[A/N. I know I haven't yet completed my other outsiders story, but the idea
for this one was in my head and I had to get it down. Once I've got this
chapter up I'll continue and finish off my other one! Let me know what you
think of this one though, as I'm not too sure whether or not it's any
good!]
ONE:
"Someone once said that from death dawns life, and I have to agree with this. An event which brings such terrible heartbreak and despair, can also bring something else-it can also bring love and closeness. When my parents died when we were only young it left myself, my oldest brother Darryl-known as Darry, and my other older brother Sodapop, known as Soda all alone. We struggled to find our footing.." I stopped writing almost angrily, and balled up the paper and threw it across the small room towards the waste- paper basket. It bounced off the edge and landed next to the basket. "DAMN!" I swore.
Taking a deep breath I got up and went over to the window, where I leant on the ledge looking down onto the grounds below. It was one of the last days of summer, and the students were taking full advantage of that fact. All except me of course. For some reason the essay we'd been assigned in "Introduction to Writing" about the most important event in our lives had me stuck. I guess that seems pretty strange when I consider I've never had trouble writing about my life before. Only a few years back I handed in what had probably won the title for the world's largest English theme, dealing with the death of two of my friends!
With a sigh I glanced at the clock by my bed. Quarter to Three. It wasn't really worth me sitting back down at the desk to try and get the essay started considering I had to meet my girlfriend Mandy by the library at ten past three. Instead I grabbed my keys and wallet and headed out. As I started out the front door of the dorm I passed my roommate on his way back inside.
"Wow! He's managed to unattach himself from his desk and books!"
"Ha, ha." I muttered. "If you must know I've got to meet Mandy soon."
"Mandy." He grinned. "What I want to know is how someone like you, has someone like her? What's your secret Ponyboy?"
"It's not being an arsehole." I replied. Not that Eric was a complete arsehole; he simply was the exact opposite of me. I came to college on a scholarship which I was determined to keep. He came to college on the orders of his parents. I cared about my education. He didn't.
Eric snorted and clapped me on the back. "That's why I haven't picked up since I got here. Three whole weeks and no woman! Thanks for the tip stud." He teased.
"No problems. Good luck." I replied, with a slight grin. Back home Eric would have been what we classed as a soc- a social. Rich kids who drove around in their expensive cars causing trouble, especially with our lot- the greasers.
"Oh I forgot!" Eric said, suddenly. "Your brother called for you yesterday."
"Which one?" I asked.
"Soda?" Eric repeated. "Pony what's with your parents and the strange names anyway? Were they hippies?"
"Hippies?" I repeated and laughed. "Hardly. They were just original."
Eric shrugged, and started to walk off, and then he turned back. "I guess it's a lot more original that Eric James Hollingworth the fourth isn't it? And even more so, it doesn't have the same expectation as mine does. Every man in our family has graduated college and gone into the family business so I'm expected to do exactly the same. Originality has a lot going for it Pony."
As I walked towards the library I pondered what Eric had just said. For the first time in three weeks my roommate had shown his vulnerable, and human side. My brothers had never really placed any great pressure on me to go to college, although I think it was always just assumed that I would. Darry could have gone to college, but he ended up getting a job to support Soda and I instead. Soda, on the other hand, always said he would never have managed to get to college, but he's not exactly dumb. He just isn't into learning. He left school as soon as he could and got a job in a garage near us. So I think, subtly, my brothers expected me to be the one in the family to go onto college. I recalled Soda telling me once I was the smart one. My thoughts disappeared when I saw Mandy standing out the front of the library waiting for me. Mandy and I got together when I returned from a trip we'd won to England, and we've been together ever since. The joking comments Eric made earlier about how someone like Mandy would be with someone like me are thoughts I often have myself. Mandy was part of the socs back home, and therefore you'd think that there would be no chance of us being together. But she was different to any of the other socs-she didn't care about labels or money! Like she told me on my first day back at school after the trip: "I like you for you Pony. Ever since I met you I have."
"Hey," She said greeting me with a kiss. "Did you get a good start on your essay?"
"Don't ask." I said.
"I already have." Mandy replied. "What's the problem with it?"
"I don't know what to write exactly. The most important event in my life for gods sake? How many have there been which could qualify on some level?" I said, with a sigh. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a writer."
"Yeah, maybe you're not. Writings not for everyone Pony. I'm sure there's something else you could do-like work in a supermarket or something." Mandy replied, and I glanced at her in shock. She knew perfectly well that the only ambition I had in life was to be a writer!
A grin spread across her face. "I was just teasing you Pony. Look I'm sure there are plenty of other people in the class struggling with the essay too. You'll work it out. And you'll be a great writer!"
I laughed too, and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go get a coffee and something to eat. Thinking has made me hungry, and I bet you're hungry too after two hours of history."
