When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the train, I had only two things on my mind. Seeing my cousin Two-Bit, and a ride there. I was wishing that I could look like Two-Bit, but only I had his grey eyes, and yet they still didn't hold that kind of power that his did. I liked my eyes still, and they were the only thing I was proud of. More of what I wasn't proud of, was my golden hair that Two-Bit said reminded him of fields of wheat, silently flying. I always smacked him after he said that. My hair was down to my mid-chest, and laid flat.
I stood alone, sitting on my small suitcase that carried all my clothing for a 4-month trip. It wasn't dark out, and in my back pocket I had a silver-handled switchblade, a 16th birthday present from Two-Bit, so I wasn't scared of the passing strangers, giving me dark looks.
It wasn't even midday, but I was tired from my trip, and all I wanted was to go to sleep, but that was impossible, because I needed to wait for my cousin to pick me up. I yawned, stretching my arms up. Someone reached, and tickled me. I screamed, and flipped over, landing into Two-Bit's arms.
"Listen Babe, I know how much ya like me an' all, but we're cousins here, an' we can't be layin' on each other." Two-Bit said with his good-natured grin. I rolled my eyes, and pushed myself up.
"Good God Two-Bit! If I didn't know any better, you'd be the one puttin' yourself on me. Thank the Lord I ain't a blond!" I playfully yelled, eyeing him. My oh my has he gotten bigger, and he's let his side-burns grow in.
"What are you now? Thirty feet?"
"Like your wheatfield. I'm in the mood for some bread. Make me some will ya?" he threw back. I chuckled.
"Come on Dans. Got the car fired up." he said, grabbing my suitcase as I grabbed my brown purse. We walked through some short people, some tall people, some rather skinny, some rather fat, but most of them, the good-dressed ones with the odd looking pants, gave us funny looks. One nearly attacked Two-Bit, but a police car came slowly by, and he turned around.
"Two-Bit. . ." I started, but he interrupted. "Not here Danielle. Let's go." Two-Bit never called me by my full first name. Something must have happened. This wasn't like the place it used to be. I remember it as a friendly place where there was no people wanting to attack us, or giving us strange.
We stopped at a trashy looking car.
"I see you've gotten an upgrade." I said, looking at the new seats.
"Thanks for noticing." he said.
"We all pitched in." Two-Bit added, and I nodded, as if I knew who "we all" were. Two-Bit threw my suitcase in the back seat, slammed the door, and I climbed in with him.
As we were driving through thick fields of wheat, grains, and cows, I decided to talk.
"What happened there?" I asked. Two-Bit looked on, and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"It was a Soc. Stuck up idiot with odd pairs of pants." he finally said.
"A Soc?" I asked back. He nodded.
"I wonder if they purposely wear those pants to make their butts look big, or if they do it on accident." I quickly said to myself, but Two-Bit over heard me. He started to laugh, and steered the car onto the wrong side. I laughed as he go back on the right side, and a car honked behind us.
"Well, if it's on purpose, I don't think they get lots of ladies." he gasped. I laughed, and then we were silent. It wasn't that kind of awkward silence you see in the movie house in romance movies, but the one that is comfortable. You could never get awkward with Two-Bit.
We were almost at Two-Bit's house when he abruptly stopped the car, and ran out. I was in the middle of a nap, and nearly crashed into the window. My eyes opened in a flash, and I looked around for Two-Bit.
Finally, I found him with a group of boys circling around. I quickly unbuckled, and ran out to him. Glory, were some of these boys good-looking. Like that muscular one, or the one with the darkish golden hair. But one caught my eye. He has blonde hair so white, and such a pretty face. I looked down, and gasped as I saw a boy- perhaps 13 or 14 years old- laying on the ground.
"Socs." Two-Bit grimly whispered to me. I looked at the poor boy as the muscular one shook him.
"Are you alright, Ponyboy?" the man asked. Ponyboy was dripping blood from the side of his head, but it didn't seem like a deep wound.
"I'm okay. Quit shaking me, Darry, I'm okay." Ponyboy quietly said, and Darry instantly stopped shaking Ponyboy.
"I'm sorry." Darry said. Ponyboy nodded, but it looked as though he thought that Darry didn't mean it. Darry jammed his thumbs in his jean pocket.
"They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?" he asked. Ponyboy shook his head.
"I'm okay." he nearly yelled in a frustrated voice. The one with the darkish golden hair stepped forward.
"You got cut up a little, huh, Ponyboy?" he asked. Ponyboy looked at the boy with confusion on his face. "I did?"
The boy took out a handkerchief, wet it with the tip of his tongue, and placed it against Ponyboy's head.
"You're bleedin' like a stuck pig." the boy said, and I silently giggled.
"I am?" Ponyboy asked, still confused. The boy took off the handkerchief, redden by the blood. "Look. Did they pull a blade on you?" he asked. Ponyboy nodded.
"They ain't gonna hurt you no more." the boy said, putting a hand on Ponyboy's shoulder.
"I know." Ponyboy said, but yet he was shaking like a leaf, was pale as snow, and tears were starting to form in his eyes. He looked up, and finally noticed me. Darry and the other boys followed his glazed. Soon I was being stared at by 7 boys, including Two-Bit.
"Boys, this 'ere my cousin Danielle. Darry, don't you remember 'er?" Two-Bit said to everyone, and turned to Darry. I also turned, and looked at him.
He had broad-shoulders, was taller than Two-Bits, and was so muscular! Glory by God! He had dark-brown hair, with a set of cold blue eyes. They were filled with determination. I've seen them before, but happier.
"Little Danny? Is that you?" he asked. I smiled, and nodded.
"How much you've grown! What has it been? You were, what, 7 the last time I saw you. How old are you now?" he exclaimed.
