Ch 2 Jumped
When Ponyboy stepped out into the blinding sunlight, from the black of the movie house, he only had two things on his mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. He lit a cigarette when he walked out, taking a drag of it. Being only fourteen, he shouldn't be smoking, but Darry was okay with it, now being his and his siblings guardian since their parents died eight months ago.
He looked at himself in the glass of the movie house, admiring his looks. "This is Ames, mister," he said, imitating Paul Newman, his favorite actor. He tried looking tough but wasn't. He held his lit cigarette in between his middle finger and his index finger in his left hand.
Him admiring himself in the glass was cut short when he heard the sound of a car pulling up beside him, a red corvair to be exact. It was a car that the Socs drove. The socs were the rich kids, the south side jet-set.
They liked to harass the greasers whenever they get the chance too. They always liked making the greasers feel like their beneath them. They were always called dirty or white trash that wouldn't fit right in this town.
If you're a greaser, then you can't walk alone unless you want to get jumped by the Socs. Bexley, Ponyboy's older sister, and twin sister to Sodapop, is the only girl in the gang. Like Angela Shepard, the sister of Tim and Curly Shepard.
Ponyboy continued his walk home, going through a train yard. A train rolled by him, blaring it's loud horn. From above, the same red corvair was parked on the bridge above the train yard.
When you live in a small town, you have to come together. You stay in your clique as much as possible.
Four Socs were sitting on top of the car, throwing something at the young greaser, but Ponyboy pay no mind and threw it back at them.
Any chance those Socs got the jump on a greaser, they would constantly remind someone that they're a greaser; it isn't a good feeling.
Bexley had even been cat-called a few times but she dismissed it. Greasers are like hoods but more wilder; best known for stealing or even getting into a brawl every once in a while.
He could've just waited for one of the gang to come pick him up, but he loved to walk, so that was no indication.
Bexley loved going to the drag races with Sodapop, but also loved watching a movie every now and then. Meanwhile, Soda couldn't sit still while watching a movie, Darry, however, doesn't find them interesting.
Ponyboy was on his street, however he was stopped when the same red corvair pulled up in front of him.
The same socs got out of the car and surrounded him. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared. You would be if you were about to get jumped. He felt a trickle of sweat running down the back of his neck.
His palms sweated too, so he wiped them on his jeans. He didn't even have a blade on him. Ponyboy could remember that Steve Randle, Soda's best friend, had fended off four socs with just a broken glass beer bottle.
One Soc drew a knife and opened the blade. "Need a haircut, greaser?" the soc asked threateningly. Ponyboy couldn't think of what to say, because what do you say when you get jumped?
"N-No," he stammered, walking backwards. He accidently bumped into another soc that was standing behind him. "Get him down!" the leader soc shouted.
They pinned the youngest greaser to the ground. The soc holding the knife sat on Ponyboy's chest, held his arms down by his knees which were digging into Ponyboy's elbows, which hurts a lot.
Ponyboy could smell the English Leather and stale tobacco, which made him suffocate. How he hated it.
The soc brought the knife to his throat, pressing it against the skin with just enough pressure to draw blood. "How'd you like to have a haircut beneath your chin?" the soc said with a chuckle.
That's when Ponyboy went wild. He tried screaming and fighting back, however he was slugged twice by the same soc. "Shut him up! For Pete's sake, shut him up!" the soc shouted, shoving a rag in his mouth to keep him from screaming.
Suddenly, the Socs dropped the young greaser and took off running. The gang raced towards the socs to help Ponyboy. Two-Bit, Steve, Soda, and Dally chased the socs to their car. One pushed Two-Bit to the ground and jumped into the car as the others tried to pull them out through the windows.
Darry saw this through the window and rushed over to his youngest brother. Bexley followed him since she didn't want to be caught in the fray, Johnny stayed behind.
She ran to her brother, seeing that his neck was bleeding. She dropped down beside him and helped him sit up. "Pony, are you alright?" she asked, holding his upper arms.
Darry sat beside his sister, his left arm sitting his knee. After the Socs were chased off, Soda ran back to check up on his brother.
"They didn't hurt you too bad, didn't they?" Darry asked. Bexley could see the bruises on her little brother. "They slugged you pretty bad," she said, turning his head to the side to get a better view of the bruises.
