#we were ROBBED of our curtis brothers hug :(

[littlestarbigsky]

i want to see the outsiders movie remade shot for shot with the same exact script but with the musical cast and their dynamics and acting choices :)

pretty pls :) okay thank you :)

[staygold-ponyboycurtis]

Despite the million other things I need to be working on, here’s my take on the night the Curtis brothers found out about their parents’ death. I may also write up a lil somethin somethin about the funeral and elaborate on what is written about it in the book if people like this one. Let me know if that’s something you’d wanna read :)

-

“Where are they? They said they’d be home by ten,” I ask, peeking out of the window and into the street. The faint glow of the streetlights illuminates the pavement below and a few jack-o-lanterns on our neighbors’ porches stare back at me. “They’re never out this late.”

“They’re celebrating dad’s promotion. They’ll be back any minute,” Darry says, peeking up from his textbook at the kitchen table. 

I sigh. It’s rare that our mom and dad go out and do something nice for themselves. After nearly five years at the factory he worked in, dad was finally getting his pay raise he always bragged about. We were so happy for him, we practically shoved them out the front door to go to dinner together. We would finally be able to stop pinching pennies to get along. It certainly was something to celebrate. And yet, my stomach feels like it’s full of bricks. 

Two hands on my shoulders startle me out of my thoughts. “Stop worryin’, will ya?” Sodapop asks. “You should be in bed, kiddo. Don’t you have school in the morning?”

“Don’t you?” I ask, playfully pushing him off me. He jabs me in the stomach and I try to kick his ankles. We start wrestling in the living room, laughing as we knock everything over. 

“Will you two quit it?” Darry asks with a laugh, picking up a couch pillow and hitting Sodapop in the back of the head with it. “Mom’ll skin you both if you break something.”

Out of breath, we help each other off the floor. “Can you...” I start, embarrassed. “Can you just tell them both that I said goodnight and that I love them?”

Soda pulls me in for a hug. “Of course, Pone. We’ll tell them you waited up for them.”

“Okay,” I say, heading into my room. “Love you guys.”

“Love you!” they both holler from the living room.

I sink into my bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. The window is open a crack, and the cold late October breeze is blowing through my room. I close my eyes and try to lull myself to sleep, but can’t escape the feeling of dread in the back of my mind. I’m a bit nauseous over the feeling. Am I just paranoid? I can hear Darry and Soda chat outside my door. How can they not be worried? 

Calm down, I tell myself. If something was wrong, they’d call. They always call.

I run through my itinerary for the next day to distract myself. School, track meet, then home for dinner. I repeat it like a mantra until my eyelids become heavy and exhaustion overtakes me.

Suddenly, I’m jolted awake. What the hell? I’m disoriented and can’t tell how much time has passed since I was conscious. It feels like only a few seconds have passed, but the alarm clock on my desk says it’s 4:07 in the morning. My door is cracked a bit and light from the kitchen is pouring through. Confused, I tip toe over to the door. 

“Mom?” I ask, peering into the room, unsure of what woke me up.

Darry’s at the front door, speaking to someone on the porch that I cannot see. His left hand is curled into a fist resting on the door frame, his other hand grasping the door with white knuckles. Sodapop is on the couch, hunched over with his face in his hands.

“Sodapop?” I ask, my voice shaky. I make my way over to him quickly. “Sodapop, where’s mom and dad?”

He peers through his fingers at me, bleary eyed. He’s a mess, raking with sobs and heavy crying, unable to get a word out. My blood turns cold with fright. I’ve never seen Sodapop so hysterical. 

“Darry!” I yell, desperately. “What’s wrong? Where are mom and dad?”

I stand next to him and look out the door. A police officer in full garb is standing on the porch with a notepad in hand, asking questions and taking notes. I look over at Darry, who’s eyes look foreign to me - full of sadness and fear. He turns to me, jaw clenched tightly. It’s like he’s aged ten years in the few hours I was asleep.

