Hi everybody. Thanks for reviewing, following and favoriting. Here is chapter 3. It's rather short and it's kind of going away from the main plot line, which is how Pony and Johnny survive being part of the Black Panthers. Because it's so short I'm posting two chapters today. This one and chapter 4. Chapter 4 is going back to the main plot line – Pony and Johnny and the Black Panthers. I decided to kind of have two plot lines running through the story. The main plot line - Pony and Johnny and the Black Panthers, and the second one - Johnny and Annie. There will be one main event later in the story though that has to do with both Black Panthers and Annie. Annie is my OC and I tried really hard not to make her a MarySue. So if you notice anything at all MarySueish please let me know ASAP so I can fix it. Anyway, here we go enjoy and please review.
The next day we had school. We cleaned up as much as possible, but we still had black eyes, and Pony had a swollen lip, while I had a huge bruise on my cheek. We entered the building and went to our lockers. We were greeted by Annie "Whatever happened to you two?" she asked concern in her eyes.
"No big deal, got into a fight," Pony lied.
Annie was one of Pony's middle class friends. She was in my Social Studies class, but her math and English she was in the smart classes with Pony. I found myself liking her. She was really pretty, and I liked her personality too. She had honey brown hair that she wore down and big blue eyes. She wasn't stuck up like socs or even a lot of middle class kids, especially girls. She hung out with us a few times, and she went with Two-bit, Steve, Pony and me to this diner we go to for lunch. I knew that I had no chance with her, but I still liked her. You can't help who you like and who you dislike. I found myself even shyer in her presence than I usually was. So Pony did the talking.
My Social Studies class was my third period. I was sitting all the way in the back. I always sit in the back in all of my classes. I don't get half of what the teacher is saying anyway.
I was thinking about the black panthers, and how we got jailed up this weekend, when I heard my name being called.
"Huh?" I looked up at the teacher.
"Are you with us Mr. Cade?" she asked, squinting a little at me. She must've seen that I was thinking 'bout something else. I was silent.
"Just what I thought. Let me repeat then especially for you. I'm assigning the partners for your project today." She started calling out names at random assigning partners, when Annie raised her hand.
"Yes?" The teacher asked annoyance in her voice since she was being interrupted.
"Can I partner with Johnny Cade?"
The teacher was surprised, but said, "Sure."
"I hope you don't mind Annie said to me."
"No I don't mind," I replied, feeling my cheeks turn red. I wonder why she did this, I thought. It's probably 'cause she knows me better than other kids in the class. After all she's Pony's friend and now she felt like I'm was her friend too, especially since she hung out with us a few times. She saw me as just a friend or even less than her friend. Just Pony's friend.
For the rest of the class the teacher had us sit next to our partners, and pick the topic for the project and decide on when we were going to work on it. That meant I had to sit next to Annie and actually talk to her. I didn't think I was capable of that, but somehow I managed. I was wondering if my face was red the whole time. Actually Annie was really easy to talk to, and I found myself relax a little.
We decided to meet at the library at three. After the bell rang, we walked out together, and I went straight to my locker, which was right by the Social Studies room, to get my math books, when all of the sudden I was pinned against the locker. I looked up to see this soc Craig pinning me by my shoulders and laughing.
"In a rush?" he mocked, "don't let me stop you." I saw in the corner of my eye that Annie was still there. I was so ashamed. Craig was one of the most violent socs. He would never pass by a greaser without a t least making some sort of nasty comment, but most o f the time he started fights.
"Let go of me," I tried to get out of his grip.
"What's that?" He snickered. "I can't hear you." He moved to the left, and I saw three other socs by his side. I knew them all. We have fought before, or they beat me up before to be exact. Simon, Alex and Mike.
Without a warning Simon punched me in the stomach with all his strength. I doubled over and almost fell. At this moment Annie stepped forward and hit Simon with her back pack on his head. He fell, but got up quickly. He tried to catch her but she ran.
"I'll get Two-bit and Steve," she yelled. In the meantime Alex was holding my shirt collar and pulling me towards him. Then he released his grip so that I hit my head against the locker. He kept doing that, and it really hurt.
Then Mike came closer and punched me in the face, then again and again, while Alex was holding me. I started coughing up blood. I noticed there was a crowd forming. Soon someone will probably get the principal. I really didn't want to get detention especially if socs were going to be there too.
I stopped trying to get out of their grip. It was useless, so I decided to just take it, and wait till it would finally be over. I was punched in the stomach again and again until I could hardly stand on my feet.
That's when I saw Two-bit and Steve make their way through the crowd. I saw the socs tense up. Steve and Two-bit had no problem beating up the socs. They could hardly escape through the crowd while Steve was still waving his fists at them.
