Thank you to all who rreviewed!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Outsiders.
I was laying down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Ever since mom died and my dad turned into an abusive drunk, I haven't been able to sleep very well. Knowing your in a house with somebody that could wake you up and beat you until you are or almost unconscious doesn't make you want to slip into a peaceful sleep.
My dad wasn't home yet. It was 1:30 in the morning and he was probably out drinking. He usually is. It's rare to find him completely sober, but as for Soda, he's always sober and he still hits me. He doesn't have an excuse at all. My dad is different.
Flashback:
"Colette!" my dad yells to me from the living room.
I got off of my bed. I was probably only 13. Maybe 14. I hurried into the living room to find my dad, drunk and laying on the couch. Empty beer bottles surround him.
"Get me more beer," He ordered. I rushed into the kitchen, knowing what would happen if I didn't hurry, but when I opened the fridge, there wasn't any beer.
A wave of fear hit me as I closed the refrigerator door and looking back in the living room.
"Um, there isn't any beer left," I said in a small voice.
My dad rose up from the couch quickly, knocking a few bottles that were on the couch to the floor.
"No beer left? How isn't there any beer lef? Oh right because your the BITCH who didn't buy me any!" He yelled.
"I can't buy beer, they won't let me!" I said in defense which wasn't any help.
My dad grabbed a nearby beer bottle threw it at me. Luckily, I moved out of the way just in time before it hit me. It shattered into a million tiny pieces across the kitchen floor. My dad ran over to me, grabbed my arm and threw me down into the glass mess. I put my hand down in attempt to break my fall. It did work, but my hand was a mess of glass and blood. My dad picked me up and threw me against the wall. He slapped me and punched me. He didn't stop until my face was full of blood. He finally passed out and I ran into the bathroom and spent about an hour picking the broken glass pieces out of my hand and cleaning my face.
End of flashback.
I still get scared by that memory. I remember everything. How I felt. How badly it hurt. And I couldn't do anything. Thinking about that made me think about the first time Soda hit me.
Flashback:
The sun was setting and it was beginning to get dark. I was waiting outside of the DX, planning to surprise Soda when a few guys started to flirt with me.
"Hey gorgeous. Why don't you come with us an we'll show you some real fun?" one of them asked.
"Beautiful, why don't you come with us and we'll show you a good time." Another one started to touch me.
"I'm already going out with somebody." I tried to explain. These guys were making me extremely uncomfortable.
They just continued and I kept trying to tell them to stop until Soda came out of the DX 5 minutes later. He looked surprised to see me, but before I could say anything, Soda grabbed my wrist and almost dragged me to the house that him and his brothers, Ponyboy and Darry, lived in. Nobody was home. I didn't have any time to ask what he was doing. Time just seemed to rush forward. He threw his jacket on the couch and pushed me into the room that him and his youngest brother, Ponyboy, shared.
"What the hell was that?" Soda yelled.
I was silent. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what Soda was talking about. I was quiet and that must've made him even more mad because he slapped me, hard. I fell down due to the unexpected action.
He grabbed my collar and pulled me to my feet. I choked on the heavy amount of pressure forced onto my neck.
"I said what the hell was that? Why were you talking to those guys?" Soda's voice grew louder and firmer with each word.
"Soda, you don't understand! I was telling them to stop, but..."
Soda pushed me and I fell. Before I could move he landed a hard punch at my stomach. I crunched over, my breath coming in raspy gulps. He raked his nails across my cheek. I could tell by the bitter taste in my mouth that he had drawn blood.
I tried to stand again but he grabbed me by my arms and swung me into the wall. I let out a shriek as he pressed harder onto my arms, and black dots swam into my eyes. The impact from the wall hit me hard. I turned towards the door and was met with a strong punch to my right eye. I screamed, knowing I would have a black eye by the end of the day.
I started to run towards the door but was shoved forward. I closed my eyes and covered my head as Soda proceeded to kick me repeatedly in the back. With each kick I let out a small scream. I didn't know when it had ended, but eventually the kicking stopped. I stood up and winced as my foot touched the ground.
Soda grabbed my hair and pulled me up. I looked at his face. His usually happy dark brown eyes now had an angry and scary look in them. For a second, I felt like he was a complete stranger. I really did.
Sodapop let go of my hair and grabbed my arm and pulled me closer.
"You won't talk to any other guy and if you do, I will really hurt you," Soda said in a chilling voice that scared me to the point where I almost let the tears I was holding in, fall. But that would only make him more mad. I just stayed silent and nodded.
Soda grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of his room. He dragged me through the house and pushed me out the front door.
"Don't say anything to anybody," Soda said before slamming the door in my face.
End of flashback.
I shivered at the memory. My loving boyfriend had turned from caring to cold hearted in one day. I felt like I didn't have anybody, but I felt it was my fault. My fault for being so selfish all these years. I realized I really didn't take much time to think about other people. Maybe if I had, dad and Soda wouldn't be like this. I wondered if Soda's friends knew what he was really like. I knew my dad's friends knew that he beat me, but I wondered if Soda ever told Ponyboy or his friends what he did to me once we were left alone. I doubted it. They all knew him as a carefree and loving person. Not an abusive boyfriend. I imagined he didn't even think about telling them. His friends and brothers thought that all of my bruises, cuts, and scars came from only my father. They would never have guessed that that wasn't the full truth.
I heard the front door slam shut, meaning dad was home. I sat up in my bed waiting for him to yell my name or come looking for me. Instead, I just heard him fall onto the couch. Probably passed out. I let out a small sigh of relief. Since I was awake and unable to sleep, I decided to get out of the house and walk around for a little while. Possibly stay out all night. I've done it many times when dad is passed out drunk. He doesn't wake up until late in the morning when I'm already back from where ever I was overnight. When I stay out all night, I don't dare to go to Soda's house. Even if his brothers are home. He scares me that much.
I put on my jacket and put on my shoes. I left my house and inhaled the crisp, cold October air. I walked to this lot where Soda, Ponyboy and their friends sometimes hang out. I've been there a lot of times with them. I'll sleep there if I'm really tired, but to afraid to go home.
Right now, I was really tired. I wanted to lay down and go to sleep, but it was to cold to stay out all night. I really wanted to stay away from my house though, so I didn't have much of a choice. I sat down by a tree and drew my legs up to my chest to keep me warm. I looked around the lot. It was silent except for the occasional sound of a car going by. I was freezing. I never even considered going home, I just decided to sleep in the lot again. I laid down and tried to get comfortable. The ground was hard. I slowly drifted off to sleep while listening to the sounds going on around me.