Young Blood ⏤ Ponyboy Curtis | ✓

07 | disappointment

Billie rolls over from her side of the bed to Angela's. It's untouched, her pillow on the floor beside the bed where Billie last left it when she went to sleep and the sheets are crisp and cold underneath Billie's touch. 

She sits up on her elbows and looks at the window where it is still open. Angela didn't come home last night. When Angela is out partying, she always makes her way home. It was something her and Tim agreed on and without fail she has always listened, no matter how many fights her and Tim had. The last time Angela went out and didn't come home was when their father left. And when Angela got home the next morning, Tim made her promise that she would never do it again. Billie remembers the worry in Tim's eyes, and she remembers Angela saw it too, as she promised him to not do it again. 

But now Angela broke that promise, staying God-knows-where with God-knows-who. For all Billie knows, Angela could have gone home with a guy. Knowing Angela, it was probably some good for nothing boy who would brag about it to all his mates, showing off that he had gone home with the Angela Shepard. Billie thinks that Angela deserves better and she knows that deep down, Angela knows that too. 

But Billie's siblings aim low, making do with what they have. Billie can't do that. She has big dreams, she has hope that someday she'll live a life where being a Greaser wasn't dangerous and she and her siblings can live without looking over their shoulders preparing to be jumped. 

Tim says that hope will be Billie's biggest downfall, but Billie thinks that hope is saving her. Her dreams of leaving Tulsa and moving somewhere far away is the only thing that makes Billie get up in the morning and go through her day with her head down as she counts the days until she can finally escape her life filled with Socs and Greasers. 

Billie pulls the sheets off her and gets out of bed, walking over to the window and closing the window with a slam. She drapes the thin curtains back before walking out of her room. 

Billie sees Curly passed out on the sofa, one hand over his chest and the other balled up into a fist. Billie can't help but think how Curly is ready for a fight even when he is asleep. She notices the empty beer bottles ducked hastily under the sofa. Billie sighs as she crouches down to pick them up. She knows that Tim will lose it if he catches wind that Curly was drinking on a weeknight and Curly has had of disappointment from Tim. Billie knows that Curly needs his big brother, not a disciplinarian. 

She opens the front door as quietly as she can with the empty beer bottles in her hand and makes her way down the porch steps. She cringes as her bare feet make contact with the dewy grass, tickling her feet and causing goosebumps to break along her arms and legs. She makes it to the bin and throws the bottles into the recycling bin, causing a loud ruckus as she does as the beer bottles cling when hitting each other. 

Inside the house, Curly is awake, most likely from Billie's inability to be quiet as she threw the beer bottles inside the ben. His head is in his hands as he groans, hungover. "Could you be any louder?" he groans. 

 Billie sits on the end of the sofa and squeezes his ankle. "Sorry," she apologises as Curly falls back onto the throw pillow, which has his drool slobbered over it. Billie makes a note to not use that pillow when she is on the sofa next time. 

Billie stands up. "Come on. I'll make you some breakfast and then you can take some Tylenol. You'll feel better." 

"No," Curly groans, resting an arm over his face. 

"Curly, you need to eat something," Billie says. 

"No I don't," Curly argues. 

"You can't feel sorry for yourself forever," Billie sighs.