Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Plastered | 56 |

    We drove to whatever liquor store was closest and bought a few six packs of beer with Two-Bit's fake ID. I may or may not've snuck a bottle of Jack Daniel's under my jacket while Two was checking out. We parked in some vacant parking lot, rolled down all the windows, cranked up the radio, and started drinking. I don't know what was in that beer but it did not take long before I couldn't remember what happened last night. We were having a grand 'ol time. Two-Bit couldn't stop cracking jokes, they weren't even that funny but neither of us could stop laughing.

'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' Came on the radio and I turned it up louder. "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips" I start, quite slurred.

"There no tenderness like before in your fingertips" Two joined

"You're tryin' hard not to show it, but baby I know it!" We both slur out "You've lost that lovin' feelin'" we practically scream into the empty parking lot, the sun now fully sunken below the horizon. We broke out laughing "Now it's gone, gone, gone..."

We went on loudly singing and laughing the rest of the lyrics. Then when the next song, 'Fingertips Pt.2', came on we sang through that too. We sat there laughing and drinking for a while till if I had another drop I would blackout. I just looked out into the empty lot and my mind was overcome with dread. I could quite remember why but it consumed me, I wanted Johnny to hold me and tell me everything was okay. But he couldn't, he left, possibly for good. At that thought I popped open the bottle of Jack Daniel's and started drinking. I wasn't conscious for much long after.

The sound of knocking on my window woke me up, it was Two-Bit with a few bottles of water. I rolled it down and he handed me one. "Where'd you get these?" I was very hungover. When did I roll up my window?

"That gasoline station over there. We're both hungover, I mean just standing here is giving me headache." He says chugging a bottle of

"Then get back in here." He did. "So what happened after I opened that bottle of Daniel's?" I ask starting to drink the water.

"Nothing. You got real tired, leaned against my shoulder, said 'Johnny don't go' then passed out cold." He says finishing the water already. I nod "What made you want to go get drunk anyway? I mean besides the whole Bob thing."

Just tell him! Someone should know. "You remember my ex, Jesse?" He nods "He called yesterday. He said he read the newspaper and called Johnny a real downgrade and a substitute for himself. Then he- he uh- threatened to kill Theo." My coarse voice makes me sound like I'm crying and I loathe it.

"Oh shit..." Two-Bit says under his breath

"Don't tell anyone, okay? Everyone already looks at me with pity, I don't need it to be ten times worse. I'm alright." That was a bold faced lie. I'm not alright, not in the slightest. I wish my Johnny was back here with me and my brother is arm wrestling with Theo and Jesse is rotting in California. But unfortunately that's not happening.

He sighs "Okay... but if he calls again or does anything I'm telling people, got it?" I nod "Good. Now, ya wanna get some food? I'm starving."

"Sure," I try and start up my car but it doesn't not matter how hard I try. "C'mon! God- ughhhh." I lean my head against the steering wheel "Battery must be dead."

"No worries, there's an auto store a little ways down the street, we can walk." He says already getting out of my car

I also get out and nearly fall over just by standing "Can we?"