"So tomorrow kids have your vocabulary words; defined, syllabicated, and with synonyms. You understand?" I could barley hear Mr. Johnston over the shouting and rowdy kids in the hallway. The school day was over. "Remember we had a test on Thursday. Get your stuff and you are dismissed." I finished putting my notebooks and pens in my tote bag. "I'll see you outside Lilly." Lilly has been my best friend since we were in diapers; we're almost like sisters.

Normally we'd walk out together but I was meeting up with Ponyboy Curtis at his house. I left out and navigated my way through the throngs of middle scholars, every one of them I accidentally bumped into gave me a dirty look or bumped right back. I sighed finally reached my tan double locker at least I was fortunate enough to get a top locker. I methodically opened the black lock and withdrew my math book and folder.

"Hey look at what we've got here: a lonely greaser babe." I didn't even have to turn to know who it was- Greg Henderson and his friends. They thought they were the head of the school.

"Hey baby let me talk to you." Greg asked slyly. "You talk I walk." I shut my locker and stated to make my way back toward the school entrance/exit. The number of kids had considerably decreased. "Come on I'm just wanna ask you something"

"Let me guess you want me to become another one of your sluts. I don't think so." Greg was the biggest wannabe 'big man on campus.' Him and his friends harassed almost every girl in school. It really annoyed me that they thought they could talk to me like this because I was a girl. "You wouldn't be a slut to me." He grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him. "You'd be different." He touched my check and looked me in the eye. Like I was supposed to believe him. "You'd be special."

I bit back a laugh. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. I wouldn't believe that line if it were printed in a book." I snatched my arm from him. " I have to go." I turned to leave but a second later I felt his hand grab my butt. I gasped and faced him again he was high fifing his friends and laughing. "I know you want me" He pursed his lips and made a kissing sound. There was no reason for me to stay any longer so I turned a walked out of the building.

My eyes were filling with tears but I brushed them away before they touched my checks. I walked out of the building and headed east toward Pony's house. We have different sixth period classes(his history class was on the north side of the building, mine was on the south) His house was only a ten minute walk while mine was twenty, it was only some occasions I had to walk home i.e. Keith forgot to pick me up.

In no time I was at the Curtis house and because it was only 3:30 in the afternoon Johnny, Pony, and me are the only ones here. I walk through the door- all ways left unlocked- and saw Johnny laid out on the couch asleep. "Pony?"

"In here." His voice came from the kitchen so that's where I went, his math book was open along with his notebook. "Hey" he said sitting down across from him, taking out my math also. "Hey, did you sign up for track try outs?"

"Yeah I can't wait." I-like everybody else- knew he loved running and so did I, we raced a lot and half the time I won, which made me feel really good 'cause he's like the best runner in school.

A few hours later we finished our homework and had been watching TV when Pony's brothers and their gang came back. "Hey KIM, I gotta take you home." Keith told me, I signed but got my stuff and said goodbye. "What's new with you?" he asked putting the car in drive. "Nothing much, I'm trying out for track." I said excitedly.

I never expected what happened next: he laughed my big brother laughed at me. "And what is so funny?" I demanded. We stopped at a red light and he wiped a tear from his eye. "You…you trying out for track."

"And why is that so funny?" He turned the corner onto our street. "Because sis, girls don't play sports, girls wear skirts and put on make-up and cook. Girls don't sweat working out and stuff like that. It just don't happen kid."

I had a lump in my throat when we finally pulled into our drive-way. "That's what you think-"

"That's what I know"

"You don't know anything!" I yelled grabbing my books and pushing open the door. He rolled down the window and continued before I made it to the porch. "Karen if you try-out the coaches are gonna tell you the same damn thing so I suggest you save yourself the time by not trying out at all!" I stopped but didn't turn around or speak the lump in my throat seemed to grow bigger as my eyes started to sting with tears. "Look Karen, I'm not trying to be mean but that is just how things are. Nothing you can do to change that."

"We'll see about that." I whispered then continued into our house up to my room. I heard his car drive away. Throwing my books on my desk I sat down on the edge of my bed, I finally let the tears fall down my checks and onto my blue blouse.

Maybe I was being stupid, maybe I should go out and buy a new outfit and forget about track, maybe he was right; that's how thing are, I can't change it. Maybe I should talk to Greg tomorrow I guess he's kind of cute. "What the hell am I doing?" I interrupted my own thoughts.

"I am not being stupid, I don't want a new outfit, I'll never forget track, and Greg Henderson is not cute." I couldn't believe what I was thinking, I've never given up because of what other people thought. "I'm trying out for track and that is that."

I wiped the tears from my face and started putting some shorts and a t-shirt into my bag. Tomorrow I'll prove Keith and anybody else wrong.

A/N: I'm sorry that chapter was slow I had to get it out of the way. I know I haven't updated 'I can't do this by myself'' but I've been stumped on how to finnish. I'll try and update this one but school is so demanding.