Forgive me for short chapters ^_^ This is also my favorite one because Taylor thinks back on the good times with Chase. More will be posted very soon. Hope you all like :)

Chapter Twenty-Five: Memories (Taylor's P.O.V)

Tonight was the night the gang and I were gonna settle things with Chase once and for all. I didn't want to worry the boys about my slight head injury—which really wasn't a big deal anymore. I think I woke up around noon. My head was throbbing a little bit. I rubbed my forehead.

"Bad headache?" Johnny asked me, standing outside the door like he's been standing there for a while.

I shook my head. "No," I lied. "Still a little tired that's all. Did Ponyboy send you to come and talk me out of fighting?"

Johnny's face whitened. He was quiet for a moment, then he murmured, "Yeah, but I kinda agree with him. It's just"—he sighed—"fightin's no good."

"Johnny, I know fighting isn't a way to settle things, but we gotta do something about this, now don't we? After we stomp Chase's guts tonight, maybe..." I couldn't think of anything else to say. What would happen after we beat Chase and the Socs?

"'Maybe' what?" Johnny asked.

I shook my head and sighed. "Nothing. Nevermind."

Johnny looked a little upset as he walked out. I think he wanted to slam the door hard, but he didn't. I agreed fighting wasn't any good, but we were gonna have to settle this situation with Chase and the Socs one way or another. I got out of bed and looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn't stand having this bandage around my head, so I grabbed Soda's switchblade that was sitting on the top of his drawer, and cut the the bandage off. When I took it off, the bandage was covered in so much blood. In the mirror, I saw that where I was hit in the head was still a little bloody. It looked awful. I was mad at the Socs and Angela. I was even mad at Chase...then I found myself remembering those times he and I were happy together.

***Two years ago, I was hanging out with Tanya, Jessica, and Bella—my friends who were also "she-greases." Tanya was throwing a party at her house while her parents were out. I didn't want to go, but she and my friends talked me into it. I just sat on the couch reading a book when Bella said to me, "Hey, Taylor, Chase Alan is looking for you."

"Who's Chase Alan?" I asked.

My friends giggled. "Uh, hello, the hottest boy in school," Jessica said.

Tanya grinned. "He likes you."

"He does?" I asked.

"Yeah!" they said.

Tanya later on introduced me to Chase Alan. I recognized him from my art class, and I did think he was cute but I didn't know his name. Even though he was a greaser, he seemed like a gentleman, and he was very sweet.

"Taylor, this is Chase Alan," Tanya said. "Chase, this is my best friend Taylor."

"Hi," I said."

"Pleausre to meet you," Chase said, then kissed my hand.

"I'll just leave you two alone," Tanya said, then walked off, leaving me and Chase alone to get to know each other.

Chase offered me a dance when a slow love song played, and I said yes. We danced together for a while, then we decided to call each other, and have been together ever since.

On my thirteenth birthday, Chase surprised me with the diamond ring I always wanted.

"Chase, it's beautiful," I said. "Thank you so much, Chase."

"Hey, anything for my girl," Chase said, putting his arm around me. Then he leaned in and kissed me. That was my very first kiss, and I'll never forget that.

A couple years later, Chase started to change. He became a little more rebellious, and started getting a little aggresive with me. I never told my aunt about that, but she knew something was wrong when she saw how upset I would be most of the time. One day while Aunt Ellen was working and Rachel was hanging at a friend's house, I saw Chase coming by my house. He was most likely "stumbling." I wasn't supposed to have any friends come over or have Chase over while my aunt was out. But I got outside and started for Chase.

"Chase, are you feeling okay?" I asked him.

Chase gave me a weird grin. His breath smelled a little funny. "Never better," he said. Then Chase started kissing me until I pushed him away.

"Have you been drinking?!" I yelled.

"Hey, chill out, Tay," he said.

"No, I will not chill out, Chase," I said. "You know, you've been acting different lately. What happened to the Chase I used to know?"

"He's long gone now."

"Well, you know what, Chase? I don't think I can see you anymore. I'm sorry." I pulled the ring off my finger and put it in Chase's hand. He looked really angry.

"Are you freakin' kiddin' me, Taylor?!" Chase shouted. "You can't be serious!"

"I am," I said, "as a heart attack."

Chase grabbed my arms. "No, Tay! You do as I say, you hear?"

"Get off me!" I pushed him off. "I can't take this abuse from you anymore! I've had enough of you!" Then Chase called me a horrible name under his breath. I was getting so mad about this abuse he has given me all these years. It got me so angry that I actually slapped him. Chase was silent for a while, then he struck me. I fell to the ground with my cheek burning.

"Taylor!" Aunt Ellen, who saw what happened, came running toward me. She helped me get back on my feet and asked me over and over if I was okay, which I was not.

I don't remember what else happened except Chase saying some stuff I don't remember.

That following night, I was on the phone with some of my friends, about to go to bed, when something smashed into my window. It was a brick, and outside was Chase. He was so close to climbing in. I was so close to reaching for my red-handled switchblade and screaming my head off until Aunt Ellen and Rachel came in. Chase quickly climbed out before we could stop him.

That was the first time I ever seen Rachel look worried about me. "What the heck happened?" she asked me.

"Taylor, are you hurt?" Aunt Ellen asked me.

But I didn't answer. I just sat there dumbfounded, staring at the smashed window. Aunt Ellen called the police, then weeks later, we moved to Tulsa, hoping we would never have to deal with that again. Boy, was my aunt wrong...

***I looked in the mirror one more time. I didn't realize until now that I was crying. It made my heart feel heavy about what used to be of me and Chase before he became that boy I didn't know anymore. Now I was going to have to fight him...tonight. I grabbed a few clothes and headed into the bathroom. Dally, Steve, and Two-Bit was playing poker, Johnny was eating some chocolate cake with Reesey pulling the bottom of his jeans, and the Curtis brothers were in the kitchen.

I headed into the bathroom and locked the door, took a quick shower, and pulled on some fresh clothes. As I headed into the living room and dried my hair with a towel, I noticed the towel was a little bloody. I ignored that.

"Oy, that don't look so good," Dally said when he looked at me. I shot a glare at him.

"Lay off, Dallas," I muttered.

"Well, somebody is a little moody this morning."

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at Dally. Even though I didn't mind Dally being a pain most of the time, I wasn't in the mood for his sarcasm. All I wanted to do was get through this rumble and get even with Chase.

Steve noticed the bloody towel. "Dang, girl, your still bleeding?!"

"It's not a big deal, man," I muttered.

"Taylor, are you still sure you want to fight tonight?" Soda asked me.

Now I was getting really mad. "For crying out loud, yes! Yes, I want to fight! Why don't you guys just stop worryin' about me because I'm fine! It's just one head injury, and it ain't gonna stop me from fighting Chase and kicking Angela Shepard's freaking teeth in. Until eight tonight, I'll be in my room." I stormed off and slammed the bedroom door before one of the guys could stop me.
Then I collasped on my bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about how I can kick Chase's head in so hard he won't even remember his own name. For Angela, I was gonna make sure she wasn't going to see for weeks.