Hey, Thanks sooo much for the reviews. I'm so glad you like it.
Okay I promised this chapter would be longer and it is.
Chapter 3
Taylor ran down the dark street, not paying attention to where she was going. Finally she stopped, out of breath. She examined the cut on her arm, it was pretty deep and she was bleeding everywhere. She looked around and realized that she had no clue where she was. An owl hooted and trees rustled in the wind, but Taylor wasn't spooked. The fact that she was alone, that she didn't know where she was, that her father was crazy, none of that scared her. She was tough, growing up in New York she had to be. But still, she didn't like the ominous feeling that something was following her. She saw a street sign and something lit in her head.
"Washington Lane," she whispered, "why does that sound familiar?"
She headed down the road, pulling her jacket closer and nursing her bleeding arm. Finally she stopped at a mailbox that read '17 Curtis'. Then she remembered Sodapop, the boy who walked her to class, whose paycheck envelope was sitting on her nightstand. She didn't know him at all but she refused to go back home so she walked up the steps to the front door and knocked very lightly. Soon the door opened, and a muscular guy with ice blue eyes opened the door. He looked at her strangely.
"Um, is Sodapop Curtis there?" she asked quietly. Slowly, he nodded and disappeared behind the doorway. Moments later, Soda appeared.
"Taylor?" he said, surprised, "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"
"You paycheck envelope, it must have fell in my bag cause when I got home it was there," she sounded like an idiot, "It had your address on it and…" her voice trailed off. He noticed the bloodstain on her jacket.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"I tripped over a tree root. I was just out for a walk," she lied. He didn't buy it.
"Well come inside so you can clean it off," he told her. She began to resist but he took her other arm and led her inside. She saw 6 boys sitting around watching T.V. The boy with the ice blue eyes seemed almost angry that Soda had brought her inside.
"Taylor, this is my brother Darry," he said, indicating him, "Who will shut off that look because you're here to clean up that cut." He was talking to Taylor but was more concerned about Darry hearing it.
"This is my other brother Ponyboy." The youngest boy nodded his head at her as a greeting.
"That's Two-Bit," He pointed to an older boy with rusty-colored sideburns, who was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt and eating chocolate cake.
"That's Steve," a boy with his hair combed in complicated swirls gave a short wave to her.
"This is Johnny," indicating a boy with black hair and fearful black eyes.
Taylor had acknowledged all of them but her gaze lingered on the boy who had blond hair that was almost white, blue eyes that held a hatred for the world, and a face that looked like a lynx. She knew him immediately.
"And this is Dally," Soda said, then he whispered in her ear, "He's the one from New York City." Taylor just nodded. The look in Dally's eyes told her that he remembered her as well.
"Well, come into the kitchen so you can clean up that cut," He said, she followed him into a small kitchen. Soda crossed over to the sink and wet a towel.
"Take off your jacket," he instructed. Taylor did and examined the cut, she realized that it didn't look at all like a cut from falling but she hoped Soda wouldn't know. He came over to her and put the wet towel on it, she flinched slightly.
"So you got this from falling?" he asked, skeptically. Taylor let out an exasperated breath. She wanted to tell him the truth but she couldn't, it was too personal. Instead she just nodded.
"It looks deep, and there must have been glass on the ground," he remarked as he wiped away the blood. He stopped cleaning the cut and looked up, their eyes met. Taylor was stabbed with guilt, his eyes were so trusting she couldn't keep it from him. But where to start?
"Soda… remember how I said I moved her because of my dad's job?"
He nodded.
"Well… actually, my dad has a drinking problem. See sometimes he goes crazy and…" she stopped. He gripped her shoulder.
"Did he do this?"
Slowly, she nodded, "This psychiatrist is supposed to be able to help him. That's why we came here." She looked down at the floor, "I didn't mean to lie, it's just-"
"I know," Soda said, "It's not like I haven't heard it before. We all have it bad."
Taylor didn't know why but she trusted Soda, she told him everything that had happened that night.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure what to do now."
"Well, why don't you call home?" Soda suggested. He handed her the receiver and she called. Her mom answered.
"Hello?"
"Mom?"
"Taylor? Where are you?"
"At this friend from school's house. Is dad okay?"
"Yes. Dr. Madison's here, your father's under control. You can come home now."
"Okay. Bye." She hung up.
"Well?" Soda asked.
"I can go home. Hey thanks for everything."
"I'll walk you home," he offered
"No that's okay."
"I wanna make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine really."
"This neighborhood is not fun. It's late and a girl shouldn't be out alone now."
She caved in, "Fine."
After saying a quick goodbye to the others, they headed down the street back to Taylor's house. Soda told her about how he lived with Darry and Pony and that his parents were dead. Taylor saw how much it hurt him to talk about them but he did anyway. Taylor knew he was something special, he was different.
