Five For Fighting
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing
T.W.E.L.V.E
The next week dragged on slowly as I waited for Thursday to come. I started leaving the house an hour early in the morning under the guise of tutoring someone in Spanish in order to avoid Jake and spend more time with my brothers. Dallas would pick me up down the road and take me to the house where I'd eat with the guys and then Dallas would drop off Two-Bit, Steve, Pony and I at school on his way to doing whatever he did during the day. The first car ride on Monday morning was torture, he wouldn't look at me or acknowledge my presence, just stepped on the gas and headed off towards the house as my books fell off my lap onto the floor. I didn't know what to say and figured it was better to stay silent rather than say something I might regret and that would keep him from picking me up.
On the way to school the others talked loudly enough that they didn't notice that Dallas and I weren't joining in. Some days Two-Bit and Steve would drive themselves or each other depending on whose car was actually running, but Dallas was always there in the morning. I guess he had the least to lose if he were to get caught.
Monday turned out to be better than I had expected it to. As I was trying to shut my locker at the end of the day a girl with bright red hair and a pretty face approached me with a smile. She was a Soc, I could tell easily of course due to her neat appearance and lack of make-up. The smile made me nervous, but it reached her eyes and I was pretty sure she didn't mean any harm as she stopped next to me.
"You're Ponyboy's sister aren't you?" She asked
I nodded, she seemed familiar, I had seen her in the halls but I almost felt like I knew her.
"I'm Sherri Valance, you can call me Cherry though, everyone else does." She said extending a hand.
Cherry Valance, Johnny had killed her boyfriend.
I winced to think of it.
"I heard what happened with Mrs. McMann, I wanted to let you know that she was out of line to say that. She's bitter because she's getting fired this year and she knows it. I'm captain of the squad and if you want to audition on Friday I'd love to see you ."
I looked at her uneasily not sure if I should trust her or not.
"Why are you being nice to me?" I finally asked.
She looked uncomfortable and couldn't quite meet my gaze, "Well, I mean, I know Ponyboy and he's a good kid, I guess I want to help you out because he helped me, though he may not know it."
"I don't want charity on my brother's account" I said carefully "I would want to be judged fair and square and only make the team if I'm good enough"
She nodded "Fair enough, I'll see you Friday then." She turned to leave and then turned back, "You're different Amber, I think you might be what this school needs to bring the people together, you really don't fit in with either group do you?"
I shook my head but said with a wry smile "I may not fit in, but I'm a greaser, same as my brothers, and here come your friends so maybe you should stop talking to me so they don't give you or me a hard time." I didn't mean it to sound mean and she knew it because she nodded and headed off to greet her friends who were shouting plans to go out and grab a coke.
I slammed my locker shut and turned around to go whirling into Steve and his girlfriend who clung to his arm chewing a piece of gum loudly.
"What were you doing talking to her?" Steve asked in his patronizing voice that he reserved for Ponyboy and me.
"Just talking about stuff, cheerleading, she invited me to tryout."
"You know who she is right?" He asked
"I'm not stupid, I know who she is, she knows who I am, it's fine." I said.
Steve had a way of putting me on edge and making me feel inferior.
"You want a ride to the DX?" He asked, his voice softening a little.
His girlfriend whined that she didn't want to go to the DX and that she didn't trust the two of us to go alone.
He told her I was just Soda's kid sister and to shut up about it, he was doing him a favor.
I felt my face go red and I backed away as they got into an argument that quickly ended with Steve kissing her roughly.
"Amber!"
I whirled around halfway across the lawn and saw Johnny on the front steps of the school.
I ran over to him in surprise and dropped down next to him on the stairs, "what are you doing here Johnny?" I asked.
"Seein' if I could get back into school" he blushed a little as he said this.
"Yeah?" I asked "What'd they say?"
"Said I'd have to start back a grade, missed too much school"
"So that would put you with me and Pony! We could help you with anything you need help with" I said getting excited.
Two-Bit came out of the double doors behind us and sat down next to me slinging an arm around my shoulders.
"Good news about the kid huh?"
I nodded and smiled up at Johnny again who fairly beamed and looked away as another blush crept across his face.
"We're going to The Dingo, want to grab Ponyboy and come with us?" Two-Bit asked standing up and dusting off the seat of his pants.
I nodded "I'll go find Ponyboy" I said as Two-Bit wheeled Johnny down the ramp and towards the parking lot.
"We'll drive around and pick you up in the front" Two-Bit called as I ran back into the school and searched the halls for Ponyboy.
