A/N: Okay, so I'm working on 3 stories at once, meaning that it'll take a whole lot of extra time of mine to work on at least 1, but I'm not quitting on away of my stories! Anyway, this idea just rushed to my head and I couldn't just store it away until "Welcome to the New Home" and "Very Greasy Weddings" was finished! This story takes place a month after "The Outsiders" and Johnny and Dallas had both survived their injuries, as if they were never harmed. This story also takes place before "Welcome to the New Home", so Jazz isn't in this, and it's as if the gang already knew about Jocelyn and Cassidy, but they're a year younger in this story. So, this story is about a young girl living her usual life in Tulsa, but now she's transferring to a new school and everything changes…now, sit back, relax, clear your mind, and enjoy chapter 1 of my third story on here! Enjoy! Please review, and two characters in this story, Charlie and Rebecca, are named after my two friends, just to let yawl know, but they're ages and appearances in this story might not exactly match them in real life! Either way though, they're totally golden and absolutely tuff, so I wanted to use their names just for the main characters friends, but the main character won't show up just yet! :D
Chapter 1
Ah, Tulsa…it seems just like that part of the world where the Greasers own one side of town and the Socs own the other…but it's not just filled with the two battling gangs of the Greasers and the Socs. People who aren't Greasers or Socs, which are labeled with the name of "Regulars" actually try their best to not pay any mind with any of their attention on the Greasers, nor the Socs, but some Regulars have a rougher job at it then how some others handle all of the drama with Mustangs driving by with loud music roaring inside and alarms going off in certain stores that contain mostly beer and cigarettes.
You never know what to expect after each new day in Tulsa with the Greasers and the Socs…but for a certain family called the Prescott's, everyday just got worse and worse. The Prescott's is a family of four, and let's just say that they absolutely do not understand the meanings of the two words "love" and "care"…but that comes a bit later.
It was an ordinary September day at the Curtis's house after a month had past from Ponyboy's theme that had everything from him walking home from the movie theater and getting jumped, from Johnny stabbing Bob the Soc for self-defense, and all the way to when the Greasers won the rumble, and not to mention when the gang thought that Johnny and Dallas were both dead, Dally from being shot seven or so times from the fuzz, and Johnny from getting serious burns and his back getting busted from a falling beam at that old church that was now nothing but broken pieces of wood and piles of ash.
Surprisingly, Johnny and Dally both survived from their incidents, and the Greasers were all absolutely relieved and overjoyed with happiness, especially Ponyboy and Johnny's little sisters, eleven-year-old Carla, who's nickname is Cassidy, and six-month-old Jocelyn. Johnny's back wasn't actually busted at all. It was just sensitively sore, and his terrible scars from the fire had all healed, just like his sore back did, as if he was never in any pain. Dallas, on the other hand, was acting as if what happened between him and the fuzz never happened at all, considering that he was absolutely glad that Johnny-cake was still alive because the gang and his little sisters needed him. Either way though, both of them were fine and back in the gang. Johnny was back in school with Ponyboy, Kitten, and Two-bit, and Dallas was back to his usual time getting hauled in, or succeeding with robbing beer and cigarettes. Other then that, everything was starting to slowly return back to normal for the Greasers.
Like stated before, it was just an ordinary afternoon of another September day under the Curtis's roof, and all of the Greasers were busy with their usual stuff that they did in the afternoons during the school year. The sun might've been shining in the clear blue sky with a few white fluffy clouds drifting about, but all of the Greasers were inside the Curtis's house instead of being outside, which is how everything usually is with them during the school year.
Darry had just finished paying the bills, along with Sodapop's help, and now, Darry was just kicking back in the recliner reading the newspaper, while Soda played his usual card game with Steve at the coffee table, the two best buddies hiding aces and other cards up their sleeves and in their socks, and dragging them out into their actual cards when the other wasn't looking.
Two-bit was sitting on the couch with a opened bottle of beer that was half drank in his hands, his eyes lost on the singing and dancing mouse on the TV screen. Kitten was also there on the couch, flipping through an old fashion magazine while she grew her beautiful, small grin and chuckled a bit when she heard Steve and Soda playfully bicker at each other, as they tossed their cards at each other while doing so.
Ponyboy and Johnny were both in the kitchen sitting at the table with their homework papers set out in front of them and pencils being held in their hands. Cassidy was sitting in another chair that was beside Johnny, she busy with her own homework at that moment, too, and Jocelyn was just nibbling and drooling on her own fingers as she sat on Johnny's lap, having one of his arms wrapped around her while his free arm was used for him to write.
"What'd you get for number seven, Pone?" Johnny asked, tapping his pencil on the table confusedly.
"I don't know, I didn't get that one yet," Ponyboy replied "hey, Two-bit! Did you get number seven on our chemistry homework?"
Two-bit's eyes stayed remained on Mickey Mouse as he listened and took time to take in Ponyboy's question, but then he let out a small laugh to himself.
"I don't do homework, remember, Pony? I always blow it off till the next day so I can copy it from those trashy geeks that sit in the way back of the room!" Two-bit exclaimed, and he was only exclaiming so Ponyboy and Johnny could hear his response about the chemistry homework from the kitchen.
