Short Stories | The Outsiders

I don't want to be a soc ~ 5-8 • Ponyboy

Chapter 5
I woke up underneath the tree that Ponyboy and I had sat under the night before. I groaned and got up, just to see a note left by my feet. It read ' To Y/n, from Ponyboy. I'm leaving you a little money so you can go get some food, as you said you only had your guitar. I hope you have a good day, don't run into any trouble and I'll meet you back at this tree at 6? How does that sound.' I smiled and collected the small amount of money and placed it in my pocket. What kind of Greaser would care enough to leave money for me. I headed over to a convenience store just down the road, I grabbed my self a bit of food and headed back to the lot. I felt safe at the lot, like nothing bad was going to happen. I was walking and walking and it felt like I was taking much longer to get there then I was coming to the convenience store. I passed a small gas station, with two teen guys fixing up cars. One of them was a very stunning young guy and the other one, was not so much my type. They were both laughing and talking, but I just kept walking, trying to find my way back to the lot. "I haven't seen you before" the handsome kid blurted out, I looked over and both of the boys at the gas station were staring at me. "Uh, yea.. I'm new around here" I said "You lost or something" the handsome kid put down what he was holding, some kind of wrench. "Sodas trying to pick up a lady, I don't think she's interested buddy" The other kid said "Oh shut your trap Steve!" So the handsome kids name is Soda, ain't that Ponyboy's brother and the other one's name is Steve. What a small world we live in. "Well I am lost, I.. I need to find uh my way to the lot.." I couldn't stop stuttering and I don't know why. "Well the lot is down that road to your right and then take a left and you'll be there. You were on the right tracks!" Soda pointed down the road, I speed walked down the road and got to the lot. I had left my guitar at the lot, I was so happy to see that it wasn't stolen. I sat there for hours playing songs I could remember and making up songs, I really was just trying to waste the day, I had nothing else to do. I didn't want to go to school, I feel like I'd be confronted by cherry or some stupid soc would try to get me to go out with them. I looked at my watch after some time had passed, I groaned and tilted my head back against the tree "3 more hours till I have someone I can talk to" I sighed, just letting myself whine about being lonely under a tree. It's the first time I've really ever felt lonely, usually I like being alone, but I had nothing to do. My mind started wandering, thinking about all the embarrassing times I've had through out my life. I hated it, just these annoying memories that won't stop replaying. "Y/n!" I nearly screamed, Ponyboy had come up behind me and scared the hell out of me. "Wasn't expecting to get a jump scare today." He laughed, his smile so big a bright it just lit up my day. Ponyboy is such a happy kid and it makes me happy, it's almost like he's perfect in every way. "Well me and a couple of friends are going to the drive in, would you like to come. I think they'd like you." "Yea, that doesn't sound too bad, who are we going with" I asked "My buddy Johnny and Dallas" Oh lord no.

Chapter 6
"Hey dal! Where's Johnny?" Pony said, I whimpered, I didn't want Dallas to recognize me. I hid behind pony, trying not to be suspicious, I glanced around at store windows so Dallas wouldn't see that I was 'Minnie' as he called me. "Who's this? Did Ponyboy finally get a girlfriend?" Dallas chuckled "I didn't, this is my friend, Y/n" "Hi.." I mean, at least I said something to the kid who's always in jail, "Well I'll be damned, ain't it Minnie, the one I ran into yesterday with Two bit" Dallas lit a cigarette, I frowned, I don't like getting called Minnie, but with Dallas, that names gonna stick around. "You know each other?" Ponyboy asked. "No, we don't. We just had an encounter the other day" I snarled, Dallas rolled his eyes. I hate him more than I already did, Pony and Dallas chatted for a bit, while I stood there quietly. "Johnny! Finally. Let's get outta here man" Dallas patted Johnny on the head. I noticed Johnny had a scar on his cheek, wonder what that might be from. Must be a fighter, a tough kid. We waited for the movie at the drive in to start and we hoped the fence, i had never been here before, my parents would leave me at home, while them and cherry came here. We got a couple of front row seats, I sat in between Pony and Johnny. Johnny and I talked for a bit, he's a very sweet boy, He's cool to be around, same with Ponyboy. Dallas I'm not so sure of, maybe he has a soft side but he sure ain't gonna show it around me, it's Winston, he'll wanna seem strong and not sensitive to women. I rather have a sensitive boy, someone I can feel comfortable sharing my feelings to and he'll feel comfortable sharing his feelings. "Y/n want to go grab some popcorn with me" Ponyboy stood up and looked down at me, "Yeah, I'll go" I smiled and followed him towards the concession stand, Ponyboy grabbed some popcorn for all four of us and I grabbed the drinks, "How come you grabbed a 7up?" Pony said as he gave the money to the guy working there, "I'm not a big fan of coke, it tastes gross" He laughed as we walked back towards Johnny and Dally, we passed them the drinks and popcorn and sat back down to finish watching the movie. The movie wasn't that good, it was just a same old high school romance, I'd rather watch an action movie, with love, don't get me wrong, but it just wasn't good. I walked back to the lot with Pony and Johnny. "Y/n, why don't you stay at my place, it'd be better than sleeping under a tree" Pony insisted, "Alright" I said giving him a awkward glare, he knew I was not really wanting to stay at his place, but it was better than sleeping under a tree. He led me into his house, there sat in an armchair a guy around 20 which I guessed was darry, he was reading the news paper and Sodapop was watching tv on the couch. "Darry, Sodapop, meet Y/n. She's my friend, I told you about her last night"  Ponyboy pushed me forwards slightly and I smiled very awkwardly. "Hey, I saw you earlier today, you couldn't find your way to the lot" Sodapop said looking me up and down, my eyes widened and I felt embarrassed in front of Ponyboy, he laughed. "Yeah and you were the one who got embarrassed by his friend" I smiled at Sodapop and he frowned back, Ponyboy was dying of laughing. That night I was situated on their couch, but I couldn't sleep, I felt very out of place. But I eventually fell asleep

