Work Text:
1: raise: raise from a lower to a higher position
I was near an hour late when I finally made it to Darry's. Work was the pits, no lie, but I knew I was lucky to have a job. Lucky to have friends like Darry: friends with classy fiancés whose fathers could get a guy airport machine-shop gigs. Lucky about plenty of other things, too, I figured, remembering every single time I'd opened my mailbox and not found a draft notice waiting for me.
From the front walk, I could hear the cookout in full swing, and I stepped up my pace. I was looking forward to seeing the kid. He was back from K-State for Darry's wedding on Saturday, and I couldn't wait to see how much he'd changed.
I found out pretty quick, when he easily managed to muscle his way out of the bear hug I lifted him up in. It was so damn good to see Ponyboy. Even after he dropped me on my ass in the middle of the backyard, all I could do was lay there grinning up at him.
2: pilfer: make off with the belongings of others
Later on, Ponyboy and I sat on the front porch, smoking and looking up at the stars. This whole weekend felt like what people might call a bitter-sweet occasion: sweet to see Darry finally happy (roofing company off the ground, ready to start a family); sweet to have Pony back for a bit. I don't think any of us could remember as good a time in the past couple years.
Those who were absent weren't far from our thoughts or conversation, though. I filled Pony in on the details of Steve's funeral. He didn't seem sorry, but you couldn't tell with him. He kept things deep. I wondered if he would've felt sorrier for old Steve if he'd known about Evie throwing herself at me in her drunken grief that night. I'd damn sure felt sorry for him. Sorry for Evie, too, and for all of us. So sorry that I ended up dropping her off at her house with only the lightest kiss on the forehead.
3: take hold of something and move it to a different location
We talked about Sodapop, too, of course. In those months after we lost Johnny and Dally, it was Sodapop who'd kept us all from coming unglued. We were a family, and he was damn well gonna keep us all together, no matter what. It was like a light had gone out when he'd been called up to follow Steve in 'Nam.
Then came the day that we'd had to bury Soda. I remembered watching Pony from my end of the heavy casket - his back was straight, but he wasn't even trying to hide his tears. It wasn't the first or last time I'd admire that side of him: he played things close to the vest, but he could let them out when he needed to. Sometimes I ached with all the things I had to keep inside, even though I didn't always know I was holding anything in at all. I just figured that ache was life's way of letting me know I was still here.
4: raise: invigorate or heighten
"Say, Pony," I began, needing to change the subject. "I been here all night and you ain't yet told me about those girls they got up to K-State. I know you been studyin' more than books..." I took a long drag off my cigarette and waited with interest.
He blew out his smoke on a quiet laugh. "Two-Bit, you ain't changed at all."
"Kid, you don't have the first clue: I change two times a day, every day, when I gotta crawl in and out of them work coveralls they make me wear."
"I still can't believe you're holding down a job. They gotta be payin' you in liquor store vouchers."
We were sitting side by side on the top porch step, and it wasn't hard for me to peg the kid with a good sideways kick to the leg. "Truth be told, this job ain't so bad - you can get a pretty decent high off jet fumes, you know."
That made Pony laugh. Tuff enough.
5: make audible
The only thing better than the wedding was the reception. Darry always did have a good head on his shoulders, and I guess that worked out fine when it came to choosing wives. Jan was a real sweet girl. Sweet, but also smart and funny. I figured she'd keep Darry from being so serious all the time. Another good thing about Jan was her parents, or more specifically, their money. What a party!
There was more food and booze than I could ever remember seeing in one place, and a band that could play just about anything you'd shout out - from Johnny Cash to Bing Crosby (we had a lot of old folks). And it was nice to see the Curtis boys spiffed up for a happy occasion for once. They deserved it.
At one point, I looked around and was just so tickled by it all that I let out the loudest whoop I could muster. Damn near scared the hell out of Jan's mom.
6: a ride in a car
On Sunday afternoon I drove Ponyboy to the bus station so he could head back to Kansas. He was holding down two jobs over the summer - one at a diner, and another one for no pay at a small newspaper. I ribbed him a while about working for free, but he didn't rise to the bait. The kid knew what was what.
I found myself sneaking quick looks at him while I was driving. The way things were going these days, you never knew when you'd see someone again, and I kind of wanted to hold a picture of him in my mind the way he looked now: young and strong; not quite carefree, but enough. His reddish-brown hair, though shorter than it used to be, was still long enough to stir a bit in the breeze.
He must have felt me staring at him, because he eventually told me to please keep my damn eyes on the road.
I mirrored his smile and looked away.