He opens his mouth. Closes it. I search his face for an explanation, though I can sense what is happening. Finally, he speaks. “Ponyboy... there was an accident.” 

“Mom and dad?” I ask, astonished. No. No, no, no. 

He nods, eyes full of tears. I’ve never seen Darry cry before. Ever. “They didn’t make it.”

I put my back against the wall to steady myself. I feel robbed of all the oxygen in the room. I can’t hear. I can’t see. I can’t stand up. My mind is running laps around itself. Gone? No. They can’t be. They were just going out to dinner and a movie. This has to be the cruelest joke ever played on us. They’re going to walk in the door any minute. 

Slowly, I slide down the wall into a sitting position, my head spinning. Sodapop’s cries and swearing become all too loud. I hear the police officer talk to Darry, apathetically rattling off information. 

“....appears as if the car stalled on the train tracks down by the quarry....couldn’t get out in time...going to need you to come with us to the station to identify the bodies...”

I sit on the floor, in a daze. I don’t know how long I sit there. My mind is black. No. They can’t be gone. They wouldn’t leave us here without them. We can’t survive without them. Sodapop comes over to me, crouching down to eye level. I can’t look him in the eyes. He’s talking to me, but it sounds like a muted hum. I can’t hear him. I feel him put a hand on my shoulder, and it’s then that I realize that my face is soaked in tears. Finally, my brain catches up with the world, and it hits me. Mom and dad are dead.

“I’m gonna be sick,” I say, scrambling to my feet and running to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet bowl in time before emptying the contents of my stomach into it. I heave into it, a mixture of shock and sadness overwhelming me. I want to hit something. I want to scream. I feel a hand on my back, and I stand up. It’s Darry. He wraps me into a tight hug and I cry into his chest. Then Sodapop’s arms wrap around us. There’s nothing else to do but cry.

“What’s gonna happen?” Sodapop asks Darry between sobs. “To us?”

Darry pauses so long that I think he forgot the question. “I don’t know,” he says quietly. “I don’t know.”

-

let me know what you think :) I tried to make it short and to the point, but not too short, ya know? also, did I break enough hearts? 

[staygoldponebone]

Sweater Weather

Part Fifteen: Sandy

The next morning was strange. Sandy got outta bed and made breakfast. Usually Evie was already at her house with one of the other girls or with Steve. But today, the living room was empty. The tv wasn't on and she couldn't hear any low chatter. There was just a deafening silence.

Going into the kitchen, she heard quiet whispers. Two people were talking. A male and female. They said her name a couple of times. She didn't know where the whispers were coming from and she was worried. She grabbed a pan from the top shelf of kitchen supplies by the fridge.

Holding it over her head, she pulled open the door that lead to her garage. There was a scream, then Sandy stopped. Evie.

She was standing beside Steve's car, while he was beneath it. She dropped her cigarette on the concrete floor when she jumped at the sight of Sandy with a pan over her head. "What the hell are you doing?!" Evie breathed.

"You scared me! I thought you guys were robbers."

"I wouldn't rob this place if you made me." She says, stepping on her cigarette. "No offense."

Sandy lowered the pan. "Have you guys seen Soda?"

"We stopped by his house, but Darry said he went to work early."

"You wanna drive me over to the DX?"

"Sure."

"You wanna get ready first?" Steve asks, looking Sandy up and down. Sandy noticed her pajamas and nodded, going back into the house.

After getting ready, she got into Steve's car. The ride was silent and Sandy was praying Soda wasn't mad at her.

When she went into the gas station, Soda looked up and smiled. There were a couple of girls at the counter that were flirting with Soda the best they could. He looked really uncomfortable.

Sandy went over. The two girls at the counter gave her dirty looks, then walked away. "Hey, Soda." She greets.

"Hey, Sandy." He came around the counter to hug her. "What're you doing here?"

She pulled away, looking him right in the eye. She was frowning. "I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to stay with me, ok? I don't wanna embarrass you or make you feel like you-"

"Sandy, you could never embarrass me." He smiled. "I was just surprised yesterday. It's no big deal. I'm real happy you're here." Soda grabbed onto Sandy's hands, then kissed them. "I love you."