BTW: this will not be a sappy love story don't worry.
Okay I promised this chapter would be longer and it is.
Chapter 3
Taylor ran down the dark street, not paying attention to where she was going. Finally she stopped, out of breath. She examined the cut on her arm, it was pretty deep and she was bleeding everywhere. She looked around and realized that she had no clue where she was. An owl hooted and trees rustled in the wind, but Taylor wasn't spooked. The fact that she was alone, that she didn't know where she was, that her father was crazy, none of that scared her. She was tough, growing up in New York she had to be. But still, she didn't like the ominous feeling that something was following her. She saw a street sign and something lit in her head.
"Washington Lane," she whispered, "why does that sound familiar?"
She headed down the road, pulling her jacket closer and nursing her bleeding arm. Finally she stopped at a mailbox that read '17 Curtis'. Then she remembered Sodapop, the boy who walked her to class, whose paycheck envelope was sitting on her nightstand. She didn't know him at all but she refused to go back home so she walked up the steps to the front door and knocked very lightly. Soon the door opened, and a muscular guy with ice blue eyes opened the door. He looked at her strangely.
"Um, is Sodapop Curtis there?" she asked quietly. Slowly, he nodded and disappeared behind the doorway. Moments later, Soda appeared.
"Taylor?" he said, surprised, "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"
"You paycheck envelope, it must have fell in my bag cause when I got home it was there," she sounded like an idiot, "It had your address on it and…" her voice trailed off. He noticed the bloodstain on her jacket.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"I tripped over a tree root. I was just out for a walk," she lied. He didn't buy it.
"Well come inside so you can clean it off," he told her. She began to resist but he took her other arm and led her inside. She saw 6 boys sitting around watching T.V. The boy with the ice blue eyes seemed almost angry that Soda had brought her inside.
"Taylor, this is my brother Darry," he said, indicating him, "Who will shut off that look because you're here to clean up that cut." He was talking to Taylor but was more concerned about Darry hearing it.
"This is my other brother Ponyboy." The youngest boy nodded his head at her as a greeting.
"That's Two-Bit," He pointed to an older boy with rusty-colored sideburns, who was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt and eating chocolate cake.
"That's Steve," a boy with his hair combed in complicated swirls gave a short wave to her.
"This is Johnny," indicating a boy with black hair and fearful black eyes.
Taylor had acknowledged all of them but her gaze lingered on the boy who had blond hair that was almost white, blue eyes that held a hatred for the world, and a face that looked like a lynx. She knew him immediately.
"And this is Dally," Soda said, then he whispered in her ear, "He's the one from New York City." Taylor just nodded. The look in Dally's eyes told her that he remembered her as well.
"Well, come into the kitchen so you can clean up that cut," He said, she followed him into a small kitchen. Soda crossed over to the sink and wet a towel.
"Take off your jacket," he instructed. Taylor did and examined the cut, she realized that it didn't look at all like a cut from falling but she hoped Soda wouldn't know. He came over to her and put the wet towel on it, she flinched slightly.
"So you got this from falling?" he asked, skeptically. Taylor let out an exasperated breath. She wanted to tell him the truth but she couldn't, it was too personal. Instead she just nodded.
"It looks deep, and there must have been glass on the ground," he remarked as he wiped away the blood. He stopped cleaning the cut and looked up, their eyes met. Taylor was stabbed with guilt, his eyes were so trusting she couldn't keep it from him. But where to start?
"Soda… remember how I said I moved her because of my dad's job?"
He nodded.
"Well… actually, my dad has a drinking problem. See sometimes he goes crazy and…" she stopped. He gripped her shoulder.
"Did he do this?"
Slowly, she nodded, "This psychiatrist is supposed to be able to help him. That's why we came here." She looked down at the floor, "I didn't mean to lie, it's just-"
"I know," Soda said, "It's not like I haven't heard it before. We all have it bad."
Taylor didn't know why but she trusted Soda, she told him everything that had happened that night.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure what to do now."
"Well, why don't you call home?" Soda suggested. He handed her the receiver and she called. Her mom answered.
"Hello?"
"Mom?"
"Taylor? Where are you?"
"At this friend from school's house. Is dad okay?"
"Yes. Dr. Madison's here, your father's under control. You can come home now."
"Okay. Bye." She hung up.
"Well?" Soda asked.
"I can go home. Hey thanks for everything."
"I'll walk you home," he offered
"No that's okay."
"I wanna make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine really."
"This neighborhood is not fun. It's late and a girl shouldn't be out alone now."
She caved in, "Fine."
After saying a quick goodbye to the others, they headed down the street back to Taylor's house. Soda told her about how he lived with Darry and Pony and that his parents were dead. Taylor saw how much it hurt him to talk about them but he did anyway. Taylor knew he was something special, he was different.
BTW: this will not be a sappy love story don't worry.