A/N: Not much to say here unless it's thank you all, enjoy chapter 4, and please review! Also, I thank my great, golden, tuff friends who are reviewing! I thank all of you so much, and I adore each and every one of you! Now, enjoy! :D
Chapter 4
"Two-bit, wake up!" a soft voice whispered, nudging the sleeping Greasers shoulder.
"Wake up, you idiot!" another voice demanded, it being a little louder and leaning towards Two-bit's direction, but the wisecracker still remained fast asleep, mumbling, groaning, and muttering in his sleep tiredly. Two-bit instantly knew who's voices those were though. Ponyboy's and Steve's. But Two-bit didn't want to get up, because he knew if he did, he was only going to end up at school. Two-bit usually liked school, but not when it starts at 7:00 in the morning and ends at 2:30.
"Two-bit, come on! Man, you got to get up! Fast!" a voice that was even more soft pleaded, and it was obvious right away to Two-bit that even though he was sleeping, that voice that was being even more quiet when whispering to him was Johnny.
"Keith! Keith!" this female voice started exclaiming, loudly and angrily. Too late, Ponyboy, Johnny, and Steve thought. "KEITH MATTHEWS!".
Without any hesitation then, Two-bit's eyes shot open and he leaped up from sitting down in his chair, now standing up on his feet in front of the whole class. Yep, Two-bit had fell fast asleep in class, and it was only second period, so the Greasers each still had a long day to go with school.
"George Washingon was the first president of the United States with John Adams as his vice!" Two-bit blurted out without a single moment of any pauses when he shot up from his seat. The female teacher, Mrs. Williams, rolled her annoyed eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, while the rest of the students, especially the Socs, smirked and snickered at what Two-bit just announced. Ponyboy, Steve, and Johnny, on the other hand, did different things. Pony, who sat next to Two-bit at his table (two students sit at each table), smacked his hand straight onto his face. Johnny, who sat across from Ponyboy's and Two-bit's table with Steve, closed his eyes and let out a sigh, and lastly, Steve cuffed his hands over his face to hide his embarrassment. (Kitten's not in their second period class!)
Two-bit's heart was racing in his chest, and his confused expression was now plastered on his bright, bright red face. Mrs. Williams let out a moan of her annoyed thoughts and feelings as she picked up a ruler from her desk.
"I'm surprised that you actually got that right, Keith," Mrs. Williams announced to the classroom, which was now dead silent from the chuckles and soft laughs stopping right after all of the students heard their teachers voice speak up. Two-bit hesitantly took his seat again, not knowing what to say back to the teacher after hearing those words of hers. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Steve stared at him, Pony and Johnny sort of filled with pity, but Steve was filled with annoyed feelings.
Mrs. Williams then smacked her ruler onto the board. A loud echoing SNAP struck off and echoed throughout the whole classroom, making the students each flinch a little, while some Regulars yelped and some Socs hid their faces and sunk down in their chairs the best they could.
"But, Keith," Mrs. Williams snarled "this is math class! Oh why did I have to get stuck with you for another year?!"
Two-bit then flashed one of his big, goofy smiles, trying his best to lighten the mood at least just a tiny bit.
"Because I was just so amazing that the principal just pleaded and begged me to stay back for another second year of high school!" Two-bit snickered as he kicked back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head as he settled his black boots up on top of his side of his and Ponyboy's table.
"Don't you dare sass me, Keith Erwin Matthews!" Mrs. Williams ordered.
"You're not my mom!" Two-bit laughed.
"Get your feet off of the table!" Mrs Williams commanded as she swung her ruler up in the air, then whistled it back down for it to meet Two-bit's jeans. Instantly, Two-bit yanked his legs off from resting on top of the table and placed his feet back on the floor, connecting his hands and folding his fingers around each other and resting them out in front of him afterwards. The students all went back to smirking and laughing, except Ponyboy, Steve, and Johnny, who were still gazing at Two-bit, thinking to themselves that this wasn't going to end well.
"Well, well, well! It looks like someone just woke up on the wrong side of the bed!" Two-bit chuckled, which instantly caused Mrs. Williams's face to turn red from so much anger towards the wisecracker of the Greasers gang. She didn't know how to punish Two-bit, because if she even gave him a detention, he would either not show up, or if he ever did show up, he'd find ways to entertain himself in the classroom somehow.
Steve rolled his eyes at what Two-bit just said to their teacher. "Says the teenager who was sleeping on his table in class," Steve then whispered to Johnny.
"Well then, Keith, since you're so smart with your sassy words, then I bet you can tell the class what the square root of 150 is," Mrs. Williams instructed with a smirk now on her face.
Two-bit's goofy smile instantly faded away from his face as he took in Mrs. Williams's words, then looked around the room at all of the students having their eyes and amused smiles plastered on each of their faces, except Johnny's, Ponyboy's, and even Steve's.
