East West Sunset - A Darry Curtis Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Steve didn't come to visit the Curtis's house for the next few days. I worried that I'd drove him away for good, but Soda assured me that he'd come around before the trial. He said that he never really pined after girls for long. This insulted me a bit, though I was glad that I hadn't ruined anything between the gang. 

Soda's words proved true. The morning that the trial was set to begin, Steve showed up along with the rest of the gang, dressed in his nicest slacks and button-up shirt. He wore cowboy boots beneath the slacks, which he said were his dad's and the only shoes he had in his house that weren't gym shoes. The rest of the gang teased him about them to no end.

When he saw me, he gave me a quick half-smile that didn't reach his eyes before turning to talk to Soda. It stung, but not much; I decided to let him cope with the pain I was putting him through however he needed to.

"Are you ready for this?" my mother murmured to me.

I nodded. My belly quivered with nerves, but determination ran thick through my veins. Earlier in the week, I had been sent a letter from the two prosecution lawyers who were handling the case: they wanted me to testify as their star witness. Soda and Ponyboy had also been called, and I could see Pony's hands shaking all the way from where I stood on the porch. Soda had told him he didn't need to testify, but Pony had been certain that he wanted to, even though I was sure he didn't relish the idea very much.

"It's okay to be nervous," my mother told me. "And keep up hope! There's a good chance that Arnie will be convicted, especially since you, Soda, and Pony are all testifying."

"I know, Ma, it's just... what if I mess something up? What if his defense lawyers pick me apart? I don't want to feel like I've failed Darry." My heart was pounding so hard that I felt my vocal cords trembling from the force, or maybe it was just the nerves stealing my voice from me.

"Diana, just by getting up on that stand and telling the truth you will be making him so proud," my mother said, choking up a little bit.

"Aw, Ma," I murmured. "Don't cry."

She sniffled and dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the tip of her finger. "I know, I know. It's just that I wish I could have done this for your father." She sucked in a deep breath and pressed her lips together in a sad smile. "He never got a trial, you know. I never got to speak up for him. Now, you have this great gift- this privilege- to get some justice for Darry, and you're helping the entire community by doing it. Just think- when those other greaser boys and girls see you on the TV testifying against a great big Soc, they'll see that the Socs aren't untouchable. They'll become inspired to tell their own truths, and things will get better. Then, come a decade or so on from now, no other girls will have to watch their man get shot in the street or cut til he bleeds to death in an alley. They'll get to live the lives they deserve, the life that everyone deserves no matter how much money they've got."

"You really think just me testifying will change things that much?"

"Honey, when I was your age, nobody would have ever dared to take on the Steinhams, or any other Soc family, for that matter. So many greasers went to jail for crimes they didn't commit, just like you did at first. Even the fact that you told the police what really happened is a huge stride forward."

I grinned at her, my nerves starting to calm down a bit, and wrapped my arm around her shoulders in gratitude. Maybe she was right; maybe even just getting up on the stand and telling my truth was enough. "You give a mean pep talk, Ma," I joked.

"Thank you, it's my specialty!" She sniffed the last of her tears away and returned my smile. "Do you know when the DA cars are getting here?"

"I think the lady said at nine," I replied. The prosecution team had arranged for cars to take us to the courthouse, since it was all the way downtown. Both me and Soda were grateful, since neither of us wanted to drive Darry's old car still.