My Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter X

My horse crossed the finish line first, again. The cheering was louder than at the last rodeo. It was a crazy thing—I would pass people on the streets, and they'd tell me how inspired they were, because I kept at the whole riding thing, even after it left me without use of my legs.

I went to put Mickey Mouse back in the stables, and I was met by the guy that owned the stables and stadium. He organized the rodeos—he was the owner.

"Hello, Mr. Robinson," I greeted.

He smiled. "You seem to be doing very well with the riding. People really admire you, Penelope. The annual children's rodeo is coming up next week, and I was wondering if you would like to hype up those kids beforehand. You know, kind of like a motivational speaker, but you'd be more engaged with the children."

I thought for a moment before answering. "I'd love to! When should I be there?"

"The children's rodeo starts at noon on Thursday, so you should be there at ten o'clock."

I nodded. "Alright. I'll be there."

Dally met me in the stables—because I couldn't use my legs, it was a little difficult to get on and off of a horse—and helped me down.

"You're on a winning streak," Dally observed.

"I am, and Mr. Robinson noticed. He asked me to be with the kids before the children's rodeo next week!"

Dallas laughed. "That's fantastic! By the way, your parents told me to tell you to meet them on the corner of Pickett and Sutton."

I untied my hair and let it fall. I started running my fingers through my tangled hair. "Well, I'm not meeting them there, not like this, at least."

Dally pulled an unfamiliar looking switchblade out of his leather jacket pocket and flipped it open. I had been expecting to see a knife, but it was a comb. He started combing through my rat's nest of hair.

"Oh, Dally, you really didn't have to..."

"But I am, so just hush up, baby." He finished brushing through my hair and dropped the comb into my hands. "It's yours."

"Aw, thanks, Dally!"

He pushed me to the corner and left when my parents showed up. My dad got behind me and started to propel me along. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

I thought for a moment. "You decide."

My father looked down with a sullen expression. "Your brother, Kenny, was wounded in the war."

I looked up at my dad with wide eyes. "What?"

"Kenneth was shot near the heart. When he wrote the letter, he was alive, but we wouldn't be surprised if... we got the letter from the military that he didn't make it."

I frowned and bit my lip to keep the tears back. "Alright. What's the good news?"

My father pushed me in front of a building that looked familiar. I think I would've recognized it, but it had been redone slightly. My mother jangled a set of keys in her hand and opened the front doors. Before I rolled in, I got a glimpse of the front sign: Rockin' Records.

"This place is ours?" I was in awe.

My parents eagerly nodded. "It sure is!"

"Does that mean we're staying in Tulsa?"

"Yes, it does."

I pumped my fists in the air. "Yes! Thank you guys so much!"

"We do expect you to pull a little weight around here, but not much."

"That's fine. Are we still gonna live with Steve?"

My mother shook her head. "The poor old lady that lived behind your friends—"

"Which friends?"

"The Curtis's, I think. The poor old lady that lived their died, so we bought the house."

"That's great! I mean, I feel awful bad for the lady and her family, but I get to stay in Tulsa!"

I started wheeling myself around the small record store. The shelves were already fully stocked—my parents must've done that as soon as they bought the place. I started browsing, just to see the selection. "Look! It's Buddy Holly... and Elvis Presley... and the Beatles... and the Beach Boys... and Perry Como... you've got it all! People will be coming from all over town to get music!"

"Good thing you know who they all are. We were wondering if, during the summer, you could help with restocking, and a little bit of customer service. When school starts up again, you can DJ for all the local schools who don't have local bands to play at their dances."

I nodded. "I can do that. When are we opening?"

"Now."

"Right now? Like at this moment?"

"Sure. I mean, why not?" my father said.

I worked the jukebox for a few hours, until a few people started to wander in. "Oh, hey Pony. Whatcha doin' here?"

He looked shocked to see me there. "I was just gonna see if this new record place had any good music."

I bit my lip to hide a smile, but I ultimately failed. "Ponyboy, my family owns the place now. I get to stay in Tulsa!"

His mouth hung open for a moment but faded into a smile. "Everyone's gonna freak out when you tell them!"

I smiled and nodded. "So, what're you looking for?"

Ponyboy shrugged and started browsing. He eventually picked up a Buddy Holly album entitled "The 'Chirping' Crickets." "I think I might get this one," Pony said. "My brothers would like it, too. I think Darry remembers Buddy Holly. He would've been thirteen or fourteen when that plane crashed."

I nodded. "Probably. My parents can help you buy it."

"I'll make sure to send the rest of the boys your way," he said.

"Oh Boy!"

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Author's note
I've been sitting here writing this and procrastinating. I've also been listening to a lot of Buddy Holly today, and it's super obvious. And the end words of the chapter, when it says "Oh Boy!" Well, it's supposed to be spelled with both words capitalized, because "Oh Boy!" is a song by Buddy Holly 😂

Your friendly neighborhood greaser, signing off...
Stay gold y'all ⭐️