Chapter 2

Both of my parents had real nice cars. Nothing else. Just nice cars. I always found this sort of funny. And when it was time for me to get a car, they found the cheapest, ugliest car ever. They loved me, but I think they always favored Jesse, my brother.

Jesse moved out two years ago, when he was 19. He's 21 now, and he's married already. He has a gorgeous daughter, and a pretty wife, and this all pisses me off. They're really well off, and probably considered socs.

So, as I tried starting the crappy car I owned, in the school parking lot, I silently cursed Jesse, and his pretty little family. God, did I hate them. I tried starting the car one last time, then I had enough. I got out, and slammed the door. I slammed my fist into the side of the car, immediately regretting this, though. I heard a honk, and turned my head towards my left.

Steve and his nice blue mustang sat there. He smiled at me, and I sort of waved with my good hand. “Car issues?” He asked, and I nodded. For as long as I had known Steve I had had this tiny little crush on him. What can I say? I found tall guys with dark hair that had these little cute swirls, hot. I always wondered how much grease it took to make his hair that shiny.

My head hung down, and I stared at the ground before grinning slightly. “Yeah,” I told him, my head rising back up now. He just smiled and shook his head.

“Get in.” I watched as he leaned over the seat and opened up the other door. I stepped about three feet over, and hopped in.

“Thanks, really.” He shrugged.

“Had Johnny been here, I would have done it anyways. I mean, he would have told me too. And man, that kid never told you what to do, only when he knew it had to be done.”

I grinned. That was Johnny for you. “So your finding your inner Johnny Cade?” I asked. He chuckled softly and said 'yeah'.

“Uh, so..Two-Bit said you two had some sort of an argument. Something with coping?”

“Yes, we did.”

“You didn't tag along today during lunch?”

“I know I didn't.”

“It was sort of rhetorical, Bonnie.”

“I know, Steve.” I tucked my hair behind my ears, and looked in the side mirror. I was staring at myself. I looked different. I was caked with make-up, and I found that highly unattractive. At least I wasn't wearing a mini skirt. Why did I look like this?

As I pondered that random question, Steve asked, “Why were you giving him a hard time?”

“Because, He was brushing off the idea of crying.” Steve started laughing hard.

“Crying? Bonnie, Two-Bit doesn't cry. I've never seen him cry.” I blushed then, realizing that Steve was right. Two-Bit did strike several people as the type not to cry, and I knew him. We weren't that close, but I knew that he wouldn't cry. Steve placed his hand on my shoulder. “Damn, you need to pay more attention to that kind of shit, and maybe think before speaking!”

“I know, I know.” He just kept smiling and shaking his head, and I just thought he looked so sexy. He had one hand on the steering wheel, the other hanging out the window. I just looked away so that I wouldn't keep thinking this.

“Hey, Steve?” He glanced at me.

“Yeah?”

“Do I look any different to you?”

“Not really..” He studied my face as we sat at a stop light. “Your kind of caked in make-up, but other than that, no.” I knew it. Too much.

“Oh, okay.”

“Why? Gotta hot date?” He was smiling wide, and still looking at me. As I blushed I told him no. “Then, why are you asking?”

“I don't know, I just can't remember why I put on so much make-up this morning.” Actually, I had remembered. And honestly, it was because of Steve. I was competing with Steve's girlfriend, who wore too much make-up. Although, I'm not sure she knew.

“It reminds me of Evie's make-up.” He was watching the road now. “Honestly, I think it's a little too much..” I sensed something else behind those words though, because when he mentioned his girlfriend his voice was really cold.

“Oh,” was all I said.

“You don't mind if I just leave you at the DX do you? 'Cause, I'm going to get in big trouble if I'm late. Again.” He had rolled his eyes when he emphasized the word 'again', and I wondered why he was late before.

After thinking, I told him, “No, I don't mind. I want a soda anyways.”

“A soda?” He raised his eye brows.

“Yeah, a soda.”

“By the last name Curtis?” He started cracking up when I narrowed my eyes and slapped his shoulder as hard as I could. Surprisingly I saw him grimace.

