Simply a Greaser

Chapter 41

"So you need a ride to Oklahoma City."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Darry sighed, and he said with a strained voice, "As soon as possible."

"Yeah."

We were outside on the Curtis' porch, the sun setting behind us. It was the only place we knew we could find some privacy from the gang that was home.

Darry took a minute to process everything I had told him. I could tell he didn't know what to do, and I wished I could've asked someone else.

"Today's Thursday. I have today and tomorrow off 'cause we're slow on work. I usually got the weekends off, but I gotta work Monday." He mumbled something I didn't catch, then said, "If we're gonna leave, we gotta go in an hour."

Forty minutes later, I had thrown most of my stuff into the bed of Darry's truck, grabbed all the money I had and was standing in Two-Bit's hospital room. He was staring at me with disbelieving eyes, for once unable to speak he was so shocked. I was trying to smile back, but it wasn't really working very well. I was sure it wasn't reaching my eyes.

"You aren't serious?" He finally said in a monotone voice. "You can't be serious?"

"I just wanted to let you know before I left," I mumbled.

"Does Soda and Pony know? What about Dally? Does he even know you're leavin'?"

"Soda and Pony know what's goin' on. Dally still doesn't and it needs to stay that way. All he's gonna know is that I went outta town with Darry."

"You do too much for him. You know that, right?"

"Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same for Katie."

Sighing, he changed the subject. "When you get back I'll be home."

I heard a knock on the door and Darry stepped in. "We gotta go."

"Okay, okay." I leaned down and quickly kissed Two-Bit, keeping in the back of my mind that Darry was there. "I'll see you later."

"By later you mean days, and that's the goodbye kiss I get?"

I leaned back down and kissed him again.

The next day, Darry and I pulled up to The Grand Hotel. It wasn't all that grand, only a floor tall with an ugly brown outside. There weren't many cars parked outside and all of them were in Darry's condition or worse. I wondered what Jackson's parents had been doing, staying there.

Darry parked. "Do you see her car?" He asked, looking around the parking lot.

"I don't even know if she has a car. She could've taken a train or somethin', like Dallas and I did."

"But that would've put her right in Tulsa, or at least closer to it, right?"

"Yeah, so I guess she does have a car." That meant she was doing a lot better than she was when Dal and I left, at least financially.

We got out of the car and walked into the lobby. There wasn't anyone at the desk to ask about mom's room number, so we had to wait.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Darry asked quietly.

"Yeah, I am," I lied. I was having huge second thoughts on the whole thing.

"I can wait here for you while you go talk to her, or I can go with you. I don't care which."

I wanted him to come with me. He could help out if something went wrong, or if I just needed someone. But, this had to be between mom and I. "You can stay here."

Finally, someone came from a small back room to the desk. "Hi, welcome to The Grand Hotel. Would you like a room?" It was a girl with an almost unnoticeable voice, but the way she was looking at Darry was pretty obvious.

"Um, no," I said loudly, "but can you tell me which room Carol Cox is stayin' in?"

"Room 105."

"Thank you," I muttered. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

I found her room quickly, but couldn't find the courage to knock on the door.

Butterflies flew around in the pit of my stomach and I wanted to run back to Tulsa. I didn't know what would happen- would mom tell me to leave again?

But there had to be a reason she was looking for Dallas and me.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on her hotel door.

"I don't want my room cleaned!" She yelled back. It felt odd, to hear her voice when it wasn't slurred.

"Uh, I-I'm not room service."

The door flew open.

Suddenly, I heard mom crying and she was hugging me. My whole body went stiff and I didn't move.

"Oh my god, it's you," she said, pulling away from me so she could see my face. "You're so grown up."

Mom looked older, more wrinkles on her face than I'd ever seen. Her brown hair was sprinkled with gray.

She wiped her eyes and took a few steps back. "Come in and sit down."

I followed her into the room and sat down on a shitty little couch. I didn't know what to say or do.

"Where's your brother?" She asked, sitting down on her bed across from me. "Does he want to see me?" I could hear the fear in her voice, afraid that Dallas hated her.

"He's in jail," I responded.

"I knew your father would never be able to keep him out of trouble."

"He's done more for Dallas than you have," I said, surprising myself.

Mom looked hurt but I couldn't find it in me to feel bad. I kept thinking back to Dallas on the train.

"Why are you here?" I hissed. "You shouldn't be here."

"Ava, please just listen to me," she said. "I'm so, so sorry. I-I don't know what I was thinking when I gave you and your brother to your father. I know that the last thing you want to see is me, but I hoped that the letters I sent to you and Dallas-"

"What letters?"

She blinked away her tears again, croaking, "The letters I sent to your father's house."

I stared back at her blankly.

"You wrote me back... right? That- that wasn't you?"