1 Slashed Tires Chapter 16
A/N: I know everyone uses the "complicated swirls" thing from S.E. Hinton's book, but really it is hard not too. How else could you describe Steve's hair?
P.S. Thank you thank you thank you for reading! Have said this before and will probably say it again but LURV YOU ALL!
~
The minute Cherry stepped out of her car, she knew it was a mistake. Hostility floated around her like a cloud. She looked around frantically for a familiar face – the only person she recognized was Dallas Winston and he looked like he was about to punch her and everyone around him out. She swallowed nervously. 'Be brave,' she told herself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand came down roughly on her shoulder.
"What you doin' here Soc," growled a voice. Cherry turned to find herself looking up at a stocky boy, with greasy hair combed in complicated swirls. His glared down at her menacingly, his eyes burning bright with anger.
Cherry backed up. "I – I'm sorry," she stuttered.
"This is our side of town, you Socs got no business bein' here."
Closing her eyes Cherry took a deep breath. This wasn't going well at all.
"Hold up Steve." Cherry's eyes flew open. She knew that voice! Whirling around she found herself face to face with Two-Bit Matthews. Silently thanking God, she gave Two-Bit a wide smile. He returned it carefully.
"Hey y'all," Two-Bit said loudly, motioning for his friends to come forward. They obeyed, surrounding Cherry, questioning looks on their faces.
"This is Cherry-" Two-Bit started.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Dally snapped. Cherry glared back at him, her confidence rising with her temper.
"I came to warn y'all," she hissed. "Johnny killin' Bob has the Socs all in a rage. All grease is trash according to them, and are well deservin' a jumpin'. It's an all out war. I just came to warn y'all." She repeated.
"We don't need your help," the angry greaser called Steve spat. Another put his hand down on Steve's shoulder, trying to calm him.
"Thanks for the warnin'," the greaser said firmly, his warm blue eyes finding Cherry's. "We're not so keen on the Socs either."
"No shit," Steve growled.
The other gave him a look, then turned back to Cherry. "I'm Soda," he said holding out his hand.
Cherry nodded. "Ponyboy told me a lot about you." She grasped the offered hand and smiled back at the handsome greaser.
Another greaser spoke up. "Bet you 10 bucks this all ends in a rumble." Cherry glanced toward him. He was tall, with dark greasy hair, and a look about him that spelled trouble. No doubt about it this was a genuine hood. No one took his bet.
"I'm Tim," the greaser said, nodding at Cherry, but he didn't offer his hand, and the look in his eyes was neither warm nor pleasant.
"Please to meet you," she replied feeling awkward and formal. Nervously she fiddled with a piece of her long hair. "I can help y'all if you want," she blurted out suddenly.
Two-Bit raised his eyebrows and Dally snorted. "An' how is a Soc like you gonna help us?"
Cherry raised her chin defiantly, glaring at Dally straight in the eye. He smirked and met her gaze evenly, taking a few steps towards her. Cherry was torn between the instinct to run as fast as her legs would carry her away from him, and the sudden inexplicable urge to throw herself at Dally and kiss him. 'Damn him,' she thought angrily, her heart pounding. "I know a lot of Socs. And a lot of Bob's friends. I can give y'all information." She kept her voice was steady and calm.
"Like a spy huh?" Two-Bit grinned. Cherry gave him a small smile.
"I guess so."
"We don't take charity," Steve glared stonily at the girl, arms folded across his chest.
"It's not charity," she protested.
"Why would you want to help us? You're a Soc clear through, that's plain to see," said a tall greaser. He was built like a football player, strong arms and chest lined with muscles, and he was the only greaser Cherry had ever seen without long hair.
"It was my boyfriend-" she stopped. The pain of losing Bob cut through her thoughts, making her heart ache. She took a breath and started again. "If I hadn't hung around Johnny and Ponyboy, Bob and his friends wouldn't have attacked them," she stated carefully, ignoring the stab of longing that pierced her heart at the word 'Bob'. "It's part my fault what happened." For a minute nobody said a thing. Then the tall greaser shrugged.