Soda pulled out a rag that he kept in his back pocket and saw the cut under Ponyboy's neck. "Did they pull a blade on you?" he asked.
Ponyboy looked away hurriedly, he was starting to bawl. He was shaking like a leaf. "Hey, look," Soda said, holding Pony's bruised face to make him look at him, "They ain't gonna hurt you no more,"
Soda and Bexley help him to his feet. "Always walkin' by yourself. You don't ever think," Darry scolded him as the four siblings walk back to their house, which was down the road.
"I was only walking home from the movies," Ponyboy said, tugging at the collar of his navy blue shirt that was underneath his blue jacket.
"Pony, I could've gone with you, you know?" Bexley said, nudging him. "No, they would've got you too," Ponyboy said, making a good point.
"Movies and books. Movies and books. Y'know, I-I wish that you could focus on something else just one in a while," Darry said, turning to face him.
"Why don't you focus on girls and cars? That's what I do," Soda said, stumbling on his feet and he nudged his older brother. "Eh? What am I, chopped liver?" Bexley joked.
"Nah, I don't gotta worry about you," Soda replied, messing with Bexley's hair, which she hates. Bexley pushed Soda's hand away from her head. She chuckled quietly.
Darry puts his hand to his forehead. "Look, if-if you had to go by yourself, you should've taken a blade with you," he said out of frustration. "Oh, yeah, that would've been a great excuse for them to cut his neck a little more there. Or if they got ahold of Bexley," Soda replied, pointing at Ponyboy's bleeding neck.
"Look, when I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother and my kid sister I'll ask you, alright? Kid brother," Darry spat, flipping his blade shut and walking towards the house.
They watched Darry walk inside of the house through the back door. "Jeez, Soda. Why he always gotta be like that?" Ponyboy asked. "He could lay off of us," Bexley asked, putting her hands in her jean pockets.
"Eh, he's just got more worries than he used to," Soda replied. Dally, who was leaning against a broken down car, walked over to them. "The kid okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Ponyboy answered. "I thought you were still in the cooler, Dal?" Bexley asked, remembering how Dally was put in the cooler for about 3 months. It was supposed to be four months.
"Yeah, I got out early for good behavior," Dally said, rubbing his hands together. Bexley took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag from it.
Steve walks over with a bloody nose. "Oh, yeah? What are you doing walking on your lonesome on the street, huh?" he spat at him. "It's none of your business, smartie," Bexley spat at him.
This pissed Steve off. "What do mean 'none of my business'?! It is my business, look at my nose, girl!" he shouted, being held back by Soda.
"It's huge," Ponyboy said in a smartass tone. Steve shook his head. "Smartass, he is. He's a smartass kid," he said.
Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny walk beside the four and they start walking back to the house. "I wish those socs would stay on their side of town," Johnny said.
"Johnny, was that the same socs that got you?" Bexley asked. They stopped walking. "No," Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah, now that I'm out, I'm gonna make it my business to get the guy who did that to your face," Dally said, pointing at Johnny's scar that was on his right cheek.
"How 'bout me becoming your personal bodyguard, huh, you two?" Two-Bit said with a cheeky smile. Bexley looked at her younger brother and chucked after taking a drag of her cigarette.
"I don't think it's too hot of an idea," Ponyboy said with a grin. "Yeah, you're right. Besides, you don't need to worry about me," Bexley said with confidence.
"Oh, I got plenty of reasons to worry 'bout you, Little Sister," Two-Bit replied, partly joking. Bexley rolled her eyes and stomped on her cigarette after she finished it.
"Why don't you and Sylvia come with us to the game tomorrow night?" Steve asked, squinting because of the sun. "I wanna go," Ponyboy said. "Oh, we're taking Evie and Sandy," Soda replied.
"Which means no kids allowed," Steve spat, rubbing his sore nose. "Ah, whatever," Ponyboy said with an eye roll.
"No, no, no, I'm gonna hunt me some action. How about we go to the Nightly Double tomorrow night?" Dally said, looking down at his hands as he got a cigarette from his pack of Kool's.
