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NEARING the end of the week was like a relief on any day but today. I had planned to meet Ponyboy's friends the "Greasers". Evocations of last nights events pooled into my mind slowly in bits and pieces. Most of the night I couldn't make up for the same reason I felt the urge to vomit at 6:30am this morning. I was hung over and the last thing I wanted to remember was Dallas Winston's face looking down at my own.
Every few minutes or hours I would remember a new piece to fit into to the puzzle that was last night. Why I went out that late and with Dally was beyond me, I guess I just wasn't thinking. I told myself I didn't care what happened or how venerable I was to take advantage of, but I really did care. I also now really cared about Dallas. What Dally did for me last night showed me something I don't think he had shown many other girls before me, which was respect. As much as a pain that he is, he still had some sense of respect for me right?
"Hey, I need to talk to you young lady." My father said, the expression on his face looking a little disappointed. I sat myself down next to him at the dinner table and waited for him to start talking. "Where did you go last night? Be honest." I could have sworn he spent all last night laying in that chair snoring, but I guess I was wrong. He could tell I was uncomfortable with the question, so now he truly knew I was hiding something.
"I went out." He cocked his brow, giving me the "I know better than that" look. It wasn't that I wouldn't tell him, it was not knowing the reaction I would get in return. Telling him I went out to the bar I snuck into with a boy who I barely knew wasn't going to be a good conversation. "I need more then that Janet, you know better then to lie to me." He was right. the matter of the fact was that I couldn't keep a secret from anyone, and I couldn't lie either. "I went out to the bar with someone I met walking down town two days ago. I got drunk, and he ended up bringing me back here in one piece."
If my dad wasn't the way he was, he would have smacked me right upside the head and told me off. He was never like that, and only on occasion did he ever yell. "Who is this boy? Janet...do you know how much trouble you could have gotten in? You don't know this boy! And you're under drinking age by years!" His tone raised at me. I wasn't phased by it very much at this point because I was in the wrong. Hell, I asked myself the same questions before and after I got back.
"I'm sorry, dad." I did mean it. The first week here and I've made a nuisance out of myself, just like I said I wouldn't do. I had never been in this sort of trouble back in Texas, and I hadn't done anything bad there either. "I know you're better than that, kid. You're smart, and you aren't a bad kid;" I nodded sympathetically. "Kids like that end up delinquents, they go down bad paths." I knew that, Dallas was the first person who popped into my mind from the picture my dad was painting in my mind.
"You're not grounded because you're too old for that. You can make your own decisions, but when you make those decisions think of what we talked about okay?" I nodded and hugged my dad. This whole town made me feel different, and there was nothing I could do about it. I didn't want to live in a town where houses were placed one next to the other, I missed back out in the country where you could run through acres of field and not care about past or future.
"I'm meeting one of my friends...Ponyboy. I met him at school remember?" My dad didn't care much for me making male friends. I was sure he would get over it soon. "Alright. Don't get into trouble Janet!" He yelled just before I shut the door to my house and made my way to where Ponyboy said to meet him.
"Hey Pony!" I yelled, as he walked down the side walk. His back was turned away from me, but he turned once he heard me holler. "Janet!" He smiled. He sure was cute and a sweet boy, but I would bother with him like that. "I've told the guys 'bout you...well some of them." He said walking close by me. "And how do they feel this?" I questioned further. I didn't want to just invite myself in, I wanted people to be okay that I would be willing to spend more time with them. "Well...most of the guys don't care, it's Steve that has this problem with new people." He explained. I wasn't looking to make anyone upset, so I would try best to go in with a positive attitude.
We approached a house that had a steel wired fence around it. The grass was yellow and the paint of the house had began to chip. The stairs creaked as I walked up trailing behind Pony nervously. My palms were clammy, an instinct of mine that showed I was nervous to meet a new bunch of people.
"Hey;" Pony turned around for a moment. "If they say anything dumb, just blast it. They ain't mean anything by it." I nodded and we both entered the house. A bunch of guys sat around staring at what played on television. "Hey Pone" a man with a chiseled jaw and beautiful blue eyes said, and then meeting my gaze. "Who's this?" His comment lead the rest to look over at me, making me feel a little uncomfortable. I needed to stop worry of what people thought. If they had a problem they could take it and go with it.
"New girlfriend?" One of them teased with a smirk. "God you guys. You're scarin' the poor girl, give her a break." Pony retorted back, making everyone silent. "This is Janet. She's new to town and I thought she could use some company." this is quite the company. Ponyboy introduced me to everyone, and everyone seemed nice enough, but that's probably just because they had to.
I took a seat next to the man they called 'Two-Bit' and tried my best to make conversation. "Mickey Mouse?" I questioned, and really I was curious as to why teenage boys were watching something so childish. "I know what you're thinkin, but I just like it alright?" I smiled. "Hey, I'm not judging! I like Mickey too." I said. I didn't really watch it or care for it but I wanted friends and this maybe the only way to get them.
We all talked as time went by and I was in a way starting to feel welcomed. In a way I was expecting him to walk through that door, but I was a little shocked when he actually did. It was Dallas. "Hey look, I just scored these from that little corner store down town." He threw a pack of Kools to each one of the boys, keeping a few boxes for himself. When his eyes finally met mine I was hoping he would say something, anything but I guess I was way off. Instead, he coldly looked me up and down and scoffed, shaking his head as he took a drag from his cigarette.
It hurt me a little seeing him react that way to me being here and trying to make new friends. I thought he was my friend too, I just didn't know why now that he was seeing me in a different location than us being alone he would start to behave differently. "There's a party at Bucks tonight...you guys up for that?" Dallas asked the guys. Everyone was up for it even I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try partying.
"I have nothing to do tonight" I shrugged looking around the room, and almost every single one of them had the same look on there face. "Look...this group of folks just might not be where you'd wanna be." I was confused. Everyone just went silent or went back to watching the television. "No offence or anything but...I'm hanging out with you guys now aren't I? It cant be that bad-" before my sentence was complete, Dallas cut me off. I swore he had it out for me now as if he didn't know who I was at all. I thought that maybe he forgot who I was, but he saw me last night. The excuses I tried to make up for him in my mind failed to make sense.
"You're not coming." He said coldly. "I can take care of myself really I won't be any trouble." He ignored me, then seconds later broke the silence. "I said no." Right then, and right there I could have fought his demand, but I didn't. So I gave up, standing up tall and making my way towards the door. The glare I received from Dallas was excruciatingly painful, so I opened up the door and slammed it closed as I quickly walked away from the house.
