Big Boys Don't Cry - The Outsiders

One

August 1964,

It was late August, Tulsa was hotter than ever making sure that at least one drop of sweat ran from everyone's forehead. I stood in the backyard by the pool, watching the willow tree as it swayed in the dull breeze. My hair stuck to my back in the heat, I poked my belly as it stuck out in my swimsuit. My weight had always worried me despite the constant pleas from my father and step-mother that I was definitely not fat. My hair was knotted, like a big clump of auburn fluff upon my head, completely clashing with my ghostly complexion.

"I'm off to work honey." My father kissed my cheek from behind and then moved towards my step-mother, Diane, who lounged in her skimpy bikini with her eyes closed. Embracing Diane in his police uniform and then grabbing her bum he left. I turned my head away. She giggled. She was young, about ten years older than myself, too young for my dad anyway. I didn't like her that much.

My dad actually worked for the local police, basically he was a cop. His social life wasn't a flame like some of my friend's dads, as you can guess he wasn't the most popular of people in certain parts of town. It was small here, word got around quickly. Your business was everybody's business. I figured that Diane only married my father because he had money, she's that kind of shallow person. Transparent. I could see through everything.

I was humming Bob Dylan's 'don't think twice it's alright' when Diane growled. "Stop humming. Geez, if you're bored go out or something, you're always at home."

"Whatever." I replied blankly, grabbed a towel from the side and dried my feet that had been submerged in the pool. I walked into the front yard with the towel wrapped around my waist and sat in the front porch with a book in my hands. Tulsa was funny, I wondered how there could be want and abundance in the same place.

"Val, what're you even doing? Get your clothes on, we're going to the fair now, or I'm going without you." The cheeky yet irresistible grin of the fresh-faced Cindy was a smile that I loved to be around. She laughed as she ushered me and pointed at the grimy towel slinking around my waste. I held up my index finger signalling for one minute and raced upstairs into my room, throwing open my wardrobe and grabbing the first tiny skirt I placed my hand on and tucking a white shirt into it's tan material quickly. My loafers were on my feet and I was out in the backyard in a flurry.

"I'm out at the fair with Cindy if my dad asks." I said with my body turned towards the door. Dianne's hand flagged up in acknowledgment and I was out the door and linking arms with Cindy. She clapped her hands together and smiled widely with her toothy grin. "What's that in your jacket?" I inquired, motioning to the lump hiding in the shelter of her oversized denim jacket. Snickering and detaching her arm from the bound she had made with my own she pulled out a flask.

"It's my dad's whiskey," she said deviously "he won't even notice, he's got gallons of the stuff. Anyway this should perk things up a bit." Swigging from the flask she gasped, and stroked her throat. "Shit, how strong is this thing?" She choked, now sniffing the liquid. 

The piece of open land that lay bang in the center of the town was currently occupied by ferris wheels and carousels with the prettiest of horses flying round and round them. The carnival was busy until the owners had to leave and kicked us off the rides, but they most often stayed in town for a week or so. Cindy and I met up with the boys, Frankie and Vincent. I kind of had thing going on with Frankie and Cindy with Vincent, it wasn't exclusive but it wasn't nothing either. Frankie was a pretty looking boy, with finely groomed honeycomb hair and a slim nose that rounded off perfectly followed by a deep crease perfectly joining his nose and pink lips together. He wore a sweater tied around his shoulder with a white button up and slacks. He was almost faultless. Almost.

We swirled in the teacup ride as the night drew in and I laughed in Frankie's chest. The fairground's lights twinkled in the moon and as everyone smiled with their friends and loved ones the giddy atmosphere seemed like it would never end, or was that just the half a flask of whiskey that was speaking? Just as the ride ended, I wobbled onto the grass and a large crowd ran past us. Greasers: with their hair hanging in their dirty faces, following the fleeing people with devilish smirks playing on their lips. Sirens echoed their warnings in the faint distance.

"Filthy greaseballs." Vincent snarled, but I only continuously tugged at Frankie's arm in attempt to yank him away from the foreseeable violence that was merely waiting to be unleashed. I grabbed his chin and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Not tonight Frank, come on. Don't spoil a nice day." My attempts at reasoning seemed to work and Frankie nodded and placed his hand against my cheek.

"You're right Valerie, let's get outta' here babe."