Johnny and Ponyboy exchanged a look, and to Ponyboy's surprise, Johnny actually rolled his eyes. Jonathan Cade had never even clenched his teeth angrily ever before in his life, but he was actually rolling his eyes in an annoyed-like manner towards what Two-bit just said about those "trashy geeks" that sit in the way back of their chemistry class.
"Those people in the back aren't trashy geeks, Two-bit," Johnny spoke with his usual innocent and calm tone. "They're Regulars,"
"And that's what makes them trashy geeks, Johnny-cake. They're nothing like us, but we're just lucky that they ain't like Socs either," Two-bit kicked back on the couch and shrugged his shoulders. "So I guess you could argue from it being good or bad about 'em being nothing but pieces of geeky trash,"
Darry slapped the newspaper down onto his lap and shot his eyes in an annoyed way at the wisecracker of the gang.
"Two-bit, don't you just go assuming things about these Regulars and speaking bad 'bout them with my baby brother and Johnny-cake, ya hear?!" Darry demanded
Two-bit took a drink of the clear, brownish liquid from his bottle of beer and swallowed what was in his mouth before he wiped away the remaining drops from his lips with the back of his free hand. His eyes were still remaining straight on the singing and dancing mouse on the TV screen.
"I'm sorry, Superman, but how can somebody just pretend everything's tuff when they clearly witness themselves or hear from other people about us and the Socs?" Two-bit asked
"Hey!" Kitten exclaimed as she smacked Two-bit over the head with the magazine that she was reading, but she made sure that it didn't hurt him too much. Still, Two-bit being Two-bit and all, the wisecracker flew his hand to where Kitten thumped him with the rolled up magazine and let out a phony "Ow!", even though he knew that the whole gang could tell that he was lying.
"What was that for, Kitty-Cat?!" Two-bit asked
Kitten narrowed her eyes as she rolled them, cracking her grin again as she allowed some of her pretty chuckles to escape from her mouth.
"Matthews, you ain't foolin' anyone with your fake hurts. Reality check, Two-bit, that joke got old around the fourth grade," Kitten informed
"Second grade!" Steve objected with a laugh, as he flung another card at Soda.
Two-bit playfully rolled his eyes and smiled his big, goofy smile, taking his hand back down away from his head from where Kitten hit him with the magazine and resting it back on his side.
"Your guys point being then?" Two-bit asked
"Those Regulars may seem like everything's going tuff and alright to us, but maybe in their own minds, things properly are as rough with them just witnessing and thinking about it while we live it," Kitten explained, opening up the magazine to the page that she was reading before she rolled it up and thumped Two-bit over the head with it.
Two-bit let out another laugh, right before he took another drink of his beer, then wiped away the remaining drops with the back of his hand again from his lips, just like he did before.
"Ha! Please! Those Regulars have it made, just like the Socs do! The only difference is that they actually have to get work done if they actually want to earn something!" Two-bit laughed
A confused expression formed on Cassidy's face after she took in and thought about what Two-bit just said about Regulars, and the second oldest Cade looked away from her math homework, turning her attention over to the arch doorway that entered the Curtis's living room.
"Well, Two-bit, wouldn't that make Regulars like us? Since they have to work to get things, doesn't that make them like us?" Cassidy questioned
Two-bit shook his head, but considering that he knew that Cassidy couldn't see him because she was in the kitchen with Johnny, Jocelyn, and Ponyboy, the wisecracker of the gang knew that he would have to speak up with more words.
"Cassidy, we're Greasers, and the Socs are Socs, and the Regulars are…well…Regulars, obviously," Two-bit shrugged his shoulders. "We're all different,"
Ponyboy cocked an eyebrow when he heard Two-bit say that, while he wrote down another answer for a different problem on his chemistry homework, allowing Johnny to copy it down afterwards.
"Two-bit, we're not different as much as you think. I still remember what Cherry told me, and you guys should all know because Dally snagged my theme and you all read it when I wasn't home," Ponyboy rolled his eyes at that thought, while the rest of the gang exchanged smiles and snickered a bit at the memory of how Dallas found the youngest Curtis's theme in his notebook under his and Sodapop's bed.
"Things are rough all over," Kitten stated the message that Pony was speaking about with an admiring smile on her face. "It's true,"
"How on earth do the Socs have things rough?" Two-bit asked with a single roll of his eyes.
"That's a question that'll always have to remain a secret, Two-bit. It ain't stated in Ponyboy's theme," Steve pointed out as he and Soda threw the last of their cards down to the floor, and then the two best buddies started their usual arm wrestling contest.
"Actually, I think it's obvious that Socs get spoiled to the point and they never get disciplined that they don't understand what's right or wrong…that's why I think the Socs have it rough…because they never get treated right with actual parents…they just get everything they want," Ponyboy shared
Johnny grew a small grin and nodded a little nod of agreement, even though he's been beaten and jumped many times by the Socs before. Still, Johnny felt like that the Socs went through roughness, too.
