"Hmmm," Dally pondered it arrogantly, then he grinned, "Oh right, I remember now. You're that faggot that started something with me yesterday when I was collecting my friend here," Dally indicated Pony, "from school."
"You're that little shit," the Soc jabbed at finger at Pony.
Pony was instantly hooking his thumbs in his pockets and taking a drag off his cigarette saying, "Yeah, so?"
"Looks like I'm gettin' y'all first," the Soc snorted.
"Look around," Tim spoke, "Y'all are on the wrong side'a town. Why don't y'all take your sorry asses outta our territory."
The four awaited the Socs response. It never failed to amaze Pony what he, and the rest of his buddies, could become in a matter of seconds. Tim had just been giving he and Curly a lecture on the way to treat a cigarette casually; and now he was there teeth barred angry as all hell bitterly showing the Socs who was boss in this neighborhood.
"We rule this whole goddamn city, fuck you owning half of it. We are the kings." The Soc grinned. But it didn't last long, Dally jumped on him knocking them both to the ground. Dally didn't hesitate, he began pounding the Soc's head into the ground and Tim gave a laugh.
"You rule huh?" Tim retorted dangerously. However Tim's smile faded as the Soc's three remaining friends pounced on Dally and before anyone could even blink one had him in a coke hold while the other pressed a knife to his chin.
Curly stepped forward but Tim held up a hand signaling his brother to hold.
'Fuck,' Tim thought furiously, his eyes glued to Dally and the Soc that held him. Why the hell did Dallas always have to get into trouble?
The blond boy had an angry, tough-looking glare on his face, but every so often the Soc would shift his grip and Dally would wince.
"So who's the boss now?" The Socs snickered.
"Lemme at 'em! Come on Tim, I can take 'em," Curly hissed. Tim shook his head slightly. One wrong move and Dally was dead.
"So, should we kill this asshole? Make an example of why Socs are better than grease trash?" The Soc with the knife moved closer, pressing the blade into Dally's skin.
Dally winced again as the Soc moved. The knife didn't scare him, he'd been threatened by worse. But the stupid Soc who had him in a choke hold had big, ornate buttons on his madras jacket, and Dally's hair was caught around one. It pulled every time the Soc moved, and hurt more than the steel slicing gently into his flesh.
"Uh," he grunted. Tim gave him a look, and Curly almost half-smirked at the sound – he'd always thought he was tougher than Dallas. Dally turned his eyes to Ponyboy. The kid looked tougher than usual, but his eyes kept flickering back and forth. He caught Dally's gaze and widened his eyes.
"Darry!" Ponyboy yelped suddenly, his eyes still on Dally.
The Socs shifted, one stupid one turned his back on the little group and in that instant Tim was all over the armed Soc. In a matter of seconds he'd wrestled the knife away and was pounding his fist into the Soc's face. Dally dug his elbow sharply into the boy holding him captive.
"Oof," the Soc gasped, tumbling backwards. Dally wrenched out of his grasp, his hair tearing away from his head in the movement.
"Run!" he hollered at Ponyboy, who was standing stalk still in the middle of everything. Even Curly had at least jumped another Soc. Ponyboy didn't hesitate – he took off. Dally turned back to fight, but Tim had already grabbed his arm and was dragging him away.
"They're all armed," he yelped and, grabbing Curly, they took off across the field after Ponyboy.
Slicing gasps of cool air cut into their lungs as the four collapsed in the vacant lot, they'd run more than twelve blocks without stopping.
"Do you see them?" Pony said brushing off his pants as he climbed to his feet. He was out of breath, but it passed as he was an expert track runner.
"Nah," Tim huffed rolling over, "they stopped a few blocks back."
"A few?" Curly snorted before sucking in a quick breath, "They stopped sort 8 blocks ago."
"That don't mean nothin'," Dally said, "they might still follow us, we just don't see 'em."
"I don't think so," Curly said.
"Nah," Tim agreed, "they'd have to come into our neighborhood, where they know there's more of us lurking around."
Pony almost got sick, and Dally hollered at them to shut their mouths. Johnny had been in this very spot earlier in the afternoon when he'd been nearly torn to shreds by a clan of Socs.
As the thought of Johnny's mangled body left Pony's mind his head jolted toward the sky. He stared at the inky black night laced with twinkling speckles of light. He nearly moaned and as if answering his exasperated sigh Darry's voice cut through the darkness, "Ponyboy? I thought I told you to be in before dark!"
Darry was hauling Pony across the lot as Tim was pulling himself to his feet. None of them spoke; and somehow each of the three street hoods wondered what it would be like to have some to take care of them.
Pony jerked away as soon as the opportunity presented itself, which was as soon as the screen door slammed. "Glory Darry! Why'd you have to embarrass me in front of the Shepards?"
"Embarrass you?" Darry boomed, "You had me scared stiff Ponyboy. I told you to be in before dark. I don't understand what part of before you didn't get! Do you want to end up like Johnny in there?"
"No," Pony mumbled miserable.
"Well then I suggest you get to your room now. Before I consider grounding you for the whole week!"
Pony considered protesting, but instead he settled for a night in his room as opposed to an entire week of Darry's groundation.
"Well," Curly finally broke the silence. "I'm headed home. I had a long night last night, I don't want another one tonight."
"Suit yourself," Tim shrugged, "I'm headed to Buck's to find some action. Wanna tag along Dal?"
Dally pondered it. He remembered his last encounter at Bucks. Sylvia and…Buck. He shuttered at the thought. Sylvia was his piece of ass. Then it dawned on him, Sylvia was his piece of ass and she'd probably be there. "Sure."
