A Boy Named Pony - A Sequel to East West Sunset

Chapter Thirteen - Ponyboy

I pulled into a stall at the first drive-up restaurant I could find and turned off the car. I checked the gas gauge - about half full. Hopefully we wouldn't have to stop for gas before the end of the night.

I heaved a sigh, staring out the car window at the sun sinking low in the sky. I was already exhausted from keeping up the act around Betty Anne. I couldn't let her know something was up - I couldn't let anyone know, actually. This town was crawling with eyes and ears for the Shepherd brothers, and if word got out that I was blabbing around about what I'd seen...

"You know what you want to order?" she asked me, squinting at the large menu board posted on the divider between the lanes.

"Hmm." I stared at it over her shoulder. "I'm gonna get a hot dog. Wanna get some fries to share?"

She bobbed her head. "If you promise not to steal all of them."

"Well, I'll do my best," I sighed, reaching for my leather wallet in the back pocket of my jeans.

"You better not think you're paying again!"

"Relax, we haven't even ordered yet. Besides, you're my girl. I want to spoil you."

I grinned at her, then turned to wave to one of the waitresses milling around the parking lot. One of them bounced over to us, pen already poised over her notepad, and jutted out her chin.

"Y'all know what you want?"

"Yeah." I leaned further out of the car just to make sure she could hear me. "I'll have a hot dog, with all the fixins. And an order of fries."

"Alright. And you, miss?"

"A hamburger, please. No ketchup, just mustard," Betty Anne said.

"Okey doke. That'll be right up for you two."

"Thank you," we both said in unison. We glanced at each other in amusement, barely containing our laughter as the waitress walked away.

"I get it, you're my girl, but you don't have to copy everything I say. That's making it a little weird," I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Who says you didn't copy me? I'm pretty sure I started saying it first!"

"Right, right! And I'm the lead singer of the Monkees."

"I thought you wanted to spoil me?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Well, sure."

"Then let me have my way!" she teased.

I couldn't help from snorting out a sharp laugh from my nose. She really was cute, now that she'd gotten used to me a little. I liked it when she'd joke with me like that. In spite of the light atmosphere and easy banter, though, a pain gripped me around my heart. I was still on pins and needles, too anxious to enjoy the moment fully.

After about ten minutes, the waitress came back out with our food. She scurried away again as soon as she handed me the tray, obviously busy. There were quite a few cars out that evening, for a weeknight - a lot of folks were out cruising and they all wanted to stop for a bite. We were lucky to have gotten there when we did; things sure picked up just after we arrived. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to be a waitress at a drive-in on a night like that, that's for sure!

I handed Betty Anne her cheeseburger and eagerly dug into my own food. I'd had a small lunch that day, so I was starving. I was so focused on my hot dog, in fact, that the fries completely slipped my mind, until Betty Anne said something.

"Hey, we didn't get our fries," she noted, taking a bite of her hamburger.

I looked closer at the tray. Sure enough, now that she and I had both removed our food, it was empty. "Ah, shit, you're right."