I knew I had to get photos of us in these costumes. The gang would get a kick out of it. Especially Steve. I could just hear his snarky remarks about our costumes, but that was just Steve for you. I was excited to actually enjoy the track Halloween party this year as well. Especially since I didn't have to deal with Eric Reynolds this year and his smug pretentious face. When we got there. Harley seemed to feel uncomfortable. I knew this wasn't her type of scene, but I appreciated her trying to suck it up for my benefit. I wanted to at least bond more with the team this year and actually get back on the good side of the guys who were still hesitant about me after last year. I could tell that Harley was a little jumpy though from the events yesterday. I knew she would never admit it, but the car driving past us with the weird music playing totally scared her as well. But I knew I would have to be there to support her when she wanted to talk about it. Then when "Jump in Line" came on, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to lift her spirits. It was fun to see her let her guard down.
Just when I thought that Harley was relaxing, she told me she was going to go outside to grab some air. I wanted to go after her, but I thought better of it. She was spending too much time out there though. I was going to go out and check in on her, but one of the guys held me back and told me to let her have some fresh air and not to be a party pooper. But the longer she was out there, the more antsy I got. This was totally unlike her. I decided to trust my gut and go out and check her. As I walked outside, my heart dropped when I didn't see her. This wasn't good. "Harley! Where are you?" I called. Then I heard a scream from the alleyway behind the garden. I burst through the back fence and saw a guy running out of the alleyway, and saw Harley sitting on the ground with her back against the brick wall. She had blood seeping from her shoulder and blood gushing from her scalp. My heart dropped. "Harley, are you ok?" I asked her. Harley didn't respond. She looked really out of it. I kneeled down in front of her. "Look out," Harley whimpered. "The guy from the ranch is here." My eyes lit up in concern. I knew that guy looked familiar. But he was long gone now. There was nothing we could do. "He isn't here anymore," I said cupping her face and turning it to look up at me. Her eyes were still unfocused. She was still out of it. "I promise. Let's go get you stitched up," I continued. Harley nodded. I helped her stand up and helped her to the car. I would have to explain what happened to the guys tomorrow. "I think I might have a concussion," Harley murmured as we drove to the hospital. "I bet you do," I chuckled hysterically. I was so scared about what happened. This must have been what the story of The Bouncing Ball Killer would've been like for her. I shuddered. "I'm so sorry I didn't go out there with you." Harley shook her head but winced in pain. My heart broke for her. I didn't like that she was in pain. "It's not your fault," Harley said trying to sound reassuring. "You couldn't have known." I still felt guilty though. We pulled up to the hospital and I helped her inside. Shortly she was discharged with orders to be closely watched tonight because of her concussion. "We should call home to let them know what's going on," I said with a sigh. Harley shook her head. "Soda said they were going to a Halloween Party tonight," Harley said. "We'll call in the morning." I nodded reluctantly. I knew Soda would have it in for me.
Friday…
That morning while Harley was getting ready for our shift at the library, I called the DX to get Soda on the phone. But I got Steve on the phone instead. "This is Steve at the DX, how can I help you?" I heard Steve answer. "Hey Steve, it's Pony, is Soda there?" I asked. Steve sighed in exasperation. "He's busy right now. How can I help?" I sighed. "Can you relay some information for me?" "Sure kid," Steve growled. "But don't make it a habit." I let out a chuckle. "I will try not to," I said. "But, I wanted to thank Soda for trying to make it easier for Harley to bribe me into going to her story sites with her." Steve chuckled. "That sounds like him," Steve said with a sigh. "But, it kind of went downhill," I muttered. "What happened this time," Steve growled. I sighed. "One of the guys that caught us at the ranch saw us at our stakeout on Wednesday," I said with a sigh. "But then one of the guys attacked her at the party last night. They lured her out to the alleyway behind the venue and attacked her with a blade. She got some cuts in too. But she got a concussion, stabbed in the shoulder, and then her scalp got a deep laceration." Steve cursed under his breath. "The shit she gets you guys in," Steve grumbled. "You're telling me," I chuckled. I heard a bell ring on his side of the line. "I've got to go kid, we got another car to service." Then the line went dead.