"Um..." Two-bit gulped, tugging on his T-shirts collar a bit as he thought about the math question the best he could. Man, if there was one main subject that Two-bit hated, it was math class, next to science, which was actually his, Johnny's, Steve's, and Ponyboy's first period class. (They start having Kitten in their classes at third period!)
"12.25, Two-bit! It's 12.25!" Ponyboy whispered the best he could without leaning towards Two-bit or allowing anybody else to hear him, unless it was Two-bit, Steve, and/or Johnny.
"Uh..." Two-bit tried his best to understand how Pony's was correct. "12.25 ain't a whole number!" Two-bit then murmured.
Steve smacked his hand straight onto her face after hearing Two-bit quietly whisper those words. "It doesn't need to be a whole number, genius! Just follow what the kid just said!" Steve ordered in a whisper.
"Alright!" Two-bit finally gave in, right before he stared back at Mrs. Williams, who was still grinning with her arms crossed over her chest, and the ruler still being held in her hand. "It's 12.25."
"Correct. Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Mrs. Williams nodded her head, her smirk still remaining straight on her face as she crinkled her pointed nose a bit.
Before Two-bit could open his mouth and say something else that was most likely sassy, not only did Ponyboy place his hand over Two-bit's mouth, and Steve thumped him over the back of the head, while Johnny quietly shushed him, the door of the classroom flew open. Everybody turned their full, undivided attention over to the door that was now opened, and here came trotting into the room was Sondra. She had a nervous expression on her face, her pale blue eyes filled with plead and one of her eyes even had a bright purple mark surrounding and shining off around it. Sondra's blonde hair remained all shaggy and uncombed, and she was dressed in a purple checkered, long sleeved shirt, a pair of dark blue overalls that were slightly dirty with some mud and dirt stains, and a worn out pair of tennis shoes.
Johnny could've sworn that he felt his heart lighting up, but his eyes grew big a bit when he realized the black eye that Sondra now had, because Johnny knew that she certainly didn't have that injury when he spotted her at the bowling alley the night before with Charlie, Rebecca, and Iris. Ponyboy, Steve, and even Two-bit were just as surprised, having a hard time believing what they were seeing, and the three of them instantly understood that Sondra must've been the girl who bumped into Dallas twice, and not to mention the girl who was at the bowling alley and whacked Johnny in the nose the night before.
"Miss Prescott...tsk, tsk, tsk. Late again for my class, I see," Mrs. Williams shook her head with a dissapointed expression on her face, gaining back everybody's attention in the classroom, except Johnny's, who's attention was still lost on Sondra. Ponyboy, Steve, and Two-bit all gazed and peaked a bit over at the gangs pet to notice how he wasn't paying any attention to the teacher for one heck of a major change. Sondra's face heated up. She absoluetly hated being the center of attention, especially during a time like that when she didn't have much make-up left over to help her cover her terrible black eye, thanks to her and Iris's father.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Mrs. Williams, I mean," Sondra apologized, her voice soft and innocent so hardly anybody could hear her words, as she fiddled around with her fingertips, trying to forget the reason she was late. Dominic had just finished giving her a longer beating then usual, and it was only because Sondra asked if she could have at least one thing to eat for breakfast. All she remembered after that was getting a wooden spoon and leather belt beat down by Dominic, followed by getting saliva that smelt like tobacco spit on her by Spring.
"Well, just take a seat because I don't think your actual seat is available today. I'll call your parents later and inform them about your ceasless arrivals," Mrs. Williams said as she placed her hands on her hips, keeping her cold eyes on Sondra, causing the poor girls arms to start to tremble from remembering the terrifying glares of her mother and father, right before Sondra's books fell right out of her hands and hit the floor with different loud BANGS!
Sondra let out a nervous/scared yelp as she jumped a bit, right when everybody started to burst out laughing, except Ponyboy, Two-bit, Steve, and Johnny, and Mrs. Williams just closed her eyes, pinched the upper part of her nose with her free hand, and released a deep breath of new annoyed thoughts and feelings, trying her best to get passed this splitting headache that always came to her in her second period class. Two-bit, Pony, and Steve exchanged looks, finding what Sondra just did not funny at all, unlike everybody else in the classroom, minus Johnny, of course.
Sondra took in a little, soft breath and released it, right before she got down on her knees and started recieving back her books and folders on her own. Just then though, the eldest Prescott heard a chair get scootched back, and right after that, she witnessed Johnny Cade get down across from her and start helping her picking up her books and other supplies. Sondra's eyes grew a bit as she froze, tuning out the other students laughter as if it was never happening. Johnny gazed up, a shy; small; handsome grin on his face as his innocent black eyes stared deep in contact with Sondra's pale blue eyes.
"Nice to see you again, Baby," Johnny softly spoke up, keeping it very quiet so only Sondra could hear his words. Sondra's eyes grew a little bigger out of shock, questioning deeply to herself on how in the world did Johnny know her nickname.
