𝙿𝚘𝚗𝚢𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝙼𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚎𝚕 𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚜
♫ - "Bubble Gum" by Clairo
I walked across the street to Georgia and Two-Bit's house. Georgia and I were going to see a movie. I'd usually lone it, for no reason except that I like to watch movies undisturbed so I can get into them and live them with the actors. When I see a movie with someone it's kind of uncomfortable, like having someone read your book over your shoulder. But just the other day Georgia read a book over my shoulder and it didn't feel weird at all. Same with Johnny. I had invited Johnny to the movie house too, but he insisted on me and Georgia going alone.
When I asked Johnny why he wasn't coming the nigh before, he said he just didn't dig movies and that's true. Nobody in the gang digs movies and books the way I do. For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world that did. Until Georgia came along. I didn't really know if she was apart of the gang, but I hoped she was. It had only been a few weeks since she first hung around and the guys already warmed up to her. I was glad about that cause I really liked her, a whole lot. I hadn't met anyone like her, which is a very dry thing to say. It seems like guys say that about their girl so much that it almost becomes meaningless. But I really mean it. Georgia was different.
The porch creaked when I walked to the front door. A few seconds after I knocked, the door swung open and I was met with Georgia's wide grin that made me loose my train of thought. She was wearing tight, bootcut jeans and a green tank top. She looked good in green; it made her red hair pop out.
It was awfully cold for July. Usually it's sweltering hot, making Two-Bit's hair grease practically melt off. It was July 13 which meant I was turning 16 in only 8 days. I've never been much of a fan of birthdays, but it felt good getting older. I figured Darry wouldn't nag me about smoking as much as he does and maybe stop treating me like a kid. When Georgia asked me what gift I'd like on the walk to the movie house, that's all I could think of. Nothing else. I was tired of being a baby and wanted to be a man.
"I don't think I'm able to make you a man, so you'll have to deal with another gift."
"I don't really want much, or anything really." I shrugged. "How'd you know my birthday, anyway?"
"I think Johnny told me about a few years ago. I'm good at remembering dates."
I decided to test her statement. "Do you know Johnny's birthday?"
"March 1st."
"Two-Bit's?"
"June 20th." Georgia answered. "He's my brother of course I know his birthday."
I shrugged and kept on asking. "What about Sodapop's?"
"October 8th. He's been looking forward to it a lot, always talking about it."
"Do you know Steve's?"
"April...15th."
"Well what about Darry's, you don't know Darry's."
"January 5th."
"Dally?"
"November 9th."
To state the obvious, I was shocked. Even I didn't know when Dallas' birthday was. "How'd you know all that?"
"Well I started hanging out with you guys 19 days ago, and you're all pretty talkative— especially Sodapop." She was spot on about that. "Except Johnny. Johnny's talkative when there's less people around."
I nodded my head. "He's more of a listener than a talker." I could say the same about myself.
During the movie, neither Georgia or I spoke a word. I hate it when people talk during movies—the point of a movie to watch what's going on and if you're talking then you can't pay any attention.
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
When we stepped into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman—he looks tough and I don't.
Georgia shielded her eyes from the sunbeams as we walked down the street "Jesus Christ." She exclaimed. "It feels like my eyes are burning."
"What'd you think of it?" I said, referring to the movie.
Georgia shrugged her shoulders once her eyes adjusted to the light. "It was okay. Paul Newman did a good job."
I sighed, "I wish I looked like Paul Newman."
"Yeah? How come?"
"He looks tough and I don't. I look like a kid."
Georgia giggled. "Well you are a kid, Pony."
"Yeah but Soda and Darry didn't look like a kid at my age. They've always looked better than me"
"Why would you think that?"
"Well," I said, thinking this over, "Darry's tall and muscular and he looks tough and cool. And Sodapop, well Soda is handsomer than anyone else I know. He's not like Darry, Soda's the kind that people stop on the street to watch go by. Ain't nobody gonna watch me walk down the street."
Darry got flirted with everywhere he went, and Sodapop could get any girl he had his eye on. I had my eye on one girl named Georgia Mathews and I was sure she thought of me like she thought of every other greaser. But I had never given her a reason to think of me any different—I'm not a wisecracker with a humor like Two-bit, or movie star handsome like Soda, I was just a greaser. Sure, they're greasers too but at least they had something to em'. I was just a plain greaser wether I liked it or not.
I stopped thinking about my disadvantage when Georgia questioned what I had said before. "What are you talking about, Ponyboy?"
I furrowed my eyebrow, a signal for her to elaborate. Everything I was saying sounded pretty understandable to me.
"I'm not gonna let you lie to yourself. We both know you're good looking, and I personally think you're better looking than your brothers." She said matter-of-factly. "Don't tell them I said that though."
