Simply a Greaser

Chapter 5

My head was pounding. I rolled over on the couch, trying to hide my face from the light coming in through the window, but landed on the ground with a thud. I groaned into the carpet. I figured I was lucky I didn't hit my face on the floor.

Rolling over and opening my eyes slowly, I muttered, "Why don't this family got any blinds?" I could hear people in the kitchen and someone snoring from somewhere. I felt sweaty, tried, and like I could eat a horse.

Memories from the night before slowly came back. Stacey was with Buck at his bar, so she was okay.

I sat up and made my way to the kitchen. When I walked in, Darry tossed me a bottle of Aspirin. I dry swallowed two pills and sat down at the table.

I heard giggling. Looking up, I saw Two-Bit, red faced, holding his hand over his mouth and giggling like a little girl. I stared at him, trying to figure out what the hell he was laughing at.

Suddenly, I remembered I tired to have sex with him. My face turned red as a tomato. I put by head into my hands and cringed. God, I had gotten drunk and tried to have sex with a guy I'd know for two days.

"Shut up!" I yelled, wanting to die.

He laughed harder. After a few seconds, I took my head out of my hands and looked at him. He was doubled over, his face bright red. I thought I saw tears glimmering in his eyes.

Despite myself, I started to laugh with him. Soon, Darry joined in, and then we were all doubled over, almost crying, in hysterics, just laughing our asses off.

Eventually, we calmed down, but every once in a while, someone would giggle and we would start laughing again. 

"So, Ava," Two-Bit said slowly, "you wanna-"

"No. I was drunk, okay?" I sighed and leaned back on my chair. "But thanks for not takin' me up on that offer, I guess."

Two-Bit grinned and shrugged. "You was drunk off your ass. Like I was gonna say yes."

I smiled at him. I was very lucky that he was a decent guy.

Steve came into the kitchen and looked at Two-Bit and I. "You guys hook up or somethin'? Why're you lookin' at each other like that?"

We started laughing again.

The gang and I walked into the Dingo and sat down at the biggest booth they had. It was Pony's suggestion that we all go to the Dingo before I went home, and everyone was up for it.

I was on the outside of the booth on one side and next to Johnny on the other. Two-Bit was across from me and made faces at me for the entire meal.

We were crammed as hell, since the booth wasn't actually meant to hold all of us. If Darry would've came, we would've had to sit at the counter. Also, since Darry didn't come, it seemed like everyone was more rambunctious than they would've been if he were there. Steve kept spitting spitballs at the waitresses with Soda and Two-Bit, and when our food arrived, we all got into a huge food fight.

What started it was Steve spilling water all over Ponyboy and Soda.

Soda screamed like a girl and threw my plate of fries at Steve. Noticing my loss of food, I grabbed Soda's milkshake and poured it on his head.

Soda threw fries at Two-Bit in response, assuming it was him.

By the time we ran out of food to throw, I was covered in a layer of ketchup, hamburger, milkshake, and fries. Johnny had some food in one of his eyes, Pony had somehow managed to rip his shirt, I couldn't see Two-Bit's face beneath the layer of food, and Soda and Steve were soaking in drinks.

The manager arrived and kicked us out- rightfully so.

I was laughing as we left the building, joking with the boys, until I saw him sitting, just looking at me.

My dad was watching me, disgusted, from one of the booths, his menu gripped tightly in his hands.

I stopped laughing. I stopped walking, too- just stared back at my dad.

I felt someone tug on my hand.

"Ava? You alright?" Two-Bit asked, looking at me oddly. Actually, everyone was looking at me strangely.

I swallowed tears and panic. "Yeah. I'm fine." I shook his hand off of mine. "I gotta go."

I rushed out of the Dingo, ignoring them as they followed me.

I was in deep shit. My dad's number one rule was for me to never date. He already thought I was a slut, and he'd told me that so, so many times.

Before I knew it, I was home.

I had no idea what else to do. I had to go home- if I waited, everything would just get worse. If Dad had to track me down, he'd get angrier.

I was shaking as I unlocked the door. I felt like I might throw up as my stomach twisted and turned. I sat down on the couch and waited for Dad to come home.

I didn't leave the house for two days. Actually, Dad wouldn't let me leave the house for two days, but I wasn't sure that I wanted to.

I felt like hell. Dad had freaked out- he'd gotten madder than he ever had, and I had the bruises to show it. My face, my arms- almost everywhere had been hit or kicked.

When he let me out of the house, I didn't know where to go. I knew I had to get away from Dad and that house- I hated being in there- but I couldn't go to Stacey's all the time. She'd find out about Dad eventually and I couldn't let that happen.

And I couldn't go back to the Curtis'. I couldn't see them anymore. If I wanted to be safe, which I did, I had to stay away from them, even if that hurt more than it should've.

So I just walked out of the house. And I kept going.