#vickwrites

October 31st 1967. Halloween.

The air was filled with festivities all throughout Tulsa, East and West side. Although both were severely different in how they celebrated the holiday. The West side celebrated through trick or treating, costumes and all, house parties that the cops most likely overlooked. But over on the East end they celebrated with stealing candy from convenience stores, getting drunk at Bucks, or a house party that usually ended with a broken nose. 

And for the Curtis gang? Well everyone had their own thing they were doing. Darry was at work, but was finishing early to catch up with the rest of the gang (it took a lot of promises from the gang to convince Darry but they did it.), Two-bit was planning on getting drunk somewhere before eventually stopping by. It was fine though, he’d bring a bunch of stolen candy with him. Steve and Sodapop were at a drag race. Darry didn’t approve of when Soda went to the drag races, they always happened on the outskirts of the East side, on a road nobody actually drove down anymore. Darry had warned Sodapop that if the state found out then that would be enough for them to be split up so Soda only went occasionally. Dally was out with Johnny and Ponyboy to the drive-in to watch whatever shitty horror movie they were showing. There were some similarities to how both sides of Tulsa celebrated Halloween, like the drive-in’s movies. 

Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy hadn’t been to the drive-in in a while. The last time they went was the night Bob died and we all know the rest of that week went. Thankfully the burn on Johnny’s back was healing well, although he did walk with a bit of a limp now. The 16 year old stayed at the Curtis house more often now, the three brothers had fixed up Soda’s old room for him. Darry was nervous about letting the three go to the drive-in, especially with all the socs around. But he knew Dallas would protect the two with his life.

“So what are they playin’?” Johnny asked as they walked down the road. Dally walked in front of the two, walking backwards to talk to them. Thanks to fall, the breeze had picked up  more so Darry made sure the three, much Dallas’ protests that he “didn’t need Darry parentin’ him”, were dressed properly. But Johnny’s hair had grown out a bit more since the Windrixville incident a couple months ago, but it would only be a matter of time before it was in his eyes again. 

“Not sure.” Ponyboy still loved books and films but after everything had happened he wasn’t big on much anymore. Something about seeing his best friend almost die messed with him, but he was getting there. 

The three made their way down to the drive-in, still not paying and climbing through the old fence. Old habits die hard I guess. The whole gang had agreed to meet back at the house by 10. Thankfully because it was a Friday, Darry was more relaxed on Ponyboy’s curfew but everyone wanted to hang out that night despite their own activities so they agreed on 10.

Dallas had found them seats and thankfully no soc girls for Dally to bother were near them. Ponyboy often wondered how Cherry was doing now, how she was holding up after everything that happened. She had gone back to ignoring him when he got back to school. He knew why, it still hurt though. 

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10pm

Soon enough 10 O’clock rolled around and one by one people started to fill in. The first ones home were Dallas, Johnny, and Ponyboy who had nothing to do after the movie finished so they just headed back home by 9:30. Second was Soda and Steve, third Darry, and Two-bit rolled in 30 minutes late tipsy but had a good chunk of candy.  The gang filled into the living room as they always do. Darry on his arm chair, Johnny was tucked in the corner and Ponyboy sat by his side, Dallas sat in the middle of the couch with his feet kicked up onto the coffee table, Soda and Steve sat on the ground, and Two-bit lounging on the other side of the couch with his legs dangling over the arm.

Moments like these made Ponyboy glad that whatever God that watched over them didn’t take two of their greatest friends from them. Their group wouldn’t be the same without Dally and Johnny. Johnny was the glue that held everyone together and Dally was their guard dog (that also steals all your damn food). For a second, It was like everyone had forgotten why they had agreed on time to get here and had just gone into what they normally do, that was until Sodapop “can’t sit still for longer than 5 seconds” Curtis.

“Soooo? We gettin’ the pumpkins out or what?!” Soda grinned like a madman, although that wasn’t too far off than like he normally was. Two-bit quickly mimicked his grin, joining in on the excitement. They had all agreed to carve pumpkins for Halloween, so they all chipped in to pay for 7 pumpkins. Darry, already seeing where this was going, went upstairs to retrieve the pumpkins. 

Soon enough after towels had been placed down, pumpkins retrieved, and Two-bit had convinced Darry that he was sober to not cut himself while carving they set forth. All 7 were just switchblades to carve the pumpkins, the easier option. Darry and Soda were sharing Soda’s blade as Darry didn’t own one, but everyone else had their own.

The whole room was filled with laughter, the smell of pumpkin organs, and the waft of leftover dinner that Darry made the night before. The wind that died down and now was a soft drift against the windows, not that anyone could hear it over the noise. Darry and his brothers may have lost of his parents less than a year ago, hell with how close Missus and Mister Curtis were to the other boys in a way they all lost their parents that night, but they still had each other. If Darry was being honest, he wasn’t sure what he’d do without his friends. Two-bit looking after Ponyboy when he and Soda couldn’t or if socs were giving trouble in school, Dally saw Ponyboy like his own little brother, Steve was always there for Soda in a way only a best friend could be and same with Johnny for Ponyboy. As much trouble as they caused for Darry sometimes, he would forever keep his door unlocked for anyone who needed it.  

“Darry!” Darry was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of his middle brother’s voice. “Yo Dar’, ya like?” Soda turned his pumpkin around to show his jack o lantern, one of the eyes had been sliced a bit too much and the whole face was a bit on an angle but it was perfect in Darry’s eyes. “Perfect, little buddy.” Darry smiled. Darry’s jack o lantern face was pretty basic, a little rough, but passable. The others slowly finished up their pumpkins, all messed up in their own sort of way but none of them really cared. Carving pumpkins mixed with beer (or Pepsi for Ponyboy and Johnny, and Chocolate Milk for Soda) didn’t exactly end up producing masterpieces.

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1am.

By the time it had rolled around to 1am everyone was 5 seconds away from sleep. Whether that was because a long week at work, or a long week at school, or simply drinking too much was left up for grabs. The first to  fall asleep was Soda, and it was in the middle of the couch, his boss had been on his ass all week so it was understandable why he was tired. (“Ay, Soda-can’s down” Steve, understandably, was the first to notice). The next to crash was Johnny, who curled up by Soda’s side. After Windrixville, Johnny had become like a 4th brother to the Curtis'. After Johnny, one by one the boys started falling asleep. 

Darry had been busy in the kitchen for the last 15 minutes, cleaning up pumpkin, chocolate cake that had been made some time around midnight. This was only to come back to the other 6 fast asleep in the living room. Two-bit had passed out on Darry’s chair, his legs dangling off the side, Soda had Johnny on one side and Steve on the other, Ponyboy was curled up next to Johnny, and Dally had fallen asleep next to Steve. He couldn’t help but look over the scene in front of him. The content he felt filled his heart with a joy he didn’t know existed. It reminded him that working 2 jobs, long hours roofing, paying bills, was worth it for moments like these.

Darry remembered when he was 15 and in the same position he was now, watching over all his friends asleep in the living room. His dad had placed his hand on his shoulder and told him that one day his future kids will be there and Darry will understand how he and his mother felt every time they saw the group. The love that only a parent can have. Darry understands that now, and they may not be his own children but hell if he looked after them like they were. And he would forever do so, because he knows that this is what his dad meant that night.