Porcelain

Chapter 57

They made it out of the store with lots of mismatched but useful items. Her house was going to have no theme, but she liked it better that way. Just like life. Trying to keep a space all looking the same was boring.

But that wasn't in much part to her, she was inclined to buy whatever was cheapest, Sodapop and Ponyboy forced her to get things they though were either pretty or funny or used for some niche task but that she might need in some odd situation. She had no energy to argue as the day dragged on, and between them they had the money to buy whatever they needed.

"Oh, take a left here," Estelle said around ten seconds too late as Soda swerved into the turn.

"Couldn't you have told me that twenty seconds ago?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I was kind of hoping those ugly fucking curtains would fall out the back."

"Why do you hate them so much? You didn't have to pay for them," Ponyboy reminded her.

"The pattern kind of looks like tits."

"And what's so bad about that?" Sodapop said, laughing.

"I can't compete."

Soda glanced down. "I wouldn't say that."

"Just wait till you park, buddy boy. I'll get you for that. Or even better, I'll tell Dally."

He quickly flashed his hands up in surrender. "Sorry!"

"Good. But you two better help me take all this shit in, help a poor pregnant woman out."

Sodapop and Ponyboy both rolled their eyes.

_____
"Thanks for helping me out, and would you look at that, it's dinner time!" She said sweetly. She'd essentially gaslighted the brothers into helping her put away everything they'd bought with her, using the excuse that she was pregnant and she was very tired. It wasn't an entire lie, but she definitely could have helped more than she did.

"You're welcome," Ponyboy grumbled. He knew she knew exactly what she did.

"You coming for dinner?" Sodapop asked.

"Nah, I can wait, I still got half my lunch left."

"Okay, see you later!"

"And remember Soda, I'm not responsible for Dally's actions, got it?" She laughed.

As they left, she immediately flopped onto the couch and fell asleep. She hadn't been lying when she had said she was tired, but she hadn't realized how exhausted she actually was. Part of her knew that she should get up and eat something, but it didn't matter, even if she was hungry, which she wasn't, she was already too far asleep to get up again.

____
Dallas walked into the house a little confused. Sodapop had told him what they'd all done that day and that Estelle didn't join them for dinner, which he didn't really care about, but it didn't explain why it looked like she wasn't home. Knowing her, she would at least be playing a record or something.

No, there she was, on the couch, dead asleep. Her face was distorted in discomfort, but he brushed it off as just another bad dream. She was a big girl, she could deal.

When she started thrashing like she was about to fall off the couch, he walked over from where he was in the kitchen and woke her up.

She shot awake and desperately looked around, before settling on his face and calming down.

"Oh. Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you."

He snorted. "I know you didn't, you dumb bitch. What sent you off like that?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, it was either a bad dream or a bad memory. It felt real, but I can't remember if it actually happened. It's fine, don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried about you, you was about to fall off the couch and hurt you or, you know,"

"Our baby," she drawled, staring directly into his eyes to make him squirm.

"Yeah."

"How do you like the house? I made Pony and Soda put everything up for me," she asked, changing the topic.

"I hate it."

"Do you really hate it or do you just hate the idea of it?"

"All of it. It's ugly."

"Well, you're not to much of a looker yourself, and you're with me. You'll get used to it," she said, patting his shoulder.

He glowered at her. "Oh really? Then why were you the one chasing after me?"

"I'm not sure, really. Love's a funny thing. Full of broken promises and tragedy, but it's what makes us whole and human. It's what we strive for in life, even if it just seems to hurt, or makes no sense. I dunno why I love you. I can't explain it to you. I'm just happy I do."

He almost smiled. "I'm happy you love me too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno. I can't explain it."