Bexley and Ponyboy walk over to him and Johnny. "I don't know, Dal. Darry says we can't get in trouble with no cops," Ponyboy told him. "Yeah, he says that the court will separate us if we do," Bexley sighed, jamming her thumbs in her jeans pockets.
Dally grinned at this. "Who's looking for police trouble, girl? I just want to have some fun like in the good old days?" he replied, lighting his cigarette up.
Soda and Steve had said they would meet up for the game at six in the evening. "Hey, check this out, buddy!" Steve laughed, climbing on the hood of a rusted truck.
He jumps and does a back flip on it. Although, he bumped his head on the way down. He sprung up, holding the back of his head as he hopped away.
Two-Bit walk ed to his car, which was sitting by the side of the house. "If I don't get drunk tomorrow, I'll come find y'all," he said, opening the car door, "Hey, will you guys gimme a hand?"
"Not really, but we will," Ponyboy answered, walking behind the car with Johnny and Bexley. "Alright! See you guys later!" Two-Bit called from the driver's side.
Ponyboy, Johnny, and Bexley pushed it from behind and Two-Bit got his car to start. After Two-Bit drove away, and was out of sight, the trio walked back over to the front of the house. Dally was heading towards the front gate that was in front of the house.
"I see you've got your Christopher back, Dal?" Johnny asked, jamming his pockets in his jeans. Dally was wearing a ring on his right hand.
He opened the gate, walked behind it and shut it. He crossed his arms on the top of the gate. "Little broad was two-timin' me while I was in jail, man. *Looks away and nods at the trio* It's cool. I'll see you guys later," Dally said, turning and walking away.
"Okay," Johnny said, sitting down at the steps. "See you later, Dal," Ponyboy said, leaning on the beams holding up the porch ceiling. "See ya, Dally," Bexley added, sitting next to Johnny.
The door opened behind the trio. "Ponyboy, you got homework. Bexley, it's your turn to make dinner," Darry called, shutting the door behind him.
Ponyboy looked behind him at the screen door. "You goin' home, Johnny Cade?" Ponyboy asked, looking at Johnny.
"I don't know," Johnny shrugged. "I'll be there in a minute, Pone," Bexley said, looking at her brother. He nodded before going inside.
Bexley looked over at Johnny. "You sure you don't wanna come in? You know the door's always open," she offered.
"No, it's fine, Bexley. I'll be fine," he replied, looking at Bexley as he blushed. Bexley noticed this and looked away as she brushed her hair back over her ear, making him blush even more.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," Bexley said a bit anxiously. "Okay," he nodded, getting up from the steps. Bexley got up too and went inside.
(Later that night)
Bexley had just gotten out of the shower, wearing a Donald Duck t-shirt and some blue shorts. She put her hair up in a loose ponytail with some bangs covering the left side of her head.
She sat down on the couch with her legs tucked in, resting her head on her left fisted hand. She was close to falling asleep because the show she was watching her was boring her, but this was all that she could find.
Soda was massaging Darry's shoulders because he had a long day at work. Darry always felt better when Soda did that.
They all knew that Darry works hard to keep a roof over their heads. He sometimes acts like he's older than 20 years old.
Ever since their parents' death, he was forced to give up a scholarship to go into college. It was hard to balance out the bills, being a brother/parent, and keeping his job as a construction worker.
In high school, he was the popular guy, captain of the school football team. He also only worked out at the gym and go skiing every once in a while with his friends.
Bexley started to yawn, showing that she was getting tired. "You tired, Bex?" Soda asked. "A little," she admitted.
"Why don't you go to bed?" Darry asked, sounding just as tired as her. "Okay. This show's boring anyway," she replied, getting up from the couch. She felt her legs ache when she stood up.
She started making her way towards the bedroom that she shares with Soda and Ponyboy, although she does have her own bed.
Since their parents' death, both Ponyboy and Bexley had terrible nightmares, most times about the accident. Soda had moved in with them about a week after the funeral.
As she walked by the bathroom, she saw Ponyboy inspecting his marks that he got from being jumped. "Hey, Pone. How're you feelin'?" she asked.
"I'm okay," he answered. "How's your neck?" she asked, catching a glimpse of the side of his neck.
