“Dad?” Danny asks from across the room.
I lower my newspaper to look at my fourteen year old son. When I looked at him, I saw the younger version of me. A bit slimmer, and with (Y/N)’s eyes. His dark hair kind of greased back, black muscle shirt and jeans, lounging on the couch, eyes still on the football game. If he kept it up, I could be watching him playing on the screen.
“How did you ask mom out?” He says casually, his eyes move from the game to me.
I set the newspaper down; rub my chin, remembering how it went down. I smile.
“Well… she worked as a secretary at the roofing company I worked for. I met her in the summer, and I taught her how to lock up. I remember walking into the office and seeing her there, and I was just shocked. It was like my world just stopped for a second; then started going again, much faster and with a different angle on life, you know? Anyways, I was speechless. I probably looked like an idiot.” I laugh softly.
Danny smiles at me, waiting for me to go on.
“So I taught her how to lock up… And afterwards, we got to talking. I thought she was the most intelligent, funny, and beautiful girl ever. Besides my mom. But she was close. It was starting to get dark, so I asked her if I could walk her home. And things just went from there I guess.” I shrug. We were so young.
“That’s all?” Danny asks.
“I was nervous as hell, that’s for sure.” I say. “I kept telling myself don’t screw up, don’t screw up.” I smile.
“Ok,” he says, his attention turned back to the game. But he wasn’t focused on it, he was thinking.
“Why did you ask?” I say, shifting in my chair.
“No reason.” He mumbles.
“Don’t lie to me, boy.”
He pauses, exhales. “I want to ask a girl out.”
I was kind of stunned. I kept forgetting he was fourteen. Not little anymore.
“Who is this lucky girl?”
“Dad,” he groans.
“Sorry, sorry. I just want to know.”
“Janie.”
“Janie Mathews?” I ask.
“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out for a while now.”
“Well if she says yes… If anything happens, Two-Bit’s going to get you.”
“I know, I know. I’ll make sure nothing will happen to her. I swear.” He says, with dead seriousness in his eyes.
I smile. He was becoming a great young man.
I lower my newspaper to look at my fourteen year old son. When I looked at him, I saw the younger version of me. A bit slimmer, and with (Y/N)’s eyes. His dark hair kind of greased back, black muscle shirt and jeans, lounging on the couch, eyes still on the football game. If he kept it up, I could be watching him playing on the screen.
“How did you ask mom out?” He says casually, his eyes move from the game to me.
I set the newspaper down; rub my chin, remembering how it went down. I smile.
“Well… she worked as a secretary at the roofing company I worked for. I met her in the summer, and I taught her how to lock up. I remember walking into the office and seeing her there, and I was just shocked. It was like my world just stopped for a second; then started going again, much faster and with a different angle on life, you know? Anyways, I was speechless. I probably looked like an idiot.” I laugh softly.
Danny smiles at me, waiting for me to go on.
“So I taught her how to lock up… And afterwards, we got to talking. I thought she was the most intelligent, funny, and beautiful girl ever. Besides my mom. But she was close. It was starting to get dark, so I asked her if I could walk her home. And things just went from there I guess.” I shrug. We were so young.
“That’s all?” Danny asks.
“I was nervous as hell, that’s for sure.” I say. “I kept telling myself don’t screw up, don’t screw up.” I smile.
“Ok,” he says, his attention turned back to the game. But he wasn’t focused on it, he was thinking.
“Why did you ask?” I say, shifting in my chair.
“No reason.” He mumbles.
“Don’t lie to me, boy.”
He pauses, exhales. “I want to ask a girl out.”
I was kind of stunned. I kept forgetting he was fourteen. Not little anymore.
“Who is this lucky girl?”
“Dad,” he groans.
“Sorry, sorry. I just want to know.”
“Janie.”
“Janie Mathews?” I ask.
“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out for a while now.”
“Well if she says yes… If anything happens, Two-Bit’s going to get you.”
“I know, I know. I’ll make sure nothing will happen to her. I swear.” He says, with dead seriousness in his eyes.
I smile. He was becoming a great young man.
I set number seventeen down.
Seventeen.
Seventeen bottles of beer I have drunk in the past 37 minutes.
Seventeen.
I pick up number eighteen, twist the cap off, and pour it down my throat. It’s tasteless.
I lean my head back against the wall from where I sit on the floor of my basement.