"Oh, um...h-how'd you...h-how..." Sondra began trying her best to get the words out of her, but she was just too shy and sensitive that she couldn't choke them out right one bit. But to her surprise, Johnny was still grinning at her, laughter dancing in his shimmering black eyes, and he certainly did look...like a nice guy, according to Sondra.
"Your two friends, Rebecca and Charlie. They told me your nickname and your kid sisters name. Iris, I believe it was...right?" Johnny asked. Shyly, Sondra tucked a piece of her golden blonde hair behind her ear as she slipped up another one of her books, nodding her head a couple of times to answer Johnny's question. In Sondra's mind, she couldn't really believe that Johnny was actually talking to her and helping her out by picking her books back up.
"Hey, cool!" Johnny's voice suddenly struck into Sondra's mind again, and when she looked up, she noticed that Johnny had found her report on Gone With The Wind. Sondra's face heated up with embarrassment as she took down a lump in her throat, thinking to herself that she must've looked like a huge geek by writing a long report on such a high-scaled book for her advanced writing class. Ponyboy realized the piece of paper that Johnny was holding from his and Two-bit's table, and noticed that the fancy handwriting that was written on the white paper was speaking about Gone With The Wind.
"You love Gone With The Wind, too?" Johnny asked, allowing Sondra to gently snatch the book report out of his hands and slip it back into her folder.
"...It's my favorite book," Sondra finally spoke up with her soft and innocent voice, and for the first time ever, Johnny could actually understand her pretty voice and take in her words instead of her stammers and stutters. Johnny's eyes sparked up with both excitement and joy as he started gathering up more books and folders of Sondra's.
"It's my favorite book, too, ya dig?" Johnny asked, and right after he said that, Sondra formed a confused expression on her face as she tilted her head like a confused puppy-dog would do when they're trying to learn a new trick or something. When he didn't get any kind of verbal response, Johnny realized what he said that might've confused Sondra, but just as he opened his mouth to say something, someone else's voice spoke up.
"Mr. Cade! Miss Prescott! Both of you! Hurry on back to your seats! Now!" Mrs. Williams ordered with her harsh, barking-like voice, making both Sondra and Johnny flinch and yelp a little. All of the students full, undivided attention went to Johnny and Sondra, who were both now quiet and finishing up with retrieving Sondra's supplies. After Johnny handed over the rest of Sondra's books and whatnot, Sondra quietly and shyly thanked him, which made Johnny begin to heat up a little bit, and he grinned his sweet; small; handsome smile again as he stood up from the floor. After that, to Sondra's surprise yet again, Johnny reached his hand down towards her, meaning that he was offering to help her up. Hesitantly and shyly, Sondra took a gentle hold of Johnny's hand, and the sixteen-year-old Cade pulled the fourteen-year-old Prescott up from the floor, right before Johnny gave her one last grin, released her hand, then took his seat again, recieving secret smirks from Ponyboy, Steve, and Two-bit.
"Um, Mrs. Williams," Sondra gulped "where can I actually sit since my seat isn't available?"
"Well, how about I change your seating arrangment, okay, Miss Prescott?" Mrs. Williams suggested. Sondra only shrugged her free arms shoulder, meaning that she was agreeing with a sure. "There's an empty seat behind Johnathan, meaning you can sit with Joey."
Sondra secretly gulped, taking down a baseball-sized lump in her throat as she began feeling her heart racing rapidly in her chest. I'm going to be sitting behind Greasers and next to a Soc, Sondra thought nervously to herself, but she knew that she couldn't do anything about it. With everyone's attention still on her, Sondra hestiantly made her way over to the second table from the front of the classroom, which was behind Johnny's and Steve's table. Sondra pulled out the free chair that was beside the handsome-looking Soc that had dark skin, brunette hair, and dark green eyes.
"Alright, class. After that review of square roots and taking notes, which somebody will have to loan Mr. Matthews and Miss Prescott sometime soon, it's time to move on with our next lesson." Mrs. Williams announced as she turned around to face the board, right before she started writing down all kinds of different steps and new math words that Ponyboy, Johnny, and Kitten (even though she's not in their math period.) already understood. That Joey Soc narrowed his eyes then, and peaked over at Sondra, who was now extremely prepared with her homework now out in front of her, her math notebook opened, and a sharpened pencil being held in her writing hand. Joey clenched his teeth together a bit as he rolled his dark green eyes.
"..Trashy Regular..." Joey growled under his breath as he brushed some of his brunette hair over with his hand, and he looked away from Sondra as he said it, only so he could look nonchalant. Without any hesitation, Sondra sat her pencil down and started feeling uncomfortable, placing her right hand on her left shoulder, and then her left hand on her right side. Her face heated up bright, bright red, as her throat began feeling sore on the inside from holding back tears. And it was all because of yet another Soc calling her some name just because she was marked with the label of a Rugular. Man, Sondra didn't know how in the world she was supposed to get through yet another day of more mocking, insults, and laughter.
