Chapter 1 - Pretty Much My Life.
"Shay! Shayna! Hurry up!" My brother called as I trailed behind him. I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and hurried to catch up. He stopped and waited for me, a half smile on his face. "Do you want to be late?"
"Looks who's talking," I muttered smiling, referring to all the tardy slips he's gotten in the past month that school has started. We walked along the path to the high school. We could have been inside already if we had gotten a parking pass. But we didn't, so my brother was parked two blocks away from the parking lot.
It figures. Kids like us had the short end of the stick just because we were greasers.
Well, I shouldn't say we. I can't necessarily say I am. I don't want a part in any of this gang business, but ever since I started high school it was split up. Greasers and Socs, short for Socials, I guess. I don't know much about any of these gangs except that my brother and his friends were greasers, and the rich kids were socs. It all had to do with money.
Socs meant nice cars, nice clothes, rich parents, big houses, you name it, they had it. Greasers, not so much. Less money, cheap cars, things like that. Or for us, no parking pass which meant we had to walk an extra two blocks to get to school.
Then there were those kids in the middle. Not really soc or greaser. I guess we were more along those lines rather than greasers. I mean, we had money. A decent car. Things like that but I suppose my brother and his friends preferred to be greasers, though I'm not really sure.
"Meet me at your locker after school, okay?" My brother told me. I nodded, "Sure, I'll be here."
He was really protective of me since I started high school. In middle school you didn't have to worry about this kind of stuff, but lately it's gotten bad. If you even look at a soc wrong they'll find some excuse to jump you. I don't know why. All I know is that there was a fight not two long ago between the rival gangs and things between them are rockier than they've ever been. So my brother doesn't like me to be out on my own much.
Even though school's been in for a month, I can't say I'm very popular. Sure, I have a few friends, most of the socs, but it's really no big deal because girls don't care much about the whole gang situation and because freshman are barely considered soc or greaser. They're just freshman. That's why socs usually won't mess you you if you're a freshman or a girl.
Unless of course you give them a reason to. Or if you have relations to a greaser like I did. Especially a greaser like my brother.
Danny Jones. You say the name to anyone in school and they know it, soc or grease. That can be a good thing and that can be a bad thing, but everyone knows my brother. And he knows everyone else. Not like me. People only know me because they know Danny. Shayna Jones, the little sister. That's all anyone knows me by. It's not that I'm jealous if my brother. I'm not. I'm just tired of living in his shadows all the time. No, it's not like I want to show him up, because I don't. Even if I did it would be next to impossible. I just wish people knew me for me.
The day seemed to drag on and on. Finally, seventh period was over and I made my way back to my locker. Danny, Tom and Harry were all against the wall waiting for me. I felt my cheeks burn. I knew I'd have all my friends asking me tomorrow, "You know Tom Fletcher and Harry Judd?"
They were almost as popular as Danny because they were his best friends.
"Hiya, baby sister." Danny grinned. I smiled and opened my locker to gather my books then the four of us headed back to Danny's car.
Three blocks away.
A car sped behind us and stopped right next to my brother. He leaned into the window and gave the kid a high five, "Wuddup baby?" he smiled and greeted the kid they way he greeted everyone else. I couldn't see the kid in the driver's seat but it was no surprise that Danny knew him.
I waited for them to drive away and then the four of us finally made it back to Danny's car. "Shotgun!" Harry called rushing to the front seat. I rolled my eyes and climbed in the back with Tom. As soon as I shut the door, three different scents of cologne filled the car. I rolled my window down. A few kids shouted things at Danny on the drive home. Some good, some bad. When they yelled bad things he and Harry just shoved their heads out the windows and cussed them out.
This was pretty much my life.
