Hoodlum Tragedies (Old Version)

P I N K L I P S

"I was just fooling." She laughed, stubbing her cigarette out and rubbing her hands together. "I had a lot of fun..Where we going?"

"You wanna go now?!"

He was supposed to meet up with guys for cards but the look on her face and they way her brown eyes were sparkling from the light was making him think of a change of plans. Her necklace moved slightly as she nodded her head and for a moment Curly became stuck, he hadn't snapped out of it until the light reflecting from the necklace hit him in the eye. He sat up and cleared his throat before replying

"Alright, well we could go to the lot. I ain't have anything planned."

"This is where everyone come's to think." Curly explained once he reached the lot.

"Glory, the stars look huge." Daisy reveled, pointing up at the sky with amusement.

They sat on the hood of an old abandoned car, their shoulders just barely touching once again as they looked up at the sky. The sky had a weird lingering light, despite it being 8 o clock and already dark. Autumn was Curly's least favorite, the cold made him depressed and he felt as if he were drowning. Not to mention his haunting memories from New Jersey.

"So that was your brother right?"

Curly nodded as he looked over at her. "My brother and my best friend Jimmy."

"Are you guys close? You and Tim?" Daisy asked.

Curly frowned as he thought about the last argument they had. He hadn't even remembered what it was about, it was the night after he sold the dust and it went on for hours. He couldn't figure out why they argued, Tim was always cold. Tim locked himself in a prison and never allowed anyone to get in and he never allowed himself to get out. It made Curly wonder, was that what he was protecting him from?

"Not really, we used to be but we grew apart." Curly explained.

Curly looked over at Daisy, her face was blank. Her tongue moved over her bottom lip slightly, Curly watched it for a few moments, halfway turned on from the movement and her pink lips.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" Curly asked nonchalantly, reaching up to dig his fingers in his dangerous curls. He regretted the question as soon as he asked it, it wasn't that he didn't want to know. But he probably offended her, she was catholic. Catholic girls were good.

Daisy's sucked on her bottom lip as she let out a nervous laugh, her cross necklace hanging as she leaned on her hands. "I haven't kissed anyone in a while." She admitted.

Her eyes looked up and met his but she quickly looked away, grabbing onto her necklace like she always did and tugging on it. "One person though, Oliver. That was a mess."

She looked back up at Curly, still toying with the gold necklace as he looked at her eyes, then her lips. Daisy blushed from the close contact between her and Curly but he brought her chin back to face him and leaned in to kiss her.

Her lips were warm and soft and the kiss was everything he imagined it would be. He could feel his heart beating through his chest as he held her cheek, the hair rising on his arms. The kiss was slow and sweet, it seemed like only Daisy could have that kind of kiss.

"God, I'm sure that's considered a sin." Daisy says once they pulled apart.

She clutched the necklace the whole time, only moving it after the kiss to touch her lips.

"Nothing different from the sins we do everyday." Curly muttered as he brought her face back to his. Indulging himself in her scent and her lips.

Curly had met the Jimmy outside of Benny's around nine. Benny's had just closed so he leaned against the wall, a smile resting on his face as he thought up making out with Daisy. He ended up walking her home after about an hour, promising to call her. He had about an hour to finish the job before Tim was calling every convenience store in Tulsa.

"What's got you smiling, carnal?" Jimmy asked as he approached Curly in a car he never saw before.

"Naw, nothing man." Curly replied as he sat in the passenger seat of the car, the car was nice, but it was old. It must have belonged to the older Shepard Gang members so they'd have more room to put the car parts in. The job was easy, they'd be waiting for a kid at the River Kings territory with stolen car parts, Curly would stash them in the drunk and they'd drive off.

"Must've been with a chica or something, right? Guess that's why you skipped card night." Jimmy snickered as he began driving.

"Mind your business, Jim." Curly replied while flicking his eyes towards Jimmy, finger running over a scab on his hands.

Jimmy let out a sarcastic laugh as Curly looked out the window. The rain had just started, and the sound of thunder could be heard a few distances away.

"You need to tell Connie to mind her business. I know what Brumley's got you up to."

"How do you know about that?" Curly replied, damn near choking on his gum.

Jimmy had a scrunched up face, as if he heard the information and was waiting for Curly to confirm it was true. Curly felt even more ashamed that he lied to his best friend.

"You're gonna get caught. Tim's gonna find out."

Curly's heart dropped at the thought of it. It was clear. Absolutely no selling cocaine. He wondered what Tim would do, kick his ass? Tell Los Tios? It wasn't as if he could tell them no, he was saving their alliance with Brumley.

"He won't find out if you don't tell him." Curly snapped. "I can't afford to lose Brumley's alliance."

"I won't tell him." Jimmy replied with a pained expression. "But Brumley ain't doing it for a favor you know."

The pained face went away as soon as it came, greasers weren't supposed to feel emotions. Curly took a deep breath and exhaled. Funny how a night could go sour quickly. Jimmy parked at the car at the back of the junkyard garage thinking of Jimmy's words. "But Brumley ain't doing it for a favor, you know."

Apart of Curly always knew that, Brumley was desperate, damn near begging him to sell the dust. They wanted it gone but for no exact reason. Curly's stomach turned as he weighed the situation, his hand on the door handle but yet to get out, a thought running through his mind, blood, a gun, drugs. What the hell did he get himself into?

Curly Shepard had once again become stuck in time.