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ᥫ᭡。
ULTIMATELY, I had came to an ultimatum for the better half of my father. He worked far too hard to pay everything on his own which included paying bills, being able to keep the roof we had shared over both of our heads, and to then put food on the table at the end off the day. I hadn't wondered before with momma just how hard being a lonesome spouse had really been. My attention never once directed me to wonder what kind of life I'd live with only one parent. Now things were so very different.
I talked my father's ear off every day after he came home from work about how I could head off to work once he came home. I already took care of cleaning everything, and he told me doing that alone was enough, but I begged to differ. Our house wasn't a mansion, so there was little to clean. I cleaned everyday in the same places so there would be less and less work to do over time but still, he fought me about getting a job up until I made it my own decision.
With living on the east side of town came lots of little shops which held out opportunities for the "youth" such as myself. I wondered if I could consider myself a youth for I was far past coming of age. I had learned things far beyond my time so young, I had forgotten what being a child was like. I was sixteen, in two years or maybe less I could be out of Tulsa and headed straight for the brighter lights of California.
I hadn't known solely what I was set on for my future but I had my fantasies that kept me dreaming every night after I closed my eyes. I loved to sing, I loved to dance, and I loved my drama class in school. Although it was just a dream, no more than a fantasy to make it to the big screens or on people's televisions, I didn't see anyone telling me I couldn't.
Making my way to school I hummed along to a tune that had been stuck in my head since my father had played it in the record player. The songs my father played were the only ones I listened to around the house, and I really didn't mind those old songs. Most of them were a little aged, a little bit of rock, some bluesy, but most of all country. I loved all types of music, even the new songs I heard on the radio made me sing along.
Walking through the courtyard bearing the entrance to the school I saw Ponyboy sitting on the ledge, an almost stubbed cigarette dimly lit between his thumb and pointer finger. I smiled at him, and sat next to him, swaying my feet from the ledge. "You look happy Jannie, what's on your mind?" He said, finally stubbing the cigarette out on the concrete. "I'm thinking about finding myself a job. I need to help out my dad somehow other then cleaning" I paused, watching as he flashed me a confused look. "I have been begging him for a job for a while and I made my own decision to just try and search for one"
"I wish I could do the same sometimes, Soda and Darry are always working" He said and I nodded, agreeing with him. "Those boys work too hard..." I explained. I thought about how Pony was the youngest and being the youngest wasn't really the best position to be in in these circumstances. Almost every decision had to be based around Ponyboy.
