Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been some time since I last posted. I did make the Freshman softball team. I had practice every day this week except for today since SB10 started at 3:00. Anyway, here's Chapter 11.

Chapter 11 Outraged

SODA'S POV

Steve and I get to school and see Two-Bit, Johnny, and Dally sitting outside the school smoking by a tree.

"This morning, I saw this blonde and she was smokin' hot. I was going to ask her out, but she slapped me across the face when I started smack talking her," Two-Bit says as we walk up to them.

"Nice choice dumb ass!" Steve says slapping him on the back kind of hard rolling his eyes.

"That's my job ain't it?" Two-Bit asks pointing his thumb towards himself.

"Sure, whatever you say buddy," I tell him smirking.

"That's what I thought."

I rolled my eyes at him. He's so weird. He makes my day better all the time. It's good to have a jokester around, especially when you're in my predicament. It just lets me get my mind off of the bad stuff.

The bell dings signaling it's time to get to class. I can feel myself get a nervous look on my face.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost, Soda. What's wrong? It's just the bell. Does the bell scare you?" Two-Bit asks me.

"No, I ain't afraid of the bell. What makes you think that?" I ask him faking my confidence. I'm just afraid of two people inside.

"You just looked petrified," Steve answers for him.

"Is anything wrong?" Johnny asks as we head for the door.

"No, no, no. I'm just fine. Nothing's wrong," I say sounding a bit shaky to myself.

"Are you sure? You sound nervous," Dally tells me as we walk through the doors.

"I'm sure," I answer once again faking my confidence. If only he and all the other guys knew.

Honestly, I want to tell someone about my problems, but I know what my punishment would be if I did. That is a bad beating, probably a real whip to the butt.

"See ya," we tell each other as we head our separate ways.

I walk down the hallway, turn the corner, and see Derek standing by the corner. I try to breeze on by, but it didn't work.

"Nice bruise, step-brother," he says smirking.

"I ain't your brother of any kind," I say loud enough so he can hear me and keep on walking. Luckily I am next to my English classroom. The bad news is my teacher, Mr. Jackson, was standing there staring at me.

Mr. Jackson is my favorite teacher ever. Even though I'm not good at English, he's still my favorite. He always tries to help me when I'm struggling. He does realize something's up, especially now since he heard me.

"Sodapop, can I see you after class?" he asks me nicely. See what I mean by helping me and knowing something's wrong?

"Sure Mr. Jackson," I say as I walk in.

Anyway, Mr. Jackson's really tall. He's a little over six foot. He has dark brown hair and blue eyes. He's around thirty-years-old.

I go to my desk next to another greaser boy. We talk at times, but he falls asleep all the time. I don't blame him at all. His name's Jed. He's friends with Tim Shepard. They're a couple years apart, but they're pretty good buddies. He was arrested over the summer for shop lifting.

"Hey Soda," he greets me.

"Hey Jed," I say.

The bell rings signaling that class is ready to start. That bell I'm not afraid of since I know I'll be away from David and Derek. The next bell I'll freak out. Hopefully Mr. Jackson keeps me long enough so I get a pass into the next class saying that I'm not tardy because the bell rang. Then, I wouldn't have to worry about running into David and Derek.

Mr. Jackson starts the class off with what we've previously read in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday, we read Act II Scene I. So, today we're discussing the balcony scene and what Juliet means when she talks about a rose would still be beautiful no matter what and when they decide to get married.

The rest of class was just reading Scene II. It was pretty boring. There was no action. The girls like the story, I'll tell you that. When we read, they're just dazed. They'll probably cry at the end.

The bell rings. I sit at my desk waiting for everyone to go out. When the last person gets out, I head up to Mr. Jackson's desk.

"Soda, is there something wrong?" he asks me as I approach his desk.

"No nothing's wrong," I answer.

"Are you sure?"

I shake my head a little hesitantly up and down.

"What was going on between you and Derek?"

"I've been in a bad mood this morning. I just miss Rose and my real parents. I wish I lived with my two real brothers," I say half lying.

"I can see that. Aren't you a bit warm?" he asks me.

"No," I lie to him.

"I don't see why you always wear a long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, or jean jacket. Are you really that cold?"

"Yeah."

"Where'd you get those bruises from on your face?" he asks me.

"WHY ARE YOU ALL OF A SUDDEN GETTING INTO MY BUSINESS? I'M DOING FINE!" I yell furiously.

All of a sudden he yanks my right arm. I try to pull away, but his grip is not letting me. It hurts where the bruises are.

"OW!" I yell practically letting my secret out. I bring my free hand to my mouth and raise my eyebrows knowing that I worried him. Those bruises are two days old by the way.

He gets a worried look on his face. He lifts my pulls my sleeve up.

"Ow!" I whimper silently. That hurt more than that, but no one can hear me.

"Soda, what happened?" he asks me seriously in a worried tone.

"Nothing," I say as he grabs my other arm. "OW!"

He lifts that sleeve up, too. I grunt out in pain.

"Soda, you have to tell me what happened. I'm your teacher, and I care about you. What's going on at home?" he asks me worriedly.

"You promise you won't tell anyone right?" I ask meanly in defense.

