Post by Thαnαtσs on May 15, 2013 18:24:23 GMT -5
(I'm just posting what I have so far, I'm really not even close to being done with this. It's a short story based on the book The Outsiders that I have to do for class and it takes place in 1960's Tulsa, Oklahoma. Greasers are like the poor, tough kids and Socs ((abv. for Socials)) are the rich kids.)
Why should it even matter anymore-- why does anything matter? I have nothing to live for now. Just get me out of here. I just wanna be anywhere but here.
These thoughts resurfaced themselves as I lay in the hospital bed. This place is a curse, I thought, Just get me out of Tulsa. Or, better, get me out of Oklahoma.
Alright, let me explain. I'll start from the beginning. My name is Vallery Phillips and I'm sixteen years old. I was born into a family of losers, like most of the kids in Tulsa. If it were just me who my parents took their anger out on I could get by just fine, but it's a whole other story when they mess with my little sister Gloria.
Gloria is thirteen years old and the denotation of innocence. She's the type that wouldn't hurt a fly, which is a bad way to be when you're a greaser. There's more differences than similarities when it comes to the two of us. Gloria's got Mom's looks- blonde hair, brown eyes- and I'm stuck with Dad's curly, brown hair and green eyes. She digs the Beatles but everybody knows Elvis is way better.
So I was just minding my own business- attending public school like every good person- when the school got a call from the hospital. Apparently something was wrong with Gloria and they couldn't get ahold of our folks so they called me out of class to come visit her. Man, what a drag. I guess it's cool, though, since I get to leave school early.
I sauntered right on outta there and started on my way to the hospital. My thoughts drifted again to Gloria's hair. Man, I wish I had her hair. She's got that real pretty blonde hair- well, what's left of it anyway. It's just kinda been fallin' off her head lately.
People gave me dirty looks as I walked past. Being a greaser ain't exactly great publicity. I just smiled at them snobbily and kept my pace. I really don't get why the doc felt like calling me up. Gloria probably just has some kinda stomach bug again.
Anyway, when I got there this nurse showed me to where Gloria was. Oh, man, she was pale. But, like, really pale- more than usual.
"She's been coughing up blood for a while now." I jumped. Dr. Carmen was behind me, standing in the doorway.
"Whoa, what? Really?!" I asked, wide-eyed. "What's up with that?"
"We think she has some form of cancer, but it's not certain." He continued. My heart sank. Gloria was the only thing that mattered to me. I walked to the side of her hospital bed.
"How are ya?" I asked, trying not to sound as panicked as I felt.
"My stomach hurts, but I'm good." She shrugged. What a trooper.
We talked a while and I would've stayed longer but Dr. Carmen said Gloria needed to rest. At least she's getting treatment, I thought, Things can't get worse from here.
Boy, was I wrong. On the way home I decided to take the long way, crossing Sutton and cutting around behind Spencer's special so I could catch the end of a movie at the Nightly Double. Turns out that was a mistake; I almost got caught up in a jumping. Johnny- oh, man, what a cutey- Ponyboy, and Two-Bit were getting ready to fight some Soc boys over Cherry and Marcia by the looks of it. I just kept my head low and hurried home.
"You're late." My stomach dropped-- again. Mom was sitting on the couch with a cigarette.
"What do you mean 'late'? Last I checked, I didn't have a curfew." I retaliated boldly. By the looks of it, now wasn't the time to get mouthy.
She came closer and scowled at me. Then, in one quick motion, her burning cigarette was scorching my arm. "Show some respect, bitch." She snarled, eyes blazing hotter than her cancer stick. After getting slapped in the face, hard, I charged away to my room.They hadn't even realized Gloria wasn't home.
The next day I skipped school to spend the day with Gloria. Since she's always loved to draw, I brought a whole stack of paper I'd bought from the drugstore in the shopping center and a pack of sharpened pencils.
"Hey, Glor." I said, dumping the supplies on her bed ungraciously. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. Oh, gosh, she looked real sick.
"Thanks." She said, taking a pencil and a sheet of paper. We sat there for a while, her drawing and me just sittin' there, then I noticed her paper was wet. I started to say something but she interrupted me.
"Am I gonna die, Vallery?" She asked, her eyes wide and puffy with tears. I don't know if my stomach can take much more dropping like this. My throat clenched up and I felt my eyes start to water.
"No. There's no way I'll let that happen." I promised boldly. She was sobbing and I was dangerously near tears now and her drawing was ruined.
No matter what, I promised myself, I won't let Gloria die.
