Unexpected

Chapter 7

Curly's POV

     Tim had left about ten minutes too early for the rodeo, knowing full well he wouldn't make it there on time it he didn't. I hadn't said anything to him when he left, because I wasn't in the living room when he did. I'd been sitting in my room, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts were running through my head at a million miles an hour, and it had been like that all night. I didn't sleep at all last night, and I hadn't gotten out of bed either. I didn't feel like getting out of bed was worth it today, given the gang was all out at the rodeo to watch Tim, and Angela never came home last night.
     I had been real worried about Angela. When she didn't come home, it scared Tim and I something awful. She said she was going out with some friends, and that she'd be back before dinner. Tim and I should've been able to tell that she was lying through her teeth when she told us that, but we aren't really the brightest of the bunch, and given that Tim has mostly raised us all on his own, I can imagine that sometimes it's hard to remember the faces we have when we lie.
     Sure, we had parents, or else the three of us wouldn't be here, it's just that those parents weren't around. We never knew where mama was, and dad was a full time police officer. They both got pissed at Tim and I the most. Dad never really got mad at Angela, but mama sure as hell did. The old lady was always telling her off because of her bad habits—those habits being taking a guy in and then dumping him almost right after—and then yelling at her using every name under the book.
     Mama pissed Tim and I off a whole lot. She treated Angela like trash, acted like Tim and I weren't alive until we got in trouble, and more times than not, the three of us fell asleep to her and dad fighting. Dad never yelled. That was something we liked about him. It didn't matter how angry he got, he would never yell at us. He was like Ponyboy's dad in that way. Another thing dad would do, is to make sure that if Tim and I got in trouble, he was the one to go get us. He'd cuss us out in the car, then tell everybody else to lay off us and just let us do our time.
     After a while, I let my mind wander off to Ponyboy. His hair looked real great bleached like it was, and it went with his eyes. I liked Pony's eyes, but Pony hated them. He told me that a lot of guys with green eyes were always jerks. I only agreed with him to a point. Bryon had green in his eyes, and he dropped Angela. Never took her back either, and she begged for him to.
     Pony was different from Bryon. He was a real sweet kid. He still seemed so innocent despite all he'd been through, but with the way he talked, I knew he wasn't. He never had been. He could dirty talk a girl as well as the rest of us Greasers, or fight in a rumble and mouth off at the Socs. Yeah he could do all of that, but he didn't like to. He was a good kid. I liked that about Pony. He and I were best friends in my eyes. I wanted to keep it like that.
     There was suddenly a real loud knocking sound. I could tell it was coming from outside, because my window and door were both closed, and the knock sounded really muffled. If it were inside, it would've been louder. It took me a second, but I got up out of bed, then ran downstairs to get the door. My hair was a bit of a mess because I hadn't greased it yet, but I didn't care. Once I'd gotten down the stairs, I ran straight for the door and opened it up. When it opened, I was greeted by a warm smile from the now blond haired boy I grew up with, his green eyes shining real bright. I looked a little behind him, and Johnny was there too.
     "Hey Pony. If you're lookin' for Tim, he ain't here. Left a little bit ago."
     Pony gave me the strangest look, then shook his head.
     "Nah I'm here for you Curly. Darry told me I wasn't allowed around ya anymore, so I brought Johnny because I won't get yelled at if he's with."
     I nodded an looked back at Johnny. He didn't seem hurt or anything, just a little bit shocked, weather that was because Pony had used that head of his or because he hadn't called Johnny his buddy, I would never know. I shoved him and Pony out of the way, just hard enough so that they knew I was playing and not looking for a fight, then walked past them and outside. I hadn't been out in a while. The only time I really had any fresh air was when I opened my window so I could smoke in the house. No one liked when I did that, and I knew for a fact that mom and dad would whip me if they found out.
     I got up to the tar of the road, then looked back to see that the boys weren't following me. I waved my hand at them and pointed at myself to try and silently tell them to come over to me, but they didn't seem to take the hint.
     "Are you guys comin' or not?" I questioned. "I can just leave without you if you want me too."
     After they heard me say that, they bolted over, and they both tried to tackle me to the ground. Pony said something about going to get his football, and I just said yes. I wasn't paying attention. I was taking in the smell, both of the outdoors, and the boy that was next to me.