tutor||ponyboy curtis ✓

08

Jacqueline

I fiddled with my lunch box, debating whether or not to sit down at our table. I mean it was just a rejection right? Dustin's a big boy, I'd seen him get rejected by countless girls before and it wasn't like I had anywhere else to sit. I wasn't quite interested in eating in the library or hiding away in the bathroom. At least at lunch everyone chose to ignore us, because teachers are constantly scanning over us. I swallowed my fear and sat down across from him and next to Susan, who was talking away about nothing really.

"You two alright?" she asked looking between the two of us. He didn't tell her? Whatever it wasn't my place to tell her, well I don't know. It was all so confusing.

"Mhm." I hummed with a smile, she arched an eyebrow, but continued jabbering away about how annoying some boy on the baseball team was. But remaining a little quiet, just in case a white kid decided to listen in and tell this boy.

***

If there was something I was more nervous about than meeting up with Dustin it was Ponyboy and I's study session this afternoon. I sat in Biology class, my class before English doodling in my notebook as I pretended to take notes on the anatomy of a rabbit. I don't know why I was so nervous, well more embarrassed. Nobody besides my family had ever seen me cry ever since I was 6 when I scraped my knee on the sidewalk during jump rope. Crying has no place in public, just makes you seem like a big baby. So, I was fidgety about seeing Ponyboy after breaking down and him watching. I don't know what he was doing hanging out at that junk yard looking place, but it didn't matter. I sketched cubes in my notebook as I waited for the bell to ring for me to transition to my next class.

***

"Hey sorry I'm late." Ponyboy said apologizing, coming inside after I opened up the door. He had a gnarly cut on the bottom of his chin, looking as if it would bleed in seconds. I knew he always had a scar, but it looked to be reopened. His nose also looked pretty bruised up and as if he was wiping off blood before he came. I decided not to ask about what happened, but instead,

"Want me to clean that up for you?" pointing to his chin, "Might be infected." he shook his head,

"Nah I'm alright." he mumbled, I arched an eyebrow,

"No c'mon if it's infected then somethin' bad'll happen. I'm not sure what, but it will." I said, he seemed like he didn't want me to bother, but agreed and followed me upstairs towards my bathroom. I got out a band aid, wash cloth, hydrogen peroxide, and a cotton ball. He scratched the back of his greased up head as he watched me get the materials. Wordlessly, I lifted his chin with my index and middle finger. I wiped the cut off with the wash rag, I noticed it became a bit red afterwards.

"This is gonna sting." I mumbled dabbing the peroxide onto a cotton ball and putting it against the scar. His face winced a bit,

"Sorry." I muttered.

"It's alright." he responded. I released the cotton ball and watch the liquid bubbled up quickly, definitely infected. I let it bubble a little more, before wiping the peroxide off again with the wet wash rag. I delicately placed the band aid onto his chin, before putting the first aid supplies back up. I glanced in the mirror as he looked unimpressed at his reflection,

"You're just as bad as Darry." he said, more to himself than to me. I arched an eyebrow.

"Sorry who's that again?" I asked as we left the bathroom together.

"My older brother, he'd make me put a band aid on to." he explained. I chuckled as we went back down to my kitchen.

"Just tryin' to help." I laughed, he let out a small chuckle too.

"Yeah well it don't make me look exactly cool." he pointed out with a smile. I rolled my eyes playfully,

"Uninfected cuts is totally cool." I said sarcastically, he laughed some more.

***

"See ya Ponyboy." I smiled as he stood on my doorstep, we were finishing up a playful argument we were having. (Honestly we didn't do much homework, we mainly talked.)

"Bye doll." he responded, I jokingly saluted him and shut the door. I walked back upstairs and went into my room when I caught Vanessa red handed attempting to steal on of my skirts.

"Give it back." I said not even batting an eye as I flopped onto my bed, she did this a lot.

"Why?" she whined. I glared at her outstretching my hand. She begrudgingly returned it and sat at my desk.

"I saw you being a nurse to your boyfriend." she teased. I rolled my eyes sitting up.

"How many times do I have to get it through your thick skull, he's not my boyfriend and will never be my boyfriend." I said with a straight face. She looked unsatisfied with my answer and got up,

"You say that now, but one day Jackie, one day!" she called leaving my room, shutting the door behind her for once. I just chuckled at my sisters antics and laid back down on my bed.

Ponyboy

I walked home with a stupid smile trying to escape me. I didn't want to admit it, but I was really starting to crush on this girl. Sure, I've known when girls were pretty and acknowledged it, but she was something special. She ran miles past the other girls at school, even Cherry Valance. They were on the same level when it came to beauty and stuff like that, but Jacqueline was something special. I didn't like the stupid band aid she put on me though, but I didn't take it off. She was right about it being infected, she always seemed to be right. I guess Soda was right, I would be interested in girls one day.

authors note:

I haven't read this over, so bare with me if it's bad or grammatically incorrect. I'm sorry for taking so long to upload I couldn't get any inspiration until now so I want to get it out as soon as possible.