The following day, I skipped school again but not to visit Gloria. For some reason, I just couldn't make myself get out of bed. I just lay there, looking up at the ceiling.
I'da stayed there all day and night had I not been so hungry.
Why should it even matter anymore-- why does anything matter? I have nothing to live for now. Just get me out of here. I just wanna be anywhere but here.
These thoughts resurfaced themselves as I lay in the hospital bed. This place is a curse, I thought, Just get me out of Tulsa. Or, better, get me out of Oklahoma.
Alright, let me explain. I'll start from the beginning. My name is Vallery Phillips and I'm sixteen years old. I was born into a family of losers, like most of the kids in Tulsa. If it were just me who my parents took their anger out on I could get by just fine, but it's a whole other story when they mess with my little sister Gloria.
Gloria is thirteen years old and the denotation of innocence. She's the type that wouldn't hurt a fly, which is a bad way to be when you're a greaser. There's more differences than similarities when it comes to the two of us. Gloria's got Mom's looks- blonde hair, brown eyes- and I'm stuck with Dad's curly, brown hair and green eyes. She digs the Beatles but everybody knows Elvis is way better.
So I was just minding my own business- attending public school like every good person- when the school got a call from the hospital. Apparently something was wrong with Gloria and they couldn't get ahold of our folks so they called me out of class to come visit her. Man, what a drag. I guess it's cool, though, since I get to leave school early.
I sauntered right on outta there and started on my way to the hospital. My thoughts drifted again to Gloria's hair. Man, I wish I had her hair. She's got that real pretty blonde hair- well, what's left of it anyway. It's just kinda been fallin' off her head lately.
People gave me dirty looks as I walked past. Being a greaser ain't exactly great publicity. I just smiled at them snobbily and kept my pace. I really don't get why the doc felt like calling me up. Gloria probably just has some kinda stomach bug again.
Anyway, when I got there this nurse showed me to where Gloria was. Oh, man, she was pale. But, like, really pale- more than usual.
"She's been coughing up blood for a while now." I jumped. Dr. Carmen was behind me, standing in the doorway.
"Whoa, what? Really?!" I asked, wide-eyed. "What's up with that?"
"We think she has some form of cancer, but it's not certain." He continued. My heart sank. Gloria was the only thing that mattered to me. I walked to the side of her hospital bed.
"How are ya?" I asked, trying not to sound as panicked as I felt.
"My stomach hurts, but I'm good." She shrugged. What a trooper.
We talked a while and I would've stayed longer but Dr. Carmen said Gloria needed to rest. At least she's getting treatment, I thought, Things can't get worse from here.
Boy, was I wrong. On the way home I decided to take the long way, crossing Sutton and cutting around behind Spencer's special so I could catch the end of a movie at the Nightly Double. Turns out that was a mistake; I almost got caught up in a jumping. Johnny- oh, man, what a cutey- Ponyboy, and Two-Bit were getting ready to fight some Soc boys over Cherry and Marcia by the looks of it. I just kept my head low and hurried home.
"You're late." My stomach dropped-- again. Mom was sitting on the couch with a cigarette.
"What do you mean 'late'? Last I checked, I didn't have a curfew." I retaliated boldly. By the looks of it, now wasn't the time to get mouthy.
She came closer and scowled at me. Then, in one quick motion, her burning cigarette was scorching my arm. "Show some respect, bitch." She snarled, eyes blazing hotter than her cancer stick. After getting slapped in the face, hard, I charged away to my room.They hadn't even realized Gloria wasn't home.
The next day I skipped school to spend the day with Gloria. Since she's always loved to draw, I brought a whole stack of paper I'd bought from the drugstore in the shopping center and a pack of sharpened pencils.
"Hey, Glor." I said, dumping the supplies on her bed ungraciously. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. Oh, gosh, she looked real sick.
"Thanks." She said, taking a pencil and a sheet of paper. We sat there for a while, her drawing and me just sittin' there, then I noticed her paper was wet. I started to say something but she interrupted me.
"Am I gonna die, Vallery?" She asked, her eyes wide and puffy with tears. I don't know if my stomach can take much more dropping like this. My throat clenched up and I felt my eyes start to water.
"No. There's no way I'll let that happen." I promised boldly. She was sobbing and I was dangerously near tears now and her drawing was ruined.
No matter what, I promised myself, I won't let Gloria die.
The following day, I skipped school again but not to visit Gloria. For some reason, I just couldn't make myself get out of bed. I just lay there, looking up at the ceiling.
I'da stayed there all day and night had I not been so hungry.