Kitten and Darry exchanged smiles from their seats in the living room after hearing what Ponyboy just said. They might've hated the Socs guts, but it wasn't their faults for turning into their snobby and prissy selves. It was mainly their folks faults for giving them no orders, spoiling them to death, and never disciplining them from things they've done wrong in the past. Nevertheless, Greasers and Socs would never mix. All Two-bit did though was roll his eyes at Ponyboy's statement. Other then Dallas, Two-bit was the main Greaser that hated the Socs to death with his whole heart and mind, and he believed that Socs didn't have anything rough to deal with or go through, unlike the Greasers gang.
"..Must be nice..." Two-bit mumbled under his breath, referring to Pony's statement about the Socs, before taking another small sip of his beer from his glass bottle.
"Aw, can your mouth shut, Matthews!" Steve ordered with an angry flash of his eyes towards Two-bit added into his speaking. "I hate to admit it, but the kids got a point there!"
"Yeah, Two-bit! Don't you be mockin' my kid brothers opinion, ya hear?!" Soda demanded, still being busy with trying his best with all of his tough energy and strength to get Steve's arm crushed down onto the coffee table to sound stern towards Two-bit to make him know for a hardcore fact that Sodapop meant business.
The wisecracker of the gang was now just having his eyes back to being glued on his favorite TV show while he tried his best to forget about all that he and the rest of the Greasers just talked about with the Socs and whatnot with the Regulars.
"Man, guys, where's ol' Dally? I haven't seen him 'round all day today," Two-bit announced throughout the entire Curtis's household. "Is he still in the slammer from getting hauled in yesterday night?"
Steve shook his head when still arm wrestling Soda, both of their arms now trembling and faces bright red. Finally, Steve allowed his arm to fall, and Sodapop, of course, cheered and clapped for himself, right before he started doing his little happy dance around the living room and into the kitchen, which made everybody, even Darry, crack their smiles and laugh.
"No, Two-bit," Steve then said "Dally was released very early this morning, considering that all he did last night was litter, but knowing him…he's properly robbing some bottles of beer and new cigarette packs,"
With the Greasers now all wondering about that with Dally being God knows where after getting released from the jail yet again, it was that time to transfer over to a certain family of four…the Prescott family, who didn't know anything at all about love and care, nor trust or happiness either. One man, one lady, and two girls. The Prescott's were Regulars, trying their best to forget all about Greasers and Socs, but for one of the Regulars…she was focusing on what being in a gang would actually feel like.
Her name was Sondra. Sondra Allison Prescott, a fourteen-year-old girl who's a little tiny bit taller for her age, and she has hair that goes down to the bottom of her neck. It was short and so golden, as if she had the rays of heavens glory for hair instead of actual, regular, human hair, but Sondra usually has it all shagged up and uncombed, mainly because she was a tomboy. Sondra's eyes were pale blue, and she had light, light tan skin that was as smooth as a babies. She was beautiful, even though her hair was usually all shaggy, and her clothes were usually tattered, worn out, ripped up, and dirty, and not to mention the fact that Sondra never wears makeup, but she doesn't need it. She has natural beauty, but on the inside, Sondra's just a sensitive and shy dreamer that's lost in the world, not knowing where she actually belonged in it. Seriously, Sondra even hated her own name from feeling so shy about how others would refer to her as if they knew it, and so, she only allowed others to know and call her "Baby" instead of her actual name.
Sondra lived in a small, two-story house that was in the center of town, meaning that half of it was in the Greasers territory, and the other half was in the Socs territory. Mr and Mrs. Prescott, who are really named Dominic Stuart Prescott and Spring Rosella Prescott, were actually not the couple of parents you'd want to bring your future husband/wife to meet, or just a friend in general. The thing is, Dominic and Spring were both abusers to their two daughters, Sondra, of course, and Sondra's little seven-year-old sister, Iris, who just so happens to be blind because Spring took this type of powdered drug when she was pregnant with Iris. Spring took all kinds of different drugs while Dominic drank all day, but they just looked like any other married couple would look. Ordinary and loving…but love, care, trust, joy, and anything with a great meaning just didn't exist when you're with Mr and Mrs. Prescott.
Sondra gets verbally abused by her mother, and not to mention spit upon once in awhile by her, and Dominic physically gets going on Sondra at least eight or so times a day over anything that he thought was bad. Heck, one time Sondra just walked through the front door of her house and she announced that she had arrived back from her day at school, which is when she was greeted by a painful punch in the stomach by her father, right before Spring hollered out that she was nothing but a worthless piece of crap that shouldn't have ever been born. That's how cold Dominic and Spring were.
Iris was nothing like Spring and Dominic were though. Like stated before, she's the youngest daughter of the married couple, being only seven years old and Sondra's blind little sister. Considering that she was blind, Iris's eyes were a shimmering bright grayish-whitish color, and her hair was brunette, and so long and wavy, going down to just a little below the center of her back. Her skin was just simply white, and just as smooth as her older sisters. Iris and Sondra absolutely loved each other, being the only two spreading actual love, care, trust, and other great happiness throughout their household the best they could while trying to avoid their parents harsh words and painful beat downs for no reasons at all. Iris's personality was just ordinary, sweet innocence, just like any child her age would have for a personality. Sondra, on the other hand though…shouldn't be so, so quiet and shy for a teenager her age.
