Soda looked around the lot and eyed Pony sitting in the middle near the baseball hang. He put his hands into his pockets and shivered.
The night was dark and freezing, and Pony wasn't even wearing a jacket.
"Ponyboy?" Soda called just enough so his brother could hear him.
Pony didn't look up. He pulled up a piece of grass and let it fall from his hand.
"Johnny told me what happened," Soda sat down next to his brother. "Natalie has to leave to. You know, she moved here with Callisto."
"Is that supposed to help me?" Pony asked dryly.
Soda swallowed. "No. How are ya holding up?"
"She isn't coming back…" he whispered, picking the grass. "She won't come by and say goodbye when she has to leave at the end of the week. Is Natalie going to?"
Soda looked up at the sky. "Natalie… Heh, we were making out when Cal's mom called."
"Same here."
Soda blinked. "You… You were kissing Cal?"
He nodded.
Soda smiled and playfully hit him in the shoulder.
"I wish I hadn't."
He froze before he pulled his hand back. "What? Why?"
"She tasted sweet. Her lips were cold, but tasted like candy, you know? Like…I can't explain. She just tasted real good… I can't let her go. There won't ever be another girl I like."
Soda sighed and put his hands back into his jacket pockets. "Girls come and girls go."
"No. Not like Cal at least. You don't want to get over Natalie, either."
"No, I don't."
"What are you going to do?"
"I could move with her…"
Pony blinked and looked up at him. "But they're leaving because of us. Besides, we couldn't afford it."
He laughed. "Natalie suggested it. She said she could pay for everything. They are millionaires, you know."
Pony sighed and looked back down at the ground. There was a bare spot where he had been picking the grass. "I know. You think they were playing us? Being Socs and all."
Soda scowled and grabbed Pony's collar. He shook his hard, making Pony blink. "Don't you ever call Natalie a Soc, you hear me?" he shook his head. "Never."
Pony swallowed and nodded as Soda let go of him. "Sorry."
"They may have the money of a Soc, but they sure as hell never acted like it. They don't even dress like it."
Pony smiled. "Specially Cal."
Soda laughed gently. "Really."
"You're going to miss her."
"Who wouldn't."
"Callisto."
Soda sighed and nodded. "Yeah. Do you think… Do you think Cal doesn't like Nat anymore just because of me?"
Pony shrugged. "I don't think Cal dislikes Natalie anymore. It's just a petty fight."
Soda looked at the stars. "Na. It's like you and Two-Bit fighting."
There was an interval of five minutes that they didn't talk, until Pony broke the deadly silence.
"I wouldn't be able to protect her."
"Hmm?" Soda looked at him. "What?"
"I wouldn't be able to keep her from getting beat up." Pony whispered, looking at his hands. "I'm not that strong."
Soda smiled and put his hand on his shoulder. "Sure you are, Ponyboy. It's all in your head that you aren't strong. You're hell a lot stronger then a ton of Socs."
"If there were more then two, though. You could handle 'em for Natalie. But I wouldn't be able to. They'd hurt her again. Damn!" he beat his fist into the ground and narrowed his eyes. "I hate thinking about those bastards touching her. If I ever see that Shepard again, I swear I'll go nuts!"
Soda looked down. "I forgot to mention…"
Pony looked at his brother.
"Natalie got beat up once, too."
"By who?"
"Some gang called the Coolers."
Ponyboy blinked. "They aren't a gang…"
Soda blinked. "What do you mean?"
"They were at Cal's house once, when Johnny and me went over. She was real scared of 'em. Made us swear that we wouldn't make a sound."
He swallowed. "Wonder if they know Natalie and Cal personally?"
"Don't know." Pony looked up at the sky. "But the way she looked at them… She was petrified. She looked like a cat facing the biggest dog in the world. I wanted to do something, to get that look off her face."
"I know what you mean." Soda muttered, sighing. "We better get going home. Darry will be worried."
"I guess."
There came a beeping sound, and they looked up at each other.
"What's that beeping?" Soda asked softly.
Pony slowly stood up, his brother beside him. "That's no beeping… That's the theme for Zelda! Cal's cell!" he sprinted across the field, his brother behind him. He swung behind the bleachers and froze. "Oh, Cal…"
Soda stopped beside him and blinked. "What's she doing here?"