Soda's POV:
Monday…
Today had been a long day at work, but I was enjoying the pay. I was still bummed out of being the only one in the group without someone. The guys must have noticed because Two-Bit nudged me. "Hey, we are all going with our dates to a Halloween Party at Bucks on Thursday, you should go with us and meet someone," Two-Bit said winking at me. I groaned. "I think I'll pass," I moaned. "I think I want something more serious than a hookup at Buck Merrill's," I groaned. Two-Bit chuckled. "They have a variety of people there," Steve said offended. "How did you think I met Evie?" Soda asked me. "I'm sure you'll meet the right person," Darry said soothingly. "At the right time." I rolled my eyes. "I hope not at your pace," I groaned. Darry rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I guess, I'll go," I said. "It beats staying here by myself." Then the phone rang. I jumped up to get it, desperate to get out of the conversation.
"This is Soda," I said enthusiastically trying to get my mind off the earlier conversation. "Hey Soda, it's Harley," Harley said cheerily into the phone. Thank God, someone, to get my mind off the conversation. "Hey Motorbike, what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked. "I was wondering if you could help me broach a subject with Pony," Harley mumbled. I let out a groan. "You want to go to another site don't you?" I said cheekily. I knew it was a stupid question, but it had to be asked. "Ain't that right," Harley said cheekily back. Typical Harley. I could see why Pony fell for her. In a way, she was kind of like Johnny and Dally rolled into one person. "I'm just about to pull out the extra chocolate cake from the oven and I have Swedish meatballs and pasta on the stove." I chuckled. "You're trying to bribe him after that whole Manson Family Ranch incident aren't you?" I said. A girl after my own heart. "Am I that transparent?" Harley asked worriedly. "Don't worry, it's the oldest play in the book, trying to bribe yourself back into the good graces of your significant other," I said. I had done that before. "Thanks for the letters and the constant updates of photos for us. Darry appreciates it. Those copies of the pictures from the ranch were kind of spooky," I continued. "Where do you want to go now?" Harley hesitated. It must be bad if she is hesitant to say something and she was talking to me about it. "I want to go to another supposed Manson Family victim's house," Harley said hesitantly. "Also the Beach Boys are somehow connected to Charles Manson, and the drummer's house isn't too far away, so it might be a good pit stop." I chuckled again. There it was. The other boot dropped. "You sure know how to deep dive into a project," I chided. "I would suggest leveraging Pony's love for movies and entertainment as well as need for inspiration." Thanks Soda," Harley said. "How is it going with the only one in the gang without a date?" I sighed with exasperation. Did she really have to change the conversation? "You really had to bring that up didn't you," I said irritably. "The guys and their dates are dragging me to a Halloween party, so maybe I'll meet someone. I hate being the third wheel." Harley chuckled. I don't know why she found it so funny or everyone else for that matter. "You'll find someone, Soda," Harley said. "I promise." I smiled a little. "Don't make a promise you can't keep," I muttered. I heard beeping from the other end. "I got to go Soda, the cake is done, talk to you later," Harley said hurriedly. "Talk later," I said.
I sauntered back into the kitchen and plopped back down at the table. "Who was it?" Darry asked. "Harley," I said. Steve raised his eyebrows at me. "What did she need?" Steve asked curiously. "She wanted tips to bribe Pony to go to another stakeout," I said playing with the food on my plate. Darry looked at me in alarm. "Is she joking?" Darry asked in alarm. "I thought I was the jokester." Two-Bit joked. Darry shot him a look. "Those pictures that she had sent from the last stakeout and the injuries she got were no joke," Darry continued. I shook my head. "It's not nearly as dangerous, I think," I said. "She was going to a Beach Boy's house." Steve's eyes brightened. "What does the Beach Boys know about Manson?" Steve asked. "Beats me," I said. "Well, I guess we shall see," Darry muttered under his breath.
Halloween..
