Simply a Greaser

Chapter 22

"Hello, Officer." I internally groaned as the cop sat down next to me and pulled out his notepad. I sat up so I could face him easily.

"Hello, Ava. So, how're you feelin'?" Officer Whatever- I still couldn't remember his name- sounded like he was done with me and he didn't want to be here like this interview didn't matter- not that it did. I wasn't going to rat my dad out.

"I'm alright. What's your name again?" I matched his tone, suddenly not caring if I offended him.

"Officer Brook." He looked up at me from his notepad and smiled stiffly. "So, am I gonna get the truth today or some more lies?"

"The truth." Even if Dad hurt me, he was family and he thought what he did was best for me, and I knew that sometimes I would do something stupid and deserve what he did to me. I couldn't tell the cop anything.

"Okay, Ava. What happened two nights ago?"

"I... was at a party." I paused, scrambling to come up with a believable lie. "And, uh, I wanted to go to sleep so I was walkin' home."

Officer Brook rolled his eyes, cutting me off with a dramatic sigh. "Alright kid. Listen to me now, and listen to me good, 'cause I'm not sayin' this again." He leaned in and lowered his voice like someone might be listening in. "All the other cops don't give a damn about this case. They don't care about you because of your last name, kid. They think you're just some dumbass trouble maker like your brother.  I'm your only chance of puttin' whatever asshole did this to you in jail so they can't do it again to you or somebody else. If you tell me the truth now, I'll make sure they sit in a jail cell for a long, long time. If you lie now, I'm not comin' back."

"Why do you care?" I didn't need some fucking cop trying to act like they were my father or something. "What's to say I'm not like my brother, or I didn't do somethin' to deserve this?"

He shook his head. "I know a good kid when I see one. You know how I know?"

"Do I care?" I hissed in response.

"A good kid doesn't help a little girl, cryin' on the side of the road."

I scoffed, looking away from his. His evidence of me being some great person was me bringing Two-Bit's little sister here, and that was weak 'evidence'. "Any decent person would've helped. I'm nothin' special."

"You'd be surprised, Ava. So," he clicked his pen, "what's the story?"

"I told you, I was at a party and-"

"Have a nice day, Ava. No investigation will ensue 'cause one has to be requested by the victim in these types of cases." He stood up and walked away from my bedside, looking grim.

I almost apologized to him as he opened the door, but I swallowed my words. I shouldn't have been so rude, but I couldn't just snitch and he didn't need to be on my back like he was.

"Hey, Brook!" Two-Bit called from down the hall. I laughed at his friendliness towards the officer.

Officer Brook paused in the doorway and sighed. I heard him mutter, "Don't wanna deal with him."

He quickly left and went the opposite way down the hall.

Two-Bit stuck his head in my room a few seconds after, grinning widely and obviously hiding something behind his back. "What's up with him?"

"I kinda pissed him off." I shrugged, smiling back at Two-Bit. "How do you know him? He arrest you before or somethin'?"

"Several times, darlin'." He walked into the room and stood beside my bed.

"Did you just call me darlin'?"

"Yeah, I did. Now be quiet, I got somethin' for you." He pulled his hands out from behind his back and held out a stuffed teddy bear.

I grabbed it, immediately hugging it to my chest and putting my head down to hide my blushing. "I love it, Two-Bit."

"Good." I glanced up at him and could've sworn he was blushing as well. He sat down and smiled at me. "So, what's his name?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, still smiling widely. I was honestly too giddy to think of a name. For starters, I'd never owned anything like a teddy bear and I'd always secretly wanted one. And secondly, the person that gave it to me made me like bear even more.

"Umm, how about Theodore, but-"

"Teddy for short," I concluded, nodding. "I love it."

"Well hell, I'd woulda gotten you one sooner if I knew you'd like it so much. Katie helped me chose it out."

"She did a good job."

"You did, too, with her birthday present. She's in love with that doll. Won't put it down. She named that doll thingy Rose."

"That's my middle name." I smiled, almost sure that Katie had named her doll after me.

Two-Bit said, almost like he was trying my name out, "Ava Rose Winston. Wow, Ava. That name's almost as pretty as you."

"Thanks, Keith. What's your middle name, anyway?" I teased him in response, trying to hide the fact that he had me a bit flustered.

He leaned in close to me like he was going to whisper the biggest secret in the world.

"No one knows my middle name," he muttered, "but I'll tell you." He paused for dramatic effect, then whispered, "It's Bartholomew. Keith Bartholomew Mathews."

"Oh, bullshit. You're not a Curtis so you're not gonna have a name that weird." I wasn't sure why I was whispering back to him, but I was.

His eyes widened like he was hurt, and he grabbed his chest, about where his heart is. "You've cut me real deep, Ava. I don't get why you don't believe me."

"Alright, sure. Your middle name is Bartholomew."

We were still tilted towards each other, and I thought I saw him glance down to my lips, but I knew I had to be seeing things. Until he started to lean in.

Our lips met and suddenly we were kissing. I put my hands around his neck and he put his on my sides, being careful not to touch my back.

Suddenly, after a few seconds, the door opened and we both flew apart.

I immediately thought of the worst possible person to be in the doorway and imagined Dallas seeing us kissing and just... killing both of us.

When I looked, I saw Ponyboy standing in the doorway, his mouth open in shock like he'd never seen such a scandalous scene.

"Uh, I-I, uh, wanted t-to say hi..."

I'm so sorry. That was actually garbage and belongs in a fucking landfill with all the schoolwork I've ever done. I can't write anything mildly romantic because I'm forever alone so please excuse whatever monstrosities that come out of this story.

Anyways, I hope you guys are doing good in school/ at work and your lives are going well and all that stuff. Thanks again for sticking with this story for so long, it really does mean a lot.