tutor||ponyboy curtis ✓

13

Jacqueline

"What am I supposed to wear?!" I yelled into the phone, I was on a call with Susan.

"Poor, innocent Jacqueline. Love struck!" she teased I sighed,

"I'll hang this phone up right now Susan I swear." I mumbled, she giggled.

"Alright fine, just wear what you always wear. If he asked you on a date when you wear what you always wear then you shouldn't over do it." she told me, I nodded as if she could see me.

"Okay that's easy enough..." I set the phone on my shoulder and rummaged through my closet. I pulled out pastel cardigans, plaid skirts, button up tops, cold shoulder sweaters, and thigh high boots. 

"I'll call you back in a bit Susan I need to figure out what to wear and how to do my makeup okay?" I asked,

"Mhm," I went and hung up the phone and sighed, biting my bottom lip as I looked at the time. It wasn't even 4:00 o'clock yet.

***

I sighed contently at my reflection. It took about an hour, but I finally chose my dark green pleated mini skirt with my younger sisters black cashmere sweater tucked in. It was her fault for putting it in my laundry basket. I'd probably blend in with the night, the outfit being so dark, but that was the point wasn't it? I'm not stupid, as much as I'm excited to be going somewhere with Ponyboy that isn't study based, I knew why he chose something after dark. It's going to be dark and it was cloudy today, meaning not even the stars would illuminate me. So, it was a safe choice. I wasn't mad at him for it at all, I'd do the same thing in his position. I debated putting my hair up or not, I had curled the ends and wondered if it would ruin the curl. It was kind of funny honestly, I spend all this time putting relaxer and spend countless hours straightening just to end up curling again, but my natural curls don't fit the standard, so what am I supposed to do? I glanced down at my white knee high socks and Mary Jane's. I bit my bottom lip and went to switch them out for no show's. As soon as I slipped my Mary Jane's back on the door bell rang. I made my way downstairs and of course, Shawn and Vanessa got to the door first. 

"You here to pick up Jackie?"

"Yeah is she here?" 

I faintly heard them say no, they thought they were so funny, but I was already halfway out the side door. I strolled my way up to the porch, seeing Vanessa and Shawn bite back laughs as they attempted to trick Ponyboy. 

"Hey," I smiled standing behind him, he turned around and I could smell a wave of some sort of cologne, it wasn't too much yet, but if he put one more dash it would be.

"Hi." he seemed to be relieved he didn't have to talk to my incredibly annoying siblings anymore.

"You ready to go?" he asked, I nodded with a smile. My siblings seemed dumbfounded as we walked off my porch together. They must've not put the pieces together that there's more than one way to leave our house.

"Sorry 'bout them, they think they're the best thing since sliced bread." I apologized, he shook his head with a smile and chuckle.

"It's alright, the gang would be the same way." he said, I arched an eyebrow, signalling for him to continue.

"I've never told you about the gang?" he asked, I nodded. I knew he was a greaser, but in a gang? I would've never thought.

***

"What's it like being colored? If you don't mind me askin'." Ponyboy asked me, even with the only light in the park being the movie I could see him turn to me. I hadn't watched one bit of this movie, not like I could see it. Ponyboy and I were in the very back of the park where not a soul could see us without purposefully looking for us and I was quite fine with the arrangement. We'd been spending the whole movie talking, midway through now.

I shrugged, "Well," I sighed, I didn't mind answering, I just didn't know how.

"You ever been in like a group of people and they got everything?" he nodded, 

"Yeah like socs?" he asked me, I nodded.

"Precisely, it's like everyone, but you gets all these advantages and not only that, but you get all the disadvantages. They say segregation's over and all that crap, but it ain't honestly," I paused looking for an example,

"like this one time for our 6th grade graduation to junior high all the girls had to get pastel pink headbands. My mother and I went into some boutique and stuff. The moment we stepped through the door, pardon my French, but security was ridin' up our ass about how the store was  whites only. My mother said they couldn't do that and you wanna know what they said?" I asked, turning to Ponyboy. He seemed incredibly invested in my memory.

"What?" he asked,

"They said they weren't going to let their store look like the zoo and that it was Oklahoma, they could deny as many uppity niggers as they want." I finished, he looked shocked.

"Really?" he asked, I nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that's what it's like." I shrugged, not fazed. I had plenty of memories like that, wasn't even a shock anymore. Ponyboy stayed quiet, before saying,

"I'm sorry." I turned to him with a confused look on my face.

"You shouldn't be, you didn't do anything, I think you're the only white person who doesn't loath me entirely." I told him truthfully, he shrugged.

"It'd be hard to hate you Jacqueline, you're smart, funny, nice and pretty." he said, I felt my face heat up and I couldn't help my stupid, dopey grin.

"You give me more credit than I deserve." I mumbled shyly, he chuckled,

"Well that ain't true doll." he stated as if it was obvious.

"I don't think a girl who needs a tutor is exactly intelligent," I said honestly. He rolled his eyes,

"It's true, you're amazing Jacqueline." I felt my ears get hot and I wanted to bury my head in my hands to hide my love struck grin.

***

"Jesus Christ Ponyboy." I giggled and he shrugged with a smirk, I rolled my eyes with a playful grin, he was walking me home even if I insisted I'd be fine and that he should get home soon too. We stopped at the top of my porch, I rocked up and down from my tip toes to my heels as we finished up our conversation. 

"I'll see you later this week doll?" I nodded and took a dumbass risk I wouldn't have even contemplated half a year ago. I stood on my tip toes and kissed his cheek, 

"Mhm, good night Ponyboy." I smiled, he looked at me with....what was the word....euphoria. Well, what I'm guessing euphoria looks like,

"Bye Jacqueline." he smiled, his eyes wide and I went inside, shutting the door behind me. I think that was a date, right? Yeah that was a date, he looked pretty happy to me. Dear Lord let him have been happy and not weirded out.

Ponyboy

I walked home like a dope. A stupid, happy, dope that had just gotten a sign that Jacqueline Clark was into him.

authors note:

thankyou so so so much for 900 reads i appreciate y'all so so much :)))) <3