Stay Gold

After seeing how roughed up I was, the hospital ended up admitting me for two days. I had a bad concussion, ribs bruised beyond belief, and my ankle was pretty fucked. Nothing broken, thank god. Being in that hospital, though, made me miserable. I never liked them, never have. To me, they always seemed like you just go there to die. It wasn’t that I was afraid of them, or really afraid that something terrible would happen to me there. I just hated being poked and prodded like a damn pin cushion. Every time a nurse or doctor came towards me with a needle, I threw a fit; Kind of like a little kid, only I was screaming, crying, shaking, and flailing my arms around. The doctor that was assigned to me actually made Ponyboy retrain me. Naturally, I tried hitting him, bad enough to the point where if I did it anymore, they would have to put restraints on me for being a ‘danger to medical personnel’. Don’t get me wrong, I still screamed and cried, I just didn’t hit Ponyboy anymore those two days.

After being discharged from the hospital, I was put on bed rest for a few weeks. The first week, I mainly slept because of the painkillers I was on. Week two, I was sitting up and going to the bathroom on my own. It got a little embarrassing having every guy in our household take me to the bathroom so I could do my business. Thankfully though, Darry kept all of Pony and Soda’s friends away from the house just so I could get some rest, and to also prepare to meet them. I was honestly a little frightened to meet them, just because I knew I was nothing like they were. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t no angel, but I also wasn’t that bad. In this group, I stood out like a sore thumb, literally.

Even though I wasn’t supposed to, I still helped around the house, just so I didn’t have everything piling up on me, and so I could pull my own weight around there.

“So, Ponyboy,” I began, “where the hell did you come up with a name like Babydoll?” That was the name him and Darry had chosen for me when I got admitted into the hospital, Babydoll Michelle Curtis. Personally, I thought it was the most ridiculous name, but it worked and was believable. I mean, just look at Ponyboy and Sodapop’s names. Darry’s real name was Darryl, which I had heard before.

Ponyboy just smiled and laughed, “Replace your name with mine, Soda’s or Darry’s name, and ask yourself the same question.”

Even though the names were weird, I like them. They were unique, just like their personalities. However, it would take some getting used to from going by a name like Babydoll, if I were to encounter any socs, as Pony called the rich kids.

“It’s...weird,” I said, “shit, everything is weird here, but it’s the kind of weird that makes everything good,” I smiled. I was still a little sore here and there, but I was finally able to go out and get fresh air. I had been crammed up in that hot house for too long, though, three weeks isn’t too long in anyone else’s eyes.

“Elaine!” Soda shouted from the back room, “In celebration of you getting better, how’s about we go to the drive in and celebrate. You can meet the rest of the gang.”

I didn’t want to, but it was the least I could do after everything the boys had done for me these last few weeks. I looked over at Ponybody, wide-eyed.

“Don’t worry, socs’ won’t get you...not on our watch,” he said reassuringly.

“Yeah, Elaine,” Soda added, “it’ll be fun. Gang’s really cool, weird maybe, but cool.”

I knew it wouldn’t be any use arguing with either of them, so I went along. I cut my tattered skirt up, so now it came up to just above my knee. I put on some sort of pullover jacket that Pony had given me when I came home from the hospital. I didn’t look particularly the part of a greaser, but I also didn’t look like no damn soc, either. I was just Elaine.

Sodapop, Ponyboy and I walked a mile to the drive-in, meeting up with their friends...their family. Part of me wanted to get to know everyone, the other part of me wanted to run away frantically to my place of sanctuary; The Curtis household.

We walked up to a group of people looking just like Pony and Soda. Long, greasy hair, leather jackets, and dark eyes. They cracked jokes with the boys when we walked up. That is, until they saw me.

I cowered behind Ponyboy like a baby.

“Guys, this is Elaine...just came into town,” Pony announced, dragging me out from behind him.

I gulped, “Here comes the poking fun at me,” I thought to myself. However, I was for the most part, wrong.

“What are you, Pony’s woman?” One of the boys asked, soon learning his name was Keith Matthews, but everybody called him Two-Bit because he always had to get his two-bits in.

I gave a strange look to him, followed by shaking my head and backing behind him again.

“We’re not gonna hurt you,” Two-Bit laughed, “we may fuck with you a lot though.” At least he was honest.

“Thanks...I think,” I said quietly. I was still unsure of everybody, other than Johnny, Ponyboy, Sodapop and Darry. I felt like an outsider being in their group.

We walked around the drive in, watching some of the older boys pick on some of the soc girls, while Ponyboy, Johnny and myself stayed on the sidelines. Soda was kissin’ some girl who I assumed was Sandy, his girlfriend I had heard so much about.

Johnny lit up a cancer stick then passed it to me. At this point, I was starting to like smoking. I’d get plenty of strange looks for doing it, didn’t care though. A bit later, the group returned. This time, another boy was with them, only it was one that looked familiar to me. He got closer, and looked over me up and down. He was gorgeous, in every way possible. Brown shaggy hair, high cheekbones. I couldn’t help but stare.

“I think I know you,” He began. I began thinking of all the ways I could have made an ass out of myself since I arrived to Tulsa. “You’re the bitch from the bar, ain’t ya? Yeah, thought I recognized you.”

There it was! I made an ass out of myself at the bar. Figures, first night I’m in town and I do something foolish in front of someone this attractive. Everybody just stared in shock as to how me and this boy knew each other.

“How the hell do you two know each other, Dally?” Ponyboy asked, raising an eyebrow then turning toward me, like I had the answer.

“Met her at the bar, had a few drinks, fucked in the alley behind the bar,” He smirked, looking directly at me.

I was appalled at what he was telling everyone, he was doing nothing but saying lies.

“Excuse the fuck out of you!” I snapped, “But I’m certain that never happened.” I took a long drag off the cigarette, letting the smoke out violently.

“Or you were too drunk to remember. If I remember right, you stumbled out of the bar afterwards,” Dally said, still eyeing me.

Johnny nudged Ponyboy and whispered, “What the fuck is going on here?” I wanted to scream that nothing happened with Dally and I. Hell, I didn’t even know his name! I guess this was what Johnny meant when he said Dally could be a real jerk.

I got close to him, to the point where I was only inches from his face, “I suggest you take that back,” I said, trying to keep my cool.

“Oh yeah?” He smiled, “And if I don’t?”

He hit the ground when he made that smart ass remark. His friends started laughing at him for getting knocked on the ground by a girl. I even saw Ponyboy crack a small smile from it.

“That will happen,” I smiled innocently, “and if you dare say something like that about me again, you’ll be in the hospital for a week, you jerk,” I said spitting on him and storming off.

Ponyboy ran after me, losing his breath as he tried catching up to me, “Elaine...slow...down...wait...up.”

That didn’t stop me from leaving, “What’s done is done, Pony, stay out of it.”

He grabbed me so I faced toward him. “You mind telling me what the fuck is going on here?” He asked. I pulled away violently and kept walking.

“You mind telling me why Dally’s saying me and him slept together?” I snapped. I’ve been angry before, but not in this way. Not from a boy saying he’s fooled around with me, well-knowing he hasn’t.

Pony sighed, grabbing me again, “If I had an answer, I’d give it to you, but I don’t. Dally may be a jerk sometimes, but not like this. Maybe you caught him on a bad ni-”

“Ponyboy, shut up!” I shouted, “What he did was not right. Stop trying to soften the blow. I’m leavin,’ I’ll see you at home.”

He just stood there, not saying a word. Wasn’t that just great, he believed asshole Dally. Figures, most handsome man I’ve seen since coming here, and he turns out to be bad news. I should have known.