Chapter 1
"Dallas, wake up now, it's almost time for you to go." Georgia whispered in her big brother's ear.
"Man, I'm awake, I'm awake." He said shaking his head as if getting out his tiredness. He sat up and stared down at the old comforter, trying to make his eyes adjust to the brightness.
"Hello sunshine," she said cheerfully.
He grumbled, and hobbled to the bathroom to take a shower.
Georgia leaned against the headboard of her own bed, and listened to the sound of the falling water in the shower. She was in a small room that she and Dallas shared. It was painted mint blue and had a couch, two beds, a dresser, a make-up mirror, a fridge, and a table. Most of this furniture was hidden under a mound of cloths, empty beer bottles, papers, and other weird items. About half an hour later, Dally emerged his dark brown hair was slicked back perfectly. He wore a pair of jeans and a dark shirt that matched his eyes, which still had the haze of tiredness in them.
"Going to work?" She asked, flipping a strand of reddish blonde hair behind her back.
"Yea," He said, pulling on a leather jacket, "And you're going to school. Your principal called me. He said you skip anymore days, your going to have to retake 10th grade. I don't want you to have to stay in school that long, you hear me? No more skipping."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear yeah." She said rolling her eyes, and walked toward her make-up mirror.
"Now I mean it Georgia If I get one more phone call I'm gonna tan your hide." He said pointing a ferocious finger at the girl.
"I said alright."
Dallas raised a questioning eyebrow at his sister. "Alright I trust you. I'll be home late tonight. I got a date."
"Mmm a date, with who?" Georgia questioned eagerly.
Dallas laughed, "Dawn, that little broad that lives down the street."
"Dallas has a girlfriend then? I thought you never went out." She said finishing up her mascara.
"This isn't for real sweet, just a little fun, you know, somebody to hang out at the bar with, and I wouldn't be talking neither. I know about you and that hotshot soc boy." Then seeing her shocked face he added, "Two-bit told me."
"Damn how'd he find out?"
"Johnny told him,"
"Everybody knows then? I didn't want to make a big deal."
"Yea, pretty much everybody knows."
"Wonderful."
"Well, don't let this relationship mess up your grade more then they already are, and I want you home tonight so you can do your homework and stuff," Dally said.
"Alright, I'll be home." She agreed.
He nodded his head. "I gotta go now Geo, see you tonight." He slammed the door on the way out.
"Bye, have fun at work," She called after him.
Georgia went to the mirror and added the finishing touches to her make-up. She got into her skirt. The skirt was a soc skirt, along with all the rest of her cloths. She had gotten them when she lived with her foster family about a year ago. She brushed her hair one last time and checked her reflection in the mirror.
She had bright blue eyes and long lashes. Her hair was in a half up, half down style. She was pretty, and she wore soc cloths. Her appearance made people at school think she was a soc. No one knew she had been abandoned by her parents and lived in a small house with her greaser brother in the north side, and Georgia didn't correct them. She thought it didn't matter. She thought they would accept her no matter what.
She picked up her back pack and headed out of the house. She waited on the front porch until an old car stopped in her driveway. Sodapop, one of Dally's friends was driving. In the front was Soda's younger brother Ponyboy, and in the back Pony's friend Johnny. Soda sometimes drove the teens as far as his work at the DX station, and then they'd walk the rest of the way to school. Georgia smiled a greeting to each of the boys and climbed in.
She always enjoyed the ride. She loved how they all talked. Especially she liked how they treated her like a like one of them. She liked the kids at school treating her like a soc, but sometimes she like a break from that. She loved the way Soda smiled at her, god she loved his smile, and how he always turned the old radio up at all their favorite songs. But always the ride would end, and Georgia, Ponyboy, and Johnny all hoped out of the old car and started trudging her way to school.
XXX
"Damn locker," she mumbled under her breath, pulling at the handle as hard as she could without making a seen.
A pair of hands grabbed her waist. "Need help baby?" a voice asked in her ear.
Georgia smiled. "Help would be nice."
Her boyfriend, Tanner, opened the locker with ease.
"Mmm, strong," She said approvingly.
"What can I say?" He said with a smile, "Only the best."
Georgia bit her lip flirtatiously. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ponyboy and Johnny walking past their eyes on her. She smiled at them. Only Ponyboy smiled back, yet only slightly.
"I was thinking; want to come to my house today? You could help me with that science project." Tanner asked, leaning against her locker.