"You want to help, go ahead. I'm Darry by the way," he added. Cherry smiled at him shakily, noting the way the other greasers accepted what he said without argument. Clearly this marked him as the leader.
Dally shook his head. "It might be dangerous. A popular Soc like you, they're gonna know something's up if you keep comin' over here. And you bein' a girl, you'd be easy to take out." The other greaser's looked at him in surprise. Was there an actual note of concern in Dally's voice?
Cherry glared at him. "I can take care of myself. It's you who'd better watch it," she snapped.
"Ooh, Dallas," Two-Bit teased. Dally shoved him lightly. The greasers scattered, the confrontation over. Steve scowled at Cherry before turning to Soda, saying loudly: "I don't trust no Soc to help us. Especially not the dead kid's girl." Cherry resisted the urge to flinch, and headed back toward her car. Only when she'd opened the door did she notice that Dally had followed her. She looked at him questioningly. Dallas put his hands on the edge of the cherry red Stingray, looking over the car, admiration plain on his face.
"Tuff car," he informed her, and she smiled thinly.
"Thank you." Cherry slid behind the wheel.
The greaser looked up, caught her eye and smirked. "Sure," he said, nodding at her like a noble. Like he'd done her a goddamn favour by complimenting her car. Cherry wanted to slap him.
"Did you want something?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Yeah," Dally rubbed his arm, suddenly regretting that he hadn't made himself look a little more presentable and less…well, beat up. "I was thinkin', maybe you and I could head up to the Dingo for a coke, you know, now that you're helping us and all. My treat," he added. For a minute Cherry looked like she might accept. She certainly wanted to.
'Don't you dare fall for him girl,' she thought viciously. Lifting her chin, she gazed down her button nose at him. "Thank you for the offer, Dallas," she said stiffly. "But I rather think you should go to hell instead." She twisted the key violently, and the car roared to life. Cherry caught one glimpse of Dally's expression, surprise mixed with respect and a touch of disappointment before she was whisked away, her hair flying in the wind, the sound of greaser laughter swirling around her.
A/N: I know everyone uses the "complicated swirls" thing from S.E. Hinton's book, but really it is hard not too. How else could you describe Steve's hair?
P.S. Thank you thank you thank you for reading! Have said this before and will probably say it again but LURV YOU ALL!
~
The minute Cherry stepped out of her car, she knew it was a mistake. Hostility floated around her like a cloud. She looked around frantically for a familiar face – the only person she recognized was Dallas Winston and he looked like he was about to punch her and everyone around him out. She swallowed nervously. 'Be brave,' she told herself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand came down roughly on her shoulder.
"What you doin' here Soc," growled a voice. Cherry turned to find herself looking up at a stocky boy, with greasy hair combed in complicated swirls. His glared down at her menacingly, his eyes burning bright with anger.
Cherry backed up. "I – I'm sorry," she stuttered.
"This is our side of town, you Socs got no business bein' here."
Closing her eyes Cherry took a deep breath. This wasn't going well at all.
"Hold up Steve." Cherry's eyes flew open. She knew that voice! Whirling around she found herself face to face with Two-Bit Matthews. Silently thanking God, she gave Two-Bit a wide smile. He returned it carefully.
"Hey y'all," Two-Bit said loudly, motioning for his friends to come forward. They obeyed, surrounding Cherry, questioning looks on their faces.
"This is Cherry-" Two-Bit started.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Dally snapped. Cherry glared back at him, her confidence rising with her temper.
"I came to warn y'all," she hissed. "Johnny killin' Bob has the Socs all in a rage. All grease is trash according to them, and are well deservin' a jumpin'. It's an all out war. I just came to warn y'all." She repeated.
"We don't need your help," the angry greaser called Steve spat. Another put his hand down on Steve's shoulder, trying to calm him.
"Thanks for the warnin'," the greaser said firmly, his warm blue eyes finding Cherry's. "We're not so keen on the Socs either."
"No shit," Steve growled.
The other gave him a look, then turned back to Cherry. "I'm Soda," he said holding out his hand.
