The group looked at each other first, then at the two standing in the
entrance of the living room. Their shock was evident in their faces, none
of them really knowing what to say. It was Dallas of course who broke the
silent.
"Hmm, it only took you a few hospital visits to realize there were broads around Superman. And he brings home a classy one, too." Dally, who had been leaning on the arm of the couch, was now walking in circles around Whisper, eyeing her up and down. She shifted uncomfortably. No one had dared done this when she was taken, protected.
"Dal-" Darry didn't finish.
"Chill out. I'm just looking, not touching." Dallas stood in front of her, holding his palms up as if surrendering. Whisper shivered due to a combination of fear and cold. A pretty blonde, a little older than the one who had first addressed Darry spoke up.
"Dallas, my God, please, sit your ass down and shut up!" He gave the girl a disgusted look but did as requested. She now spoke to Whisper. "Hi Ms. Marie," she smiled warmly, "I'm Angel Marquin Cade." She then motioned around her, introducing the rest of the gang. Most nodded and looked away, except for Ponyboy, Heaven, and Johnny, too afraid that if they looked away she would disappear. She gave a dazzling smile to each of them, all except for Dallas. She couldn't bear the sight of him, although their acquaintance was no more than fifteen minutes long.
"Do you want to borrow some clothes? I'm sure they're not what you're used to, but they would warmer than what you're wearing now." So spoke Heaven, very timidly.
"Yes, Ms. Marquin, I would appreciate that very much. Thank you." Hugging herself, she followed Heaven out of the room, leaving Darry to spill all.
"How did you wind up bringing her here?!" Ponyboy was close to yelling but not quite, yet.
"I don't know Pony. I screamed at her first, thinking she was here for a movie or something, insulting us greasers."
Johnny looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "You didn't, you-"
"I'll be damned, you do have brains after all," Dallas said, grinning. Darry had him up in the air in less than a second. Johnny and Soda intervened. Reluctantly Darry set him down slowly, fury in his eyes. He spoke faster now. "She had this look in her eyes, like physical abuse would've hurt less. Then she says 'Dominic was the actor. The only role I ever played was the pretty face.' I couldn't leave her there, all emotionally screwed up."
"But you don't believe her, do you, Darry?" Steve sounded amused.
"No, but I am curious about why she's here. It doesn't mean I have to trust her." He looked at Ponyboy and Angel. "You two and Heaven find out what she's up to. I'm going to change." As he exited the room, Heaven and Whisper entered it. They were talking politely, stopping once surrounded by others.
"Hey, girls like you ever eat," Two-Bit asked curiously. Whisper looked down at her stomach, blushing, realizing how little these people understood the way her life was before, shaped by Hollywood, her famous "friends", and most of all by her lover.
"I think there's some chocolate cake still in the icebox, if you're hungry," Ponyboy offered. Dallas snickered.
"She'll probably just throw it right back up. Don't waste good food."
"No, I am not-"
"Dally, just lay off okay? She isn't a Soc, there's no reason to hate her." Johnny spoke soft but quickly. Dallas glared at him and stormed out of the house, letting cold air from the rain inside. Whisper was thankful for the dry tight-fitting jeans and black t-shirt Heaven had lent her. Angel was seated on the couch, gesturing to her to sit. As she did so, Two- Bit and Darry, now changed, came back with cake for everyone. All of them sat eating in silence in for a few minutes. A thought stuck Whisper.
"Y'all keep referring to yourselves as greasers and another group as Socs. What does it all mean?" Glances were thrown around the room. "What," she asked even more confused. Darry felt it was his responsibility to tell her. After all, he had brought her into their unfair world.
"Johnny said you weren't a Soc, but by all means you should be. They're the kids from the West side, the ones with the fancy cars, good clothes - they get all the breaks. We're greasers, we fight to survive."
"But fighting makes you stronger." She had stopped eating, trying to understand what Darry was telling her.
"Maybe so. Why did you walk away Whisper? You had everything going for you," commented Heaven. This caught her a little off guard. She had not expected such a direct question. She thought about what she say, debating whether to be honest at this point. She decided the full truth in all its pain could wait. She simply said, "Sometimes having it all really means having nothing." They waited for her to continue but she concentrated on cake.
