Silhouettes, Cigarettes, and Boys in Leather Jackets

Chapter Twelve

This is my last chance.

I needed to talk to Cherry. I needed to explain to her that I wasn't defending Dallas from her, I was defending her from Dallas! She shouldn't be mad.

I hadn't been unreasonable in my hopes for moving to Tulsa. A good group of friends, a hot boyfriend, and a little peace and quiet weren't too much to ask for. Cherry was the only real friend I had spent time with. I couldn't give up this early in the game.

As I got ready for school, I made a point to dress my best and curl my hair. My skirt was ironed, and my necklace was shining.

Today was important.

Mikey knocked harshly on my door just as I lifted the hot iron to my hair, and my hand jerked and burnt my neck. I yelped and dropped the iron, holding my neck where the iron had made contact.

"MIKEY!" I huffed, turning the hot iron off and putting it away. My hair was perfect anyway.

My little brother peeked his head into the room, then ducked as I threw a shoe at his head. He popped back in, guarding his face against any further attacks.

"Hey, sis... I need a favor." Mikey took a step towards me, and I sighed. I had said to make a point to talk to him. I might as well do it now, rather than at a later or more inconvenient time.

"What is it?" I replied, fluffing my hair in the mirror.

"Dad worked late last night, and he's still asleep. I need a ride to school."

I looked at him more closely. "That's all?"

He nods, and I smile gently. "Okay, sure. Go get in the car. I'll be there in a minute." I pack my lunch and head out the door. I need to get my car washed.

I slide into the driver's seat and start driving to the high school. Mikey is a freshman, so this isn't a problem. I could honestly give him a ride every day. It would be a good way to check in on him.

"Whoa... Kiera, have you been getting some action?" Mikey was staring at me, but not at my face. He was staring at my neck.

"Why? No... what-"

And suddenly, I knew.

"It's my..." Mikey nodded. I covered my neck with my hand. "And it looks like..." Mikey nodded again.

Oh no. Oh no no no no no. Cherry left me with Dallas yesterday. She's going to assume that he gave me a...

I covered my neck with my hair and drove the rest of the way to school. Miraculously, I went the right way. Take that, Dallas Winston.

Dropping Mikey off at his building, I pulled into the parking lot and took a deep breath. I wanted to make things right. Cherry couldn't be willing to give up this easily, so I wouldn't either.

The courtyard area was full of students. Keith seemed to be having a serious conversation with a blonde girl by a bench, and Cherry and her group of friends were sitting by a big oak tree.

I walked up to Cherry, and Marcia stepped up to me. "Brave of you to show your face again, huh? You know why we wall the east-siders greasers, right? 'Cause they're greasy. And from the looks of it, you are too!"

Marcia pointed at my neck, and I protested, "It was my curling iron, not-"

It was no use. After Marcia pointed it out, Marjorie squealed and a laughing, disgusted group began to form. Every living Soc I had met so far was watching and laughing.

All except one.

Lucy just watched me solemnly, her big eyes like mirrors into my soul. She didn't judge me, whether I really was 'greasy' or not.

Cherry stalked off, and the crowd followed. Lucy left as well, towards the back of the lineup. I tapped her shoulder, and she spun around, startled.

"Hi! Kiera, right?" She spoke quietly, but genuinely. It was a breath of fresh air. "I'm sorry about them. I'm sure the story isn't true. There's no way you'd stop her from giving a boy a piece of her mind."

A boy, not a greaser. Just a boy.

"Well, it's true, but not in the way you think."

I led her to the tree that Cherry vacated. Lucy sat down, folding her pleated skirt neatly so that no dirt got on it. She was a very precise person, I noticed.

"Then what really happened, if you don't mind me asking?" Lucy replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind an ear. Today, her ponytail was low, almost falling out. It seemed to be the only part of her that wasn't precisely perfect.

"Well... it's a long story. Basically, we went looking for him at a party the weekend before then and I slapped Dallas and he pulled a switchblade on me, but I didn't want that to happen to Cherry, so I stopped her but because she didn't see me slap Dallas and suffer the consequences, she got mad."

Lucy nodded; her eyes wide.

I shrugged. "She doesn't want my explanation anyway."

She put a hand over mine. "Cherry wants to be angry, so she's going to be angry. When she wants a friend, she'll come back. Cherry does what she wants."

I supposed Cherry and Dallas were the same in that respect. Dallas did who and whatever he wanted. Who would dare to stop him? And honestly, most of his 'greaser girls' don't want to stop him. That's why the Soc girls stay away from him.

The bell rang for us to go to class, and Lucy said goodbye and left.

I stood up to follow, but I saw something out of the corner of my eye that made me stop in my tracks. Is that... Mikey?

Indeed, my little brother was walking just outside of the courtyard. He wasn't alone though; he was with another boy, a tall one about six feet tall with a Mickey Mouse shirt and a big goofy smile.

Keith?

Why was my brother hanging out with a greaser? Keith wasn't the worst greaser, but he was definitely not someone I wanted my brother around. As I watched them, I saw Keith had something to Mikey.

A cigarette.

"Mikey!" I shouted, running up to them and grabbing my brother's arm. "What are you doing?"

"I made a friend, Kiera! This is Two-Bit." Mikey looked up at me, seeming confused that I was so upset. Of course he wouldn't understand.

I shook my head. "You shouldn't be here, especially with him."

Keith chuckled at me condescendingly. "You act like it's your choice of who he hangs around."

Mikey nodded hastily. "Yeah, exactly. I make my own choices. And I choose to hang out with Two-Bit. He's funny."

Keith told Mikey, "Hey, go take a walk that way. Dally's gonna meet us there in a couple minutes."

No, no, no. I am not about to let my brother get sucked into the greaser world. He is not in a good place right now. Maybe I should have talked to him about getting help or therapy instead of stressing over a fake hickey.

"You are not introducing him to Dallas." I demanded, my voice firm.

Mikey raised an eyebrow. "You know Dally?"

"You know Dallas?" I asked, my heart dropping. I was too late.

"Yeah, he's my bud." Mikey answered, and he took a deep breath before shattering the little hope I had left. "I know you may have messed up your friendships, but you don't have the right to mess up mine."

And with that, my brother walked away.