I grinned with pride—I don't think I look one ounce better than Sodapop or Darry but I was glad Georgia thought so. After that I felt like I was the toughest guy in town, especially because Georgia was the one who had complemented me. If it were to be anybody else, I wouldn't have believed them, but the way Georgia said it convinced me.
She nudged my arm and started giggling, "Oh, don't let that get to you're head."
"Too late." I said. I liked that someone thought of me as more than just dirt. Georgia and I looked at each other for a little bit and I grinned suddenly. She was definitely the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. I admired her mossy eyes that practically glowed in the sunlight as we walked, and I watched every movement of her lips as she talked.
"What'd you want to do for the rest of the day?"
I thought about it for a minute. I remembered the first time Georgia and I hung out together—buying taffy and walking home—and remembered that I told her that we should watch the sunset together.
"Watch the sunset?" Georgia laughed when I told her my idea. "Pone, it's only 3:00."
"Well, we could hang out at my house until it starts." I suggested.
"Alright then." She looked at me. I automatically smiled. I'm always smiling when I'm with Georgia. "What do you think the boys are up too?"
"Soda and Steve should be home by now. I think Dal and Johnny are still home and Two-Bit is most likely at Bucks having a drink."
Georgia lightly smiled and her eyes showed that her mind was on something else. "Probably." I realized what I had said. I should've brought up Two-Bit drinking and should have used my head. Why can't I ever use my head?
Georgia must have noticed my frustration and grabbed my hand. Georgia and I just get eachother like that. We didn't need to talk to know how we were feeling. We walked the rest of the way home silently with Georgias hand in in mine like a jigsaw. It wasn't an uncomfortable quiet either, I was smiling the whole way home.
"Hey Georgie-Bug," Sodapop said in a cheery voice when him and I walked in the house. He was making some sort of mess in the kitchen. As an afterthought he said, "Hey Ponyboy!"
"Gee Soda, great job at making me feel welcomed."
Georgia peered at me over her shoulder. "He just likes me better." She teased. I stuck my tongue out at her and shoved her head as I walked past.
Steve got up from the couch, "We know that ain't true, huh Ponyboy? Nobody can like Georgia more than you, huh?" He slapped my arm as he walked past me and into the kitchen. I tried getting a hold of him on but his long and lanky legs propelled him out of the room. I scowled at him instead. I can't stand Steve Randle. I mean it. Sometimes I hate him.
I took a seat next to Johnny, Dally beside him. "That sure was one long move. Two hours?" Dallas smirked and I knew what he was getting at. "Are you sure you guys were watching the movie and not busy kissing?" Steve started cackling from the kitchen and Dal suddenly stared at me. "Glory, but your ears can get red, Ponyboy."
"You're funny, Dal. If only you were as smart as you are snarky!" Georgia said in a fake-cheerful voice.
Dally smiled and pointed finger at her, tilting his chin down he laughed, "Watch your mouth, missy. That attitude of your's needs fixing." It seemed to me that Georgia was the only person that could get away with talking back to Dallas Winston. I'm sure Johnny could too, but he never would. Georgia ain't afraid of him like everyone else and enjoyed making fun of him. I'd just as soon mess with the devil himself; but for some reason, Dallas didn't seem to mind. If I didn't know any better, I would say that he liked it.
Georgia skipped to the kitchen to bug Sod and Steve. "What're you making in here, Sodie-pop?" She opened the fridge to poor herself some water.
Soda grinned and gave her a spoon covered in icing. "Hand that to Stevie, I'm making cake."
I groaned a little. I would never tell him, but Soda was the worst cook ever. I like Darry's cakes better; Sodapop always puts too much sugar in the icing.
Handing the spoon to Steve, Georgia snickered. "Here you go Steve. God knows why we keep giving you sugar."
Soda laughed. "He'll die without it."
"We ought to put him on a diet." Georgia laughed and took a sip from her cup.
Steve stood up and slapped her in the stomach, which caused water to drip down her chin. Steve's grin faded once Georgia started chasing after him around the kitchen.
"Get him, Georgia, get him!" Sodapop cheered. I was not surprised he was on board with this.
We all laughed as we watched the two run around the house and yell at each other. Johnny burst out laughing when Georgia jumped onto Stevie and clung to his back like a koala. "You would never guess she hadn't always been in the gang. Funny huh?"
"Yeah," I laughed, "It's like she's been here forever."
Steve swung her around his shoulder and tossed her on the recliner. "You're too damn fast, Georgia." He said, catching his breath. The gang laughed at Steve's beat-red face while he lay flat on the carpet. "Oh yeah! Laugh it up over there!" He shouted even though he was also laughing with us.
"You aren't very athletic, huh Steve-O?"
