Cutting Trees: Chapter Four
Another clear, yet slurred yell in the night made Soda jump as well, "CEDAR!" She whimpered from the floor and Ponyboy expected her to begin rocking back and forth soon.
She was covering her ears, curled in a tight ball, on the Curtis' hard wood flooring, ready to cry. Steps were coming up the short as Steve gathered her up in his arms and put her behind the arm of the old ratty couch, out of sight of the door. "Stay here," he told her quietly. She just nodded, her fingers twitching apprehensively.
"Can I help you?" Steve jerked open in a loud voice before the man could get to it. The tone he used generally with people he didn't like. The guy was white, Steve noted. Completely white. And it reminded him of his old man - and Steve really did not like his old man.
"I'm lookin' for Cedar Rain," the man said, stumbling slightly. "She in there?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Lemme come look."
"I think not," Darry said from behind him. "This is my house. And she ain't here, left over five hours ago."
"Yeah!" Two-Bit's voice affirmed behind the old guy. "I seen her." -Don't say over at anyone's, she pleaded silently wit him. "Over at Buck's." -Damn.- She thought as he stumbled away.
*
Steve crooked Cedar's chin up, when leaning on the fridge door one day. "Where'd ya get that bruise?" he inquired, as she stepped back from him, flinching at his touch. She'd hid it well with make-up, he remarked to himself. But in the end, it hadn't been good enough for him; he looked for things like that on other people. Begging and pleading not to be alone. "Cedar," he demanded when there was no response.
Looking him right in the eye, she knew there was no way she was going to lie her way out of this one. He knew, but somehow she had to say it to affirm his belief. And as their eyes locked, it scared her and she knew her lips wouldn't utter anything but the truth. "My step-dad."
"Your step-dad? Where's your mom?"
"Dead."
"Your step-dad hit you?"
"That's what I basically just said," she snappe3d and turned back to the cutting board. She'd volunteered her skills, seeing as Soda kept burning things - furthermore, Darry kept inviting her over more and more with the food. Yup. They were in desperate need of a woman's touch one could say.
He caught her arm, the same one that had the small cutting night and raised it to his eye level. He didn't trust. And he bet she would have gutted him right there in the Curtis kitchen if she could have. "Where do you get all this goddamn rudeness for me? I try to be nice."
"Yeah. Well I go for winners only."
"Ya sound like a fucking Soc."
"I sound like I wanna get outta this dump."
"Are you saying I don't have dreams, sister? 'Cuz if you are-"
"I'm saying I'm shooting higher than a gas station."
She felt his grip flew as instinct before his scowl turned into a full-out sneer. "You think you're so good don't you? Don't you?" he demanded and her eyes widened in terror. He loosened his grip slightly, well maybe he didn't want to scare her shitless...
"Better than... than you!" she sputtered. Silently she cursed herself, was that the best she could come up with anymore? She knew how to make most boys quake in their shoes with her words. But not Steve she just couldn't get Steve.
"Is that the best you can come up with?" he snickered, mirroring her thoughts. "People like you are the kind that should be killed."
"People like you are the one's who are too cowardly to step up and work for something!" she sneered at his clenched fist. "C'mon! Hit me!"
"You actually want to be hit."
"I can see it brooding in your eyes, Steve. Just think if you killed me, you'd actually make your first contribution to the world."
"The world probably would hardly bat an eye at the death of a little slut."
Something cold and hard met Steve's cheek. She dropped the knife she had in the hand of the wrist he was holding. She looked shocked that she had slapped him - horrified actually; as if she couldn't believe she'd unleashed such a horrible power over someone else. But she quickly she regained her confident self, "Never call me a slut."
"Ya ain't so tough as you like to make out to be," he commented wiping blood from his lip. That -hurt.- She slapped hard for a girl.
"Get something to put on that or you'll swell like a balloon," she began to turn away from him.
He touched the spot in shock, "Did you just backhand me?"
"Yes," she replied curtly, returning to rolling and cutting her dough. Her shoulders were shaking. She hadn't meant to hit him. That comforted him slightly. The thought haunted him and followed him into the bathroom where he dusted the flour off his cheek. What a hell-cat. Why was she so sensitive about that word? She'd taken being called a bitch among numerous other things with grace - in fact she'd said thank you on one occasion. But she slapped him for being called a slut. And it wasn't even always cursing!
Two-Bit came in the door when Steve had reseated himself at the table, pouring over the classifieds. "Whoa, what happened to you, man?"
Steve glanced at Cedar, tersely, "I got what I deserved."
"Ow dude!"
Slowly but surely everyone petered into the room at the smell of actual food not just some rendition thereof, serving only for function and generally not for taste. "This bread is -so- good," Two-Bit dug in and the other guys sighed. No bread for them?
"I didn't know corn didn't always come in a can," Soda commented looking at the dish on the table. "never knew you could get it fresh..."