Sandy suddenly felt sick. She didn't tell him. And no one else did either. All Soda knows is that she's pregnant. He doesn't know the baby's not his. He doesn't know about the party. He doesn't know and she feels bad for not saying anything. She glanced at Steve. He hadn't been happy with her since he found out that it was only her baby not hers and Soda's. She felt panicked.

"Listen, babe. We need to talk, ok?" She felt tears in her eyes.

Soda noticed and nodded. "I'll tell Pete. We can go outside for a few minutes."

He walked to a room in the back and Sandy waited impatiently. She put her hands over her face, then soon enough, Soda was back and he took her outside.

"I'm sorry." Sandy cried. She fell apart, right there. Soda wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his shirt.

"What're you sorry for? I mean, it's my baby too." Soda whispered, running his hand through her hair. She only cried harder. Soda didn't understand. "C'mon, San. Talk to me. It's ok."

"I'm scared." She hiccups.

"Of what?"

"You're gonna hate me, Soda. I just know it. After today, you'll think like everybody else. And...I don't blame you."

Soda felt himself stop. He felt his face get hot with anger and he swallowed hard. "What do you mean? What're people thinking?"

"People think I'm a slut. A whore." She shrugged, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. They're right. I'm awful."

"Is this about yesterday with Steve? Look, he didn't mean it, ok? Don't worry about it, Sandy. He was just-"

"The baby's not yours." She waited. She waited for the anger. She waited for him to cuss her out. To call her every name in the book. She waited for him to scream and yell and tell her to get an abortion. She waited.

But Soda's heart only sank. It was like the weight of the world falling onto his shoulders. He was numb. Confused. Hurt in some ways. He didn't realize he'd taken a step from Sandy, but she didn't seem to care about where they stood physically.

She wanted to know what he thought. What he was thinking. Then he cleared his throat to speak calmly. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Soda. I didn't- I was just- I-I don't know. I'm just sorry. I never meant to do this. I never meant to- to screw up this badly. It was once and I'm so so sorry." She didn't wanna look at him. She was too disappointed in herself. She didn't think she deserve to be standing with him. She didn't think she deserved him.

Soda slowly nodded. "It's ok, Sandy." He wrapped his arms back around her, holding her tightly. "I still love you. I still wanna marry you. I still wanna-"

"Why? Don't you hate me? Don't you want me gone? Like Steve? I'm an awful girlfriend! I don't deserve anything nice. I don't deserve you, Soda!"

Soda's eyes went glossy and he smiled. "We all make mistakes, Sandy. I'm not mad at you. I want you to know that I care about you. And I love you more than anything in this world and I still wanna marry you. And y'know what? I think I'll marry you, then you'll have this baby and we'll all live happily ever after!"

Sandy gave him a sad smile. "That's sweet of you, but I couldn't let you do that."

"Do what?"

"Throw your life away. I'm not that important, Soda."

"What're you talking about? You are important!"

"I don't wanna ruin your life! I know that you're already under a lotta pressure, Soda. If you stay with me, you'll regret it. And how could I live with myself after that, huh? I couldn't."

"Maybe you won't ruin my life! Maybe you'll make it better! This will work out, Sandy, I know it will!" He could feel tears threatening to fall from his eyes and he held Sandy closer. "Please don't leave, Sandy. I'll do whatever it takes. Please."

~ ~ ~ ~

"This is from Angela!" Evie exclaims, handing over a polka-dotted box with big, purple bow.

Sandy took it, opening it carefully. It was a set of baby food. Sandy grinned. "Thanks, Ang."

"You're welcome. Tim says that that's the good kind. Don't ask me how he knows."

"Open this next, Sandy. It's the best gift." Two-Bit states, handing her a gift bag.

She opened it, pulling out all the paper filling. She looked into the bag and smiled. It was filled with a whole bunch of toys. "Thank you."

