"I'm here!" A voice yelled through laughs as the kitchen door slammed.
The whole gang was in the kitchen, just finishing up supper. Tia and KJ entered the kitchen and were laughing their heads off. Tia was looking slightly better. Some colour had returned to her face own again. Her eyes weren't as dull as they had been, they looked excited and restless.
"Look who they let out of the pound!" Two-Bit exclaimed laughing.
"Sit down, both of ya, eat." Darry said motioning to the food on the counter.
The two of them quickly made their plats and ate quickly.
"How'd you get them to let you out?" Soda asked.
That set them off laughing again, KJ almost choked on his chicken.
"KJ brought me a change of Lisa's clothes, then he flirted with the nurse so I could sneak out the door." Tia managed to explain between laughing and eating.
The guys had a good laugh over that, but Darry and Dally still didn't think it was a good idea for Tia to be in the fight.
"Glory I need a shower, I smell like a fireplace." Tia said once she finished eating.
"Go ahead, we already had our showers." Darry and putting the dishes in the sink.
"Okay, thanks, when I get out, I need someone to cut the ends off my hair, since its scorched." Tia said before going into the bathroom.
Steve, Soda, KJ and Dally started up a game of poker. It was 6:30, the rumble would start in half an hour. By 6:40, Tia was out of the shower and changed.
"Could someone some cut my hair now?" She asked leaning her head out the bathroom door.
"Ohhhh I will!" Two-Bit yelled.
"I don't think so Matthews!" Tia yelled back laughing "Ponyboy, I trust you, grab the scissors and get in here."
Pony recovered from his surprise and grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer. He found Tia in the bathroom brushing out her wet hair. She was dressed, ready for fighting, light blue jeans and the same royal blue shirt with 'GREASER' across the front, she had worn in the previous rumble.
"How much do you want me to cut?" Pony asked.
"Meh, just the burnt parts, try and make it even if possible." Tia said shrugging.
Tia waited patiently as she listened to the sound of metal cutting hair and saw him tossing pieces of it into the garbage can. For some odd reason, he felt bad cutting her hair. He had always thought she had tuff hair, it was close to the colours of Soda and used to go just past her shoulders.
"Why do you like fights?" Pony asked Tia to break the silence.
"I like making a stand." Tia said after a minute of thought "I don't like being pushed around or looked down on. I fight to make a point, show them what I am made of, ya know?"
"Yeah." Pony replied nodding.
He could understand Tia's reason. A lot of people didn't think she was very good at fighting just because she wasn't as big as Darry or as intimidating as Dally. Boy were they wrong.
"Done." He said taking a step back.
Tia slowly looked up at the mirror not knowing if she wanted to see her new hair cut. It actually wasn't too bad. It now went about an inch past her chin, Pony had done a good job, it was pretty much even all around.
"Thanks." Tia replied.
Pony just nodded and went back to the living room. Once Tia dried her hair she went to join the guys.
"Glory Hallelujah!" Dally exclaimed when he saw her.
"Man, she doesn't only act like Dallas now, she looks like him too!" Two-Bit exclaimed, sitting on the arm of the couch.
Tia rolled her eyes and tackled him. They both landed on the floor with a thump but were laughing their heads off. Tia was trying to get Two-Bit pinned down but he managed to get one of his arms free. He used it to flip her off of him and had her pinned instead.
"Say uncle!" Two-Bit exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.
"Say bite me." Tia replied making the guys laugh.
"Well, you may look, sound and act like Dally, but you sure as hell don't fight like him." Two-Bit teased.
"Oh really?" Tia asked before getting her leg free and sending a blow to his stomach with her knee.
Two-Bit rolled off of her and tried to get the breath back that had been knocked out of him.
"Nice one." Two-Bit replied laughing.
"Thank you." Tia said, accepting a hand for KJ to help her off the floor.
"Well now that your warm up is done..." Darry said then gave a yell and ran out the door.
The rest of them quickly followed. Tia and KJ laughed as the guys did flips, cartwheels and anything else they could think of. KJ affectionally put his arm around Tia's shoulder, she looked up and smiled at him.
"Ready to stomp those Socs?" Tia asked.
"Sure am." KJ replied.
"I am a greaser." Soda chanted "I am a JD and a hood. I black the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to Society. Man, so I have fun!"
"Greaser...greaser...greaser..."Steve singsonged "O victim of environment, underpriviledged, rotten, no-count hood!"
"Juvenile delinquent, you're no good!" Darry shouted.
"Get thee hence, white trash," Two-Bit said in a snobbish voice. "I am a Soc. I am the priviledged and the well dressed. I throw beer blast, drive fancy cars, break windows at fancy parties."
"And what do you do for fun?" Pony inquired in a serious awed voice.
"I jump greasers!" Two-Bit screamed and did a cartwheel.
The air was cool, no one but Two-Bit had a jacket on, was easier to fight without one. Two-Bit pulled a beer can out of his jacket and cracked it open. He offered Tia a drink and she accepted. Pony couldn't understand how those two drank like they did, he hated the stuff.
"Don't look at me like that." Tia said when she caught Pony's glance. "I only drink a few sips before a rumble, help me loosen up."
"Listen, Soda, you and Ponyboy," Darry said as they walked down the street "if the fuzz show, you two get outta there. The rest of us can only get jailed. You two get sent to a boy's home."
"Nobody in this neighborhood's going to call the fuzz. They know what'd happen if they did." Steve pointed out.