Sondra looked just like her Mama while Iris looked just like their Dada, but at least Iris didn't have to see how ticked off Spring and Dominic got when getting drunk, high, and just angry out of nowhere.
Sondra had a rough life, trying her best to find her place in the world, and not to mention actually trying to find friends, other then her two friends, Charlie and Rebecca, who took care and helped Iris deal with her blindness a little bit better each and every day. Sondra was precious, like a flower…and she was very wise and innocent…but she was also very shy and sensitive, like stated before, and she really only has Rebecca and Charlie as friends, but she doesn't even tell them about her and Iris being abused, and Sondra makes Iris promise every day before she takes her to see Rebecca and Charlie to not speak a single word about their folks…and Iris always assured her that she wouldn't…but on one day…Sondra's life changed, as well did the Greasers gang, and it all started on that exact September afternoon.
The fourteen-year-old girl was walking home from school as always in the sunlight and cool breeze of the fall afternoon, looking down at her old tennis shoes go back and forth on her feet as she walked, and her shagged up, golden blonde hair flowed gently a bit in the cool breeze. Sondra's pale blue eyes were gazing straight down at her old tennis shoes, not paying any mind to other people who walked by her and started snickering and whispering how hideous she looked, or if she was truly homeless when looking the way that she did. Sondra has never been told by anyone in the whole world that she was pretty or beautiful or anything sweet like that, and she's too shy to actually speak up to somebody. That poor fourteen-year-old girl is nearly scared of her own shadow, as if she was some shaky little bunny.
Sondra was dressed in her old worn out tennis shoes, worn out; light blue jeans, and her regular plaid red and black shirt that had long sleeves, and it was slightly dirty with some mud stains that were hardly noticeable unless being up close. Her light blue jeans were also covered in some dirt stains, mainly around her shins and knees, but not much dirt or anything covered her pants, as if mud and dirt even bothered her. Sondra had always been a tomboy since the first day she learned about fashion when growing up. She wasn't into all of that girly, frilly, wildly colored stuff like perfume, makeup, hair bands/clips, or purses. She was just happy with being her usual, quiet tomboy self with her black backpack swung over her right arm every weekday when coming home and walking back to school weekday after weekday…but at least a loving home with loving parents, more friends, possibly a boyfriend that'd actually adore her for her, and a place in the world would really make her life better for both her and her little sister.
The colorful leaves scraped against the silver sidewalk in the cool, soft breeze of the fall day, and Sondra was as always, all by herself when walking home from school. She just so happened to be a student from Ponyboy, Johnny, Kitten, and Two-bit's high school because she skipped a grade in grade school, just like Ponyboy and Kitten both did. Sondra was smart, but she didn't use her head much, like Pony, and she was extremely shy, sensitive, and quiet, just like Johnny and Cassidy (Jocelyn, too, but she's only six months in this story!).
Sondra knew everything about Greasers and Socs, but being a Regular and all, she tried day after another single day, week after week, month after month, and even year after another long year to just drop and forget about it all. However, it wasn't that easy. Two-bit wasn't right about all Regulars…not all of them had it made, nor had it easy at all. What Ponyboy stated in his theme because of Cherry's chat with him was correct…things are rough all around for all people, no matter if you're a Greaser, Soc, or even a Regular…things will always be rough.
"…Alright, Sondra…you..you can do this…just ignore them and be your usual self who's always quiet around them and helpful with Iris…" Sondra whispered to herself, nearly having tears to start forming in her pale blue eyes from her worrying so much about them…or in other works, Dominic and Spring. They always hollered at her and spit at her, and not to mention smack and hit her for no reason at all. Spring and Dominic also did the same to Iris, but not as much as they give such horrible beat downs and bicker such foul language at Sondra. Seriously, it feels like to Sondra that her and her little sisters lives was nothing but a rated R movie that wouldn't ever end.
Not only that, but Sondra wore long sleeves and long pants a whole lot more then short sleeves and shorts or other short pieces of clothing like that because she always hid the bruises and scars that she had carved into her skin at the time behind all of the fabric, but still, she couldn't keep all of the bruises hidden from sight. She had one peaking out a bit from her shirts collar, and not to mention a few more sneaking out from her wrists, which Sondra just tugged her sleeves back down to cover up, and she fixed her shirts collar a bit better to keep the couple of injuries she had on her neck actually hidden. The main point is though…Sondra lies to her classroom…she lies everyday at school…she lies to the teachers…and she always tries…to cover every bruise and any other injury she had secretly.
Iris, on the other hand, just allowed her bruises, scratches, scars, and other injuries on her arms and legs and a little on her neck show once in awhile. Every time that Rebecca and Charlie got confused and absolutely concerned about it, they asked Iris about it, but she painfully and hurtfully lied to them, making up stories every time she got a new type of injury from Spring and/or Dominic. Sondra backed her up when and if Charlie and/or Rebecca questioned her then about the youngest Prescott, and when and if Rebecca and/or Charlie caught sight of her injuries, which rarely ever happened, Sondra made up lies, too. They both absolutely regretted it, considering that Charlie and Rebecca were both so loving and caring, amazing friends, but Spring and Dominic threatened their daughters to never speak about what goes on in their household with others.
