A/N: I do not own The Outsider's or the characters Soda and Dally.
I also write a story for fictionpress,com. It is titled Pair 43, rating T. Check it out if you are interested. The writing is much better, promise. :)
If this old bat doesn't stop her screeching my ears are going to bleed read the text message from her friend Emilee. Kate smiled and put her phone back in her pocket.
"Miss Johnson and Mr. Synch." announced Mrs. Fowler. She was calling the groups for their next science project. As she continued down the list Kate didn't pay much attention until she heard her named called, "Miss Russo and Mr. Moore." Great. Just Great she thought to herself.
"Well at least you got the nice one." Emilee said. She had gotten paired with Chandler Moore's sister, Nikki Moore.
"Ok kids pair up!" screeched Mrs. Fowler. Kate and Emilee rolled their eyes and got up out of their seats and walked into the science lab. She put on her white over coat and stood at her favorite station waiting for Chandler to join her. But, Chandler took his time. He talked to his girlfriend Shannon Farmer, then to his best friend Alan Smith, then back to Shannon. Kate's patience grew thin. She grabbed an over coat, wrapped it around Chandler's shoulders and walked him to their station.
"I don't have all day." she stated.
"I was just visiting." he said with a fake innocent tone. "Do we have to be at this one?" he asked gesturing to their lab table.
"Yes." Kate said flatly.
"But there's an empty one over there." he pointed to a station next to Alan.
"I like this one." she replied, "Your friend can survive 30 minutes without you."
"You're extra moody today."
"I'm not too thrilled about being partners with you." she said looking around the room. She saw that Shannon and Alan were partners. Shannon was leaning over the table so Alan could see directly down her shirt. Kate smirked. Chandler was clueless to the obvious.
"Just because we had a little conflict back in 7th grade doesn't mean that you have to hate me forever." Chandler said playing with a lighter.
"I don't hate you. I just don't want to be partners with you." Kate continued to get all the supplies they needed for their lab from the cabinet below their station.
"I'm really a nice guy...deep down." he winked trying to convince her.
"Look I don't really care. I just want to get this over with as soon as possible." she began reading the directions to their project. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. This was going to be the longest science lab of her life.
Chandler and Shannon have been together ever since the 4th grade. However, Kate and Shannon have had conflicts ever since they met on the playground during their first day of school. Each thought the other was arrogant and rude. In the 7th grade, Chandler had an assigned seat behind Kate in their math class. Chandler wanting to take revenge on her for messing with his girlfriend decided he was going to give her a haircut.
"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" asked Alan after Chandler had told him his plan in the boys locker room.
"It's going to be hilarious. Just wait and see." Chandler reassured him.
"But her hair is so long. You've got to know that took forever for her to grow." Alan said. And he was right. Kate took great pride in her hair. To her, it was more than just hair. It was a part of her identity. Whenever she met someone they always commented on her long brown locks. When she was a child her hair acted as a safety net. She would place it in front of her or to her side, blocking out the sight of whatever it was that made her uncomfortable.
"Why do you care?" Chandler asked.
"If you cut it all off it's gonna do like emotional damage to her." he stated.
"So that's kinda what I'm wanting." Chandler said packing a large pair of scissors in his backpack.
"Well she's just gonna do worse to Shannon. You want that too?" Alan asked. This was his final plea. He cared for his best friend but hated that he could be a bully.
"Just don't worry about it." Chandler said walking off to his class.
Kate was sitting in her seat talking to Emilee in front of her. Chandler sat down behind her and waited for Mr. Franklin, their pre-algebra teacher, to start preaching his lesson so he could get on with his plan. As soon as Mr. Franklin began writing the days assignment on the chalk board, Chandler pulled out the scissors and held them up to Kate's hair. He reached forward and gently guided the scissor beneath her hair. As he was closing his hand to snip, Kate bent down and he only got to cut a little portion of her hair, barely noticeable.
"Damn," Chandler whispered.
Kate snapped around in her seat, "Did you just try to cut my hair?" Her eyes were narrowed and they bore into him like a laser. Chandler swore he could feel heat radiating off of her glare. Stunned motionless by the potency of her look, he didn't have time to react when Kate grabbed the scissors out of his hand and cut a chunk of hair off of his head.
"What's going on back there?" Mr. Franklin asked.