The whole gang was in the kitchen, just finishing up supper. Tia and KJ entered the kitchen and were laughing their heads off. Tia was looking slightly better. Some colour had returned to her face own again. Her eyes weren't as dull as they had been, they looked excited and restless.
"Look who they let out of the pound!" Two-Bit exclaimed laughing.
"Sit down, both of ya, eat." Darry said motioning to the food on the counter.
The two of them quickly made their plats and ate quickly.
"How'd you get them to let you out?" Soda asked.
That set them off laughing again, KJ almost choked on his chicken.
"KJ brought me a change of Lisa's clothes, then he flirted with the nurse so I could sneak out the door." Tia managed to explain between laughing and eating.
The guys had a good laugh over that, but Darry and Dally still didn't think it was a good idea for Tia to be in the fight.
"Glory I need a shower, I smell like a fireplace." Tia said once she finished eating.
"Go ahead, we already had our showers." Darry and putting the dishes in the sink.
"Okay, thanks, when I get out, I need someone to cut the ends off my hair, since its scorched." Tia said before going into the bathroom.
Steve, Soda, KJ and Dally started up a game of poker. It was 6:30, the rumble would start in half an hour. By 6:40, Tia was out of the shower and changed.
"Could someone some cut my hair now?" She asked leaning her head out the bathroom door.
"Ohhhh I will!" Two-Bit yelled.
"I don't think so Matthews!" Tia yelled back laughing "Ponyboy, I trust you, grab the scissors and get in here."
Pony recovered from his surprise and grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer. He found Tia in the bathroom brushing out her wet hair. She was dressed, ready for fighting, light blue jeans and the same royal blue shirt with 'GREASER' across the front, she had worn in the previous rumble.
"How much do you want me to cut?" Pony asked.
"Meh, just the burnt parts, try and make it even if possible." Tia said shrugging.
Tia waited patiently as she listened to the sound of metal cutting hair and saw him tossing pieces of it into the garbage can. For some odd reason, he felt bad cutting her hair. He had always thought she had tuff hair, it was close to the colours of Soda and used to go just past her shoulders.
"Why do you like fights?" Pony asked Tia to break the silence.
"I like making a stand." Tia said after a minute of thought "I don't like being pushed around or looked down on. I fight to make a point, show them what I am made of, ya know?"
"Yeah." Pony replied nodding.
He could understand Tia's reason. A lot of people didn't think she was very good at fighting just because she wasn't as big as Darry or as intimidating as Dally. Boy were they wrong.
"Done." He said taking a step back.
Tia slowly looked up at the mirror not knowing if she wanted to see her new hair cut. It actually wasn't too bad. It now went about an inch past her chin, Pony had done a good job, it was pretty much even all around.
"Thanks." Tia replied.
Pony just nodded and went back to the living room. Once Tia dried her hair she went to join the guys.
"Glory Hallelujah!" Dally exclaimed when he saw her.
"Man, she doesn't only act like Dallas now, she looks like him too!" Two-Bit exclaimed, sitting on the arm of the couch.
Tia rolled her eyes and tackled him. They both landed on the floor with a thump but were laughing their heads off. Tia was trying to get Two-Bit pinned down but he managed to get one of his arms free. He used it to flip her off of him and had her pinned instead.
"Say uncle!" Two-Bit exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.
"Say bite me." Tia replied making the guys laugh.
"Well, you may look, sound and act like Dally, but you sure as hell don't fight like him." Two-Bit teased.
"Oh really?" Tia asked before getting her leg free and sending a blow to his stomach with her knee.
Two-Bit rolled off of her and tried to get the breath back that had been knocked out of him.
"Nice one." Two-Bit replied laughing.
"Thank you." Tia said, accepting a hand for KJ to help her off the floor.
"Well now that your warm up is done..." Darry said then gave a yell and ran out the door.
The rest of them quickly followed. Tia and KJ laughed as the guys did flips, cartwheels and anything else they could think of. KJ affectionally put his arm around Tia's shoulder, she looked up and smiled at him.
"Ready to stomp those Socs?" Tia asked.
"Sure am." KJ replied.
"I am a greaser." Soda chanted "I am a JD and a hood. I black the name of our fair city. I beat up people. I rob gas stations. I am a menace to Society. Man, so I have fun!"
"Greaser...greaser...greaser..."Steve singsonged "O victim of environment, underpriviledged, rotten, no-count hood!"
"Juvenile delinquent, you're no good!" Darry shouted.
"Get thee hence, white trash," Two-Bit said in a snobbish voice. "I am a Soc. I am the priviledged and the well dressed. I throw beer blast, drive fancy cars, break windows at fancy parties."
"And what do you do for fun?" Pony inquired in a serious awed voice.
"I jump greasers!" Two-Bit screamed and did a cartwheel.
The air was cool, no one but Two-Bit had a jacket on, was easier to fight without one. Two-Bit pulled a beer can out of his jacket and cracked it open. He offered Tia a drink and she accepted. Pony couldn't understand how those two drank like they did, he hated the stuff.
"Don't look at me like that." Tia said when she caught Pony's glance. "I only drink a few sips before a rumble, help me loosen up."
"Listen, Soda, you and Ponyboy," Darry said as they walked down the street "if the fuzz show, you two get outta there. The rest of us can only get jailed. You two get sent to a boy's home."
"Nobody in this neighborhood's going to call the fuzz. They know what'd happen if they did." Steve pointed out.