“Dad?” Danny asks from across the room.
I lower my newspaper to look at my fourteen year old son. When I looked at him, I saw the younger version of me. A bit slimmer, and with (Y/N)’s eyes. His dark hair kind of greased back, black muscle shirt and jeans, lounging on the couch, eyes still on the football game. If he kept it up, I could be watching him playing on the screen.
“How did you ask mom out?” He says casually, his eyes move from the game to me.
I set the newspaper down; rub my chin, remembering how it went down. I smile.
“Well… she worked as a secretary at the roofing company I worked for. I met her in the summer, and I taught her how to lock up. I remember walking into the office and seeing her there, and I was just shocked. It was like my world just stopped for a second; then started going again, much faster and with a different angle on life, you know? Anyways, I was speechless. I probably looked like an idiot.” I laugh softly.
Danny smiles at me, waiting for me to go on.
“So I taught her how to lock up… And afterwards, we got to talking. I thought she was the most intelligent, funny, and beautiful girl ever. Besides my mom. But she was close. It was starting to get dark, so I asked her if I could walk her home. And things just went from there I guess.” I shrug. We were so young.
“That’s all?” Danny asks.
“I was nervous as hell, that’s for sure.” I say. “I kept telling myself don’t screw up, don’t screw up.” I smile.
“Ok,” he says, his attention turned back to the game. But he wasn’t focused on it, he was thinking.
“Why did you ask?” I say, shifting in my chair.
“No reason.” He mumbles.
“Don’t lie to me, boy.”
He pauses, exhales. “I want to ask a girl out.”
I was kind of stunned. I kept forgetting he was fourteen. Not little anymore.
“Who is this lucky girl?”
“Dad,” he groans.
“Sorry, sorry. I just want to know.”
“Janie.”
“Janie Mathews?” I ask.
“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out for a while now.”
“Well if she says yes… If anything happens, Two-Bit’s going to get you.”
“I know, I know. I’ll make sure nothing will happen to her. I swear.” He says, with dead seriousness in his eyes.
I smile. He was becoming a great young man.
I lower my newspaper to look at my fourteen year old son. When I looked at him, I saw the younger version of me. A bit slimmer, and with (Y/N)’s eyes. His dark hair kind of greased back, black muscle shirt and jeans, lounging on the couch, eyes still on the football game. If he kept it up, I could be watching him playing on the screen.
“How did you ask mom out?” He says casually, his eyes move from the game to me.
I set the newspaper down; rub my chin, remembering how it went down. I smile.
“Well… she worked as a secretary at the roofing company I worked for. I met her in the summer, and I taught her how to lock up. I remember walking into the office and seeing her there, and I was just shocked. It was like my world just stopped for a second; then started going again, much faster and with a different angle on life, you know? Anyways, I was speechless. I probably looked like an idiot.” I laugh softly.
Danny smiles at me, waiting for me to go on.
“So I taught her how to lock up… And afterwards, we got to talking. I thought she was the most intelligent, funny, and beautiful girl ever. Besides my mom. But she was close. It was starting to get dark, so I asked her if I could walk her home. And things just went from there I guess.” I shrug. We were so young.
“That’s all?” Danny asks.
“I was nervous as hell, that’s for sure.” I say. “I kept telling myself don’t screw up, don’t screw up.” I smile.
“Ok,” he says, his attention turned back to the game. But he wasn’t focused on it, he was thinking.
“Why did you ask?” I say, shifting in my chair.
“No reason.” He mumbles.
“Don’t lie to me, boy.”
He pauses, exhales. “I want to ask a girl out.”
I was kind of stunned. I kept forgetting he was fourteen. Not little anymore.
“Who is this lucky girl?”
“Dad,” he groans.
“Sorry, sorry. I just want to know.”
“Janie.”
“Janie Mathews?” I ask.
“Yeah. We’ve been hanging out for a while now.”
“Well if she says yes… If anything happens, Two-Bit’s going to get you.”
“I know, I know. I’ll make sure nothing will happen to her. I swear.” He says, with dead seriousness in his eyes.
I smile. He was becoming a great young man.
You were actually close to Soda. Danny played with Grace and Logan all the time. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how they felt.
You hear the front door open. Darry was home now. You take another deep breath, and sit at the kitchen table.
Just breathe.
He walks into the kitchen. “Hey babe, what’s wrong?” He asks, setting down his wallet and keys.
You swallow. “I got a call.” Is all you manage to say.
“About?” He asks, eyebrows raised.
“Soda’s dead.” You blurt out.
The look on Darry’s face would haunt your memory for the rest of your life.
He just sat down on the floor in pure shock, mouth open, eyes wide.