A Greaser Love Story

Chapter 4

When she walked into the DX the next day, Grayson was still not fully awake. She saw Soda and Steve working on a car and plopped down next to them.

“Hey Gray. What’s the matter? Still sulking about our birthday dinner?” Steve joked with her.

She shook her head. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Soda looked into her eyes. “It’s the party and you’re dad, isn’t it? You’re worried about it.”

She knew she couldn’t lie to him so she nodded. “God I hate him sometimes. I wonder if he even cares what I am feeling. He doesn’t think that you guys are my friends or that I like living here. He thinks it is all a phase.”

“A phase that’s lasted nine years?” Steve asked with a grin.

“That’s what I said! But then he yelled at me for talking back to him. He treats me like a child sometimes. I wish…I wish that I could just have everyone know what I want.” She said and looked down.

“That day will come.” Soda said. “I promise.”

She shrugged. “Well I hope so. Man, I thank God everyday for the fact that I live with my mom. If I had to see my dad, his wife and my stupid step-sister more than every other weekend and every other week during the summer I might’ve killed myself by now.”

Soda stood up and walked over to her. “Don’t say that. I can’t even think about that.”

She looked into his eyes and felt bad. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t answer, just walked back to the car and started working again. Then he looked up and smiled. “Want to help?”

She laughed and grabbed some tools. “Hell yeah.”

A WEEK LATER

Grayson had once again been working on a car with Steve and Soda, and the boys had tagged along. They were about to walk into the Curtis house, when she gasped.

“What happened?” Soda asked her protectively.

“Shit! I was supposed to go back to my dad’s tonight!”

They all looked over and saw his car in the driveway. Soda took her hand in his. “Come on. I’ll help you pack.”

They walked across the street and when they walked in the house her dad was sitting in the armchair looking annoyed. When he saw her he jumped up and walked to them.

“Juliet Nichols! You knew I was coming tonight! We were supposed to leave an hour ago!” He yelled at her and she gripped Soda’s hand nervously, which didn’t go unnoticed by her dad. “What do you want greaser?”

“He came to help me pack.” Grayson replied.

Her dad was about to say something against it when Mary walked out. “Leave them alone Gary. They are young and in love. He’s her best friend.”

He snarled. “This is why I am having that party. You’ll finally be able to have a husband and stop fooling around with these good-for-nothing hoodlums.”

“You know nothing about what I want!” She yelled and tried to hold back tears.

“Gary you are not making our daughter choose a husband now! She just turned eighteen!” Mary yelled at him.

Soon they were yelling and screaming at each other and Soda could see that she was about to lose it, so he pulled her out of the room and into her bedroom. When he finally shut the door he pulled her to him. “Hey it’s going to be okay. I promised you that and I keep my promises.”

She nodded into his chest. Then she sighed and they started packing her things. When they finally heard silence from the front room, and were all ready to head back out, Soda put his hand on her shoulder. “Promise me something, Gray.”

She nodded. “Anything.”

“Just go with whatever he says. I don’t want to see you end up like Johnny or Dally with parents who hit them and don’t care about them. Promise me.”

She hesitated. “But what if he-”

“No ‘what if’. No matter what it is, even if he makes you go out with potential suitors or whatever. Do it for me. Then you can call and make fun of them. Promise me Grayson.” He looked her straight in the eyes.

She nodded again. “I promise.”

Finally, they walked out and as she got into her dad’s car and drove away, Soda stood in the doorway with Mary.

“She’ll be okay. She knows how to look out for herself.” She told the teenager. “She learned that from you.”

She smiled at her. “Thanks Mary.”

MEANWHILE

Grayson’s expression was one that would have made even Johnny laugh. She was sulking, but also had a look of anger on her face, making her look ready to kill. Her friends new that she was harmless with this look, but it pissed her father off completely.

“You need to stop hanging around those…bimbos.” He said as they drove into Soc territory.

“You don’t know them. They are my friends.” She looked at him, but his face showed the look of disgust. “You just don’t get it. You never have…and never will.”

He sighed as they drove up to the house. “More like a phase. This too shall pass.”

Grayson glared at her dad. “If you are calling them bimbos because they are greasers then you better know that you are calling me one to. I am a greaser, you know.”

He smacked the wheel. “I will not have that talk in my house Juliet!”

“We aren’t in the house yet.” She spat back and his eyes became furious.

“You are grounded for this entire week.” He said and she shrugged.

“Like I care. Nothing fun to do around here anyway.” She got out of the car and grabbed her stuff from the back.

As she walked in the house her stepmother was there to meet her. “Juliet! We are so happy to have you back!”

Grayson rolled her eyes. “Sure whatever.”

“Well we better get you ready for tonight.” Her step-mom said.

Grayson looked at her with confused eyes. “Tonight?”

The woman’s face faltered and looked at Gary. “You didn’t tell her?”

He shook his head. “I thought I’d let you do the honors.”

Grayson looked back and forth between the two of them. “What am I missing?”

“You are going out tonight with a son of your father’s friend form work. Joey Gibbons.” Her wicked step-sister said as she descended the stairs.

Grayson’s face distorted. “Sorry, but I can’t. Dad just grounded me.”

He turned to her. “I say what you can and can’t do while you’re grounded.”

She went upstairs and waited for her step-mom. Quickly she ran to her phone and called Soda. “Hello?”

“Darry? I need to talk to Soda.”

“Okay. Hang on. Everything okay?” He asked.

She shrugged even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Yes. No. Maybe? I don’t know, but I got to talk to him. Fast.”

A few seconds later she heard her boyfriend’s calm voice come onto the line. “Gray? What’s up?”

“They are making me go out with a soc!” She hissed into the phone. “You jinxed it!”

He sighed. “Damn. Well go and just get through it. If he tries anything, you call me. I will come up and kick his ass.”

She smiled. “Thanks babe.” Then she heard her step-mother coming in. “Shit Shelley’s coming.”

“Bye.”

She put the phone down just as Shelley came in. “Let’s get you ready for this date!”

It was when she turned her back that Grayson rolled her eyes and smacked her forehead.