"We better go 'fore the principal shows up," Two bit said.
"Yeah," Steve nodded. The crowd started to disperse, but Annie was still there. "Thank you," I mouthed, before Steve and Two-bit led me to my next class.
At three I met Annie at the library. "Thanks for earlier," I said to her.
"No problem, it's the least I could do."
We decided that the topic for out project was going to be the Civil War. I liked it, and I remembered a lot about it not from any Social Studies textbook, but from that book Gone with the Wind that Pony and me read in Windrixville.
We worked for about two hours, and decided it was enough for one day. It was about 5 p.m., but it was already dark outside this time of year.
"I'll walk you home," I said. I didn't know where that came from. I just said it. I'd hate for her to walk all by herself even though I wouldn't be much help if someone wanted to attack her since I'm so small and all. It's less likely for someone to attack though if they see two people walking rather than one girl just walking by herself.
"Thank you," she said, "that would be nice."
On the way to her house we talked mostly about the project to avoid an awkward silence.
From that day we met at the library every other day, and I walked Anne home. We talked about a lot of different stuff like what bands we liked. Turned out we had a lot in common.
One day she shared something really personal with me. She told me that her mom died from cancer six years ago, and that last year her dad remarried, and her stepmom was a real bitch and hated Annie. And she was so young she could be Annie's sister. They constantly fought, and Annie's dad always took his wife's side. And her dad was also treating her differently since he remarried. He was really cold and didn't act like he loved her.
What was I going to stay to that? I wanted to share my problem with my parents, but I didn't feel comfortable enough. I thought I needed to comfort her, to make her feel better somehow. So I decided to tell her about the lot.
"Whenever I have some problems or something is bothering me I go to the lot." I said.
"The lot?" she asked.
"Yeah, there is this vacant lot not far from my house. I go there to sort things out, think and calm down." I didn't tell her that I went there to avoid being beaten to a pulp.
"C'mon I'll show you." I led her to the lot. It was a little out of the way, but not that much. We sat there and talked a little more. Annie did most of the talking and I listened. She told me she missed her mom a lot. I don't blame her, who wouldn't. After we stayed there for a while I walked her home.
A few days passed by. One night I was staying at the lot, not going home so I could avoid a beating. It was chilly out, and I made a fire to keep warm. It was dark, and I could hardly see except for the light that the fire was casting on certain spots.
It was getting really late, and I was about to go to sleep, when I saw a figure approaching the lot. At first I thought it was Pony, but as the figure came closer, I realized that it was Annie. When she came closer and the light from the fire illuminated her face, I could see her eyes were red like she was crying.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" I asked, concern in my voice.
"You showed me this place that you escape to when you need to think about stuff and I need to just now."
"Are you ok? What happened?"
"I just had a huge fight with my stepmother."
"What happened?"
"I was on the phone with my friend, right and then she comes in and yells that she needs the phone. I tell her to hold on that I'm not done talking yet, but she yanks the phone out of my hands, and hangs up on my friend. Then she yells at me that I do nothing around the house, but lounge, and talk on the phone for hours, which isn't true, but even if it was it's not her damn business. It's my house, and I do what I want. So I yelled at her, telling her to mind her business, and called her a few names, then I just ran out of the house. And the whole time my dad didn't even defend me. I don't know what he sees in her. I just can't stand her."
I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know what to say. What do you say to something like that?
"Maybe you can talk to your dad, and he'll tell her to treat you nicer."
"I doubt it," she snorted. "It's like he's completely blind since he married her."
"You know my home life is not so great either that's why I come here often."
"What's wrong with your family?" she asked sounding genuinely concerned.
"What's not wrong," I snorted. "My folks drink a lot, and then they beat me up just for kicks. I can't even show up at home without being beat up. That's why I stay out here all the time. I got scars from the beatings all over my body."
Annie's eyes were huge as I finished talking. She looked completely shocked. "They beat you up?" She asked in disbelief. I didn't mean to tell her, but I just said it, before I could think about it. She was silent for a minute then said "I guess my problems are nothing compared to yours."
We sat by the fire for a little while till she could calm down, then I walked her home.
"How do you deal with it?" she asked as we were walking.
"What, my parents?" She nodded.
"I used to get really upset about it, you know, that they don't care and even hate me, but now I know it's all 'cause of the booze. They get real violent when they're drunk, 'specially my dad. But I'm used to it. I try to avoid being home when they are. That's why I sleep out in the lot a lot of times or at the Curtis house." We kept talking about our families till we reached Annie's house.
"Stay safe tonight," she said before going in.
