ITS ABOUT TIME ➤ Ponyboy Curtis

11

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

   "Georgie, wake up." Ponyboy lightly shook my awake. "Do you hear that?"
   I listened closely, thinking that there was something wrong. Instead of hearing a sign on danger, I heard Steve yelling like a baby and the gang laughing at him. "You had me worried for a second." I said. "It's just Steve."
   "Yeah I know." Ponyboy giddied. "C'mon let's go watch."
    He pulled me out of bed and into the living room. Once there, we saw what the commotion was about. Two-Bit had brought Pluto over to hang out with the gang. Steve didn't like that.
    "That things huge!" Steve got behind the coffee table and hid from Pluto in the corner. "Holy shit, look at those teeth!"
   Johnny and Soda were lying on the floor petting Pluto while Darry was crouched down and talking baby to him. Dally was just laughing at Steve. "Glory Steve, if I didn't know any better I would say you're scared!"
     "You haven't met him before?" I questioned, trying not to laugh.
     Two-Bit was poking fun at Steve as well. "Nup, Steve's scared of dogs." He answered. "Here kitty kitty, don't be afraid."
    "Oh, shut your trap." Steve snapped. "I have every right to be scared."
     Pluto, a mastiff that was bigger than the average calf, took a seat on Johnnys lap. Johnny started rubbing Pluto's velvety ears in between two of his fingers. "Steve, he ain't dangerous. Look" Johnny said breathlessly. Pluto was a huge and heavy dog who easily took the breath out of Johnny.
   His words didn't cure Steve's fear, but it did get him to come out from behind the coffee  table. "Get away from him Johnny. He's a killer not no lap dog!"
   "Stop being a scaredy cat , Steve." Sodapop said while scratching Pluto's side. "He doesn't care about shutting but getting over, ain't that right buddy? Ain't that right?" Both Soda and Darry were talking baby to him.
    Ponyboy joined his brothers and Johnny on the living room carpet. Pluto opened his droopy jowls that were dripping with slobber. He licked a stripe across Ponyboy face and plopped down in his lap. Pony was giggling as if he was a baby meeting a puppy for the first time. He couldn't stop smiling. He stayed seated on the floor for the whole morning, not wanting to disturb Pluto. As Sodapop, Steve, and I got ready for work I could hear Ponyboy talking to Pluto, completing his fur and other dog traits. I thought that was the cutest thing ever.
   "Hey Two-Bit?" Pony called while Steve and I waited for Sodapop by the door. "Are you taking Pluto back home or can he stay here."
  Two-Bit slid across the kitchen tile onto the living room's wood flooring. Of course when he came in contact with the carpet he tripped and fell flat on his face. We were cracking up, executed for Pony, Unlike the rest of the gang, his attention was still on Pluto.
   "If you'd like to look after him then go right ahead." Two-Bit said, smiling goofily and rubbing his head.
    Ponyboy beamed a smile and looked down. Pluto was sprawled across Pony's lap, his sides rising and falling, and his nose smushed against the ground. I'm sure they both stayed like that after me and the boys left for work. At least until he came to visit us.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