For the Halloween party, I dressed up as an astronaut against my better judgment. Pony would've loved to see me like this. I was actually kind of shocked that Buck's was having an adult costume party, but here we are. Darry and Lila dressed up as doctors, which tracked. Steve and Evie dressed up as NASCAR drivers. Two-Bit and Marcia dressed up as chefs. I felt like the odd one out. This was going to be a miserable night. "Come on, lighten up," Two-Bit said looking in the rearview mirror at me. "This is going to be fun!" "Sure," I mumbled as we pulled up in front of Buck Merrills. Before we went in Darry pulled out a camera that Mrs. Adams had gotten him to make some memories to show Pony when he got home and forced us to take a group photo. It was torture. We all kind of split up when we went into the bar. I made a beeline for the bar. When I looked over next to me at the bar, I noticed I was sitting next to a slutty looking Sherlock Holmes. "What are you looking at Mr. Astronaut?" Holmes snapped at me. I blushed. I normally didn't blush, but this girl had balls of steel to talk like that, but you had to be when you were at Bucks for any type of event. The girl had black hair, blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. "Sorry," I mumbled. I couldn't help myself. I was smitten. I didn't think I would be smitten with someone after Sandy. "Don't worry about it," the girl said with a sigh. "You seem harmless compared to most of these buffoons anyway." I chuckled. "You wouldn't say that if you knew who I was and my reputation," I said with a wolfish smile. Holmes gave me a smirk. "I'm Lorelai," The girl said holding out her hand to shake mine. "I'm Sodapop," I said shaking her hand back. "But most people call me Soda," Lorelai smirked at me. "Do you work at the DX?" Lorelai asked me. I nodded. "So you're the guy that people tell me to check out," Lorelai said with a chuckle. I groaned. "Are you new to town?" I asked. Lorelai nodded. "I moved here in August," Lorelai said. "I'm getting my master's degree in psychology at the University of Tulsa." I blushed. "So, you are really smart," I said. "What's a smart girl like you doing here?" Lorelai chuckled. "My friends said I should get out more instead of holing up in my apartment studying," Lorelai said with a sigh. "What do you do?" I blushed. "Nothing as smart," I said. "I'm a mechanic." Lorelai's eyes lit up. "I love cars!" Lorelai exclaimed. My jaw dropped. "No way!" I said in shock. Lorelai nodded vigorously. "My dad loved cars and would talk about them nonstop," Lorelai said with a grin. "He would always take me to car shows."
Lorelai and I talked for a long time that night. I wrote down our phone number and handed it to her and she gave me her apartment phone number. Before she left she kissed me. "Give me a call tomorrow so we can set up a date," She whispered. "Will do," I murmured in her ear and kissed her back. I made my way back to the group who was starting to congregate by the front door. When we got back home, I couldn't stop smiling. "What are you smiling about?" Steve asked me with a raised eyebrow. "I got a girl's phone number," I said with a blush. "Is our girl-savvy Soda blushing?" Two-Bit asked elbowing me in the ribs. I rolled my eyes. "What's her name?" Darry asked me. "Lorelai," I said. "She's getting her master's in psychology at the University of Tulsa. She just started and she's 20." Darry beamed at me. "Good for you Soda," Darry said. I was glad that Darry approved.
Friday…
The next morning, Steve and I both rode together to work. "You going to call Lorelai today?" Steve asked me with a smirk. "I plan on calling her tonight," I said. "After she is done with classes for the day." Steve nodded. "It's good to see you interested in someone after Sandy." I blushed. "Yeah," I mumbled. "Me too." The workday couldn't have gone any slower. While Steve and I were driving home Steve looked at me hesitantly. "What's going on Steve?" I asked. I knew he was hiding something. "The kid called the DX today," Steve said with a sigh. I looked at him in alarm. "Is everything ok?" I asked. Steve ran his hand through his hair. "Apparently Harley was attacked last night at the Halloween party that the track team threw," Steve said gruffly. "One of the guys that attacked them at the ranch had seen them at the Beach Boy's house and followed them to the party tonight somehow. When she went outside to get some fresh air the guy attacked her with a switchblade. She's fine though. Just a stab wound to the shoulder, a laceration to the scalp, and a concussion. She's just a little rattled." I cursed under my breath. "How's Pony doing?" I asked. Steve rolled his eyes. He wasn't Pony's biggest fan much to my persistence. "He's a little scared and being all protective of her," Steve said. I nodded. I just hoped that Pony wouldn't have nightmares about this.
I told Darry what happened when he got home that night. Darry wasn't too thrilled about it later, but he thought that we would probably hear about it in Harley's letters that we would get later. I decided to give Lorelai a call. "Hello, this is Lorelai," Lorelai said into the phone. "Hey Lorelai, it's Soda," I said. There was a pause on the other end. "From Buck's last night." I was nervous she had forgotten. "Yeah," Lorelai said with surprise. "I'm just surprised you called like you said you would. I guess I'm just used to being stood up by guys that I meet." I chuckled. "Well, I'm not your typical guy," I murmured. Lorelai laughed and it made my heart patter. "I'm starting to gather that," she said. "Do you want to go to the drive-in tonight?" I asked her. "I would love that," Lorelai said. "See you soon."