"Anytime. And don't be afraid to ask me to babysit."

"You should be terrified to ask him to babysit." Kathy argued, leaning over on her boyfriend. She laughed.

"You're just jealous because my gift was better than yours."

"I got her diapers. Babies need diapers, not a bag full of toys. Great job, Santa Claus!"

Sandy laughed at the two, then Darry sat beside her and gave her a bag. Inside was a teddy bear and some of the Curtis brothers' old baby clothes.

"I wasn't sure if you were having a boy or a girl, but if you're having a boy, there are way more of those in our attic." He states.

"Thanks, Darry."

He nodded, then Pony went over with a box. He smiled and set it on her lap. Books.

"What a shocker! Brainiac got the kid books!" Two-Bit exclaimed.

"I'm honestly surprised Kathy didn't give me books." Sandy replied.

Kathy grinned. "I can get you some, if you need me to. I know exactly where the good ones are."

"Me next!" Johnny announced.

He picked up a big box and set it beside Sandy.

"Need a knife?" Evie questions.

All the boys dug down into their pockets. Pony produced his first. Sandy took it with a smile and opened up the box. It was a rocking horse.

"Do you like it? I know that it wouldn't be able to ride it for a while, but I figured it's best to have it now instead of spending your money later..."

"It's fantastic. Thanks, Johnny." Sandy gave Pony his knife back and Johnny took a seat beside Angela.

Sandy started looking around. "Where's Sylvia?"

"Her and Dally are on their way. They forgot the baby shower was today." Evie says, rolling her eyes.

Sandy's front door opened and Steve came in with a cigarette in his mouth. "Ok. My gifts outside." He states.

Sandy got out of her seat, then zipped up her jacket and headed outside. Soda was standing next to a smaller version of Steve's car. "Isn't it cool?!" He shouted.

Sandy grinned and felt tears on her face. She turned to Steve and hugged him. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me. It was your fiance's idea." He said plainly, motioning to Soda.

"I meant for showing up."

He looked at her. He wanted to say that he was there for Soda, not her. But he didn't. Instead, he said "you're welcome."

The three went inside. "So...can we have some cake or do we have to wait for Bonnie and Clyde?" Angela asks.

"Come on. We'll wait a few more minutes, then if they don't show up by then, we'll have cake." Sandy answers.

Right on cue, Dally pulled into the yard. Him and Sylvia jumped out of his car and went into the house. "I see you've fixed your broken window." Dally states.

"My dad fixed it. If you do it again, you'll get your ass beat." Sandy replied.

He was skeptical. "Ok..."

Sylvia handed her a bag. Sandy's eyes widened at the contents. "You don't like it?" Sylvia questions.

"I mean, it was nice of you to give it to me, but I don't-"

"I didn't think it was that bad. Geez, if you don't like the onesie, just say so."

"Sylvia, this isn't a onesie."

Sylvia went over and grabbed the bag. She looked down at the lingerie inside, then laughed. "Wrong bag."

She went back to Dally's car, grabbing a different bag. There was a tiny, blue onesie in it with a bolded font that said 'My mommy is the best.' Sandy smiled. "Yeah, I like this a lot better."

Sylvia laughed, then sat with Dally. "What'd you bring, Dal?" Steve asks.

Dally patted his pockets, then handed over a box of condoms. "There."

"Condoms?" Soda states.

"Yeah. As a reminder to practice safe sex."

The three boys laughed.

"Alright! I need some cake!" Steve announced.

The boys started eating first while the girls talked. No one was expecting the next guest. No one.

~ ~ ~ ~

@darrybutgay. @salladwinston. @mocurlyshepard. @mushrooms-iscat. @illhangyoutwo-bit. @sunique2005. @omni-hamiltrash. @darrycurtisappreciation.

[hookysblog]

Festival Les Deferlantes, Perpingnan FESTIVAL LES DÉFERLA

Sorry about the lack of photos, but my phone ran out of memory;( However, here’s two beauties…

A lovely drive though France to this gig. The traffic is horrendous on the last leg and even though the sat-nav says 3.5 hours ….. it actually takes 8, with us driving all over the place when we get there…bloody sat-navs!

