"Stupid Cupid you're a real mean guy, I'd like to clip your wings so you can't fly, I'm in love and it's a crying shame, And I know that you're the one to blame"-Stupid Cupid, Connie Francis
The frigid winter winds blew through Maeve's hair, sending chill through her body. While Tulsa wasn't known for cold weather and snowstorms, it definitely was more than just a light breeze outside. Maybe all those cigarettes finally rotted her brain, because she had to be crazy to sit outside in the freezing weather voluntarally.
The rodeo had taken place only two days earlier and Maeve hadn't left her house since. Partially because she didn't feel like taking the chance of running into Dally or Scott, and partially because she didn't want to miss the soap opera coming on that night. So despite the bone chilling cold and the fact that she was in no way a morning person, she decided to sit on the roof to watch the sunrise.
She was bundled in a long sleeve shirt, jacket, and a blanket attempting to keep the cold out, without success. A dense cloud cover hovered over, with only a few breaks to the twilight sky above.
The streets were mostly empty, with kids off on Christmas break and the adults still sleeping before work. There was a sense of calm in the air—a feeling of peaceful loneliness as she sat out there, letting her mind run free.
She had contemplated that day–that moment–often before she went to bed, even though she didn't really want to. It gave her an uneasy, guilty feeling, even though she knew that she hadn't done anything wrong. When she was kissing Scott... it felt good. It felt good to be wanted, to be desired—but it didn't feel right. She felt foolish for allowing Dally to corrupt her mind, letting a few stolen glances influence her life so heavily. It was just a silly little crush for God's sake!
But then why did he look like that when he saw them? She tried to rationalize it as overthinking, but there was no denying the look on his face, the hate, the anger in his eyes. She fully expected him to punch Scott in the face—it sure looked like he wanted to.
But the idea of that was crazy. Maeve couldn't wrap her head around why. Why would he care if she was kissing some other guy? Dally didn't care, he never cared. She had no obligation to him. Nothing even happened between them, certainly not anything he would consider to be of importance. He flirted with girls, kissed them, fucked them, but he didn't care about them. And sure, it wasn't a rare occurrence for him to beat up whatever guy Sylvia was messing around with out of jealousy, but it wasn't love. It was never love.
Guys like Dally didn't fall in love, they played with girls, but they didn't love girls, it was the whole reason she decided to ignore her feelings. Her and Dally were so different—there was no point in wasting her time on something that could never work. So many words could be used to describe him, not many of them good. Coldhearted, mean, and dangerous. The papers called him a reckless delinquent, and most people in town wouldn't say anything different. She knew all of it was true, but then he would look into her eyes and all of that would go out the window.
Falling in love was never a difficult task for Maeve, becoming infatuated with guys she hardly knew was a trap she often fell into. She got lost in romance novels and daydreamed of her own love story. She wasn't someone who could ever be happy with anything less than love. Not that she only wanted to be a housewife, she wanted to make something of herself, a task that wasn't easy for girls. She knew it wasn't realistic, wanting love and career as a woman, but it wasn't fair that men never had to choose, they always got both.
The sun was now starting to rise, casting its warm glow through the cracks of the clouds. Lights were starting to turn on in houses, the birds were beginning there morning song, the world was waking up, a new day beginning.
Maeve wrapped her blanket around her as she slowly got down from the roof. The old ladder was still propped up against the house, swaying more than she would've liked as she climbed down. She (ungracefully) landed on the grass safely before heading in the warm house, a stark contrast to the cold before.
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Whether it was bravery or sheer boredom, she finally decided to leave her house and go to the Curtis', maybe even stop at Bernards to see if there were any new books in.
As she walked through the crisp air that seemed to be getting colder everyday. She couldn't help but wish for white flurries to fall from the sky. Everything just seemed more festive and magical when snow blanketed the world around her.
She eventually got to the house that had been decorated with Christmas lights on the roof and around the columns since she had been over.
She gave a silent prayer that a certain hot headed greaser wouldn't be inside to greet her before opening the door and walking in.
Thankfully the person she was trying to avoid wasn't there, and neither was Johnny, so there was a good chance they were together. It was clear that Johnny always admired Dally, he was like his big brother of sorts. Ponyboy as well, the two of them followed Dally around like lost puppies, getting into all sorts of mischief with him.
Although today Ponyboy was lying on the couch, reading a book she recognized from last year's English class.
"Hey Maevey"
"Howdy," said the boys in greeting.
"Hey," she said, walking to the kitchen to grab a coke from the fridge, Steve glancing up from his intense card game with Sodapop.
She sat on the couch next to Ponyboy, Darry in his dads old chair reading the newspaper. He looked so much like his father then. Nearly all of the times that Maeve came over to the house with Mr. Curtis was living in it; he was in that chair, reading the paper.
"So, Maeve," said Steve, giving her a knowing smile that couldn't mean anything good, "how'd you like the rodeo?"
Maeve choked on her coke at the mention of that day, sputtering a few coughs and trying to regain her composure. "Yeah, yeah it was good," she said, clearing her throat, "heard some people got hacked off at Buck, tried to get their money back."
"Hm. You know I heard you had a real fun time. Behind one of the tents, was it?" Steve said. Her eyes widened, and quickly flicked up to Steve's knowing smirk. He was clearly getting joy out of knowing her secret.
"Don't know what youre talking 'bout Steve," she said, sending him a look that said there would be hell to pay if he said another word.
"Whaddya on about?" Said Sodapop, the others finally noticing their conversation.
"Oh just Maeve and Scott Cooper feeling each other up behind a tent last Thursday." Her heart stopped.
Immediately everyone began yelling at once.