As Sondra kept walking, adjusting her backpack over her right arm a couple of times, while keeping her pale blue eyes down at her old tennis shoes and sighed a bit because of her wounded and aching heart, the fourteen-year-old girl let out a yelp as she felt herself to bump into something…or someone, actually.
Sondra's eyes shot huge from fear as her heart took one heck of a giant, fearful leap in her chest. She quickly shot her attention up to see a teenaged boy with dark brown, greasy hair, white skin, and a cold pair of eyes that were staring right down at her. He was wearing a leather black jacket, a worn out pair of regular jeans, a ring on his finger that he had stole from some drunk teenager, and a regular dark, rusty-orange shaded T-shirt, along with a pair of pointed toe, brown boots.
Sondra could've sworn that she felt her heart drop, because she knew that, that teenaged boy wasn't just a teenaged boy…but he was a Greaser…and not only was he a Greaser…but he was Dallas Winston. Dally. Sondra has heard of Dallas Winston before, considering that everyone in Tulsa has heard about Dallas somehow with something, and Sondra was truly, deeply frightened of him.
Dally's cold eyes flooded with anger as he released a gray smoke ring from his mouth, after taking it in from his cancer-stick that was being held inbetween his right hands pointer and middle fingers.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Sondra cried out, her voice stuttering as her body started trembling from being so scared. "I, I s-should've been watching w-where I was go-"
"Let me just tell you that you're wasting your breath, so apologizes are absolutely worthless to me! You're just lucky that I'm on probation, otherwise I'd take care of you, you broadly Regular!" Dallas exclaimed
Sondra took down a big lump in her throat, along with a very bad taste that sank down along with it. She absolutely hated it when others just referred to her as a Regular, but being called a broad at the same time just made it a whole lot rougher on both her heart and her mind.
"Say, kid, you got any cash on you or anything valuable?" Dally asked
"…I'm afraid I don't…not unless you count the clothes on my back, my tennis shoes that are all old and worn out on my feet, or my school bag that has absolutely nothing in it but my homework and books," Sondra sighed her whole reply in one go to Dallas, her tone filled with nothing but complete sorrow.
Dallas rolled his eyes at her long response though. All he was looking for was a simple yes or no.
"Whoa, whoa there, broad!" Dally bellowed "I was asking for either a yes or a no for your little reply! Nothing more! I didn't ask for what all you had on you here! Like, as if I'm going to take some stupid school supplies and old, worn out, dirty broad clothes!"
All Sondra did was pout that time, as a single tear formed and dropped out of her right eye without Dally even noticing it drip down her cheek and fall to the sidewalk with a soft, gentle "Plop!"
The fourteen-year-old just simply listened and innocently watched with her frown staying straight on her face, as Dally take in and let out one final breath of smoke, right before he put his cigarette out and just let it there on the sidewalk, not caring to pick it back up and place it into a trash bin, considering that he was Dallas Winston and whatnot.
Dally then reached into his leather jackets pocket and whipped out his switchblade, which certainly made Sondra's heart feel like it was a bomb of terror that was about to explode any moment, and her eyes were now huge again, but Dallas still never paid any attention to how frightened she looked. She actually liked it when people were scared of him, even the other Greasers, except the Cade's, of course, and if there was one main person Dally would love to scare, it was some Regular.
"Kid, just watch where you're going next time, understand?!" Dally demanded, only using his switchblade to start cleaning the dirt out from underneath his nails.
"…Y-Yes.." Sondra gulped back with a single stammer in response.
"Good, now get going! I need to go to the store and "buy" a few things for my friends!" Dallas exclaimed, his voice echoing with bitter anger as he stomped past Sondra, pushing her out of his way a bit when he stomped past her, and continued his way down the direction that Sondra had just came from.
The fourteen-year-old girl wiped the fearful tears away from her pale blue eyes before they could start falling down her face, as she quietly, but rapidly at the same time, began breathing in and out to herself. Her heart was now pounding so hard in her chest that it felt like it was about to pop from so much terror any moment, but Sondra just caught the present that she was then in at that moment with Dally now away from her, took in and let out one final, deep and soft breath from her mouth, then continued her way home, where Spring and Dominic were either getting drunk, high, maybe both, or just making out on the couch or something like that.
Sondra walked for another five or so minutes all by herself in the autumn season, while listening to Mustangs drive by with loud music cranked up inside, along with a couple of male Socs calling out from their rolled down windows such rude comments and insults about Sondra being a Regular and whatever else that they thought was wrong with her.
"WHERE'D YOU GET YOUR CLOTHES?! THE DUMP?!" some redhead male Soc laughed as he spitted some of his beer out at Sondra, but he didn't get a single drop on her.
"WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE IN THIS WORLD, REGULAR?!" the redhead Socs best friend, who was just some black-haired Soc with dark skin, bellowed out.
"COMB YOUR HAIR, WHY DON'T YA?!"
