Chapter 1
Introduction
My name is Rebecca Grace and I have just turned 12. Unlike 2 of my brothers I have quite an ordinary name, that's because I'm named after my 2 Grandmas. I have long auburn hair and green eyes like my brother Ponyboy. I am mostlyknown as Becky or Bex, except when I am in trouble. I am meant to be bright, like Pony and I skipped a grade like him, but I don't really like school. My best friend Tara lives a couple of blocks away. She is fun, kind and generous but more of a rebel than me. She lives with her Mum and older sister Samantha, who is 16. Lucky her, I would love to have just one sister!
I am fairly shy, but not so much around the gang who I have grown up with. I love listening to music, especially The Kinks, but I also have a soft spot for Elvis, like my Mom did. Most of all I love to dance! I am also short like my mom at around 5 feet, unlike Darry and Soda who top 6ft and even Pony is now heading that way too. I try to make up for it with my cheeky personality. I love my family more than anything and I know they feel the same.
I get on ok with Pony who's 14, though he and I are very different. He loves nothing more than peace and quiet and a book, whereas I love constant music and chatter. I get on well with Soda, who's 17, like everyone does. I am close to him, but not as close and he and Pony are. He is sweet to me and still likes to treat me like his baby sister, even though I am no baby any more. I think he wants me to stay little and cute forever and finds it hard to see me growing and becoming a teenager.
Darry is 20 and he used to spoil me too before our parents died, but now he is trying to be more like a parent with me and he thinks he has to be tough with me sometimes. I don't necessarily agree about that! He doesn't always get me, but I think he likes my enthusiasm for life, which I share with Soda.
It's been 10 months since our parents' death and 2 since the death of Johnny and Dally. Life is still difficult. Pony is just starting to be more like himself again, but still finds it harder to concentrate than before and misses Johnny more than anything, I know. Strangely I really miss Dally. He had a soft spot for me, despite his claim to hate kids. He could be scary if I got sassy with him but he mostly enjoyed teasing me and I liked it too.
Steve and I get along fine. I'm not such a threat to him as Pony, so he tends to be less snippy with me. I sometimes go to the DX after school and hang out with Soda and Steve if Darry lets me.
My favourite member of the gang has to be Two-Bit. He always has time for me and despite his drinking and constant joking he is really sweet and caring. He would do anything for any of us.
All the boys are like an extended family to me, so I have more than my fair share of big brothers trying to boss me around and control my life! The only one I really have to listen to though is Darry and sometimes Soda, but that doesn't stop them all trying to get their share of the job. I am the youngest, the smallest and the only girl, which they seem to think makes it their job to protect me and keep me out of trouble. Again, I don't necessarily agree with this view of things. I am getting more rebellious as I approach my teenage years and I sometimes feel stifled by the guys always keeping an eye on me and stopping me pushing the boundaries. I have had a lot more arguments with them all, especially Darry, in the last couple of months and I think he is starting to realise raising his sister may be even harder than he thought. I try to be good, but nobody can be good all the time and I do need to experience things in life for myself sometimes, Darry wouldn't agree with me on that, he thinks it's enough to be told something is not good and that I don't need to try it first to find out! Poor Darry, I do love him and he is good to me, but as my stand-in parent, he's the one who is going to have to deal with my rebellion if and when it happens. I just hope we can both survive it.