"I promise," he sighs.

"Robert abuses me. Derek and David do it, too. I also have to do all the chores. Robert doesn't do anything around the house. I have to do everything. I won't be here when I turn sixteen next year," I start crying. "I have to work a full shift at the Marathon he owns. I mean, it's alright. I'm failing school anyway. I like cars too. I'm just not getting paid. I barely have time to be with friends. I sleep on a mattress in the attic. I'm not counted as part of the family."

"Someone needs to know," he tells me.

"I know, but I've been threatened. He said that I would never wanna be born if I told somebody."

"I won't tell," he says. He must realize that he can't tell.

The bell rings. Luckily he doesn't have a second period class. I'm late for Math. Oh well, I don't care.

"Here's a pass for second period," he says filling out a slip of paper and handing it to me.

"Thanks Mr. Jackson," I thank him walking out of the room.

It's lunch time, and I go down to the cafeteria. I get a piece of pizza and head to our normal lunch table.

"Soda, we've been talking. We're worried about ya man," Steve says as I sit down.

Why is everyone getting into my business? I know they're concerned about me, but I shouldn't let the secret out anymore. Risking my life one time is good enough. I really don't wanna end up in the hospital.

"Why are you worried about me? I'm fine," I laugh.

"Soda, you come in everyday with a messed up face. You're not very clumsy. We know something's up," Steve says.

"KEEP YOUR SNOOPY NOSES OUT OF MY BUSINESS AND WORRY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS!" I yell at them and storm off with my pizza in hand.

"Soda, what's wrong?" Mr. Jackson stops me.

"My friends know something's up, but like I said before I can't tell them. I really want to, but I don't want them to worry about me. I also don't wanna go to the hospital."

"I don't blame ya. Today's just not agreeing with ya. Why don't you just go back to your friends and talk to them about something else other than the bruises on your face," he suggests.

"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks again Mr. Jackson," I thank him.

"No problem," he says before he goes his own way and I go my way.

I approach my table and sit down. They're talking about the school's masquerade dance that's going on next Friday.

"Are you guys going to that?" I ask them.

"Yeah," they say.

"Sorry about before. I'm just really tired. Anyway, I almost forgot about the party," I say to get on the fun subject.

"So, are you going?" Steve asks excitedly.

"I doubt it. I'll try to get Robert to let me go, but he'll probably have a lot of house work for me to do. I'm serious when I say house work. I have to do all of it by myself."

"Why?" they ask.

"I don't know," I say shrugging my shoulders.

"You're going. I'll talk to you about it next week at lunch," Steve says as if he just won a case.

"Okay," I say a bit nervously.

The bell rings and we head to our next class.

The rest of the day went by on a better note. I didn't even see David and Derek in the hallways.

I get home and run inside to start my homework before anyone else gets home. I run to my attic room and get my books out. I start on my homework hoping to get done since it's Friday.

It's been about two hours and I'm done with my homework. I hear them. They just got home.

"SODA!" I hear Robert yell.

"Yes sir?" I ask him coming to the kitchen.

He pushes me to the ground and slaps me across the face as I try to get up. He then kicks my side. He gets down on the ground and punches me across the face. He also went for my stomach. I toppled over in pain. All of a sudden, I feel a tight grip around my wrists and being jerked up.

"GET THE DAMN DINNER DONE! WE'RE GONNA DIE OF STARVATION!" he yells in my face.

"Yeah," David and Derek agrees.

"Yes sir," I say.

"Good. Make pulled pork, jerk," David orders. "Hurry up! I have a game to get to. You are a worthless jerk."

I get the stuff out. I'm stumbling all over the place. I get to the stove and topple over it. Those punches to the gut were hard. I put everything on.

While I'm waiting, I pull up my sleeves. My wrists already have forming bruises on them. I lift up my shirt and find a gigantic bruise on my stomach. I cringe at the sight. It's all purple and blue. My wrists aren't there, yet anyway.

I finally got the dinner ready and set it on the table.

"Dinner's ready!" I yell for them.

"Good," David says coming in.

I sit on the kitchen floor by the stove in pain. I try not to whimper to loud, but I think I am.

"If you don't stop, I'll give you something to cry about," he threatens.

I then realize that he has the belt around his shoulders. I was probably close to getting that. I'm so glad I didn't.

I decide to clean up the kitchen. I clean off the stove, and wash the pots and pans and put them away. My bruised stomach hurt the entire time. I can barely walk because I'm toppling over.

"Clean off the table!" he orders me.

"Yes s-sir," I say weakly as he gets up out of his chair.

"DAMN IT!" he yells next to me taking the belt from his shoulders and slashing me with it in the back and then once in the butt. It hurts like hell.

"Yes sir," I say a little better.

"Good," he says and walks away.

They finally leave after they eat, and leave me by myself. I finish cleaning up and then head next door.

There you go. Sorry about Soda's anger issues, but you can't blame him. I know I can't. The poor guy has a lot to get off of his chest. At least Mr. Jackson came to the rescue. Hopefully next chapter or the next chapter will be the real Cinderella events. Remember to review and sorry if it takes a while to post up next. I'm on Spring Break so I'll probably be posting in the next week so keep a look out.