Stay Wild: A Curly Shepard Love Story

- Chapter 5 -

Curly Shepard's Point of View:

When I walk into Geometry, Ella Rae doesn't look up at me, but my leather jacket is draped over her shoulders. 

Ella Rae pulls away with a small smile, looking at the ground. "Wonder what happened to getting out of here," she giggles. I smirk and lick my lip. Her hair was messy and I'm sure her makeup was too, but it's too dark to see too well. I nod and she crouches down, picking up my jacket. She hands it to me, but I shake my head.

"Keep it, Princess."

Golly, she looks beautiful. I sit down next to her and Injust now see the earbuds in her ears. I lean over and pull it out. She's startled at first, but smiles when she sees me. 

"Hey, babydoll." 

"Morning, Curly," she replies exasperatedly. I kiss right behind her ear and laughs. 

"Like your jacket, dollface." 

"Very funny, Curly, " Ella Rae replies, rolling her eyes. "Get your stuff out, I wanna show you something." I pull out my notebook and flip to a new page. She grabs a pen and writes a problem. 

"Look, this way's easier. You don't have to write such a long formula. It's-" I interrupt with my laughter. "What?" She asks. 

"Nothing, princess. You just go from a date to figuring out math problems. Little nerdy if you ask me, but whatever floats your boat." Ella Rae smacks my arm hard and I laugh, leaning back in my chair. She puts her earbud back in. I grab it and stick it in my ear. 

"Get some taste, princess." I stick it in her ear again and she laughs, taking it out. 

"How about you? We working again after school?" I shrug. 

"Maybe a little less working, a little more…" 

"Shut up, Curly." 

"Come on, princess, have some fun."

"Get your math done and we'll see." I smirk and nod, chuckling. Damn she's real pretty when she says stuff like that. Last night was probably the best date I've ever had. 

"There's a party at Buck's this Saturday," I suggest. "Do you maybe wanna go?" Ella Rae shrugs.  

"I dont know, Curly. I'm not a big party person." 

"Come on, babydoll. I wanna show you off."

"And show me off as what exactly?" She raises an eyebrow. 

"What do you think, princess?" Ella Rae rolls her eyes. 

"I think you're nuts. It was one date." 

"Yeah, but that's where you're wrong. You know you love me." She scoffs and shakes her head. I lean over and kiss her hard. I feel other people watching and I pull away when the bell rings a few moments later. Ella Rae looks down immediately, clearly smiling.  

"You're coming to that party," I laugh, leaning back in my chair again. "You're gonna have a good time, I promise." Ella Rae taps my notebook with the back of her pen. 

"I don't wanna go, Curly." 

"Oh come on, what do I gotta do? I promise you'll have fun." Ella Rae shakes her head. I sigh. 

We'll see. Maybe she'll change her mind, I really want her to go. I like her a lot. I want her to have fun, that's one thing I like more about loud girls.

Quiet girls don't ever wanna do nothing fun. I thought Ella Rae migt actually like it, but I guess not. Maybe I'll go see her anyway or we can go see another movie.
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"Saw you hanging around that chick from math," Ricky says. "What's going on wig you two?" I shrug, stepping over a log in the woods and taking a cigarette out from between my lips. 

"Took her to the drive-in, what's the deal?" I answer. 

"She ain't your usual type," Ponyboy says, handing me back my lighter that he had borrowed. I shrug and blow out a cloud of smoke. I know she ain't, but damn she's real nice. 

"Tim know you got a chick like that?" 

"Whats it to him?" I snap back. "Tim don't care." 

"He don't like goody two shoes," Ricky says. "Snitches." 

"Ella ain't a snitch, ya hear," I snap back. 

"Ella's her name, huh? You never learn you broad's name," Ricky laughs. 

"Ella Rae," I correct quickly. I don't know why it annoyed me, by it did. I didn't say her full name, but he don't have no right to call her that. To him, she's Ella Rae. You gotta deserve to call someone by a nickname. 

"Woah, dude, chill. Don't need to get so defensive, damn. Why you care so much?" 

"Just leave her alone, all right," I reply. 

"Is she coming to the party this Friday?" Ricky says. It's sort of a party for his older brother, but not formally. I shrug. 

"I'd like to see the look on her face. Bet she's a prude." I scoff, feeling my blood begin to boil. "She's gonna gag at the first drop of alcohol. Probably can't take smoke neither."

"Shut the fuck up," I snap quickly. "Leave her alone, man. You don't even know her." 

"And you do? She's a quick fuck, that's what you've been doing this whole time, man." I'm on him like a fly on honey, throwing him to the ground, and kicking the shit outta him. Curtis grabs me and yanks me back, but I'm angry. He has no right to talk about her like that. She's never done anything to me. 

"Yeah, I do fucking know her and you need to shut the hell up before I kick your teeth in," I warn, tearing out of Curtis' arms. He helps Ricky up and he wipes his jeans and shirt off. I grab his collar. "Now you talk shit about her one more time and I'll hit you so hard you won't wake up, you hear me." He nods. 

A sly smirk arises in my mind. I know if anyone messes with her, I got her back. I've got someone to protect other than Angela. She ain't even grateful. I'm sure Ella Rae would be. 

I'm gonna bring her to that party and I'm gonna make Ricky eat shit for what he said about her. She's gonna drink and smoke with us and have the time of her fucking life. 

How am I to a convince her to go?

After lunch, I catch her as she's walking back inside from where she was leaning against the wall. I grab her arm and kiss right in front of her ear. 

"Come on." I pull her back outside and smirk, pinning her against the wall. "Curly," she whines. "I gotta get to class."

"Come on, what do you say about that party, princess?" Ella Rae shakes her head. 

"Curly, I said no. I don't like-" I kiss her fast and hard, pulling back after a moment. 

"Try again." Ella Rae laughs and shakes her head. 

"I don't want t-" I do it again. And again. And again. She finally gives in. 

"Fine, can I go to class now?" 

"Of course, princess," I whisper, kissing her one last time before disappearing into the building again.