"Probably didn't want to go home." Pony whispered as he knelt down beside me and picked me up. "She was waiting for Johnny, I'm guessing."
Soda laughed. "She counts on that guy too much."
Pony just smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Come on." He turned and they started for home.
I opened my eyes and looked around. I didn't recognize the room. I started wondering if the Socs had picked me up. God, if they had I'd kill myself.
I turned over and blinked madly when I saw Ponyboy sleeping. "Pony?" I whispered. He didn't show any sign of hearing it. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his hair was all out of place. "Just how I like it…" I giggled and kissed his forehead.
He stirred and yawned. "Hey Cal."
"Hi." I whispered. "Where are we?"
"My room…" he yawned and stretched his legs. "Soda and I found you at the lot. I brought you back here."
"You got a blade?"
"Why?"
"Kill me."
He turned white. "What?"
"If ya'll got a blade, stab me."
"Why do you want to die?"
"I don't want to live without cha."
He smiled and blushed at the same time. He brushed back my hair from my face. "And nor I without you."
"Where's Johnny?"
"Home. His parents weren't fighting, so he decided to go see 'em."
"I feel real sorry for him."
"So do I."
"You think I can stay here with you?"
He blinked and his hand froze above my cheek. "Wouldn't you're mom come looking for you?"
"She doesn't know you live here." I whispered, closing my red eyes. "And who would tell her?"
"Why would you give up your life for the likes of a group of greasers?"
"I'm not giving up my life for a group of greasers," I stated, and yawned. "I'd be giving up my life for you and Johnnycake and starting a new one with a group of greasers."
He smiled and laughed softly.
"I'd have to get a job. And I know a real good one."
"Oh ya? What?" he ran his fingers down my cheek and rubbed my chin gently with his fingernail.
"Ted would give me a nice sum of money for singing at his bar."
"You can sing?" he asked sarcastically.
I shoved him gently, making him laugh. "Of course I can!"
"Yeah? Sing me something." He settled himself about half a foot away from me on the bed and put his head on his hand.
I blushed. "Eh, ok…" I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and licked my teeth. "I need a better way, to get my head straight. It's not like anybody we now. Got a silver cloud, high above me. Running circles around and around me. Turn it up again we're going nowhere. Let the sounds around everyone. Go off the deep end, I've got nothing to prove. And I've got nothing better to prove. I'm so happy, so fucking happy now that I'm far from the glare of the city."
He laughed. "That's a charming song."
I smiled. "What, you want a happy love song?"
"What's so bad about that?"
"I don't know any happy love songs. Only sad hate songs."
He laughed. "Don't make life sound so horrible."
I smiled. "But it is horrible!"
"All of it?"
"Hmm…" I looked him up and down. "Not all of it."
He blushed and slowly got closer to me. He put his arm over me, hugged me close, and slowly put his head down.
I slowly moved my head up and our lips gently touched.
"So was she beat up or anything?" came a voice outside the door.
I pulled away from Pony, and when I looked at him he looked kinda dazed. I giggled and blushed.
"Na, not at all. She was just sleeping."
"Hmm. Odd."
"I don't think she wanted to go home. Probably thought her mom would keep her under lock and key or something."
"You seen Johnny lately?"
"Yeah, actually I did. He didn't look too happy, either."
"Probably heard the girls are leaving."
"I think he would have said something about that. I'm thinking it's something with his parents."
"That ain't good."
"Yeah, it isn't."
I peered at the door and turned my eyes back to Pony, but he too was staring at the door. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I want to go find Johnny," he whispered, and got up. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on.
I jumped to my feet and pulled my hair out of its ponytail. I shook my head and put my hands into my pockets. "Can I come?"
He smiled. "Course, sweetheart."
I blushed and followed him out the door.
Soda and Steve were in the kitchen and Darry was in the front room.
"Hey, Darry?" Pony said as he went up to his brother. "I'm gonna go for a walk."
"Take a blade or something." Darry said without taking his eyes off the TV.
"Will do." I said, and grabbed Pony's hand.
Darry immediately looked at me. "You got a blade?"
I turned to him. "No. I can always buy one."
He pulled something out of his pocket and threw a flip blade to Pony.
I scowled. "Come on," I opened the door and left.
