"Hey Angel. What you doin in a neighbor hood like this?" Tim asked,
putting his arm around my sister.
Angela pushed his hand off. "One, it's Angela, not Angel. Two, don't you ever touch me again or I will beat on you," she warned.
Tim smiled at her and she smiled back.
Soda was fuming. It was great! He was jealous big time. And I guess Angela noticed, cuz she leaned over to him and said, "You're way cuter."
"Tex," Darry turned to me.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"I want you to wait outside," he answered.
"Uh—okay," I replied obediently.
I slipped quietly out the door and paced back and forth across the lawn.
"Hey Grease!"
I looked up. Some Soc and his friends got out of their car and grabbed the collar of my jacket and dragged me away from the garden. He threw me down on the pavement and bent down above me.
"What cha doin' alone Grease?" he asked.
His friends laughed and I swallowed the knot in my throat.
That's when Soda came out. I think he came to check on me, but what did that matter, right? He was there and he was saving my butt. I was happy.
"SODA!" I screamed.
I saw Soda look around the garden, then he saw the Socs.
"Holy hell," he said. He jumped the fence and pushed the Soc off me.
He pulled me behind him and said, "You wan 'im? Get him."
"My pleasure," the Soc answered. He pulled out a knife and the four of them ganged up on us.
"Two for the price of one," the lead Soc said.
I know I shoulda done something, but I was scared out of my whits. All I could think of was getting out of there—preferably alive.
The Soc jabbed his knife at Soda, who dogged him and pushed me down, away from the knife.
Another of the Socs kicked him in the stomach.
I winced. My friend was getting hurt—because of me. I hated myself at this point in time. I wanted to jump out in front of Soda.
Blood spilled from his arm. The Soc had got him with the knife.
He pushed Soda off to the side and lifted my by my jacket. I guess he figured I was the easier target, seeing as I'm a shrimp...guess what? He was right. I was scared to death, seeing what they did to Soda. If he couldn't take them, how could I? "You think your smart, huh kid?" the Soc asked.
Actually, no, I thought I was dead. This guy's not so smart, I thought.
"Leave him alone, Soc."
Soda! He's alive! That was a load off my shoulders.
Soda struggled to get on his feet. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He didn't look all to hot. He was uneasy, stumbling over his own feet.
A Soc kicked his leg and he fell back on the ground.
"Soda!" I bit the Soc's hand and he dropped me and screamed. "Stupid kid!" Tow-Bit, Angela, Darry, Steve, Triss, Pony and Tim ran out the front door. "Soda!" Pony ran to his brother, who was once again fighting two socs at once. "Tex!" Angela ran to me, with Two-Bit not far behind her. He pulled out his knife and faced the soc. Darry, Pony and Tim were fighting the other three socs. I guess Angela figured I was well of with Two-Bit fighting for me, cuz she was hugging Soda—and I'm pretty sure she was crying. For him, not me. That was new in my book. And okay in my book. Soda was holding her with his good arm. Tim looked back. It was his turn to be jealous. You could clearly read the expression on his face. It said, I'm gonna get you for this, Curtis. I know it sounds mean, but I love watching guys fighting over my sister. Tim flew to the ground. He had taken a jab to the face. I winced. That had to hurt. Two-Bit threw the Soc onto the hood of his red mustang. "Get outta here." The Soc glared at him, but he knew he couldn't beat Two-Bit. "Dan! Josh! Ray! We're outta here!" His friends looked at him. The one who was fighting Pony threw him down and spit on the ground next to him. Who ever that was made the sorry mistake of letting Soda see. Soda charged at him. Darry just managed to hold his brother back. "Calm down, buddy! It's over! We won!" he said as Soda struggled to get free and strangle the idiot who insulted his family. As the mustang drove away, we walked into the house. "These Socs are getting out of hand," Darry said. "No kidding," Two-Bit answered. "You okay, kid?" I nodded. "Thanks. That's the second time in two days that you've saved me." I looked at Soda. Angela was bandaging his arm. He winced as she pulled the bandages tight. "Too tight?" she asked. "No, it's okay," Soda answered.
I lay in bed that night, looking at the ceiling, thinking of how much my life had changed in one day. Like some guy once said, "We all carry around so much pain in our hearts. Love and pain and beauty. They all seem to go together like one little tidy confusing package. It's a messy business, life. It's hard to figure--full of surprises. Some good. Some bad." I think it was Henry something or other.
Whoever it was, he's right. Life is hard to figure. Full of surprises. Who'd a thunk that I'd wind up with a great buncha guys? Well, not me.
Something moved. I sat up and looked around.
"Soda?" I asked.
"Shh. Come here, kid."
I stepped over my sister and walked outside with Soda.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Do you know who Johnny is?" Soda asked.
"An old accomplice?" I asked.
Soda smiled. "Do you know his story, I mean?"
I shook my head. I had no idea...but I wanted to know. I wanted to know what made me so much like this Johnny dude.
