Chapter 7: Unforgivable Event

It was the night of the rumble. We all meet at the Curtis house. Two-Bit was watchin' Mickey Mouse while Johnny and Ponyboy played cards. I say next to Dally and we were watchin' Darry and Steve arm wrestle. Steve had to go and call Darry 'super man' and that's how it began. Darry won of course. No one could beat Darry in an arm wrestle. We looked at the clock and saw it was 7:30. We all gathered around in a circle. Darry was in the center. "Alright, everyone know the plan?" he asked.

"What plan?" I asked. I didn't know they had a plan. "I want to fight. I want to proof I'm not a prize to be won."

"We know you want to fight Joan but this might turn out to be a knife fight," Two-Bit said.

"Then Johnny does go," I said. "If he goes, I go."

"Joan, we'll let you fight in the next one," Soda said. "And we'll let you fight all the Socs in the rumble."

"OKAY!" I said happily. I love to fight in rumbles. It was so fun. "So what plan were you talking about?

"Weren't you listenin the day they challenged us?" Steve asked me.

"Nope; I was sleepin'," I said.

"She never listens," Two-Bit said.

"I listen more than you," I said. "What is the plan?"

"Okay," Darry whispered. "Dally is goin to take you somewhere while we fight. You will not be there at all. Tim Shepard is takin' Dally's place since we don't trust Tim with you Joan. You got it so far?"

"Yea," I said. "How did you convince Dally not to fight?"

"We have our ways," Two-Bit said smilin'. They must have blackmailed 'im.

"After the rumble, we'll come back here and go lookin' for you. Dally, where are y'all comin to be?" Darry asked.

"My house or Buck's place," he answered. "They'll never look there."

"I don't think Buck's house is a place Joan should be," Darry said. "She's till to young."

"Won't worry; I'll watch her like a hawk," Dally said.

"Don't do anythin' with Joan," Steve said. I punched him in the face.

"You want to get hurt better the rumble?" I asked. He got up and put his hand to his nose.

"You made my nose bleed," he said. "I'll get you after the rumble."

"Fine with me," he said.

"Enough you too," Darry said. "Soda, help stop Steve's nose bleed. Joan, you and Dally should get goin'."

"Okay," I said. "Don't let Johnny get hurt a lot or I'll skin y'all all."

"I'll be fine," Johnny said as he hugged me. "You take care of yourself." Then Dally and I left the Curtis house. We decided to take the back ways so it would be safer.

"Do you mind if we go to Buck's place for a while?" he asked me. I shook my head no so we went to Buck's place. I had never been here before but I knew I wouldn't like it. Dally and I entered the house ad we saw Buck. Buck look down at me and then back at Dally. "I'm babysittin'," Dally said. I didn't say anythin'. Buck nodded his head and I followed Dally into a room with a lot of dancin'. Dally and I saw in chairs and watched the people dance. Then someone handed Dally a beer and asked me if I wanted one. I shook my head and the person left. "You don't drink?" Dally asked me.

"Nope," I said. "If Johnny doesn't drink, I don't."

"Do ya dance?" he asked.

"Not really," I said. Dally set his beer down, got up out of his seat, grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the dance floor. I let him drag me to the floor. Once we got there, he placed one arm around my waist and his other hand in my hand. I put my other hand on his shoulder. It was a slow song but I forgot what it is called. Then it went to fast and Dally and I had to dance faster. We let go of each other and danced by ourselves but stayin' near each other. "You dance good Joan. I can't wait to see you dance alone." That brought a smile to his lips. Was he thinkin' perverted thoughts again? After the song, we sat down and a blonde came over to Dally.

"Dally, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. "Joan, stay here."

"Where else would I go?" I asked. Then he left me. I was alone in a room with a bunch of people I don't know. I watched others dance and one guys came over to me. He looked like he was in his mil 20's. He had brown hair and blue eyes.

"Hey baby," he said as he sat next to me. I didn't say anythin'. Then he brought his face closer to mine. "Do ya want to go upstairs and-"

"No," I said. "Please leave me alone."

"Why?" he asked. I got up and left. I wanted to know where Dally was. I saw Buck and asked 'im. He didn't know. I stepped outside to get some cool air. It felt so good. I wanted to go climb a tree and lay there. I went back inside and saw the same guy from before. He saw me, smiled, and handed me a class of beer. I looked at 'im and threw the beer on 'im.

"Stay the hell away from me," I said. He wiped his face with his sleeve and tackled me. I landed on the ground with 'im on top of me. I kicked 'im in the balls and that made he get off me. I then ran out of the house and away from it. I didn't know where I was but when I saw a tree, I climbed up it and sat there. Then I cried. I hated that place and I didn't want to go back. Dally then appeared under me. I jumped down and looked at 'im.