"What're these called again?" Ponyboy inquired, shoving another egg in his mouth, hoarding a few more onto his plate.
"Deviled eggs dumbo," Two-Bit said twaking him over the head. "Were you raised in a barn? And I know they'se hard to prepare... I tried once."
"According to princess here, trying don't count," Steve informed them. The other guys just shrugged, their bellies getting fuller by the second, and continued to eat the dishes clean.
*
Sodapop Curtis heard a light tap on his window and hit his brother to wake him up. The kid oofed. Looking out at an anxious Cedar pacing, "Can I sleep on your couch? Door's locked... sorry..."
"Yeah," Soda replied half asleep still as the two pulled her up and through the window. Things must have got awful bad. This was the first time she'd ever actually taken them up on the offer of a couch to sleep on when things in her house went sour. She just went in and crashed on the couch, groaning slightly. Life sucked. When Cedar woke up in the morning, she rolled off the couch in shock.
Darry turned around in his towel and groaned, "Why doesn't anybody tell me when people are here?"
"Um, I came in at three am."
He returned to his room and found Cedar making herself useful in the kitchen. "You know what?" he said to her. "I'm gonna just let you do that."
She laughed, "I'm sure."
Steve barged through the door, obviously rattled. His hand was combing through his greasy hair repetitively and he had a cigarette he was smoking like nothing else. "I'll kill 'im someday... I swe- Hello Cedar."
She looked away, reddening at the sight of his cheek. "Whoa what happened there buddy?" Darry asked, leaning back at one of the chairs at the table. Steve scowled.
"I got slapped."
"Someone slaps hard," Darry replied. His voice was serious but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, glittering at prospects of his little brother's friend.
"Yeah. She does," Steve's gaze was still leveled at Cedar and Darry just wondered what he'd done to piss her off. She never blew up at his little power antics, or Soda's idiot antics, or Ponyboy on his smart-aleck days. Just Steve got her razzed. And her step-dad.
Darry continued thumbing through the paper, "Can I give ya a ride something this lovely mornin' which smells like actual cooking?'
"Erm..." she bit her lip. "Debbie's on-"
Both men stared at her. She bit her lip and looked down. Obviously they knew the name and she knew the reputation wasn't so hot. In fact, she hated working there and the rumors were for the most part true but she was desperate enough. She was blowing out of here never to return when she turned eighteen. She was hauling ass back to the rez. Darry just shook his head, "Okay."
*
Steve was actually having a good rest of the day once he ate a rather good breakfast. At work, his boss offered him a raise and it was good; anybody can use a raise to make their day brighter. After work, he dropped by the drugstore and bought a couple of packs of cigs to the last the next day, but what he saw crawling from the drugstore alley made him hit the brakes hard.
"Cedar?" he asked getting out of the car. She didn't respond. "Cedar?"
Finally when she realized he wouldn't go away, she looked up with tears welling in her defeated eyes. Her skin was nearly black and blue all over; her clothes were ripped and some of her was cut up bad. Real bad. Then she curled up again.
"Cedar!" he dropped to his knees. "What happened?"
"T-They came outt-t-ta kn-know-w-where," she stuttered.
"Who?"
"I dunno!" she sobbed. "They were driving T-birds."
He cursed. "What'd they do to you?" he asked more tenderly, helping her sit up.
"What does it look like?"
"I got my mind reeling Cedar," he told her.
"They raped me all right?" she cried.
"No. Not alright," he stated firmly. "Can you get up?"
"I dunno."
"I'll help you," he said and gently took her waist as she sucked in a breath and stood. Throwing his coat, his leather one that he was so proud of - he saved for it for so long - tossing it over her shouldn't, he put an arm around her and ushered her to the car.
Her body nearly collapsed in a heap of bones in his passenger's seat, wincing at every move she made. Her glazed gaze out the window unnerved him. "They were a buncha Socs," she stated.
He looked at her again, pausing before turning the key, "Did they do it just to do it?"
"No. They know you guys," she replied, still not looking at him.
"Lay down and sleep sugar," he told her softly, as tears poured down from her eyes again. "I ain't gonna let 'em get you again. Ever."
Somehow she was reassured by the one human being who seemed to hate her outside her family and laid down on his seat. Curled up by her worst opposition of the gang, she drifted off to sleep.
.-*-.
A.N. Wowee! That chappie was long! Remember to review! ^_^
Another clear, yet slurred yell in the night made Soda jump as well, "CEDAR!" She whimpered from the floor and Ponyboy expected her to begin rocking back and forth soon.
She was covering her ears, curled in a tight ball, on the Curtis' hard wood flooring, ready to cry. Steps were coming up the short as Steve gathered her up in his arms and put her behind the arm of the old ratty couch, out of sight of the door. "Stay here," he told her quietly. She just nodded, her fingers twitching apprehensively.