After about another fifteen minutes, the bell rang its jingle, meaning that second period was over and it was time to head to third period. Everybody instantly jumped up from their seats, except Johnny, Ponyboy, Two-bit, and Steve, who all waited for each other, and even Sondra took her time with gathering up the last of her homework and other assignments for other classes, but just as she was about to walk out the door of the classroom, Mrs. Williams called out, "Miss Prescott! Stay back for a moment, please."
A worried pout formed on Sondra's face as she started nervously rolling her eyes, first rolling them down to the lower right, and then over to the lower left, and lastly down the center, before she focused them back straight and turned back around, slumping her way over to the teachers desk where Mrs. Williams was grading the homework from the day before. Johnny nervously glanced over at Sondra, hoping to death that she wasn't in trouble, while Ponyboy waited for Two-bit to finish copying down his notes, and Steve gathered up his books and supplies.
"Alright, I got them finished, Pone. Thanks," Two-bit said, referring to writing down the math notes, as he handed Ponyboy back his math notebook.
"No problem, Two-bit. Say, you guys ready to go now? Steve? Johnny-cake? We need to meet up with Kitten to head to health class as usual," Ponyboy instructed.
Steve nodded his head, picking up his books and everything else of his from his and Johnny's table. "Yeah, I'm ready. You ready, Johnny-cake?"
"Oh, um...yeah, I'm ready," Johnny hesitantly responded, pinning his books to his hip, and with that, the four male Greasers left the classroom. But before Johnny walked out the door to follow Pony, Two-bit, and Steve, he stopped and looked back at Sondra, just as she peaked over her shoulder and witnessed the eldest Cade shyly turn bright, bright pink a bit, as his innocent black eyes battered a little bit in a shy manner. To Johnny's surprise though, Sondra actually forced herself to grow at least a small and pretty grin towards Johnny as she tucked a piece of her golden blonde hair behind her ear. Johnny grinned back, still remaining shy with his heart beating like a wild and crazy drum in his chest.
"Johnny! Kid, come on!" Two-bit's voice called out from the hallway. "We got to meet up with Kitty-Cat!"
"Oh, yeah! I'm coming!" Johnny said, and with one more golden flash from his shimmering black eyes towards Sondra, he was out of the classroom. Sondra pinned her books to her stomach in a half nervous/half shy way, and she wiped her beautiful; small grin off from her face, right before she turned her attention back around to see Mrs. Williams, who was now gazing back at her with a curious expression on her face. Sondra bit her lip nervously, her pale blue eyes now pleading.
"Sondra, I'm growing very concerned about you. You're coming to school late lately, you're getting all kinds of strange injuries like this terrible black eye of yours, you keep telling me that your parents are always too busy to come in for any meetings, and you're recently failing this class. Is there something going on that you're not sharing with anybody?" Mrs. Williams questioned, her tone filled with worry and nervousness. Sondra secretly gulped as she began heating up on the inside a bit from so much fear and guilt at just the plain thoughts of her and Iris's folks. However, Sondra still didn't want to speak a single word about Dominic and/or Spring to anyone no matter what.
"No, Mrs. Williams. I'm perfectly peachy fine. I'm just a klutz with getting these injuries, my alarm clock is busted, and both of my parents are busy working with their jobs to come to any meeting." Sondra listed. Mrs. Williams sat her pen that she was grading with down, then she crossed her arms over her chest. She pouted.
"Well then, as for your grade, I think you're in desperate need of a tutor for math because you seem to be failing only this class." Mrs. Williams pointed out. Sondra shrugged her shoulders.
"Who'd you have in mind for tutoring me, Mrs. Williams?" Sondra asked, innocently. Mrs. Williams bit down on her lip as she gazed at her wedding ring, right before she started scratching her chin, thinking heavily about Sondra's question.
"I was actually thinking about Mr. Curtis turtoring you, considering that he skipped a grade and got straight A's for his whole life since grade-school, but he's busy with track and whatnot. So, I think Mr. Cade will do just fine," Mrs. Williams grinned a little as she nodded her head. Sondra's eyes grew big a bit as her heart took one major leap in her chest after hearing Mrs. Williams say the name of the student who could tutor her in math.
"Johnathan?!" Sondra asked, half shyly/half nervously.
"Yes, Johnathan Alexander Cade. He's gotten straight A's since grade-school, too, and he's a very smart boy, just like Mr. Curtis, but he's very shy, as you can properly tell," Mrs. Williams listed.
"...Uh huh..." Sondra nodded her head as she scratched the back of her head with her free hand. "...Well, I guess he'll be a fine tutor for me, Mrs. Williams."
Mrs. Williams smiled again. "I think so, too. Alright, now that that's over with, what class are you going to next?"
"Social studies," Sondra answered "why?"
"I'm just going to write you a pass so you won't get in trouble if you get there after the bell rings." Mrs. Williams explained as she pulled out a small slip of paper that was used to write passes on, and she started explaining everything on the small slip of bright yellow paper, signing it with her name afterwards.
