My Year With Him

Chapter 19

Dear Journal,

7/14/1968

I've been home mostly today. I woke up home, but I'm not home now. It was about 6 o'clock when I left. Or... I got 'picked up'.

I was watchin' TV with my mom when there was a knock at the door. I opened it and it was Ponyboy. He was in his usual gettup.

"Oh, hi, Ponyboy," I said. "What are you doing here? You almost never come over here."

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to come to dinner with me." He looked into the house. "Hi, Mrs. (Y/L/N)!"

"Hi, Ponyboy," my mom said. "But, hey, that sounds like a date. What happened that that Curly boy? Won't he get mad?"

"Well, Mom," I said. "Me and Curly broke up a while ago..."

"Oh, did you?" she asked. "Well, why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought that if I did, you wouldn't let me go over Ponyboy's anymore."

"Well, you would be right, but you can go with Ponyboy if you want," she told. "I don't want you going over there without an adult there anymore. Have fun." She stood up walked upstairs.

"Anyway," Ponyboy said, "do you wanna come?"

"Who else is going?" I asked.

"No one. Why?"

"I just wanted to know," I replied. "Wait, how are we gettin' there?"

"Walking?" Ponyboy replied, laughing. "How many more questions are you gonna ask?"

"Many. Where are we going?"

"I don't know. Wherever."

"Will it be expensive because I'm almost out of cash," I told him. "I had to give my dad some money last week."

"No, don't worry. I'm paying," Ponyboy said.

"No, you're not," I fought.

"(Y/N), you never let me pay for you. For anything! Just let me this one time. I want to." I thought for a second.

"Fine," I said. "...But I'm buying you somethin' real nice next week." He laughed.

"Okay."

"Do I have to change?" I asked.

"Why would you have to?" he asked. "You look fine."

"Well, I mean it depends on where we're going."

"I guess," he said, then pausing to think. "Well, we don't have to go anywhere fancy. Besides, I'm not that dresses up either." I nodded. "But there's this restaurant that Darry took me and Soda to one time. It was okay... Italian food, though. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I said. "I don't mind." He smiled.

"Do you wanna go now?" he asked. I nodded and grabbed my jacket off of the coat hanger.

"Mom, I'm going out with Ponyboy now!" I yelled.

"Okay!" my mom yelled back. Ponyboy and I walked to said restaurant.

Walking in, he opened the door for me. It was a pretty quaint little place. It was nice, but I don't think that I was underdressed. I don't think that Ponyboy was either. A sign said PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED. So we did. A few minutes later, a woman walked over and seated us next to a window. The place was pretty vacant by the looks of things. A man walked over to us.

"Hello, I am Brendon and I'll be your waiter today," he said. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have a 7-Up," I said.