*Okay, chapter 1 :)*
Christi sat in a tree, watching a group of Socs drive by. She doesn't particually like them. But hey, what greaser does?
Abbi walked down the street, kicking a rock as a blue Mustang passed, everyone inside flipping her off. She simply shook her bowed head.
Christs noticed her best friend Abbi walking, with Socs trailing her. "Hey, Abbs! What'cha doin' walkin' alone!" Christi hung upside down on her tree branch. She didn't want Abbi getting jumped.
Abbi turned at the sound of her friend's voice and walked over, glad to be ditching the Socs. "I was just on my way from the malt shop, me an' the guys were hanging out. What are you doing hanging around these parts?" Abbi smiled at her cheesy pun.
"Abbi will be Abbi," Christi grinned flipping off her branch, her feet making contact with the ground. "But, hey, I ain't got nothin' else to do."
"So how was your day?" Abbi asked.
Christi laughed bitterly, "Imma orphan. I ain't got a home. I sleep in trees for Pete's sake. How do you think it was?"
"Well sorry, it was a very stressful day for me. You know, I had to actually GET UP this morning, PUT REGULAR CLOTHES ON and GO to school. Can you believe it?"
"Really? You poor baby!" Christi teased, "Well, I fell OUT of a TREE when I was sleepin', almost got jumped THREE times, and I CAN'T go to school. Your life is heaven compared to mine! But we do got it better than Johnny, so that's good." Christi sighed, thinking about Johnny. He was cute, and not one of those guys who only thinks dirty. Nope, he was different. And that thrilled Christine.
"Yeah..." Abbi said slowly, thinking about their black haired, black eyed friend. "Sometimes I just wanna knock at their door with a loaded heater. When Johnny ain't home of course. Can't scare that kid more than he needs to be. You could teach him to climb trees and stuff."
"I'll always want to, but I honestly could never do that. Deep down Johnny still loves 'em... And I could never take somethin' he loves away." Christi and Abbi turned a corner when a Corvair pulled up, and four Socs hopped out. Christi put a hand on her hip, and got into a slouchy and feminine pose. She gave them a blank stare, and finally spoke, "Hey, Abbs. What do ya think the pretty boys want. Hey Socies, need to borrow some makeup? 'Cause you come to the wrong girls."
The lead Soc snorted, "Hey look, this little (female dog) thinks she can take us." This ticked Christi off. She took her gum out of her mouth, and promptly threw it on the Soc's shoe.
Abbi was shocked at her usually quiet friend's remark, but recovered quickly and flicked out her switchblade.
The Soc roared in rage at the sudden display, pulling his switch out. Christi stepped back eyes wide. She was starting to regret sassing off to the Socs. But if Christi didn't tell 'em off, who would? The Soc approached her with the tip of his blade at her throat. Christi said nothing, as the Soc began to drag the knife down her neck. It wasn't a big cut, but it did draw quite a bit of blood. Christi saw some red on her shirt front, and everything went black.
Abbi gasped and stared in horror. She lunged at the Soc, missing his throat by a millimeter as he dodged the blade. She felt hands push her and she struggled to get away. She kicked and threw punches randomly at her attackers. She could feel the blade making contact, but she didn't know who, or what with. Eventually, the Socs ran back and into their car. Abbi pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to her friend's wound. "Don't worry, Christi, you're gonna be okay." She whispered calmly.
Christi groaned, and felt something being pressed against her neck. She felt tired, but alert at the same time. "Abb...Abbi?" She was so confused about what was going on, and she hated it. She shivered, and realized she probably got cut. Whenever she sees blood, she either freaks out or passes out. Christi knew it was a bad weakness, but she couldn't help it... It reminded her of her birth mother... When her dad killed her so he could marry a rich woman. Then they moved to California and forgot about her.
"Hey, shut up, your gonna be fine. It ain't so deep." Abbi sat back as Christi tried to sit up.
