de facto 〖 ponyboy curtis 〗

sixteen.

The car ride was enjoyable for the both of them. Ponyboy let Jo-Lynn choose the music and she put on her favorite, the only predominately black radio station in the area. While The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis, and the like were pretty cool, she much preferred James Brown, The Isleys, Etta James, and other Motown icons. Ponyboy did have some familiarity with Jo's favorite songs, Sodapop played the same station when it was his turn to clean up around the house. He always said that the music just had something about it, it was even more fun to dance to.

Ponyboy loved listening to Jo singing along. How great her voice was kind of surprised the guy, that and the idea that she wasn't too shy to sing around him at all. She was comfortable with him, and when he smiled at the first song she sang along to, she was encouraged to sing more. His smile widened as she moved to the middle seat and rested her head on his shoulder while he drove. The bowling alley was about a fifteen minute drive from Jo's home, residing in a neighborhood that straddled the line between the typical middle class and the impoverished east side.

"How's your neighborhood?" Ponyboy asked, unable to think about what else to say to her. Making small talk was never easy for Ponyboy, if he wasn't being quiet, he always wanted to be having a conversation that meant something. That often left him with very few options for filling in silence.

"Oh," Jo-Lynn replied, surprised, "I don't mind it. I don't get to go out as much, all my friends live too far away so I mainly see 'em if Cal wants to drop me off or one of 'em has a ride."

"Your house is real nice."

She giggled, "You think so? It's like almost every other house on that street."

"Yeah, nicer than mine for sure, but our house is old, that's why."

"Thanks. My daddy always wanted us in a better house; we used to live in this apartment, but when he died, my mom was finally able to move us. She and Cal work real hard to keep it up." Jo-Lynn felt her chest tighten a bit thinking about her father. It never failed to evoke even the smallest reaction.

"Hate to hear that. About your dad I mean."

"It's okay, it happened a while ago so it ain't fresh or nothin'. At least my mom is still around. A friend of mine's dad died and his momma just went crazy. She could hardly take care of him or his brothers so he had to do it himself."

"I get it, it's hard losing the person you love most. Besides your kids, I guess."

"Yeah. Sure was tough to watch, though." She said. After a quick moment of comfortable quiet, she asked. "What's your parents like?"

Ponyboy smiled a bit, wondering where to even start about his parents. "They're great. Well, they were." Even though it's been a couple of years, he still finds himself talking about his parents like they're still there. Every once in a while, he'll forget that they won't be home when he gets there, usually when he's been really in his head. "My mom worked part time but she always took great care of us. My dad worked in a warehouse twelve hours a day four days a week so whenever he was off he liked taking us to the park to play ball. That's where Darry, my brother, got his love of football. A lot of the parents on my side of town ain't that good so I appreciate how much they loved and cared about my brothers and me."

Jo-Lynn smiled now; it made sense why he was such a good guy, she thought, his parents were good people. "They gone too?" He nodded and the girl put her hand on his arm gently. "I bet they'd be happy with how you turned out."

"I hope so."

Another moment of quiet passed as they got closer and closer their destination. Jo-Lynn's eyes followed the clouds as her voice softly rang alongside the music blaring in the car. As they arrive, they both notice the lack of cars in the parking lot and Jo is glad that there probably won't be too many people there. She hoped that they could just enjoy each other with no distractions. Ponyboy parked the car and went over to get the door for Jo. He tripped over a rock in front of the car and the girl looked down to hide her face as she giggled and his face turned bright red. Still blushing, he opened the door of the navy blue ford and held out his hand for the girl which she took as she now made her way out of the car.

Excitement grew as neither of them made a move to let go of the other's hand and they walked towards the doors of the bowling alley. They were greeted at the front, Jo went there often so she knew all of the people at the counter, and Ponyboy was just glad there was no opposition toward the two of them so far. Out of the twenty four lanes, only nine were in use and there was plenty of space for them to have a good night bowling without getting too many uncomfortable stares. Jo was no stranger to these looks but she didn't know if Ponyboy would be as nonchalant about it as she was.

"Hey Charlene," Jo-Lynn says with a smile to the red haired girl at the counter.

"Hey Jo, good to see you." She says, immediately going to get the shoes for the other girl, having her size memorized. Charlene now turned to Ponyboy,  "What size?" she asks.

"Ten." She walked to the shoe rack and brought back the shoes for Ponynoy. Charlene set them up at the second to last lane on the least busy side, making sure that Jo-Lynn and her guest would get to bowl relatively in peace. For a Saturday, it wasn't super busy but they arrived late in the afternoon.

Jo-Lynn was a good bowler, not the best but not the worst and Ponyboy was pretty good himself so they had a good game. Jo could get a little competitive and when she learned that Ponyboy could keep up with her playful smack talk, they began to enjoy each other even more with witty remarks and laughter between each round.

They played two games before their time was up but they ended on a tie and Ponyboy really wanted to do a tie breaker and Jo-Lynn gladly obliged. Despite it being a close game, Ponyboy ended up winning and they were on their way out after that last game.

"I'll get you next time, Curtis," Jo said, giggling and placing the bowling shoes on the counter followed closely by Ponyboy and she waved goodbye to Charlene and the guy behind her at the counter.

"Any time, give me a challenge next time," he joked and she laughed as he held the door open for her.

"Don't get too cocky, now, baby," Jo responded, "You got lucky that first time, okay?"

"If it makes you feel better." For right now, they were the only two people in the world. Everything else was tuned out and pushed to the side and they could only see each other. When they got back in the car, they momentarily locked eyes and Jo smiled before sitting back in the seat and looking forward. Ponyboy turned on the car and silently rode off toward her house, turning the radio up a bit. Like magic, the song that played was Your Precious Love and Jo-Lynn almost laughed at the timing.

Neither of them said anything but both felt the unspoken bond grow between them.

not me literally working on this little chapter for damn near a year lmao