Chapter Ten

Just grin and bear it

I took a deep breath straightened my skirt and started walking down the street. Now most people would be scared of walking down the streets of this part of town in the outfit I was in. A Soc girl walking in the heart of Grease territory is not a smart thing for that girl to do. But luckily I was good at spreading my rep. I knew who to tell and who not to. That was the only reason this would work. I knew it would have been stupid to spread around the Soc community that I was the baby sister of Dallas Winston , cause even though it might scare a few of them off from hurting me, it would probably make me a bigger target for getting jumped just so they could piss off my brother. But I had spread it out to enough of the greasers that there was no way they would hurt me if they saw me. They may try when seeing me from a distance but once the were up close and realised they were trying to get Phoebe Winston, they would stop. I also spread enough New York stories that I could successfully scare who ever tried me, into not telling my brother about the outfit. These just wouldn't bode over well if he found out that's why it was such good fortune that he got him self jailed. A few minutes in to walking someone proved my theory.

"Hey Tinker bell, whatcha doin wondering your pretty feet around our turf?" A cocky horrible grammared voice said (And yes I know grammared isn't a word.)

I whirled around," What do you want Shepard?"

"Well, well Winston, whatcha doin in those pretty clothes." Shepard asked raising his eyebrows

"Wow Tim you really know how to charm a girl don't yeah?" I asked sarcastically as I turned around and started walking back down the street. Hoping Tim would leave me alone. HE had to have something better to do.

"Well I don't think I'm to bad." Tim shrugged as he followed me.

"Well then why don't you go and teach your impeccable girl getting skills to Curly." I growled.

"Maybe I'd rather practice those skills on a pretty girl." eww is Tim Shepard hitting on me. God eww. I need to but a stop to this.

"Listen Tim, don't think it's smart to go after girls with extremely overprotective and violent brothers."

"Hmm, normally that is true but I do know Dallas-"

" Which means he knows what kin of scum you can be." I cut him off

"and," Tim went on as if I hadn't interrupted him. "Last I heard old Dal's got him self jailed."

"True," I said stopping to give Time one of my death glares. We were getting close to the West side and if I was seen talking to Tim Shepard Leader of the Shepard Gang it may just ruin my whole plan so it was time to get ride of time right here. " But It's also not smart to got after girls who one don't want to be sought after and had lived on New York streets since they were about five. That means I've had almost then years of New York hood experience that I could unleash on your sorry ass excuse my French of you so much as take one more step closer to me." I told him He just stood there stunned, I was pretty sure I didn't need to get out my Blade to finish this threat, like I said I leaked out just the right amount of New York stories around, which match my Bro's. So I turned and started walking away. Then turn my head back to look at him "Oh and I wouldn't recommend telling my brother anything about this little meeting if you value your face, the last guy to hit on me that he found out about, was so betten up and traumatized that after they fixed him up he had to go to a mental hospital to work on his fear…last time I checked he was still there." With that I flipped my hair and walked away down the street. Once I was out of his sight I burst out laughing his face was just too funny . I really wished I could have token a picture, but sadly that would have maybe ruin the affect it had. Oh just cause I fell you should know I completely made up that story about the traumatized kid. Please I'd never tell my brother about a guy, he'd probably flip so much that if they survived the beating they would have gotten they probably would end up in a hospital for the rest of there life whether it be a normal on or mental. I kept pondering this thought as I made my way to school.

I'm not normally one to get nervous , and if I do I rarely show it. I'm mean when a Soc randomly jumps you, nervousness or fear is a common and expected thing, but the Socs or anyone who is willing to just jump some poor random innocent soul will just eat up fear, or nervousness. So I wouldn't show it and by learning to hide it I didn't normally get it, But that day when I walked onto the school yard alone and in a dress, trying to act like I was something I wasn't, I could feel the herd of butterflies in my stomach. Even though I didn't like the Socs at all, I was worried about what they would think of me. I could see people looking at me, Socs and Greaser alike all staring at me and in my mind ever single one of them was thinking the I was a poser. I took a deep breath for like the thousandth time today. Ok think Socy I told my self your beautiful and confident. Rich and on top. Better then everyone else. Think back in New York with slightly better manners. With those thoughts I held my head up and Headed to my first period class.English.