"No, seriously.." Christi mumbled rubbing the back of her head. "I think I hit my head on the cement... So what happened? I know the Soc decided to try to KILL me.. and I passed out... But then what? What happened then?" Christi said over dramatically.
"Don't worry, I took care of it." Abbi replied with a sly grin. "And noooo, you didn't hit your head, you collapsed, but you told yourself to lower your head slowly to the ground." Abbi commented sarcastically.
"Sometimes I wonder why we're best friends... Then I remember it's because I can't fight, and you need someone to keep you outta jail." Christi retorted, with a laugh. Christi lept to her feet, before thinking. "I need to change my shirt... Wait, never mind!" Christi took off her jacket, and reversed the t-shirt so the blood was in the back. The neckline was the same all around anyways so it worked. Then she placed her jacket back on.
"Hey, if it wasn't for me, how many times do you think you could've ended up dead?" Abbi retorted.
"And how many times would you have ended up in jail?" Christi replied smartly.
When Abbi was silent Christi continued, "Well, basically that's true. We balance each other out... Plus we both lo-" Christi stopped herself, "Like Johnnycakes. Yeah... And I'd probably be dead right now... Sooooo... I'd be dead about... 23 times now." She grinned, and stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Haha funny, wise guy. Do you want to come to my place?"
"Well... sure. We can go to your place." Christi responded.
"Alright, let's go." Abbi started walking.
"Ok, then." Christi started walking alongside her friend.
"I really hope my uncle ain't home." Abbi sighed, turning the last corner to her house.
Christi nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that'd be best."
Eyeing the driveway, Abbi was relieved that her uncle's car wasn't parked there. She opened the door, leading Christi inside. "Hey," she hollered, "anybody home?"
Andy came out of Abbi's brothers' room and said, "Yeah, we're right here, you don't have to yell. It ain't that big a house."
"That won't stop her." Christi giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"True," Abbi shrugged. "What are you creeps doing in there anyway?" She asked Andy.
"I'd tell you, but I don't remember it being any of your business." He answered smartly before stalking off.
Abbi rolled her eyes and turned to Christi. "Are you hungry?"
Christi stuck her tongue out at Andy as he walked off. "No, I'm good." Christi lied, she didn't really want to eat anything anyways. Her ribs were clearly visible, but nobody knew about it anyways. "Sooo, what now?"
"Let's go to my room."
"Ok," Christi responded following Abbi.
After closing her bedroom door, Abbi said to her friend, "Hey, we should try to find dates and go to the dance this Friday."
"Yeah... But most guys don't even look at me." Christi sighed, thinking about the fact she's homeless. "And even if I did find a date, I wouldn't have anythin' to wear."
"I must have something for you, my mother left most of her clothes and she was about the same size as us and she had some nice things."
"Cool, then. Who you wanna go with?" Christi wanted to go with one of the gang. She had a huge crush on Johnny, but so did Abbi. She wanted to go with Johnny or Pony, because they were close enough to her age. Plus they were so sweet to her.
"I don't know, I might see if I can get Soda to ask me..." Abbi said dreamily.
"You'd look really cute together!" Christi exclaimed with a big smile. "I dunno who I wanna go with. Most likely Ponyboy though. He's closest to my age."
"Aw, you guys would be adorable!" Abbi exclaimed.
"Aw, thanks... Double date!" Christi shouted excitedly.
"We should hang around 'em till Friday." Abbi said with a sly grin.
"Yeah! So what are we still doin' here?"
"Wait, come with me for a minute." Abbi said, leading Christi to her mother and father's old bedroom. "My dad never bothered to clean out the closet and my uncle has his clothes in the bureau." Abbi opened the closet and pulled out six dresses she thought would look good on her and Christi. "My dad bought her dresses if they were going to weddings or something. Or my mom would just buy one if she had money. I think one of them is fromher high school dance." She carried the dresses back to her room. "But I won't show you until we get dates." She added with a smile. "So let's go get 'em!"
"Ok, let's go to the Curtis house, then!" Christi said stomping through the house trying to annoy Abbi's brothers.