This would be a beautiful spot, for any festival. High on a hill set in an old medieval castle. Their set up and organisation, food etc., is fantastic with Chemical Brothers headlining. We play really well and are received very well too, a lovely day out. Nice to see the Chemicals crew members and their Agent Alex Nightingale on the trip. Nice drive home with gorgeous weather.

  The Foundry, Sheffield Students Union.

After two weeks off I am very nervous. It seems like such a long time! We practice very well, and even though as soon as we start practicing, we wonder why we are? Because we know the songs so well;)

Using a new boy today, Rob on monitors. Rob is the bass player from The Cadavers, Part Time Band contestants, and it’s nice to have someone you know doing the fold-back. It makes life a lot easier.;)

Geek Alert: Foldback System – when you see a band perform live, the black speaker boxes facing the musicians at the front of the stage, are called ‘fold back’. Folding the music back to the performers, so each musician can hear what they and the other group members are playing on stage.

(Pottsy actually mis-heard this years ago and thought, until last week???… it was called ‘fallback’…how weird is that!)

We are out of term time so no students, and I wonder what will happen?

I needn’t have worried. It is HOT!  And packed with a very boisterous audience greeting us very, very warmly. The boys play fantastically, it is insanely sweaty and I am delighted to see Queen Vivien of Bedford Boys Club 1981 fame backstage with her beautiful grown up daughter, which makes me feel very old… God doesn’t time fly?;)

Y not Festival, Matlock, Derbyshire

Nice drive to picturesque Matlock, in Derbyshire. It is strange rounding a bend and seeing this huge festival site stretching out before you, in the middle of absolutely bloody nowhere. I go out in the tent to watch the band before us play, PRETTY VICIOUS, and very young and energetic they were too, with a great drummer.

As I’m watching there is one surreal moment when someone reaches over my shoulder and points to the back of the guy in front of me, who is wearing a Festival T-shirt, and points to Peter Hook and The Light on it. I think is he taking the piss? I look round and the guy who’s pointing screams, ‘Fucking Hell!’ he shouts, ‘Peter Fucking Hook!’ I beat a hasty retreat.

The tent is packed, bursting at the seams, and apart from this huge stanchion in the middle of the stage, everything is great. It’s a mixed audience but most are very young.

The gig goes GREAT! Starting with Joy Division, then moving on to New Order. The crowd and mosh-pit getting wilder and wilder. With crowd backing vocals for ALL of the songs. Then about halfway through the set a young lady at the front pulls her top up showing off her lady parts and Jack drops the most monumental bum note I have ever heard…God bless him! We finish with LWTUA and the audience are still singing it 10 minutes after we have finished!!!

A lovely drive home as the sun sets and I feel very happy, tired but happy.

Thank you to all at Y not! Thank you very much;)

Hacienda Classical, Rainbow arena, Birmingham.

A quick trip down to Brum, turns into anything but quick when the motorway turn off is shut on both sides of the M6??? Who’s crazy idea is that???

Make it just in time as today has a 9p.m. curfew. We are playing an Electronic New Order set today all mixed together, just like the Classical in fact. We play well and for a support act are very well received. As we limber up for the main event the Arena fills up nicely. Then were on. The sound at the start is a bit ropey but soon comes together and after about 4 songs is rocking. Everyone plays great and nice to have Daz out of 808 State toasting tonight, as MC Tunes is busy. After we finish we drive to a hotel Gatwick ready for our early flight to Croatia. I have never been and am very excited.

Splitzka Festival, Primosten, Croatia.

Nice flight, thank the lord, and before we know it we are in Croatia. Which on first glance looks a lot like an unspoilt Greece. We have a short drive and unbelievably it is pissing down. The driver says they have had no rain for over 68 days, but we are Mancs…it follows us wherever we go! There is at least two foot of water on the roads now and we are very worried about the Festival. The driver laughs it off and sure enough within two hours everywhere is dry as a bone.