Meanwhile with Ponyboy, Two-bit, Steve, and Johnny, the four of them had just met up with Kitten outside the doorway of her second period class.
"Hey, guys," Kitten greeted as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand that wasn't being used to keep her books pinned to her side. "Sorry I'm a bit later then usual. I was just sleeping a bit."
A confused expression swiped across Steve's face after he, Johnny, Two-bit, and Ponyboy took in Kitten's words. "Kitty, you were in science class."
"Exactly," Kitten nodded her head with her beautiful, golden smile on her face. "It's the perfect timing for a nap."
"Heck, yeah!" Two-bit cheered as he and Kitten did a high-five, while Johnny and Ponyboy chuckled a bit together, and Steve grinned as he playfully rolled his eyes.
"Let me guess, Two-bit," Kitten said to the wisecracker of the gang, her sweet and pretty grin still straight on her face. "You fell asleep in math class again?"
"Oh, Kitty-Cat!" Two-bit exclaimed, his voice full of cheer and happiness, as he pretended to wipe away a phony tear from one of his eyes. "You know me so well!"
Kitten placed her free hand on her hip as she continued grinning, and she rolled her eyes in a playful manner. "Let's just get to health class before Mr. Morris goes insane not knowing where we are. Oh, and say, haven't you guys spotted that Baby girl at all today?"
Steve, Ponyboy, and Two-bit nodded their heads as Johnny just looked down at the floor while he walked with his four Greaser buds. His sweet and innocent black eyes were now shimmering off pure shyness, and you could see the color of a bright, bright pink start to stain the skin upon his face, especially his cheeks.
Kitten, Two-bit, Ponyboy, and Steve each grew smirks after they realized Johnny's facial expressions and how he wasn't talking like he usually would with them. The four other Greasers that were smirking exchanged their expressions with one another, right before they started taking turns with talking again.
"So, Johnny-cake, how'd you like talking to your girlfriend when you were helping her pick up her books?" Ponyboy chuckled.
Johnny instantly shot his attention towards his four friends, realizing their smirks towards him. Johnny attempted keeping his blushing under control so it wouldn't show on his face, but it was a little too late for that.
"She's not my girlfriend!" Johnny objected "I'm not even sure if she thinks of me as an actual friend yet, so you guys just might as well drop it, ya dig?"
Two-bit rolled his eyes, his big; goofy smile remaining plastered on his face. "Well, Johnny-cake, we'll go on ahead and stop for now, but we'll get back to it sooner or later." Two-bit playfully warned, and Ponyboy, Kitten, and Steve nodded their heads with full, absolute agreement. Johnny couldn't help himself to at least crack a small grin at his four friends, because he knew that they cared about him, but he still couldn't help himself to blush when thinking about what they said about them talking about him and Sondra actually dating. We can't actually date, Johnny thought to himself...or can we? No! Yes! Maybe...is it actually possible? All Johnny could think at that moment was that, and not only that, but it was obvious that it was going to be a long day of school...and possibly a long rest of his life.
Hours past, the clock ticking and the bell ringing its jingle, and before anybody could even see it coming, the clock struck 2:30 in the afternoon and the final bell of the day rang, meaning that the school day was officially over. Ponyboy, Two-bit, Steve, and Johnny had all finished packing up their backpacks to get going back to the Curtis's house, but the four of them went to Kitten's locker to wait for her to finish packing up her book bag and stacking away the rest of her non-needing books and supplies until the next day.
"Um, definition for nomenclature?" Two-bit asked, kicking back flat against the closed lockers with his writing homework and a pencil, his backpack already swung over his shoulder.
Steve rolled his eyes. "Defination of lazy, Two-bit Erwin Matthews," he moaned "do your own homework!"
"Oh, come on! Ponyboy, you're the walking book in the gang. You should know." Two-bit said, turning his attention to the youngest Curtis, who was waiting on the opposite side of Kitten for her to pack up the rest of her stuff either inside of her locker, or her backpack. Ponyboy grinned a little as he rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you just crack open a book and find the defination yourself, Two-bit?" Ponyboy asked.
"I prefer the dictionary!" Steve added onto what Pony just said, his voice filled with annoyed feelings though.
"Or maybe you could go to the library and try finding your homework definations there, Two-bit. It's pretty obvious that we can't give you the answers to all of your questions and problems. It's also pretty obvious that the teachers will be able to find out something's up by you keep getting good grades!" Kitten giggled, slipping one of her folders into her backpack. Ponyboy and Steve both joined in with their female friends laughter, and even Johnny couldn't help cracking a grin and chuckling a bit himself. Two-bit, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes at the joke as he slipped his homework into his book bag, right before swinging it back over his shoulder.
"Whatever. You guys laugh now, but I'll just copy it down from one of those Regulars in the back of the class tomorrow." Two-bit shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really care what I do, as long as I don't need to crack a book at all."