When I got there I looked longingly towards the back row where I being a greaser usually sit, but if I'm pretending to be a Soc I got to go be the perfect little student and sit attentively in the front, and look like I'm hanging on ever word when I know for a fact about half the Socs have no clue what's going on cause I've had to tell them that loads of times. I sat at the desk with my workbook out and taping my pencil on my desk till the bell rang. When it did I sat up straight fixed my hair, and waited. I watched as the class fill up, the Socs fill up around me and the Greasers going back to where I wanted to be sitting. I nodded slightly to Ponyboy as he came in to the room he nodded back. I sat around staring at he front of the room I wasn't going to try talking to anyone first. I'd talk to someone if they talked to me first.

When I made up my mind about this, the girl beside me leaned over and said "Hey my names Rebecca, Rebecca Samuels, Are you new here because I haven't seen you before?" great first question I get I have to expand the truth.

" Really I've been around. I did just movie here but that was a few weeks ago. I'm Phoebe, Phoebe Win-" I started to say my last name but that may end up in complications that I don't need so I made a tiny white lie. " My last name is really long complicated. It's Norwegian. So if you need a last name just say it's Win. That's what it starts with." That wasn't a complete lie my last name really did start with win, and for all I know it could be Norwegian.

"Oh that's cool, so Phoebe what other classes do you have," She asked me In a whisper since class had started but this conversation seemed to be more interesting to her, I didn't really care cause if I missed something really important then I would ask Pony, Cause then Darry would skin him if he found out he wasn't paying attention , and you know I don't think getting skinned is very pleasant.

" English, obviously … Art, Gym and um, Science." I told her

"Really that is so awesome.. Your artistic?" Rebecca asked

"Well I like to draw," I said as I pulled out the picture I drew for the family project " I Drew this for a project a little while back. " She was starting down at the picture I drew of me, with my brother and the gang was of to the side of my brother because I know he considered the gang family so my bro's family is my family, and I drew a faint picture of my mom up in the sky, were she is now. As soon as I pulled out the picture I regretted having that need to show my work off, and really, really hoped that Rebecca had no clue what my brother looked like and that she didn't look to the back of the room. Cause if she did, and my work was as accurate as the teacher, my brother, The Curtis's and everybody else said I would be so screwed. I couldn't put it back, that would be ONE rude and TWO a little strange. But luck was with me

"Oh my god. Phoebe this is fabulous !!!" She cried in a stage whisper that I was pretty sure was going to blow our conversation, and I was right, as I turned around and put the drawing back in my bag I thought, I really do need to do something with it other then just keeping it in my bag…I'll talk to Pony about it later….or maybe Soda.

Then as I straightened up Mr. Syme started to call on me " Miss. Win-"

"YES!" I said quickly and loudly so he wouldn't be able to finish my name and If he did hopefully no one (Especially Rebecca) would hear.

"Do you know the answer to the question?" He asked, with that annoying look of his.

"Umm, that would depend." I told him slowly.

"On what?" He asked I could tell he wasn't really amused by my little tap dance.

"What the question was." I told him looking up guiltily. I normally did pay attention and wasn't such a smart ass but I needed to get out of the situation I had made and well being a smart ass was the way I did it.

" The question was," He told me, I could tell he was definitely not as amused by that remark as the rest of the class had been. Some of which were still laughing. " who was the poem I just read by?" Dang I didn't here the poem I looked around as he stared me down, finally I caught a name on someone's paper. I decided I would chance it and say this name instead of asking him which poem he was talking about cause….. I don't think he would be happy with that.

"It was by Robert Frost Sir. " I told him with a big smile on my face and as confidently as I could.

"That's Right Miss Win-" He started be once again I cut him off. I suddenly realized how long of a period this would be if kept feeling the need to call me by miss and my last name. So I decided to put a stop to this my self… or get myself detention trying.

"Please Mr. Syme you no you can stop all this Miss things and just call me Phoebe, I feel if were all trapped here we would all feel better if we dropped all this formality." I chipped in. His eyes seemed to shrink I'm so going to detention for this.

"Ok Phoebe," He said I sighed, " I got one more question for you." I grimaced " don't you usually sir in the back?" Wow wasn't expecting that one. I looked towards where I usually sit beside Ponyboy and found someone grinning back at me who really shouldn't be here at all.

