Soc September

AFTER TWENTY SIX HOURS OF WORK..

ITS DONE!!! 🩵🩵

I sorta imagine her a bit like Two-Bit; she's funny, she cracks jokes, and she has a more mirror personality. However you treat her she'll treat you. Crack jokes with her and she'll crack jokes with you. I get the impression that she keeps everything light in the group (assuming that Cherry, Marcia, Bob, and Randy all hang out regularly together and with other Socs).

Its mentioned in the book that she barrel races as well, though I don't know much about that. And she's also really perceptive!

"Thanks," Cherry said, and the other girl, who was named Marcia, said, "How come we don't see your brother at school? He's not any older than sixteen or seventeen, is he?"

Also, I like to imagine her last name as like... McCarty or Summers or Evans or something really unique but not entirely well known. Either something really common or just completely unique.

I believe that she also really Liked Two-Bit, or at the very least wanted to get to know him. This one I just really like because I loved their back and forth banter at the drive in.

I also don't believe that she likes alcohol, like, at all. And she loves to read when she's alone, or, if shes not reading, she really likes art and she carries a sketchbook in her school bag for when she's bored.

Also, I read the Wiki on her just so I didn't get any information wrong (cause rn it's too dark to read much in my room), and I believe that she definitely capitalizes on a lot of opportunities offered to her. Like with the coke from Dally.

And also, reading the wiki mentions that she spotted Bob's car first, and was relieved when it went past them. And she gave Randy a cold stare but said nothing to him. It ties in that I believe she's really perceptive and I saw someone else say that her and Randy might not have liked each other romantically and they were only dating to spend more time with Cherry and Bob respectively.

Believe she also knows at least one other language, or learning another language actively, and she wears glasses. Maybe she doesn't need them all the time, or on some nights out she just doesn't bring them.

Also, she gives me the feeling that her birthday is like, in May, end of May almost. Maybe the 23?

Definitely also really flirty, even if it goes nowhere. Especially flirty with her friends too.

I really do think she gave Two-Bit her real number though, and was disappointed when he didn't call.

Cherry

- plays piano

- shes been in ballet for years

- has an older sister who's like, ten/fifteen years older who she really only sees on holidays. considers herself an only child

Marcia

- has an older brother and twin younger sisters

- shes a Party Girl, just loves to go to parties, have a drink and dance

Submitting for @socseptember

"What have we done?" Cherry asked no one in particular, staring at the fountain. It was at that exact location Bob Sheldon - her boyfriend - ex? - had been fatally stabbed. And she couldn't stop looking. Why wasn't there any police tape? Why did this happen? Why did Bob drink, why couldn't she handle the crowded drive-in like everyone else, what did having her hands squeezed do that made it all quieter, what did everyone else want from her?

"We were only having fun," Paul said miserably.

Cherry wasn't good at detecting lies, but she could say with absolute certainty that that was bullshit. "You were only having fun?" she asked incredulously.

"We were only having fun. Just hanging out. Just horsin' 'round. Doin' what we've always done."

Deep breath, deep breath. But instead, there was an indignant squeak. "Fun? A five-on-two fight is fun? Drowning a fourteen-year-old boy is fun? And what did you expect? Johnny got jumped a week ago, and guess who did it!"

"Bob went crazy when he saw you with that greaser kid," Paul... growled? It wasn't really growly, but if it had sounded like it hurt his throat, it would have been. "You held his hand at the concession stand."

Cherry backed away as her friends - they were still her friends, right? They couldn't stop being her friends without saying so, right? - approached her threateningly and the cacophony of reprimanding began.

Loud. Too loud. Too loud. Oh, fuck-

And then it hit her. Way too late as she was now hunched forward with her hands over her ears being yelled at to look at them and explain herself and all those things she couldn't do.

"Are you all... mad at me?"

Pause.