Abbi laughed and followed her friend in a similar manner. "Wait! Shouldn't we... oh, I dunno, run a comb through our hair so we don't look like complete slobs? Besides, we gotta up our appeal." Abbi smiled, grabbing a brush and pulling it through her tangled hair.
"Sure, why not. But there's no way in heck I'm wearing makeup!" Christi shouted, still trying to annoy Abbi's brothers.
"Ugh, not if you paaaaid me!" Abbi hollered. She laughed almost the whole way to the Curtis's for no reason in particular except she liked to laugh and couldn't stop. People passing probably thought she was higher than a kite. It didn't bother her in the least.
Christi laughed with her friend, and let herself inside. Pony and Two-Bit were wrestling so she had to get involved. She jumped on top of both of them, cracking up.
Sodapop and Steve were arm wrestling, so Abbi knelt down, cheering them on.
Once Two-Bit pushed Christi off, he helped Pony up. Christi was still laughing. She had a big grin plastered in her face. Two-Bit was standing up now, so she got up and jumped on Pony's back. "C'mon! Ride, 'lil Pony!"
Abbi looked over and started into a fit of laughter. She laid down on the floor she was laughing so hard. She completely forgot to look "datable" in front of Soda, but how could she not laugh at the display of her friends?
Christi got off of Pony, and winked at him flirtily, before strutting into the kitchen. She grabbed a Coke from the fridge causing Two-Bit to shout, "Hey! When I do that I get yelled at, but she doesn't?"
Abbi laughed, taking a Coke for herself and tossing one to Soda. "Yeah it's 'cause Darry'd get arrested for hittin' us and we don't want that now do we?" She asked, sitting down next to Sodapop.
"Yeah, plus we're girls, and girls don't like bein' told off." Christi grinned plopping down on the couch next to Pony.
Abbi started, "Or you'll get a high heel up your-" Just before she could finish her sentence, Dally and Johnny waltzed in.
"Hey, Dal. Johnnycakes." Christi greeted them with a smile.
"Hey," Dal nodded, sinking down onto the couch. Johnny just nodded. "C'mon, Johnnycakes, you know we're practically family," Abbi started, getting up and walking over to her shy buddy. "We all know you can talk."
"Yeah, say somethin' with that cute accent of yours!" Christi accidently said, covering her mouth with her hands. Everyone just stared at her. She focused on her lap, and her hair covered her blush.
Abbi broke the silence, she knew her friend liked Johnny and she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Come on Johnnycakes, just say hi or something?"
Johnny grinned. "Hi... Or somethin'." Everyone laughed. Johnny usually doesn't joke, well not as much as Two-Bit, heck no one jokes as much as Two-Bit, but when he does, he sure doesn't waste his breath like the afore mention wisecracker.
Christi looked up and grinned. She glanced at Abbi with a look that said, "Thanks." Pony awkwardly sat next to Christi, she smiled.
Abbi winked at her embarrassed friend. Dal spoke up, "Hey anybody wanna go to the Dingo on Friday?"
"Hmm... Depends, I might go to that dance, if someone asks me" Christi responded, before turning to Pony, "Hint, hint." Pony just gave Christi a puzzled look, making her groan in frustration.
"Alright, forget this complicated (stuff). Soda, are you going to the dance?"
"Well, I might. Why?"
Abbi sighed. "My word, what does it take with you boys!?"
Soda looked completely confused, before realization dawned on him. "Oh... You mean... Well then, Abbi would you like to be my date to the dance?"
Abbi smirked. "Took you long enough."
Ponyboy smiled. "I've been waiting for you two to realize you liked each other."
Abbi looked at Ponyboy, "Yeah well I'm STILL waiting for you to see what's right in front of your face!"
Pony still looked confused, God, was he clueless. Christi rolled her eyes and decided to make the first move. "Ponyboy, do you wanna take me as your date to the dance on Friday?" Pony looked surprised as he realized what she wanted. "Sure."
Abbi sighed in relief. "Well good then. Double date?"
