"Buck, the horse is in the shoot, where the hell is the rider!?" Tia yelled.
The horse was growing restless in the confined space. She was leaning on the rail holding the gait closed with the rope.
"I see him coming, hold on sec." Buck yelled back.
"We can't hold on a sec, this horse is coming out with or without a rider." Dally yelled back to him.
It was the night after Two-Bit drunk 'talk' and the whole gang, minus Darry, was at the rodeo. Luckily, the rider got there in time. Tia grimaced when he got slammed face first into the dirt.
"That's gotta hurt." Pony said shaking his head.
"Probably not, I know him, his head is pretty thick." Soda replied.
"When do you and Dally ride?" Pony asked Tia once the next horse was in the pen and she was hold the gate shut.
"Next round." Tia said between gritted teeth, as the horse pushed against the gate.
"The crowd is bigger then usual tonight." Steve commented, coming up behind them.
"Ready, cowboy?" Tia asked when the rider finished tying his hand on.
When he gave a short nod, Tia let go of the gate. This guy had a bit more luck then the last. It had been a little over two months that Tia had been participating, after her fourth rodeo, she starting riding in the same round as Dally.
Also, in the last few rodeos, Buck has been asking her to help out around the rodeo. Dally said it was because when she was working around the gaits, more people got to see her and that is why alot of them came.
Once they announced the placings for the class. Tia left her spot on the rail and got Steve to take over her job.
"When am I riding?" Tia asked Buck when she found him.
"Eight people, your fifth, Dallas is second." Buck replied.
Tia nodded and headed back towards the gate. When she felt a arm around her waist she looked to see who it was. KJ's light brown eyes looked down at her.
"Hey babe." KJ said giving her a light kiss to greet her.
"You don't mind the starring?" Tia asked, KJ was a quiet guy and as they made their way through the crowd, eyes were on them.
"As long as I am with you, I don't care." KJ replied smiling "I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble with the guys?"
"Didn't get into trouble, but I did get 'the talk' from a slightly drunk Two-Bit." Tia replied smiling.
"Ouch, that couldn't have been fun." KJ replied grimacing.
"Actually, it was quite funny, I feel worse for Pony and Johnny though." Tia replied as they approached the group.
"Your riding second." Tia said to Dally, leaning against the rail next to him.
She looked to see who all was there. Two-Bit was missing, probably drunk somewhere, everyone else was there. She caught Tim's eye who was standing by the rail a little piece down from them. She nodded and gave him a small smile. He returned the smile and the nod.
Tia was glad that Dally was riding before her, he always for the crowd worked up. The first guy to ride didn't last very long, he was thrown to the ground in about 3 seconds and was chased out of the arena by the horse.
"G'Luck, Dallas." Tia said as he climbed over the rail.
"I don't need luck." Dally said teasing her.
Tia could hear the crowd getting louder as he tied his hand on. He nodded to Steve who let go of the rope holding the gate shut. Tia and the gang screamed along with the crowd for Dally. He lasted pretty good and landed on his shoulder, rolling. The horse didn't come back around so Dally took the chance to work the crowd.
"I'm a Greaser, a hood from New York, a real JD!" Dally chanted loud while laughing.
"You dirty, no good kid, why can't you let this town be?" The gang chanted back, they had heard this one before from Dally.
"This town is mine, not even the fuzz can catch me!" Dally yelled.
The crowd yelled and cheered for him, our whole gang was laughing. He hopped over the rail to join us.
"Your crazy." Tia told him shaking her head.
"And damn proud of it." Dally replied laughing.
Dally had a time of 18.4 seconds. He was in third place, the time to beat was 16.2.
"Hellllo." A slurred voice said behind her.
"Hellllo, to you too, Two-Bit." Tia said laughing.
Dally and KJ leaned on the rail as she got on the horse and tied her hand on. Tia gave KJ a quick kiss, he was nervous for her, she could tell by the look on her face.
"Ready?" Steve asked.
"No, one sec." Tia said, snatching the can of beer out of Two-Bit's hand.
