User blog:SodaCat/Bullworth Nights - Style: Chapter 9: Christmas Lights

sorry if this sucks ive been procrastinating so long

Bullworth Nights - Style: Chapter 9: Christmas Lights

Previous Chapter: Chapter 8: That's all, Folks!

Next Chapter: To be Released!

"I told you I don't want to talk about it," Alexis mumbled as she and Larry treked through the snow down the sidewalk outside of Worn In in New Coventry.

It was 11 PM on Christmas Eve, and the two teenagers were headed back to the Tenements after spending four awkward, stuffy, and generally uncomfortable hours at Alexis' father's home in the western area of Old Bullworth Vale. They were both happy to leave; Larry couldn't wait to get out of the loaned monkey suit Mr. Monroe had demanded he wore, and Alexis had had a little too much to drink, resulting in a bonding session with none other than Derby Harrington on the balcony of the house. Besides, as much as she tried to get along with her old man, it was just a bit too stiff for her liking.

Larry sighed, watching Alexis from the corner of his eye as they walked. Her leather-jacket-covered arm was looped through his own to keep her from falling, and even with the dim moonlight shining over her face he could tell her eyes were sunken.

"I just wanna know what happened with you guys. One day, you're crying and actin' all sad all the time, and the next, you won't talk to me about nothing. And just like that, Johnny's spendin' more time with Lola than ever. I know something happened between you only the two of youse could mess up each other's lives in a day."

"Why do you always gotta talk about feelings, man..." Alexis mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. She stumbled as Peanut suddenly stopped, looking back at him only to see him with the same dumb, stubborn face he'd put when Jim told him he had to wear a suit for the Christmas party.

She let out a long, annoyed sigh, tugging at his arm gently. "If you jus' gotta know, Johnny made himself real clear about how he's feelin' about me."

"And how is he feelin'?" Peanut pushed on, knowing it was useless. She wasn't gonna tell him anything.

Just as he'd predicted, she shrugged, keeping her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, burrowing closer into his side everytime a chilled breeze blew by.

Before long, the two of them had arrived at the abandoned Tenements that the Greasers had claimed at their own, and Peanut gruffly unlocked the door with an old, rusty key he kept in the back pocket of his jeans. He stepped into the Tenements, pulling Alexis in behind him, before shutting the door tight and locking it once again. They climbed up the crumbling staircase and entered one of the empty bedrooms, where the majority of the boys sat on an assortment of old mattresses and wooden crates. In front of them, someone had dragged in an old television along with a worn-looking EXsorbeo 720 and set them on the floor.

"Hey guys," Norton greeted from a matress pushed up against the wall, looking up from his worn copy of The Outsiders, "merry Christmas."

Peanut grinned and mumbled a 'merry Christmas' back, nudging Alexis to do the same.

"You guys are back?" Hal asked, his eyes focused on the game he and Lefty were playing. His thumbs moved wildly along the controller, and to Peanut it didn't really look like he had any sort of strategy besides button-smashing. Though, it wasn't as if Lefty had any sort of complex strategy worked out either.

"Great, now we can get to presents," Lefty announced, pausing the game and tossing the controller onto the floor, where it landed with a crash, making Vance jump.

"Aw Lefty, look what you made me do!" he complained, looking up at said greaser with a bit of hair grease smacked onto his forehead. Vance grunted as Lefty nudged him to move away from the bedroom's closet door with his foot, mumbling profanities aimed at Lefty under his breath.

Lefty paid no mind to him and began yanking brown paper bags stuffed with poorly wrapped gifts out of the closet, and in the meantime, Peanut and Alexis began making their way to sit down. Norton made way for them on the mattress he was sitting on, scooching over to the edge that Lucky was seated nearest to.

Alexis laid her head on Peanut's shoulder as Lefty and Vance dragged over the bags with presents, just now noticing the dried up baby Christmas tree set up next to one of the crates. The boys must have set it up while Alexis and Peanut were stuck at the Christmas party.

"You doin' okay?" Ricky asked from beside her, taking a seat on the dirty wooden floor beside te end on the mattress she was sitting on. Peanut had held true to his word, and had prohibited Alexis from hanging out with Ricky since what'd happened last time, and it surprised her that he still remembered. Smiling gratefully she nodded, squeezing his hand gently, trying to ignore the fact that Johnny was not there.

oOoOoOoOo

Dozens of tight hugs, six piles of ripped up newspaper, and various exchanged presents later, the boys had resorted back to their original activities. Lefty and Hal were right back at it on their racing game on the 720, Norton stuck his nose into the page he'd been reading on the new copy of The Outsiders he'd received from Peanut, Vance continued perfecting his already perfect hair, and Lucky continued his commentary of Lefty and Hal's game. Alexis, Ricky, and Peanut conversed on a mattress, with Peanut more or less moderating the conversation to make sure Ricky and Alexis didn't start talking emotional issues again.

Heavy footsteps leading up outside of the room caught everyone's attention. Within moments, the leader stood in the doorway, a Yum Yum Market grocery bag hanging from one of his hands.

"Hey," he mumbled, staring at the ground as he began walking around the room, handing out boxes of cigarettes from the bag he was carrying to each of the boys. Alexis watched as they all gave him small, sad smiles, not one of them commenting on Johnny's failure to show up for one of the most important holidays.

She held her breath as he got to Peanut, handing him his box of cigarettes. Peanut mumbled something to him and Johnny nodded, though Alexis didn't catch what he'd said.

Johnny tossed Ricky his pack, before turning his gaze to Alexis. She raised an eyebrow as he held out an empty hand to her. What, did he forget about her and expect her to have gotten him something?

Well, she had, but she wasn't about to just reach into her jacket pocket and hand it over to him.

She looked up at him, immediately noting the dirt smudged on his face, though she remained with a blank expression.

"Are you coming or not?"

Alexis hesitated for a moment, immediately turning to Peanut. He nodded, so she turned to Ricky, who gave a slight shrug. Thinking about it for a moment, she took a grip of Johnny's hand and stood, allowing him to lead her out of the Tenements.

Next Chapter: To be Released!