"Steve! It wasn't like that!" Said Maeve, looking at his Cheshire grin with anger. Her face was getting red out of embarrassment and anger. This was certainly not something she wanted them to know. She couldn't believe that Steve would tell everyone her business. It wasn't as though he hadn't done the same thing, hell, he's done worse.
"What?!"
"That's disgusting"
"I'm gonna kill that kid"
"Really Maeve? Scott Cooper?" Said Darry from his chair, looking at her with shock and a little disappointment.
"I don't see how this is any of y'alls business. And what's wrong with Scott anyways?" She said crossing her arms, suddenly feeling the need to defend Scott as well as herself.
"Coopers' a tool, likes to strut around like he's better than everyone else."
"Yeah he'll also screw any girl that breathes," said Sodapop, then turning to her to add "you're not messing around with him." He said it as though a father might forbid his daughter from seeing a boy.
She looked around to see all of the other boys looking at her like menacing older brothers. It was clear they were all in agreement, even Ponyboy who was younger than her.
"I- you can't tell me what to do," said Maeve, almost baffled they would even try. They continued to stare as though they didn't hear her.
"Dally told you, didn't he?" She said to Steve, trying to change the subject. "God I can't believe him!" She should've known that he would tell them out of anger, whether to embarrass her or get them on his side she wasn't sure.
"Dal? No," said Steve, surprised, "I heard it from one of Scott's buddys, he was telling them all about you. How would Dally know?"
"I- I don't know," she said, the others clearly not buying her feeble attempt at lying. "He, may have seen us." She was now looking at the floor, not particularly wanting to discuss who she was kissing with a group of boys, even if they were some of her closest friends.
"Well no wonder he came stomping in here madder than a hornet in a cow's butthole,"said Two-bit. "He was real pissed off for someone who got second place."
"A hornet in a- what?" Said Darry, sitting in his chair, long abandoned his newspaper.
"A hornet in a cow's butthole," said Two-bit as though it was obvious what that meant. Once he saw that no one understood him he explained, "well you wouldn't be happy in a cows butthole now would you?"
After a couple seconds of confused silence Maeve continued. "I doubt he was mad about that, I don't know why he'd care," she said, shrugging, hoping to end the conversation. She had no such luck.
"Maybe because he wouldn't want his girl messing with other guys," said Sodapop casually. This surprised her more than the hornet comment. And even more, the fact that none of the other boys seemed nearly as shocked as she was.
"What are you–no–I am not his girl. Why the hell would you even think that?" She stammered.
"Well ya know, y'all are-" he said, gesturing at her.
"We're what?" Maeve said, staring him down, forcing him to continue.
"I don't know! But something is obviously going on between you two. It's not like I can ask Dally. He'd probably give me a black eye,"said Soda.
She let out a baffled laugh, waiting for the others to join in. None of them did. All of them looked at her expectantly.
"No. No. Nothing is going on between us, why would you even think that?" They can't seriously think something is going on between them. That's ridiculous. I mean... it wasn't that ridiculous, at least not to her.
"Well it's pretty obvious"
"Yeah y'all are always staring at each other and acting weird."
"Wait wait. You mean to tell me you two are... just friends?" Said Two-bit as though it was unbelievable.
"Yes. We are just friends. Nothing more," she said, making sure they understood. You wish you were more though.
"Huh. I really thought something was going on with y'all," said Steve.
"Did you all really think we were... together?" She said, for lack of a better word.
"Yeah."
"Mhm." They all nodded in agreement, much to Maeve's displeasure.
"I didn't," called Ponyboy from the couch.
That wasn't really saying much, Ponyboy would forget to put his shoes on if someone didn't remind him. Even still, she was grateful.
"Thanks Pony, I appreciate it."
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It had been two days since Dally had seen Maeve kissing Scott Cooper behind a tent at the rodeo, and yet he still had the desire to choke the life out of him.
He didn't understand why he was so angry, not that anger wasn't a normal emotion felt by him, but the feeling of jealousy over Maeve... that was new, and strange for him. He tried his best not to think about it, but to focus on the more familiar emotion of anger.
"So," said Johnny, walking next to him, staring at his shoes, "how's it hangin'?"
He passed Johnny in the lot as he was walking around trying to clear his head, and the kid decided to tag along. He wasn't really in the mood to deal with anyone right now, but Johnny never did talk too much.
"It's cool," he said, blowing out some smoke from his cigarette. "How's your old man doing?" It was a subtle way of asking if his father was giving him trouble again, not that he'd ever admit that he was.
"He's fine. The usual," he said casually, kicking rocks as he walked.
Dally's fists clenched, knowing what the usual in Johnny's household was. The temperature is quickly dropping and he would freeze if he slept out in the lot. He hardly ever outright said it, knowing it embarrassed Johnny, but he was always welcome to stay at Buck's with Dally. It's not a great place to stay, with the loud drunks clamoring at all hours, but it beats sleeping in the cold.
He nodded, not saying anything as he put his cigarette back in his mouth. Johnny was being quieter than usual, sensing the tension and choosing not to press the topic. He had always been more observant than the others, and knowing why Dally was in a bad mood, he wasn't going to push him.
"You wanna go get a beer?" He asked Johnny, needing a drink despite it only being three in the afternoon.
"Nah, I'm alright," Johnny said. He'd never been a big drinker.
Still, he continued to follow Dally, wanting to keep him company, and make sure he didn't do something to stupid. Johnny didn't fully understand what was going on between his two friends, but he could tell that they both cared about each other. From the way that they looked at each other he could see that they were more than friends, even if they didn't want to be. Of course, he'd never mention that to Dally, unless he wanted to be on the receiving end of his fists. So if he wanted to get wasted to avoid his feelings, Johnny would be there for him.
The two of them walked in silence toward the roadhouse, back in the direction that they came, a long night ahead of them.
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Credits to my girl Julia for the hornet in a cows butthole idea