She took one mouthful before Dally took it from her. Tia rolled her eyes at him and nodded to Steve. She shot out of the pen and felt her neck snap. Everything passed in a flash, she didn't know if it was seconds or hours that passed. The horse made a sharp right and bucked hard.
Tia flew from the horses back and landed on her stomache, one of the worst ways to land. When she landed, she felt something in her hand crack. She pushed herself off the ground with her good hand and got to her feet. Luckily the horse didn't come back around. She whipped the dirt off of her face. The crowd cheered loud for her even though she had fallen quite bad.
She walked out of the ring with her head held high even though her hand felt like it was on fire. She used her good hand to vault herself over rail to where the gang was standing.
"Awsome riding." Soda said with a huge smile on his face.
"You okay?" KJ asked "It looked like you landed real hard."
Dally had been thinking the same thing and carefully looked at her hand.
"Can you move your fingers?" Dally asked her.
Tia tried but the growing pain made her stop, she shook her head in reponse to Dally's question.
"I think you broke three of your fingers." Dally said grimly.
"Oh well, I am fine." Tia said taking her hand from Dally. "Just get me some extra smokes and some tape.
Dally looked confused but came back within a few minutes with what she asked for and some news.
"15.7, you won." Dally said smiling as he handed her three cigarettes and a roll of tape.
Pony just shook his head laughing at Tia places each cigarette underneath each of her fingers and tapes them so she couldn't bend them.
"You have got to be kiddin' me." Pony said laughing.
"Hey, its works, it'll be fine for the night." Tia said handing the tape back to Dally.
They hung around the rodeo for a bit longer. When the crowds started to clear out, some heading for the party at Buck's house, the gang left too.
"Have fun at Bucks, me and KJ are heading out to the Dingo." Tia said to Dally and said goodbye to rest of the gang.
Some of KJ's other friends were waiting by his car, most had girlfriends with them. Tia got into the front with KJ and another couple. Even though Tia was three years younger or more then them, they still treated her with respect. Paritially because she was KJ's girl and partially because she was a Greaser.
The horse was growing restless in the confined space. She was leaning on the rail holding the gait closed with the rope.
"I see him coming, hold on sec." Buck yelled back.
"We can't hold on a sec, this horse is coming out with or without a rider." Dally yelled back to him.
It was the night after Two-Bit drunk 'talk' and the whole gang, minus Darry, was at the rodeo. Luckily, the rider got there in time. Tia grimaced when he got slammed face first into the dirt.
"That's gotta hurt." Pony said shaking his head.
"Probably not, I know him, his head is pretty thick." Soda replied.
"When do you and Dally ride?" Pony asked Tia once the next horse was in the pen and she was hold the gate shut.
"Next round." Tia said between gritted teeth, as the horse pushed against the gate.
"The crowd is bigger then usual tonight." Steve commented, coming up behind them.
"Ready, cowboy?" Tia asked when the rider finished tying his hand on.
When he gave a short nod, Tia let go of the gate. This guy had a bit more luck then the last. It had been a little over two months that Tia had been participating, after her fourth rodeo, she starting riding in the same round as Dally.
Also, in the last few rodeos, Buck has been asking her to help out around the rodeo. Dally said it was because when she was working around the gaits, more people got to see her and that is why alot of them came.
Once they announced the placings for the class. Tia left her spot on the rail and got Steve to take over her job.
"When am I riding?" Tia asked Buck when she found him.
"Eight people, your fifth, Dallas is second." Buck replied.
Tia nodded and headed back towards the gate. When she felt a arm around her waist she looked to see who it was. KJ's light brown eyes looked down at her.
"Hey babe." KJ said giving her a light kiss to greet her.
"You don't mind the starring?" Tia asked, KJ was a quiet guy and as they made their way through the crowd, eyes were on them.
"As long as I am with you, I don't care." KJ replied smiling "I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble with the guys?"
"Didn't get into trouble, but I did get 'the talk' from a slightly drunk Two-Bit." Tia replied smiling.