"Sure," Soda said as Ponyboy nodded.
"Well, boys, if you'll excuse us, we have some things to take care of." Abbi smiled, taking Christi by the arm.
"See ya." Christi responded following Abbi. "Yay! That was quick. So now we need dresses."
"Alrighty, I think I have the perfect dress for you." Abbi felt so excited she didn't really know what to do. "Hey, Christi, watch this." Abbi ran a few yards then did a perfect cartwheel, toes pointed and all. Darry had taught them all gymnastics that he learned at the Y. He thought it could help in a rumble.
"Cool." Christi replied, doing a backflip then a frontflip, beaming proudly.
"Oh so that's how this is gonna be? Alright, well..." Abbi did a back handspring then a no-hands cartwheel, and last a front handspring into a front flip. She turned around to face her friend, her hair perfectly messed up, and she snapped her fingers in a sassy, hip-swinging motion, and said good-naturedly, "Beat that."
"Ok, I will" Christi scanned the area and her eyes landed on a tree. She ran over to it and grabbed a branch. She did a pull up until her hips were touching the branch. She did a couple flips before swinging to a higher branch. She balance on the branch, before doing a couple flips to the ground. When her feet hit the ground she sumersaulted, and stood up cheerfully. "Is that a bell I hear? 'Cause you just got schooled."
"Hey, I'm sorry I don't practice acrobatics in trees in my free time." Abbi laughed.
"Well, I don't bother wasting my time in a classroom, so I got extra time." Christi shrugged as she kept walking.
"Yeah, I've noticed." Abbi smiled at her friend.
"So... What now?" Christi asked peppily.
"We're gonna pick out our dresses!"
"Yay!" Christi cheered.
Abbi opened her front door and found her brothers wrestling in the living room, knocking over a lamp. "Hey, take it outside, willya?"
"Yes, mother." Josh retorted. Abbi stuck her tongue out at him and kicked him playfully, leading Christi back to the room where she had left the dresses.
Christi followed her friend, laughing at her brothers. "You and Soda look adorable together!" She squealed.
"You and Pony are perfect!" Abbi exclaimed. "Now sit there and close your eyes." She instructed Christi, motioning to a chair.
Abbi pulls out a dress. "I thought I'd start with the one you would like the least." The dress is white and blue with a blue flower at the (blue) waist and spaghetti straps. "There's this one, and..." she pulls out a dark blue dress with vertical strips of lace to solid. "I like this one." Abbi noted. Pulling out the last dress, a (again) dark blue sparkly dress with a scoop neck and a big skirt. "I thought you'd like this one. Here, this one's mine," Abbi pulled a white sweet-heart neckline dress with pink polka dots and a pink sash around the middle with ribbons hanging from it. "I'm either going to wear this one or the blue lacey one. What do you think?"
"I like the pink. Looks classy but fun." Christi said, "You should wear it."
"Alright. Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too." Abbi smiled as she held the dress up in front of her in front of the mirror.
"Ok. And we can do somethin' with that mop!" Christi grinned, raising an eyebrow.
Abbi raised an eyebrow right back at her friend. "What about you, Miss Tree-for-a-Bed?"
"My hair is like a Socs'!" Christi teased, mockingly fluffing her hair.
"Oh, definitely." Abbi let out an exasperated sigh and flopped down on her bed. "I. Am sooooo. Nervous. Oh my god, what if I do something really embarrassing, I probably will," Abbi sat up. "Knowing me, I will. Oh my... Oooh. I swear, I'm going to have a panic attack."
"You'll be fine. It's only Soda and you know him like the back of your hand." Christi reassured Abbi.
Abbi sighed. "That's true, he's like an open book. Aright, I'm calm."
"Ok, good." Christi said pulling out a white dress with blue in some places. "I like this one."
Abbi gasped playfully. "Gorgeous, baby."
"I know right!" Christi squealed, holding the dress up.
"So what about dance moves? Can you hand jive?"
"Do what?" Christi said, confused. She doesn't know how to dance, heck, she didn't even think it was allowed for her to go to a dance without school education.
