Disclaimer:
Jliz: I'm not Cherry anymore
Pony:You don't own us
Jliz: No shit Sherlock! P.S. watch for language peoples! Nice 'n' long she is!
Pony's POV
I couldn't sleep that night. I had this swelling feeling inside my chest. Sure, lots of people have told me that they love me... Soda, Darry, Dad, Mom... but Mom was the only girl who ever said that to me. I had told the guys about what happened. Soda was proud and joking, and Darry was surprised, and snickering. Two-Bit said how he knew we had something, Johnny seemed mildly surprised, and Steve just laughed with Soda. But there was one more member of the gang who didn't know... and I was dreading the day he would find out. Would he be mad at me? Would he hit me? Or would he just go along with life, as if it was no surprise... Number three isn't an option... I thought. He would definetely be mad... who cares? I've got myself a big beefy brother who could play varsity football, and who would do anything for me. Besides, I'm a fast runner. I still dreaded Dally's reaction. Dallas Winston is tough and tuff. He probably wanted someone somewhat like himself for his sister. But am I tough enough? Am I tuff enuff?
Holly's POV
I sat on the couch with Kali, twidling my thumbs, and thinking about Ponyboy. Sylvia was fumbling through the fridge in her underwear and a tank top. Dallas was out God-knows-where, and had told her to stay with me for whatever reason, and Kali had come over early to visit me. Apparently, Sylvia and Dally had a fight yesterday, but they made up. I really didn't mind Sylvia... it's just that she was uber-slutty, and it really grossed me out when she 'got busy' with my brother. Actually, for the past week, Sylvia and I have been kind of bonding, (unless you count the parts where I call her a tramp, because she's been banging with Dally).
"I can remember my first boyfriend..." she said, pulling out a pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice.
"He's not my first..." I said, remembering Luke, and the other jerks I've dated.
"Yeah, but do you honestly think 'Puke' counts as a boyfriend, after he nearly raped you?" she asked, pouring us each a glass.
"No, he doesn't even count as a human being. Luke is dead to me. Anyways, I've had boyfriends before him." I said, taking a swig. "Probably not as many as you, though." I laughed.
"Really... look... you might wanna sit down for this..." she started.
"Sylvia: look at me. I am sitting down."
"Right..." she said, sitting infront of Kali and I in the armchair.
"Where do I start..." she muttered. "Okay. You probably all see greaser girls like me as stupid whores, who wear too much make-up, and bang any guy in sight. But it's deeper than it seems."
"Really.." Kali said cynically. "How so?"
"Well, we all have a darker, meaner past than most. I mean, my own past is unmentionable. That is stab one: the make-up. It's like, we wear the make-up to cover up scars. They aren't visible on the outside, not all of them, but it's like putting on a mask. And, I guess the reason we crave guy's attention and fake sympathy, is because we don't get any attention or real sympathy from anyone else. And the reason we swear so much: to cover up our weaknesses... to make the illusion of being tough." I sat and absorbed all this. It seemed to somewhat make sense.
"SO, let me guess... the make-up puts alien messages into your head telling you to get knocked up by Dally?" Kali said sarcastically, cocking her eyebrow in a Two-Bit-ish way. I knew Kali didn't really like Sylvia, she just was too nice to let her know.
"God, you're like your brother." Sylvia replied in awe.
"Eww, don't say that!" Kali said. she didn't like to be compared to Two-Bit, even though they were so much alike.
"Do you like being thought of like that? Like a stupid, slutty broad?" I asked.
"Not really..."
"Then how come you encourage it?" I asked. It was funny how she knew her problem, she knew why people thought of her the way they do, but she did nothing to change it.
"The illusion, my dear." she said, smirking. I looked out the window, and saw Pony sitting on his porch with Johnny. I wondered what they were talking about.
Pony's POV
"She told you she loved you, huh Pony?" Johnny asked quietly.
"Yeah..." I said, taking a puff from my cigarette. I blew a perfect smoke ring, before continuing. 'I think I love her, too..."
"Ain't you scared of what Dal's gonna do?"
"Yeah... I just hope he don't kick my head in..." I said. Johnny said nothing. He barely ever says anything. He just looked at the ground.I could only imagine Dally when he finds out. His face would flush, his left eye would twitch, and I'd be in for it.
