Baby’s POV

I got up at about 5 am and got dressed into denim shorts and a white shirt with my white converses; my family and I were going to a resort in the country.  We were on the road at 5:30 am and sung to most of the songs that played on the radio. My dad was driving, I thought he was the best guy in the world. He was a doctor and a good one at that, I loved what he did he has saved so many lives and I aspire to do something just as important one day. I’m going to join the peace core and help our soldiers in Vietnam come home. We arrived at the resort in a few hours and we got out there was a boy who got the bags out of the boot and I decided to help him. I got bored listening to adults talk especially dad with his old friends. I got the two last bags out of the boot and the boy smiled and said “hey thanks, want a job here?” I laughed and looked at him properly he was really pretty. He had light brown hair, dark brown eyes and a great smile.  He extended his hand “My names Sodapop Curtis.” I grabbed his hand and shook it “mines Francis Houseman but people just call me Baby because I’m the youngest.” I grinned. “Nice to meet ya.” His smile was gorgeous. “Sodapop take the bags to their rooms instead of just standing there, how many times do I have to tell you?” The old man shouted, he was the head of the hotel his name was Mr Kelleman he was a fat old man with little hair and what hair he had was grey, he had beady brown eyes and thin lips. I didn’t like him much, he was bossy and thought he was superior to everyone else. Daddy had saved his life one day and so Mr Kelleman had offered Dad a cabin by the lake for half the price as a thankyou. I watched as Soda took our bags to the room and felt bad that he had to carry all of them but it looked like he had some good muscles so I didn’t think it would bother him too much. “Come on Baby we should go check out the cabin.” Daddy said while putting his arm around my shoulder. “I’d love to daddy” I said in a higher pitch than normal.

Darry’s POV

I can’t believe the Roofing Company his shut for the summer how am I meant to feed Soda and Ponyboy? I buried my face in my hands and let out a frustrated groan. “Darry what’s wrong?” Pony asked I looked up and could see he was real worried. “Nothing Pony go do some homework or something.” I waved my hand signalling him to leave. “Ok Darry I will see you later.” Pony walked out the door.  I grabbed the newspaper and saw an ad wanted for entertainment dancers at a resort in the country I tried to look for any other jobs but they weren’t anything that I would be good at. I could be an entertainment dancer I took a course at the YMCA once that showed me all these acrobatic moves and some dances as well, plus I knew dances like the waltz from when I was little and mum would dance with me.  There were interviews tomorrow two towns over so I decided to give it go. I woke up early the next morning got dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans.  It showed off my muscles and I think they would need to see that for this job.  I eventually got to the building where the auditions were being held. I walked in and found it to be a basketball court with a table set up the far end and people sitting behind it there were a few people sitting against the wall. “Can we help you sir?” I heard a voice say and guessed it came from the table up the far end. I walked forward “uh yeah I’m here for the auditions.” I said nervously. “Ok can you do the waltz, mamba or cha cha?” I thought back to the YMCA course and luckily I had been taught those exact dances. “Yeah I can.” I said. I was only a few feet from the table now. “Well you’re good looking, strong, and you can dance so you’re hired. You start on the first day of summer vacation, we will be in contact to tell you when training starts and here’s the address.” I took the piece of paper which the man had written down on the piece of paper. “Uh this is a while away I have two brothers, I’m their guardian. I can’t leave them.” I said, my mood deflated. “Look I am sure we can figure out something where the boys could come and stay with you and work there as well.” The lady said. “Thankyou so so much Mam!!!” “Auditions over y’all can go home now” the man shouted.  I walked out the door and was real excited I can’t believe I got it just like that. I got home and Pony and Soda were already home from work and school. “Hey guys I need to talk to you” “You’re secretly a girl? Yeah we already knew that.” Soda grinned and pony laughed. “Would ya shut up this is important.” So the roofing company is shutting down for the summer so I had to get a job but it’s faraway and the only way to take you with me is for you to work there with me. I don’t know what y’all be doing but it’s the only way for me to keep y’all alive. It’s at a resort in the country.” I looked at my feet waiting for their reaction. “Yes summer vacation!!” Ponyboy yelled. “So you are okay with this?” I looked at both boys and they just smiled. “Great” I grinned. “But what about the boys. We can’t leave Johnny!” Soda exclaimed. “Shit you’re right!” I muttered. “We could take them with us they could stay at the resort.” Ponyboy said excitedly. “They would have to pay to get a room though and that might get expensive.” I said.

The next morning we asked the boys anyway and they all decided that they would chip in and get two low budget rooms and they seemed excited about it. This was going to be great a job as a dancer how hard could that be? Training started I week after the auditions.

I walked in to the dance studio and there I saw her Penny. We had gone out when we were kids and broke up because it just didn’t work out but we stayed good friends until she had to move away because of her mother’s new job. “Penny?” I asked. She turned around and looked at me and her jaw dropped. “Oh my god Darry?!?” “Yeah man!! You look good!” I said as I hugged her. “We get to dance together!!” she shrieked.  We had two weeks of training and then it was off to the resort when we got there Soda was given the job of luggage and supply boy. Ponyboy was given the job a waiter which I think he liked because he got to wear a nice suit. We got settled into the place I got my own cabin but Pony and Soda had to share one then we went to meet up with the big boss Mr Kelleman. We walked into his office after his secretary said we could go in. “Hello Mr Kelleman” you could hear it in my voice I was real nervous. “Look I don’t have much time-he handed me some papers- here is your schedule and rules about the resort. Entertain the clients but do not touch them, understand? –he didn’t give us a chance to respond- keep out of trouble and always do as I say, here you are nothing but the entertainment to me you are just dirt on my shoes. You’re not important here you are just here so the clients can have something to look at. Now leave!” and with we did.

“That guy was a pig!” Soda said angrily. “Yeah but don’t let him get to you guys ok? Keep your head down and just don’t get in anyone’s way and I will do the same that way we can just enjoy this summer and get our money.” I said. “Ok sure Darry.” Ponyboy said. “We have today to have some fun guests don’t start arriving till tomorrow so go and enjoy yourselves.” I said and gave them a dollar each. Then I went to find Penny she was by the lake with some of the guys. “So I see you found the rest of the gang” I said “Yeah I missed you all so much” she smiled. “I guess we missed you to but not too much.” Two-Bit laughed poking her in the arm. That night Penny took us to this place where there was loud music and some dirty dancing going on basically people were just dry humping each other but some of what they were doing looked fun to. “Come on Darry show me what you got” she smiled and we danced all night. It turns out the boys liked it to and this happens every night.  I took a liking to the other entertainment staff who were there , they all seemed like genuinely nice people.