"Chandler tried to cut my hair!" Kate yelled not taking her eyes off of him.
"Come with me." he said motioning to Chandler and walking out of the classroom.
Chandler smiled as he reminisced. He was glad he grew out of all that. However, that didn't stop Kate from hating him.
"Done." she stated happily.
"Great. What is it?" he asked confused. Sitting before them was a jar of clear liquid. He must have daydreamed throughout the entire project.
"It's supposed to be invisible ink. But I'm not sure if it works or not." she said examining it.
"Ok class, times up. Now write your name on a piece of paper and set it next to your project for me to grade." Mrs. Fowler announced.
"It was nice working with you." Chandler said as he threw his lab coat on the table.
"A real pleasure." Kate replied hanging up her coat and walking back into the classroom to gather her things.
After the final school bell rang, Kate hurried into the school parking lot towards her car. She couldn't wait to get home. To her surprise, the day had gone by faster than she expected. When she rounded the corner by the gym she heard arguing coming from the back end of the lot.
"No! Stay away from me!" Alan shouted at Brianna McCabe. She was another student in the same grade as Kate. Alan was unlocking the door to his truck. Kate watched them as she approached her car.
"Alan! Wait!" she pleaded, "Are you not hearing me!"
Alan spun around, "I'm hearing you loud and clear, but Bri we broke up months ago. Even if you really are pregnant this time, it's not mine!" Alan said then he got in his truck and sped off.
Brianna stood there and watched Alan drive away, then turned and began walking away from the school. Kate felt sorry for her. She didn't know if she was really pregnant or not. But, Alan Smith had a reputation. Many girls, including her best friend, have been seduced by his charm and good looks. Brianna wasn't innocent. She had acquired quite a reputation herself. Kate used to be jealous of the way boys always wanted her. After watching the scene in the parking lot, all thoughts of envy left her mind. There is nothing to be desired about someone who is desperate and alone. Kate got in her car and drove off, leaving all of her sorry feelings for Brianna behind.
When she walked through the door of her two story brick home, their maid Madison greeted her, "Hello Kate."
"Hey." Kate said quickly and jogged up the stairs to her room. She was in a hurry because she knew a comfortable bed was waiting on her. And after a day like today, she deserved a nap. She opened her door and saw her cousin, Danny, sitting on her bed.
"Hurry up and get ready. They're on their way." he said rushed.
Kate sighed, "Can I not rest for like 5 minutes?" She stared at her bed longingly.
Danny laughed, "Rest is overrated."
"Why were you not at school today?" she asked him slipping off her sneakers and putting on a pair of black leather boots.
He shrugged, "I just wasn't feeling it today."
"Well I got stuck with Chandler Moore as my science partner." She said looking in her closet for her jacket.
"Was he a jerk?"
"Does the sun shine in Africa?"
Danny laughed, "Well I've always got your back."
"If that were true you would've been at school today." She teased him.
Danny was more than her cousin, he was her best friend. He liked to pretend that he always looked out for her, but in honesty Kate was the one that always stood up for him. Danny has an innocent nature about him. He doesn't have many friends and he doesn't go out much. This caused some punks at school to pick on him. Rarely did they get away with it. Danny is tough. Dally and Soda made sure he knew how to handle himself. But since they graduated and were no longer walking the halls with them, people still said things behind Danny's back. And when Kate heard, she made sure they regretted it.
Kate Russo is the granddaughter of John Russo and the daughter of John Russo Jr. When her grandfather dies, she will inherit their "business", otherwise known as the mafia. It will be Kate's sole responsibility to continue on the legacy that her grandfather had created. Many would consider this a blessing, to have their future all lined out. All they have to do is sit and wait for the old man to croak. Kate considered this to be her curse. She hated the family business, and more than that she hated the violence.
