It had been a month since Tim and I had been going steady. He asked me on our date that night, we went out to the drive in, and that was it. I was settling in to the relationship, Dally wasn't really on my mind at all, I chalked it up to a drunken one night stand and focussed my energy on Tim.

Tim was pretty distant, and he was quite busy with stuff, mainly gang stuff, but when we were together I didn't mind. This weekend he was having another party. Soda and Sandy and Steve and Evie had other plans and so none of the guys were coming. I didn't mind, Angela and I could have a good time without them.

I'd managed to convince Darry to give me a lift over there, Tim was too busy to come and get me. But it was ok, although I had to make sure my outfit was Darry approved before I left. He usually didn't mind too much what I wore, but in recent weeks, with Tim, he would veto outfits for being too much. I did put on a black skirt and a red button up shirt, which meant I could undo some buttons when I got there if I needed.

When I got there Angela was getting herself ready, there were a few of Tim's guys there but no Tim. Ange had no idea where he was, but said he was being a jackass.

"To be honest I don't really see what you see in my brother."

"I dunno, there's just somethin' about him."

"Yeah right. Well I'm warnin' ya now he's a jackass."

"I thought ya were happy we got together?"

"Yeah I was kinda, 'cause I thought ya'd be good for each other, but I don't think he's good for you."

I was a bit quiet after that, I liked Tim and I thought things were going ok. I was a bit all over the place about it when we first started seeing each other, but that was just because of the Dally thing, but now I was getting used to the idea. I was starting to really like him.

We could hear the party starting to kick off outside so we made our way out, Tim quickly said hello and gave me a quick kiss but he had 'stuff to do' so he had to go sort it. I didn't mind too much, I had wanted to spend a bit more time with him but I figured we had all night, so I let him to it. Ange and I had a few drinks and started having a bit of fun.

It had been a couple of hours since I saw Tim, we'd spent most of the time with Angela's boyfriend and some of Tim's guys. I liked chatting to him but I felt like my outfit was totally wasted. I'd spent a lot of time getting ready, I wanted to look good for him. I decided I needed another drink, I knew I was getting drunk but I needed another.

I made my way inside over to where Ange and I had left our drinks. I just happened to look through the front window and I could see Tim leaning against the fence talking to some girl, I recognised her from school but didn't know her name, however I knew she was older than me. It looked like they had just kissed. I was absolutely fuming. I poured myself another, stronger, vodka and pretty much downed it straight away. The burning down my throat felt good, so I did it again.

He gave her a hug and she left and he turned to walk back inside. I just stood and waited for him.

He opened the door and saw me standing glaring at him, and he was a bit surprised. Luckily everyone else was outside because I was ready to let rip.

"Who the hell was that?!"

He'd managed to compose himself now. "Babe, relax, it's just Joey's broad. She's a bit upset that I had to send him away for somethin'. That's all."

I raised an eyebrow. "So that's why it looked like you were kissin' her?"

"I wasn't. I just gave her a hug. I gotta keep her happy otherwise I could lose a good guy."

I walked over a bit closer. "Two things I don't like Tim are liars and cheaters, if you're gunna do one, don't do the other as well."

He softened slightly and put his hands on my shoulders. "Why would I cheat with her when I got alla this waitin' inside for me? Huh?" He gave me his best puppy dog impression and slid his hands down my arms.

I felt the anger inside bubble down and relaxed at his touch. "Promise?"

"Yeah I promise. Now c'mon, wanna go back out to the party?"

I put my hands around his waist and looked up to him, not noticing the scars on his face, but looking at his green eyes, same green eyes as Angela, same dark hair, all greased back. "Nah I wanted to spend some time with ya."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really." I stood up slightly to kiss him, passionately, just to remind him that I'm the best girl. I believed him, but it still made me jealous.

Naturally his hands were all over, I tried to unbuckle his belt and he pulled away slightly. "Fuck you're hot when you're jealous."

I pushed him towards his room, undoing his belt and jeans along the way. "I'm always hot."

xxxx xxxx

The rest of that night had gone ok, we eventually made our way back outside, but he spent more time chatting with the guys than with me. Then during the week he hadn't spent much time with me. Last weekend he took me to the Dingo but that was more just to chill out with the guys. I didn't mind because I wanted to spend time with him, it just annoyed me that I just seemed to be there as a statue. Something he had rather than a girlfriend. But then when we were alone, things were different. As soon as we were in the car or back at his place he couldn't keep his hands off me. I figured it was just the way he was. He wasn't exactly the softest guy, I knew that when we started dating, I knew that from the years I'd been friends with Angela. I'd seen the girlfriends who'd gone before me, and compared to them we had an amazing relationship. So I took the good with the bad. We'd been together for six weeks now so I thought it was going well.

It was Friday though and last day of school for the week so I was happy. I was currently in that maths class with Evie, although she was painting her nails this time. I'd done the worksheet already, like I said I knew what I was doing, I just hated the teachers. I mean Evie was painting her nails and the teacher was not even noticing. Soc girl next to us though was really doing my head in. It was almost lunchtime so I was biding my time.

"Yeah she's dating Sheppard. Like every other Greaser chick." She was pretending to gossip to her friend about me but doing it loud enough that we could hear.

"That little bitch." I turned to Evie.

"Just ignore her, she don't know what she's even talkin' about."

"I heard he was down at the bar in town last night with Josie again. They were getting real cosy. Not that she'd care, I've heard plenty about her conquests." The two girls giggled. That's right I knew that girl from a couple of weeks ago, it was Josie. She wasn't really a Greaser but she wasn't a Soc, she was kind of inbetween.

The bell rang just then and the girls got up and sauntered over to the door, but I was hot on their heels.

