Hartley Winston

Chapter 6

Hartley's POV

Two-Bit and I sat on the couch together in silence.  Next to Quinn and Kasey, he was my best friend.  It was unnerving cause Two is never quiet.  I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs, "Hart, it's gonna be ok."

"I don't know who the father is." I admitted, feeling even more like a skank.

"Fathers ain't all their cracked up to be.  Outta all of us, Darrel Curtis Sr. was the only real father any of us had."

I thought about my own father, "no shit.  My baby won't have to deal with any of that."

Two-Bit stood up, "C'mon, let's go to my house.  My mom will know what to do."  Two-Bit's mom was pretty cool.  She worked 2nd shift at the ER.  Two-Bit's dad walked out on them, leaving behind Two-Bit and his sister.  Two-Bit comes off as lazy, but he helps out with his sister quite a bit.

I yelled my goodbyes to Quinn and Kasey.  Darry and Soda gave me a hug, reminding me if I need anything their house is always open.  Steve even gave me a sideways hug.  See Hart, you got a lot of people.  You don't need or want Dally's and dad's approval.  Except I did, I wanted it so bad it hurt.

I don't even know how Dally and I got to this point.  We used to get along pretty good, but we've drifted apart.  It may have started when mom died and he moved outta our house and into Buck's.  He knows dad throws me around, but it don't matter.  Maybe it started when he got out of jail back in New York, he was only 10.  He turned real hard after that. 

Anyway, we got to Two-Bit's house, Mrs. Matthews was in the kitchen cleaning up from supper, "Two-Bit? That you?"

"Yup, Hartley's here too," he called back.

Two-Bit's mom came out, wiping her hands on her apron, "hey Hartley," she hugged me, "I haven't seen you in awhile.  How are you?"

I really liked Mrs. Matthews.  She looked just like Two, but her hair had streaks of gray in it, "doing good." 

We sat down on her couch, Two-Bit made an excuse to go check on his sister.  I knew he wanted me to tell his mom.

I played with a thread on my hoodie, "Mrs. Matthews, can I talk to ya bout somethin'?"

She brushed my hair back, "of course, sweetie."  I bit my lip, "Hartley, you can tell me anything."

"I'm pregnant."  For the second time that day, I lost it.  I sobbed into my hoodie.  Two-Bit's mom held me as I cried myself to sleep.

Quinn's POV

That was a total shit show.  Steve and Kasey went to look for Dally, while Pony and I cleaned up from dinner, "she's really pregnant, huh?" Pony murmured.

"Yeah...she really is." I replied sadly.

"What is she gonna do with it?"

"She said she's gonna keep it."

Pony was silent for a moment, "whose the father?"

I shook my head, "I dunno.  She has a new guy every few days."

"Dally cares about Hart, ya know?" 

I adored my little brother, but he can be naive at times, "yeah, and I'm a soc.  Look Pone, I know you feel ya gotta protect Dally cause if everything he did for ya and Johnny this last year, but Dallas Winston don't care for no one but himself."  Pony stayed silent after that.  I hadn't meant to snap at him, it had been a day.

I took a shower and got ready for bed.  I pulled out my sketchbook and colored pencils.  I liked to draw, it took my mind off of everything.  I was working on a landscape scene for art class when Darry came in and sat on my bed.  "Quinn, can we talk?"  He looked obviously uncomfortable.

"What's up?"

"Are you and Trent...I mean have you guys," if the topic had been about anything else, it would have been amusing to hear Darry stumble over his words.

"No, Dare.  We're not having sex." I felt my face get hot.

"I get your at that age so if you need condoms or anything," he trailed off.

"Ok...got it," I was trying to end this conversation quickly.

"I mean, I just want you to be smart about it."

I was flustered, "I got it, Dare!"

"Okay then," he stood and shoved his hands in his pockets, "good night."

Soda walked past my room and stuck his head, "that was probably the funniest, most awkward conversation ever!" He about fell on the floor laughing.

I chucked a pillow at him, "good night, Soda," I growled through clenched teeth.  I could hear him laughing all the way down the hall.