My head hurt when I woke I up. I'd forgotten what a hangover felt like. It was a minor one but it was still a hangover. It felt like hell, but in a way the pain was almost sweet, it reminded me of my teenage year when hangover were applauded and not shunned. A sharp knock on my door woke me up. I stood up and glanced in the shattered mirror. I was still wearing the black business skirt and the blue blouse, my tights were ripped and I was a bit self-conscious in front of Dallas. I didn't even know why.

I opened the door. Dallas was standing there with a man who had reddish hair and grey eyes. He was tall and muscular. I looked down and my tights were ripped.

"Ginger, this is Two-Bit." Dallas said and I stuck out my hand. No one made any move to shake it.

"How you doing, Ginger?" He asked, in a out of charecter gesture, I made no move to correct him.

"Tired, but feeling better." I said and Dallas nodded.

"We're going to see Johnny today, then I bet you have paper work to do and crap to prepare." He said and I nodded.

"You bet I do, but will you take me to the store first?" I asked.

"To get what?"

"None of your damn business!" I snapped and Dallas put his arm out.

"Then it's a no can do, sugar." He said. "Tell me what you need or I can't do anything." I sighed.

"Things for the trial. Pens, paper, makeup, and other things, among them tampons and deodorant, if you must know. Please don't be a asshole, Dallas." He sighed. The three of us got in the car. Dallas stopped at the DX gas station and convince store.

"Sodapop! Steve!" Dallas yelled as he opened the door and Two boys came out of the back.

"Dallas! That you?" One of them asked. He looked like a movie star, with dark golden hair and brown eyes. He was the type of person I'd put on that stand. Clean cut, sweet and, handsome Not Dallas. Not with his record and icy looks.

"Yah! It's me, Soda. Is Pony here?"

"You going to yell at him?"

"Nah, I'm not going anywhere near the little bugger." He said and leaned around screamed the last part, probably hoping that the poor kid heard. Then he turned to me. "Guys, this is Ginger. She's a lawyer and she's going to try to help Johnnycake. She said she'd do it free and between you and me, I don't trust her." Dallas said. I ignored it and stuck my hand out to movie star boy. To my surprise he shook it. He'd be the first.

"Nice to meet you, Ginger. I'm Sodapop Curtis." He said. Sodapop? I was never going to get over these names. I laughed.

"That's not my real name." I said and the other one, who I assumed to be Steve, smirked.

"That a name that Dally made up for you?" He asked and wiped his hands off. I nodded and took out my small notebook.

"I'm going to need to speak with your brother, Ponyboy, but first I need to get something's and talk to Johnny." I said and walked down the isle. I grabbed some pens and paper. Highlighters and some gum and coffee, because temptation was right downstairs, and some lipstick and mascara for the trial then I sighed and took a liquor shot bottle, only one shot bottle and I would never let anyone see me purchase it. I just needed a little to calm down. I knew I was going to get the case. I walked up front and took out a twenty. The only one I had, but Sodapop waved it away.

"Just take what you need. The DX gets enough business and we owe you money for the legal work you'll be doing." he said and I nodded.

"How much time do I have?" I asked. A month? Good I could get a case together. A year? Even better.

" A week." Steve said and my eyes bulged. How is that even possible? Dallas started to ramble. It was out of character and scared me a bit.

"Johnny killed him a week ago and they got a real god lawyer and he came all the way from Boston and he's got really weird shoes and they're a million bucks and he slicks his hair back with gel, not even grease, gel and he told me that he was going to win and then I said that Johnny would represent himself and I thought we could help but then I figured out that-" I cut Dallas off.

"You're telling that you're friend went on trial for murder and you're giving me a week to prepare my case!" I yelled and Dallas got in my face.

"You got a problem with that?" He asked and I nodded.

"I sure as hell do!" I said, running my hands through my red hair. "God damn it, Dallas!" I yelled and slammed my hand down on the counter. "I can't do this!"

"Then he'll get the chair!" Dallas yelled and grabbed my shoulders, pushing me towards the door. Soda grabbed his arm.

"Lay off of her, Dally." He said and Dallas just ignored him. He dragged me outside and I wouldn't look at him in the eyes. It was to painful to see how much he needed me now and how desperate he was. "God damn it, Woods." He snapped and pulled my head up, so that I was forced to look at him. "I NEED you to help him. I'll do any freaking thing in whole entire god damn world. Just help Johnny out of this mess. You say you grew up here, but god damn it, you don't know shit about what we go through everyday. If you did you'd know that Johnny's all I have left." He yelled and I turned to look into the gas station. Everyone looked tense. I sighed. What could it hurt? If he went in their representing himself he'd get himself the chair.

"Bring me to see Johnny, Dallas. I need to get the story strait and I need to meet with my client." I said and Dallas smiled a bit of his normal cocky smile. It amazed me how he could go from angry to calm in a few seconds. I walked back inside and turned to Sodapop, who seemed to be the easiest to talk to, stupid name and all. "Mr. Curtis, can I get a list of people I might be able to talk to?" I said and he nodded. I handed him some paper and a pen and he and Steve got to work.

"Sure thing, Miss Woods." He bubbled. That was the first show of respect that anyone here had given me. I thanked him, took my bag, and looked back at Dallas.

"I'll need to meet with Mr. Cade, as I only have one week." I said and we both got in the car and drove away to the station.

"So you got a law degree?" Dallas asked. I ignored him. "You sure you're a lawyer?" He said and reached over with one hand to twirl a bit of my hair. "You look like you could be a dancer."

"Who says that to someone?" I snapped. "That is really honest to god the worst thing that-"

"Take it as a complement." Dallas said.

"I'd see the show."

"You'd see any show." I snapped and Dallas laughed a bit. I sighed and grabbed at my head. Stress migraine.

"You ok, Ginger?" He asked and I shook my head. "What's up, sweetheart?"

"Don't ever call me that againe and I'm a little on edge." I said.

"Why?"

"My first case I'd do completely alone."

"Sucks." Dallas said and I might just have herd a bit of sympathy. "Listen, Ginger, I want to go on stand and I want to talk." I snorted.

"Not happening." I said and he cocked his head.

"What do you mean?" Dallas asked stopping the car.

"I mean you have a record like five god damn pages. They'll crucify you up there!" I snapped and he sighed, with that the conversation was over. I sighed. Dallas was the only one able to psyche me out.

I pulled out the bag of things from the DX and when Dallas was driving. I downed the bottle in record time, swearing to myself that that was the last I'd ever drink and I only needed it to calm myself down around Johnny and Dallas, so that I didn't seem scared when talking to him. Because chances are he would be twenty times more scared then me. I thought.