'And sometimes having nothing really means having it all,' Darry thought with an uneasy feeling.
"Hmm, it only took you a few hospital visits to realize there were broads around Superman. And he brings home a classy one, too." Dally, who had been leaning on the arm of the couch, was now walking in circles around Whisper, eyeing her up and down. She shifted uncomfortably. No one had dared done this when she was taken, protected.
"Dal-" Darry didn't finish.
"Chill out. I'm just looking, not touching." Dallas stood in front of her, holding his palms up as if surrendering. Whisper shivered due to a combination of fear and cold. A pretty blonde, a little older than the one who had first addressed Darry spoke up.
"Dallas, my God, please, sit your ass down and shut up!" He gave the girl a disgusted look but did as requested. She now spoke to Whisper. "Hi Ms. Marie," she smiled warmly, "I'm Angel Marquin Cade." She then motioned around her, introducing the rest of the gang. Most nodded and looked away, except for Ponyboy, Heaven, and Johnny, too afraid that if they looked away she would disappear. She gave a dazzling smile to each of them, all except for Dallas. She couldn't bear the sight of him, although their acquaintance was no more than fifteen minutes long.
"Do you want to borrow some clothes? I'm sure they're not what you're used to, but they would warmer than what you're wearing now." So spoke Heaven, very timidly.
"Yes, Ms. Marquin, I would appreciate that very much. Thank you." Hugging herself, she followed Heaven out of the room, leaving Darry to spill all.
"How did you wind up bringing her here?!" Ponyboy was close to yelling but not quite, yet.
"I don't know Pony. I screamed at her first, thinking she was here for a movie or something, insulting us greasers."
Johnny looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "You didn't, you-"
"I'll be damned, you do have brains after all," Dallas said, grinning. Darry had him up in the air in less than a second. Johnny and Soda intervened. Reluctantly Darry set him down slowly, fury in his eyes. He spoke faster now. "She had this look in her eyes, like physical abuse would've hurt less. Then she says 'Dominic was the actor. The only role I ever played was the pretty face.' I couldn't leave her there, all emotionally screwed up."
"But you don't believe her, do you, Darry?" Steve sounded amused.
"No, but I am curious about why she's here. It doesn't mean I have to trust her." He looked at Ponyboy and Angel. "You two and Heaven find out what she's up to. I'm going to change." As he exited the room, Heaven and Whisper entered it. They were talking politely, stopping once surrounded by others.
"Hey, girls like you ever eat," Two-Bit asked curiously. Whisper looked down at her stomach, blushing, realizing how little these people understood the way her life was before, shaped by Hollywood, her famous "friends", and most of all by her lover.
"I think there's some chocolate cake still in the icebox, if you're hungry," Ponyboy offered. Dallas snickered.
"She'll probably just throw it right back up. Don't waste good food."
"No, I am not-"
"Dally, just lay off okay? She isn't a Soc, there's no reason to hate her." Johnny spoke soft but quickly. Dallas glared at him and stormed out of the house, letting cold air from the rain inside. Whisper was thankful for the dry tight-fitting jeans and black t-shirt Heaven had lent her. Angel was seated on the couch, gesturing to her to sit. As she did so, Two- Bit and Darry, now changed, came back with cake for everyone. All of them sat eating in silence in for a few minutes. A thought stuck Whisper.
"Y'all keep referring to yourselves as greasers and another group as Socs. What does it all mean?" Glances were thrown around the room. "What," she asked even more confused. Darry felt it was his responsibility to tell her. After all, he had brought her into their unfair world.
"Johnny said you weren't a Soc, but by all means you should be. They're the kids from the West side, the ones with the fancy cars, good clothes - they get all the breaks. We're greasers, we fight to survive."
"But fighting makes you stronger." She had stopped eating, trying to understand what Darry was telling her.
"Maybe so. Why did you walk away Whisper? You had everything going for you," commented Heaven. This caught her a little off guard. She had not expected such a direct question. She thought about what she say, debating whether to be honest at this point. She decided the full truth in all its pain could wait. She simply said, "Sometimes having it all really means having nothing." They waited for her to continue but she concentrated on cake.
'And sometimes having nothing really means having it all,' Darry thought with an uneasy feeling.