"Cassidy!? Come back here!" Evie called after me, but I'd stormed out after her.

I grabbed her by the arm and bailed her up against the lockers. "If you've got somethin' to say to me then say it!"

She looked me dead in the eye, "Yeah, you're a dumb, Greaser whore."

That was it, I saw red. I just punched her square in the face, got her left eye real good. She fought back, which I was glad about, I would have felt bad just laying into her if she wouldn't fight back. She clawed at my arm and managed to get one good swing into my face, it wasn't hard, but she had a rather large ring on which I could feel cut my cheek as it hit the bone. I kneed her in the stomach and grabbed her red hair when she crouched over, I ripped her head back up to face me.

"Still got somethin' to say about me?" She shook her head. "Good." I threw her head down and left her crouching in the hall.

Evie caught up to me and we ran ahead outside, it was only lunchtime but I figured I better get outta there before the teachers caught up to me. We walked over to the DX which was kind of on the way home from school. I figured we could chill out there for a bit and scab a lift home off the guys.

"What happened to you?" Soda called over when he saw me.

"Got in a fight with that red head Soc girl who's been on at me for weeks."

"Was kinda funny I must say." Evie was giggling.

"So you got her good then?"

"Oh yeah, never doubt me brother."

"You are far too cocky for your own good."

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away, Soda was a bit annoyed with Tim, he thought that he wasn't treating me right, but I knew Tim better and I thought things were going well. But I guess it was the whole overprotective brother thing. He forgot I was only 10 months younger than him.

We were home by now, just sitting in front of the TV, Steve dropped Evie off on the way home so she could get ready, they were going out somewhere tonight. Darry had just gotten home from work, Johnny had come back here after school, no idea where Pony was and Two-Bit was mucking around on his car in the garden as usual.

"Just lay off Soda, things are goin' well."

"So you think."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

"Well I just hear stuff at work, that's all."

"What sorta stuff?"

Just then we could hear shouting coming from the driveways behind the house, it sounded like Ponyboy so we all went running.

Sure enough when we got round the back we could see a car of Socs trying to hold him down, we all started running and shouting and the guys chased the car down the street. I threw a couple of rocks at the windows and managed to smash a side one. At least that would cause them some inconvenience.

We didn't get them though, they just made it away in time. I turned and made my way back over to Pony and Darry with Soda.

"Hey Pony, they pull a blade on you?"

"Yeah."

I rolled my eyes, why they would pull a blade on a 14 year old kid, walking by himself I don't know. And why Pony was stupid enough to be walking by himself was another thing.

"Walkin' by yourself, you don't ever think!" At least Darry and I were on the same page.

"All's I did was walk home from the movies." Pony was getting angry now. The rest of the guys followed behind us.

"Movies and books, movies and books. You know I wish you would just concentrate on somethin' else just once in a while."

"Yeah you should just concentrate on girls and cars, works for me!" Soda laughed.

"Look if you had to go by yourself you shoulda carried a blade."

I nodded in agreement, I always had a blade on me.

"Oh yeah that woulda been a great excuse for the Socs to cut his neck a little more there."

"Hey if I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother I'll ask ya, alright, kid brother." Darry stormed off to the house.

"Jeez why does he always gotta be like that?"

"'Cause he's stressed out, and you walkin' alone like that don't help. Use your brain kid!"

Soda rolled his eyes and Pony ignored me, that's when I heard a voice behind me that I did not expect to hear.

"How's the kid?" It was Dally, swaggering toward us, offering his hand for handshakes.

"I'm alright. What are ya doin' out of the cooler Dal?" But before he could answer Steve jumped in.

"Yeah and what're ya doin' walkin' by your lonesome on the street huh?"

"None of your business smartie."

"What do you mean none of my business? It is my business. Look at my nose!"

"Yeah it's huge!"

"He is a smartass. He is one smart ass kid." He rubbed his nose a bit before turning to Dal, just remembering he was there. "Hey Dal how ya doin' man?"

"Yeah I thought you were in for about 90 days Dal?" Pony piped up again. He hadn't answered after the first time.

"Got out early man, good behaviour." He laughed. As did I, good behaviour my ass.

Dally made his way through the group, ending up at Johnny. Dally was good for him, he really looked out for him. They kind of had similar family backgrounds so I think Dal felt like he had to look out for him.

"Now that I'm out I'm gunna make it my business to get the guy who did that to your face." Poor Johnny was still healing from the beating he got a month before Dally got put away. We found him in the lot, beaten within an inch of his life. Poor kid was petrified, and he's been staying at our place a lot ever since. His parents beat him up at home so he hated it, now even more, plus he didn't want to go anywhere alone recently so we kept an eye on him. He was getting better though. Dally had been on the warpath about finding the Socs who were responsible. But then all that happened and he ended up in the cooler.

The guys were arranging their plans for tomorrow night, but I wasn't really paying much attention. I couldn't help but stare at Dally, remembering that night. I was pretty much mentally undressing him right now. I couldn't help it. But I had to get that out of my mind.

"Hey can you guys give me a push start?" I'm guessing all the time working on it today had gone to waste.

Pony and Johnny helped as the rest of us walked back to the house. Steve got in his car to go pick up Evie and Soda made his way inside.

"I see ya got your Christopher back Dal."

"Yeah little broad was two-timin' me again when I was in jail, man." He shrugged, looking pissed off. I knew it though, she wouldn't have lasted a week. To be honest I don't think she managed to last the night at Tim's. But there you go, his problem.

He looked at me though, trying to catch my attention, but I tried to ignore him. "See ya later." I gave him a small wave before following Soda up into the house. I could hear him kick the gate.

Pony and Johnny came in a few minutes later.