"Who looks like a Beatle?" Johnny said softly as he pushed the door open with one hand while the other stayed planted firmly in his pocket. As soon as his foot hit the carpet Johnny froze, and his face paled before he murmured a few gentle laughs, then slid past the group into the kitchen.
Two-bit leaned back and looked himself over in the mirror again. Finding the reflection not at all appealing he jerked his comb from his back pocket and smoothed his heavily oiled hair once more. Then with the remaining hair grease on the comb, pulled back the tip and flicked the glob on Sodapop. Soda in quick retaliation caught Two-bit around the neck in a headlock.
"HEY!" Darry hollered from the kitchen. "I ain't got time for this. Soda you need to get to work. I gotta get going, Two-bit will you drive him?"
Two-bit nodded as he pulled back from Soda's grasp, "I'd be happy to, we can continue this on the way."
The house slowly emptied, Ponyboy had been commanded to behave himself as he was left alone. The day found him extremely bored. He watched the reruns of American Bandstand and Mickey, but that got old. He tried to read, but he wasn't in the mood and very picture he tired to draw came out crooked or just wrong. It was then that he decided this was going to be an extremely long summer. It was four when Pony decided to head up to the DX, likewise it was four when Johnny decided to go hunting for the football in the lot and perhaps get the guys together for a game when Darry got home from work.
Johnny walked patiently alongside the road his hands nervously turning his lighter over and over in his hand. He thought the football had been left in the lot, but he couldn't see it.
Johnny decided perhaps it was on the backside of the lot. He began to mosey in that direction, it was a warm day and definitely a treat to be outdoors. Johnny peeked out of the high grass desperately in need of a cutting. He grinned, the ball was just across a patch of dandelions.
"Hey greaser!" A car full of Soc's passed by him slowly, shouting. Johnny gave it little thought, and headed out to through the sea of weeds. It was then that he heard footsteps and his heartbeat began to quicken. Johnny jammed his lighter in his pocket and without second thought took off at a dead run across the lot toward his own home.
Once his pace quickened so did the four Soc's trailing him. As Johnny's feet hit the pavement he saw the royal blue Mustang they had come from. His mind wasn't able to comprehend the wholeness of the situation until a double fisted blow landed between his shoulder blades throwing him to the hot black top.
Johnny felt blood run between his teeth, he knew he'd lacerated the inside of his cheek with his molars when his cheek impacted the road. One of the Socs pulled him up and Johnny felt the warm sticky liquid run down his chin and onto his jacket, which he promptly slid from and began to run again; this time for his life hopefully leaving the Socs only with his jacket. His plan had been good, but to no avail they caught him again...and now they were pissed.
The strong hand on his arm turned Johnny's blood to ice. He was spun around to face a dark haired grinning Soc and a quick flash of metal and then he was hit. Hard. He went limp, but another Soc held him up again. Another time he was hit, the dark haired Soc blurred in his dizzy vision. He felt his hair catch on something and then it was jerked violently from his head. Dizzier still, Johnny strained his eyes and saw the Soc jerk the black hairs from his rings before he was hit again. This time he felt the skin tear and almost yelled in surprised pain. He could feel the hole the rings had torn in his skin, where the warm sticky liquid was running down his face.
Johnny gasped softly, shaking his head. Blood was in his eyes. He couldn't see the Soc in front of him, rearing back for another blow. But he could smell the expensive shaving lotion they wore. Could hear their jackets rustling, their low muttered swears, the viscious words, whispered in malicious delight telling tales of knives and pain and greasers. And he could keenly feel the strong grip of the Soc holding him captive, the hot breath against his ear, the stunning blows of the tireless Soc who hit him again and again and again....
And then the soft words went hard, and with their change Johnny could feel the cold metal sliding along his skin.
"Three guesses what this is greaser."
Johnny stiffened, biting back the scream that rose in his throat. What did Dally always tell him? That's right: show no emotion. Swallowing hard, Johnny tried to think of what Dallas would do now. He knew the tow-headed greaser would curl his lip and say "fuck off" or something, even if he was scared to death inside, and Johnny longed to do the same. BUt before he could open his mouth, the knife turned scraping the sharpened edge against his skin and he had to go back to biting his lip in frightened anticipation.
"And one guess..."
The blade was pressing, pressing against his skin.
"...just what..."
Harder and harder, and then just the faintest trickle of blood...
",,,we're gonna do..."
