dance in the sun 〖 the outsiders 〗

the kids

"Hey, Richie!" Ronnie yelled, pulling up outside of our house in that same old ugly pickup. I ignored my mother's glare the same way I did every Saturday morning when the guys picked me up. Instead, I smiled at my mother and hurried towards the door.

"I'll be back at ten."

"Why are you gonna be out so late?"

I turned around and looked at my mom letting out a sigh which she always hated. "Mom, I told you, I'm working a double. I'm gonna cover Iona's shift today, she's got a hot date."

Mom rolled her eyes but chuckled, she didn't like my friends but she enjoyed seeing me in a good mood before work. "Have a good day," she says, handing me a few dollars. "Don't forget to get lunch. Don't you dare buy any more tapes with that lunch money."

"I got it, mom."

I made my way out the door and noticed another car. Bob's navy blue Sting Ray, my sister Cherry's boyfriend waiting to pick her up as well. What she saw in that guy, nobody understood. "Cherry, you comin' by Lucky Star later?"

"If you want me to."

"Yeah, get me some food, will you?" I request, handing over the lunch money. Bob told Cherry she oughta hurry up and I can't stand when he even talks, let alone yells at my sister, so I jumped into Ronnie's beaten up old Ford and yelled back at him to chill out before Cherry could say anything. "You're her boyfriend, not her father."

He rolled his eyes, the guy couldn't stand me either. "Watch it wannabe freak."

"Ooh, burn!" I taunted, flipping Bob off while Ronnie took off in the direction of work. "Bye, Cherry!" I shout to my flustered sister. The Ramones played loud enough to give the guys in the car brain damage, if they had even brains in those skulls of theirs, and I banged my head along with the drums.

"Hey, Marlene," I hear Lefty call. I peek my head through to the back through the seats and ask him what's up over the music, which was no longer blaring Teenage Lobotomy as loud as before. "Ready to work?"

"Hell no. But I am ready to make double the cash today."

"We're gonna get to meet Jade's boyfriend today," Righty states excitedly. Ronnie and Lowell were known together, the best friends. The two were a package deal and you'd hardly get one without the other. Frankie, our boss, realized quickly that they could barely even work separately and be effective: he made their work schedules identical and even kept them on similar tasks throughout the day.  Together, they were known as "Righty" and "Lefty".

"She's not coming in today."

"Well, she's gonna have to if she wants her wallet." The blonde took the small, red wallet out of his pocket and waved it back and forth teasingly. I rolled my eyes, snatching the wallet from Lefty's hand.

I opened the wallet and snooped through it, simultaneously speaking to the two. "You guys are impossible. He is not gonna wanna meet you."

"He should. They aren't really together if he hasn't met her family and best friends. We are both." The boy driving states, not bothering to keep his eyes on the road. "Don't you wanna meet this guy, Marley?"

"Sure, apparently he's dreamy, sweet, gentleman-like, etcetera. I was wondering if the guy's got a dreamy, sweet, gentleman-like brother or friend."

"Didn't you and Paul somethin' just break up?" Lefty mentions.

"Yeah, so what? I can't daydream about anybody else?"

"Not unless it's me," Ronnie joked, quickly pressing a kiss against my cheek.

"You know you're always gonna be my number one."

"Well, what about me?"

"Okay, you're both my number ones," I chuckle, placing soft kisses on both of their cheeks.

"Alright!" It was something we had done since I began working, ever since they'd went for a joint attempt at winning me over. It failed but they will never let it go and I will always love them for not being afraid of caring so deeply for me and letting me know it.

Righty pulled into the parking lot towards his self-designated spot and sped up when another of our co-workers, Paul Garrett, was crossing the road. A mortified Paul flipped the brunette off and both the boys in the front seat did it right back to him, laughing hysterically.

I hopped out of the car before Righty had fully stopped it and took a moment before work to enjoy the warm air, reminding me of the color yellow and the ladies and I swaying our hips to Sara by Fleetwood. I sped up to meet with Paul who's energy was slightly on edge, though mine would be too if I was just starting my new job with a bunch of weird people.

I asked him how he was feeling about his real first day and his response was short and obviously not well thought out. I could tell he was just hoping to get in and get out but none of us would let this kid's first job be uneventful.

"So, Paul, why are you working here? You seem like a sweet kid, like your parents love you and your lunches consist of all the right proportions of all the food groups," I point out, unlocking the doors to the store and turning on all the front lights.

He stood awkwardly and looked around the, now, brightly lit store and all the vinyl, tapes, and everything else right where he remembered them. "Yeah, well, my parents are kinda assholes and I don't live with them anymore."

A part of me felt bad for bringing it up but I knew my curiosity would take priority over that feeling. "Really?"

"Yeah. They signed the papers, I'm technically an adult."

"Guys, Paul's an adult," I announced to the boys walking into the store followed by our boss Frankie.

"Yeah, he's emancipated," the oldest of us all states in a nonchalant way that was almost foreign to the rest of us.

"Well I was talking to the guys, you know everything, Frankie."

"What's emancipated?" Lefty questioned.

"Maybe pick up a book to figure it out," Frankie suggests, knocking on the blonde's head and walking to the back. "Come on, y'all. You gotta clock in or that's paperwork for me."

"Janice is late."

"Clock in for her, she'll be here in five minutes," the boss demands, heading to his office in the back.

"You know we love you, Frank?" I call to him.

"All the time."

edited 12-30-21