Their mob consists of many of people in different areas but the group she was with was the main family. It consists of Blue, their driver, an older man who was about in his 60s now. He had been with the family for years, always loyal and always ready to shuttle her grandfather or her Uncle Chuck wherever they needed to go. Uncle Chuck and Kate's brother Frankie were both in their late 40s. Frankie's job is mainly security while Uncle Chuck handles the money side of the operations. MD is 27. MD stands for Mad Dog. He's the meanest out of all of them, and for obvious reasons he is the mob's muscle. Then there's Dally and Soda who are like brothers to each other. They are both 21. At the age of 18 they were hired to look after Kate after her parents left. For three years Kate has lived with them since her parents divorce. Her father moved to Italy. His relationship with her grandfather is very unstable so it was the best thing for him to do. Her mother ran away to Egypt years ago to escape her father, leaving Kate behind in the custody of her grandfather. Then there is Danny who is 16 just like Kate, and he's also the mob's pet. Chuck found him on the side of the street when Danny was 4. He took him in and raised him as he was his own and Danny's been part of the family ever since.
Kate walked downstairs and saw Dally in the kitchen, "What no hello?" she teased him.
Dally smiled at her, "How was your trip?" he asked taking a swig of his beer and motioning for her to give him a hug. Kate left to visit her father for a few days. It was a mandatory arrangement made by her grandfather. He insisted she have a relationship with her dad.
"Ok, I haven't got to rest since I got back though." She said placing her head on his chest.
He kissed the top of her head, "I missed ya."
"It was just 3 days Dal. Geez." She joked.
"Then I take it back."
She poked him in the side and he jumped almost spewing his beer out of his mouth. Soda walked through the door, "The little one's back!" he said and picked her up in a big hug.
"Can't breath." She said struggling to get free.
"Don't care. You will hug me and you will like it." He gave her one last squeeze then let her go. Kate took a few steps back. He really was cutting off her air supply. Chuck appeared in the doorway and shuffled them all out to the car. Everyone except Dally piled into their LincolnTown car and drove off.
"Ok Jack Panora is at the Brooks Place tonight." Chuck explained, "Me and Frankie are going to deal with him. MD and Soda will wait outside the door so no one interrupts. Danny you watch the back, Kate you watch the front, Dally will watch Kate."
"Hey!" Kate protested, "I'm a big girl."
"This is a big place with a lot of people, I'm just being safe." Chuck said.
Kate hated that they made her attend these outings, and with Dally on her case all night she wouldn't be able to sneak away. The Brook's Place was a big party house just outside of Queens. It was the secret hangout for a lot of people who liked to place bets, as a consequence these people always ended up owing her grandfather money. The Brook's Place was also a hangout for teenagers to party, which was its cover-up for all of the drug deals that also went down.
Blue stopped the car and one by one they all exited the vehicle. Chuck and Frankie went straight upstairs followed by MD and Soda. Danny walked back towards the kitchen area and Kate wandered around the rest of the house. Someone grabbed her hand, she spun around. It was Dally.
"Wanna have some fun?" he asked her.
"Sure, why not."
He led her into the crowd of people and they began to dance. Kate loved dancing with Dally. The moved together to the music and his hands moved over her hips. She turned around to face him and slid her hands up his muscular arms, resting them on his strong shoulders. Then finally she wrapped her arms around his neck. Dally's hazel brown eyes stared into her green. His fingertips were under her shirt, stroking the skin on her back, and then he slipped his hands down placing them in her back pockets.
She pulled his hands back to her hips, "Easy tiger."
But he wasn't paying attention to her. She felt him tighten his grip then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders taking a protective stance. She was pressed into his chest. She looked up at him and saw him staring past her. She turned her head to see what it was, her ex-boyfriend Doug. She held onto his shirt as Doug walked past them out the door.
He loosened his hold, "I'm gonna look around. Stay inside." Dally said in a stern voice.
"Ok. Whatever." Kate said and began to walk away.
"I mean it." he said again before he left.
"Alright, chill. I won't go anywhere." He knew that Kate liked to wander.
As she walked around she looked for familiar faces and she found one. Alan Smith, Chandler's best friend. He was sitting on a couch with his arm around a girl whispering into her ear. The girl giggled as Alan put his hand on her thigh. Then they got off the couch and went into a separate room shutting the door. Kate explored some more. The house was filthy. Trash and empty beer cans littered the floor. She wondered how anyone could want to come here. Wanting some company she walked back to the kitchen where Danny was.
"I hope this is going to be an early night," she said resting her head on his shoulder.
"I know. Hey where's Dally?" Danny asked looking around.
"I don't know. He's supposed to be watching me." she said yawning. Just as she opened her eyes again she saw Alan walking through the kitchen door.
