july 1965
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
sodapop curtis

        i hung out on the streets of the east side of tulsa, where all greasers played jack or shared a cigarette until their lungs were ashes. darry never lets ponyboy go to these things as he's trying his best to convince pony to stay away from cigarettes.

        today was the day claire turned 18, she invited me over to her house for a small party that her parents are throwing for her. claire said it'd only be a few friends from school and family members who were visiting.

        "soc's boyfriend right there." i heard mars say.

        "you ain't gonna let him talk about you like that, right soda?" steve asks, hopping on top of this rusty truck.

        "no, i ain't gon' let a piece of shit say dumb shit like that." i said before walking over to mars.

        "heard his chick was the hottest one there on the west." mars laughed but his friends didn't, they all looked up at me from the crates their were sitting on. "oh hey mr. pretty looking guy, didn't see you there."

        i gave him one smile before lunging at him, pounding my fists in face until i saw blood drip down from his nose to his teeth. steve came over to drag me off of the kid but i wasn't gonna let that happen, i kept going so that this boy was beaten up for the blacks and blues. steve eventually got a hold of me and carried me off of mars who wasn't even moving.

        i cursed his whole gang out before storming out of the area towards claire's house, running to the point where my lungs ran out of air. i made it to the border of the west and east, running past the socs who stood around for greasers wanting to come in.

        claire's house was at the corner but her dad and brother were packing away. i hid behind a bush where i was able to hear their conversation from the distance, they were both in uniform as if they were ready for war.

"train arrives sometime around 1:30, we have plenty of time to grab a meal by the dingo." her dad says, looking at his watch.

"out of all days, you chose to leave on claire's birthday?" randy scoffs.

"they need me, son, i feel as bad as you do but it's the law i can't break." her dad looks at him with sympathy, it was an act behind that.

"you don't care about your damn family, leaving on every important event and won't even break a law for his children when they need it." randy scolds him before getting in the car.

i watch the car drive out of the driveway with claire staring them down from her window, she look like she had tears running down her eyes. her mom was nowhere to be seen through the window, claire left the window to where i assumed was her bedroom. i abandoned the dead bushes to go over to her bedroom window like i always did.

claire lied on her bed alone, shaking and quivering with tears. i knocked on her window where she jumped but her eyes caught mine. claire got out of bed in curiosity, opening her window for me.

"someone said party?" i tried to crack a joke but got nothing out of her, "what's wrong baby?"

"nothing, just my dad and randy leaving on the day of my party." she was lying, there was more to it. "what are you doing here, soda? you could get yourself hurt if you're seen here."

        "i missed you too much, claire." i placed a hand on her cheek.

        "claire, aunt charlie and uncle ben are here!" her mom called from the kitchen.

        claire wiped her tears, she dragged me to her closet where a pile of clothes were dumped on top of me. claire used her fingers to brush out her hair before her mom came in with her aunt, they were all smiles and sweet hugs when i sat there remembering the tears streaming down her face like a calm waterfall in hawaii or somewhere beautiful like that.

        her aunt was left alone with claire in her bedroom as her mom went back to preparing meals, her aunt was touring her bedroom when she stood near the closet door. claire kept her distracted from going in with all the convincing she could do.

        her aunt charlie held onto the closet doorknob, slowly turning it over when claire purposefully knocked over her pile of books. charlie went over to help clean it up. one of the books had dust particles flying around that caused me to sneeze, their heads lift up to the sound.

        "did you hear that?" her aunt charlie asks.

        "probably just uncle ben, you know how crazy his allergies can be." claire lied, surprisingly her aunt fell for it.

        "alright then, i'm gonna head to the kitchen to help your mother." her aunt charlie notifies her, "see you in a bit."

        claire waits for her to leave then storms to the closet door, pushing away the pieces of clothing that she dumped on me. claire looked a bit mad about me sneezing at the wrong time, i just smiled to make it all seem like a joke.

        "probably just sodapop, you know how crazy his allergies can be." i mocked her words, she rolled her eyes before pecking my lips.

                    ❥•°❀°•༢

claire forced me to walk around the outside of her house to the front door, to make it seem like i had just arrived and that i wasn't in her bedroom alone with her only. claire had already finished getting ready, she made me pick out an outfit for her while she continues to put all this makeup on her face.

i knocked on the door twice when her mom answered it.

"now you call me lorraine right this minute, young man." she demanded.

"hello, lorraine." i chuckled, she gave me a big hug before letting me in.

"claire should be coming in any minute, join vada and the rest down in the living room if you'd like." lorraine insisted.

"will do, ma'am." i nodded.

everybody as in friends or family of claire's was talking or just greeting each other. vada looked at me and got out of that crowd, she felt relieved to see someone who was close enough with claire.

"oh thank god, someone who isn't only interested in baseball." vada sighed in relief.

"hi guys." someone says from behind me, it was claire all dolled up for her birthday.

it was like she lit the room up with satisfaction, she was beautiful like always. claire checked the crowd including vada, she kissed my lips with her red lipstick. it must've stained my lips but it was totally fine, i got to kiss my girl in a public room full of people.

everybody hung around in the backyard as the space in the living room became too crowded, claire's cousins who looked to be in elementary school all loved me for some reason. i got many requests to play tag or hide n' seek, of course i had to take the chance to play with them.

hours go by to where night struck, we all saw the crescent shaped moon from above. vada left the party not too long ago to watch over her brothers while her parents went out to eat, it was now just claire and i watching the moon together.

we sat on her backyard patio where she hid a letter from me, i knew what it was as i saw the writing all over it. claire didn't seem too happy, not even right after she blew the candles to her cake.

"soda, i want you to read something but promise me you won't be mad at me." claire begged.

"of course i won't be mad at you, now what is it?" i questioned, she handed me the letter.

        congratulations claire anderson, your vietnam war nurse application has been accepted...