"I am!" Mandy agreed, and we started across the grass towards our favorite café.
ONE:
"Someone once said that from death dawns life, and I have to agree with this. An event which brings such terrible heartbreak and despair, can also bring something else-it can also bring love and closeness. When my parents died when we were only young it left myself, my oldest brother Darryl-known as Darry, and my other older brother Sodapop, known as Soda all alone. We struggled to find our footing.." I stopped writing almost angrily, and balled up the paper and threw it across the small room towards the waste- paper basket. It bounced off the edge and landed next to the basket. "DAMN!" I swore.
Taking a deep breath I got up and went over to the window, where I leant on the ledge looking down onto the grounds below. It was one of the last days of summer, and the students were taking full advantage of that fact. All except me of course. For some reason the essay we'd been assigned in "Introduction to Writing" about the most important event in our lives had me stuck. I guess that seems pretty strange when I consider I've never had trouble writing about my life before. Only a few years back I handed in what had probably won the title for the world's largest English theme, dealing with the death of two of my friends!
With a sigh I glanced at the clock by my bed. Quarter to Three. It wasn't really worth me sitting back down at the desk to try and get the essay started considering I had to meet my girlfriend Mandy by the library at ten past three. Instead I grabbed my keys and wallet and headed out. As I started out the front door of the dorm I passed my roommate on his way back inside.
"Wow! He's managed to unattach himself from his desk and books!"
"Ha, ha." I muttered. "If you must know I've got to meet Mandy soon."
"Mandy." He grinned. "What I want to know is how someone like you, has someone like her? What's your secret Ponyboy?"
"It's not being an arsehole." I replied. Not that Eric was a complete arsehole; he simply was the exact opposite of me. I came to college on a scholarship which I was determined to keep. He came to college on the orders of his parents. I cared about my education. He didn't.
Eric snorted and clapped me on the back. "That's why I haven't picked up since I got here. Three whole weeks and no woman! Thanks for the tip stud." He teased.
"No problems. Good luck." I replied, with a slight grin. Back home Eric would have been what we classed as a soc- a social. Rich kids who drove around in their expensive cars causing trouble, especially with our lot- the greasers.
"Oh I forgot!" Eric said, suddenly. "Your brother called for you yesterday."
"Which one?" I asked.
"Soda?" Eric repeated. "Pony what's with your parents and the strange names anyway? Were they hippies?"
"Hippies?" I repeated and laughed. "Hardly. They were just original."
Eric shrugged, and started to walk off, and then he turned back. "I guess it's a lot more original that Eric James Hollingworth the fourth isn't it? And even more so, it doesn't have the same expectation as mine does. Every man in our family has graduated college and gone into the family business so I'm expected to do exactly the same. Originality has a lot going for it Pony."
As I walked towards the library I pondered what Eric had just said. For the first time in three weeks my roommate had shown his vulnerable, and human side. My brothers had never really placed any great pressure on me to go to college, although I think it was always just assumed that I would. Darry could have gone to college, but he ended up getting a job to support Soda and I instead. Soda, on the other hand, always said he would never have managed to get to college, but he's not exactly dumb. He just isn't into learning. He left school as soon as he could and got a job in a garage near us. So I think, subtly, my brothers expected me to be the one in the family to go onto college. I recalled Soda telling me once I was the smart one. My thoughts disappeared when I saw Mandy standing out the front of the library waiting for me. Mandy and I got together when I returned from a trip we'd won to England, and we've been together ever since. The joking comments Eric made earlier about how someone like Mandy would be with someone like me are thoughts I often have myself. Mandy was part of the socs back home, and therefore you'd think that there would be no chance of us being together. But she was different to any of the other socs-she didn't care about labels or money! Like she told me on my first day back at school after the trip: "I like you for you Pony. Ever since I met you I have."
"Hey," She said greeting me with a kiss. "Did you get a good start on your essay?"
"Don't ask." I said.
"I already have." Mandy replied. "What's the problem with it?"
"I don't know what to write exactly. The most important event in my life for gods sake? How many have there been which could qualify on some level?" I said, with a sigh. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a writer."
"Yeah, maybe you're not. Writings not for everyone Pony. I'm sure there's something else you could do-like work in a supermarket or something." Mandy replied, and I glanced at her in shock. She knew perfectly well that the only ambition I had in life was to be a writer!
A grin spread across her face. "I was just teasing you Pony. Look I'm sure there are plenty of other people in the class struggling with the essay too. You'll work it out. And you'll be a great writer!"
I laughed too, and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go get a coffee and something to eat. Thinking has made me hungry, and I bet you're hungry too after two hours of history."
"I am!" Mandy agreed, and we started across the grass towards our favorite café.