"Are you out of your mind?" Beverly yelled. "Yes, we're mad! How did it take you that long to figure it out?" she screamed as Cherry stared at the ground, stifling sobs. "Bob wasn't jealous! You can't hold someone else's hand! You of all people should know this with all your righteous indignation-"

"I can explain," Cherry whispered, not that anyone heard her. "I can explain. I can explain." The phrase lost meaning as she mumbled it to herself and, too tired and overwhelmed to maintain her facade, settled onto the ground, dropping Bob's letterman jacket behind herself.

And she rocked.

Back and forth, she shifted her weight, knees hugged against her chest.

It might have been freeing under different circumstances. But it wasn't. It was a terrifying feeling of helplessness and shame and fear.

Cherry was petrified.

Everyone was staring at her. But she was alone. And she always would be.

"Cherry, what the fuck is this?"

Oh, gosh, how could she ever explain this?

"Uh... what the fuck is what?" she asked. "Am I allowed to say fuck right now? Is that okay?"

"Why are you rocking back and forth like a crazy person?"

Cherry blinked. Then she cracked. Then she shattered. "I don't know!" she sobbed. "The world is too loud and everyone is doing fine but I'm not and I try, I really do, but sometimes, I just need a hand squeeze because drive-ins are too loud! And I don't like parties because they're loud and people-y and they mess up my routines and I always end up doing something wrong because what am I supposed to do? No one tells me these things! And now I broke up with my boyfriend and he got himself killed and everyone is screaming at me because I needed a squish! Is that too much to ask for? Is it too much to ask that after a whole thirty hours of pretending to be normal while having a panic attack, I get emotional support from the one person I felt safe enough to be myself around?"

She finally looked up and saw everyone staring at her. But she couldn't stop. "The entire time I've known any of you, I've been pretending. Because normal people are nothing like me. Normal people don't make nests around themselves in bed at night and sleep with their hands under their chins. And I only realized that after a sleepover with Marcia in third grade when she just flopped onto her side and went to sleep! Y'all don't stay up for half an hour writing stories in your head and scripting out responses for everything anyone could ever possibly say to you the following day! How?"

There was no response for a while.

Then Marcia dropped into the grass beside Cherry. "That's... why?"

"I think you're cool," Cherry whined between sobs. "And I wanted you to think I was cool. But I'm not. I'm a dork. I'm sorry you have to deal with this. You shouldn't have to. I'm just really tired so I can't pretend to be a functional human anymore. And I wore the bad socks today."

"The bad socks?" Beverly asked confusedly.

Marcia looked at Beverly and shook her head, whispering "Don't make her explain right now," before returning her attention to her distressed friend. "You wore the bad socks today?"

"I wore the bad socks today. I wanna crawl out of my own skin and become a cat. I don't like being a human. Humans are weird and complicated. Cats don't make themselves think they're having an allergic reaction without actually having an allergic reaction."

"No, they don't," Marcia said softly. "But cats also can't read."

"I wanna be a literate kitty cat."

"Okay, well, I'm sorry. I can't help you with that, but how about we take some deep breaths, okay? Breathe with me?" Marcia asked before taking a deep, exaggerated breath through her nose. "Good. Aaaand, out through the mouth."

A few moments went by. "I actually liked when Dallas brought up the cicada thing. Not like that, but I like information. He sounded really knowledgeable about bugs."

"He did?"

"Yeah."

Marcia nodded understandingly. "I bet you wanted to talk to him about sciencey things."

"I did. Thank goodness you told me to ignore him. Oh, wait, we're on the floor, what- this isn't correct. This isn't correct at all," Cherry rambled, struggling to her feet.

"You wanna get up? We can go home and you can talk to me about bugs?" Marcia asked, following suit and brushing off her dress.

"I don't know much about bugs, actually. But I do have an uncomfortable amount of knowledge surrounding the Middle Ages. Women weren't actually baby factories; virginity was the cool thing."

The rant continued for a while. Marcia listened patiently.

And for all the grief that weekend came with, Cherry felt a thousand times lighter than ever before.