Chapter 7
Ponyboy shook me awake the next morning. "Come on, you gotta come eat breakfast and then we'll go to school" I groaned, I didn't feel like eating or going to school. I sat up and looked straight forward to see my guitar was laying at my feet, I thought I left it in the lot.. Ponyboy probably just grabbed it for me this morning. I got up to go over to the kitchen and help pony with breakfast, but it was already made, he had made us eggs. "Thanks Ponyboy" he smiled and walked over to the dinning room table, I followed behind, sitting right beside him. Once we finished breakfast, we said bye to Soda and Darry and were of to school. I didn't cross paths with Cherry at all, which was strange, we always see each other at least once during the school day and she's not a student that stays home sick. Later that night Ponyboy, Johnny and I took a tire from Pony's back shed and some rope so we could have a tire swing in the lot. I climbed up the tree and Johnny passed me the rope that was attached to the tire. That tire was heavy, it took a lot of arm strength to pull the rope to a point where we had a swing. It took us about an hour but finally it was all set up. We all took turns swinging on it and being the fools we are. Every night for an entire 2 weeks Pony and I would swing around on this swing and just have fun, Johnny would tag along sometimes too. Pony and I became best friends over that time, just us bonding and having an overall good time, I think I've fallen in love with this boy

Chapter 8
It was a Saturday afternoon, Pony and I were just coming back home from a movie at the movie house. "Y/N ELIZABETH VALANCE!" A voice yelled from behind us, I turned so quickly just to see my father standing not to far down the sidewalk from me and pony. "What the hell are you doing, wandering around with a greaser and why are you dressed like one too!" "Dad, I can explain.." I whimpered, ponyboy gave me a nervous stare. "You, young lady are in so much trouble! You've caused distress to the entire family and-" "NO ONE IN THE FAMILY CARES ABOUT ME! THEY RATHER I WAS DEAD!" I screamed, my father slapped me across the face, tears started welling up in my eyes. "Don't touch her!" Pony yelled, I stood there in shock, from the pain and ponyboy sticking up for me. "What'd you say little boy?" my dad's anger was all pushed onto ponyboy now, I felt sorry for him, but there wasn't much to do. "I said, Don't touch her!" all of a sudden my dad threw one of the hardest punches I've ever seen at ponyboys face and he threw him against a car. "PONY!!" I screamed, I started sobbing, my dad had just brutally hurt my best friend. "You never go near my daughter again. You hear me!" my dad grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back home. I couldn't stop crying, my dad threw me into my room and told me to think about what I've done. What I've done? I was forcefully thrown onto the streets to figure out what to do on my own and he expects me to think about what I did! I did nothing wrong. I just found a way to survive and had fun with it, met someone who made me feel like me, someone who enjoyed my music and had the same interests as me, someone who I fell in love with. I didn't pretty much disown my kid for two weeks and hurt her and her friend, nor did I lock her in her room. I started crying again, harder than I was already. I laid on my be thinking of all the good times I had with pony, like the time we were at the lot and he made me laugh so hard while I was drinking water that water came out my nose. Or the time we were dancing in the middle of a road, late at night, while it was raining, because there was a song we both liked playing at a bar  across the road. I think I had a better time as a greaser than as a soc. I made the closest friends I'll ever have, I was super close with all of the gang, including Dallas. Those two weeks were the absolute best weeks of my entire life by far. I feel like I had a place there more than I have a place as a soc. "Y/n, can I come in" cherry knocked at the door "Come in" I wiped away my tears so it didn't look like I hated it here, Cherry could tell that i did anyways. "I'm sorry, I should've went looking for you. Instead I was a horrible sister and ratted you out. I saw you a few times with that greaser kid, the track boy. He seems very nice" I nodded and looked towards the window. "It'll be alright" Cherry put her arm around me. "Oh will it now?" I gave her the same sass she always gives me, I pushed her arm off my shoulder and got up, the mirror gave a perfect reflection of a girl who was just heart broken. "You're gonna feel this way for a while, you're angry, but it'll get better soon. I know it will." Cherry walked out of my room and remembered to close the door for once. I started at the window for a bit and then at the door. Man I hate it here.