Tanner was tall, tan and muscular. He had dark hair, and hazelnut eyes. He was a treat to look at, which was for sure. Yet, as Georgia knew, he wasn't the brightest, and was quick to loose his temper.
"I'd love to come to your house," Georgia said rocking on her heels, "But I promised my brother I'd be home."
"I'll drive you home then," He smiled.
"It's far, really far. You really don't have to."
"Its fine."
Georgia smiled, "I'll see you after school then."
He kissed her quickly on the cheek and left.
XXX
"I'm not walking home with ya'll today. Is that alright?" Georgia said after school, leaning against the brick wall.
"How are you getting home?" Ponyboy asked, squinting his eyes against the sun and lighting a cigarette.
"Tanner, you know my boyfriend, he offered to drive me home."
Ponyboy nodded. "Alright, I'll tell Johnny and them."
"Thanks Pony, you're a real pal, but… don't be mad at this… Tanner doesn't know I live with a greaser, or even on the north side."
"Yea I figured he thinks you're a soc." He said breathing out the blue smoke.
Georgia nodded, "Oh here he comes." She waved to her boyfriend.
"Hey, ready?" he asked.
"Yea let's go, see ya Pony."
"Pony?" Tanner asked.
"See ya" Ponyboy answered, looking at the soc.
"Who are you?" asked Tanner.
"I'm Ponyboy Curtis."
"Why are you talking to Georgia, punk?"
"Am I not aloud?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Ponyboy's one of my buddies Tanner."
"You're buddies with a greaser?" He asked taken aback. He shuffled his feet and glared at Ponyboy, who only sat their, breathing in the smoke from his cigarette.
"Is there something wrong with greasers?" Georgia asked offended, "My brother is a greaser."
"A greaser, your parents let that?"
"My parents left when I was 10 years old, and they wouldn't care if my brother ore even me became a greaser. They don't care about us. Do you have something against greasers?"
"Yes you don't need to be hanging out with them."
"My greaser family supported me more than my soc family ever did."
Tanner didn't answer, but his mouth quivered.
Georgia sneaked a look at Ponyboy. He half smiled, trying to tell her it was alright. He was used to being trashed by socs.
"Hey buds, how's it going?!" Two-bit asked, locking Pony in a headlock.
"Ow, cut it out Two-bit." Pony mumbled.
"Aright then, you know what Georgia, I have other plans, I'll drive you home another day. See ya." Tanner said.
He flashed a dirty look at Ponyboy and left.
Georgia watched her boyfriend walk down to the parking lot and climb into his Mustang. She rolled her eyes. "I guess I am walking home with you then. Come on guys lets go." She said and followed the boys down the sidewalk heading north.
XXX
It was late when Dallas got home. The sky had been dark for a wile and the sound of grasshoppers was the only thing you could hear in the quiet night.
"Have fun on your date?" Georgia asked taking a bite into her oven baked pizza.
"It was fine." He mumbled.
"Pizza?" she offered..
"No, no." He said, his voice sounding weak.
"You alright Dal?"
"Why do you worry about me so much Geo? I'm fine. I'm going to bed." He said, "I'm tired."
He lay down on the small bed that creaked when you sat on it, and started studying the quilted pattern on the comforter.
"You sick?" Georgia asked getting up and walking over to the side of her brother's bed. He was a little pale, "Have you been drinking or something?"
Dallas didn't answer. He didn't want to tell his little sister who he had run into at the bar. He didn't want to scare her. She'd been through to much with these people, but he couldn't let her worry about him.
"God Georgia, stop worrying. I'm fine just got a little wasted is all." He said trying to crack a smile. He rubbed his red eyes.
"Ok, well go to bed then." She said "You don't want to be sick tomorrow and miss another day of work."
"You go to bed too." He said pulling his shirt over his head, and throwing it on the floor.
Her brother was always big and tough. He got into fights, and was always doing things the illegal way. He was strong, muscles rippled down his upper arms and back, but when he took his shirt off, to Georgia, he looked skinny and unhealthy, showing the hardships of living a life from small paycheck to small paycheck, and sacrificing a lot to support his teenage sister.
Georgia through the plate in the sink and changed into a large shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in. She too climbed into a small creaky bed beside her brother and she switched off the light between their beds.
"'Night," She said, wiggling deep into the covers.
"Mmm," Dallas groaned back.
They both fell into deep dreams, all about a better life than this small house and frozen dinners. But they had to remind themselves, it could be worse. They were together, and that was something.
PLESE REVIEW :) I WOULD REALLY APRECIATE IT!!!