Us vs. World

1 (part 1)

Ashton Keagan

The Dingo was especially crowded on nights like this. It was Friday, everyone was out getting a drink and hanging with friends. It had definitely not been a good night for me. Normally, I loved Fridays, but today, Bill had broken up with me, and of course he had to do it the day the Dingo was most crowded. Not that I cared, they could stare. And Bill had been a jerk anyways.

I watched three boys walking in, laughing. One of them spotted me, and grinned, pointing. I groaned inwardly as they headed over to me, the one who had pointed in the lead. All three were smirking. I stood up and was about to walk out of the booth when they blocked my way. I looked up at them. The one in the lead was still smirking.

"Where ya headin' to so fast?" I stood up taller.

"Shut your trap and leave me alone. "One of the other boys grinned and elbowed the other in the ribs. They exchanged smirks.

"Well," the boy in the lead said, "I'm Dally. What's your name, broad?"

I glared at him. "So you're Dallas Winston then."

Dally looked surprised, but quickly hid it with a sneer. "Heard of me before then, have you?

Yeah," I replied. "Heard the fuzz goin' on about a Dallas Winston slashing someone's tires.

You should see my record sometime, baby." Dally said, helping himself to my Coke.

I took it from him and set it down. "Don't."

One of the boys behind Dally grinned at me. "Fiery, huh? You'd better watch it."

I turned my glare on him. "You'd better watch it."

Dally laughed out loud "Tim, you'd better watch it! That broad looks dangerous!"

I turned my attention back to him. "This broad has a name, you know.

Well, shoot, you didn't tell me when I asked," Dally replied, pushing me back into the booth and sitting down, giving me no way to escape.

"Well, I was too busy figuring out who you were. The name's Ash, by the way."

Dally picked up my Coke again and took a sip. "Ash, huh? What's that short for, Ashley?"

I snorted. "For Pete's sake, no. My full name's Ashton, but everyone calls me Ash."

Dally drained the last of my Coke. The other two boys, Tim and a rusty haired guy with a Mickey Mouse shirt sat down across from us.

Dally grinned at a passing waiter. "Three Cokes. You want another?" he asked, looking at me.

"Yeah, 'cause you drank mine."

Dally looked back up at the waiter, who was waiting expectantly for our order. "Make that four Cokes." The waiter nodded and walked off.

"So," Dally said, putting his arm around my shoulders. "Why you here all alone?" I shrugged him off and concentrated on the wood grain pattern on the table, ignoring him. Dally indifferently began talking to the other two boys.

"Two-Bit, Soda and Steve still at the DX?" I looked at the boy in the Mickey Mouse shirt. He must be Two-Bit then, I thought. But who're Soda and Steve?

Two-Bit's voice dragged me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, they'll be back soon though. I think Johnnycake's back at the house with Pony and Darry; we gotta meet 'em there."

I smiled to myself. "Strange names these boys have got. So far, there's Two-Bit, Soda, and Pony. Soda and Pony, who names their kids that? Still, they weren't bad names. Kind of a shock at first, but still nice. Very original. I started slightly as Dally spoke again.

"Ash…Ash…broad!" It took me a second to figure out he was talking to me. I looked up.

Dally grinned. "So, you answer to broad, but not Ash?"

I glared at him. "Shut your trap, Winston."

Just then the waiter came back with our Cokes. Dally took one and offered it to me. I tried to take it, but he held on. "Under one condition. You gotta come back and meet the gang."

I stared at him. "Why?"

He sighed."Soda's been a little down lately, since his girl moved to Florida. Darry's stressed out from working and taking care of them. The rest of us are all down now, 'cause we're a gang, and gangs stick by each other. We're all trying to cheer Soda and Darry up. We could use a broad's help."

I looked at him incredulously."So you're telling me I have to go meet your gang after I just met you? And what's 'we could use a broad's help' supposed to mean?!"

Two-Bit grinned. "Well..."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll get my own Coke, thanks."

Dally sighed and looked at Two- Bit and Tim. "All right, broad, listen. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Which would you prefer?" Tim asked, standing up. I caught the wink from him, and smiled slightly, playing along.

"Bring it on."

Tim raised his voice slightly. "Come on, we've got this one cornered!" A few people looked at us. Dally and Two-Bit stood up menacingly.

I got up and looked them straight in the eye. "Just you try it." I spoke even louder than Tim had. More people were looking at us, some in fear, but most of them were excited. I could hear murmurs of 'fight' going through the crowd slowly gathering around our booth. I glanced at the boys next to me. I could see this is what they had wanted to start. Harmless old excitement. One of my favorite things to do. Well, when I could, of course. Dally took a step closer to me. I was already against the wall in the booth, so all I could do was to raise my fists.

Dally flashed a quick grin at me. "Ready? Can you fight?" I smirked. "Of course." He smiled a threw a quick punch skillfully aimed to not hit me but look as if he had tried to. Quick as lightning, I stuck back. Two-Bit and Tim then sprang into action. Tim dove onto the table toward me, while Two-Bit came around to help Dally. I chanced a quick look behind me. There was a low wall between our booth and the next, not a high jump. Dally saw my intention.

"Over?" He murmered. I gave him a slight nod, and vaulted over the wall into the booth, startling some people nearby. Tim and Dally vaulted over the wall quickly, while Two-Bit came around the other side to block my way out. I dodged his arm, and sped toward the door. Running out, I turned back towards the door, where Dally, Two-Bit, and tim were walking out calmly. Dally raised his hand for a high-five.

"You dig okay, baby." I smirked, slapping his raised hand. "Not bad yourself, Winston." The few people that had followed us out went back inside, realizing it was all a setup. Tim grinned at me cheerfully. "Coke, anyone?" I laughed. "Shoot, Tim, you snatched the Coke?" He handed them out as we lounged on a nearby bench.

"So, Ash, you gonna meet the gang?" Dally asked.

I nodded. "I think so. Anything weird though, and you're deady!"

Dally adopted a frightened expression. "Oh no, the cops! You gonna set the fuzz on us?"

I leaned back and took a deep breath. "Oh, you won't have to deal with them. You'll have to deal with me."

Tim and Two-Bit choked into their Cokes. I glared at them. "What's wrong with that, Tim and Two-Bit?" I emphasized the last word.

Two-Bit grinned. "Wanna know how I got my nickname?"

I nodded. "Not every day you meet a guy named Two-Bit."

"Well, I always have to get my two bits in, so Two-Bit's what they call me."

Dally grinned. "His real name's Keith Mathews, but no one ever remembers that. Everyone knows him as Two-Bit."

Tim got up, finishing the last of his Coke. "I gotta go. Gang's waitin' for me. We're having a fight with a couple of Socs. Nothin' big, we won't need help."

Dally got up. "We should be leaving too. Sure you don't want help?"

Tim nodded as he walked off. "Later."

"Bye Tim!" I called out.

He turned and grinned. "Bye broad!"

I laughed and turned back toward Two-Bit and Dally. "Well, we gonna go meet that gang of yours or what?"