"WHAT ARE YOU, A HOMELESS BROAD, OR ONE OF THOSE TRAVELERS THAT ATTEMPT TO EARN CASH MY JUST BEGGING ON YOUR KNEES?!"
"WHY WOULD YOUR PARENTS EVEN WANT TO GIVE BIRTH TO YOU?!"
"Why don't you all shut up?!" Sondra hollered out finally at the yellow Mustang, but her voice wasn't that upset or angry much. It was mainly just still remaining shy and now nervous, along with some fear all over again now. "Just shut up and leave me alone!"
The yellow Mustang had stalked the poor fourteen-year-old girl until she finally reached her house and started wandering up the driveway, while she heard the Socs yell out some more unspeakable language and honked the horn rapidly a bit, finally before they actually drove off out of sight once and for all.
Sondra closed her pale blue eyes, took in and let out a deep, but very soft breath to herself, then reopened her eyes, right before she took her key out from resting inside her worn out and slightly dirty jeans pocket. She only took a couple of seconds of jiggling and twisting the key around in the main stained-glass doors doorknob, until finally hearing the clicking sound from the other side.
No greeting came out at all from Sondra's lips as she nervously stepped into her house, closing the door behind her all the way afterwards. Not a surprise that she didn't get a hello or the question that most teenagers got about how their school day went, but it was also surprising to Sondra that she didn't get punched in the stomach or had anything hollered at her right after the front door was heard shutting all the way behind her.
Dominic was laying back on the tan couch with the newspaper being read in his hands, one sock being worn on his feet while the other wasn't, and his pants were nothing but tattered-designed jeans. He didn't have a shirt on though, and his thick red hair was all knotted up from him recently waking up from yet another hangover. Yet, a couple empty glass bottles of beer were resting beside the couch on the shiny, wooden floor, and another one that was already half drank was resting beside Dominic's left side on the couch.
Spring, on the other hand, was busy cooking dinner for herself and Dominic, while their daughters just had to deal with not eating anything yet again, and she had serious black, blue, and purple mixture shades around her eyes, meaning that she must've taken some more drugs when Sondra was out at school, and Iris was out over at Rebecca's house with both Rebecca and Charlie.
"Oh, dirt bag, you're home," Dominic slurred, and Sondra instantly knew that he was addressing her with yet another harsh nickname.
"…Yes, Dad…I'm home from school," Sondra sighed, pretending that she didn't hear the two words that her father had used to call her this time, and not to mention meeting his heartless eyes that were surrounding by blackness, because he was obviously still trying to get over his hangover.
"Vondra, make yourself useful and go fetch your sister again from Rebecca's house," Spring coughed a bit as she stirred the soup that she was making for her and Dominic's dinner in a pot with a wooden spoon on the stove.
"…My names Sondra, Mother…" Sondra muttered under his breath with her usual sorrow tone that always hit her voice when she was under her own homes roof.
"Excuse me, young lady?! What was that?!" Spring demanded, her teeth, which were a light yellow color, now clenched in an upsetting way towards hers and Dominic's oldest child.
Sondra started to tremble as she took down a gulp in her throat, and she watched Spring stare heartlessly at her with her hands now pressed on her hips. Sondra was in the terrifying zone, now thinking about what worse thing could happen to her this time, but her thoughts were interrupted when Dominic spitted out the words in a raged voice, "You answer your mother the first time she speaks a question to you, our horrible, drunken mistake!"
Okay, those words seriously hurt, but Sondra wouldn't allow herself to shed a tear in front of her folks. She wasn't allowed to anyway…she wasn't allowed to cry at all unless she wanted to get the leather belt.
"…Nothing…I said nothing," Sondra gulped, her throat now starting to feel sore on the inside from holding back so many tears that she truly desperately wanted to release, but she knew she couldn't.
"That's what I thought! Now go pick up your sister from Rebecca's!" Spring ordered, nearly spitting with every word she proclaimed bitterly and angrily. "And do not make me repeat it a third time!"
"…Yes, Mom…" Sondra sighed as she dropped her book bag to the floor, then she hit it back out the front door to go pick Iris up, while she heard her own parents snicker and say such rude things about her behind her back.
Nevertheless, the oldest child of the two Prescott daughters just kept her mouth shut, as always, and she did her route to Rebecca's house that she usually took to pick Iris up every day of the week, after school on weekdays, and around 4:30 in the afternoon through 6:30 on the weekends. Rebecca's house was only a ten minute walk away from Sondra's house, Charlie's actually only being five more minutes extra when Sondra traveled there instead of Rebecca's to pick Iris up, and even though Rebecca's and Charlie's houses are both in Greasers territory, they aren't actually Greasers, nor Socs. The two of them are Regulars, Charlie being seventeen and Rebecca being sixteen, and the two of them volunteered to help Iris deal with her blindness, like stated before.
Sondra knocked on the front door of Rebecca's house after she arrived ten minutes later, and after three seconds of waiting for somebody to enter or something, Rebecca's sweet and kind voice called out, "It's open! Come on in!", followed by Charlie's handsome voice saying, "Yeah, come join in the party, population, three!"
