Catherine Cade (Darry Curtis)

Chapter 4

School is one of those places that keeping your head down gets you far. Especially from my side of town. Will Rogers High school carries that distinct line between socs and greasers through its hallways. Personally, I'm not too bad at school, of course I'm no Darrel or Ponyboy but I pass all of my classes with B's and will be graduating on the higher end of the seniors at the end of the year. If I wasn't working I would probably be passing with even better grades or in advanced classes and ready to go to college the next year. But it's best not to dwell on things that will never happen. But with my slightly above average grades I'm able to skirt away from the "stupid and horrible" greaser girls but still be separated from the "upstanding" socy girls. I fall with the middle classers. Maybe that's why I dress like them and act like them, I'm paired in classes with them. But they go off to better jobs not having to worry about payin their parents bills as well as their own after high-school, and in the end that's what separates us. But for now I'm just like them, even if I show up with the odd bruise every once in a while and have big tuff looking greaser boys like my brother and his outfit walking me to and from school each day.  This is probably the reason why I jumped on Miss Louise's deal, even if it's only benefiting me and not too much to Johnny.
I like to pretend that I'm a middle classer, a watcher. I get good grades and even have lunch with a few. I like to pretend that my worries in life are that big project coming up in chemistry and not coming home to my parents beating on my brother and I. I like to pretend that I knit, crochet, stitch, and design all for fun and not for any type of money for my brother and I that my parents neglect for us.
Maybe that makes me fake. Maybe that makes me ashamed of my living situation. But I couldn't care less. Because at the end of the day I'll be working full time and my female middle class peers will be settling down to become housewives in five years time.
But today school was different and there was no denying I was a greaser girl and not a watcher.

