*Disclaimer: I own nothing.
So here is the long awaited chapter that I had written months ago. Here is to actually taking the time to type it and update. Again so sorry about that, I plan to do it more regularly, and in anticipation I have already started writing chapter 6! Hope you like it!
As I had predicted, school on Monday sucked. Walking through the hallway I did my best not to meet anyone's eye, and the few times I did I was met with a death glare. Apparently Beau had a broken nose, and several severely bruised ribs. The School's best linebacker was out for two weeks, and it seemed I was to blame, for sending Tulsa's roughest JD after him, so of course I was a social pariah. Not that it changed much of anything, other than the fact that I received a good number more glares and cutting remarks. So in an effort to avoid this I was reading the Add my dad gave me to drop off at the local newspaper, when I 'tripped' over someone's foot and suddenly I was sprawled out on the floor with my papers everywhere.
I heard someone say, "Watch where your goin', klutz," Which was followed with a carouse of laughter as I picked myself up and started gathering my belongings. Blondie from the drive-inn, who I later learned was named Maryann snickered as she strolled to her next class, and I had a sneaking suspicion it was her foot that had escorted me to my current position.
"You alright?" someone asked, causing me to look up. Pushing my long hair from in front of my face I realized it was Ponyboy, and he was handing me a fallen notebook and gathering some of my papers.
"I'm perfect" I told him taking my belongings. I stuffed the Add and a few of my papers into the notebook he had just handed me and stood up.
"No problem, just be careful. Sometimes things like this can take a turn for the worse real quick."He gave me a level stare that told me he knew from experience, what 'turn for the worse' actually meant, before he started off toward his own class. I just wish he would clue me in. Shrugging my shoulders I made my way into my own class, where I was met with a mixture of laughter and even more heated glares. Like I could be anything but careful with this bunch? How kind of him to notice…. I really wish I knew what the hell he was talking about.
…..
School was over and I was stuffing my books into my locker when I felt a presence behind me. Slowly the person leaned in until they had me pressed between both them and the locker. I felt their hot breath against my ear and the warmth of it sent a jolt of fear through my already rigid body. Classes were over and I had lingered behind in one of the classrooms to avoid all the people, meaning everyone had already made it out to the parking lot. Just as I opened my mouth to say something two hands snaked their way around my waist and whipped me around with bruising force. Immediately my eyes locked on Beau's face.
"What do you want?" I asked analyzing the deep purple of his skin around his patched up nose and under his eyes. The dark purple lightened toward the edges until it faded into a greenish color and a sickly yellow toward the edges. Beau must have seen my lingering gaze, because his grip tightened and I struggled to suppress a wince. Beau leaned in real close and I could feel his hatred coming off him in waves accompanied by his bad breath.
"Get a good look doll face, cause I want you t' know exactly why your gonna get what's comin' to yah'. You and that asshole greaser Winston. Givin' you fair warning that the two of you will pay for this." He said gesturing to his swollen face.
"And here I was, thinking that it was an improvement." I couldn't help the word as they came out of my mouth and I was already regretting them. His hands moved to my arms and he squeezed jerking me so that my back slammed into the lockers. For a moment I saw stars, and this time I couldn't help the wince.
"One of these days I'm gonna' catch you on the street and I'll finish what I started in the car that night. Only this time there'll be nothin' in it for you, and Winston won't be there to interrupt." His right hand moved its way up my arm to rest at the hollow of my throat, and I know he noticed when my breathing became labored. Whether this was from anger or fear, even I didn't know. Maybe it was both. His left hand he brought up to my face and I could feel the pad of his thumb brushing against my bottom lip. Immediately I jerked my head away but I was drawn to his anger and my first instinct is to match it. I was the one being accosted in the hallway, he was the one who had wronged me, I was the victim. But a victim of circumstance, seeing as to how I refused to see myself as his victim. Finding the use of my hands I pushed against his chest. I pushed him hard, forcing him back a few steps. It was his turn to wince and now I wasn't the only one who was breathing hard. But his glare turned deadly, and right in that moment my 'fight or flight' response kicked in and it was definitely in flight mode. I didn't take two steps in the other direction when a hand snaked its way into my hair and pulled. I was jerked back but he must not have anticipated that I would fall back into him because he let out a yelp and loosened his grip on my hair. I freed myself just as a loud "Hey!" rang through the hallway.
