A/n
I wrote this while waiting in line for a rollercoaster and I really hate it oops
~Emily~
It was now Friday. Another school week in my life has passed by.
Do you ever wake up really happy? But only really happy because your mind is cleared. You don't remember who you are, where you are, what your life is like. You don't remember what happened yesterday that made you cry yourself to sleep, you don't remember what happened last week that made you want to die. But the feeling only lasts a second. As quickly as it's there, it's gone again. And sometimes, that's the worst feeling in the world. Remembering what caused you pain.
Ponyboy and Johnny continued to sit with Alice and I at lunch, and even though I was still mad about Ponyboy going on a date with Cherry, I just tried my hardest not to show it. I told Pony that the other day I just wasn't feeling good, and I fake apologized about the way I was acting. I really didn't want him to know I was mad about him going somewhere with Cherry.
I really didn't want to be mad at him either, but I couldn't help it. If only he could know what Cherry's real intentions were.
I sighed and rolled out of bed.
The school day was uneventful up until lunch. When Alice and I sat down, Pony and Johnny were already there.
"Hey Emily," Pony said as I sat, "you're coming over to my house after school today, right?" He asked.
I shook my head. "Not straight after. Dally gets off work earlier today so I'm going to go home with him, but he will probably drag me over there with him a little later. Why?"
"Oh. Well, my date with Cherry is tonight and she's taking me to The Carvery. I was hoping you could help me pick out what to wear."
Alice spit out her soda. "She's taking you to The Carvery? Jesus, you better marry her!" I shot daggers at Alice with my eyes.
The Carvery is a super fancy (and super expensive) steak restaurant. The only people who went there were mostly Socs.
Pony chuckled. "I know, I know. I feel kinda bad that she's paying for all of it though. Anyways, Emily? Can you help me or not?"
I frowned. "Actually, I feel kind of sick... I think I'm just going to stay home all night."
He furrowed his brows. "Are you sure there's not something else bothering you?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, I mean... you have been saying that you're sick a lot recently."
"Are you saying she's lying?" Alice defended.
"No! I-It's just that it seems a little suspicious and I just wanted to make sure you're okay."
I rolled my eyes. "Well sorry that I've been having cramps all week, jeez." I stabbed my fork into my salad.
His faced reddened. "Oh." He said, clearly embarrassed. I felt bad for lying to him, but whatever. "Sorry."
"It's okay," I lied, yet again. All these lies have been just coming so easily to me now.
The silence followed was extremely awkward.
I felt a piece of paper land on my lap. I looked over at Alice and I immediately knew it was her who placed it there.
I unfolded it discreetly under the table. The note read;
just help him! you guys can get closer and then once he realizes how much of a jerk Cherry is, you can be there to comfort him. boom! matchmaker!
I grabbed a pen from the table, and when I was sure nobody was watching, I wrote back and put the note on her lap.
i can't though. he will be talking about his date with her the whole time and i will have to pretend that im not super jealous.
She replied back;
if you don't do this, you might regret it. please!
I sighed, knowing she was right.
"Okay, fine. I can help you after school," I told Pony, "I just need to call Dally and tell him not to pick me up."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yeah it's fine."
He smiled at me. "Thanks so much. I was so worried about it, but I know you have a great taste in clothes."
I fake smiled back, but slowly it turned into a real smile.
***
When we arrived back at the Curtis house, Pony immediately took me to his room. No one else was there besides us. Darry and Soda and Steve were still at work, Two Bit was at home, Dally was who knows where (but probably drinking at Buck's), and Johnny went with Alice to her house.
Ponyboy offered for them to come with us, but they declined as they apparently had already made plans to hang out today. Those two are really hitting it off, which is strange because Johnny is usually so quiet and scared-looking. Around Alice, however, he's like a whole new person.
Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought.
~Alice~
"Exactly! And then he was like, 'Well it's fine because I'm so rich!'"
I threw back my head in laughter. Johnny had been telling me a story about how some dumb Soc had tried to copy off his math test.
"Wow, you can actually tell somebody off!" I said, surprised at what he had told me earlier.
"Yeah, I can. People just don't expect it from me." He replied.
"Honestly? I always just thought you were some quiet emo kid who is like, mute, or something. Sorry. I'm big on judging a book by its cover. I'm working on it, though." I said.
"That's okay. A lot of people think that." He told me.
"Well, I'm glad that we have gotten closer." I said.
"Me too," he smiled, "I mean, I have the gang and everything, but honestly I've never felt this comfortable around anyone else besides Ponyboy."
I smiled back. "Well what's so special about me then? I mean, we met like a week ago or something like that."
"I don't know," he said, "when I'm with the gang, I feel like I'm disturbing everyone or I'm just getting in the way. I know it isn't really true, but I still tell myself that. Around you, though, I've never really thought that, which is weird. We literally have nothing in common but I still feel like we understand each other somehow, you know?"
I nodded. "I know."