I wake up to the sound of my wind up alarm clock at promptly 0645 to start breakfast for my family. Even if my parents are angry drunks just about every night, they still had jobs. My pa worked full time in construction and my ma worked part time as the secretary somewhere, waking up fifteen minutes earlier than I'd like to start breakfast before their own alarm clocks helps the likelihood of the morning not starting off on the wrong foot. Granted they don't notice much when I do this or when I don't, they don't notice me much at all, me nor Johnny unless they're yelling or hitting at us. I shower and put on fresh clothes and am down stairs making breakfast by 0705 when my pa heads into the shower. By the time he is out his plate is waiting for him with coffee and the paper while I go upstairs to wake Johnny. Well, if he stayed here that is.
Half the time Johnny stays in the lot or at the Curtis house. It gave me a heart attach at first but I've gotten used to it now. Sometimes I wish I was as brave as him to just leave even for a short amount of time but I couldn't do it unless it was final.
With Johnny awake now and moving I make his and mother's breakfast and by the time I'm done my pa is off to work. When I'm all done I wake my mom. I always leave extra time for this in the mornings because I can never gauge how feisty she'll be that morning. With Johnny and her eating breakfast and not a thank you uttered from each of my parents I use my remaining time to clean the kitchen and then do my hair and (if time permits) some cosmetics. I have dark thick hair like the rest of my family, and I look a lot like my pa who has a tan complexion and light hazel eyes compared to my ma's almost black eyes. I blow dry my hair and put in a nude headband teasing my hair a little in the back and some eyebrow product, mascara, and lip balm. My skin isn't near perfect, but what 17 year old's skin is? I stand proudly at 5'3 and 138pounds. A nice middle height and weight, toned from my tri-weekly runs and exercises with Johnny and sometimes the gang. With one final check in the mirror, I grab my book bag and knitting bag and head out to school with Johnny by 0745 to make first Bell at 0805 just like any other day.
"Hey! Ya bums! Hop in, it looks like the clouds will break any minute!" We turn around to see Dallas driving around in a souped up car that was most likely stolen. I look up to see that the sky indeed looked like a late summer storm was rolling in. Darn, I didn't exactly dress for this, looking down to my penny loafers, stockings, grey skirt and white blouse. White blouse. And I have to walk to work after school. I guess I'll have to use my physical education shirt. I look at Johnny and turn to nod to Dallas.
"Thank you I didn't even realize." We load into the car with Johnny taking the front seat and me taking the back as he started driving at a neck breaking speed to the school turning the 15 minute walk and 7 minute drive to a record breaking three minutes.
As we pull up and he stops the car I'm all ready to say my Thank you's when Dallas is quick to speak up. "Hey Johnnycake you go on ahead I need to talk to ya sister about something."Johnny gives me a look from the side mirror but says nothing, he waves goodbye and leaves to go to school. "You work today?" He turns and asks me as soon as Johnny's door closes.
"Yea I do," I say pulling my bags closer. I've known Dally a long time, but that doesn't mean I still don't get slightly uncomfortable around him, especially when those cool blue eyes are solely focused on me.
"Well what time? I'll take ya. We can talk to your boss about the roommates thing." Oh. Duh. How could I forget?
"Oh uhm. Well I'm let out at 2 and then I usually walk home for lunch then go to work by 3. So you can pick me up at my house around 230 ish?" I look at him and bite my lip slightly in anticipation.
"Meet me here when you're let out, I'll take ya to the dingo."
"Oh, well thanks, good thing I brought my supplies to school. Well I better get to class now. I'll see ya later. Thanks." I gather my bags aware that he was still looking at me and move to open the door only to see that the clouds broke. It was raining like crazy. I sigh and brace myself for looking like a trashy crying clown all day.
"Here. You can give it back later." Dallas hands me his infamous black leather jacket. And turns to the front of the vehicle, obviously a sign that no more conversation will be welcome.
I put the jacket on quickly, thanking the lord that it's large enough that it fits over my head with my bags on the inside. Before I make a dash to the building I turn back to mummer a bye, catching him looking a me already in the rear view mirror with a thoughtful expression on his face.
I guess our chat was longer than I thought, because after I stop by my locker to drop off my knitting bag and exchange my textbooks I barely make it to my seat in home room before the final bell sounds off. I sit down dripping wet and look up to see half the class looking at me. I blush looking down and begin taking my assignment and supplies out.
"Hey! You, girl!" I look over to see my favorite greaser girl not so quietly trying to get my attention. "That Dallas Winston's jacket?!"
Now I know why they're looking at me funny.
"Uh-h-h y-yea."
She starts doing a shrieking condescending laughter that captures the whole classes attention, probably wondering why Kathy was sounding like a dying hyena. "Oh Ally Cat it ain't me you need to be worried about! It's Sylvia you ought be worried bout when she sees her mans leather on some mousey broad!" She continues to laugh throughout the rest of the lesson before the teacher makes her get up and go to the principals office. Stopping at the door she looks me dead in the eye and says, "if I were you I'd keep a low profile wanna be greasy Catherine Cade." And turns and leaves.
Next chance I got I went to put the jacket in my locker and hurried to the rest room to fix myself. I hear heals and see Sylvia, Kathy and another hard core greasy girl Elise walk in, blocking the exit. I try to keep a calm composure to not encourage any rough housing that I'm sure she'd love to take advantage of.
"Y'all leave. Lil Catherine and I are going to have a little talk - girl to girl. Ain't that right Cat?" She didn't even look at her cronies and they smirked at me and turned heel, probably guarding the door to make sure nobody interrupted us. As soon as the door is shut she locks it. Why the hell is there a lock on the bathroom door I don't know but I'm sure going to bring it up to my upper class friends to have their parents complain about it. She punches me in the gut, twice. Not too bad I've definitely had worse, but still not nice. I'm heaving over trying to catch my breath as she talks to me. "Listen I can't leave ya black and blue like I want to because Dally'll have a fit and I can't have that. We just started going good again. But I also can't have some greaser girl who don't know her place try to steal my man either." She stops to inspect her nails. "So you see my dilemma. Well. Let's consider this a warning. I know you obviously won't be able to stay away from him, him being your kid brother's pal-see I'm a considerate person!- but I want you to make sure that if a gesture or act might in even the SLIGHTEST of ways be considered romantic - say like letting you use a jacket, you put an end to it. You nip it. Because if I hear about it. Well, you don't get another warning. It's time to wake up now Catherine. You can't hold on to both sides anymore, no more bein a wall flower." She dropped her hand and looked me straight in the eye. "And don't try to be sneaky about it. Because I WILL find out. Now go."
With out glancing behind me I run to my next class shaking with the threat of something I definitely didn't deserve.

Word count : 1962