I found him in front of his locker talking to a girl with long jet black hair that fell to her waist in curls.
"Hey Ponyboy" I said walking up to them afraid I was interrupting something.
It never crossed my mind that Ponyboy would be interested in girls while I was so wrapped up in my feelings for Dallas.
"Hey Amber, ready to go home?" He asked turning away from the girl who gave me a nasty scowl that I could feel being pressed into the back of my head.
"I didn't mean to interrupt." I said uneasily casting a sideways look at the girl.
"Neah, this is just Tim's sister Angela, I was waiting for you."
I shuddered at the thought of Tim and then wished I hadn't as the girl looked ready to jump me on the spot.
"Two-Bit and Johnny are out front waiting for us."
"Ok, bye Angela" He said with a wave and fell into step next to me. "I haven't seen Angela in years, she's been dating some guy who apparently isn't working out, I don't know why she started talking to me now, we never were close."
I thought it was pretty obvious that she had a thing for him, based on her reaction to my showing up, but I didn't say anything in hopes that he wouldn't realize this and date the girl.
"What is Johnny doing here?" He asked as we reached the doors and walked towards Two-Bits beat up car.
"Signing back up for school" I said with a grin "Isn't it great?"
He looked a little worried but nodded in agreement, sliding into the backseat next to Johnny and sharing a glance as opposed to exchanging words.
I got in the front next to Two-Bit and we sped off towards The Dingo which was already packed with kids, hanging out in the parking lot, leaning into each others' cars.
I loved the atmosphere and smiled as a boy a few years older than me came to my open window and leaned against the roof in order to talk to us.
Another kid on the other side of the car was talking to Ponyboy and waving his arms animatedly telling him a story that ended with someone getting stabbed and a trip to the hospital.
An hour later Two-Bit started the car, "I better get you kids home"
I sighed, I always hated going back to the Masters house, especially after being with my brothers and the gang, it just didn't seem fair.
Dinner was normally quiet, but nice, with Peter and Alice talking about their day and asking me about mine.
Today neither of them looked happy and I found out why after all the food had been passed around.
"We got a letter today Amber" Peter said
I looked up from my mashed potatoes wondering if I was in trouble already at school.
"It's a court order, it seems your brother is trying to claim custody of you"
I nodded "He is my legal guardian" I said pushing my plate away, no longer hungry.
"Oh Amber, we know he's your brother and you love him, but he just can't take care of you" Alice said.
"Yes he can, I know he can, they're my family and I should be with them" I protested
"But we love you Amber, we want to be your family" Alice said, she looked hurt.
"If you really love me you'd want me to be happy, you two are wonderful people but I'm not happy, I want to be with my brothers, please help me"
They looked at each other but neither of them spoke, pushing myself away from the table I ran up to my room and locked the door.
Opening the window I swung myself out onto the white makeshift ladder and hurried down the side of the house not knowing where to go once I reached the bottom.
Darry would be mad at me for running away, it would look bad if I were to show up at the house.
I don't know why I had left the house like I did, and I wished I hadn't once the cold seeped into my skin, I had forgotten a jacket.
I could easily turn back and get back into the house before they realized I was gone, but I was reluctant to give up my freedom. It occurred to me that not once since I had found my way to Tulsa had I been alone and unaccounted for.
I sighed at the thought that my life was constantly in someone else's hands, it just wasn't fair, nothing lately was fair. My life back in Arizona wasn't fair, but at least I had some say in what I did, here in Tulsa I was lucky that I was allowed to dress myself. It was a frustrating feeling that left me feeling temperamental. I'm fifteen years old, I could make decisions for myself I thought, kicking a rock in the middle of the street. I just had to hold out until Thursday, if the judge said I couldn't live with Darry I would threaten to kill myself and maybe even fake an attempt in order to convince them that I meant business.
I retreated back to the Masters house and crept inside, an hour later Alice came to the door to say goodnight. She didn't mention the letter or the hearing, just kissed my forehead and closed the door again.
The rest of the week dragged on in a hazy dream so that when I woke up on Thursday I felt as though I had been asleep since that Monday night.
School was a nightmare as images of the judge sentencing me to a lifetime with the Masters flickered through my mind.
"Hello, anyone home?" Two-Bit asked waving a hand in front of my face during lunch.
I looked up at him and forced a smile, "What?"
"I said, are you ready for this afternoon?" He repeated
I felt sick to my stomach and I could feel the color draining out of me. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Everything will be fine kid." He reassured me
Ponyboy caught my gaze and I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves.
Everything will be fine.