"I love you too, Ponyboy Michael Curtis." | The Outsiders Story

2

"Hi, I'm Sarah, nice to meet you." I shake hands with Mr. and Mrs. Curtis.

"Hi. Pony has talked so much about you." Mrs. Curtis says. I giggle as I walk into their living room.

"Hi Sodapop." I say. He's sitting in on the couch, watching cartoons.

He looks up at me. "Wow, you look beautiful."

I blush. "Thank you." I went to find the perfect dress for this meeting: a blue, high necked, sleeveless dress with white polka dots on it. I convinced Browns, the school janitor, to let me in another time than my normal showers to look nice. I even bought nice perfume.

"Wow." Ponyboy says to me when he first walks down the hallway. He's got on a gray sweater and his signature blue jeans. "You look.. wow."

"Thanks." I say. He kisses me on the cheek. Darry then walks out of the kitchen to tell us that dinner is ready.

-

The meal was delicious and we talked and laughed all night. Soda was crazier than ever and it seemed like Mr. and Mrs. Curtis really liked me. I was so happy when dinner was over, as that was the first home cooked meal I've had in years.

"It was so nice to meet you Sarah." Mrs. Curtis said as the end of the night. We hugged as I said bye to Darry, Soda and Mr. Curtis. Ponyboy walked with me onto the porch.

"They seem to really like you." He said.

"Well I hope so. I wouldn't want 'em to hate me. I wanted to look presentable." I said, gesturing down to my outfit.

"Well you do," He comments. "Everyday, your beauty shines through anythin' you wear."

"Ponyboy Curtis you 'ought to stop 'fore my face 'comes permanently red." I jokingly commented.

He then, in one swift motion, grabs my face and kisses me. Our first kiss. I grabbed his face back and continued as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

-

It suddenly takes a quick turn. To that dreadful night. I was hanging out with the Curtis boys in their living room, as their parents went out for a picnic. We were laughing as the phone suddenly rang. Darry picked it up.

"Hello?" He said into the phone. "Hi yes this is Darrell." A few seconds later, his face dropped lower than any other face before. "Thank you." He finally said, hanging up the phone.

His eyes started to water as he sat down in his old chair. "What's wrong Darry?" Soda asks.

He takes a deep breath. "It's Mom and Dad. They... died. Apparently their car was hit or something. I'm not sure."

The rooms silence hung in the air, after a while, Sodapop went into his room. We then heard loud, muffled sobs. I then moved closer to Ponyboy and looked in his face, he wasn't crying, but he was in shock.

-

Then to the Curtis' funeral. All the great things that people said about them were done in the boy's church. We all sat in the front pew: me, Soda, Darry and Ponyboy. When the third person went, I felt Soda's hand tremble under mine. I look to my left to see him silently crying.

I put my head on his shoulder, as to comfort him. I felt a tear on my black skirt, but didn't acknowledge it. I looked up and smiled at him, wanted him to know that I care. That I'm here for him; I'm here for all the boys.

I look to my right, at Ponyboy. Darry is walking up to give the final speech before we go see the caskets. Pony is still silent, as he's been for a few days now. He doesn't eat, but it's okay as Soda eats for the both of them. I look at Darry, hoping he will look straight at me. When he finally does, I wink at him. I then move my hand to Pony's shoulder, rubbing it back and forth; still nothing.

When Darry's speech is over, we are the first to look at the caskets. Both Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have cuts across their faces, but they look like they have complete peace. That makes me happy, as I wipe a small tear from under my eye. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ponyboy leaving a note in both caskets and Soda putting a small coin in them.

The boys and I leave after that, as the burial has no visitors. Walking home was completely silent, which I didn't mind. I didn't know the parents too well, but they were great people from what I experienced.

Everyone went to their bedrooms when we got to the Curtis house. Ponyboy turned around, though, before he left. "Come here." He said almost inaudibly.

I followed him into his room and closed the door behind him. I look to see Ponyboy's eyes filled with tears.
"Oh Ponyboy." I say as I hug him. He sobs into my neck, the first time he's cried since his parents passed. We sway as the floor creaks underneath us.

We soon move to the bed, which is more comfortable for the both of us. I try to coach him though the cries, 'the best thing that I can do for him right now,' I thought.

After about an hour, Ponyboy has been silently crying for a little while now, and we switched positions so that he was cuddling me.

"Thank you." He finally said to break the silence.

"For what hunny?"

"For bein' there for me." He explains, "You and Soda are the only ones that I can really express my feeling 'round. You've been there for my bothers too, which makes me proud."

"I'm doin' what I can." I say.

I waken with a sharp inhale from my nose. Just a terrible, recurring nightmare of that terrible night eighth months ago.