de facto 〖 ponyboy curtis 〗

five.

Jo-Lynn

Back where Jo was much more familiar, in her old neighborhood that they'd only left a couple years ago, no one knew the first thing about her life outside of her small group of friends. They only knew she was a lone wolf and no one minded. Her friends wanted her to themselves, anyway. When she was asked what she was up to, the most often answer was nothing at all. She wanted to keep some things to herself, allowing her everyday life to be separate from the things she did with her friends.

They were at a bar right now that all but two of them were too young to get into. It wasn't like anyone was keeping track of who went in and out of the place. Jo-Lynn didn't drink very often because she didn't want to get used to it and become like a lot of the others where she's from. Instead, she had a lemonade while the rest of her friends ordered mixed drinks and beers.

"These guys suck, y'know?" Terrence, the oldest of the group of friends, groaned over the loud raspy voice that blared through the speakers.

"You wouldn't be able to do no better," Diana commented with a small grin.

"No, but I wouldn't try to, neither," he snapped back, taking a sip from his beer. At nineteen years old, Terrence was the oldest by chronological age only. He graduated and has a steady job but besides that, he wasn't what you'd consider mature until absolutely necessary. It was refreshing having such an energetic spirit for Jo-Lynn because not a lot of people around her give her so much of a rush.

"Terry's right. They ain't good enough to be playin' Otis, God rest his soul," Jeannie, the only girl younger than Jo-Lynn, claimed. Jeannie and Terrence were like kindred spirits and you'd never expect two people who were so different to get along so well. Jo-Lynn always wanted something like that but it seemed that her group of friends wouldn't be able to give that exactly.

"Y'all wanna go up there and do the greatest soul singer in history justice?" Jo-Lynn asked, knowing they'd quickly decline. She chuckled and nodded, taking a sip of her lemonade from the thin red straw, "Exactly, so shut your mouths and listen to the music."

"Don't ya' just love it when she gets all bossy?" Jackson, the final person accompanying the girl that day and Jeannie's older brother, chuckled, wrapping his arm tightly around Jo's shoulders.

"Just as much as she loves bossin' us around." She rolled her eyes as Diana winked at her and offered her some of her drink, to which she politely declined. "Girl, why don't you ever let loose and have fun."

"I have fun when I ain't drunk, thank you very much, and I ain't lettin' loose in here because we're in a stuffy bar surrounded by all these people I don't know. Why should I?"

Terrence stood up from his spot, holding his arm out for Jo-Lynn, which she skeptically hooked her own arm to. "You heard the lady, that means we gotta get outta here so we can have some real fun."

"If by real fun you mean takin' me home so I can get to bed then yeah."

"You're no fun, Jo," Jeannie whines, "Come on, we've got all night."

"You've got all night. I gotta check on my momma."

"Jo," the girl groans, holding out the 'o' in her name for emphasis.

"Hey, it's Saturday, we'll just go out tomorrow. After church and all that," Diana suggested, "Besides, I should probably get home and check on my brothers." As usual, the tranquil nature of Jo had rubbed off on her friends and the majority were deciding to be smart for the night.

"And you know you already don't like gettin' up in the mornin's," Jackson tells his little sister, taking her drink and finishing it off for her. "And momma yells at me for lettin' you be out all night."

The younger girl rolls her eyes, lightly shoving Jo-Lynn's shoulder. "See what you did? Now everybody's gettin' all responsible."

"You're welcome for keepin' you safe, Jean."

"Well, lets at least get out of here before these guys ruin my favorite song," Terry urged, sliding some cash to the bartender and ushering them out.

"Spoke too soon, baby," Diana snickered, as the familiar intro to You Don't Miss Your Water was heard throughout the compact club.

They made their way to the door, Terry being as animated as usual and complaining about everything he could. Jo-Lynn leaned into him and he tightened his arm around her when she rested her head on his shoulder. "Can you take me home, Terry?" Jo asks as they step out of the bar and into the humid night air. "I don't wanna call Cal, he's workin' real early tomorrow," she continued.

Terry and Jeannie both groaned playfully, Jeannie rolling her eyes. They were always talking about where she lived and she never knew whether or not they were never serious when they made fun of it. She would never know that they wanted to be exactly where she was because they felt like she was finally moving up. "Just what I need, a walk on the white side of town."

"Every side of town besides this one is the white side. Please, T, it ain't even that far from here."

"I'm just playin', baby, calm down. You live with the poor white folk, I ain't too worried about them," He said with a laugh.

"Not poor, just not rich. We're in the middle class."

"Middle class don't exist. Either you're rich or you're broke," Diana stated. She remembered hearing that somewhere on TV and after they explained it, she remembered it making sense even though she forgot why.

"Well, we're in the middle class. Which is pretty good for momma since she's doin' it mostly on her own."

"With the help of two boring children." Jo rolled her eyes at the younger girl, sticking her tongue out at her which was then returned and turned to foul gestures, though it was all in good fun.

"Alright, we're leavin', see y'all tomorrow mornin'," Jackson says as he and Jeannie split off from the other three who headed to a car instead. They waved goodbye at the pair and got into Terrence's car, Jo in the front and Diana in back.

The ride to Jo's house was entertaining: she listened to the two argue and bicker over everything and consistently kept quiet when they asked her to weigh in. Terry and Diana were not a couple and never would be but everybody who knows them thinks otherwise. Jo always felt like a third wheel with just those two around but she didn't mind because it gave her a chance to watch and appreciate her friends' interactions.

They asked what else was on her mind besides them and she lied. She didn't want to tell them about the boy she'd also been thinking about throughout the duration of the drive. She didn't realize that they didn't believe her and she also didn't realize that they'd find out on their own.