When I Met Ponyboy

Lucy rumbled to a stop in front of a shabby, grey painted cottage with a chain link fence in front.

When I turned off Lucy, I could hear laughter and horseplay coming from inside. A slow smile spread across my face when I noticed how happy Ponyboy became when he heard familiar sounds. We both walked into the house and it was such mass chaos. Two boys were wrestling on the living room floor while others were betting on who would gain the upper hand. Most of them were smoking cigarettes and I didn't see any other girls in sight.

One of the boys looked at me and nudged the shoulder of the boy standing next to him. The boy next to him looked away from the wrestling match and he grew silent.

"Hey everybody, shut up!" He said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in my direction. The whole room became eerily quiet, sending butterflies into my stomach.

"Who's this Pony?" One of the blondes' said.

There were seven boys altogether and I began to feel even more uncomfortable. They all wore jeans and t-shirts, some wore leather jackets and sweatshirts to protect them against the chill of the open windows. Their hair was all greased up and slicked back. I was in a house full of greasers, my hands began to shake and my palms were starting to sweat.

"This is Kitt," Ponyboy began, "I found her at the school when I was coming home from my walk."

"Well, what's she doing here?" The gruff voice came from a tall boy with hard eyes and looked mighty dangerous. I would rather skin myself than to get into an argument with him.

"I..I.. came..well that is I mean-" I tried to choke out.

"Oh, come off it everyone! Can't you see she's scared to death? Where's your coat, girl? Ponyboy, where are your manners? She's shivering, god damn it. I'm Two-Bit, don't let these jackasses intimidate you, we're just not used to girls around." He wrapped his leather jacket about my shoulders.

The aroma of tobacco and mint enveloped me, which calmed me down a bit.

"Thank you," I replied to Two-Bit, "Yeah, I'm Kitt."

"Where are you from, Kitt?" The blonde asked.

"Union, Ohio."

"Damn, I mean..um a...you're just a long way from home."

"What are you doing so far away?" Two-Bit asked.

"I ran away...from my dad, that is. Well, he ain't my real dad. He's a bastard that's what he is." I was gaining confidence with these boys, they were growing on me.

Ponyboy was at my side again. "Now those two are my brothers, Soadapop and Darry," he pointed to the blonde who I guessed was Sodapop, the other Darry. "This is Steve, who works with Soda at the gas station, where they work on cars sometimes. You met Two-Bit." Two-Bit smiled up at me. "This is Johnny, my best buddy and this is Dallas." Dallas was the one who scared me like the dickens.

"We ain't got room for you, if that's what you're wondering." Came Darry.

I winced, "I honestly didn't mean anything by being here. I don't even know why I'm here. I'll just leave." Embarrassed and humiliated I ran back through the front door, racing back to the safety of Lucy.

The gang followed me outside where they stared, drooling at the El Camino. Sodapop sprinted towards her.

"Is this your car?!"

"Yeah, she is." I pushed him aside to get to the driver's side of the car. He frowned a bit, which instantly made me feel worse because his beautiful dimples disappeared.

"Holy shit, she's gorgeous." Two-Bit exclaimed. "Oh Darry, you have to let her stay. She can stay in the spare room, well it ain't spare, but it'll do, won't it Darry?" Sodapop joined in. "Please Darry!"

"No, we ain't got the money to have another mouth to feed, besides we don't even know this girl."

"She can't be worse than us." The voice came from Johnny.

"I could work." I squeaked out, but only Two-Bit had heard me.

"Yeah, she could work! Say doll, what would you do?"

"Well, I was a waitress for a year and a half, but I love working on cars." I just barely heard Steve whisper to Sodapop, "A good-looking broad and loves working on cars. Boys, I think I'm in love."

Darry started towards me, "Here's what we'll do. I'll let you stay for a week, if I don't like you, you're outta here. And if you really love working on cars so much you can work with Steve and Soda, doing just that."

The boys yelped in glee besides Johnny and Dallas. Johnny seemed naturally shy but he gave me a sweet smile that meant he cared." Dallas on the other hand glared at me, which sunk my high spirits.

Two-Bit wrapped his hand aroung my waist and led me inside the house, my suitcase in his other hand.

"Say, can you bake chocolate cake?" Two-Bit was almost squealing.

I matched his tone, "Not only can I make chocolate cake but strawberry and vanilla, pies too." Two-Bit whooped and ran inside, where Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was playing.

"Thanks Darry," I said quietly. He gave me a rare smile.

"I know Pony won't let me throw you out, so Kid welcome to the family, I guess. Two-Bit likes you though in a different way. I can already tell." He walked to the door ahead of me and I'm glad he didn't see me blush.

"Kitt, can you dance?" Ponyboy asked once I was inside.

"Hell yeah I can. But I don't dance to that Beatles shit. I like Elvis and Dion and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and even the Beach Boys sometimes." The Wanderer was playing by Dion in the kitchen radio.

"Well, c'mon baby, if you can dance, prove it." Two-Bit grabbed my hand and went into a more modern jitterbug with swings and wrap-around jumps. The music was making my feet glide across the floor. My blonde hair was whipping around my face. Two-Bit was laughing hysterically when Steve took my hand and pushed Two-Bit out of the way. The gang were snapping their fingers to the beat and started hollering at my swinging hips and Steve's clumsiness. Then it seemed Dallas wanted a turn when the song ended. I was starting to sweat now and I was drunk off of giggling.

"Who else wants a dance?" I called over the blaring of the next song.

Dallas grabbed my waist and started me into some of the fastest feet work I ever experienced, I could hardly keep up. When the song ended Dallas was smiling. "You're alright, Kid."

"My name ain't Kid, it's Kitt!" I joked.

Two-Bit draped his arm across my shoulder, "Well, Kitt you better get to bed. You got work in the morning." And pecked me on the cheek.