I see a football. Danny’s football. It used to be Danny’s football. Now it’s just some football my son used to hold, used to play with. It probably smelled like him. Part of me wanted to go pick it up, the other part of me didn’t wanted to be reminded of the last time we played football together.
I pick up number nineteen, and out of the corner of my eye see (Y/N)’s old dolls, something we thought we could use for our little girl someday.
But that’s not going to happen.
I know what happened. I saw their mangled, bruised, broken, dead bodies after their accident.
I pick up number twenty.
Seventeen.
Seventeen bottles of beer I have drunk in the past 37 minutes.
Seventeen.
I pick up number eighteen, twist the cap off, and pour it down my throat. It’s tasteless.
I lean my head back against the wall from where I sit on the floor of my basement.
I see a football. Danny’s football. It used to be Danny’s football. Now it’s just some football my son used to hold, used to play with. It probably smelled like him. Part of me wanted to go pick it up, the other part of me didn’t wanted to be reminded of the last time we played football together.
I pick up number nineteen, and out of the corner of my eye see (Y/N)’s old dolls, something we thought we could use for our little girl someday.
But that’s not going to happen.
I know what happened. I saw their mangled, bruised, broken, dead bodies after their accident.
I pick up number twenty.
“You alright, babe?” He asks. You were lying on your stomach on top of him.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” You say.
He strokes his hair. “You know, this could be us every night.”
“Yeah but we’d have kids, so it would be weird and awkward to do this every night. What if they had bad dreams or something?” You say.
“Ok, well then every other night.” He grins.
“That might work.” You laugh.
“By the looks of it, we’ll have lots of little kids on our hands.” He winks.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” You say.
He strokes his hair. “You know, this could be us every night.”
“Yeah but we’d have kids, so it would be weird and awkward to do this every night. What if they had bad dreams or something?” You say.
“Ok, well then every other night.” He grins.
“That might work.” You laugh.
“By the looks of it, we’ll have lots of little kids on our hands.” He winks.
“I’m pregnant.” You blurt out.
Darry looks at you in complete shock. “What?”
“I’m pregnant, and I think we should put the baby up for adoption.” You say in rushed words.
He just gives you a funny look.
“Money’s tight…” You continue. “It wouldn’t be fair to bring up a child like this… And I don’t know if you even want it… I’d think it’d be best for him or her.”
“What’s best for our baby is living with it’s parents who will work hard to make a good life for them.” He smiles at you.
Darry looks at you in complete shock. “What?”
“I’m pregnant, and I think we should put the baby up for adoption.” You say in rushed words.
He just gives you a funny look.
“Money’s tight…” You continue. “It wouldn’t be fair to bring up a child like this… And I don’t know if you even want it… I’d think it’d be best for him or her.”
“What’s best for our baby is living with it’s parents who will work hard to make a good life for them.” He smiles at you.
“Hey, Darry, please stop picking on him. He’s obviously stressed out.” You plead with you boyfriend. He and Ponyboy were fighting about grades and school and such.
“(Y/N), please stay out of this.” Darry says, eyes still locked on his younger brother.
“She has a point.” Ponyboy snorts.
“Don’t use that tone with me, young man.” Darry says, voice raised.
“Who went and made you dad?” Ponyboy asked, shrugging his shoulders.
“You take that back.” Darry says, lunging for Ponyboy.
They start beating up on each other, nothing serious. Brothers will be brothers.
“Hey! Knock it off!” You say, trying to separate them on the ground.
Smack!
You fall back, the hit getting you hard.
The boys freeze, realizing they’ve hit you.
“Ow!” You say. “That was my boob!”
They burst out laughing.
“(Y/N), please stay out of this.” Darry says, eyes still locked on his younger brother.
“She has a point.” Ponyboy snorts.
“Don’t use that tone with me, young man.” Darry says, voice raised.
“Who went and made you dad?” Ponyboy asked, shrugging his shoulders.
“You take that back.” Darry says, lunging for Ponyboy.
They start beating up on each other, nothing serious. Brothers will be brothers.
“Hey! Knock it off!” You say, trying to separate them on the ground.
Smack!
You fall back, the hit getting you hard.
The boys freeze, realizing they’ve hit you.
“Ow!” You say. “That was my boob!”
They burst out laughing.
“Daddy, look what I found.”
“Olivia….” I start. The box of kittens was not something I wanted in this house.
“I found them down the street, daddy. This is one is Muffins, this one is Daisy.. And that’s Peaches.” She smiles up at me.
“Olivia… Do we really need these?”
