Trouble |The Outsiders|

18. Buzzed At Buck's

|January 1966|

"I'm tellin' you, Mr. Syme hates me!"

Abigail and Evie shared a look while Sylvia snorted into her coffee. Danny huffed in response, a fake glare in his eyes. Abigail ruffled her brother's hair lightly while saying, "he doesn't hate you, maybe if you did your work he'd think differently."

"Nah, Syme's is just a dick," Sylvia told the group while rolling her eyes. Evie laughed and walked away with a pot of coffee in her hand while Abigail wiped down the tables and booths surrounding them. "He hated greasers then, and he hates us now. Some people never fucking change."

She spat the last part viscously as if cursing the teacher would have some immediate effect. Danny didn't seem to care, he was too busy reading over his English homework for the second hour in a row. Evie was too far away to notice the edge in her friend's voice, but Abigail was just close enough to notice her bare finger.

"Trouble in paradise?"

The usual fire in Sylvia's eyes had been burned down to an ember as she chuckled dryly and invited Abigail into the seat across from her. Anyone walking by wouldn't have noticed, they probably wouldn't bat an eye if they did notice, but Sylvia was tired.

She didn't wear dark eyeshadow like usual, her hair wasn't curled, either. Near her roots, Abigail could tell where her natural hair ended, brown pieces of hair were deliberately brushed down to hide from view. The only normal thing about Syliva was her long, dark lashes and fiery temper.

"Fucking Dallas," she cursed while dropping her head into her hands.

"You're fucking Dallas, got it. Hey Abi, what's an idiot? Wait a minute- what the fuck's an idiom?"

Danny dropped his eyes back to his book, not noticing his sister's concerned glances as she rubbed Sylvia's back soothingly. "Just ignore him," she decided. Sylvia laughed into her hands, a short, harsh laugh that could make the hair on the back of your neck stand.

"He was kissing some random chick on New Year's then gets all pissy when I kiss someone else! He took his fucking ring back and told all the guys I cheated on him, like always."

Abigail tutted her tongue and gave Sylvia's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Dally is a hypocritical asshole, you deserve a lot better."

"Ain't he your friend?" She asked while raising her face and wiping her hair back. Abigail nodded seriously. "Yup, that's why I can get away with talkin' shit about him."

She didn't respond but rather turned her face towards the window to her right. It was a nice day for January, not too cold, and the sun was bright. Danny was still looking over his books, biting at his lip in concentration before sighing and throwing his hands into the air. "You shoulda heard Ponyboy, he was goin' on n' on about some stupid poem. Something gold can stay, or whatever," he'd complain. Sylvia, on the other hand, had yet to turn her tired brown eyes from the window.

"Can we hang out tonight?" She finally muttered. Abigail, from the other side of the restaurant, pulled at the collar of her shirt. "I don't know, Syl, I'm supposed to go to the Drive-In with Soda, Evie and Steve tonight," Abigail admitted softly. That's when Sylvia turned.

"Please?"

Abigail sighed heavily before dropping the filthy dishes into the sink and turning around to face her friend. If there was one thing she knew about Sylvia, it was that she never said please.

"Fine," Abigail agreed begrudgingly, "I just gotta talk to Soda first."

"Speak of the greasy devil," Evie giggled before abandoning her dishes and walking into Steve's open arms. Sodapop stood behind him, a charming grin and grease smudge on his face. With a cocked eyebrow and his arms open expectantly, Abigail sauntered over and wrapped her own arms around his waist before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Can we take a rain check on that movie night? Sylvia needs me right now."