Hey! if you're reading this, thank you for deciding to give my story a chance. Let me know what you think in the reviews! Short first chapter I know don't worry next will be longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders, all rights belong to S.E. Hinton.

I woke up to yelling in my house, as I do the majority of the time. My dad and Steve were fighting again, who knows what about. I looked over at the clock that read 11:15pm. I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling silently praying to hear a door slam signaling the end of the fight. Five minutes later the yelling had grown and I knew the only way this fight would end was with skin to skin contact. Please let Daddy be too drunk to put up much of a fight, I thought to myself. Suddenly I heard the inevitable sound of a punch and then the slamming of a body on a wall. A few more punches then finally the door slammed and someone had left.

Someone started walking down the hall towards my room and I rolled over pretending to be asleep, terrified my father was coming to take the rest of his anger out on me. My door opened slightly and I heard Steve whisper, "Kimmie?" I sighed with relief and turned over to face him. His right eye was swelling but other than that he seemed to be in tact. "Sorry we woke you."

"What else is new?" I replied with no emotion. "Daddy gone?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about him coming back tonight." He opened my door all the way and came and sat on my bed.

"Was there a reason for it this time?" Half the time Daddy was mad because Steve came home late, or he forgot to take out the trash, something stupid. Other times he just did it because he was drunk and Steve was his human punching bag.

"Said he was 'worried about me' when I hadn't called to say I'd be late." He smirked at me, we knew damn well Daddy didn't worry about anything other than how much alcohol he can drink in one night. "Get back to sleep, I don't wanna hear you bitch in the morning about how tired you are." He stood up and started to walk out of my room.

"Night Steve, make sure to ice your eye that thing is gonna be ugly." He smirked at me and walked out, leaving me in my dark room.

Daddy hadn't always hated us. When Mommy was still alive he actually kinda liked us. He hadn't been winning any awards for 'Dad of the Year', but he had his fair share of fine moments. It was Mommy who was the real parent. She loved us like crazy. When she died, something snapped inside of Daddy. I'll never forget the first time he hit Steve. Steve was bitchin' about not wanting to do the dishes after dinner and leaned over and smacked Steve across the face, telling him to "Learn some respect". Steve and I sat there paralyzed by what our father had just done.

Ever since then he's been pouncing on Steve for every little thing he does. Since he's been getting beat on he sure has toughened up. Not only with muscles, his personality reflects it too. I feel bad, Steve was always such a happy kid but now he's just bitter. Seems like the only things in the world he still cares about are cars, me, and Sodapop Curtis; his best friend.

They've been friends since we were kids. While Steve is rough and scary, Soda is the complete opposite. He's by far the happiest in the gang, even with everything that family has gone through. Soda has two brothers, Darry and Ponyboy. They had the greatest parents in the world, treated everyone like their own kid. His mom made sure we all knew when times were tough at home, her couch was always ready to be slept on. Steve sure did take her up on that a lot when Daddy first started hitting him.

About a year ago though, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were killed in a car accident. It was the hardest thing I've ever seen a group of people go through. It was like watching my own mother die all over again. When the state came to take Soda and Ponyboy away, Darry wouldn't have any of it. Only 19 he dropped out of college just to take care of the boys. Darry had a football scholarship and all. A year after their mom and dad died Soda dropped out of school, claiming he was too dumb. We all know he did it just to help Darry with the bills though.

I know that no matter how bad things are here, I could never get taken away from Steve. He's everything I got in this world ever since Mommy died. So badly I just wanna call the State and tell them what Daddy does to Steve. Every time I bring it up Steve freaks, "You wanna get taken away Kimmie? We won't ever see each other again. I can handle a few bruises but you got no clue what could happen in a foster home. Just tune it out when he's hitting me then."

He can be real mean but he doesnt mean it, I know. He just doesn't want us to get split up. He never wants to see me get hurt either. I feel bad that I'm a girl. If I were a boy maybe he'd let Daddy hit me and he could get a break from all the beatings every once in a while. One time I ran at Daddy when he was hitting Steve and he swung at me, giving me a real nice shiner. Steve fought him away from me and told me to run, I did as I was told. The next day Steve said, "Stay in your room when you hear us fighting. Don't come out no matter what you hear, I can't be protecting you when I'm already fighting him, dig?"

I turn over in bed and face the window and close my eyes. Steve's right, if I don't get back to sleep soon I'm gonna be a real pain in the ass to deal with tomorrow.