This is a lovely place and we get picked up for dinner later and driven into the hills to a beautiful rustic restaurant on top of a hill overlooking the ocean complete with a beautiful sunset…told you!

As we feast on home made bread, oil and olives, with a 8 hour baked lamb dish that is simply sensational, we are all sat they feeling really fat and realising we do not have long until we play….Oooops! There is nothing worse than playing on an overly full stomach…God we are getting old.  Then back to the Fessie which is gorgeous and before we know it we are off. Great gig and a great crowd, loads of Bootleg Croation Joy Division T-shirts greet me.

A wonderful time, is had by all!

A lovely warm night makes for a lovely warm singer and I am wet through. Then a young lady approaches me asking for a hug,

I say, ‘I’m wet with sweat?’

‘It’s fine.’ She says.

Then as she hugs me she whispers in my ear,

‘I miss him.’  

‘I miss him too.’ say I.

And off she waltzes. Great night. One odd sight backstage is this one bloke just sat on his own in a corner, sniffing away. When I ask who he is, it seems he is the festival drug dealer, offering all the normal stuff and the lads say he has done absolutely no business all day and now all night? That is brilliant. The old me would’ve adopted him but now I am delighted that the old drug thing now seems totally out of fashion. Last week in Magaluf on the strip, I was watching this guy approaching all the kids passing by, me thinking he was promoting a bar or something, and the kids were nice to him with quite a lot of backslapping but none stopped. Then he sauntered over to me, ‘Hey signor…you want cocaine?’ I smiled, if only he knew. You’ve not got enough in that rucksack for me dickhead. Ha Ha! I decline obviously, but am very heartened by all these kid’s reactions. He must have approached about 80 and every single one said no. I am delighted.

JUST KEEP SAYING NO KIDS!

Nice late start makes for a lovely easy morning and is only ruined by my usual legal work that has occupied my life for too long now. In the words of Ian Curtis….’Where will it end?’ Nice trip home surrounded by kids on the plane, which was different. A cool, damp Manchester welcomes us with open arms. And….no queue at Passport Control? Which makes a lovely change;)

Rebellion Festival 40 years of Punk, Blackpool.

Lovely to be asked back and to be celebrating 40 years of punk.

I cannot believe it is 40 years ago I started!!! The crowd here are so nice and friendly it is an absolute pleasure to play. I do a Q and A with John Robb and get to meet Brix Smith after too many years. I love Brix, a great woman and let’s face it we all make mistakes don’t we? Eh Mark;)

The old theatres in here are fantastic, with many old features still in place, including me, Hee Hee. I watch the Anti Nowhere League who are as mad as ever and then get told they are Nazi’s…eh? They are just like us…fat, old blokes singing bollocks. How could anyone take any of us seriously, anyway…back to the gig! We are playing in a 2000 seater and I am delighted to be told later that it was one in one out. We are the first band to fill out a venue in the festival. I don’t feel great tonight but have to admit it goes very well and we take roof off. As I drive home later past many of the places where I used to play as a boy, I sigh. I love Blackpool.

Rewind Festival, Cheshire.

Nice jaunt back to Cheshire with The B.E.F.

This is a great Festival, loads of fancy dress and a real party atmosphere. Older crowd, but I fit in perfectly. Nice to be asked back by Martin and lovely to meet the other featured artists. Mari Wilson (who I had a mad crush on when I was a kid, saw her play loads of times in Manc, loved the beehive!). A lovely relaxed day ensues and some wild people about, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley. I feel quite grungy in comparison. B.E.F are a great group and have another great line up, as we practice backstage in the true punk tradition everything is so relaxed it’s fantastic. Then we are on….Everything goes great and I even spot Sally, my trainer in the crowd at the front, a lovely surprise.

Nice to be home.

Just to finish off a lovely picture of me from 1981.

Thank you everybody, you’ve made an old man very happy.

Love Hooky ’16 xxx