June Curtis

Chapter 38

June's POV

I woke up and saw the sun shining through the windows. Ugh. I honestly don't feel like having a sunny day. I feel like shit. Literally. I was still laying on Soda which was probably why I'm so comfortable. He is like a big teddy bear. I looked around the room to see if anyone else is up when something caught my eye. It was a picture of me and Sodapop. Soda was laying on his back on the couch with his arms wrapped around me and I was laying on my stomach smiling. Huh, must've been having a good dream. That doesn't happen often and when it does, of course I don't remember it. The story of my life. I looked up at Soda to see him smiling down at the picture of us. "I'm sorry that bad things happen in your life June." Soda said and I looked at him confused and asked "What do you mean?" He looked up at the ceiling and said "Like loosing your parents at such a young age, being kidnapped, almost raped, being jumped, and in multiple near death experiences. You shouldn't be going through that. None of it. Especially at age thirteen almost fourteen. You've seen things that nobody should have to see. I'm sorry that I don't protect ya good enough. I'm your big brother, that's what I'm supposed to do. After what happened to Candy, I promised myself that I would protect her more than I did and I promised myself the same thing with you. But I failed so bad." I was in tears at the end but refused to let them fall. "Soda, Candy is back to normal now. She's taking things surprisingly well after being raped." I said and Soda sighed and said "Not that. It was a long time ago. Darry, Candy, and I were in high school still. Darry was a senior and Candy and I were sophomores. I was on the hockey team with Darry. Darry didn't like it. Him and his friends always gave me a real hard time. Well, one day, I was getting ready to go home and Candy was gonna walk home with me. It was only me in the locker room and then Darry and his friends came in. Darry told his friends that he thinks that I need a shave. Well, I told him I already shaved. They laughed and I kinda did too. I started to walk pass them and they wouldn't let me through so I did a running start and tried to break through them. I didn't get very far." This is a long story but what does it have to do with Candy? "Soda. What does this have to do with Candy?" I asked and Soda said "Shut up and listen, would ya? They slammed me on a desk with tape on my mouth with my number and nickname on it and only a towel around my waist. Four guys were holding me down and one had a fistful of my hair which hurt like hell. They were big guys too ya know so I didn't have a chance. They started calling for a doctor and I didn't know who. Then Darry came in and I'm not gonna describe to you what he had on. But they gave me a shave alright. I'm not gonna tell ya where either, you're gonna have to figure that one out on your own. Then we could hear Candy yelling my name and a guy that was holding me down, got behind the door and Darry told him to cut it out and to stop all of it. Two guys held him back while three were holding me still. Candy came in, the guy behind the door covered her mouth and started touching her. He didn't rape her but he did touch her. She saw me and started to cry while both me and Darry were trying to get free and to help her. Darry kept yelling for them to leave her alone and he even started to tear up. Luckily a teacher came in and got the boys to stop and they got suspended. He didn't catch Darry doing anything so he didn't get in trouble. Mom and dad came and picked us up and they were disappointed in Darry but they felt so sorry for me and especially for Candy. That's the day Candy decided that she wasn't gonna let anyone touch her again. She was a girl version of Dally. She didn't go back to school for a little over a week because she was embarrassed. She wouldn't come out of her room to face any of us. Not even the gang. She would sneak out to get food when all of us were asleep." By this time, Darry and Dally were up and was listening. Darry was silently crying and Dally had no emotion. I didn't notice the rest of the gang awake. We were all silent until Candy walked into the room and we all stared at her. She looks beautiful like always. When I was littler, I always did everything that she did because I wanted to be just like her. I still do too. She is such a good person and she doesn't even know it. "What?" Candy asked breaking the silence. "You're beautiful, that's all." Two-Bit said and she smiled. "I'm taking off work today. Some old friends of mine are wanting to hang out with me today and I'm going to." Candy said and some people agreed but the others didn't. "Candy, you can't just blow off work to go hang out with friends. We need the money." Soda said and Candy rolled her eyes at him as I chuckled along with Ponyboy. OH! Pony's date! It was last night! I'll talk to him after this. "Soda, I'm not blowing off work. I called in and the boss wants me to go out and have a little fun once in awhile. Besides, I'll work an extra shift to make today up." Candy informed him and this time Soda rolled his eyes and sighed because he knew that he wasn't gonna win. I looked at Ponyboy and told him that I wanted to talk to him in private. He nodded and helped me to his and Soda's room. "How was your date last night? Did Crystal look beautiful? I bet she did! What did her dad say?" I asked and he chuckled and said "Slow down hot rod. The date went well. Yes she was beautiful, very beautiful. Her dad was still pretty pissed about it but Crystal told him off. I think I like her June. I really do." I smiled at the fact that my older brother, my twin has finally found his first love. "Did you guys kiss?" I asked and he shook his head no. "Why? Are ya scared or something?" I asked and Pony said "No. It's just like you and Tanner. You guys haven't kissed yet. Are you scared?" I laughed sarcastically and said "Of course I'm not scared and no we haven't kissed yet. I'm just not ready plus, I don't know where we are in a relationship. I mean, he hasn't asked me to be his girl. But he asks like I'm his girl. I don't know how he feels and I don't want to pressure him." Pony nodded and said "Me and Crystal aren't ready either. We just met and when I'm ready, I'll ask her to be my girl if I think that she feels the same way. But don't worry about pressuring him because he feels the same way about you. He doesn't want to rush you into things just like you feel about him. Then, you have to talk to him about how you feel or else he will never know and this thing between you two will keep going or it will get bigger. So the key to a relationship is to talk with each other. Kinda like volleyball. The players have to talk to each other in order to know what's going on. I mean you play volleyball June. Do what you do on the court, to Tanner. Talk." My brother should literally be a preacher. He preaches so good. I nodded and hugged him. It seems like it's been forever since I hugged him. I miss him even though he's here with me. "I'm glad the date went well for ya, I really am." I said and Pony said "Thanks. Let's go back out there so you can talk to Tanner." I nodded and he helped me back out to the living room. "Hey guys, I'm gonna go take a shower." I said as Pony sat me down on the couch. I wanted to look nice for Tanner plus, I don't remember when the last time I showered. Gross. "How can you take a shower if you can't even walk without help from any of us?" Candy asked and she was right so I said "Tanner can help me." This got people's attention FAST. "No." Dally said and I looked at him and said "Dally, I trust Tanner. He's a good kid. He won't try anything. You can even leave the door cracked open." "Fine." Dally said and grabbed Tanner by his shirt collar and said "I swear if you try ANYTHING, I will personally cut your eyes out so you can't use them to look at her ever again. Understood?" Tanner nodded with wide eyes. I was shocked. Tanner helped me into the bathroom. I got undressed and I knew Tanner wouldn't do anything. He's just not like that. He helped me into the tub and I brought my legs up to my chest and buried my head into my hands. He started to scrub my head with shampoo and conditioner and before I knew it, he was done. He started to dry me off and then he started to help me get dressed. I was sitting on the tub while he was tying my converse. He helped me back out to the living room just as the gang was leaving. Candy left with her friends, Darry, Soda, and Steve left for work, Beth was out job hunting because she wanted to help out more even though she already did plenty, Ponyboy soon left with Dally, Braeden, Johnny, and Two-Bit to go get Crystal to do whatever, Kathy and Rosie was gonna go do something illegal, and Tanner stayed here with me. It's just me and him. "Tanner, we need to talk." I said breaking the silence between us. Tanner looked at me with the same emotion in my eyes. Fear.

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