"Kate?" he said staring blankly, "What are you doing here?"
"Danny!" she heard Dally yell not giving her time to answer. Kate and Danny both turned around and saw a dark figure through the window running. With trained reflexes they both shot out the back door. Kate reached him first and had him lying on the ground with his face in the dirt and her knee in his back. Then suddenly a figure hit her from the side and they rolled across the grass. She landed on her back with the person on top of her, their hands on her shoulders. Her vision cleared and she saw a young man about 19 staring right back at her. Dally knocked him off of her and Soda helped her up.
"You alright?" he said holding her face in his hands as he examined her.
"Yeah I'm fine thanks." she said walking back into the house. She went to the fridge and got a drink. Alan was gone. Dally came in and rushed to her.
"Come here, let me look at you." He said and ran his hands over her arms and face. "Hurt anywhere?"
"No."
"How many fingers am I holding up?"
She looked at him for a second, his hands were still holding onto her arms, "None."
"Ok good. I think you're alright."
"Of course I am."
"Let's get out here." He said and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they walked out the door. Kate, Danny, and Soda rode home together in Dally's Range Rover. Kate was in the front seat with her boots off and feet on the dash while Danny and Soda were in the back.
"You know if we had an accident your feet would fly over your head." Soda told Kate.
"The air bag will protect me." She said.
Dally laughed, "Where do you think your feet are gonna go when that air bag comes flying out of there?"
"I'll put them down when the time comes."
"BAM! CRASH! We just had an accident where are your feet?" Soda asked.
Kate took her feet off the dash and folded her legs Indian style in her seat, "Better gentlemen?"
"It'll do for now. Dal, where are we going?" Soda asked. Kate couldn't believe how much energy he still had at the end of each day.
"I need to stop and pick something up." He was smiling.
Kate looked at him, "Dally no please." He was stopping to pick up a girl.
"I want one!" Soda demanded.
"Shut it. Why can't we just go home?" It was always so awkward when Dally had girls over. Kate felt like she couldn't be comfortable in her own house. She hated that feeling. Dally stopped in front of a house and looked at Kate. It was an I'm-sorry-I-can't-help-myself kind of look. She saw the front door open and a tall blonde stepped out and began walking toward the truck. Kate unbuckled, Dally caught her arm and kissed her cheek quickly. She climbed into the back seat with Soda and a passed out Danny. She laid her head on Soda's shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her.
The blonde got in the truck, "Hi Dallas."
"Hey Shawna. You got everything." She nodded and Dally winked at her. Shawna, what a slutty name, Kate thought. She dug her head deeper into Soda's shoulder. By the time they got home she was sound asleep.
Dally leaned over and whispered into Shawna's ear, "Go get settled in, I'll be up in a minute." He went to the back, "Want me to take her?" he asked Soda. Kate woke up.
"Hey there sunshine…Wanna get off me so I can go inside? That would be nice." Soda said nudging her.
"Jerk." She stood up and hugged Dally, "I wanna go to bed."
He kissed the top of her head. "Let's go." Dally leaned down and threw her over his shoulder, carried her up the stairs and laid her down on Soda's bed. Since they shared a doorway between their rooms and Dally had company she would stay with Soda tonight.
He pulled her up by her arms into a sitting position, "You need to change clothes."
"Dally…why?" she said half asleep.
"'Cause you can't sleep in what you got on princess." He unzipped her boots and started pulling them off.
"No. Why her?"
He was confused by her question, "What?"
"Nothing." She stood up, and he helped her find her balance, "Don't touch me." She shrugged him off. Dally just looked at her for a moment then left. Kate finished changing and climbed into bed. Soon Soda joined her.
He wrapped his arm around her and said, "Goodnight."
Kate couldn't go back to sleep. All she could think about was Dally with that girl.
"Soda." She nudged him, "Soda, you awake?"
"I am now." He groaned.
She turned over to face him, "I can't sleep."
Soda rolled over on his back, "Come here."
She laid her head on his chest and Soda stroked her hair, "You got a fast car…" he sang, "I want a ticket to anywhere. Maybe we make a deal. Maybe together we can get somewhere. Anyplace is better. Starting from zero got nothing to lose. Maybe we'll make something, but me myself I got nothing to prove." He continued singing and soon they both fell asleep.