"And you aren't very nice, huh Georgia-bee?"
I looked at Georgia who had herself propped up on a pillow, sitting with her feet hanging over the arm. She looked cute sitting like that. Everything she did made me fall for her more and more. I couldn't get enough of her.
For the rest of the night I couldn't take my eyes off of her. When we were all playing poker once Sodapop finished baking the cake, I kept showing my cards because I wasn't paying any attention. Of course I lost but I didn't really mind. We wasn't playing with real money anyway.
Only when it started getting dark outside did Georgia and I climb on the roof. Darry was fixing it the other day and left the latter on the side of the house. We could have gone up to the attack and climbed out the window but it was dusty in there and climbing the latter was easier.
We sat down on the highest part of the slanted roof so we didn't slide off. It was getting cooler as the sun was getting ready to set.
"I can't wait!" Georgia faced me excitedly, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. "Is it really better than if we were on the ground?"
"Mhm. Way better." I said, looking at our hands that were almost touching. "Thank you by the way."
"Thank you? Why?"
"Yeah. I mean, I've never had a person to share it with, y'know?"
Georgia looked at me questionably. "Well you had the gang. You've known them way longer than you've known me."
I sighed. "Yeah, but you ain't like any of the gang. I mean, I couldn't tell Two-Bit or Steve or even Darry about the sunrise and poems and stuff. I couldn't even remember that Robert Frost poem around them. I mean, they just don't dig. You just do."
I gazed into Georgia's eyes while she listened. The way she looked right in was indescribable, with her hair glowing in the fading sunlight and her face being sculpted my the shadows casted upon it. She's more than beautiful. Georgia's more beautiful than anything in the world, even more beautiful than sunsets.
"I feel the same way about you, Ponyboy." She said. My heart seemed to float inside my chest. God, how I wished that was true. I wanted her to be my girl but she didn't see me that way. "We're different than them. We knew that."
"Shoot," I said, shrugging my shoulders, "maybe they are."
Georgia chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."
We sat on the rooftop listening to each other breathing. I always hear people describe "the silence before the storm." It's a quiet moment before everything breaks into chaos. I think it's the same way with sunsets—before it happens, there's a certain lull that falls over everything and it's just period of peace that comes right before something amazing.
That blanket of silence fell over us until it happened. The sun began to set and was moving rather fast. The sky was lighter in the east, a blueish purple color, and the horizon was a thin golden line. The clouds changed from gray to pink, and the sky began to reveal the stars. There was a silent moment when everything held its breath, and then the sun finally sank. It was really pretty. I was wishing I had some paint to do a picture with while the sight was still fresh in my mind.
Georgia was looking into the distance where the sun had once been. Her eyes closed and I smiled. Georgia's so cute, I thought dreamily, almost like an angel or one of those greek gods I've read about. She was the perfect sight for my sore eyes. Telling her how I'd been feeling about her sounded like a good idea then. I just about did before she spoke up.
"I think I'm gonna tell Two-Bit about his drinking." She said.
I blinked my eyes a few to clear my head. "Yeah?" My mind was still focused on admitting my feelings that I didn't want to speak in case something slipped. We were talking about something serious and I couldn't tell her now, it would be inappropriate.
Georgia took a deep breath. "Mhm. I've been thinking about it for a few days now. I'm just scared how he's gonna react."
"Two-Bit's too lazy to argue with anyone, especially you."
Georgia glanced at me. "You think?" She tugged on her earlobe.
"I do." I put my arm across her shoulders to comfort her. "I think it'll go well, and if it don't then the gang can help." Her eyes shimmered with fear and I quickly realized that I shouldn't have said that. "It won't go wrong, Georgie." I reassured her, "I know it won't."
"I don't know, Pone." Georgia laid her head on my shoulder.
I loved being close to her. It made me feel safe and I knew it comforted her. as well. Whenever we walked home from the movie house she would hold on to my hand just in case a soc came at her.
She sighed "I'm just scared. What if he yells at me? Is this a good idea?"
I ran my hand down her arm and grabbed her hand reassuringly. "It is a good idea, Georgie. Two-Bit loves you too much to get mad at you." I said and squeezed her hand.
"Alright." Georgia stood up carefully. "Thank you, Pony. I think I'm gonna had down now and talk to him back at our house."
"Okay," I said. "Come over and tell me how it goes. Don't worry about how late it is, I'll stay awake."
"Alright Ponyboy." Georgia beamed her gorgeous smile and I nearly melted. "I'll see you later."
About five minutes later I watched her and Two-Bit cross the street. Georgia waved before entering the house.
I whispered my secret aloud, though it was pointless. If only I had told her. Just then, Darry's pickup pulled in.
"Ponyboy Michael Curtis, get off the damn roof right now!"
