Disclaimer: I own Rhea. S.E. Hinton owns the rest.
**Special 9th chapter edition note: Um, ok. Well lately I've been gettin' reviews with messages to Dally's chick. All I have to say is if you want to say something to her, email her. Thanks Luvs.***
Fish Are friends. Not food!
Darry had walked into the room and saw my now almost purple forehead.
"Tim what did you two do to yourselves?" He asked suspiciously.
"She was running and she ran into me the little fucker," he said giving me a mile wide grin.
"I- I," i stuttered, "Joel. He killed himself. He may have done something bad to me but a life is a life and it shouldn't be wasted."
I sat up and Tim sat next to me. I put my head in his lap.
"Mmm," I yawned, "Your warm."
"Haha. Really?" Tim asked.
"Yes," I said dozing off.
****************************************************
When I woke up Tim was looking down at me.
"Hey Steve," he called, "You owe me 5 bucks. She's not dead."
"No fair man, I was just kidding," Steve replied.
"Pay with your money or pay with your face," Tim said smiling at me.
"Oh fine," Steve grumbled,giving him the money.
Twobit walked into the house and looked at me.
"Can I talk to you alone for a minute Rhea?"
"Sure," I said getting up and walking to Darry's room.
"I've always wondered. I mean, do you consider yourself living here with the Curtis'?
"Um, well I mean. I have a mom and dad if that's what your asking," I mumbled.
"Why don't you ever go home then."
"Um, well because-" I stopped mumbling and lifted up the back of my shirt which revealed bruises and scars and cuts and such.
"I'm their little slave. The sit on their asses all day and beat the shit outta me if anything is outta place. I got fed up with it so I left. Then I ran into you guys and well, now I'm-"
The rest of the gang plus Tim walked in.
"I think this is a case where eavesdropping was ok," Dally said.
I got up and walked over to him. "I would slap you all right now if I didn't have self control," and with that I ran from the house.
I sat in the park on a bench crying for what seemed like hours. Dallas sat next to me and put an arm around me.
"We're really sorry you know. We didn't mean to make you sad," Dal said squeezing me.
"It's not that i'm sad or upset with you, I'm just angry I didn't tell you guys before."
"Walk ya home?"
I wiped my eyes. "I wanna go home Dallas. Please come with me."
"What. You mean to your house? But, I thought your parents-"
"I know but I wanna go home ok? Please come with me Dally. I won't get hit if there's someone there."
"But what about when I leave. Please don't go there Rheanna. Please!"
"Fine. If you won't come with me I'll go myself!" I said standing up.
"Ok Ok! I'd never refuse to walk you somewhere. I would freak over you," he said.
He stood up, offered me an arm with I linked with my own, and we walked towards my house. When we got there Dallas was amazed.
"Pretty big house you got here," he said looking around wide-eyed.
"It's not mine," I mumbled," it belongs to the bastard who married my mom."
"You mean you have a stepdad?"
"Mmmhmmm. Come on lets go inside. I mean, please come in with me Dally," I said giving him a look to which he crumbled.
I unlocked the door with a key I carried on me all the time. I went into the kitchen and told Dallas to take off his shoes by the back door. I took his coat and put it on the rack. I turned to head up the back stairs which lead to my room and stood face to face. No nose to nose with my stepfather.
"Rhea, nice to see you again. I suppose you and you sluttish self have been off with him," he said nodding towards Dally.
"Actually Dallas is just my friend," I answered him respectfully knowing how angry he could get.
"Don't lie to me you little bitch. You don't give a damn about your mother or me because if you did you'd be here while we were sick with the flu you little asswipe you."
Just then my mother walked into the kitchen.
"Oh darling," my stepfather said walking to her, "Your cruel little child called me an asswipe and a bastard. I think we need to teach her a little lesson about respect." I could see he hand curling into a fist and knew I better ask Dally to leave.
I turned to him. "Dallas I think you ought to go. You came at a bad time. I'll see you in school," I said as he was putting on his coat. As I opened the door he looked at me funny.
"What?"" I asked him.
"How can I talk to you if I don't go to school Rheanna? As the smartest girl in your class probably in your whole damn grade and a friend that listens when I talk you oughta know that. Don't put on a protective little shield in front of your stepfather," he said taking a step towards me.
My stepfather put a hand on my back. "Rhea," he hissed.
I sighed. I smacked Dallas and ordered him to get out. He stood there shocked that I'd hit him.
"How dare you insult me like that in my own home. Get out!" I shouted at him when he didn't move.
"But Rheanna-" He started.
"Out I said. Out!" I yelled at him.
Dallas left and I turned to face my stepdad and my mom.
"Hunnie, he didn't insult you. In fact I do believe he called you the smartest kid in your grade and a good friend who listens," my mother said hugging me.
"Why did you tell her to yell at him?" She asked my stepfather.
"Quiet woman," he yelled and smacked my mother with such a great force he knocked her unconcious.
I looked down at my mother and then up at Ricky, my stepfather, in horror.
"Get her to bed right now!" He ordered.
I carried my mother with very little difficulty to her bed. I tucked her in and locked the door. I picked up the phone and dialed 911.
******************************************************
"And then when the police came he was hitting me," I said crying in Twobit's arms explaining to them why i had a bloody nose and bruises starting to form.
Twobit kissed me. In front of the entire gang. I was so worried about what they might think I ran to Darry's bedroom and locked the door.
"Sorry Rhea. I didn't realize you didn't want me to."
I let him in and we kissed. I laid back on the bed and he laid next to me and we cuddled. We cuddled and kissed and cuddled and kissed. And I was the happiest girl in the world.