Hearing their voices was all Sondra needed to actually hear to have a rare, small, pretty grin flash across her face, followed by a couple of her sweet, soft giggles, which were also very rare, and the fourteen-year-old girl entered the beautiful house. Kindly, Sondra closed the door quietly and peacefully behind her, and then she walked into the small, beautiful family room where Charlie, Rebecca, and Iris were usually always when Rebecca and Charlie looked over and taught Iris to do things when being blind. As always, the three of them were in there, Rebecca and Charlie sitting there in the floor of the center of the room with Iris in front of them, her grayish-whitish eyes shimmering, as if they were glowing absolutely white, and she was listening to Charlie and Rebecca as they took turns talking to her.
"Okay, Iris," Charlie kindly spoke to the seven-year-old blind girl. "Can you tell me and Becca what this color is?"
Gently and caringly, Charlie took a hold of adorable little Iris's hand, then slowly reached her little bare hand over to the card that he was holding, which spelt out the color of "Red" in brail.
As always, Iris's mouth hung open as she thought about the feelings of the small bumps that Charlie ran her fingers over on the special cards that he and Rebecca had to teach her.
"…Red…" Iris then spoke, her voice gentle and innocent, also very soft and adorable, being only a little seven-year-old child and all.
"Good job, little one. That was correct," Charlie smiled his tuff, golden, handsome grin as he gently tucked a piece of Iris's long hair behind her earring pierced ears.
"What about this color, Iris?" Rebecca questioned
Iris slowly turned her head over a bit to the direction she heard Rebecca's loving and gentle voice, and allowed the sixteen-year-old girl to take her hand like Charlie just did, and she sooner felt the small bumps of brail on a different card spell out the color "Pink"
"…Pink…" Iris piped up, and Rebecca and Charlie smiled at each other, right before turning their golden grins back to the little seven-year-old, desperately wishing on the inside that she could actually see how proud they were of her.
"You're getting better and better everyday, Iris," Rebecca complimented "but that's enough for today. Tomorrow, it's Charlie's place, and we'll start teaching you how to walk better with your guider, or your cane,"
"…Okay, Becca…okay, Charlie…thank you, guys," Iris thanked, gently taking her arm back from Rebecca's soft and careful grip.
Not only was Iris blind, but another effect that formed when she was inside Spring's stomach when she was about three months away from coming into the world was that, when Spring snorted, or took that powdered drug up her nose, it caused Iris to be born with some brain damage, meaning that she takes time to process her words and thinks about what she's about to say before the words actually come out from her mouth. That's why she actually stutters a lot.
Charlie and Rebecca then stood up from the carpeted floor and rested the brail cards down onto the coffee table. They then turned their smiles towards the fourteen-year-old girl that was standing in the arch doorway with her small, rare grin printed on her face.
"Hey, Baby," Charlie greeted "how you doin' today?"
Sondra shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to share about what happened between her and Dally, and then her with the Socs in the yellow Mustang, and lastly what happened with her and her folks.
"I'm doing just as ordinary as yesterday, Charlie. Thanks for asking," Sondra thanked "but I'm just here to pick Iris up again,"
"We're leaving…now…sissy?" Iris soft and gentle childish voice asked, as Rebecca helped her up from the floor, and led her over to her big sister.
"Yes, Iris, we're leaving now," Sondra replied as she gently took her little sisters hand from Rebecca when she carefully handed her over.
"Wait, Son- I mean, Baby," Rebecca blurted out before Sondra could say good-bye to her and Charlie before leaving.
Sondra stopped and looked at Charlie and Rebecca confusedly, realizing how concerned the two of them now looked.
"What's up with that new bruise on your wrist?" Charlie asked
Sondra could've sworn at that moment that the color had drained out of her skin.
"Huh?"
"Baby, your wrist has another bruise on it. What happened this time?" Rebecca questioned
"I…I fell off of my bike when free riding it 'round Soc territory," Sondra sighed
Rebecca narrowed her eyes in a confused manner as Charlie cocked an eyebrow, and the two of them exchanged their concerned expressions, right before they both gazed back at Sondra and Iris.
"Okay, so first was a black eye because you fell and hit your head on your staircases railing weeks ago…and then it was a terrible scratch across your cheek because you slipped when walking down your porches steps…and now you got yet another nasty bruise from a different incident?" Charlie asked
"…Yep…" That was all Sondra had in mind of being able to say. She knew she still couldn't tell Charlie and/or Rebecca the truth about Spring and/or Dominic being abusive, and Iris couldn't tell them either, otherwise they'd get it big time.
"…Are you two feeling alright? Baby? Iris?" Rebecca asked the two Prescott daughters.
"…We're fine…" Sondra assured, but Rebecca and Charlie were both still super unsure of that same response they practically always got when either of them questioned Iris and/or Sondra if they were okay.
"…Yes…we're absolutely…okay…" Iris lied to have her older sisters back like she usually had hers when she was the one to first painfully lie to Charlie and Rebecca.
