Okay, this is chapter 2. I haven't been doing to well with this one so far, except to plan the later chapters. I still have a long way to go to get there, huh? So, I should hurry up and start now! Sorry I kept you guys waiting for this for so long, if anyone besides Heaven, Jade and my favorite anonmyous reviewer, bmw, cares. But if you don't, why are you reading this? Okay, I getting evil and paranoid. I haven't had much sleep lately and that does that to me. I apologize for my strange behavior. If some of the spelling seems bad, it's because I'm writing this on a laptop right now and I'm not quite used to the way the keys are positioned yet. I'll try to keep the spelling and gramatical mistakes to a minimum. So, here's chapter 2!
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Chapter 2- Changes, Better or Worse?
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My life is a total wreck. That was the thought that ran through my mind all the following week. I hated it here, just like I hated it everywhere else. But this was my last chance. No screwing up now. One more mess up and I was out on the streets or in a refornitory for the rest of my life.

Sighing, I threw down my book sack and flopped down on my bed. I kicked my beat up record player and watched in detached satisfaction as it started working and the music started playing.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog," I sang along with the music, letting my voice melt in with the wonderous voice of the King. I heard the front door open and turned the volume up in response.

My door opened and standing there was Keith and a couple of his friends. My cousin looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Slowly, he turned to volume down to where he could talk to me without screaming.

"HEY," I yelled, slapping his hand away from the volume knob.

"You like Elvis," he asked.

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

"You'd be surprised. I just came to tell you that Duckie is on the front porch. She wants to talk to you."

"All right," I said, getting up and not bothering to pull my shoes back on. Shoes ride on my last nerve. If I didn't have to wear them, I wouldn't.

In my sock clad feet, I stepped out into the cool, crisp night air and looked around for Duckie. She wasn't anywhere in sight. Who was doing all of that yelling?

"LAY THE FUCK OFF," yelled Missy's voice. I could hear the sickening but all-too-familiar sound of flesh pounding on flesh. Quickly, I ran towards the noise, Missy starting to scream now.

They were huge. Seven big guys, all built like brick walls. They were trying to avoid Missy's punches and laughing all the while. She was doing okay by herself, but they were drunk and there's never any telling what a drunk man in a fight is going to do. I picked up a small stone from the ground and chucked it at the nearest man.

"She said to lay off," I said, picking up several more stones just in case. I was already pissed off and if they would give me enough reason, I would fight them. I was ready to fight. "In case you didn't know, that means get your filthy ass hands off of her and leave!"

"Oh-ho!," crowed the one I hit. "You're a fine one to talk about filthy, you grease! Someone, grab her."

A huge bear of a man came foward and made a grab for me. I couldn't see Missy anymore, but now I was ready for a rumble. Fights were always a high for me and it had been so long since I had been in a good one.

At first I was winning, then two more came over and grabbed me while my back was turned. The one who I had been trying to fight came foward once more and punched me in the stomach. The wind rushed from my body and my limbs went slack. This wasn't a fight. This was a jumping!

Another blow was sent to my mid-section and I blacked out for a time. How long I was under, I still don't know. But soon I felt a pair of warm lips on mine, pushing the vital breath back into my lungs. I groaned to show that I was awake, but the lips didn't leave. Someone was getting pretty bold because a tounge brushed against my teeth. My eyes jerked open, my vision unfocused. My elbow jab into whatever it could reach, turning out to be a well-sculpted stomach.

The person backed off and there was a long round of howling laughter. I sat up and spit off to the side. Laying my head in my hands, I tried to recall exactly what happened and who those jerks were. They would pay for this.

"Looks like ya hung around too long, Dallas," someone laughed. I looked up. There were three men standing not far from me and Dallas Winston was sitting beside me, his hands on his mid-section, glaring with murder at everyone, espically me.

"Shove it, Shepard," Dallas yelled, directing his attention to one of the men. I looked over at him.

The man he was talking to was tall and brawny. He was a bit scary-looking but that was only because of his height. Tall people make me angry. I don't know why. Being my height isn't a picnic and I guess that I resent other people for being taller than me.

"Who the hell are you," I asked, trying to decide weither I wanted to get up right yet. Okay, so I was deciding if I could get up or not. My ankle was screaming in pain. It might be broken, I thought not really caring. It wouldn't be the first time that I'd broken a bone. This just hurt really bad.

"Tim Shepard," the man said, looking me over. "Who are you? I haven't seen you around. I would have remembered you if I had."

"Colleen," I said tiredly. God, this man was a moron. Probably hadn't passed third grade and just gave up at age 15. Who knew, who cared? Half of me at that moment. I had to admit, he was kind of cute. Tall and handsome were his most obvious features. Why did I keep thinking this? I had a boyfriend and he was enough for me.

"Hey, Colleen," said another voice. "You all right?"

I looked up into the cold eyes of Darry. He kneeled down beside me and looked me over for any visible injuries.

"I took a few to the stomach and I think my ankle's broken," I said. "My vision is kind of blurry. Is that normal?"

"Yeah," he replied, straightening out my leg. "It looks broken, but I can't be certian because I'm not a doctor. Lay back for a minute."

"Why?" I'm always suspicious. But sometimes that's a good way to be. That way, you rarely ever surprised.

"I want to check if any ribs are broken where they hit you, Colleen," Darry said paitently, pushing me back slowly.

I laid on the cool grass and waited in anticipation as he lifted up my shirt as far as modesty would allow and began gently pressing on my stomach.

"Does that hurt?"

"No."

"Here?"

"No."

"Here?"

"OW!" I had never broken any ribs before. I guess there's a first time for everything. Missy was standing near Tim and some other dude.

"I think they may just be bruised but some could be broken," Darry said gently pulling my shirt down and helping me sit up again.

"Who's the other dude?" I had to know. I'm just curious by nature.

"Tim's younger brother Curly," Darry replied, smiling at me warmly. "Can you walk?"

"No, I don't think so."

"All right." What was he planning?

Carefully, he put one of his strong arms around my back and slid the other under the backs of my thighs and then started to stand. He carried my princess-style all the way back to Keith's house and sat me down on the sofa. He said he was going back to his house to call an ambulance. Why he just didn't call from here was a mystery to me.

Soon, I started to nod off. Someone picked me up again and I was moving again. I thought it was Darry and snuggled against the person's chest.

"Thank you," I mummbled. The person said something that I couldn't make out and I didn't feel the need to move.

I was set down on my bed and it was only when I rolled over did I notice that someone was lying beside me. At first, I thought it was Solo. Isn't it silly how a tired mind makes you think about things that aren't really happening? I even imagined that someone had their arms wrapped around me and they were playing with a lock of my hair.

I opened my eyes and met the ice-cold gaze of Dallas Winston.
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Okay, I'm gonna leave it as a cliff hanger for now. Man, that's mean, isn't it? I haven't updated in a while and when I do, I leave you guys with a cliff hanger. Oh well. If you want to know what happens with Dally and Colleen, you'll have to review. That, and wait for me to finish the third chapter and get it posted. That's it for now. Later Days, Loyal Readers. REVIEW!