"As long as you don't copy anything from that Baby girl, then go right on ahead." Johnny instructed.
Two-bit smirked as Ponyboy, Kitten, and Steve exchanged new grins.
"How come I can't copy Baby's homework, Johnny-cake? Because she's your girlfriend?" Two-bit snickered.
Johnny rolled his eyes as he shook his head, his face starting to turn bright, bright pink a bit again when thinking about Two-bit's question. "No, because I know that you threaten the Regulars that you want to copy from, Two-bit."
"Okay, guilty is charged there," Two-bit admitted, which instantly made Johnny, Ponyboy, Kitten, and even Steve all laugh together. Two-bit cracked his big; goofy grin as he rolled his eyes. "Say, Kit-Cat, you ready yet?"
"As a matter of fact, I am." Kitten nodded her head as she stood up from the floor with her backpack now being worn on her back, and she slammed her locker shut, right before she started out the front glass doors of the school with Ponyboy, Two-bit, Johnny, and Steve following by her sides. But the exact moment that the five Greasers began their way down the stone steps of the school, they saw a whole bunch of other students, mostly Socs, gathered around in a circle cheering and clapping their hands together rapidly.
"Yikes! What's going on?!" Johnny asked, starting to tremble a little bit from just witnessing the gathering of cheering and clapping Socs and Regulars.
"I don't know, but we're going to find out!" Two-bit instructed "come on, guys! And gal!"
Without anymore words needing to be said, Johnny, Ponyboy, Two-bit, Steve, and Kitten all took off as fast as they could until they made it to the circle of surrounding students, and the five Greasers pushed and nudged their way towards the front to see what all of this dramatic cheering and clapping was about. After making it all the way to the front, Pony, Kitty, Steve, Two-bit, and Johnny stood close to each other, shocked/surprised expressions now plastered on their faces. Their eyes were widened, and their mouths were now hanging open to form 'O' shapes. All of this cheering and clapping from these other students were coming from Sondra and Joey fighting, and heck, Joey was losing big time!
Joey had attempted to karate-kick Sondra in the head to get her down to the ground, but Sondra ducked instantly, sending Joey's foot to just go over her head, and right after the eldest Prescott got back up from the ground after dunking, she grabbed Joey's shoulder with one clenched fist, and then she punched him straight in the face with her other clenched fist. The exact second that Joey fell backside down to the ground, Sondra pounched right on him and started fighting him, slapping and punching him as he grabbed her hair a bit and yanked her around hard a bit. The two of them were rolling around in the dirt, getting smudged and covered with all kinds of different specks of the dirty dirt, but Sondra didn't mind one bit, considering that she was a tomboy and was used to getting dirty, especially when she needed to in any kind of situation.
"AH! THESE PANTS ARE EXPENSIVE LEATHER, REGULAR!" Joey hollered as he kicked Sondra off wrestling him down, and she fell straight off from him, but no matter how much pain Sondra was feeling, she wasn't allowing Joey to win. Not one bit. Joey's clenched fist sprang up into Sondra's view, but before he could bring it down and cause it to strike her in the face, Sondra rolled over and Joey punched the ground instead of the oldest Prescott, causing his knuckles to get stained with some new raw skin and blood, along with some sort of wet mud. Joey let out a snarl of pain, but then he swung around and punched Sondra across her face. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Sondra from punching right back, right before she kneed Joey in the gut, and then kicked him with one heck of a major kick in his shin.
"Dang, that Baby girl knows how to fight for a Regular!" Two-bit howled, his tone now cheerful with an amused smile now plastered on his face, and his eyes were shimmering off with interest.
"Are you kidding, Two-bit?! She may be excellent at fighting, but she could seriously get hurt!" Steve informed as he thumped the wisecracker of the Greasers gang over the head, but Two-bit was still lost and interested in the fight.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Ponyboy asked the nearest person that wasn't a Soc.
"Oh," the male Regular realized that Pony was asking him that question. "I don't know. He just pushed her when she was simply walking and he called her a filfthy Regular, and she just lost it, punching him down before the fight broke out."
"Isn't this Soc the Joey guy from our math class? You know, the one that Baby has to sit next to from now on?" Steve asked, curiously, even though his surprised/shocked expression was back on his face.
"Oh, god! It is!" Johnny gasped "shouldn't we do something?!"
"Like what?! Jump in and get killed?!" Steve asked. Johnny shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know! But we can't just stand here and watch Baby get possibly injured!" Johnny informed. Just as Steve was about to open his mouth and say something back, Johnny hopped into the fight and pushed Joey back after he attempted to get on top of Sondra to make it easier to beat her down. Ponyboy, Kitten, Two-bit, and Steve all gasped as they watched Johnny pull Sondra back behind him to make sure that she wouldn't get hurt in anymore ways or forms by Joey.
