AN: Here's an update, enjoy! Remember, I don't own anything King wrote or came up with!
Joan pulled on Ace's arm, "Come on, Ace, I don't want to be surrounded by horny teenagers. Let's go into the woods, it's more romantic."
Ace did not know if she was trying to persuade him with the thought that it would be romantic because, honestly, he did not care. He was just trying to keep the girl happy so, in turn, she would make him happy.
He knew he did not have to go through so much trouble if all he wanted was a woman's "intimacy" but Charlie was out of the question even if she had invited him over. He would not go there because every time he was with Charlie in her room, he would always think of where he would rather be and who he would rather be with since she was so close. Even with her out on a date, it did not change the fact that he would have to go through her room, see the pictures of her, and smell her perfume looming in the air.
Joan would have to do for now.
Joan dragged him along the path and pulled him close, kissing him hungrily and he gladly kissed back. But sounds caught his ear, a voice.
"No, Ronny, I don't want to," she sounded helpless.
Another voice entered the picture, a male voice, "Come on, Elaine, I know for a fact you wanna."
That was all he needed to know what was happening. There were not that many Elaines in Castle Rock and even if it was not the one he thought it was, he would still be helping some helpless girl out. Though it did not go much for his reputation, the chicks would dig it.
He followed the muffled noises that soon burst out in a scream, causing Ace to break out into a run towards it until he found a man on top of a struggling blonde.
Ronny did not know what was going on until after he had been pulled off of Elaine and had felt sheer pain break out across his face as someone started punching him.
Elaine sat up and watched the first few blows in shock, trying to get a hold of her thoughts.
"Ace! What on earth are you doing?!"
Elaine looked over to see a girl come out from the woods, her shirt slightly disheveled. Elaine knew who she was and it angered her.
She got up and tried to pull Ace off of Ronny though she did not really care what happened to Ronny anymore, it angered her that Ace was the one to save her.
She stumbled getting up but called for Ace to let off and when he did not, she just started beating on his back, ready to cry.
And then all Hell broke loose.
"Hey, you leave him alone!"
Elaine was pushed to the ground by Joan, who felt it was her job to protect her date, and she thought it would be easy since the girl obviously could not defend herself.
She was wrong. She had messed with a girl who was almost violated, had her heart broken by guy this girl was on a date with, and now she could get her revenge.
Joan was on her way to ending up like Ronny was now until Ace again had to pull someone off of someone else.
Joan and Ronny stayed where they were as they tried to recover.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Ace screamed.
"What do you think you're doing is a better question!"
He looked at her like she was crazy, "I was getting him off of you!"
"Like I need your help Ace Merrill!"
He threw his hands up in the hands, as if defeated, "Fine, next time I'll just let him rape you."
"Like it would make any difference to you!"
Ace went to grab her, to give her some kind of comfort and show that he did care but he she flung her arm away from him.
"Just leave me alone!"
She ran over to Ronny to check on him as Ace really did gave up. He helped Joan up and they walked back to his car.
Elaine felt tears fall from her eyes as she sat next to an unconscious Ronny. She did not want to stay here with him – she did not even want to be near him. But he was her ride home. She had no idea what to do.
Until finally, she came up with a plan and grabbed his keys from his pocket and rushed off to his car. She made it to the parking lot just in time to see Ace's car speed off into the night.
She let it go and got into Ronny's car and started the engine. She somehow made it back to his house in one piece.
Not wanting to drive herself to her house in his car, she got out and started walking towards her house.
It was not that long of a walk but Elaine was tired nonetheless as she started up the tree outside her window.
She stopped herself from crying as she scraped her knee on a branch but she sniffled as she crawled through the window.
She stood up and wiped herself off before she took notice of the person sitting on her bed. She knew it, she was busted. One her first attempt at sneaking out, her parents had caught her.
But when the figure turned, she did not see the face of either of her parents, or even the face of her sister. She saw the face of Ace Merrill looking so sad.
She stuttered, trying to think of what to say to him but he cleared his throat and spoke before she could, "I-I came to see if you were all right."
For some reason, this angered her even more, "I'm quite fine, thank you."
She headed for the door so she could wash up in the bathroom but Ace grabbed her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Let go of me," she hissed.
"No."
She starting struggling against him to let her go until he got so frustrated, he threw her onto the bed to make her stop. And she did. But only because she was scared.
"What were you thinking? Ronny Carmichael? Why would you ever go on a date with him?!"
Her fear was forgotten and her anger raged again, "What? I'm not allowed to go on dates while you can gallivant with every girl in and around Castle Rock?!"
"This isn't about me, Elaine!"
She stood up and went at him, "You bet it is! I want to know why you care so damn much what happens to me!"
"I care so damn much because I-"
"You what?"
He would not allow himself to say it, "Because I didn't want you to get hurt."
"I can take care of myself!"
"Obviously you can't! You almost got raped out there! What would ever make you think to go out with Ronny Carmichael?"
The disgust on his face hurt Elaine. She did not like him looking at her like that, it made her anger slip away.
She looked down at her hands, "I just had to get out of here."
He kneeled down in front of her, "Is this because of Ken? Are you not over him?"
"Ken!? Why does everything always come back to Ken!?"
"Because he dumped you two weeks ago, Elaine!"
She pushed by him, "You know absolutely nothing about me Ace Merrill, nothing! Do you have any idea as to why Ken broke up with me? Do you?!"
He stayed silent. He did not know.
She slide her hand under her pillow, where she had left her diary earlier in the day when her sister came in. She flipped through the pages until she got to an entry that was about three weeks old. She pushed it into Ace's hand and pointed to the entry.
"That's why. He saw that and dumped me."
He looked at the words she was referring to and read them over carefully.
I don't know how much longer I can handle all of this, my life. Nothing is going right anymore. I don't want to me anymore, I wish I were... I wish I were my sister. She's so pretty and she can do whatever she wants, she never worries about the consequences. She isn't destined to be some boring housewife like I am. Not only that, but she can have the one thing I want. She has Ace Merrill, someone I'll never get, let alone have a chance with.
Inside, Ace crumbled. He was no longer tough guy Ace Merrill, leader of the Cobras – he was just a guy. And he did not know what to say or do.
Elaine stopped pacing and sat down on the bed, she had nothing else to say to him. He was going to have to be the one to say something.
She watched as he put the book down, cross the room, and climb out the window without a word.
She got up and found her pajamas, heading out of the room towards the bathroom.
As she shut her bedroom door behind her, her mother came up the stairs, "Honey, is everything all right? I heard a commotion."
Elaine was so thankful her mother came up now instead of earlier, "Oh yeah, something broke that's all."
"Oh, do you need any help?"
"No, don't worry, it was nothing important."
"Okay, well, good night dear."
Elaine smiled and shut the bathroom door.
"Nothing important, just my heart."