**Special 9th chapter edition note: Um, ok. Well lately I've been gettin' reviews with messages to Dally's chick. All I have to say is if you want to say something to her, email her. Thanks Luvs.***
Fish Are friends. Not food!
Darry had walked into the room and saw my now almost purple forehead.
"Tim what did you two do to yourselves?" He asked suspiciously.
"She was running and she ran into me the little fucker," he said giving me a mile wide grin.
"I- I," i stuttered, "Joel. He killed himself. He may have done something bad to me but a life is a life and it shouldn't be wasted."
I sat up and Tim sat next to me. I put my head in his lap.
"Mmm," I yawned, "Your warm."
"Haha. Really?" Tim asked.
"Yes," I said dozing off.
****************************************************
When I woke up Tim was looking down at me.
"Hey Steve," he called, "You owe me 5 bucks. She's not dead."
"No fair man, I was just kidding," Steve replied.
"Pay with your money or pay with your face," Tim said smiling at me.
"Oh fine," Steve grumbled,giving him the money.
Twobit walked into the house and looked at me.
"Can I talk to you alone for a minute Rhea?"
"Sure," I said getting up and walking to Darry's room.
"I've always wondered. I mean, do you consider yourself living here with the Curtis'?
"Um, well I mean. I have a mom and dad if that's what your asking," I mumbled.
"Why don't you ever go home then."
"Um, well because-" I stopped mumbling and lifted up the back of my shirt which revealed bruises and scars and cuts and such.
"I'm their little slave. The sit on their asses all day and beat the shit outta me if anything is outta place. I got fed up with it so I left. Then I ran into you guys and well, now I'm-"
The rest of the gang plus Tim walked in.
"I think this is a case where eavesdropping was ok," Dally said.
I got up and walked over to him. "I would slap you all right now if I didn't have self control," and with that I ran from the house.
I sat in the park on a bench crying for what seemed like hours. Dallas sat next to me and put an arm around me.
"We're really sorry you know. We didn't mean to make you sad," Dal said squeezing me.
"It's not that i'm sad or upset with you, I'm just angry I didn't tell you guys before."
"Walk ya home?"
I wiped my eyes. "I wanna go home Dallas. Please come with me."
"What. You mean to your house? But, I thought your parents-"
"I know but I wanna go home ok? Please come with me Dally. I won't get hit if there's someone there."
"But what about when I leave. Please don't go there Rheanna. Please!"
"Fine. If you won't come with me I'll go myself!" I said standing up.
"Ok Ok! I'd never refuse to walk you somewhere. I would freak over you," he said.
He stood up, offered me an arm with I linked with my own, and we walked towards my house. When we got there Dallas was amazed.
"Pretty big house you got here," he said looking around wide-eyed.
"It's not mine," I mumbled," it belongs to the bastard who married my mom."
"You mean you have a stepdad?"
"Mmmhmmm. Come on lets go inside. I mean, please come in with me Dally," I said giving him a look to which he crumbled.
I unlocked the door with a key I carried on me all the time. I went into the kitchen and told Dallas to take off his shoes by the back door. I took his coat and put it on the rack. I turned to head up the back stairs which lead to my room and stood face to face. No nose to nose with my stepfather.
"Rhea, nice to see you again. I suppose you and you sluttish self have been off with him," he said nodding towards Dally.
"Actually Dallas is just my friend," I answered him respectfully knowing how angry he could get.
"Don't lie to me you little bitch. You don't give a damn about your mother or me because if you did you'd be here while we were sick with the flu you little asswipe you."
Just then my mother walked into the kitchen.
"Oh darling," my stepfather said walking to her, "Your cruel little child called me an asswipe and a bastard. I think we need to teach her a little lesson about respect." I could see he hand curling into a fist and knew I better ask Dally to leave.
I turned to him. "Dallas I think you ought to go. You came at a bad time. I'll see you in school," I said as he was putting on his coat. As I opened the door he looked at me funny.
"What?"" I asked him.
"How can I talk to you if I don't go to school Rheanna? As the smartest girl in your class probably in your whole damn grade and a friend that listens when I talk you oughta know that. Don't put on a protective little shield in front of your stepfather," he said taking a step towards me.
My stepfather put a hand on my back. "Rhea," he hissed.
I sighed. I smacked Dallas and ordered him to get out. He stood there shocked that I'd hit him.
"How dare you insult me like that in my own home. Get out!" I shouted at him when he didn't move.
"But Rheanna-" He started.
"Out I said. Out!" I yelled at him.
Dallas left and I turned to face my stepdad and my mom.
"Hunnie, he didn't insult you. In fact I do believe he called you the smartest kid in your grade and a good friend who listens," my mother said hugging me.
"Why did you tell her to yell at him?" She asked my stepfather.
"Quiet woman," he yelled and smacked my mother with such a great force he knocked her unconcious.
I looked down at my mother and then up at Ricky, my stepfather, in horror.
"Get her to bed right now!" He ordered.
I carried my mother with very little difficulty to her bed. I tucked her in and locked the door. I picked up the phone and dialed 911.
******************************************************
"And then when the police came he was hitting me," I said crying in Twobit's arms explaining to them why i had a bloody nose and bruises starting to form.
Twobit kissed me. In front of the entire gang. I was so worried about what they might think I ran to Darry's bedroom and locked the door.
"Sorry Rhea. I didn't realize you didn't want me to."
I let him in and we kissed. I laid back on the bed and he laid next to me and we cuddled. We cuddled and kissed and cuddled and kissed. And I was the happiest girl in the world.