Pony jogged after me. "He just doesn't want us to get hurt."
"Hurt my ass." I muttered as I went down the street.
"I think we should go to the lot first…" Pony was saying.
I ignored him and went right by the school.
Pony trotted after me. "Eh, we passed the lot."
"I ain't going to the lot. I know where he is."
"You do?"
"Yeah." I stopped when I got onto the sidewalk in front of the beach, and I looked around. No Johnny, so far. I swallowed and strolled down the walk.
Pony followed. "You think he's here?"
"Course." I froze when I saw Johnny against the wall, the Shepard boy shoving him there, a blade to his neck. "Damn it, too late." I ran over to them. "Let him go!"
The boy turned his eyes to me. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The mouse."
I swallowed hard. "Leave him alone."
Pony scowled at him. "What do you think you're doing, Curly? Haven't you gotten yourself into enough trouble?"
I licked my lips. "Do you like picking fights with us, hmm?"
He dropped Johnny and walked up to me. "With girls, of course. Especially when I have a blade to cut their shirt right off."
I snarled, baring my teeth. "I dare you to try…"
Pony immediately grabbed my arm and shoved me behind him.
Curly laughed. "I ain't afraid of you, Curtis!"
Pony snarled. "And I ain't afraid of you, Shepard."
"This chick yours now, Curtis? I thought she belonged to Winston."
Pony burned at that. "She isn't some piece of meat, Shepard."
I smiled. At least he wasn't gonna fight over me like Dally. I glanced at Johnny to make sure he was ok.
He was slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.
We were too late. He probably had already beaten Johnny up. Well, that was the last straw for me.
I shoved Pony to the side and grabbed Curly's collar. "This is the late time you beat us up, kid…"
He laughed. "Ho, ho! Big words…" he slashed at me with the knife, and the cold steal sliced my right cheek.
I grabbed the knife with my hand and slugged him. But I wasn't exactly some buff girl or anything.
Curly was hardly fazed. He grabbed my wrist and sliced my arm.
I let out a scream, and Curly blinked at the high pitched sound.
Pony jumped at Curly and slugged him.
I stumbled backwards, grasping my arm. I went around the two rumbling boys and knelt down beside Johnny. "You ok?"
He nodded. "Hey… You're wearing the necklace."
I nodded and looked back at Pony and Curly.
Pony slugged the boy and took off running. He smirked triumphantly and turned to Johnny and me. "You all right?"
We both nodded.
"Peachy." I said. "Just a scratch."
Johnny nodded. "Same here."
Pony reached his arm out and helped Johnny to his feet.
I pushed myself off the ground and put my hands into my pockets. "You didn't use the blade."
Pony shrugged. "Saw no reason to."
I smirked. "Good. Now um, I gotta go. I was gonna meet someone. You guy's will be ok?"
Johnny smiled. "Aren't we always?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
Pony reached out to slug me gently in the shoulder. "Be careful, ya hear?"
I smiled and nodded. "See ya!" I waved over my shoulder as I jogged off.
My mom got in a huge fuss over me and how I wasn't going to stay in California on my own. My dad, in the meantime, was busy watching the TV and the only words out of him the whole night were: 'uh huh' and 'have a nice time'.
My mom fumed. "You are not going back to those boys!"
"Who's gonna stop me? You?" I asked dryly.
She glared. "And where in the world did you get that ugly looking necklace?"
I burned at that. I felt like slugging her from here to Kingdom come. "For your information, mother, a friend got it for me and it was wrecked when the those bastard Socs wrecked my Corvette!"
She gasped. "Don't you use that language in this household!"
"I'll stay with Ted!" I said abruptly.
She blinked. "Ted? That bartender? You most certainly will not!"
"I don't see why not," my father got to his feet and took a sip of his coke.
I blinked at him. He was actually talking! "You don't?"
"You don't?" my mother was exasperated.
"Nope," he said as he stalked into the kitchen for another soda. "We can leave Cal her own account with some money in it, buy her a new car, and we can go back to New York."
Mom blinked. "I don't think that's such a good idea."
"PLEASE!" I begged.
She scowled at me. "You go to your room and get some sleep! Your father and I will talk about it."
I squeaked with excitement and went up to my room. Just so as not to hear any yelling, I pumped up my boom box and flopped onto my bed.