"Just what the hell is going on here, do we gotta' problem?" I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Ponyboy and Two-Bit, who was squaring his shoulders. I didn't have to look to know that Beau had a new recipient to his death glare, but I did anyway. Finding courage in their presence, and the fact that I knew Beau wouldn't risk a fight with them while he was injured I turned my body to Beau, shooting him a scathing look of my own.
"I'm not sorry, for any of the things either me or Dallas did to you that night. You deserved everything you got, and the fact that this Winston guy; a greaser was the one to give it to you makes it all the sweeter." Slowly I began backing up, a bitter smile playing at my lips, in an effort to cover up the deep sense of fear I had that was accompanied but chills running up and down my spine. I could still feel his hands on my body, could still feel his thumb brushing against my lips and it made me physically sick. I knew I would have bruises on my arms as a reminder of our little altercation. But before he could react to anything I just said I continued, "I'll be dammed before I'm intimidated by the likes of you. You want to come after me Beau? Fine, but just know I will fight you every step of the way. I can't speak for Winston, but somehow I don't think he is the type to go down without one hell of a fight. You think it's worth it?"
I schooled my face into the same blank mask of indifference I use with my father, as I turned and headed down the hall, not knowing if my little speech had any effect. Although I thought I saw a moment of hesitation in Beaus face, but maybe I was seeing things. I heard footsteps behind me, but I had an idea as to who they belonged.
"You okay?" Ponyboy asked catching up.
"Yeah," I said closing my eyes, to the glaring sun as we made our way out into the parking lot. I was vaguely that Two-Bit wasn't with us, but at that moment I couldn't care less, and all I wanted was to get home and lock myself away for a while. But of course god had other plans for me, and this time it was in the shape of a fifteen year old boy, with the oddest name I had ever had the oddest name I had ever had the pleasure of hearing. Ponyboy had reached out and touched my wrist with a gentle but forceful tug, pulling me to a stop.
"You sure?" he asked. I wanted to snap at him. Pull myself up to my full five foot height and tell him that yes I was fine, better than fine. Just peachy, and to stop asking as I had already answered that question so he could stop asking it! As I turned to do exactly that, I caught his stare. He was looking at me with those haunting eyes again and I knew I had to curb my irritation. Turning my head I hesitated before glancing back and heaving a sigh.
"Yes Ponyboy, I'm fine… Anyways, thank you…. That's twice now right?" I said this with a tired laugh, and the smile was forced and I'm sure he knew it, but at that moment he was giving me a quizzical look that seemed out of place with the conversation. When he saw my hesitation, he prompted, "Twice what?"
I laughed a bit, "This is the second time you guys have come to my rescue."
Suddenly I felt a slap to my back, and I knew that Tow-Bit had rejoined us. "Well, he started, I'd say the first time it was ol' Dally that saved you."
At the word 'saved' I blanched. I didn't think 'saved' was the right word, and not at all sure Dallas would look at it that way. Even if he did, I'm also not so sure he would do it again if given the chance over.
"Besides," Ponyboy started, "we didn't do much of anything this time either." At this I looked over at Two-Bit who was decidedly not meeting my eye. What was Two-Bit doing just a minute ago? Heaving another heavy sigh I said, "Just being there was enough, so thank you. I was glad for the coincidence."
"Not much of a coincidence." Pony said, "I was looking for you."
"Why would you be doing that Ponyboy?" I asked surprised, eyeing the two boys, and thereby focusing my attention on Pony. Two-Bit really needed to stop smiling so damn much when I was in a bad mood, that toothy grin made me want to hit him for being so happy when I clearly wasn't. Considering I thought Two-Bit was a good guy, I opted for Pony, who always seemed to have this tortured air about him, that was something I could sympathize with. At least at the moment; and at the moment he was holding out a pile of papers to me for the second time that day.
"After we saw each other earlier I found a paper of yours next to the lockers. I saw it was the English comp that's due tomorrow and thought I should get it to you before you went home." Taking the papers from his I realized it was my personal narrative and I hadn't even realized it was gone. What would I have done if I went to turn that in and I couldn't find it? Being new with only a few weeks left in the semester I would have failed the class.
I laughed forcing the tension from my body, "Thank you. You just saved my life!"
Okay so tell me how I'm doing, I struggled with this chapter, for a while not knowing exactly what I wanted to do with these characters, and how I wanted readers to see them. Feed back on my oc character Carolina would be great. Do you like her or no? Why, or why not? Please and thanks!