✓ | falling ➝ j. cade

xviii. girl colored blue (reprise)

❝THOUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD
THINKS I'M TRASHY AND NO
GOOD, I SUPPOSE IT COULD
BE TRUE, THERE ARE WORSE
THINGS I COULD DO.❞
-STOCKARD CHANNING, THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO

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"It's late," Theodosia spoke up late one night,"I should go."

It was one of the last days of Theodosia's winter break, and she wasn't ready for it to end. This break had been the best break she had had in years. Primarily, she spent it with Johnny and his friends. Occasionally, she'd find herself at the Turn-Around with James, Lilli, Bailey, and Josiah. Her mother continued to work late, which, for once, Theodosia didn't mind. She had Johnny to keep her company. That winter break had been nearly just ecstasy for the girl.

With the exception of one night.

"Stay, Theo," Johnny quietly begged, taking his girlfriend's hands in his,"your mom's workin' late again anyway."

"I should go, Johnny," Theodosia repeated.

"Theo, please. It's too late for you to walk home anyway. And it's too cold, too," Johnny argued, exhaustion evident in his determined tone.

Theodosia pursed her lips, caving into her boyfriend's big puppy dog eyes. Besides, if she stayed at the Curtis' that night, it'd give her more time with Johnny. Granted, it was hard to find the two apart that January. They were neck deep in the honeymoon phase, not that either was complaining. The gang, however, (impartially Steve and Dally) was known too. It wasn't that they weren't happy for their friend: they were, but they weren't the type to overly enjoy couples being coupley.

"Fine," Theodosia sighed, following Johnny to the couch in the Curtis living room.

The gang was sprawled out across the house that evening. Darry had retreated to his room after a long, particularly cold day of work hours ago while Sodapop and Steve were playing cards in the dinning room. (Theodosia could clearly hear their hollers at each other.) Ponyboy had also retreated to his and Soda's shared room to finish a novel he was reading. Two-Bit was loudly raiding the fridge for another beer while Dallas told Two-Bit a story he had over heard at Buck Merrill's bar earlier that night.

She was grateful she was just with Johnny right then. Theodosia's mood had long dropped, and she would've loved to have been home alone with a book and a record playing softly while she was curled up in her bed. It wasn't that she didn't like the gang - she did -, but she tended to become drained if she was around people for awhile.

The two had sat themselves down on the couch in silence. Normally, the two were rather chatty, but Theodosia couldn't find anything she particularly wanted to talk about. Johnny didn't seem to mind, though. His head was resting against the arm of the couch. She could see his eyelids dip down before flying open. Gingerly, Theodosia laid her hand on his thigh.

"You can go to sleep if you want," Theodosia quietly offered.

"Theo, I'm fine," Johnny argued, before letting out a badly timed yawn.

"It's okay."

"Are ya sure?"

"Yeah, I'm not tired yet anyway."

Johnny didn't say anymore, so Theodosia tucked her legs under her as she quietly sat in the Curtis house living room. Soda and Steve were still well going at their game of cards. So, she decided to venture into the dinning room to watch the show.