A week before Christmas and I still hadn't talked to Two-Bit. Marilyn, Suzie, Candy and Evie kept asking me about it... then scolding me when I said I hadn't.
Ponyboy had kinda calmed down after the whole thing with the car. He was still a little jumpy when he went to the DX or into town, but one of us was always with him. Plus the Shepard's and us were all on good terms... for the moment at least. So they'd help if they were around.
Two-Bit, Ponyboy and me had been let out for Christmas break. Two-Bit was at work, Steve and Sodapop were at work, Darry was at work. Evie and Candy both had waitressing jobs at the Dingo. Marilyn worked at the town library. Suzie was in Tennessee for the holidays with her family. Long story short- Ponyboy and me were sitting bored out of our minds sitting on his couch.
I applied for a job at the Dingo as a waitress with Evie and Candy, but the manager said they wouldn't tell me if I got it or not till after the New Year- so one call me lazy. I didn't really wanna work there, but I needed a job. The uniforms were degrading; when I would bend over, it would most likely expose my behind and my chest.
"I know it's cold out but can we please go out somewhere?" I asked hopefully.
Ponyboy rolled his eyes and chuckled a bit,"Fine, we can go out."
I clapped my hands and grinned like a little girl who had gotten a new doll.
"No offense, but sometimes I think you're five years old," he teased.
I stuck my tongue out at him but ended up nearly laughing my head off.
We both put on a jacket and left the house. I wasn't kidding when I said it was cold out. The only places that we could go to that we're as cold as outside was to the Dingo and maybe the record store that had just opened up in town. "Ponyboy, can I ask ya something?" I asked as we walked into the Dingo.
We got to a booth. "Sure, what's going on?" he asked as we sat on both sides of the booth.
I bit my lip. "Are you nervous about the war?"
He shrugged a bit. "Kinda... I mean, not too much... I don't know, I guess... why?"
I sighed. "I'm scared to death."
"Why are you scared?"
"Cause anybody could get drafted in the blink of an eye," I snapped my fingers,"Just like that."
"Oh... Suzie was telling me you were nervous that Two-Bit could get drafted."
"What's she told you?"
"Um... well that both you and him and nervous about the whole thing... but even if he does, you won't be alone. We'll all be here for you."
"I know, but... this always happens." My voice was quiet.
He gave a confused look,"What happens?"
"Everything or everyone I love gets taken away from me one way or another, right out from under me like how people rip a tablecloth from under silverware."
"You're talking like it already happened, that's part of the problem."
I sighed,"Im sorry... it's just, you know how I am when I'm scared."
He nodded. "Look, I think you're worrying more than you should be. And whatever happens to whoever, we'll all help each other through it."
After we left the Dingo we decided to go to that new record store. Lots of those places were opening lately, at least in our neighborhood. The music was changing along with the style and so was the mind set that people had. New groups were coming out singing about such weird things.
When we got there, my eyes widened a bit. There were more records than I'd ever seen in one store in my life. I looked at Ponyboy and from the look on his face, we were thinking the same thing.
There were records from The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Monkees, a whole bunch of bands. It seemed like the place catered to Socs from the music selection they had. One group that really stuck out to me was some group called Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was an album they had released for the Christmas season, "The 4 Seasons' Christmas Album" was the title. I looked behind it and saw about ten more of their albums.
The four guys on the covers wore suits on nearly every cover, and they wore the same suits. I nudged Ponyboy who was looking at the row next to the one I was looking at. He looked at me and I held up one of the records. "Ever heard of these guys?" I asked. He took the record and inspected it with a confused look,"Never heard of these guys in my life."
"Can I help you two with something?" someone asked from behind us.
I jumped a little and turned around. "What?"
"Do you need help finding anything?" the worker asked and gave a bit of a dirty look at us.
I looked at him and automatically recognized him as Andrew, one of the Socs from that night. He was a junior. I was wearing my hair out, thankfully, and tried to cover my face a bit with it. I shook my head and looked at the ground.
"We're just looking," Ponyboy answered.
Andrew nodded and walked off.
Ponyboy and I quickly left the record store since we both knew who it was. It seemed like he didn't recognize us, thankfully. "I think we should head back to the house," he said,"it's getting pretty cold." He was shaking again now, and I could tell it wasn't fully from the cold. I nodded and pretended not to notice as we walked back to the house.
When we got back if was 5:03pm. Darry, Steve, Sodapop and Two-Bit usually got back at about 5:30pm. Evie and Candy said their shifts ended at 5pm but they said they would stop at their houses to change and probably be here the same time as them. Marilyn gets off at 5:30pm she said. "I was thinking about maybe applying at that record store since they had a 'help wanted' sign," I said.
"Then what's stoppin' ya?" Ponyboy asked.
"We walked in," I laughed.
Yeah, sure, like I said- I applied to the Dingo. But also like I said, the uniforms were horrible. They were tight fitting, ended half way up my thigh and exposed my chest. Why would I wanna wear that? Guys who don't know me may just sit there staring at me like I'm some Greek statue! Who would I want that? Evie and Candy didn't like the uniforms either, but needed jobs- and unfortunately, so did I.
Everybody got back at 5:30, like usual. Evie and Candy dragged me to my room, closing the door behind us. "Have you talked to Two-Bit yet?" Candy asked.
I sighed and shook my head.
Evie sighed,"That's it... you're gonna talk to him about it right now. If you don't now, we'll all be in the 90s before you do. I'm worried about you and have been since the first time you mentioned the whole thing. I know you don't want to, but you have to, Rain."
I sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine," I mumbled. They both nodded and we left my room to the living room. "Two-Bit... Rain needs to talk to you, Candy said. He nodded and the two if us went to the front steps. "What's going on?" he asked cautiously as we sat down.
I bit my lip,"Um... ok... we need to talk about... the possibility of, you getting drafted."
"Oh..."
"Evie, Candy, Suzie and Marilyn have been telling me to for weeks now."
He chuckled,"Steve, Soda, Pony and Darry have been doing the same to me."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You have no idea how much it makes me feel better that you said that."
He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck,"You're tellin' me."
We finally calmed down from laughing and I looked at the ground,"They're all right, ya know..." I said quickly.
He nodded,"Unfortunately yeah."
I looked up at him. "Even if you do, there's nothing we can do about it. Cause if you get one if those letters and you don't go, you could get into a lot of trouble."
He nodded and looked at the ground. "I know..."
I sighed a bit. "How scared are you?"
He looked back at me and he looked like he was about to breakdown. "Terrified," he choked on his words. He stood up and was pacing a bit. "I mean... what if something bad happens to me? Then what are my mom and Keilah supposed to do? I've been helping with Keilah for eight years now- I'm the closest thing to a dad she has cause that bum walked out when she was a baby! If something happens to me, what's gonna happen to them, huh? I mean, I just..."
He sat down in the steps and buried his head in his hands. I had never seen him so worried. I put my hand on his back and rubbed circles against his back. I leaned my free hand on his leg and leaned my head on his shoulder.
He leaned his head on top of mine and sighed. "I'm just scared what could happen..."
"You're talking like how I was with Pony before."
"How's that?"
"Like you already got drafted."
He gave me a sad look.