"You're that little shit," the Soc jabbed at finger at Pony.
Pony was instantly hooking his thumbs in his pockets and taking a drag off his cigarette saying, "Yeah, so?"
"Looks like I'm gettin' y'all first," the Soc snorted.
"Look around," Tim spoke, "Y'all are on the wrong side'a town. Why don't y'all take your sorry asses outta our territory."
The four awaited the Socs response. It never failed to amaze Pony what he, and the rest of his buddies, could become in a matter of seconds. Tim had just been giving he and Curly a lecture on the way to treat a cigarette casually; and now he was there teeth barred angry as all hell bitterly showing the Socs who was boss in this neighborhood.
"We rule this whole goddamn city, fuck you owning half of it. We are the kings." The Soc grinned. But it didn't last long, Dally jumped on him knocking them both to the ground. Dally didn't hesitate, he began pounding the Soc's head into the ground and Tim gave a laugh.
"You rule huh?" Tim retorted dangerously. However Tim's smile faded as the Soc's three remaining friends pounced on Dally and before anyone could even blink one had him in a coke hold while the other pressed a knife to his chin.
Curly stepped forward but Tim held up a hand signaling his brother to hold.
'Fuck,' Tim thought furiously, his eyes glued to Dally and the Soc that held him. Why the hell did Dallas always have to get into trouble?
The blond boy had an angry, tough-looking glare on his face, but every so often the Soc would shift his grip and Dally would wince.
"So who's the boss now?" The Socs snickered.
"Lemme at 'em! Come on Tim, I can take 'em," Curly hissed. Tim shook his head slightly. One wrong move and Dally was dead.
"So, should we kill this asshole? Make an example of why Socs are better than grease trash?" The Soc with the knife moved closer, pressing the blade into Dally's skin.
Dally winced again as the Soc moved. The knife didn't scare him, he'd been threatened by worse. But the stupid Soc who had him in a choke hold had big, ornate buttons on his madras jacket, and Dally's hair was caught around one. It pulled every time the Soc moved, and hurt more than the steel slicing gently into his flesh.
"Uh," he grunted. Tim gave him a look, and Curly almost half-smirked at the sound – he'd always thought he was tougher than Dallas. Dally turned his eyes to Ponyboy. The kid looked tougher than usual, but his eyes kept flickering back and forth. He caught Dally's gaze and widened his eyes.
"Darry!" Ponyboy yelped suddenly, his eyes still on Dally.
The Socs shifted, one stupid one turned his back on the little group and in that instant Tim was all over the armed Soc. In a matter of seconds he'd wrestled the knife away and was pounding his fist into the Soc's face. Dally dug his elbow sharply into the boy holding him captive.
"Oof," the Soc gasped, tumbling backwards. Dally wrenched out of his grasp, his hair tearing away from his head in the movement.
"Run!" he hollered at Ponyboy, who was standing stalk still in the middle of everything. Even Curly had at least jumped another Soc. Ponyboy didn't hesitate – he took off. Dally turned back to fight, but Tim had already grabbed his arm and was dragging him away.
"They're all armed," he yelped and, grabbing Curly, they took off across the field after Ponyboy.
Slicing gasps of cool air cut into their lungs as the four collapsed in the vacant lot, they'd run more than twelve blocks without stopping.
"Do you see them?" Pony said brushing off his pants as he climbed to his feet. He was out of breath, but it passed as he was an expert track runner.
"Nah," Tim huffed rolling over, "they stopped a few blocks back."
"A few?" Curly snorted before sucking in a quick breath, "They stopped sort 8 blocks ago."
"That don't mean nothin'," Dally said, "they might still follow us, we just don't see 'em."
"I don't think so," Curly said.
"Nah," Tim agreed, "they'd have to come into our neighborhood, where they know there's more of us lurking around."
Pony almost got sick, and Dally hollered at them to shut their mouths. Johnny had been in this very spot earlier in the afternoon when he'd been nearly torn to shreds by a clan of Socs.
As the thought of Johnny's mangled body left Pony's mind his head jolted toward the sky. He stared at the inky black night laced with twinkling speckles of light. He nearly moaned and as if answering his exasperated sigh Darry's voice cut through the darkness, "Ponyboy? I thought I told you to be in before dark!"
Darry was hauling Pony across the lot as Tim was pulling himself to his feet. None of them spoke; and somehow each of the three street hoods wondered what it would be like to have some to take care of them.
Pony jerked away as soon as the opportunity presented itself, which was as soon as the screen door slammed. "Glory Darry! Why'd you have to embarrass me in front of the Shepards?"
"Embarrass you?" Darry boomed, "You had me scared stiff Ponyboy. I told you to be in before dark. I don't understand what part of before you didn't get! Do you want to end up like Johnny in there?"
"No," Pony mumbled miserable.
"Well then I suggest you get to your room now. Before I consider grounding you for the whole week!"
Pony considered protesting, but instead he settled for a night in his room as opposed to an entire week of Darry's groundation.
"Well," Curly finally broke the silence. "I'm headed home. I had a long night last night, I don't want another one tonight."
"Suit yourself," Tim shrugged, "I'm headed to Buck's to find some action. Wanna tag along Dal?"
Dally pondered it. He remembered his last encounter at Bucks. Sylvia and…Buck. He shuttered at the thought. Sylvia was his piece of ass. Then it dawned on him, Sylvia was his piece of ass and she'd probably be there. "Sure."