Hello lovely readers. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long, but if I force myself to write I end up delivering garbage

instead of my regular work. As a result I've decided to sacrifice timeliness in lieu of quality, i ope you all understand. I want you to know that I greatly value everyone who takes the time to read and review my stories, you are all beautiful.

Stephen's POV

I woke up as my alarm went off, silencing it quickly so it wouldn't wake my old man. I knew he would be hung over today; the bruises all over my body were proof enough of that. My Dad wasn't half bad sober but he was a real mean drunk and most days I did something to make him mad.

He'd been a lot happier before mom left I reflected as I took a quick shower, it was like she had taken all his kindness with her.

I got dressed as quietly as I could and grabbed an apple to eat as I made my way over to Storms house. I let myself in and greeted Ryan, as I did every morning, then we waited ten minutes for storm just like we did every morning.

"Hurry up!" Ryan called impatiently to which Storm replied with a shouted obscenities. She came down the hallway pulling her shirt over her head.

"I don't understand how you get up the same time I do yet it takes you 15 minutes longer to get ready" Ryan shook his head "if you wore piles of makeup maybe I'd understand but you don't wear makeup or spend a lot of time on your hair. I just do not get it"

"Oh shut up and lets just go" Storm said.

"So did anyone figure out what's so bad about the Jacobs?" I asked. I knew that the knowledge was somewhere in my brain but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

"Remember the Daniels murder a while back? Entire family dead, bloody and brutal. They couldn't prove it cause of some court bullshit but those two brothers did it. The entire family is a total mess, their dad killed their mother and got the death penalty for it. And if Dally says that someone isn't to be messed with then I run far away and I don't look back" Storm said somberly.

"I just hope Ponyboy is smart enough to do the same" I said equally sombre.

It seemed that Ponyboy was determined to do the stupid thing however because when I got to Chemistry what did I see?

Ponyboy and Isabella sharing a table, and looking comfortable too.

I gave Ponyboy what I hoped was a look of disappointment, or maybe disdain, which he blatantly ignored.

"No good will come of this" I thought ominously. She hardly looked dangerous herself though; she had a soft face with pretty blue eyes and blonde hair that fell in soft waves below her shoulders. Coupled with a straight bang she was hardly the face of danger, she was beautiful even.

"Stop that Stephen" I reprimanded myself "you know she's dangerous so don't go feeling bad for her."

I did my best to ignore the fact that her and Ponyboy were hitting it off and chose to focus on my own work instead.

My lab partner for the day was a quiet middle class kid, bad for conversation but good for getting the work done. He was good enough that I was finished a couple minutes early, in time to hear Ponyboy invite Isabella over and hear her agree.

"Dally is not going to like this."

After school the three of us decided to head by the Curtis household, eager to see what was going to happen when Dally came face to face with a Jacobs.

We walked a few feet behind them, quiet for the most part even Ryan. I wasn't sure where Two-Bit had ended up but I was reckoning he would show up, Two-Bit would never miss something like this.

Ponyboy and Isabella laughed as they walked, bumping shoulders occasionally. I still didn't know what was wrong with her, there was no hope for her brothers but she seemed alright.

I said as much to Storm and Ryan, Storm had similar feelings while Ryan was less optimistic. "She has to be at least minorly affected having grown up how she did. It's just a matter of time before she snaps" he rationalised.

"We'll have to wait and see" I agreed.

We got to the house and watched as Ponyboy seemed to brace himself before leading Isabella inside.

No one was there yet, it seemed the Curtis brothers and Steve were working and Dally could have been any number of places for all we knew.

I grabbed a piece of chocolate cake and went out on to the porch, Ryan joining me while inside Ponyboy and Isabella were talking about the books they liked and Storm was watching T.V. She was wary of leaving the two of them alone together it seemed, and possibly correctly so.

Myself and Ryan decided to toss the football around for a while, we were at it for about twenty minutes when up walked none other than Dallas Winston.

We both turned and followed him into the house, curiosity killing our proverbial cats as the saying goes. (My English teacher would have been proud of that)

I closed the screen door and turned in time to see Dallas look at Isabella with a glare that made better men's knees watery. It seemed to unnerve her, she looked frightened, a look that only intensified as Dally drew a gun that he had gotten from who knows where and pointed it directly at her head.

"Ponyboy" he enunciated clearly "why the fuck is there a Jacobs here? I thought I made myself very clear yesterday that these were not the people you wanted to be dealing with."

"I think I can decide that for myself thanks" Ponyboy gritted his teeth "now lower your gun and let her leave."

"Oh I don't know about that" Dally replied in what could almost be described as a sickeningly sweet manner "see I think if you were at her house one of her lovely brothers would have your head blown off by now"

"Please don't kill me" Isabella spoke up. Since Dally had entered the house she had been quiet, barely reacting when he pointed his gun at her. This struck me as something that was very wrong, even with a family like hers she should have reacted more.

"You'll only cause more problems if I die" She said in the same soft tone.

Dally seemed to think it over before slowly lowering his weapon

"This will never happen again so be careful" he instructed "now leave before I change my mind"

Isabella didn't need telling twice, she took off in to the night, in search of a family all her own no doubt.

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