Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or any of the characters just my own OCs.
Warning rape scene and swearing, skip to chapter one and you will still be able to understand the story.
The stars were beautiful tonight. That's all she could think, that's all she allowed herself to think. As she laid there on the cold, hard pavement with pebbles stabbing into her back, all she could do was look at the stars, that's all she had left to do. Her hands were pinned and her chest was compressed by a heavy weight. There was nothing she could do. She wanted to fight, and at first she did, but she was soon outmatched by those who were bigger and stronger than her. She tried to get away, when instinct told her that was all she could do. But that was then, and this is now. And now her wrists are bruising and so are her hips and thighs. Her chest was cold and so were her legs, but there was nothing she could do, so she laid there with the pebbles in her back and her eyes glued to the sky. She didn't dare look anywhere else. She didn't want to see their faces anymore. She didn't want to see the look that clearly said 'I won'. She could feel the pebbles breaking the skin of her back and focused on that pain instead of the one between her legs.
The stars were beautiful, but they were blurring, and now she didn't even have that. She ached to be up there amongst the stars. They were so lucky. They were so far away, no one could touch them, no one could reach them, hurt them. Her eyes slowly closed, but tears were escaping the closed lids still. Her bottom lip wabbled and her throat held a lump she couldn't swallow. It was hard to breathe, so maybe she just wouldn't. Her breathing slowed and so did the rapid movement of her chest, her muscles became limp as her body gave in. She just couldn't find it in herself to keep up the fight that she already lost. She lost. She was tired and aching. Weak and bleeding. It wasn't just her back anymore but on her hairline where she was struck and in between her legs where she was truly assaulted.
As her breathing became shallow, she pried her eyes open and saw the stars, they were brighter than before, maybe just for her. They were getting brighter, but maybe that was just her imagination. Her eyelids were heavy, but she used the last of her strength to keep them open, she wanted to see the stars that seemed to get brighter the more the light in her dimmed. Her head lolled to the side, eyes unfocused. The next thing she saw made the last of her breaths catch in her throat and like a flip was switched, her body fought with the adrenaline that it was suddenly flooded with. The stars weren't getting bright, but something was. Headlights! They were headlights! Maybe this wasn't the end for her. Prying her mouth open, the abused girl let out the loudest scream she had ever released, not even yelling anything, just trying to create a noise, something to catch the attention of the owner of those bright headlights. She screamed again and again. She fought the hand that covered her mouth, sinking her teeth into its flesh. It seemed to have worked because she heard yelling that wasn't her own and her hands were released and the weight on her chest was gone. She could have sobbed with relief and soon realized that's exactly what she had done. Her throat was tight and raw, but she just kept crying, in relief and sadness. The yelling was louder and the crunch of bone was clear. There was grunting and cursing and the sound of a car screeching on the pavement.
The stars were beautiful tonight, but she was cold. She heard the crunch of pebbles on pavement as she was approached. Warm hands pushed the hair out of her face as she looked up at figure before her. She heard a soft fuck. Focusing her eyes, she found herself never being more relieved to lay her eyes on a Shepard.
"Tim?" she asked in a rough voice.
"Yeah Honeybee, it's me. It's okay," Tim uttered with a look of true devastation that she had never truly seen before on the tough hoodlum. Soon her body was encased in warmth that smelt like leather and cigarettes. Tears still leaked from her eyes as she looked up at him, dribbling down her cheeks. A calloused thumb was brushed across her face, wiping the tears away. She would have laughed if not for the situation she was in. She had never seen Tim be so gentle before. He touched her like she might break, any other day she would have punched him in the face for treating her like some delicate flower, but right now, she wasn't sure if she wouldn't in fact, break.
Warm arms wrapped around her and she was finally free from the painful ground beneath her. Tim had lifted her up and cradled her to his chest as he made his way to his car.
"No hospital," she pleaded as he laid her in the car.
"I've gotta take you there Honey, you need to get fixed up," he said as he looked down at the bruised and battered girl.
"No! Tim please. Please don't, it's not like they're gonna be able to do anything."
"Honey," he uttered, looking unsure of himself. He didn't know what to do except kill the bastards that did this to her. "I've gotta take you."
"They're not gonna be able to do anything Tim, I'll heal on my own." To prove her point, she flipped down the rear view mirror in the car to take a look at herself. Sucking in a breath, she took in her injuries. Her lip was split and her eyes were puffy. There was a little trail of dry blood on her temple, but other than that, she was visibly okay. The only thing that really shook her were her eyes. They were so vacant, so empty of feeling that it almost alarmed her. Steeling herself, she looked away from her reflection and back up at Tim. His expression was oddly sad, something she never really saw on him before.
"Honey," his voice was rough, but somehow gentle at the same time, "the- they, Hon I gotta take you, you were-you were raped."
The way he said it made it seem like she was some broken toy that needed to be fixed. She didn't like that, not at all. She wasn't weak. She prided herself on being strong. She fought her own fights. Won her own battles. If she said she was fine then that's what she was.
"What are they gonna do Tim? Take it back?" her voice gained volume as she spoke, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. "I'm not going to the hospital, they won't be able to do anything for me. I don't need stitches or nothin. I'm not going, end of," Honeybee started to stand, making a move to push past him, but Tim quickly conceded.
"Fine fine, Hon just sit back down," Tim ran a hand through his greased hair, "how the Hell am I supposed to take you home looking like this?"
"Just take me to yours, I'll get myself cleaned up and go home tomorrow."
"What about your parents?" He looked at her wearily.
"It's late, they're already asleep, just drop me off early tomorrow morning. They'll never have to know."
Tim looked down at her with a look she didn't understand, "You gotta tell 'em Hon."
Honey narrowed her eyes at him, "Tell them what Tim, that I got raped? No way in Hell," she said firmly. Tim went to speak, but she cut him off, "I'm not gonna tell them and neither are you. No one has to know what happened tonight. There's nothin' no one can do, so there's no point. It'll only upset them. Please Tim," she plead, "you can't tell them, you can't."
She started to tear up again and Tim hated seeing her cry somethin' fierce so he caved, "Fine, I won't say anything."
Tim gently knocked his hand against her shoulder, signalling that she scootch over so he could get in. When he started up the car, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, bringing his attention to the girl beside him, "Thanks Tim," she whispered and in that moment Tim swore to himself that this girl would never be hurt again, not if he had anything to say about it.
The stars were beautiful tonight. And she was tired. Honeybee slowly sunk into the seat and rested her head on the cold glass that soothed her aching skull. She was safe, but she knew she would never be the same. Something of hers was stolen and there was nothing she could do about it. So accepting defeat, Honeybee rested her head and stared up at the stars.