Abbi sighed good-naturedly, standing up from the bed. She patted her lap twice, then clapped twice, slid her right hand over her left, jerked it back and forth, then switched and did it with the other hand, pounded her right fist onto her left twice, then did it with the right on top, and last, she jerked her right thumb over her right shoulder, and her left thumb over her left shoulder. She did all of these motions quickly, with her knees slightly bent. "That's the hand jive."
Christi raised an eyebrow... "So... Like this?" She repeated what Abbi did only messing up once.
"Yeah, I always knew you were a fast learner. I know Sodapop knows that dance, but does Ponyboy?"
"I dunno. We should have a double wedding when we get married!"
Abbi gasped, grinning. "But, of course!" She mimicked a British accent and laughed.
Christi nodded with a giggle, "I'm the queen of England! Stand and watch me cry!"
Abbi laughed, falling on the floor yet again. "Okay..." She started trying to calm down. "Now all we have to do is wait. And that is the hardest part of all."
"Yeah. We could do somethin' to pass the time." Christi suggested.
"Hmmm... Wanna go listen to an Elvis record?"
"Sure!" Christi responded. She liked listening to Elvis records.
Abbi lead Christi to the living room where their record player was and put on her favorite album.
"A very old friend came by today 'cause he was telling everyone in town of the love that he just found and CHRISTI's the name of his latest flame!"
Christi smiled a little and started singing along in a funny voice.
"Well if your baby leaves you and you've got a tale to tell, come on in at the end of lonely street at the heartbreak hotel..."
"So," Abbi said. "Is all you do all day swing around in trees?"
"Not really. I'm with Ponyboy after he gets back from school, and around the rest of the gang while he's at school. They sometimes take me to the movies!" Christi blabbed.
"And by they you mean Darry and Dally? I'm sure they're great one-on-one conversationalists."
"Mhmm. Steve hates me."
"Who doesn't Steve Randle hate? But I don't get it, he doesn't really have a reason to hate us. Do you think he hates Johnnycakes?"
"Well, it's impossible to hate Johnnycakes. His eyes are just too sad for anyone to hate." Christi replied, braiding her hair.
"I don't understand his parents..."
"Yeah, his parents deserve to rot in a dusty, cobwebby hole, far away from Johnny. We're probably the closest to a mother or sister figure he has."
"Yeah and Darry's probably his father figure and the guys are his brothers. I feel bad for Soda and Darry and Pony, their parents were great people. They didn't deserve that. They knew the score." Abbi took a deep breath and shook her head. "But, hey, that's life. Like it or lump it."
"Yeah, I used to spend the night down at their house. They were nice people to me and they and they always helped me." Christi explained with a small smile.
"Yeah." Abbi nodded with a sigh.
Christi thought about Mr. and Mrs. Curtis for a little while. Before sighing and sitting down on the floor.
Abbi sighed again, willing herself not to cry. She hasn't cried in years. She had forgotten like so many other greasers. Suddenly she wanted to, and didn't at the same time.
Christi took a deep breath, and shook her head desperately trying to rid the thoughts from her mind. "I only wish, I coulda made it to their funeral... I was in the hospital 'member? 'Cause Two-Bit thought it'd be funny to push me outta a tree... Then I landed on that dang beer bottle."
Abbi laughed bitterly. "Yeah good ol' Two-Bit." She said sarcastically.
"Yeah, couldn't stay mad at him to save my life. He brought me a candy bar... Well... a wrapper, 'cause he said he was hungry. But it was a nice thought." Christi said, with a small smile.
"I remember once he almost broke my arm so he made up for it by swiping me a horse magazine." Abbi thought of all the times Two-Bit did something something stupid and tried to make up for it by stealing something.
"I think he likes showin' off how good he is at shopliftin'. In fact a couple months ago he said if I was older he'd teach me."
Abbi laughed. "Glory, that kid sure is proud."
*sorry, ran outta room, it's long and it's just gonna continue in chap 3 ;)
