Disclaimer: I own Holly, her mother, Todd and her father. And the floundering bass. Also, I used some lines of "There Is" by Box Car Racer, and altered some lines from there. When Holly thinks to herself when she's lying on her bed. Those are the lyrics. Good song. Check them out. Anyways…please review! Thanks!
Chapter 9
School went by in a breeze. Parker was in three of my classes; math, science and study call, not counting gym. We all had it together, but it didn't matter since I took off with Two-Bit, and occasionally Steve, Pony and Johnny. The five of us went to the corner deli again and ate. Thankfully we got back to school in plenty of time!
Back to reality. I was sitting on the hood of Steve's car while Pony, Johnny and Steve had a cigarette. Two-Bit was trying his best to quit-I told him I didn't wanna kiss anyone with a mouth full of smoke. He seemed to understand, and told me that he got to kiss me whenever he wanted, just so he could forget about smoking. I smirked and agreed. Steve made a loud gagging noise and Johnny laughed. Pony nearly inhaled his cigarette and Two-Bit had to pat him on the back a few times.
Suddenly I was grabbed from my right side and was dragged a few feet. A switchblade flicked out and was held against my throat. I yelped and the gang spun around.
"Todd!" Two-Bit spat, and started to walk towards us.
"Ah," Todd said smugly, "Y'all come any closer and I'll go it."
"Leave her alone, Todd! What did she ever do to you?" Ponyboy growled. Johnny's eyes were wide and he was torn between hiding and speaking up. I didn't blame the kid or feel abandoned; poor Johnny's like a little abused puppy.
"She turns me on whenever I see her, Curtis," Todd shot back, pressing me harder against his chest. I elbowed him in the stomach, not really hard enough to hurt. Mainly because I was afraid of what he would do if I did hurt him.
"I swear to God, Todd, when I get my hands on you…" Steve snarled viciously.
"Ooh, I'm shaking, Randle!" Todd taunted, "You greasers sure do know how to spook people!"
"Let my girl go, Chapman!" Two-Bit yelled, ready to break off his empty Pepsi bottle.
I felt Todd's lips against my neck. "And what if I don't? What are you going to do about it?"
Instinctively I tried to move away from his mouth, but there was nowhere to go. "Todd! Stop it!"
"Mmm, I don't think so babycakes."
"Don't call her that!" Johnny suddenly shouted, "Only her friends can call her that!"
It was true. Johnny himself had given me that nickname; so we both had a 'cake' nickname, since we were the little siblings of the group. Johnnycake and babycakes. Ponyboy acted older than we did.
"Babycakes, babycakes, babycakes," Todd repeated, curling his finger around my ear. He started sucking on my neck again.
"Stop harassing me!" I cried again, "I'm not your prey!"
"Oh, but you are," Todd whispered, mere centimeters from my ear, "I hunt you all day long, babycakes," he drawled out that last word.
In a flash, Todd was suddenly yanked backwards and I sprawled forwards, hitting the pavement. I spun around, still lying on the ground to see Dally give another punch to Todd's stomach.
Todd doubled over and puked. Dally immediately gave him an upper cut connecting with his jaw, and Todd's head flung backwards. He lay on the pavement unmoving, with uneven breaths.
I shot up and gave Dally a hug. Steve and Two-Bit were about to give Todd another beating before I spoke up. "No!"
They froze. "What?" Steve asked, disbelieving.
"You guys will kill him if you punch him one more time!" I cried desperately, "Just leave him."
"How can you be protecting the guy who would rape you without hesitation?" Two-Bit shouted, "How can you save his life?"
"Because I'm human. You're human. You know it's wrong. We can't do this."
Two-Bit looked pained. "Holly," he sighed, defeated.
"He saved me once," I admitted.
"What?" Dally, Steve and Two-Bit said all at once. Pony and Johnny were watching from the car.
"Two-Bit, it was in the woods before you came. Parker punched me and was damn right going to do it again if Todd didn't stop him. I'm only returning the favor."
I glanced down at Todd. He stared back up at me. "Go," I whispered, "Leave. Please."
He continued to stare at me before getting up and hobbling into an alleyway. I peered at his fading image before I felt someone gently touch my shoulder. "Thank you, Dally," I whispered, and Dally slung an arm over me and led me to Two-Bit's car.
The car ride was extremely quiet. I asked Two-Bit if he would take me home. I just needed to feel the presence of my house around me; don't ask me why. I just had this yearning to be home. An overwhelming urge of homesickness washed over like a tidal wave.
I promised Two-Bit I would stop by his house when I was through doing whatever I was going to do at home. I smiled at him and he kissed me before driving off.
My mom was sitting on the couch, with her head slumped back onto the seat cushions. A book was against her chest, and her reading glasses were threatening to fall off. I gently pried them from her sleeping form and set them onto the coffee table. I was still debating whether to tell her about Todd. After much reasoning, I decided against it. She would probably freak; I know I would if my future child was nearly raped.
I walked as quickly and as quietly as I could into my bedroom, and gently shut the door. Laying on my bed, I started to relax. Will I shake this off? Pretend it's all ok? I wonder if there's someone out there who feels just like me. There must be…there is.
I dozed off soon after that. I dreamt about my father.
*** ***
"Daddy, can we please go out again?" I pleaded, trying to catch his bright blue eyes. I knew that if I made eye contact, I would get what I wanted.
He purposely fixed his gaze on the floundering bass we had caught. "Uh, I don't know sweetie. We promised mommy that we'd be back soon…"
He trailed off and looked into my eyes. I tried to muster up the best little puppy face I possibly could. Score-It worked!
He sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Alright, aright," he said, exasperated, "Fine. But we stop the next fish we catch, ok? If we keep fishing we'll feed the whole neighborhood!"
"At least the Curtis family!" I giggled. Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy eat more by themselves than their parents eat together. It was insane!
My father laughed, a jolly laugh that made anyone smile, even in the worst days. "Yeah, you're right sweetie. Those three eat like racehorses! Even little Pony…who knew a little seven year old had such an appetite?"
I smiled my little nine–year-old smile, and grabbed my fishing line. Daddy held my hand and led me to the end of the pier, then sat down at the edge. I plopped down on his lap and giggled as he threw the line into the water.
"Did we get one yet?"
"No, honey. We just threw the line in!"
A slight pause. "Did we get one yet?"
"Nope. Sorry."
Another pause. "Daddy?"
"What?"
"Did we get one yet?"
"Holly Carson, if you ask me that question one more time I'll throw you in the lake!"
I giggled. My father never gets mad, and he knows it. He broke out into a grin and kissed my hair. "Just kidding, pumpkin."
"I know," I giggled happily. I was in pure heaven with my father. He was the best man I ever knew…OK he was the only man I ever knew, but even if I meet one thousand trillion billion men (this is a nine year old talking…math is unrealistic ok?!) my father will still be the best.
He will always be in my heart.
…Even though he did what he did.