By the way this starts a few weeks after Johnny gets attacked by the Socs. So if I did my calculations right, this storyline starts off somewhere in mid April. Enjoy.
Down the Long Road
Chapter Two: Thanks for the Welt and Ride Home
"She ain't dead, is she?" Two-Bit asked from the back side of the couch, hovering over the girl who was now sporting a brand new welt on the right side of her face. His normally grinning face filled will worry over the stranger.
"No," Darry told him simply, "you just knocked her out."
"Whatcha you figure she was running from?" Ponyboy asked from the middle of Soda and Darry, leaning closer to get a look at the girl.
"I'd say Socs', she looks a bit like a greaser." Soda told him, moving from his spot to pick up the wash cloth and bottle of peroxide from the table. After dabbing the old torn cloth with the liquid, he handed it over to Darry who went on doctoring up the cuts and scrapes underneath her chin.
The girl flinched and twitched in her unconscious state, but didn't wake up from the burning sensations bubbling up on her chin. They watched as she groaned and arched her back slightly in sudden pain as Darry applied the rag to her palms. Darry looked over the girl some more, checking her clothing for any tears or rips that could lead to another wound.
"There was a mustang outside, maybe she was running from that." Johnny murmured from the end of the couch, he sat on the arm staring at the blonde. His dark eyes seemed sunken in from the dark circles around them, a look of compassion for the poor girl as he remembered the attack only a few weeks ago.
"She looks to neat, for a greaser," Two-Bit was cut off before he could finish by the sudden groan coming from the girls' mouth.
One of her hands swatted at the light shining in her eyes, her fingers spread wide trying to get as much coverage as possible. She tried lifting herself up with her other hand, her eye lids blinking rapidly to adjust to the lighting of the room. She stilled when Darry clasped his hand on her shoulder, her eyes meeting Johnny's when she looked back up. They stared at each other for a short lived moment before she scooted herself backwards, her lower back bumping into the armrest. She looked around the room, a living area, she guessed. She took in the gangs faces, her sea-green eyes wide in shock and a tinge of fear. The last thing she could remember was the Cherry Red Mustang and beating on a front door.
"It's alright," A strong and rather rough voice came from the blondes side. She craned her head to the right and was met with a pair of icy blue-green eyes that made her insides want to curl up. She looked him over; he looked like a true greaser. Besides the hair anyway, his dark hair flipped and kicked out on his forehead, she already knew it gave him the ability to make any girl melt inside. "What's your name?"
She stared at him for a moment, her head was reeling. The simple question was not helping with the bright lights and pounding of hammers in her head.
"…Charlotte." Her voice cracked from the dryness in her throat. She swallowed the bit of saliva in her mouth in attempt to moisten her throat.
The boy on her left jumped over the back and landed in the middle of the couch. He was squatting over her legs, his arms shooting out and grabbing the sides of her shoulders, a grin on his face. "Well, Charlotte, sorry 'bout that blow to the head. I'm pretty sure it didn't cause any major damage, not that it would matter. You have such a pretty head anyway. The names Two-Bit by the way." He talked so fast Char couldn't but help to stare at the boy, one thing crossing her mind. Was he drunk? His gray eyes shined with mirth as he made another crack at her, his rusty hair falling into his eyes as the grease loosened when he shook his head back. A small confused smile found its way and she let out a nervous chuckle, trying to scoot a little further back.
Two large hands grabbed Two-Bits from under his armpits and pulled him back to the ground, causing him to wobble and fall on his butt. "Hey!"
"Don't squash her, Two-Bit. I don't think you can afford to have a harassment charge on you." Darry told him a humorous smile on his handsome face. "Are you alright?"
Charlotte rubbed at the bruising side of her face wincing, "Yeah, besides the lump forming on my face, I'll be fine." She laughed shrugging her shoulder, waving her hand back and forth, "No sweat. May I ask your name?"
Darry watched her as she slowly pulled herself up, making sure she wasn't going to hurt herself by falling over. "Darrel Curtis. Darry it you'd like."
Glancing up she remembered of the rest of the teens in the room again, a pleasant smile sprang across her face. "I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch your names, did I?" The boys were a little surprised at her sudden burst of cheerfulness but always quick to recover Soda flopped down on the seat next to her and reached out a hand.
"Hiya," the boy next her had dark golden hair, his charming face held two dark brown eyes that seemed to dance around in happiness. "I'm Sodapop, everyone call me Soda, though. I'm Darry's brother and this here is our little brother Ponyboy. That there is Johnny and of course you already know our very own town idiot, on the floor over there." Charlotte grinned, this was too good. Two-Bit tackled Soda flipping both of them of the back off the couch and Char bumping into Johnny, sending them flying of the couch also.
Two moans were heard from the side of the ground. Charlotte was leaning halfway on top of Johnny, her still fresh wounds burning. Rolling over she blew on her palms quickly, why did the human body have to have so many nerve endings? Looking over she met Johnny's wide freighted eyes. She stopped herself from flinching, wanting to look away from the pain in his dark eyes. A curious thought ran through her head on how he got the scars and bruises along his face and how that cold sacred puppy dog look got in his eyes. She gave him a comforting smile, got to her knees and held a slightly shaking hand out to him.
"Looks like I'm a walking disaster, huh?" She asked him, still waiting for him to take her hand. Slowly Johnny reached out his hand and grasped hers tightly; she carefully pulled him up with her to their feet. Ponyboy grasped Johnny on the shoulder lightly getting him to meet his eyes.
"You 'right Johnnycake?" Ponyboy asked, the worry clear in his eyes. Johnny murmured a quick and nearly silent 'yea'.
Two-Bit and Soda were still on the floor laughing as they rolled around, Two-Bit was trapped in a headlock. Darry came over to them a grin covering his face as he separated them from their antics. "Maybe I should get you home?" He asked.
"Yeah, that would be great." She told him smiling. Darry grabbed a jacket off the recliner and tossed the keys up in the air catching them again. Charlotte slowly followed behind him, turning her head to watch the occupants of the room, before stopping at the door and turning all the way to them. "Um, it was nice meeting you. I mean that, it was." She couldn't help laughing with a humorous smile. "And Johnny, sorry for falling on you, hope I didn't squash you."
Charlotte watched Darry drive away back down the road towards his home from the foreign front yard of her new home. She leaned on the fences gate, her head tilted to the left staring down at the vanishing headlights before turning the street. Sighing, she slowly turned around facing the eyesore of a new home. Who paints a house mustered yellow, anyway? Charlotte walked up to the dark brown wooden steps begrudgingly; her father was going to kill her. Swinging open the heavy door she called out in false merriment.
"Father, I'm home! Did ya miss me?"
"Charlotte, where the hell have you been?" Her father's harsh voice rang from the living room, loud footsteps falling after. Char stood there with a tight smile as her father rounded in front of her, his face red with anger and his right eye twitching dramatically.
"Why, nowhere important dad. No need to get so worked up, I wouldn't want you worrying 'bout me all night." She told him with a sarcastic smile on her face, her green eyes tempted to roll. She began to make her way past him but a hand gripped her forearm tightly.
Her father's dull brown eyes glared down at her while his nostrils flared. "Oh no, you're not going anywhere."
Ah, home sweet home.