The Little Winston

Chapter 7- I Go To The Movies With Ponyboy

After Bubble-Gum babe came in, there were always around 4 girls in the DX, ranging from 6th-12th grade, some even a few years older. I was forced to ring up a few, much to their disdain, as they had most definitely come there to talk to the Sodapop Curtis. He would smile at me every so often, making a few of the girls angry in a sense, but more at me than him.

Ponyboy and Steve came in, which made me realize just how much time had passed. It was around 5:00pm. The day had flown right past me. The store was dead, which was quite refreshing to be quite honest. My stomach was sick from the aroma of different perfumes wafting through the air.

Steve was the first to speak as he grabbed an oil rag and a hat of his own, before he walked over to Sodapop and started elbowing him. "Y'all got any plans for tonight?"

"Not really." I looked over at Sodapop. "How about you Sodapop?"

"You're looking at them, doll. How 'bout you Ponyboy?"

"I was thinking of seeing a movie, but I don't really know if I want to go by myself." He sounded glum, and I offered him a small smile. He didn't return it.

"Hey, why don't you and Nic go see a movie?" Soda pointed at me while using his other hand to hit Steve with a magazine.

"Like a da-"

"No knucklehead, not a date. Just to let her see what we do for fun here, that's all." The way he interrupted him made me smile in the slightest. It was almost as if he didn't want Pony to even think about going on a date with me.

Pony looked over at me, scanned me over for a second, like he was determining his feelings towards me with a single glance. He looked into my eyes and his expression became more relaxed. "Do you want to go see a movie?"

"I mean, I don't have much else to do except babysit these dorks." I pointed and Soda and Steve, while Soda feigned like he was offended by my comment. I smiled smally, before turning my head to Ponyboy. "What time does the movie start?"

"Now, but if we started walking now, we could make it without missing very much."

"Well then come on, slow poke." I laughed and ran to the door, Ponyboy following me, but he caught up and was soon in front of me. Damn, that boy could run, he was beating me by about a few yards when we were finally outside the drive in that Dally had shown me before. It looked different at night, lively. It was full of teenagers and old men, couples and just a few creeps.

We got into the decently long line to get tickets. We could have easily snuck in, there were plenty of open links in the fence. However, the thought didn't even cross Ponyboy's mind, and I wasn't about to suggest it. He was innocent, or as close as he could have gotten in this town, at least from what I had gathered.

"So how old are you Nicole?" He was trying to make conversation, and I appreciated that about him. It was much funner when I wasn't the only one putting in effort into a conversation.

"I'm 16. You?"

"14."

"Huh. I could've sworn you were at least 22." We both laughed a little bit, and we continued to make conversation up until we were at the ticket booth. It was easy to talk to him, he understood almost everything. I learned he was on the cross country team at school, and he loved to read. He was really smart, smarter than anyone I had ever met. The way he talked was different from anyone I'd ever met. He knew how to put things into words that I could have never thought of.

"Money please." The man at the booth wasn't very happy at all. I smiled at him in an attempt to make him feel a little better, although I don't think it worked. I fished the coins out of my pocket, but Ponyboy handed the man enough money for the both of us, placing his hand gently on my arm.

"Don't worry about it, I got it this time." He smiled warmly, and in that moment, I swore I'd known the boy in front of me for years. He felt like a little brother, someone I had to watch out for, someone I had to protect and teach at the same time. I promised myself in that moment I'd protect him with everything I had.

I smiled back and walked with him to the empty front row of seats, sitting in the ones closest to the middle. A few boys whistled at me, then spit at Ponyboy. I would give them a devilish glare, making sure to use the fire Dallas had taught me when I was younger.

The movie started to play, the names of the actors and actresses flashing across the screen in giant yellow lettering. I was never big on movies, and it was quite rare that I'd watch one. I had no idea how people had the ability to sit through one, and looking back, it was foolish to go with Ponyboy and make him spend his money.

I tried my hardest to sit through the plotless movie, finding it difficult to not point out the racist, classist, and sexist stereotypes that seemed to be present in all movies. I hoped for a day women could be recognized and seen on the screen in more than a skimpy black dress and tiny bikinis.

Subconsciously, my leg started to bounce up and down, and I found my eyes wandering anywhere but the screen, instead focusing on the people around me. They all looked empty, and I found it ironic that the youngest people, with the most life ahead of them, didn't have the capacity to really live.

I hadn't noticed Ponyboy's look, so he leaned over and whispered to me. "You okay, Nicole?"

"Of course, why?" He looked down at my knee and raised his eyebrows. I stopped my leg and smiled smally. He sighed and stood up and offered his hand, which I took gladly and he helped me up.

"You are just like Soda, let's get home before it gets too late." I tried to conceal my blush at that comment, and even though I would never admit it to Ponyboy, or anyone else for that matter, the idea of being like Sodapop Curtis made me happier than anything else could.

We stayed quiet as we walked, but every time we passed a soc, I saw Pony's back tense up and his chest stiffen and his breath quicken, his walking becoming a little bit more hurried. I always tried to look tougher then, remembering a lesson that Dallas had embedded in my head since I could remember: Intimidation was your best defense. Maybe he had taken his own advice too seriously.

When the house came into view, Darry's truck still wasn't in the driveway. I couldn't imagine how hard he had to work now, and maybe that's why he acted so old all the time. He was a boy forced to grow up too fast through tragedy, and that's a pain I'd never wish on anybody.

Pony held the door open for me and it slammed behind us when we walked it, making me jump. No one else seemed fazed by it. Sodapop and Steve were sat at the table, arms locked, faces red, and determination written across their faces in bold. They both wavered for a second, and Sodapop smiled, letting down his guard, and before he had time to think, his arm was slammed down with such force I thought it would go through cleanly. Steve laughed and Soda gave him a look, before turning they're focus back to us.

"So how was the movie?"

"It would have been great if it wasn't two hours long." Soda and Pony laughed as I sat down on the couch.

"Turns out, Nic here is just like you when it comes to movies, Soda."

"Hm neat. Maybe now I can have a movie non-capable buddy." I raised my eyebrows and smiled at him, and he laughed, a little chuckle. God, he must have been trying to kill me. I know he didn't understand me or why I was who I was, and why I didn't want to let myself fall for him. I understood that if he knew me, really knew me, he'd want no part of me, and that if I never fell for him in that way, there'd never be a problem. But shit, that would be hard.