Cherry nodded. "Ponyboy told me a lot about you." She grasped the offered hand and smiled back at the handsome greaser.
Another greaser spoke up. "Bet you 10 bucks this all ends in a rumble." Cherry glanced toward him. He was tall, with dark greasy hair, and a look about him that spelled trouble. No doubt about it this was a genuine hood. No one took his bet.
"I'm Tim," the greaser said, nodding at Cherry, but he didn't offer his hand, and the look in his eyes was neither warm nor pleasant.
"Please to meet you," she replied feeling awkward and formal. Nervously she fiddled with a piece of her long hair. "I can help y'all if you want," she blurted out suddenly.
Two-Bit raised his eyebrows and Dally snorted. "An' how is a Soc like you gonna help us?"
Cherry raised her chin defiantly, glaring at Dally straight in the eye. He smirked and met her gaze evenly, taking a few steps towards her. Cherry was torn between the instinct to run as fast as her legs would carry her away from him, and the sudden inexplicable urge to throw herself at Dally and kiss him. 'Damn him,' she thought angrily, her heart pounding. "I know a lot of Socs. And a lot of Bob's friends. I can give y'all information." She kept her voice was steady and calm.
"Like a spy huh?" Two-Bit grinned. Cherry gave him a small smile.
"I guess so."
"We don't take charity," Steve glared stonily at the girl, arms folded across his chest.
"It's not charity," she protested.
"Why would you want to help us? You're a Soc clear through, that's plain to see," said a tall greaser. He was built like a football player, strong arms and chest lined with muscles, and he was the only greaser Cherry had ever seen without long hair.
"It was my boyfriend-" she stopped. The pain of losing Bob cut through her thoughts, making her heart ache. She took a breath and started again. "If I hadn't hung around Johnny and Ponyboy, Bob and his friends wouldn't have attacked them," she stated carefully, ignoring the stab of longing that pierced her heart at the word 'Bob'. "It's part my fault what happened." For a minute nobody said a thing. Then the tall greaser shrugged.
"You want to help, go ahead. I'm Darry by the way," he added. Cherry smiled at him shakily, noting the way the other greasers accepted what he said without argument. Clearly this marked him as the leader.
Dally shook his head. "It might be dangerous. A popular Soc like you, they're gonna know something's up if you keep comin' over here. And you bein' a girl, you'd be easy to take out." The other greaser's looked at him in surprise. Was there an actual note of concern in Dally's voice?
Cherry glared at him. "I can take care of myself. It's you who'd better watch it," she snapped.
"Ooh, Dallas," Two-Bit teased. Dally shoved him lightly. The greasers scattered, the confrontation over. Steve scowled at Cherry before turning to Soda, saying loudly: "I don't trust no Soc to help us. Especially not the dead kid's girl." Cherry resisted the urge to flinch, and headed back toward her car. Only when she'd opened the door did she notice that Dally had followed her. She looked at him questioningly. Dallas put his hands on the edge of the cherry red Stingray, looking over the car, admiration plain on his face.
"Tuff car," he informed her, and she smiled thinly.
"Thank you." Cherry slid behind the wheel.
The greaser looked up, caught her eye and smirked. "Sure," he said, nodding at her like a noble. Like he'd done her a goddamn favour by complimenting her car. Cherry wanted to slap him.
"Did you want something?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Yeah," Dally rubbed his arm, suddenly regretting that he hadn't made himself look a little more presentable and less…well, beat up. "I was thinkin', maybe you and I could head up to the Dingo for a coke, you know, now that you're helping us and all. My treat," he added. For a minute Cherry looked like she might accept. She certainly wanted to.
'Don't you dare fall for him girl,' she thought viciously. Lifting her chin, she gazed down her button nose at him. "Thank you for the offer, Dallas," she said stiffly. "But I rather think you should go to hell instead." She twisted the key violently, and the car roared to life. Cherry caught one glimpse of Dally's expression, surprise mixed with respect and a touch of disappointment before she was whisked away, her hair flying in the wind, the sound of greaser laughter swirling around her.