"Ouch, that couldn't have been fun." KJ replied grimacing.
"Actually, it was quite funny, I feel worse for Pony and Johnny though." Tia replied as they approached the group.
"Your riding second." Tia said to Dally, leaning against the rail next to him.
She looked to see who all was there. Two-Bit was missing, probably drunk somewhere, everyone else was there. She caught Tim's eye who was standing by the rail a little piece down from them. She nodded and gave him a small smile. He returned the smile and the nod.
Tia was glad that Dally was riding before her, he always for the crowd worked up. The first guy to ride didn't last very long, he was thrown to the ground in about 3 seconds and was chased out of the arena by the horse.
"G'Luck, Dallas." Tia said as he climbed over the rail.
"I don't need luck." Dally said teasing her.
Tia could hear the crowd getting louder as he tied his hand on. He nodded to Steve who let go of the rope holding the gate shut. Tia and the gang screamed along with the crowd for Dally. He lasted pretty good and landed on his shoulder, rolling. The horse didn't come back around so Dally took the chance to work the crowd.
"I'm a Greaser, a hood from New York, a real JD!" Dally chanted loud while laughing.
"You dirty, no good kid, why can't you let this town be?" The gang chanted back, they had heard this one before from Dally.
"This town is mine, not even the fuzz can catch me!" Dally yelled.
The crowd yelled and cheered for him, our whole gang was laughing. He hopped over the rail to join us.
"Your crazy." Tia told him shaking her head.
"And damn proud of it." Dally replied laughing.
Dally had a time of 18.4 seconds. He was in third place, the time to beat was 16.2.
"Hellllo." A slurred voice said behind her.
"Hellllo, to you too, Two-Bit." Tia said laughing.
Dally and KJ leaned on the rail as she got on the horse and tied her hand on. Tia gave KJ a quick kiss, he was nervous for her, she could tell by the look on her face.
"Ready?" Steve asked.
"No, one sec." Tia said, snatching the can of beer out of Two-Bit's hand.
She took one mouthful before Dally took it from her. Tia rolled her eyes at him and nodded to Steve. She shot out of the pen and felt her neck snap. Everything passed in a flash, she didn't know if it was seconds or hours that passed. The horse made a sharp right and bucked hard.
Tia flew from the horses back and landed on her stomache, one of the worst ways to land. When she landed, she felt something in her hand crack. She pushed herself off the ground with her good hand and got to her feet. Luckily the horse didn't come back around. She whipped the dirt off of her face. The crowd cheered loud for her even though she had fallen quite bad.
She walked out of the ring with her head held high even though her hand felt like it was on fire. She used her good hand to vault herself over rail to where the gang was standing.
"Awsome riding." Soda said with a huge smile on his face.
"You okay?" KJ asked "It looked like you landed real hard."
Dally had been thinking the same thing and carefully looked at her hand.
"Can you move your fingers?" Dally asked her.
Tia tried but the growing pain made her stop, she shook her head in reponse to Dally's question.
"I think you broke three of your fingers." Dally said grimly.
"Oh well, I am fine." Tia said taking her hand from Dally. "Just get me some extra smokes and some tape.
Dally looked confused but came back within a few minutes with what she asked for and some news.
"15.7, you won." Dally said smiling as he handed her three cigarettes and a roll of tape.
Pony just shook his head laughing at Tia places each cigarette underneath each of her fingers and tapes them so she couldn't bend them.
"You have got to be kiddin' me." Pony said laughing.
"Hey, its works, it'll be fine for the night." Tia said handing the tape back to Dally.
They hung around the rodeo for a bit longer. When the crowds started to clear out, some heading for the party at Buck's house, the gang left too.
"Have fun at Bucks, me and KJ are heading out to the Dingo." Tia said to Dally and said goodbye to rest of the gang.
Some of KJ's other friends were waiting by his car, most had girlfriends with them. Tia got into the front with KJ and another couple. Even though Tia was three years younger or more then them, they still treated her with respect. Paritially because she was KJ's girl and partially because she was a Greaser.