Spray, that is.

Darry doesn't know when Ponyboy starts carrying self defense items on him, but he does know that he's very glad his younger brother started. Pony did use his head this time, and Darry's over the moon for it.

It starts with the Thai restaurant. Kind of.

Steve, Soda, Darry and Pony are the only ones out of the gang who have jobs. Because of this, having everybody around at the same time is rare and usually pretty cherished. There's a new food place opening down by the middle class-greaser line, and Soda suggests it and nobody else has a better idea.

So, Friday night at 5:00, they run down to the bookstore Ponyboy works at part-time, and open the door. The bell jingles. Pony doesn't glance up from his book behind the counter as they enter. The monotone, rehearsed lines slip easily off his lips;

"Good afternoon and welcome to- What are you doing here?" He does some sort of double take and sits up a little in his chair, but keeps his knees crossed to his chest.

"Do you have time to go to dinner?" Darry asks.

"You mean now?"

"Yes, now. Can you get away for a second?" Soda wiggles his eyebrows at his younger brother, who scoffs and huffs out a laugh. He slings himself around a corner.

"Ali?"

"Quoi?"

"Pouvez-vous me couvrir pour les quarante-cinq prochaines minutes?"

"Bien sûr, mais si ce Flamand de la semaine dernière arrive, je vous appellerai et vous devrez revenir et traduire."

"Merci."

Ali, Pony's coworker, appears around the corner, and ruffles his hair and hands him a light blue windbreaker. Pony nods and smiles. He takes a running start and launches himself over the counter, strutting out the door.

"Isn't it kind of weird that you work in an English bookstore and you don't speak English there?" Soda ponders aloud.

Pony wraps his arms tighter around himself.

"I guess," he shrugs. "Ali speaks English with a heavier accent than most. It's more comfortable for him, and I don't mind. And It's a safety precaution, I suppose."

Darry's eyebrows raise. He stops the whole gang and crosses his arms.

He inquires; "Safety precaution?"

"Yeah, kid, you need a bodyguard?" Steve laughs.

Pony huffs and suddenly looks embarrassed. His eyes fall to the floor, and his cheeks burn a little.

He has stopped greasing his hair, because he got it cut a few months back. It's more of a soc haircut, and he says it's a "statement" for the Soc versus Greasers battle, that not all Socs or Greasers are bad. Its longer, but it's neat and nice. Soda teases him, he says it makes him look more feminine.

The red strands fall in front of his eyes and he stalls, fiddling with a lock around his ear.

"There was this guy," Pony pauses, thinking of a date. He puts his tongue between his teeth and makes a small 'n' sound. He starts walking again, regaining his composure. "A few weeks back…"

Flashback*

A man walks into the bookstore. Ali and Pony are both reading silently behind the counter, Pony's legs slung across Ali's lap.

Ali glances up. The man's eyes are locked on to Pony. He looks scruffy, and he's probably in his mid-forties. Late thirties, maybe. He's wearing torn jeans and a dirty leather jacket. He approaches them and leans on the counter.

"What's your name, babe?" He asks Pony, completely ignoring Ali. Pony glances up.

"Why do you need to know?" He returns curtly, a challenge underlies.

"I was just curious. A good looking thing like you should have a nice name," he leers.

Pony's eyes flash with some kind of terror, but he composes himself. "Sir, unless you plan on buying something, I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"Oh?" He challenges. "Who's going to make me?"

"I will, sir." Ali says beside him. Ali is tall and muscular, and he looks menacing enough when he glares. The man growls at them both, but leaves into the aisles and aisles of books.

End Flashback*

"The day continues like normal," Pony reluctantly tells them. "I almost forgot he was there."

Return to Flashback*

Pony is restocking a few copies of The Perks of Being a Wallflower onto shelves. His ears perk up when there's a shuffling of feet behind him.

Hands grab his wrists, and he's forced back near a shelf as the same man from earlier appears in his vision. He leans in.

"Hey, baby," he whispers. "Wanna go back to my place with me?"

End Flashback*

Pony looks up at his horrified brothers, and hurries to explain. "He didn't get far, but it shook me up all the same. He still comes in from time to time…" He trails off and shrugs.

"We speak Polish or French or something so if he comes in again he might not know I'm there. Ali can tell me to leave and I'll stay in the back until the creep leaves, but he never understands why." He shoves his hands in his pockets. The weather is warming up, and soon he wont need a jacket at all.

"Okay. If it happens again, I want you to tell me, okay?" Darry asks.

"I will."

"That's him!"

"That's who?"

"The creep from the bookstore!" Pony hisses to his middle brother.

Darry hands the waitress a card and a few dollars. She leaves to the back.

"Are you sure?" Darry asks him, concern knitting his brow.

"I swear! He's been following me. Or something."

The waitress returns and they leave. Darry and Soda do everything they can to take Pony's mind off the man in the diner. Two-Bit is currently spouting some story of a blonde he saw at a bar recently.

"Honestly, lip injections, I swear. They were dripping lip gloss, or something. Looked like she made out with a coconut!" He laughs.

"Ew, Two Bit!" Johnny chuckles.

"Hilarious! I prefer redheads, though."

Silence.

Nobody moves.

Nobody breathes.

"A pretty little sweet thing like you should have quite a few stalkers, am I right?"

The man from the diner. He steps out onto the sidewalk ahead of them, blocking their path. He grins sickeningly at Pony.

Darry growls and starts to step forward, but Pony grabs his elbow.

Without speaking, Pony pulls something out of his pocket. The cap glistens as he flicks it off of the thin tube. He sprays the contents into the man's face.

The screaming starts.

Pony tugs Darry along by the crook of his elbow, back down the street in the opposite direction and into a quiet convenience store.

"When did you start carrying pepper spray?" Darry questions his brother, startled but fine.

"When I realized I couldn't protect myself." Pony caps the bottle. "When I realized there were people bigger and meaner than me who were sick."

"So how long?" Soda inquires, shaken.

"Since I was twelve."

/AN

Ahhhhh!

I'm so sorry! I haven't updated in a long time... I've had four projects, a birthday, a vocal solo, and a sickness since the last time I've posted. I'm afraid I won't be able to get a chapter out next week, either, for I will be on vacation. I am very sorry! The next post will be a chapter of Return, and then I will have a normal-as-possible updating schedule. Summer is only two months away! =)

I have asked for requests! If you have an idea for a one shot or story, please PM me or review!!! It would be so so so appreciated!

Thanks so much for the support! Love you all!

XOXO

Blaine

Probablyintenseskeletonhats