Chapter 3 is up! Thanks for the reviews guys!
Chapter: 3
Ponyboy's POV
Today I was enjoying the silence of walking to school alone. Two-Bit was ditching to hang out with Dally which meant I would get some peace and quiet in the morning for once. It's not that I don't like talking with Two-Bit, he's a good guy and will always keep you laughing but he never shuts up. Sometimes it's nice just to think to yourself and not have to worry about responding to questions or comments someone else is making. A year ago I didn't talk much with anybody besides Soda and Johnny, but slowly Two-Bit and I had started to hang out more and eventually we ended up talking all the time. Of course it was never about anything serious thanks to Two-Bits always joking character.
Mentally counting the days so far this week I smiled when I realized it was Wednesday. That meant Johnny that would be back in school today. A week ago Dally had been going up to Nevada to visit a buddy of his and had taken Johnny along to get him away from his drunken parents for a week. Really I should have remembered he was coming home when Two-Bit gave the reason why he was ditching school, but I hadn't thought about it till just now.
"Hey Pony." Johnny yelled when he saw me, he was standing next to the far corner of the lot.
I smiled and gave a wave. "Hey Johnny, how was the trip?" Coming up to him I have my friend a one armed hug as we both continued our walk to school.
"It was good." He replied and told me a quick few things that had happened. From his story it had been a pretty uneventful week, but that's just what a guy like him needed. The rest of the way we were both quiet, just enjoying the morning air and watching others scurry around trying to get where they needed to be.
At school the campus was crowded with students talking to their friends or copying each other's answers before they have to hand their homework in. A group of cheerleaders were practicing over in the grass while random people watched with admiration, envy, or hate; every person that is except one. Her expression was disdainful as she sat watching, leaning on her arms which angled behind her for support, legs crossing each other out stretched.
Shifting my gaze I looked in front of me as we made our way through the crowd, until I was shoved into Johnny who had to grab my shoulder to keep me from face planting. "What the heck?" I asked and looked around to see everyone running towards the grass.
"Let's check it out." Johnny said and we jogged over. Looking over shoulders I sucked in a breath at what I saw then started shoving my way through the layers of people. Rachael was being held up by one of the jocks with another punching her while the rest cheered or laughed. I tackled the one hitting her, forcing him to the ground and giving him a punch in the nose. A pair of hands grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me on to my feet only to knock me back down with a blow just under my jaw. I tried to get up again but someone kicked me in the side.
"Break it up!" One of the teachers yelled, grabbing the guy who was on top of Johnny by the forearm. "The rest of you kids, get to class!"
Standing up I looked over at Rachael and offered her a hand up, and was surprised when she took it. However when she was steady she yanked her hand away, and gave me a scowl. Her nose was bleeding and there was a cut on her lower lip with a bruise starting to form on her cheek.
"To the principal's office now." The male teacher who had stopped the fight yelled. I glanced over at Johnny who was shaking his head in disbelief.
"This was not how I saw this morning going." He said as we walked with the others to the office, staying at the back of the group.
"You and me both." I sighed.
"At least you can tell an interesting story about school for once."
I couldn't help but smile a Johnny who gave a half laugh.
"Is something funny?" The teacher demanded looking at us.
"No sir." I hadn't noticed him following behind.
When we got to the principals we were all told to take seats, and in the end all the chairs were full. Rachael was sitting next to me, though I highly doubt it was because she was grateful and more to do with she didn't want to be next to the guys who had been beating up on her. Crossing her arms she glared at the guy who had been hitting her from across the room, and then she mumbled. "You didn't need to step in."
"Yes I did." I said being quiet so the others facing us a few yards off couldn't hear. "You were outnumbered, and guys shouldn't be punching a girl."
"Oh, you're so heroic." She smirked.
"No, just doing what any decent person does." Out of the corner of my eye I saw her open her mouth about to say something then close it instead. She seemed to be almost considering what I had said for a fraction of a second before returning to glaring at the other guy.
Slowly each student was called in to talk with the principal along their parents who had started showing up minutes after we had gotten here. I was thankful that Darry had to go to a job a ways out of town today which would make him one of the last guardians who showed up.
When Johnny's mom arrived I felt my stomach flip because I knew what kind of trouble he would be in with his folks, and I felt bad about putting him into that position. Rachael and I ended up being the last two in the waiting area, and I couldn't help but keep watching the clock knowing my older brother would be arriving soon.
"Listen," Rachael said slowly looking over at me. "Don't take this the wrong way but… Thank you."
Smiling I nodded. "No problem."
I thought I saw a ghost of a smile on her face as she turned away but I wasn't sure.
"What happened out there anyways?" I asked still not quite sure why the guys had started beating on Rachael, typically the jocks didn't gang up on a girl like that.
"Cheerleaders didn't like the way I was looking at them, and we exchanged some choice words. The captain didn't like what I was saying so she attacked, I think that would be an appropriate word for someone trying to claw your eyes out. When I knocked her to the ground three others came at me and I made them fall too." She gave a small laugh. "Let's just say their watching boyfriends didn't like that I was pushing their girlfriends, who were attacking me, to the ground and you know the rest."
"Why not just stay away from them?" I again looked at the clock again. "I saw your expression when you were sitting near them; it's obvious that you don't like them, so why put yourself right next to them?"
"Because they're all ignorantly stupid," She replied. "And I miss that feeling."
I thought about asking her what she meant by that but Darry came through the office door. His fists were clenched as he looked at me and his whole stance stiff with anger.
"Rachael Taylor," The principal called, as Johnny and his mom came out.
"That's my cue." Rachael sighed and stood, walked over to the office door and shut it behind her.
"You are in big trouble." Darry said coming over to take a seat next to me.
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