"I don't think old Dal' would hurt you for going out with his sister." Two-Bit said from behind us, making Johnny and I jump out of our skin. He let out a big belly laugh, and sat between Johnny and me. "I mean, he didn't go after that Luke kid until after he... well...tried to get busy with Holly." I considered this, then looked right at Two-Bit.
"He went after Luke?" I asked, surprised at how I didn't know this.
"Nah, but he's going after him. I'll bet ol' Dally has him by the throat this second." he said good-naturedly. I stood up.
"He's gonna kill him!" I shouted. I ran down the street, and I could hear Two-Bit's car behind me.
"Pony, wait up!" Two-Bit yelled. I stopped to wait for them, and realized how fast I had been running. I was only running for about 30 seconds, and I was already half way to Sutton. When they caught up with me, I hopped in the back, and we drove to the South side. I didn't know exactly where he lived, but I knew it was in the South side. We drove around all the neighborhoods, when we saw a kid running down the street, Dally close behind. Dally jumped on him, and started slugging him on the face. He got up, and started kicking his sides, shouting.
"You fucking son of a bitch! You dare fucking come near my sister! You bastard!" he yelled with every kick. We hopped out, and pulled him away from Luke, who had a bloody and bruised face. We pulled him in the back of the car, and left on two wheels, because Two-Bit was driving so fast.
"Man, you could've killed that kid, Dally!" Two-Bit said loudly, struggling to keep his driving somewhat safe.
"That was what I was working up to..." he growled in reply, spitting out the window.
"Well if you did, you'd get the chair, then whose gonna take care of Holly, huh?" Two-Bit said. Dally just looked at his hands, his eyes blazing with anger.
"I know you would, eh Pony?" he said, rubbing the top of my head hard with his fist.
"Yeah..." I said, gulping. I had a feeling Dally was gonna find out sooner than I anticipated.
Dally's POV
I was angry that I didn't get to murder that little shit, but I beat him to a pulp, and besides, Two-Bit had a point. Everyone was quiet on the way to my place. We all hopped out once Two-Bit pulled up to the shabby little property. I walked in, and found Holly, Kali, and Sylvia, sitting in the living room, and giggling. They all stopped when we walked in, and Sylvia excused herself to put on make-up. Holly looked at me funny.
"Dallas, what happened?" she asked, her eyes growing wide.
"I told you I'd kill that mother fucker..." I said. I couldn't think of how to tell her.
"What mother... what?"
"That guy... the one that fuckin' molested you, I beat the shit out of him, that's what." I said.
"You didn't kill him, did you?" she asked.
"No, they stopped me before I could." I said, nodding to Two-Bit and Pony. "Wait... you're saying you didn't want me to pound that little shit?"
"No, but... c'mon, I've only lived with you a little while, but even I know you'd kill somebody." she said.
"Well, I was gonna..." I muttered.
"Oh, Dal'..." she said, getting up and giving me a hug. I held her tight. Then realized I had a crowd, so I let her go.
"Okay, okay, c'mon, I got a reputation here..." I murmered so only she could hear. She just laughed. Sylvia came out, with a load of make-up on, and her tank top and underwear. Pony's ears turned red, and Johnny looked away. But Two-Bit... well, Two-Bit just howled like a coyote.
"Keith Herbert Matthews!" Kali said, just to embarass him. Two-Bit stuck his tongue out at her pre-school style.
Holly's POV
"Which one's Ponyboy again?" Sylvia muttered to me.
"The one with the red ears." I said, noticing Ponyboy's ears. She walked over to him, gave him the once-over, and pinched his cheek.
"What a cute little boyfriend you would make..." she commented cheerily. Oh god... I thought. I looked at Dally, who was laughing.
"Whose the lucky broad?" Dally asked.
"Dontcha know? Holly is!" Sylvia shrieked in delight. Dally stopped laughing. He stopped breathing, I think. His face turned white with anger, and Two-Bit lead everyone out, leaving me and Dally alone in the house.
"You stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid... why would you do that?"
"Dally, look at me. Do I look two years old to you?"
"No, but you look in an awful state to handle another boyfriend! Don't you ever think?"
