Bad Reputation||Brooklyn Winston

Chapter 7

Cheerleaders love to talk. So by the end of the week, I had orders for shirts from seven more girls. People had heard that I was in business, and it was making them like me. People weren't afraid to come up and talk to me at lunch or in class. Even socs were talking to me.

But making so many shirts wasn't easy. Besides making shirts for seven "customers", and the cheerleading squad, I was still trying to make clothes for myself. I had gone straight home everyday after school, but I was still up past midnight every night.

"So do you want to come over to my place this weekend?" Angela asked as we were walking to first period on Friday morning.

"I can't." I groaned. "You have no idea how behind I am on making shirts for everyone."

"That sucks. I thought being rich would be easier than that."

"I know, right? Being rich is a lot of work."

"So you're sure you can't hang out? Not even for a few hours?"

"I don't think so."

"You're gonna spend your first weekend in Tulsa holed up in your room?"

I didn't say anything. When she put it that way, it didn't sound like too much fun.

"Come on, Buck has parties every night. Let's go to one tonight or tomorrow night."

"I don't know, Angela. Dallas told me to stay away from Buck and his parties."

"Since when do you care about what Dally thinks?"

"I don't, but I want to at least stay on his good side."

"Hey, there's Ponyboy and Johnny. Let's invite them to go with us."

"Angela, I don't think we should go." I said.

But Angela wasn't listening. She was pulling me toward Ponyboy and Johnny. "Hey, guys." She grinned. "Hey, Ponyboy."

"Hi, Angela." Ponyboy smiled at me. "Hi, Brooklyn."

I smiled. "Hey guys." I smiled at Johnny and he smiled back. I felt kind of weird being around him after finding out how his parents treated him. I didn't want to say or do the wrong thing.

"What are you guys doing tomorrow night?" Angela asked.

"We don't have any plans yet. Why?"

"We were just wondering if you guys wanted to go to a party at Buck's with us."

"At Buck's?" Ponyboy asked.

"I don't know about that." Johnny said, breaking his silence. "Buck has some pretty wild parties."

"Come on." Angela said. "We'll be there. With a couple of good girls like us, what could go wrong?"

"You? Good?" Steve asked, sneaking up behind us. "Angela I know good, and there's nothing good about you."

"What could go wrong where?" Two-Bit asked.

Angela was quiet for a moment. I could tell she was debating on telling them where we were going. If they knew that we were inviting Ponyboy and Johnny to a party, then we'd have to invite Steve and Two-Bit as well. Finally she said, "To a party at Buck's. Wanna come?"

"Is there gonna be beer?" Two-Bit asked.

"It's one of Buck's parties. What do you think?"

"I'm in."

"Yeah, I'll come too." Steve said. "Can I ask Soda if he wants to come along?"

Angela shrugged. "It's not my party. Invite whoever you want."