"16 years old, Darry. And I've grown. Look at you? Weren't you like a mouse last time I saw you?" I asked Darry. The whole group chuckled. The boy that helped Ponyboy stepped forward to me.
"Sodapop Cutis." he said. I smiled.
"Well, aren't you a handsome boy? And such a creative name." I said. Sodaop shrugged and said, "My dad was a creative fellow." I laughed.
"Okay, well, Danielle Mathews, but please call be something else, like Danny, or Dan, or. . . Little D." I pleaded. I hated my name. It was the worlds most unpopular name, but I had to embrace it.
"Little D?" Sodapop questioned, rising an eyebrow. I pointed to Darry, and everyone crackled up laughing. "Now I'm little ain't I?"
"You're just like Two-Bit! Let's hope here that you don't rob no stores!" A tall and lean man with dark curls drenched in grease exclaimed. I nervously smiled.
"Last store you shop-lifted?" Two-Bit asked.
"You know that store with that old man running it? Down the street from the McDonalds? Fifteen packs of gummy worms. I was hungry that day, and didn't feel like stoppin' home. You?" I asked, proud of my record. It wasn't just shoplifting, it was anything. Back at home, the police knew me so well. That's why my parents made me come down here. They didn't want any trouble. At least, that's what I told myself.
"Some store. Three packs of cigarettes." Two-Bit answered.
"Not bad." I said. The boy with curls looked at us.
"They're related for sure. Steve Randle." I smiled, and shook his hand. He was a good looking kids too, but his eyes had so much hate in them, it was almost unbearable to look.
"Ponyboy Curtis." Ponyboy said from the sidewalk.
"Are you fine. It ain't everyday that a boy gets jumped and is perfectly fine with it." I said, raising an eyebrow. He narrowed his.
"How'd you know?"
"It's the same thing at home. Danielle. Pleasure to meet to. Are all of you three brothers?" I asked, looking at Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy. They nodded.
"I wish I had a brother. Least I got Two-Bit." I said.
"This is Johnny." Two-Bit said, pointing to a small boy with big frightened eyes, and tan skin, and long brown hair. He looked so scared, and helpless.
"By golly! You can't be more than fourteen!" I said.
"Nope. I'm sixteen." Johnny said, and I turned red.
"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend you." Johnny smiled, and shook his head. He was so adorable, but his scar on his left cheek made him look somewhat. . . Tough.
"Dan! You're missing one still." I turned, and looked at the remaining one.
"Dallas Winston." Two-Bit said, and I turned looking at the Dallas. He had so blonde hair, that it was white. And his eyes, they were pale blue, and held so much hatred for the world. Steve looked as though he was the happiest compared to Dallas.
"Danielle." I said.
"Call me Dally. The kid's okay?" Dally asked, quickly changing the subject. Ponyboy nodded.
"I'm okay. I didn't know you were out from the cooler yet, Dally." Ponyboy said to Dally. I knew he didn't want to talk about getting jumped.
"Good behavior. Got off early." Dally said. He lit a cigarette, and handed one to Johnny. Soon, everyone had one from Dally, apart from me. I cleared my throat.
"Oh, were are my manners?" Dally asked himself, and flung a lighter at me. I caught it, and sarcastically said thanks. I fumbled inside my jacket pocket, and finally I pulled out a cigarette. I lit it, popped it in my mouth, and put the lighter inside my pocket.
"Nice lookin' bruise you got there, kid." Two-Bit said, and I nodded.
"Really?" Ponyboy asked. Two-Bit nodded.
"Nice cut, too. Makes you look tough."
"What were you doin', walkin' by your lonesome?" Steve asked. Ponyboy tensed up.
"I was comin' home from the movies. I didn't think. . ." he started, but didn't finished, as Darry cut in.
"You don't ever think, not at home or anywhere when it counts. You must think at school, with all those good grades you bring home, and you've always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use you head for common sense. No sirree, bub. And if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade." he yelled. And if he were to be carrying a blade, he'd give a sure good reason to be cut up into pieces.
"Leave my kid brother alone, you hear? It ain't his fault that he likes to go to the movies, and it ain't his fault the Socs like to jump us, and if he had been carrying a blade it would have been a good excuse to cut him into ribbons." Sodapop yelled at Darry.
Darry said impatiently, "When I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you- kid brother." But he laid off.
"Next time get one of us to go with you, Ponyboy. Any of us will." Two-Bit stated.
"I love the movies. I've got 4 months not to spend in the cooler, and watching movies will be a great way to waste it." I said.
"What? Aunt Marcella finally pulled the plug. No more fuzz, huh? What did ya do?" Two-Bit asked.
"Three weeks in jail, and Mom is flippin' out." I said.
"Speaking of movies," Dally yawned, and flicked away his cigarette butt, "I'm walkin' over to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anybody want to come and hunt some action?"
"Me and Soda are pickin' up Evie and Sandy up for the game." Steve said. Darry sighed. "I'm working tomorrow night."
Dally looked at the rest of us. "How about y'all? Two-Bit? Johnnycake, you and Pony wanta come?"
"Me and Johnny'll come, okay Darry?" Ponyboy asked.
"Yeah, since it ain't a school night." Darry answered.
"I was plannin' on getting boozed up tomorrow night. If I don't, I'll walk over and find y'all." Two-Bits answered. Dally turned over to me.
"Sure, I'll come."
"Sure you'll like to? It ain't one of those chick type movies." Dally said, smiling.
"Who said I ever liked those type of movies?" I questioned, and we all were heading to walk back to our houses.
"Danny! I'm gonna need my lighter back." Dally yelled. I secretly smiled, and help onto the lighter.
"I don't have it." I yelled back, and got into the car before Dally could say anything.
"How da ya like the boys?" Two-Bit asked.
"They're real fine." I said. "Inside and out."