"I told you to stay in there," he said.

"You didn't see what happened?" I asked him. He was drunk and you could tell. You could smell it in his breath. Damn I hate alcohol.

"No," he said. "Let's go back."

"I don't want to," I said.

"What?"

"I don't want to." Then out of nowhere, he slapped me in the mouth. I stared at him for a minute then ran. "I HATE YOU DALLAS WINTON!" I ran somewhere and collapsed onto the ground. I can't believe Dally hit me just because I didn't want to go back. I thought he loved me. Maybe he was playin' with my feelings that day. I now and forever will hate him. I will never go out with him. I heard someone walk up behind me. I knew it was Dally. "Go away Dally," I said.

"I'm not Dally," a voice said. I turned around and saw Samantha and Elizabeth. I got off the ground and brushed myself off. "Why were you on the ground Johanna?" These two girls were the only people in the school, besides my teachers, that called my name.

"What happened to your mouth?" Samantha asked. "If wasn't like that today at school."

"I got hit in the mouth," I said. "I better get to the lot."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"I need to get some sleep," I said.

"You are going to sleep outside?" Samantha asked.

"I sleep outside sometimes in trees," I said. "It's really fun tryin' not to fall out of the tree while you're sleepin'.'Cause if you do, you'll kill yourself." I laughed at myself. It was a funny little joke. Elizabeth and Samantha weren't laughin'. I guess they didn't find it funny. I stopped laughin' and looked at them.

"Why don't you come with us?" Elizabeth offered. "My mom would love to have you at our house. Samantha was going to sleepover there. You can too."

"I'll be fine in the lot," I said as I walked away. The Samantha came in front of me and I stopped.

"Please Johanna; it's the least we do for you still you help us ask out Johnny and Ponyboy," Elizabeth said.

"Please," Samantha said.

"I thought your families don't like you hangin' around us greasers," I said.

"My mom doesn't mind," Elizabeth said. "Samantha's brother does though.

"Fine; I'll go with y'all," I said. They smiled and I followed them to Elizabeth's house.

"Okay Johanna," Samantha said. "Tell us about your family." We were now in Elizabeth's room. They were asking question about me and I asked questions about them. I meet Elizabeth's mother, Mrs. Williams and she was really nice. Elizabeth's father, Mr. Williams were workin' late again and wasn't goin' to be home for a long time. Elizabeth showed me around her house. It was ten times bigger than me and my bro's house. We went into her room and started talkin'.

"I have a drunken mom, a drunken dad, and a twin brother," I said. I normally wouldn't tell everyone that but these two made me feel as if they actually cared.

"Who's your brother?" Elizabeth asked.

"Johnny Cade," Samantha answered.

"The one you're going with to the dance Samantha?"

"Yea; he's so cute."

"Not as cute as my date, Ponyboy Curtis."

"Who are you going to the dance with Johanna?"

"I'm not goin'," I said.

"Why not?" Samantha asked.

"I just don't want to go," I said. The real reason I didn't want to go is that Dally would be there. I didn't feel like seein' 'im right now.

"You should; who do you like so we can get them to ask you to go with him?" Elizabeth asked.

"I asked him already; he said yes but then something happened tonight," I said as I pointed to my mouth.

"He hit you?" Elizabeth said.

"What did Johnny say to that?" Samantha asked.

"He doesn't know…yet," I said.

"A guy should never hit a girl. Why did he hit you?" Elizabeth asked.

"He got drunk…again," I said.

"Who hit you?" Samantha asked.

"Someone," I said.

"Tell us please," they both whined.

"I can't," I said.

"Where's Johnny?" Samantha asked.

"At a rumble," I answered. I saw Samantha saw about to cry. "Don't worry though. The gang won't let him get hurt or I'll skin 'em."

"Why aren't you there?" Elizabeth asked.

"They didn't want me to go because of my stomach wound," I lied.

"That wound is pretty bad," Samantha said.

"Lets me see it," Elizabeth said. I upped up my shirt, unwrapped my bandages and showed her the wound. She gave a disgusted looked and I put my shirt down.

"This is why fightin' is bad for you kids," I said like an adult. Then they hit me with a pillow. That's what started a pillow fight. That lasted for a good twenty minutes or so. Then we watched Gone with the Wind. I loved that movie. I remember when Johnny, Ponyboy and I went to see if. I was cryin' in the end and it took Johnny and Ponyboy a while to make me stop cryin'. We reached the Curtis house and I stopped cryin'. Steve had to make a comment so we fought each other with fist. We took it outside and I would have won too if Darry didn't come home. He stopped us and gave us a leisure about fightin'. I didn't listen and I don't like Steve did either. We still fought each other but we were careful not to d it in front of Darry. Samantha fell asleep first then Elizabeth. I turned off the movie and I fell asleep myself.