Ch 4
"Cherri?" I revived a few minutes later, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Cherri?" May-Sarah asked softly. I smiled at her. I was still in Darry's arms. For a moment I felt like I belonged there, and then I stood up.
Two-bit looked shocked, like the amazing revelation and my fainting were too much for him to handle. Steve just looked confused and stupid. Pony was laughing.
"Man what a couple! So tell us Cherri, how do you feel about Dally?" quizzed Ponyboy, a gleeful glint in his eye.
I blushed-a blush hardly distinguishable from my hair. Johnny smiled. "Ooh-la-la! Do I smell love?" he teased.
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on! Just drop it!" and surprisingly, they did.
A while later, Johnny, Pony, May-Sarah and I stayed behind at the park to watch the sunset. Our Mistake. None of us-including me- knew the Socs were gonna stay behind to have an after party, and when they found us, we were scared.
"Soooo, even after they kill your guy, you still hang out with this greasy trash?" snarled Carl Fern, glaring at me. He smelled faintly of beer, and I wondered if he'd been drinking.
And then a whole group of Socs surrounded us: Christy Meyer's boyfriend, Harrison Dran, Jesse Jackson, the toughest guy around, Travis Michaels, who smelled like weed, and Richie Bliton. Carl reached into his back pocket, and flicked out a switchblade. It was real big-and deadly sharp. I heard May-Sarah gasp, and saw her grab Johnny's arm. I noticed she was wearing a ring, the cheap kind you can get for fifty cents at the grocery vendor.
Abruptly, Ponyboy lurched, socking Carl in the face; Carl's hands flew to his bloody nose. He tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground. Johnny kicked him a couple in the head. Jesse, big and broad hurtled towards Pony and Johnny, who held their fists taut; with an agile kick and a clever punch, Jesse found himself on the ground.
Travis, who was high, began to perspire, and his reflexes weren't kicking in, so when Johnny ran smack into him, he fell right to the ground. Harrison and Richie looked scared, but threw a few punches. Johnny's nose started to bleed, and Pony had to pause to clutch his stomach.
But they recovered quickly. May-Sarah and I watched quietly from behind a few trees, May-Sarah having this dead, pale look on her face; I could tell she wasn't real used to this. I was wrong.
As the boys fought on, May-Sarah began to talk. ".Fights." she murmured, ".The reason my brother is dead." tears began to stream down her face, "The reason my mother hates me. I remind her of him." her face was buried in her hands, and her voice was hardly audible, ".the reason she beats me." she sniffled, ".the reason I'm here." she was sobbing desperately. She continued, ".And now, Johnny's getting his ass beat." she lifted her head up and gazed at me, ".he's getting beat by a gang of Socs." her icy gaze pierced me, ".the same Socs you said were cool." and then she stomped her foot and ran into the fight.
She sped like a bullet, slamming into Richie, the only standing remain of the Socs. When Richie fell to the ground, she took Johnny's hand and the two of them ran off together, right into the fading sun.
"Cherri?" I revived a few minutes later, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Cherri?" May-Sarah asked softly. I smiled at her. I was still in Darry's arms. For a moment I felt like I belonged there, and then I stood up.
Two-bit looked shocked, like the amazing revelation and my fainting were too much for him to handle. Steve just looked confused and stupid. Pony was laughing.
"Man what a couple! So tell us Cherri, how do you feel about Dally?" quizzed Ponyboy, a gleeful glint in his eye.
I blushed-a blush hardly distinguishable from my hair. Johnny smiled. "Ooh-la-la! Do I smell love?" he teased.
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on! Just drop it!" and surprisingly, they did.
A while later, Johnny, Pony, May-Sarah and I stayed behind at the park to watch the sunset. Our Mistake. None of us-including me- knew the Socs were gonna stay behind to have an after party, and when they found us, we were scared.
"Soooo, even after they kill your guy, you still hang out with this greasy trash?" snarled Carl Fern, glaring at me. He smelled faintly of beer, and I wondered if he'd been drinking.
And then a whole group of Socs surrounded us: Christy Meyer's boyfriend, Harrison Dran, Jesse Jackson, the toughest guy around, Travis Michaels, who smelled like weed, and Richie Bliton. Carl reached into his back pocket, and flicked out a switchblade. It was real big-and deadly sharp. I heard May-Sarah gasp, and saw her grab Johnny's arm. I noticed she was wearing a ring, the cheap kind you can get for fifty cents at the grocery vendor.
Abruptly, Ponyboy lurched, socking Carl in the face; Carl's hands flew to his bloody nose. He tripped over his own feet and stumbled to the ground. Johnny kicked him a couple in the head. Jesse, big and broad hurtled towards Pony and Johnny, who held their fists taut; with an agile kick and a clever punch, Jesse found himself on the ground.
Travis, who was high, began to perspire, and his reflexes weren't kicking in, so when Johnny ran smack into him, he fell right to the ground. Harrison and Richie looked scared, but threw a few punches. Johnny's nose started to bleed, and Pony had to pause to clutch his stomach.
But they recovered quickly. May-Sarah and I watched quietly from behind a few trees, May-Sarah having this dead, pale look on her face; I could tell she wasn't real used to this. I was wrong.
As the boys fought on, May-Sarah began to talk. ".Fights." she murmured, ".The reason my brother is dead." tears began to stream down her face, "The reason my mother hates me. I remind her of him." her face was buried in her hands, and her voice was hardly audible, ".the reason she beats me." she sniffled, ".the reason I'm here." she was sobbing desperately. She continued, ".And now, Johnny's getting his ass beat." she lifted her head up and gazed at me, ".he's getting beat by a gang of Socs." her icy gaze pierced me, ".the same Socs you said were cool." and then she stomped her foot and ran into the fight.
She sped like a bullet, slamming into Richie, the only standing remain of the Socs. When Richie fell to the ground, she took Johnny's hand and the two of them ran off together, right into the fading sun.