Chapter One:

I wasn't like the rest of the Socs for three reasons.

One: I didn't have as much money as the rest, which equals no 'fancy' clothing and expensive jewelry. Two: Ever since my dad, who was a drunk, took a knife to my face, I've had an ugly scar starting on my right temple and going down the side of my face to my chin. My mother was angry when I didn't want to get surgery to remove it. Three: I liked to live dangerously. And like a Soc isn't as dangerous as loving a greaser.

Socs were always angry, dangerous, ready to do anything just to hear the word 'no'. They were rebels without a cause. They were dangerous, dangerous. Drunken dangerous. But greasers? They were dangerous, in an attractive way.

I wouldn't mind running into one of them on the street, especially one of them cute boys I've seen at school. You know, when I actually went. I haven't been in a while on count of how people stare at me. I finally got tired of it.

Where was I? Oh yeah. I wouldn't mind running into one of them on the street, but this moment right now wasn't what I had in mind. It made me wish I hadn't crossed into greaser territory with that goddamned jacket on. It must have been the rhinestones on the back. But, hey, it was the first jacket I grabbed before running out the door.

I probably would have been better off without the jacket, 'cause not only did it attract greaser attention, but it also offered me little to no warmth whatsoever. It was a thin jacket with quarter sleeves, not to mention those goddamned rhinestones.

It certainly brought me to the attention of the greasers. And not the cute ones either. I think his name was somethin' Shepard. Tom? Tim? One of those. And it wasn't a good thing either. He was dangerous like the Socs. And I had a feeling he was drunk too.

"Hey cutie. What's a broad like you doing out this late? Dontcha know that you're on greaser territory?" Shepard asked. He grabbed my chin and forced my head up.

"I'm just going for a walk," I said, avoiding his eyes.

"That doesn't make up for the fact that you're on our territory," He said, laughing under his breath. A group of boys that looked just like Shepard walked out of the shadows and surrounded me.

He stroked my left check. I tried my best to keep my bangs over the right side of my face. They gathered around me, and against my willpower I let them herd me up against the wall. As a last thought, I was glad about the warmth I was getting from their bodies. The fact that it was raining hadn't helped my pathetic jacket situation.

"I don't want no trouble," I stammered.

"Well, you unfortunately found some," Shepard laughed.

"I'm not scared of you," My voice was shaky.

"Well you should be. I'm as dangerous as I am handsome," Shepard ran his hand through his dirty blond hair.

"Then I should be safe," I said.

The boys around Shepard started to laugh. I smirked. Shepard chuckled, looking around at the boys.

"You're funny," He said. "But you're gonna regret that."

He pulled his arm back and punched me. I fell to the side, but one of the boys grabbed me and stood me back up. Shepard grabbed me around the neck and shoved me against the wall. I hit my head hard on the brick. Everything was going fuzzy and blurry.

"Leave her alone, Shepard," A voice shouted.

It was quiet, distant, and I wouldn't have even noticed it if Shepard hadn't turned around and shouted back at them.

"Who do you think you are? Oh, Curtis," I felt his grip get tighter and I started to choke.

My hands raced up to my throat and I tried to pry his hands off my neck.

"She's with us," The voice said.

"Huh. Is that true, you dumb broad," Shepard turned back to me.

"Ugh. And what if I am?" I spat.

"You heard her. Let 'er go."

"Fine. Maybe I'll see you around," I could barely feel his touch on my cheek. Everything was going dark, and I was either gonna die, or blackout. I hoped for the latter, but I guess the first one wouldn't hurt either.

Shepard let me go and he stalked away. I looked at my saviors, and then collapsed. I was afraid that I was gonna hit my head on the ground, but I vaguely felt hands catch me.

"Man! She's burnin' up! We better get her home. C'mon. Help me with her, two-bit," The voice said. 'Two-bit'? That was a strange saying, or word, or something.

"Hey, you awake?" A voice said.

"Uhh," I managed to say.

"Good, you're awake. Stay with me now," The voice was pleasantly nice.

"Wh-where are w . . . goin'?" I managed to whisper.

"Home. You'll be okay. What's a broad like you doing out this late? Dontcha know it's raining?" The voice laughed.

"Don't call me that," I snapped. Or, at least, I tried too.

"Sorry," The voice said. Everything was starting to get distant again. "Hey, didn't I say stay with me? We're almost home."

I ignored him. Sleep sounded so good right now. Maybe I would just rest for a minute. A minute. That wasn't that long, was it? Suddenly I was being shaken.

"Let me sleep!" I whimpered.

"You gotta keep her awake, two-bit. Her gotta be freezing and she's burning up," Another voice nearby said. I hadn't even realized that there were two voices.

"I'm tryin' Darry, but she just won't talk to me," The second voice said.

"What's your name?" The first voice asked. I waited, thinking he was talking to the second voice.

"Hey! What's your name?" The second voice said. Oh, they were talking to me.

"Sca . . ." I started, but then shivers racked my body. I suddenly realized how cold I really was. I was freezing.

Suddenly, I started getting warmer. Only a little, though. I faintly heard a door close, and then a bunch of bodies moving.

"Whatcha got there, two-bit?" A third voice said. What's a two-bit? I thought. I guess I said it allowed, though.

"Well, I'm a two-bit," The second voice laughed.

"We found her getting jumped by Shepard's gang," The first voice said.

"Where's her coat?" A fourth voice asked. Coat? I had a jacket, didn't I? "She doesn't even have a jacket."

"Her clothes are soaked," A fifth voice said.

"We should get 'em off her and into a warm bath or shower," A voice said. I lost track of whose voice it was that said it.

"A shower would be best. Don't want her to drown herself."

"I ain't undressing her," one loud voice said. I barely registered what was going on.

"Who said you had too, Steve?"

"I dunno. But she doesn't look so good. She's awful pale."

"I'll do it, since it seems like I'm the only mature one here," A pair of arms grabbed my, gently, and I felt like I was moving again.

"Soda!" A voice laughed. No, I don't want a drink right now, thank you. I thought.

I heard what sounded like a roar. I was so tired. Why couldn't I just go to sleep? I asked myself. Suddenly, the roaring stopped. I felt movement, and I faintly felt like I should be embarrassed, but I had no idea why. Everything was going numb. Then, suddenly, I felt like I was on fire. I tried to scream, but I couldn't manage too.

"Let me go," I whined.

"I can't. You might hit your head again," The fourth voice said.

"Why are you boiling me?" I whimpered.

"I'm not. The water is lukewarm. You're freezing, you know that?"

"Uh," I said. "Can't I just go to sleep?"

"You better not, hon. You might not wake up."

"Is that so bad?" I whispered.

"Well, seeing as I just met ya, yeah," The voice laughed.

I didn't answer him. I just sat there for a while, and I started to get warmer. And with warmth comes awareness. And what I became painfully aware of what that I was naked. And so was the boy holding me up in the shower. Except I think he was wearing shorts, or something, which made me feel a bit better.

"I didn't think I'd let you get into my pants until our second date," I murmured. I was still feeling pretty weak. The boy laughed. From his voice and his laugh, I could just tell that this boy was hot.

"Your funny, you know that?" The voice said.

"I guess I can be. Right now, joking is the only thing keeping me from freaking out," I told him, truthfully.

"Then joke away."

"Can I sleep first?" I whispered.

"Uh, no. Darry said we can't let you fall asleep until we know that you'll be okay. And right now, you may be getting warmer, but you're still burning up from a fever. Tonight's not the best night to go walking around."

"If you knew what's going down at my house, you'd be out there too."