    "Hey Horsey! Long time no see!" I cheered enthusiastically.
    "Georgia-bug? Wow I haven't seen you in forever!" Ponyboy said sarcastically with a grin on his face. He was walking into the DX with his thumbs hooked through his belt loops.
    I sat down on the stool behind the register counter. "How's Pluto doing?"
    "He's good, Darry and him took a nap before he left for work."
    "Awe!" I fake pouted. Before I met him, I would have thought that Darry was too tough to cuddle with a puppy dog.
   Ponyboy nodded. "And Dal is playing fetch with him at the lot right now with Two-Bit."
   I placed my hands over my heart and Pony laughed. "Anyway, I came to ask if you wanted to hang out at the lot tomorrow."
   "Yeah sure. Just for fun or is there something you need to talk about?"
   Pony blinked. "Fun. Just um, hanging out." He rocked back in forth on his feet.
    "Okay.." I said skeptically. The guys probably planned a prank on me and Pony was just helping out. Why else was he being so weird? "Does 3:00 work?"
    Ponyboy nodded. We talked a bit more until we noticed Soda and Steve peak through the window. He walked out the doors and I saw the boys rush to his side.
     "How did asking out Georgia go?" Steve teased when Ponyboy walked out the door. Steves a loud talker and the window was open so I could hear everything perfectly.
   "I wasn't asking her out. I was just asking to hang out tomorrow." Pony said. They walked back to the car that Soda and Steve were working on.
    "Don't be ashamed of asking your girl on a date." I saw Soda pat Pony on the back and ruffle his hair.
    "I told you soda, she's not my girl."
   "Well you talk about her all the time." He started to mock Pony "'Isn't Georgia so funny? I'm gonna give this book to Georgia, do you think she's gonna like it? We should have meatloaf for dinner, Georgia likes it.'"
   "Soda C'mon." Pony groaned.
  "Nuh-uh! You, Ponyboy, are in de-" Soda poked him on the nose, "-nial."
    Ponyboy sighed. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Darry wanted me to tell you that the gang is going to Dairy Queen for dinner tonight."
   "What? He wants to go to Dairy Queen?" Steve gawked.
    "Mhm. Something good must have happened."
    "No shit." Steve went back to working.
   Pony and Soda continued to talk but I stopped listening when customers came in. Pony must've left because when I went to the garage to spend my break with Soda and Steve, he wasn't there.
    "So, Darrys taking us to Darry Queen for dinner tonight!" Sodapop closed the hood of the chevy impala they were fixing up. "Can you believe that?"
    "Yeah. I heard you guys and Pone talk about it." I pointed to the open window as I bit into the apple I brought for lunch.
    Steve peaked out from underneath the chevy. "Then you must've heard what we were saying 'bout you, huh?"
    I tried to hide my smile. "I did, and I think you guys are being stupid."
    Sodapop and Steve started giggling like little girls. "Georgia likes Pony!"
   "No, guys-" I waited for them to stop laughing. "I don't like Ponyboy. At least not like that."
     "Oh!" Soda put on a look of surprisement. "Then you should tell us how you really think of him. Y'know, 'cause you don't like him like that."
   I huffed and crossed my arms. "Ponyboy is my best friend. He's a great listener and cares about me, always there when I need him, he understands what I'm thinking...he's just a good guy."
   "And how do you feel about his looks?" Steve yelled from under the car.
    "Now your just trying to set me up." I laughed.
   Sodapop wiggled a finger at me. "Answer the question, Georgie."
    I couldn't help but smile. "I think that Ponyboy is a very handsome person, and I say that in a friendly way. His smile is amazing and you can always tell how he's feeling based on his face." I uncrossed my arms and unintentionally sighed. "I guess his eyes are really pretty too, and his hair always looks good."
    Steve started mocking me in a high, shrilly voice. "Oh gosh, don't you guys think Ponyboy is the prettiest boy ever?!"
   "Well he is pretty, isn't he?" I asked, mainly to myself. "Complimenting someone means nothing."
    The boys broke out into another fit of laughter that I asked them to explain.
   Soda was still laughing a little when he spoke. "I love you Georgie, but your as blind as a bat.
    "No i'm not. I don't like Pony like that." I scoffed.
    Again, Steve speaker out from underneath the car. "Would that change if we told you that Ponyboy does like ya like that?"
    I ran my tongue across my bottom lip. "No he doesn't, you liar." I scoff.
   The boys gave each other a knowing glance and smirked. "Well, say Ponyboy did like you like that, how would you feel about him then?" Steve questioned.
   I pondered that for a moment. "Well I-" My voice trailed of. "I don't know." My eyes weren't focused on anything in particular as I thought about the hypothetical situation. He doesn't like me, I thought, so I don't need to worry over it.
   "You either have the feeling or you don't." Steve had defended back under the car and Sodapop sat on the hood talking to me.
   "I reckon you know. You just don't wanna feel it." Soda jumped off the hood, gave me a pat on the shoulder, and got back to work. I did too, but I wasn't focused on it. I was too busy thinking about Ponyboy.