"Johnny, what are you doing?! Get out of there!" Ponyboy worriedly exclaimed, but Johnny shook his head, clenching his fists out in front of him with Sondra remaining behind him.
"You listen to your so called friends, Grease-head! This ain't your fight! Back off, squirt!" Joey ordered, his voice getting angrier and angrier with every word he proclaimed from his lips. But Johnny shook his head again, and to Kitten's, Steve's, Two-bit's, and Ponyboy's surprise, Johnny actually clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes in an angry way. Johnathan Alexander Cade never glared at anybody. Johnny couldn't even say "Boo!" to a goose, but he could actually scowl at a Soc all of the sudden in order to protect Sondra.
"I ain't going to let you hurt her!" Johnny exclaimed. Sondra couldn't believe what words just came out of Johnny's mouth. He was actually protecting her. The only people who've ever protected Sondra was Charlie and Rebecca, but they weren't at her school to help her out with the other students. So, Sondra's not really protected, and neither is Iris, because their folks are absuive, and Rebecca and Charlie couldn't witness what they went through at home, nor what Sondra goes through in school and on her walks home alone.
"Oh, what are you going to do, shorty?! Climb a latter and punch me across the face?!" Joey laughed at Johnny, but right after he said that, Ponyboy, Two-bit, Kitten, and Steve heard shocking words come out of Johnny's words that they never figured he'd say ever.
"No...you're going to come down here!" Johnny exclaimed, and right after he said those words, he kicked his leg up and let's just say it struck Joey somewhere that you never want to get kicked in. Joey let out a huge howl of pain as he fell straight down onto his knees, right before he felt a harsh and painful sting slap across his face by Johnny, a loud SMACK echoing off, making everybody in the surrounding circle let out gasps of shock, especially Ponyboy, Kitten, Steve, and Two-bit.
"WHY YOU-" Joey went on hollering and cursing, calling Johnny every word in the book as he got enough recovery over Johnny's leg meeting him, and before anybody could see it coming, Joey flung his fist back to fire Johnny hard in the throat, but before Joey could strike him, Sondra pushed Johnny out of the way, sending him to the ground for his own good.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!" Sondra yelled, and with that, she nailed Joey straight in the throat, sending him back down to the dirt and mud. Just as Sondra was about to leap down to Joey so she could finish him off, a loud male voice was heard hollering over all of the students shocked gasps and startled whispers. All of the students shut themselves up and turned their full, undivided attention over to where the male voice was shouting angrily and loudly from, and in less then ten seconds, the principal, Mr. Loomis bashed his way through the surrounding teenagers, and when he saw Joey on the ground with Sondra being the only one within the circle, Johnny now being out because Two-bit dragged him out of it after Sondra pushed him down to save him from getting striked with a crushing blow of Joey's fist, Mr. Loomis's eyes instantly flooded with anger, and his nose crinkled up as he clenched his teeth with heavy anger.
"What in the world are you doing, young lady?!" Mr. Loomis asked Sondra as he grabbed her by her arm, but she instantly yanked herself free and she began stomping away, pushing all of the other students out of her path as they all watched her begin to exit off of school ground. Mr. Loomis just rolled his eyes, being the Soc that he was, and mumbled to himself that Sondra was nothing but a Regular, and he just announced to the other students to just head on home and that he'd see them tomorrow, right before he began his way back into the school to finish some paper work.
"Well, you guys heard the man. Let's get on back to the Curtis's residents." Two-bit said, but Johnny instantly shook his head after taking in what the wisecracker of the gang just said.
"In a minute, okay, guys? And gal? I need to talk to Baby first, and make sure that she's alright." Johnny shared, and without sticking around to hear what any of his best buds would say, Johnny trotted to keep up with Sondra, who wasn't far away at all just yet. Ponyboy, Two-bit, Kitten, and Steve kept their eyes on Johnny as he quickly made it all the way to Sondra before she could turn around the corner.
"Baby! Baby, wait!" Johnny pleaded as he gently grabbed a hold of Sondra's wrist, and she instantly released a little yelp as she quickly turned around and noticed that it was Johnny who was holding onto her wrist instead of some Soc or anybody else that was dangerous towards Regulars like her.
"Oh, Johnathan. It's only you." Sondra sighed with relief, gently pulling her wrist out of Johnny's gentle grip, and she used that hand to wipe away the few tears from inside her pale blue eyes, and some dirt smudges from her cheeks.
"Yes, it's only me," Johnny nodded his head. "But you can call me Johnny, or Johnny-cake if you like that. I was just wondering if you were alright...are you alright?"
"...Why shouldn't I be? I might as well be absoluetly perfect...listen, Johnny, I apperciate that you wanted to help me, but I sort of wish that you didn't."
"What?" Johnny asked, a nervous lump now in his throat and a sorrow puppy-dog expression upon his face. "How come, Baby? I was only worried that you'd get hurt that I..."
