The Curtis Sister

Meaningless Christmas Cartoons

"I kissed Ponyboy."
He didn't look at me when he said it. My eyes widened. I turned my head away from him and out to the diner.
"Are you guys...?" I waited for him to finish the sentence.
"I don't know. Okay?"
"When? And why?"
"It was yesterday. He told me that he used to like Cherry, but he didn't anymore. Of course I knew why. But I asked him if he'd moved on to someone else and he said that he had."
"Okay. How does that relate to you two."
"It was me!", he said sharply.
I glanced at him and winced.
"Sorry."
He sighed and leaned back in his seat.
"Do you like Ponyboy?", I asked.
"I don't know. I mean. I do. I do like him I just can't. Some kids from school saw us. We're both gonna be butchered tomorrow if we go to school."
He cupped his face in his hands again.
"I go to the same school, I'll make sure no one messes with you."
"You aren't there all the time."
He was right. I didn't have the ability to protect them. Kids were smart when it came to fighting. They'd know when to go after them, and it most likely would be a time where I wasn't there. I sighed.
"I'll find a way to keep you guys home for the next few days, but you can't stay forever."
"What are we supposed to do?"
"I don't know. I have to think about it. But I'll make sure no one touches either of you, okay?", I reassured.
He nodded.
     "Does Dallas know about you and Ponyboy?", I asked.
      "Not that it was Ponyboy. Just that I was caught."
      "He can help me."
      "Yeah, 'help you'.", Johnny scoffed.
     "Whats that supposed to mean?"
     "You still like the bastard I can tell."
     "I've gotten over it."
     "Yeah sure.", he joked.
     I put the keys in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. I wasn't mad at Johnny. Well. I was. I was mad at him because he could read me so easily. He was always right about how I felt, and I wanted to hide that.
    I felt like the silence meant Johnny thought I was mad at him for the Ponyboy thing. I wasn't. Not even a little bit. To be honest, I wanted them to end up together. Eventually, I spoke up.
       "You can be with Ponyboy.", I said.
       He looked at me confused. "Really?"
      "I don't have anything against you two. Nothing."
      "Then why are you so pissed at me?"
      "I'm not I just...I'm thinking", I half-lied.
     "About what?"
     "School. And Darry. And Gloria-"
     "And Dal."
     "No. He hasn't even crossed my mind since that night.", I lied again.
      Lying to Johnny didn't make me feel good, but I didn't want to talk about it. More like white lies to protect secrets.
      The snow had turned to mush, but we were getting a snowstorm Christmas Eve, it was small though. I'd wished it would've been bigger. That would've made it better for layers of blankets, movies and hot chocolate.
The house lights were off, but I didn't see anyone in the backyard. They were probably still on the doorstep. I walked out of the car, Johnny following close behind me. When I opened the gate I had to pull my hand off because of how cold it was. I put my hand under my shirt and opened it with the cloth. The cold wet snow against my stomach wasn't any less pleasant then trying to open it with my bare hands. The house was silent, too. Usually I'd hear their voices outside. But I heard nothing. I confusingly looked at Johnny, to find him with the same expression.
      I opened the door and saw all of them packed by the living room watching Rudolph on the TV. Only Ponyboy, Dallas, and Soda were actually awake.
"Hey what's up?", Soda asked.
"You guys were gone for awhile.", Dal noted.
"We were talking to Gloria.", Johnny answered.
"Who's that?"
"She works with me.", I replied.
Johnny went and sat down next to Pony. He whispered something in Pony's ear, but Pony didn't show an expression. I lifted Darry's legs off the couch and sat down. He turned so I could actually sit without having his legs close me in like a seatbelt. Dallas was sitting on the ground in front of the couch and Steve was asleep beside him. Two and Soda were sitting on the other couch while Pony and Johnny were sitting on the ground. I laid my head back on the couch and fell asleep. For 8 hours.
         When I woke up it was about 10pm. I was laying on the couch now, with a blanket over me. Steve was the only person in the room, sitting on one of the couches. I sat up and he turned to me.
         "Morning Sunshine.", he said.
         "Where'd everyone go?"
         "Well your brothers went to bed, everyone else went home."
         "So why are you still here?", I asked.
         "I'm making sure no one comes and murders you. With your luck, Bob would probably bust through the door.", he joked.
         I laughed a little.
         "Thank you?"
         Reruns of Christmas cartoons played on the tv still.
         "You hungry?", he asked.
         "Kinda. Why?"
         "I'm going to Dairy Queen. Wanna come with?"
         "I mean, I don't have anything better to do.", I replied.
         I put on a jacket and walked to Steve's car. I could see my breath in the air, and the coldness made me shiver as I walked. I tucked my hands under my arms and questioned why I hadn't brought a bigger coat. Steve opened the door for me and I climbed in the passenger side. I buckled my seatbelt quickly to give myself more time to huddle up and make myself warm. Steve reached behind him and pulled a jacket out from the backseat.
       "Wear this.", he said.
       "Thank you."
       I had already buckled my seatbelt so I laid the jacket over me like a blanket. I rested my head against the car door and stared out of the window onto the dark late night. Pools of warm light spilled onto fractions of the cracked road with slush filled gutters and snow toppled car roofs. My eyes slowly shut and I found myself getting in a few last minutes of sleep before Steve pulled up to the parking lot.