Young Blood ⏤ Ponyboy Curtis | ✓

28 | new beginnings

Ponyboy's eyes flick to the clock mounted on the wall behind them. "Shit," he curses, sitting upright abruptly. "I was supposed to go down to Spencer's Special an hour ago to grab snacks for tonight."

Billie stifles a giggle. Ponyboy would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body. She stands up, "come on," she says, pulling Ponyboy up. "Let's go together."

Ponyboy shoots Billie a smile that makes her heart beat just that little faster in her chest.

"It's so cold," Laura grumbles, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why are we out here when we could be inside? Where it's warm?"

"That's why we all brought blankets, dummy," Leo tells Laura and throws a blanket at her.

Laura wraps the blanket around herself as Johnny speaks up, "the fireworks are good from out here, you'll see."

"These fireworks better be magical," Laura mutters under her breath.

"Losers, who wants a cancer-stick?" Lloyd asks obnoxiously, waving around a packet of Kool's.

Scott, Dean, Leo and Johnny take one, while Laura, Billie and Ponyboy decline. Billie notices how Laura shifts uncomfortably when beside her, Leo lights up the cigarette. She remembers Laura mentioning her father died from lung cancer when she was little.

"This is boring," Lloyd complains, lying across a dirty mattress, blowing out smoke. "When are we gonna see fireworks?"

"How do we know? We're not the ones setting off the fireworks," Laura answers, snapping at Lloyd.

Lloyd rolls his eyes at Laura. "Jesus, calm down. Only asking a question." Lowering his voice, Billie hears Lloyd whisper to Dean, "what the hell is up her ass?"

Dean rolls his eyes and whispers for Lloyd to shut up. He pushes Lloyd away from himself, telling his friend that he stinks.

Dean is clearly annoyed with Lloyd, and now that Billie is thinking, she doesn't think she's seen any of his friends show any other emotion besides annoyance when around Lloyd or about Lloyd.

Which poses the question: why are Curly, Dean and Scott still friends with Lloyd when he annoys them so much? In Billie's personal opinion, it would be much easier, and nicer, without Lloyd around. She has no patience or tolerance for the foul-mouthed and disrespectful Greaser.

"Is it just me, or is Lloyd really annoying?" Ponyboy whispers in Billie's ear, quiet enough for only her to hear.

Billie leans into Ponyboy to reply, "it's not just you. He's a pain in the butt and we've only been here for twenty minutes."

Ponyboy sighs, looking at Lloyd who is currently flicking at Scott's ear, despite Scott telling him to stop and pushing his hand away. "I didn't really want him here, but Scott asked if Dean and Lloyd could come too. I don't have an issue with Dean, he's cool, but I couldn't really say yes to Dean and no to Lloyd without causing a problem."