tutor||ponyboy curtis ✓

02

Jacqueline

I giggled with Susan as we painted our nails in her basement, careful to not spill any of the crimson polish. Dustin seemed bored out of his mind as he flipped through the channels.

"So how's your new tutor?" she asked me, a devilish smile creeping up her face. That was the thing about Susan, she always seemed to have a sneaky plan.

"Meh, he's alright." I shrugged, blowing on my nails in an attempt to hurry up the drying process. She rolled her eyes and tsked at me.

"I've seen the kid, he's cute for a white boy. I'd take the opportunity." she winked and I laughed throwing my head back.

"No way, that's just- that's gross." I chuckled, suppressing the rest of my obnoxious snickers.

"God could you shut up with the boy talk I'm tryin' to watch T.V." Dustin spat out at the both of us bitterly. Finally landing on some football game.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." I teased at him.

"Nah he's just in love with ya Jackie, don't like imaginin' you with another man ain't that right Dustin?" Susan wiggled her eyebrows at us. Dustin scoffed like it was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard,

"No way she's too ugly."

"You're one to talk."

He threw a pillow at my head, but I dodged it cackling.

"No wonder you couldn't make the baseball team!"

***

I walked into English class and passed the desks towards my seat. Ponyboy gave me a slight smile as I walked by his. I returned it and sat down in my desk. I took off my pastel pink cardigan and placed it on the back of my seat before opening my text book. I stayed focus on the board and the lesson. Maybe if I focused more I wouldn't have to burden the poor white boy, he probably got mocked for teaching me. So, I stayed studious throughout the class. Writing notes on how Jo March and Amy March's contrasting personality's will most likely cause more conflict in the future of the book. The ring of the bell went off and I smiled a little, at least I had focused. I got up and was about to slip on my cardigan, but it wasn't on my chair.

"Just great," I muttered, whatever. I would just tell my mother that I never had a pink cardigan, hopefully she'd buy it. I didn't want to cause a scene, the white kids would get a real kick out of that one. I got up, scooping my books into my arms and was about to leave the classroom, until I spotted my cardigan in the trash can. Covered in pencil shavings. How fantastic. I watched as the classroom emptied out, hoping nobody would stay to see me grab something out of the trash. I watched as loafers and converse picked themselves out of the classroom, and glanced back to Mr.Jones looking at me funny. I sighed and picked up the ruined sweater. I shook it out into the waste bin, him still watching.

"Do you know who did that?" he asked me. I shook my head immediately.

"No sir, I probably just accidentally did it?" What a dumbass excuse, nice going Jackie. He nodded and left it at that.

Ponyboy

I watched Lisa slip Jacqueline's cardigan off the back of her chair. I furrowed my eyebrows at the scene as she got up and her friends giggled. She hid the sweater behind her back as she went up to the pencil sharpener and slyly dropped it in the bin. Then she just sharpened her pencil like nothin' had happened. Finally she emptied out all of the shavings on top of the cardigan and her friends erupted in giggles. Mr.Jones shushed them and Lisa sashayed back to her desk with a sly smile on her face. I should've said something, I knew what she was doin'. I tucked my head back down into Little Women like a coward. The bell rang and I stood up picking my notebook with me. I looked behind me as I was walking out and saw Jacqueline searching under her desk, probably for the cardigan. I sighed and went over to my locker, placing my useless notebooks into it.

"Hey Ponyboy." I glanced over my shoulder and saw Lesley walking over to me excitedly. I cocked my head a bit at her as she walked over. She was a socs, what was she doin' talking to me?

"Did you see Lisa?!" she snickered, twirling her blonde hair between her fingers. I nodded zipping up my bag,

"Yeah what about it?" she rolled her eyes,

"It was so funny right?" she asked as if it was obvious to what she was getting at.

"Not really." I shrugged nonchalantly. She furrowed her eyebrows and sighed,

"Typical of a greaser to band together with a nigra. Whatever you're both cut from the same cloth." she huffed walking away with an annoyed expression and her curled ponytail swishing from side to side.

"What was that 'bout Ponyboy?" I turned to my left and saw Two Bit pointing towards her. I shook my head,

"Nothin', what're you doin' at school? I think it's a bit too late to be tryin' to pass." I said sarcastically and he chuckled.

"I'll be goin' here 'till they kick me out Ponyboy."