"I do! I think more than you, which is why I'm still in school, why I get straight A's, and why I'm not dating a male-version of Sylvia!" I shouted. Dally lifted his hand, and smacked me right across the face. I stumbled. Everything was moving slow. My mind was racing. He hit me... he hit me... was the only thing going through my head. I put a hand to my cheek. My face stung.
"Holly..." Dally said suddenly, wide-eyed.I turned around, and ran straight out the door. I just kept running, and running, not knowing where I was going. I could hear people calling my name in the distance. But I didn't care. I just wanted to get straight out of there. I was running for what seemed like hours, which turned out to be only a few minutes, according to the clock in the DX, which I found after I walked in.
"Holly... what's wrong?" Soda said from behind he counter.
"Nothing..." I said, turning and running outward. I ran until I hit a part that looked richer than the side I lived on. I stopped to look around. I'm definetely on the South side... I thought. I started to turn around, when I felt someone grab me.
"LET ME GO!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I knew that touch... I knew that breathing down my neck... and I got a chill down my spine. I elbowed Luke in the groin, and ran towards the North side, though i didn't want to face Dally, it was better than being molested again. I ran past the DX, when I bumped into a figure slightly taller than me. We both fell to the ground. He got up, and helped me up.
"Are you okay?" asked Ponyboy.
"I think so..." I muttered. We walked to the park, where we sat on a bench, and I told him everything that happened.
"Jeeze, I know Dally's hot tempered, but I never thought he'd hit you."
"I never knew what to expect, really..." I said. Pony wrapped his arms around me, and I laid my head on his chest. I felt safe, and wanted. "I don't want to go back there..."
"You can stay at my place..." he offered. I nodded, and we walked back to his place. Unfortunately, Dallas was sprawled across the couch with a moody facial expression. He jumped when I came in. I turned around to leave, but Pony held me. "I won't let him hurt you..." he muttered. I turned around, and decided it was time to stop cowering at every fist shaken in my face. I looked Dally square in the eye.
"Holly, can we talk?" he asked.
"I'm here, ain't I?"
"Look kid, I... I... I'm sorry, alright? And I don't say sorry, so you better-"
"Better what, Dally? Better wait until our next fight, so you can hit me harder, and I can hightail it to Texas? I don't think so. I'm sick of waiting, and.. and being pushed around!"
"Ok..." he sighed. "Go out with Pony then... he's a good kid... just... please, please... watch yourself?" he said, tears developing in his eyes. "I don't... don't wanna lose you..."
"Oh, god..." I said, looking up at the ceiling. I couldn't look at my tough older brother with tears in his eyes. I couldn't look at anyone with tears in their eyes anymore. I was sick of people crying.. I was sick of crying myself. I sat on the couch beside Dally. "Okay... I'll watch myself... okay?"
"Yeah." Dally said, wiping the tears from his eyes, looking away. I kissed him on the cheek, in a perfectly normal, sisterly way. He put his arm around me, and I realized something for the first time since I'd moved to Tulsa. There really is people who care about me, who'd die for me. I've got my brother, I've got Kali, Sylvia... and I've got Pony. I've got the whole gang. Pony sat beside me, and slipped my hand into his. When I first moved to Tulsa, I had one question in my head. Am I tuff enuff? Tuff enough for my brother, for the gang. I looked around, and thought... Maybe I am.
Dally's POV
So, it seemed everything had fallen into place. Holly and I were getting along fine now, and her and Pony were madly in love. She had friends, she had herself... and I guess she had me.
'You guess? She always had you, you just didn't have her.'
Shut up.
'Who's gonna make me?'
Alright, consider yourself ignored.
'No! no! Hey! Don't ingore me! Hey, dontcha..."
I smiled to myself, and watched my little sister hit it off with Pony infront of our house. I put my arm around Sylvia, and relaxed. It's all good.
The End
Ponyboy: Well, I guess it's all over, huh?
JLiz: Yeah, but don't fret! I've got a new fic in the works, and this one's gonna be different!
Ponyboy: Let's hope.
JLiz: Hey! (gives Pony a noogie)
Well, sorry it had to end here. It was just time to start a new fic. I've got a new one, and it's a whole different approach. I should have it up soon, I'm just a little tied up right now. I want to thank you all for being so supportive, and for all your reviews! Tah-tah now!