"Aw, shucks, Johnny-cake! I was doing just fine! Trust me, I go through way worse whether I'm in school or not! You're just lucky that I pushed you out of the way in order to save you from a rock-hard punch!" Sondra snapped, which certainly made Johnny flinch and jump a bit, while he released a small yelp from his lips.
"Man, Baby, I'm sorry! I was only trying to help you!" Johnny exclaimed, only raising his voice in order to get that message through Sondra's head. Sondra narrowed her tearful eyes as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Just don't ever do that again! If you do and get hurt...I'll never be able to forgive myself..." Sondra sighed. She quickly turned away and trotted off, not taking a single look back or waiting for Johnny to say a single word back to her. Johnny kept his slightly widened eyes and half-way dropped open mouth on Sondra until she was completely out of sight. Johnny was mainly concentrating on what last thing Sondra said to him before she turned around and fast-walked off. Wiping his expression off from his face, Johnny simply turned back around and stuffed his hands into his jeans jackets pockets, making his way back over to Ponyboy, Kitten, Two-bit, and Steve, who were now all waiting by Two-bit's old, souped-up truck.
"Say, Johnny-cake, you're back." Kitten said with her beautiful grin on her face, and Johnny just simply nodded his head.
"How was Miss Super Regular?" Two-bit, who was now smoking a caner stick, questioned.
"Please don't call her that, Two-bit." Johnny kindly ordered. Two-bit took in a deep breath of his cigarette, and then he blew out a perfect gray puff of a smoke ring, shrugging his shoulders afterwards.
"Fine. How was Baby?" Two-bit asked his same question, but he changed it by using Sondra's nickname instead of calling her by her label.
"She was kind of...angry...at me." Johnny sighed, desperatly wishing that he was at least a tiny bit good at lying at that timing, because he didn't want to make Sondra look or seem bad towards Ponyboy, Kitten, Steve, and Two-bit.
"Baby was mad at you?!" Ponyboy gasped, and Johnny only regretingly nodded his head. Kitten and Ponyboy both then exchanged pouts as Steve sighed and patted Johnny's shoulder to help cheer him up at least a little bit. Two-bit only shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, putting his cigarette out while he was at it.
"I told yawl that Regulars were no good. Ya hear what Baby just did to Johnny-cake, right?" Two-bit asked Steve, Pony, and Kitten, as if Johnny wasn't even there or wasn't listening when he truly was. Ponyboy, Steve, and Kitten all nodded their heads with full regret. "Well, it seems like even though she was helped out and protected a bit by him during this fight she had with Joey, she doesn't even think it's good enough to trust him."
"Actually, Two-bit," Johnny spoke up, which instantly gained him his buddies attention. "She told me that she appreciated my help, but she doesn't want me to do it ever again because she said if I got hurt...she couldn't...couldn't..."
"Couldn't what, Johnny-cake?" Kitten shrugged her shoulders, but all Johnny did in response was shake his head.
"Nevermind. Let's just get back to the Curtis's place." Johnny then told his buddies.
"Alrighty then. If you say so. Here's my keys, Johnny-cake. Seriously, kid, you're sixteen and need to learn to drive, so let's start your practicing by you driving to the Curtis's," Two-bit instructed as he reached his hand into his jeans pocket, and then he pulled out his trucks keys, tossing them over to Johnny, who caught them with no problems or issues at all. Johnny looked at the keys to Two-bit's truck now in the palm of his hand with his half worred/half thinking look on his face, but it looked more worried then ever. Two-bit had just hopped into the shotgun seat of his truck, and Kitten and Steve climbed into the back seat, but Ponyboy stopped himself from getting into the back seat with Steve and Kitten when he realized Johnny's facial expression.
"Johnny-cake, are you okay?" Ponyboy asked, concerndly. "If this is about that Baby girl, maybe it's better off if you don't talk to her anymore."
Johnny shook his head after hearing Ponyboy say that, but he was truly thinking heavily about the last words that Sondra said to him before she trotted away from him, not giving him a chance to say anything else back.
"No, it ain't that..." Johnny lied, keeping his eyes on the keys of Two-bit's truck that were still remaining in the palm of his hand.
"What is it then, buddy?" Pony questioned, his tone still completely concerned.
"...Just remember to refasten your seatbelt with me behind the wheel..." Johnny instructed, and with that, he climbed into the drivers seat of Two-bit's old, souped-up truck, and Ponyboy jumped into the back seat with Kitten and Steve.
A/N: Well, that's chapter 4! Johnny and Sondra just had a fight...or did they? Did it really end like a fight or not? Hm...
Anyway, just to say this, my great friend, booklover450, is in the hospital and she's a whole lot better, but if you all will please, pray for her health to fully return. I've been praying and I know it's working because she's getting better and better each and every day now. She's just such a great friend that I can't ever live without and I just had to inform you all about that!
Well, tune yawl next time in chapter 5! Stay tuned! Read yawl in the next chapter! :D :D :D :D