Not giving Rebecca and/or Charlie another chance to say a single word more, Sondra told them good-bye and thanks, as Iris stuttered the same thing, then the two of them left out the front door, leaving Charlie and Rebecca both completely confused and concerned for their two little friends yet again. They knew that they were hiding something…but they just didn't know what it was exactly…
"…We're still…not allowed…to tell Charlie and…Rebecca about…Mom and Dad?" Iris hesitated with thinking and processing her words yet again because of her brain damage acting up on her once again, like it always did when she thought things through or was about to speak in general.
"..No, Iris. I'm sorry, but we can never tell them, nor anybody," Sondra instructed her little blind sister, as she guided her down the sidewalk in the autumn sunlight of the cool September day. "Our parents specifically told us both to never allow anyone to know what goes on under our roof,"
"But…it hurts when they…hit us…and yell at…us," Iris pointed out, her usual stuttering taking over her speaking. She wouldn't blink a single time, and the sunlight bounced right off of her grayish-whitish eyes, as if she didn't even notice it, because all she could see was the color gray. The poor little seven-year-old didn't even need to blink one bit. The only time she really closed her eyes was to go to sleep. Other then that, her whitish-grayish eyes would never close or blink because they didn't need to.
"I know," Sondra sighed, turning her attention down to her little blind sister as the two of them continued walking down the gray sidewalk, but right after Sondra finished telling Iris that exact words, "But we can't tell anybody no matter what!", the two of them bumped into something…or someone exactly yet again.
Sondra threw her arms around her little sister and held her close to her to keep her safe after the fourteen-year-old girl realized who it was that she and Iris had bumped into. It was Dally. Dallas Winston…again, but only this time he was holding a couple brown paper bags that were filled with different packs of cigarettes and bottles of beer.
"You again?!" Dally exclaimed at Sondra, pointing one of his pointer fingers angrily at her, which made her let out a small yelp from her lips, as she felt Iris closer to her. "I thought I told you to watch where you were going if we ever ran into each other again, ya broad!"
Sondra immediately covered up Iris's ears after hearing that language come out of Dally's mouth again.
"Watch your words around my little sister, please!" Sondra pleaded
"Oh, and why should I care if she hears me talk like this?! It's whole I am!" Dallas exclaimed
Surprisingly, Sondra was now starting to heat up from anger, and she narrowed her eyes a bit at the Greaser she was speaking with yet again. You mess with Sondra herself, okay then…but when you mess with her little sister…oh, god…
"Maybe because she's only seven years old and not to mention blind!"
That was all Sondra had to say before stomping off with Iris now being held even closer to her. Dally's eyes were now big and his mouth was now completely shutting himself up for a change. Thinking that Iris was blind really got him in the heart, believe it or not, because Dally secretly had a soft spot for certain children. Nevertheless, Dallas only let out a small growl from his lips as he watched Sondra and Iris keep walking down the sidewalk until they were out of his sight. Then, Dally just headed back over to the Curtis's house, which is when he passed out the cigarettes that he "bought" from the store to everyone except Jocelyn, Cassidy, Soda, and Darry, and then he stored the beer in the Curtis's fridge.
"Say, where were you, Dally?" Johnny asked, him now enjoying his playtime with his and Cassidy's baby sister in the living room with everybody in the gang.
"Just taking a walk in town, Johnny-cake. Huntin' some action, ya dig? Oh, and you guys would never guess what I witnessed today in town. This broad kept running into me. She looked about fourteen or so with shagged up, messy, golden blonde hair, pale blue eyes that were filled with plead, light, light tan skin, and she was completely dressed in some dirty clothes that were all worn out," Dally explained to the Greasers gang as he relaxed himself back on the couch.
Ponyboy and Johnny then exchanged looks, their eyes now widened after taking in Dally's words that he used to describe this young girl.
"That girl, Dally, is someone who just transferred over to Kitten's, mine, Johnny-cake's, and Two-bit's high school! She skipped a grade just like Johnny, Kitten, and I did, but I never really caught her name," Ponyboy shared
"Oh, now that you mention it, Pony, I remember her. Yeah, she's in our chemistry class, sitting in the way back with the Regulars," Kitten said
"Regulars are no good, I'm telling ya that now," Two-bit mumbled, rolling his eyes. "And I remember this girl, too, and I must admit that she seems tuff by the way she looks, but she ain't a Greaser, nor a Soc, obviously. She's a Regular,"
Johnny wasn't listening though, unlike everybody else in the gang was…he was lost in thinking about this golden blonde-haired girl that just transferred over to his, Ponyboy's, Two-bit's, and Kitten's high school…and all he could do when thinking about her was slightly heat up, his face now starting to turn bright red…but nobody knew Sondra in the Greasers gang…but sooner or later…they all would…if Sondra can earn enough confidence in herself to come up with even speaking without nervousness or quietness with shyness added in, too…and not to mention Spring and Dominic being abusive towards their daughters…what could possibly happen next?
A/N: Okay, so that's the first chapter, and I hope you all liked it. Please review! I need reviews to help me feel better and get better at my writing! It'll also help me keep going! I'll post the next chapter ASAP, but I need reviews, please! They help me stay strong! Thank you all, and I'll read yawl in the next chapter! :D