“Daddy… They need a home.”
“We can find them one.”
“But they’ll love it here!” She says pouting. “I’ll feed them, I’ll play with them, I’ll take them on walks, and I’ll have tea parties with them.”
“Cats don’t go on walks… And I don’t think they drink tea.”
“Please daddy.”
I hate it when she does this.
“Go talk to your mom.” I sigh
“Olivia….” I start. The box of kittens was not something I wanted in this house.
“I found them down the street, daddy. This is one is Muffins, this one is Daisy.. And that’s Peaches.” She smiles up at me.
“Olivia… Do we really need these?”
“Daddy… They need a home.”
“We can find them one.”
“But they’ll love it here!” She says pouting. “I’ll feed them, I’ll play with them, I’ll take them on walks, and I’ll have tea parties with them.”
“Cats don’t go on walks… And I don’t think they drink tea.”
“Please daddy.”
I hate it when she does this.
“Go talk to your mom.” I sigh
“Merry Christmas, babe.” You feel Darry’s strong arms wrapping around you.
“Hmmm… Merry Christmas.” You mumble.
“I got all of Danny’s presents under the tree.” He says, snuggling down into the bed a little more.
“Did you remember the football?” You ask.
“Yeah, I remembered that. It’s the best gift.” He smiles. “He’ll love it.”
“Yeah…” You mumble.
“Before you fall back asleep, I have a present for you.” He whispers to you.
“Mhmm?”
He leans over you, showing you a black box.
You open it, to see the most beautiful necklace.
“It was my mom’s.” he mutters. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it.”
“Merry Christmas, honey.”
“Hmmm… Merry Christmas.” You mumble.
“I got all of Danny’s presents under the tree.” He says, snuggling down into the bed a little more.
“Did you remember the football?” You ask.
“Yeah, I remembered that. It’s the best gift.” He smiles. “He’ll love it.”
“Yeah…” You mumble.
“Before you fall back asleep, I have a present for you.” He whispers to you.
“Mhmm?”
He leans over you, showing you a black box.
You open it, to see the most beautiful necklace.
“It was my mom’s.” he mutters. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it.”
“Merry Christmas, honey.”
"Thanks for walking me home Darry.?" He looked at you with his sparkling eyes. "No problem y/n" he said to you. You met Darry when you had to got to Ponyboy's for a progect. He came and answered the door when you knocked. You've had a crush in him ever since. You were were in front of your house. "Um...y/n would ya...uhhh...maybe...wanna...go out sometime?" He asked you. On the inside you were screaming but you had to stay cool. Answer smoothly. "Yeah it be fun Darry." You answered. Before you left him you pecked him on the cheek and ran inside. Then looked thorough the curtains without Darry seeing you. And Darry stood there with a dumb look on his face holding his cheek. You thought to yourself a life with Darry. It was perfect. A life with Darry is the life you want.
Swaying back and forth to the random songs on the radio, champagne bottle in one hand, heels off, his shirt off; this slow dance was a little interesting.
You had gotten tired of the New Years Party you were at, so you decided to have your own; complete with balloons, champagne, dancing, and the life of the party.
“This is fun,” you laugh as you look up to him.
“Yeah,” he laughs, as he dips you.
“Careful of the champagne, babe.”
“Sorry… Just trying to make things classy.” He laughs.
“You kidding me? This is some high class shit!” You laugh.
He glances at the clock.
“It’s 11:59,” he grins.
“Time for our New Year’s kiss,” you grin as you lean in.
“Not yet!” He yells, moving your face away. “It isn’t midnight yet!”
You laugh, then glance at the clock.
“Well, we missed it.” You pout. “It’s 12:01.”
“Looks like we have to wait a whole nother year.”
You had gotten tired of the New Years Party you were at, so you decided to have your own; complete with balloons, champagne, dancing, and the life of the party.
“This is fun,” you laugh as you look up to him.
“Yeah,” he laughs, as he dips you.
“Careful of the champagne, babe.”
“Sorry… Just trying to make things classy.” He laughs.
“You kidding me? This is some high class shit!” You laugh.
He glances at the clock.
“It’s 11:59,” he grins.
“Time for our New Year’s kiss,” you grin as you lean in.
“Not yet!” He yells, moving your face away. “It isn’t midnight yet!”
You laugh, then glance at the clock.
“Well, we missed it.” You pout. “It’s 12:01.”
“Looks like we have to wait a whole nother year.”