Blood ran in rivers down his body and pain was right on it's heals.
"...with it..."
Oh god it hurt!
"...and with you."
Two-bit leaned back and looked himself over in the mirror again. Finding the reflection not at all appealing he jerked his comb from his back pocket and smoothed his heavily oiled hair once more. Then with the remaining hair grease on the comb, pulled back the tip and flicked the glob on Sodapop. Soda in quick retaliation caught Two-bit around the neck in a headlock.
"HEY!" Darry hollered from the kitchen. "I ain't got time for this. Soda you need to get to work. I gotta get going, Two-bit will you drive him?"
Two-bit nodded as he pulled back from Soda's grasp, "I'd be happy to, we can continue this on the way."
The house slowly emptied, Ponyboy had been commanded to behave himself as he was left alone. The day found him extremely bored. He watched the reruns of American Bandstand and Mickey, but that got old. He tried to read, but he wasn't in the mood and very picture he tired to draw came out crooked or just wrong. It was then that he decided this was going to be an extremely long summer. It was four when Pony decided to head up to the DX, likewise it was four when Johnny decided to go hunting for the football in the lot and perhaps get the guys together for a game when Darry got home from work.
Johnny walked patiently alongside the road his hands nervously turning his lighter over and over in his hand. He thought the football had been left in the lot, but he couldn't see it.
Johnny decided perhaps it was on the backside of the lot. He began to mosey in that direction, it was a warm day and definitely a treat to be outdoors. Johnny peeked out of the high grass desperately in need of a cutting. He grinned, the ball was just across a patch of dandelions.
"Hey greaser!" A car full of Soc's passed by him slowly, shouting. Johnny gave it little thought, and headed out to through the sea of weeds. It was then that he heard footsteps and his heartbeat began to quicken. Johnny jammed his lighter in his pocket and without second thought took off at a dead run across the lot toward his own home.
Once his pace quickened so did the four Soc's trailing him. As Johnny's feet hit the pavement he saw the royal blue Mustang they had come from. His mind wasn't able to comprehend the wholeness of the situation until a double fisted blow landed between his shoulder blades throwing him to the hot black top.
Johnny felt blood run between his teeth, he knew he'd lacerated the inside of his cheek with his molars when his cheek impacted the road. One of the Socs pulled him up and Johnny felt the warm sticky liquid run down his chin and onto his jacket, which he promptly slid from and began to run again; this time for his life hopefully leaving the Socs only with his jacket. His plan had been good, but to no avail they caught him again...and now they were pissed.
The strong hand on his arm turned Johnny's blood to ice. He was spun around to face a dark haired grinning Soc and a quick flash of metal and then he was hit. Hard. He went limp, but another Soc held him up again. Another time he was hit, the dark haired Soc blurred in his dizzy vision. He felt his hair catch on something and then it was jerked violently from his head. Dizzier still, Johnny strained his eyes and saw the Soc jerk the black hairs from his rings before he was hit again. This time he felt the skin tear and almost yelled in surprised pain. He could feel the hole the rings had torn in his skin, where the warm sticky liquid was running down his face.
Johnny gasped softly, shaking his head. Blood was in his eyes. He couldn't see the Soc in front of him, rearing back for another blow. But he could smell the expensive shaving lotion they wore. Could hear their jackets rustling, their low muttered swears, the viscious words, whispered in malicious delight telling tales of knives and pain and greasers. And he could keenly feel the strong grip of the Soc holding him captive, the hot breath against his ear, the stunning blows of the tireless Soc who hit him again and again and again....
And then the soft words went hard, and with their change Johnny could feel the cold metal sliding along his skin.
"Three guesses what this is greaser."
Johnny stiffened, biting back the scream that rose in his throat. What did Dally always tell him? That's right: show no emotion. Swallowing hard, Johnny tried to think of what Dallas would do now. He knew the tow-headed greaser would curl his lip and say "fuck off" or something, even if he was scared to death inside, and Johnny longed to do the same. BUt before he could open his mouth, the knife turned scraping the sharpened edge against his skin and he had to go back to biting his lip in frightened anticipation.
"And one guess..."
The blade was pressing, pressing against his skin.
"...just what..."
Harder and harder, and then just the faintest trickle of blood...
",,,we're gonna do..."
Blood ran in rivers down his body and pain was right on it's heals.
"...with it..."
Oh god it hurt!
"...and with you."