"Well," Soda started.
Angela pushed his hand off. "One, it's Angela, not Angel. Two, don't you ever touch me again or I will beat on you," she warned.
Tim smiled at her and she smiled back.
Soda was fuming. It was great! He was jealous big time. And I guess Angela noticed, cuz she leaned over to him and said, "You're way cuter."
"Tex," Darry turned to me.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"I want you to wait outside," he answered.
"Uh—okay," I replied obediently.
I slipped quietly out the door and paced back and forth across the lawn.
"Hey Grease!"
I looked up. Some Soc and his friends got out of their car and grabbed the collar of my jacket and dragged me away from the garden. He threw me down on the pavement and bent down above me.
"What cha doin' alone Grease?" he asked.
His friends laughed and I swallowed the knot in my throat.
That's when Soda came out. I think he came to check on me, but what did that matter, right? He was there and he was saving my butt. I was happy.
"SODA!" I screamed.
I saw Soda look around the garden, then he saw the Socs.
"Holy hell," he said. He jumped the fence and pushed the Soc off me.
He pulled me behind him and said, "You wan 'im? Get him."
"My pleasure," the Soc answered. He pulled out a knife and the four of them ganged up on us.
"Two for the price of one," the lead Soc said.
I know I shoulda done something, but I was scared out of my whits. All I could think of was getting out of there—preferably alive.
The Soc jabbed his knife at Soda, who dogged him and pushed me down, away from the knife.
Another of the Socs kicked him in the stomach.
I winced. My friend was getting hurt—because of me. I hated myself at this point in time. I wanted to jump out in front of Soda.
Blood spilled from his arm. The Soc had got him with the knife.
He pushed Soda off to the side and lifted my by my jacket. I guess he figured I was the easier target, seeing as I'm a shrimp...guess what? He was right. I was scared to death, seeing what they did to Soda. If he couldn't take them, how could I? "You think your smart, huh kid?" the Soc asked.
Actually, no, I thought I was dead. This guy's not so smart, I thought.
"Leave him alone, Soc."
Soda! He's alive! That was a load off my shoulders.
Soda struggled to get on his feet. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. He didn't look all to hot. He was uneasy, stumbling over his own feet.
A Soc kicked his leg and he fell back on the ground.
"Soda!" I bit the Soc's hand and he dropped me and screamed. "Stupid kid!" Tow-Bit, Angela, Darry, Steve, Triss, Pony and Tim ran out the front door. "Soda!" Pony ran to his brother, who was once again fighting two socs at once. "Tex!" Angela ran to me, with Two-Bit not far behind her. He pulled out his knife and faced the soc. Darry, Pony and Tim were fighting the other three socs. I guess Angela figured I was well of with Two-Bit fighting for me, cuz she was hugging Soda—and I'm pretty sure she was crying. For him, not me. That was new in my book. And okay in my book. Soda was holding her with his good arm. Tim looked back. It was his turn to be jealous. You could clearly read the expression on his face. It said, I'm gonna get you for this, Curtis. I know it sounds mean, but I love watching guys fighting over my sister. Tim flew to the ground. He had taken a jab to the face. I winced. That had to hurt. Two-Bit threw the Soc onto the hood of his red mustang. "Get outta here." The Soc glared at him, but he knew he couldn't beat Two-Bit. "Dan! Josh! Ray! We're outta here!" His friends looked at him. The one who was fighting Pony threw him down and spit on the ground next to him. Who ever that was made the sorry mistake of letting Soda see. Soda charged at him. Darry just managed to hold his brother back. "Calm down, buddy! It's over! We won!" he said as Soda struggled to get free and strangle the idiot who insulted his family. As the mustang drove away, we walked into the house. "These Socs are getting out of hand," Darry said. "No kidding," Two-Bit answered. "You okay, kid?" I nodded. "Thanks. That's the second time in two days that you've saved me." I looked at Soda. Angela was bandaging his arm. He winced as she pulled the bandages tight. "Too tight?" she asked. "No, it's okay," Soda answered.
I lay in bed that night, looking at the ceiling, thinking of how much my life had changed in one day. Like some guy once said, "We all carry around so much pain in our hearts. Love and pain and beauty. They all seem to go together like one little tidy confusing package. It's a messy business, life. It's hard to figure--full of surprises. Some good. Some bad." I think it was Henry something or other.
Whoever it was, he's right. Life is hard to figure. Full of surprises. Who'd a thunk that I'd wind up with a great buncha guys? Well, not me.
Something moved. I sat up and looked around.
"Soda?" I asked.
"Shh. Come here, kid."
I stepped over my sister and walked outside with Soda.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Do you know who Johnny is?" Soda asked.
"An old accomplice?" I asked.
Soda smiled. "Do you know his story, I mean?"
I shook my head. I had no idea...but I wanted to know. I wanted to know what made me so much like this Johnny dude.
"Well," Soda started.