“No you idiot! A liquid soda!” He just kept laughing, and pulled into the dirt parking lot of the DX. I shook my head lightly. Then I stopped when I saw Steve's idiot girlfriend Evie come up. “Stevie!” She screamed, and I just got out of the car and went into the small gas station before I puked.

“Hey, Bonnie.” Soda said, as he sold some soda to a girl with blonde hair, that I decided I was highly jealous of.

“Hey. Can I have a pepsi?”

“Sure, that'd be 10 cents.” I put on this puppy dog pout. “Aw, cut it out Bonnie! You know I barely have enough money to get by!”

“Awww, Okay.” I handed over 10 cents, and I grabbed the soda out of his hand. As I took a swig out of it Steve came in.

“Hey.” Soda and him chorused at the same time. I shook my head and slid onto the counter. I watched as the boys told each other about their day, and then an idea dawned me. Maybe I wouldn't be stuck here for so long after all? “Hey, is Two-Bit ever gonna stop by?” I asked, and the boys stopped talking and looked at me.

“Dunno, Bonnie. Maybe.” So I waited. And waited. Well, really only for about 20 more minutes, and then there was Two-Bit, and I practically sprang at him. “Will you give me a ride home?” I asked him. He stood there and stared at me for a while before shrugging. I think it was because he was sill a little pissed about the other night.

“Sure,” He said. “I will.” I followed him out to his car, and hopped in. “I do warn you though, the breaks are acting weird. Again.” I shrugged.

“It's not that far.” He nodded.

“I know.”

“About the other day, I'm sorry. I didn't realize..that you just don't cry..”

“Yeah..You'd think you would...” Honestly, it was something really stupid to even argue about with him, but once I get a little annoyed I get carried away.

The day I met Two-Bit, Steve Randle, Ponyboy, and the rest of the Curtis', it was raining. I was walking home, and I was pretty soaked. Some car pulled up beside me.

“Hey greasy girl, you really wanna cold?” I suppose Two-Bit found this funny, and I would have, had my mom picked me up from school like she was supposed to. I was a freshman that year. So was Johnny. It had only been about a day after we got locked in the closet.

“Not really,” I had mumbled back towards the driver, who was trailing me slowly. His laugh boomed, and it almost sounded like an explosion. Thats Two-Bit. A big laugh bomb. Then I saw Johnny in the passenger seat, and he said, “Hey Bonnie! Need a lift?” And so I got that lift, and I was cold free too.

They invited me to Ponyboy's 11th birthday party, and I thought to myself, “Why not?”

Right then, as I sat in Two-Bit's car, I remembered that rainy day. Two-Bit probably didn't though. He probably thought I had just always been there, forgetting that one day I wasn't necessarily considered a loner anymore.

That night, I had tried a cigarette. Mr. And Mrs. Curtis were in the kitchen at the time, and I was sitting on the back porch with Two-Bit and Dallas Winston. They dared me to try one, and I did. Of course I puked after that, but I remember hearing Mrs. Curtis' worried voice.

“What did you boys give her?” She asked, her voice almost as shrill as my own mothers.

“Nothing!” The 15, and 16 year old told her. She shook her head, and cleaned me up. After that though, I ate another piece of cake, and they were all amazed. I always have room for cake, no matter what.

“Your quiet,” Two-Bit had said so suddenly it startled me out of my thoughts.

“I know, I was just remembering the day I met you guys,” I explained. He looked at me, and for the first time in a while he put on that lopsided, silly grin of his.

“Oh?” I nodded. “You mean the day you decided I was the most handsome man on earth?” I fought the urge to giggle and shook my head. “Yeah. It was,” he said, causing me to burst. I giggled for a few minutes, thinking to myself how he really hadn't remembered that day. We were now pulling up my driveway, and I unbuckled. As I got out of the car he said, “Now, don't catch a cold!” And then he was gone. I watched him as he disappeared into the horizon-well, at least I imagined that as he zoomed down the road. I guess he had remembered.