Ashley Curtis... Ponyboy's sister...

Bores, snores, and lettors... Or letters, rather... - chapter 70

[A/N: So sorry it's been taking me so long to update, y'all. Just kinda busy is all. And, I'll try my best too update quicker. Thanks for the support! Stay Gold!]

The determination that had once fill my eyes had now diminished to nothing.

By now, we were all at Jay Mountain, in Windrexvile. We've been here a week, but it feels like it's been years.

Over the course of just one week, I managed to win 20 dollars from making bets and playing poker, Ponyboy smoked 32 packs of cigarettes, Johnny had 4 anxiety attacks, and I got sick 3 times.

You get sick of peanut butter and baloney real fast. Especially if you're not a fan of baloney to begin with.

And, oh how bored we were. Johnny bought a copy of "Gone with the Wind" at the store while he was buying food, but I already read that book. They had a pretty nifty library back at college.

But, they seemed to be enjoying the book. A Johnny loves Ponyboy's poems. Especially the one about the gold leaving...? I don't know. Something like that.

Anyway, one day, I woke up in the morning to find Ponyboy missing.

I sat up from my spot on the floor. "Pony?" I called his name. "Ya hear?"

I turned to my right to find Johnny beginning to wake up beside me.

I placed a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "Johnny, you seen Pony anywhere?"

Johnny shook his head. "Nah. Haven't seen 'im."

That's when I noticed a note left in the dirt on my left. It wrote, "Went to the store. Be back soon.
~PC"

I chuckled, pointing out the note to Johnny.

Johnny and I proceeded to wait for Ponyboy to get back until we heard a whistle. It started low, but went high at the very end.

I smiled to myself. That's Pony, alright. I thought.

I imitated the whistle, giving my brother permission to enter the church.

Pony flung the door open and lugged in 2 big bags full of stuff.

I chuckled to myself. "Pony, ever heard of the saying 'Don't spend it all in 1 place.'?"

Ponyboy rolled his eyes, playfully. "I didn't spend it all." he protested.

He then began unpacking the bags.

More peanut butter. Okay. More bread. Okay. Some jelly. Okay. More baloney. I made sure to glare at the baloney before quickly moving on.

Then, after a few more items, Pony took out... Some bleach... And die...

I looked up at my brother. He scratched the back of his neck. He seemed nervous.

And he should've been.

"Pony?" I grumbled. "What... Is this...?" I held up the two containers.

Pony cleared his throat. "We're cuttin' our hair, Ash. All 3 of us. And you and me are dyin' ours."

"What?!"

"Hey! Don't blame me! I'm just as upset about as you are."

"Then, why're we doin' it?!"

"So the cops don't recognize us."

Johnny nodded. "He's right, Ashley. We have to."

I sighed. "But, Pony." I whined. "I'd look like a fool as a blonde. I'm too tan."

Pony sighed. "Alright, Ash. We'll only die the bottom. Okay?"

I sighed once again. "Alright, Ponyboy. Just be careful. Okay."

Pony nodded, taking the switchblade from Johnny and began cutting my hair.

Now, I'd rather not describe the rest. It's kinda a touchy subject.

About an hour later, my hair was finally finished and so were Johnny and Pony's.

"Pony, can I look at my hair, now?" I whined.

Pony sighed. "Sure." He then handed me a broken mirror that he and Johnny found in the church.

I looked at myself in the mirror and frowned. "It looks weird, Pony."

"Don't worry, Ashley." Johnny said. "You look nice.

I sighed and smiled. "Thanks, Johnny." I hugged the shorter boy. "Thanks for the support."

"No problem."

"He's right, sis. You don't look half that bad." He elbowed me, teasingly. "And I'd say Dally'd feel the same."

I rolled my eyes, messing up my brothers hair. "Very funny, Pony. Just hilarious."

"Well, I bet he would."

"Ponyboy's right, Ash."

"No, you don't look good." called a voice from behind me. I felt arms wrap around me from behind. "You look absolutely stunning, doll~"

I turned around to see Dally hugging me tightly.

I hugged back even tighter and planted a firm kiss on my boyfriends lips. "I missed you so much, Dallas."

Dally chuckled. "I missed you, too, Ash. How are you?"

"Absolutely terrible. You?"

Dally chuckled. "Ya know, your brothers are real worried 'bout y'all."

I sighed. "Hm... Suppose they are..."

Dally handed me a slip of paper. "From Sodapop. Enjoy!"

I chuckled. "Sodapop? Dang, I thought it was the president." I took the letter and began reading.

"Ashley,

Well I guess you got into some trouble, huh? Darry and me nearly went nuts when you ran out like that. Darry is awfully sorry he hit Pony. You know he didn't mean it. And then you, Pony, and Johnny turned up missing in the paper and what with that dead kid in the park and Dally getting hauled into the station, well it scared us something awful. The police came by to question us and we told them as much as we could. I can't believe little old Johnny could kill somebody. I know Dally knows where you are, but you know him. He keeps his trap shut and wont tell me nothing. Darry hasn't got the slightest notion where your at and it's nearly killing him. I wish you'd come back and turn your selves in but I guess you can't since Johnny might get hurt. You sure are famous. You got a paragraph in the newspaper even. Take care and say hi to Johnny and Pony for us.

Sodapop Curtis."

Oh, how I missed Sodapop. But Darry? Not so much. I was still mad at him.

Dally then took my hand in his. "Come on, Ash. Let's go get something to eat."

I nodded, solemnly and the 4 of us walked outside to the car.