Chapter Fifteen

I walked down Pickett Avenue with Two Bit by my side. He asked me about my life in Texas and I tried to tell him – tried, cause he wouldn't stop talking so much shit that I couldn't believe. Where did he get all that crap from? He was funny though, and as usual he made me laugh. After mom died it was difficult for me to do it. I mean, laughing and even crying hard. Anyway, I was laughing, he was really funny.

We didn't meet anyone I knew. Two Bit knew everybody in the neighborhood, but he didn't talk to a single person: "If I stop to talk to people, they may notice who you really are, but if I don't, they'll think you're my girl!"

I gave him a weak slap. Even though, I knew most people wouldn't remember me. We walked around for a while and then stopped in a market for him to get a Kool (and I think he only paid for that because of me being there) and after, for an ice cream. He started to tell me about his thing with Kathy Simmons, that tall blonde girl who used to live three blocks away from the Curtis', and then I realized he was getting to much excited about it and asked him please not to give me the details.

Chocolate for him, lemon for me, and he went on telling me about the neighborhood and the people I knew. He had that permanent smile on his face but, when I asked him about Johnny, the smile faded. He told me that, a while ago, Johnny was beaten up very bad by some group of socs and would carry scars as a memory of it forever. One of the socs wore some rings which cut Johnny's face and, as if that wasn't enough, they threatened Johnny all the ways they could. After that day Johnny had became even more restless than he already was, and now he carried a huge switchblade in his pocket. Two Bit's opinion was Johnny would use it without even thinking on the first who tried to lay a hand on him.

Hearing that made me very uncomfortable, so I started eating my ice cream in silence. Poor Johnny, the sweet kid who would never hurt an ant. I didn't know what to say.

Something came to my mind when I saw Sodapop and Steve Randle enter the diner and sit in front of the counter. I gave Two Bit my best grin and said "Showtime!!!"

"You haven't change a bit, have you girl?" Two Bit laughed. He was surely having a great time.

"Nooooo, I haven't... let's play a little with our friend Steve. I hope Sodapop gets the picture and play with me."

"You two were such brats when you were 12; now with 17 you together must be worse than myself!"

I wasn't hearing him. I looked at Steve. It would be easy recognizing Steve Randle even in a billion years, insolently handsome as he was. Sodapop had noticed me, I made him a head sign and he blinked. "Sodapop got it, Two Bit" I said, then started to stare at Steve.

I stared at him for about three minutes until he noticed. When he did, I gave him a blink.

He and Soda started to discuss about something. It was impossible for me to hear them, but I could tell for sure what they were talking about. I was positive that Sodapop had started the conversation by saying "Hey Steve, that broad just gave you a blink". He would do that even though he knew that all the girls were always blinking to *him*. Steve was handsome, alright, but putting him by Soda's side was like putting Woody Allen by Robert Redford's.

That was starting to get funny, so I blinked again, and they started to talk louder. "Soda could be an actor", I thought. As for Two Bit, he would die in laughter in that very moment if this wouldn't spoil the game.

I blinked once again and could tell Steve was getting a little pissed. Suddenly he and Soda were in front of our table.

"I saw you blinking at me" Steve said "and it wasn't funny at all. You shouldn't be hitting on somebody else like that, below our pal's nose. I think chicks like you deserve to be corrected." He was really thinking I was with Two Bit.

Steve always had that "macho" thing. Besides, there was a girl fucking up with his friend, and I knew he wouldn't stand it for nothing. I was pleased to see that I had created the mess the exact way I wanted it to be.

After taking a deep breath, I got on my feet, looked at Steve Randle and said:

"And what makes you think that it was you I was blinking at, hood?"

That was truly dangerous, I was hurting Steve's ego. Two Bit shrugged between the table and his chair, trying so hard not to laugh.

"I couldn't care less who you blinked at" Steve was mad "you're fucking my pal up anyway." Then he turned to Soda and said "See? I told ya this was with you" he lowered his voice "She's gorgeous, but anyway she's nothing but a slut."

"Heyyy watch your trap" I yelled.

"What a brass neck you are, bitch!" God, he was really pissed off "Where did you get this white trash, Two Bit? Did she blink at you or something?"

"Calm down, you guys" Soda decided to step in. I guess he would act this exact way if the trouble was for real. "Girl, what did you want anyway? Who were you blinking at?"

"Wait a second" Two Bit said, cynically "I kept quiet until now because I didn't really know what to say but... you should be ashamed, girl" it was hysterical seeing Two Bit trying to look serious. "no bitch will fuck with Two Bit Matthews."

"See? See?" Steve looked victorious "I suggest we kick her ass right here and now." Silence. No one dared to say a thing. I opened my eyes as wide as I could and stared at Steve's angry face. Soda had the funniest amazement look on his face and Two bit tried to hold his laughter until he couldn't anymore: then he let go, laughing out loud, a laughter that was only his.

Of course I couldn't hold my own laughter and neither did Soda. Steve just stood there looking like some idiot, with everybody laughing on his face.

"Now I'm sure" Two Bit said "that you're still a brat, Susan Mary Jones!"

Steve took a while to realize what was going on, then he widened his eyes and yelled:

"Jeez, you're back! I'll kill ya, I'll kill ya all!"