The Curtis Sister

Snow & Cigarettes

2 Weeks Later
       I woke up sleeping curled up to the wall. Pony wasn't there, so I assumed he was most likely asleep downstairs. I got up and felt a crick in my neck. I rolled my head around to try and crack it and it didn't work. Of course it didn't work. The bags under my eyes had gotten bigger and darker. I grabbed jeans and a white shirt with yellow neck and sleeve collars, then I walked into the bathroom and changed into them. Darry would yell at me for smoking inside the house, so I grabbed the pack of cigarettes I left on the desk and the lighter on top of it.
        When I walked downstairs I didn't see Ponyboy, actually I didn't see anyone. The only thing I heard was screams and laughs from outside. I walked threw the kitchen and out to the backyard where all the guys were playing football, every guy but one. I managed to walk outside without any of them seeing me, so I went outside to the front porch. Our porch kinda looked like the porch at the party I went to. Where Bob threw me into the shower. Chipped paint, splintered wood, and deeply buried nails. If it had been dark, I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.
  The past many weeks felt like years. When Steve, Two, and me had rushed to stop Bob from shooting the guys. When I went to ice cream shop with Dal even though it was not that much above freezing. Watching the sunset with the guys. Dal and me almost getting caught. Getting a job and meeting Gloria. Darry having his seizure. Dal and me breaking up. All of it happened in a span on 5-6 weeks. Happiness, stress, and sadness. That's how childhoods end. You start off happy, you start to stress, then you become an adult and everything gets ruined.
        I took a cigarette out of the pack and my lighter from my back pocket, then stuck the cigarette between my lips and held the lighter up to the end. I rolled my thumb over the spark wheel, nothing. I did it again, nothing. Was it broken? I tried a few more times, nothing. The lighter was out of my hands and then a flame popped up. I turned my head up and Dal was standing in front of me lighting the cigarette.
      "Thanks.", I said.
      "What are you doing out here in a short sleeved shirt you're gonna freeze your ass off.", he warned.
       "I wanted a cigarette, we can't smoke in the house."
       "Since when?", he asked.
       "New rule."
       He nodded slowly.
       "What are you doing here?"
       "I came for Johnny. He said he needed to talk to me or something.", he said.
       "Do you know what's it's about?"
       "No clue. I have an idea about it though."
      "What?"
       "I don't know if he'd want me to tell you.", he explained.
       "So you're gonna tell me that you have an idea about why Johnny needs to tell you something but you won't say it. Thanks.", I said sarcastically.
      He sighed. "Well, he doesn't want me to tell anyone. I love that kid I'm not gonna throw him under the bus."
     I smiled.
     "What?", he asked.
     "You love Johnny.", I laughed.
     "Shut the hell up."
     I held my hands up and he laughed.
      "Go talk to him. He's probably wondering where you are.", I said.
      He walked past me and walked through the front door. I inhaled the smoke from the cigarette, and it wasn't the same. I felt like I was outside of my body and I was looking at someone across the street, or in a window. A girl, smoking a cigarette in the freezing snow in a warm weather outfit.
       I threw the cigarette on the ground and put it out with my shoe. Then, I threw the whole pack onto the ground. I was quitting, no matter how hard it'd be. I'd never smoke a cigarette a day in my life ever again. I heard the door swing open behind me, I didn't turn around. I didn't really even process that it happened until I heard Darry's voice.
"Hey, Y/N. Someone is on the phone for you.", he said.
I darted my eyebrows down in confusion. Who calls me anymore? The only people that have ever called me were the guys. I walked inside and put the house phone to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Y/N?", it was Gloria. Her voice was shaky and high-pitched.
"Yeah?", I asked.
"Can you come down to the diner. Just for a minute."
I could tell by her tone she was crying. Something was wrong.
"Yeah I'll be there soon.", I said.
She hung up the phone, so I did as well. Then I quickly rushed out of the house into the back yard. Everyone was sitting on the back porch steps. They all turned to me when I opened the door.
"I'll be at the diner. If you need me, too bad."
       Johnny got up.
      "Another milkshake?", I groaned.
      "Uh. Yeah."
      I caught Dal's eye and he gave me a 'let him go with you' nod.
      "Okay. C'mon."
       I snatched the car keys off the counter and rushed into the car. Johnny was running to keep up with me.
       "Why are you going so fast?", Johnny questioned.
        "Cause I need to get there fast."
        I got the keys into the ignition and speeded down the street.
        "Be careful!", Johnny warned. He was right so I slowed down, but just a little bit.
        We pulled up to the parking lot in a few minutes and I got out of the car.
        "Stay in here.", I said.
       "Wait!"
      He grabbed my wrist.
       "Johnny I don't have time to talk I really need to get inside."
       He let go and nodded. "Okay."
      I closed the door and ran into the diner, trying my hardest not to slip on ice.
      When I went in, I didn't see her. I looked around and found the diner to be empty. It had already opened, and usually it was packed. Opened 24/7, next to neighborhoods and work places, and somehow completely empty. The back room. I ran to the back room and opened the door. Gloria was sitting on a bench. Her elbows on her knees, her hands holding her face. She was crying, and not a small tear, crying crying.