Disclaimer: I own nothing of SE Hinton's.

/A.N/: I rewrote chapter three, the plot will be going a little differently but considering, this is only the third chapter, forget about this note.

Turn Back The Hand

Chapter 3


Mark

We were at the Curtis place, just hanging out. Just me, Bryon and Ponyboy. We hung out a lot nowadays. The other guys weren't here so we had the couch all to ourselves. Taking a sip of the forbidden drink that we had dared Pony to drink(well,Bryon did,anyway. He thinks its funny to see Darry go ape shit.), Ponyboy started talking.

"Hey,so I saw Cathy the other day."

"Yeah?" Bryon straightened up from his lopsided position on the couch. "How's she doing?"

"Pretty good."

"So the chick still going strong then, huh?" I took sip out of Pony's can. Hell, Pony shouldn't get hollered at all the time just 'cause of Bryon's stupid dare.

"Mark ain't like her too much." Bryon told Pony,smirking at me.

"Too right," I said. "She's dumb."

"She ain't dumb," Bryon disagreed. "She's one of the smartest chicks I'd ever gone with."

"So, anyway." Pony started again. "It alright by you if I ask heroutBryon?"

Bryon blinked,' cause you know, clearly, Ponyboy was talking too fast. Then, he grinned at him.

"How long have you been waiting to ask?" he laughed and I was surprised. I didn't think Bryon did laugh...but then again, I didn't know what Bryon would do much now.

"Sure, I'm not going with Cathy, anymore." he said. "Why would you think you need my permission?"

"I wasn't asking for permission." Ponyboy flushed.

"Yeah? That's what it sounded like. Nah, look, just take her out or something. She already thinks you're that good-looking anyway."

"Yeah?"

"Yup. Nearly got me mad when she mentioned it."

They laughed but I felt freaked out. I don't really know how to deal with situations like these so I just grinned and went on watching Warner Brothers.

The door opened then and Ponyboy's older brother, Darry came in. Two-Bit was with him. They both looked upset and I wondered absent-mindedly what Ponyboy had done. It wasn't like he tried to get into messes most of the time. He simply happened to get caught in them. Like that time, he got robbed near the park or another time, when the Shepard gang rode by and asked him for his help...well, he couldn't chicken out, could he?

They said hey to us then started in. Two-Bit went first, obviously trying to hold Darry off.

"So, Pone, you're friends with that Terry kid, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Pony asked cautiously.

"He just got bust for having drugs during a cop raid."

"Terry?" Bryon butted in. "He ain't a user."

"I don't know about that," Darry walked in. "But he's going into the pen."

I felt sick all of a sudden. I mean, heck, that could have been me just as easy.

Bryon looked a bit green too and Ponyboy was looking at us with a worried expression. He knew the score even if the others didn't.

"We gotta go." Bryon excused himself and we ran outta there as fast as we could. Behind us, I heard Two-Bit ask after us, "You boys okay?"

Then, when we were near clear the house, I heard Darry shouting, "Why the hell are all your friends hoods?"

I felt bad,' cause I'm a hood myself. Bryon and me stopped at the park but when we got there, Bryon slapped his forehead and said he left his wallet there so we couldn't take a bus back. We walked back to the Curtis place silently, passing our last stick back and forth with shaking hands.

Bryon

I felt awful. Mark stood, waiting at the gate as I walked in. I poked my head and saw Pony sitting on the couch. He looked pissed off but when he saw me, he jumped up.

"Bryon? Why you here?"

"Left my wallet,"I told him.

He passed the wallet to me silently.

"Look. About just now-"He began but I cut him off.

"So Terry got busted. That's his deal." I clapped his shoulder.

"You sure?"

"Yeah but what about me and Mark hanging here so much? Ain't Darry mad? I mean, we're hoods too."

A dark look passed over his face.

"That's just Darry. He doesn't get that just 'cause I go with you guys, I go boozing or getting high."

I laughed shakily.

"I better go," I told him. "Mark's waiting outside."

"Yeah, okay."

I left but I still felt bad. I don't know why but I just did.

A.N/: Shorter than usual but I need this to continue the story.(And I've been far too lazy lately,not posting up a new chapter.) R&R! I'd love to know what you think of this.