I smiled and turned back to my teacher, " Well, Mr. Syme there is an easy explanation for that. Mr. Mathews, who I might ass really shouldn't even be in this class at all, Is in my usually seat." I turned back and smiled and waved at Two-Bit. This was a Usually thing for Two-bit, when he got board of his classes he would see how long he could go without getting caught in one of mine, Pony's, or Johnny's classes. I really had no clue how he got as long as he normally did. I mean he looks a little to old for HIS classes yet he normally gets a good halfway through most of OURS before the teacher kicks him out, and gives him detention. Which exactly what Mr. Syme did before telling me and Rebecca to stop talking and got back to teaching his class.

I learned something that day Two-Bit can be even more annoying if you confuse him. Now I told you he usually goes into one of our classes and try's to see how long he can go before getting caught, but usually he does only one a day and he spreads out who's classes he goes in. But Two-Bit was in all my classes that day, he even went to the cafeteria to eat, which I did cause that's where Rebecca eats and she asked me to eat with her and her friend which was exactly what I wanted so my plan would work. But Two-Bit hated the Caf. That's why I confronted him after I was done eating.

"You guys go ahead!" I yelled to Rebecca and her friends Mimi and Sara or something like that. Then I walked over to the table Two-Bit, Steve, Johnny, and Pony were sitting at.

"Hey guys," I said plopping down in the chair beside Two-Bit and Johnny. "Hey Johnny-cake." I said ruffling his hair. I liked to do that. He smiled in responds.

"You know you got your math easy." Two-Bit told me.

"That was part of my reason to come over here, Why were you enjoying the wonders of grade nine math and English. You have done it already." I told him with a smile. As annoying as he was being, he was still my friend and he was still Two-bit and this is just what Two-bit does.

"Oh I was just enjoying a blast from the past, and keeping an eye on the pretty new Soc." He told me.

"Oh really and what does this pretty new Soc look like?" I asked acting like I had no Idea who he was talking about.

"Oh she's about nay high," He said holding his hand at about my height. " and has lovely brown, gold hair, and is wearing a pretty red outfit."

"Ah, the pretty New Soc. Well I bet that Pretty new Soc has more then meets the eye, and is very confused. I bet she would like if her friends would still be there for her even if she is acting strange, Oh I also think she would like it if her brother wasn't told by the strange acting's. See you later guys." I said getting up and going back to my locker.

After classes I went to my locker to ditch my stuff. I got ride of everything I didn't need and got my homework. I started walking out of the school I just go to the doors when my name was called from behind me.

"Phoebe!, Phebes." I turned around and saw Rebecca, Sara, and Mimi running up.

"Hey guys," I said as they caught up to me. We started to walk. "Listen I gotta go to the DX gas station to get a few things for my mom. Then she's going to pick me up there. But you can walk with me there if yeah want." I told them/

"Sure, we will." Rebecca said

"Yeah, the guy that works there is such a Doll." Sara said

"Oh yes with the hair," Mimi said

"And the Eyes," Sara added

"OH and that smile never forget the smile." Rebecca told them then all three sighed in unison.

"Ah yes, Sodapop Curtis defiantly is one of a kind." Mimi said

"Well actually his little brother isn't that bad looking." Sara put in.

"Yeah," Mimi put in " He's the only greaser I know that can get so many girls of are level to fawn over him."

"True." Rebecca said

"Very true," Sara agreed

I decided to add in to this "Very, very true." We all laughed.

"You know Phebes, you look really red." Sara said

"I think you like him. " Rebecca laughed.

"what who me, Like Sodapop Curtis. No." I said. They were close, right family, but wrong generation. Soda is great but he's Soda and he does have a girl friend who I know he loves very much, though I'm not so sure about her. She seems sweet and nice and her only real flaw is that she doesn't have much money. Those seemingly flawless ones are the ones you got to look out for.

"OH lookie here were here," I said pointing at the Gas station.

"You can go talk to your boyfriend now." Rebecca said.

I laughed and ran in. The followed behind. Soda was behind the counter.

"Hey Sodapop can I get a Sodapop?" I smiled.