This is mostly an introduction chapter. Just a little background, probably essential to understand the rest of the story though. Feedback is adored :)

I watched him from the back of the class a lot. I don't know why, I just did. We had English together and, man, was it ever boring. I had real trouble staying awake in every class. Mr. Syme rambled on and on about nothing, or at least it was nothing I cared about. I think it was my best class though, because I stayed awake most of the time. I guessed I kinda owed it to the kid for that.

I didn't know him know him. I talked to him maybe twice, I don't know. I didn't see him a whole lot outside of school. I only had one class with him and we didn't sit anywhere near each other. At lunch I didn't go up to speak to him, and plus I only had that option once in awhile when we both happened to stay. I usually went off with Kathy for lunch.

Kathy was thrilled when we started going to the same school. She's a senior though and I'm a freshman, so this is our first and last year until she graduates, if she graduates. She's not stupid, but a little unmotivated. Anyways, her dad doesn't need the car during the day while he's at work, so as long as she drops him off and picks him up later she can use it. And she has to drive her younger brother Scott to school every day, too. I didn't think that was half bad, because she was coming here anyway. Scott was an okay kid.

Scott was best friends with my brother James. They've been best friends for awhile, because our parents are pretty close, so it was inevitable. They're the same age, too, sixteen this year. Kathy, despite being four years older than me, took a liking to me. I don't know why. I think she thought of me as kind of a younger sister. I never had a sister and neither did she, so it was alright. I got a lot of free drives and, like I said, she usually took me out for lunch, so I couldn't complain.

It was nice, too, having a girl around. My mama doesn't count, because I can't gossip or tell secrets to her. I could to Kathy, and she acted like she cared, even though it was stupid most of the time. Whenever James was teasing me, which he did a hell of a lot, I'd just leave and walk to Kathy's house, hoping she'd be home. James was okay sometimes, but if he had friends over it was best to steer clear of him. He liked trying to act tough in front of them, which usually resulted in him being an asshole. Sometimes we play wrestled, but I would never want to actually fight him, because he would pummel me in a second.

James and Scott ran on the pride of being in the River Kings gang. I thought it was stupid as hell. The River Kings were always, and I do mean always, fighting with the Tiber Street Tigers. Sure, I understand letting off steam and all, but sometimes they could be real vicious. James even got his lip split really far down once; Mama flipped her lid, especially when he refused to get stitches. I didn't see the point in fighting with each other, because the Socs didn't care. They'd still jump them anyways, so it only set up two rival gangs they had to fend themselves against. It didn't make sense to me, and it made James much tougher than the brother I used to know.

If you lived on the East side, you could probably tell the difference between just any hood and one of the Kings or Tigers. They were much scarier and wilder, and not really that much fun to be around unless you were one of them. Don't get me wrong, the rare times James invited me along, I said yes in a heartbeat, but it was a different kind of fun than I was used to. They liked being reckless and breaking the law, just because they could. I was scared of getting into real trouble, but James wasn't. Neither was Scott or the rest of them. They were a scary bunch who didn't care about anything.

I wasn't really like them. I shoplifted once and it rattled me, so I've never done it since. I didn't get caught, but the worry wasn't worth it. Plus I was a girl and I wanted to act like one. I was sort of a tomboy. I didn't like how there was a classification for it, because as soon as someone said anything about a tomboy, every girl in the vicinity scrunched up their nose. And boys didn't like tomboys either. I had a lot of skirts to wear to school, because it was a must, but I also had pairs of corduroys for playing ball. Mama wanted to throw them out, because they were old and tattered, but I wouldn't let her. How silly would I look playing baseball in a skirt?

Anyways, it took a lot of begging and coercing to finally get James to let me play with him and his friends. I wasn't about to give that privilege up because I didn't have the right attire. They never let me do much, though. I got to bat when it was my turn, but when we were on the field I had to be the catcher, sometimes second base if I was lucky. I wanted to play centerfield, but I knew that was dreaming.

If James and the guys wouldn't let me play with them, I'd go down to the park with my glove and bat and wait until someone started a game. I would play with strangers and kids who were no older than twelve, but I didn't care much. And if they didn't want to play baseball, well then I played any game they were starting up. I had tried to get my friends to start playing with me, but they weren't exactly on the same page as I was about it, so I made temporary friends. That's how desperate I could be for something to do.

I didn't have a lot of friends to begin with. I spent a lot of time with Kathy, but even she had her own group of friends and now a boyfriend, so I slipped into the background sometimes. I didn't blame her, because I didn't really understand why she wasted her time with a kid like me at all in the first place.

Speaking of Kathy's boyfriend, that's kinda how I knew him. They were good friends, or at least in the same gang, but I was pretty sure they didn't refer to it as a gang. It wasn't like the Kings or Tigers. But anyway, I liked Kathy's boyfriend Two-Bit. I didn't know his real name, but that's how she introduced him so that's what I called him. I only met him a couple of times. He was real funny, though, and nice to me when I did see him.

He was never around when Two-Bit was with Kathy, at least not when I was there, but sometimes I heard Two-Bit mention him. Maybe it's just me, but when I hear someone talk about someone I don't know, I get curious. I wonder what they're like, how their life is, and if I'd get along with them. Two-Bit mentioned others from his gang, briefly, but I didn't pay much attention to them. I only wondered about Ponyboy Curtis.

"Denise?"

My arms were folded on my desk and I was resting on my chin. I was staring at the braid on the girl in front of me. It was done well, despite being straight down her back. I figured she had someone do it for her, but I still wanted to ask. Then Mr. Syme barked my name.

"Mhm?" I asked, sitting up straight. I was startled. I hadn't been listening to anything he had said in the last hour or so, but at least I hadn't fallen asleep. He never seemed to give me credit for that.

"Can you answer my question?" he inquired.

"Um..." I mumbled, "Can ya repeat it?"

"Can ya pay attention in class?" he said, emphasizing my drawl. He was always harping on me about my speech, but it probably wasn't going to change any time soon; though if he kept embarrassing me in front of the class, it might. That was one thing I really hated, being embarrassed, especially when there were Socs in some of my classes. I knew they couldn't have cared less about me, but it really irked me.

I looked over to see if Ponyboy had heard, which was stupid because of course he'd heard. He had a slanted grin on his face as we made eye contact. I wanted to slide into my seat and under my desk and disappear from this whole situation. The class responded to Mr. Syme's teasing with faint laughter and my cheeks began to get a little hot. Don't blush in front of the kid, I told myself, but it didn't work. When I brought my eyes back up to see if he was still looking at me, he had looked away and began talking to someone else.

The bell finally rang and I was free. I bolted it out of the classroom, hoping my colour would return.