"It's a bit sore. But I'll be okay," he assured her. Bexley smiled at her brother. "Okay, that makes you look tuff," she said, stretching in an adorable way. "You think so?" Ponyboy asked.
"Hell yeah. Looks like one you'd get in a rumble," Bexley replied with a nod. Tuff and tough had two different terms. Tuff meant cool while tough was the same as rough.
Rumbles were a gathering between the greasers and the socs. They would have a huge fight and always have a reason for one. Bexley was a great fighter.
She told him that she was going to bed. He replied with that he'd be in there shortly.
Bexley went into their bedroom and kept the light off since the switch was on the same wall as her bed. She rubbed her blue eyes and yawned; she really was tired.
She pulled her covers back and crawled into bed, covering herself up. After turning on her side that faced her brothers bed, she fell asleep rather quickly.
After a few hours, she was awoken by the beam of their desk lamp being turned on. "Aw... guys... I'm tryin' to sleep," she whined, pulling the covers over her head.
Soda and Ponyboy both wore white t-shirts and shorts. Their hair was disheveled. But from what?
"Oh, sorry, Bex," Soda said bashfully. He got in bed, throwing the covers over his legs. Ponyboy looked out of the window.
"Turn off the lights and come to bed. I have work in the morning," Soda said, turning over a little bit to look at Ponyboy. "Please, I'm tired," Bexley added, holding the blanket over her head.
Bexley could hear them talk for a little bit as Ponyboy got in bed, turning off the light. Bexley closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but it was useless.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Soda was facing her and he cracked his eyes open. "Can't sleep, Bex?" he asked. "Not really," she said.
He offered for her to come over to their bed. She settled between her two brothers, which made her feel safe. Seconds after, Soda felt his sister shiver. "You two cold?" he asked. "Yeah," Pony said quietly.
Bexley curled up in a ball. Soda turned over and wrapped his arms around them. "Soda, why does Darry always gotta be hard on us?" Ponyboy asked, talking about more of himself rather than both of him and his older sister.
"Bex, when he hollers at the two of you, he don't mean nothin', and you both know that. He loves you guys a lot," Soda whispered.
"Sure," Ponyboy said curtly. Soda laid his head down and laid his head down. Bexley felt his warm breath against the back of her neck.
"Soda?" Bexley whispered. "Hmm?" he mumbled. "Why did you didn't finish school?" she asked. "I'm dumb, Bex, The only thing I was really good at was auto mechanics and gym," Soda answered.
"Maybe I should've done the same," Bexley muttered, since she was his twin. "No, Bexley. You don't need to do that like I did. You're smarter than I am. You and you, Pony are smarter than I am," Soda interjected, not wanting that for his twin sister and his little brother.
"Let me tell you two somethin'" Soda said, sitting up. Bexley and Ponyboy sat up too. "You two gotta promise me you're not gonna tell Darry," he whispered to them.
"We won't," Ponyboy said. Soda smiled at them. "I think I'm gonna marry Sandy," he told them. "That's tuff, Soda," Ponyboy replied, giving his brother a smile.
"When are you gonna do it?" Bexley asked. "Eh, probably when you guys get out of school. And when she gets out of school too. That way I can help Darry pay the bills and stuff," he answered, laying back down.
He turned to his left side. They both looked at Soda, having another question on their minds. "Soda? You love Sandy?" Ponyboy asked, shaking his brother by his shoulder.
"Mmm-hmm..." he mumbled. "What's it like? It sounds cool," Bexley added, because she believes that Johnny might have a thing for her.
"Sometimes... it's real nice. You two will... feel it someday," Soda replied, falling back asleep. When he did, Bexley laid back down.
"Bex, do you think Johnny likes you?" Ponyboy asked. Bexley's cheeks became red, and she tried hide it in the dark.
"N-No! It's not like that! It was really hot today," Bexley denied. She was trying to fake how she really felt about Johnny.
Ponyboy was too smart to fall for that. "Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it," Ponyboy snickers, laying back down.
Bexley rolled her eyes, and she laid down. After today, she still wondered if Darry ever did love her little brother. Something said that he didn't love her as much either.
Bexley was too tired to think so she fell asleep, waiting for tomorrow to come.
