The minute I saw him, I was glad Sandra made me go to the drive-in. He was off to the side, leaning up against a black T-Bird and smoking a cigarette. His black hair was slicked back, but his too-long bangs hung into his face. Under one of his big, black eyes was a scar of some sort. He seemed to be the reserved type from the way he was slouched over, cautiously hiding behind his denim jacket.

Someone was standing with him. He looked slightly younger and less disgruntled, with redder hair and pale, wide eyes. He jumped around excitedly, telling a story or something with his hands. The darker one just nodded, appearing to be not too interested in what the younger one was saying.

I could feel my cheeks turn red as I stared from a few rows away. Would he notice me? He wasn't looking my way as he lit another cigarette and tossed the other to the ground. After a few moments, the other boy noticed. He showed no conern. As he kept telling his story, he flashed a quick smile in my direction. I panicked and ducked behind Sandra's car. She wasn't there. Probably off drinking or watching the most heated Soc vs. Greaser fight.

Once the movie started, things began to quiet down. People got back in their cars while some wandered from car to car bumming cigs and sharing snacks. The two boys disappeared out of sight.

After a moment, I caught sight of Sandra. She was talking to some Soc across the lot. "Sandra!" I called out, starting to run. In my haste, I failed to see a person appearing timidly from behind one of the cars. Without much time to stop, I rammed right into him, causing his popcorn to fly all around. "Mercy, I'm sorry!" I managed to get out, but as I looked up the words seemed to drift away.

It was the boy from before. His eyes were wide, the rest of his face taking cover under his collar. His huge eyes were wider than ever, looking down at me with what seemed like fear.

"It's alright." His eyes broke my gaze as he brushed off his jacket.

"Can I help? Can I buy you a new popcorn?" I added, biting my lip. He turned to look at me. For the first time, I saw a small smile fall across his lips.

"I said it's alright." He walked away. I just stood there for what seemed like an eternity. It took me a few moments before I realized I wasn't breathing. I drew in a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. Who was this boy, anyway?

I couldn't sleep that night. After waking up around seven due to sunlight flooding through the un-shaded window across my room, I decided to take a walk. When I opened the door, I was shocked. "Gosh, it's freezing!" I said to no one in particular. Without hesitating, I threw on my only sweater, a thin white one with a ruffled collar, and trudged out the door.

Sandra wasn't at her house. Or at the park. Or the drive-in. By the time I was at Toasty's, the local diner, I was getting worried. It was already noon. Karen, a bitter-looking but hospitable lady, was working behind the counter. "What can I get you today?" She asked without looking up. She was writing something down on her pad.

"Just a Coke, please," I said. I probably shouldn't have been having any soda because of all the popcorn and candy the night before, but I craved the sweet and sharp taste.

Before I could suck the rest down, three giddy girls hurried through, yelling as they went past. "Hurry, Nancy!" one called to another. "I heard there's a big fight going on outside the park! It's Socs versus Greasers!"

I nearly choked. Greasers? What if Sandra was there? I ran as fast I could, even though the wind was nipping at me like a young puppy. Sure enough, there was a small crowd off to one side of the park. I could see Sandra's strawberry blond ponytail bobbing along next to the girls'. "Julie!" she called to me, frantically waving me over.

When I got over there, I saw what they were gawking at. A group of maybe five Greasers had gathered, hands stuffed in their pockets, eyeing a larger group of Socs. All participants of the showdown screamed confidence.

It all happened so fast that I could barely tell what was happening. Soc and Greaser both threw punches, dirt flew, and yells erupted. It was messy. "Get out!" I heard from what I thought was a Soc. The Greasers were making a run for it. They had been beat. Just as quickly as the fight had started, the crowd dispersed. It took me a while to realize that I was the only one still standing.

What happened next was like a dream. First I saw a mop of black hair sticking up from behind the fountain, then the dark tanned-skin. It was the boy from before. I ran over as fast as I could, bending over to get a closer look. "Are you alright?" I asked. He groaned and looked up, his dark eyes pleading.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Can you get up?"

He winced in pain, using the fountain to steady himself as he stood shakily. "Sure, I can stand."

I noticed a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth and spots on his jacket. He must have been beaten pretty hard. With another wince, he reached up to touch his neck under the collar of his jacket. When he pulled his hand back, it was smeared with blood. "Damn it, he got me. I could have sworn the blade just missed me."

I gagged. Just looking at the blood made me sick. "We should get you back." I turned away. Before I could say any more, someone had pushed me to the side. When I looked, I saw the other boy from before. He had his hand on the first boy's shoulder. The rest of the Greasers caught up and helped.

"You okay, Johnny?" one asked. "You look pretty bad." He smiled and nodded back.

So his name was Johnny. My heart skipped a beat.