"Can I help you?" Steve jerked open in a loud voice before the man could get to it. The tone he used generally with people he didn't like. The guy was white, Steve noted. Completely white. And it reminded him of his old man - and Steve really did not like his old man.
"I'm lookin' for Cedar Rain," the man said, stumbling slightly. "She in there?"
"No."
"Are you sure? Lemme come look."
"I think not," Darry said from behind him. "This is my house. And she ain't here, left over five hours ago."
"Yeah!" Two-Bit's voice affirmed behind the old guy. "I seen her." -Don't say over at anyone's, she pleaded silently wit him. "Over at Buck's." -Damn.- She thought as he stumbled away.
*
Steve crooked Cedar's chin up, when leaning on the fridge door one day. "Where'd ya get that bruise?" he inquired, as she stepped back from him, flinching at his touch. She'd hid it well with make-up, he remarked to himself. But in the end, it hadn't been good enough for him; he looked for things like that on other people. Begging and pleading not to be alone. "Cedar," he demanded when there was no response.
Looking him right in the eye, she knew there was no way she was going to lie her way out of this one. He knew, but somehow she had to say it to affirm his belief. And as their eyes locked, it scared her and she knew her lips wouldn't utter anything but the truth. "My step-dad."
"Your step-dad? Where's your mom?"
"Dead."
"Your step-dad hit you?"
"That's what I basically just said," she snappe3d and turned back to the cutting board. She'd volunteered her skills, seeing as Soda kept burning things - furthermore, Darry kept inviting her over more and more with the food. Yup. They were in desperate need of a woman's touch one could say.
He caught her arm, the same one that had the small cutting night and raised it to his eye level. He didn't trust. And he bet she would have gutted him right there in the Curtis kitchen if she could have. "Where do you get all this goddamn rudeness for me? I try to be nice."
"Yeah. Well I go for winners only."
"Ya sound like a fucking Soc."
"I sound like I wanna get outta this dump."
"Are you saying I don't have dreams, sister? 'Cuz if you are-"
"I'm saying I'm shooting higher than a gas station."
She felt his grip flew as instinct before his scowl turned into a full-out sneer. "You think you're so good don't you? Don't you?" he demanded and her eyes widened in terror. He loosened his grip slightly, well maybe he didn't want to scare her shitless...
"Better than... than you!" she sputtered. Silently she cursed herself, was that the best she could come up with anymore? She knew how to make most boys quake in their shoes with her words. But not Steve she just couldn't get Steve.
"Is that the best you can come up with?" he snickered, mirroring her thoughts. "People like you are the kind that should be killed."
"People like you are the one's who are too cowardly to step up and work for something!" she sneered at his clenched fist. "C'mon! Hit me!"
"You actually want to be hit."
"I can see it brooding in your eyes, Steve. Just think if you killed me, you'd actually make your first contribution to the world."
"The world probably would hardly bat an eye at the death of a little slut."
Something cold and hard met Steve's cheek. She dropped the knife she had in the hand of the wrist he was holding. She looked shocked that she had slapped him - horrified actually; as if she couldn't believe she'd unleashed such a horrible power over someone else. But she quickly she regained her confident self, "Never call me a slut."
"Ya ain't so tough as you like to make out to be," he commented wiping blood from his lip. That -hurt.- She slapped hard for a girl.
"Get something to put on that or you'll swell like a balloon," she began to turn away from him.
He touched the spot in shock, "Did you just backhand me?"
"Yes," she replied curtly, returning to rolling and cutting her dough. Her shoulders were shaking. She hadn't meant to hit him. That comforted him slightly. The thought haunted him and followed him into the bathroom where he dusted the flour off his cheek. What a hell-cat. Why was she so sensitive about that word? She'd taken being called a bitch among numerous other things with grace - in fact she'd said thank you on one occasion. But she slapped him for being called a slut. And it wasn't even always cursing!
Two-Bit came in the door when Steve had reseated himself at the table, pouring over the classifieds. "Whoa, what happened to you, man?"
Steve glanced at Cedar, tersely, "I got what I deserved."
"Ow dude!"
Slowly but surely everyone petered into the room at the smell of actual food not just some rendition thereof, serving only for function and generally not for taste. "This bread is -so- good," Two-Bit dug in and the other guys sighed. No bread for them?
"I didn't know corn didn't always come in a can," Soda commented looking at the dish on the table. "never knew you could get it fresh..."
"What're these called again?" Ponyboy inquired, shoving another egg in his mouth, hoarding a few more onto his plate.
"Deviled eggs dumbo," Two-Bit said twaking him over the head. "Were you raised in a barn? And I know they'se hard to prepare... I tried once."
"According to princess here, trying don't count," Steve informed them. The other guys just shrugged, their bellies getting fuller by the second, and continued to eat the dishes clean.
*
Sodapop Curtis heard a light tap on his window and hit his brother to wake him up. The kid oofed. Looking out at an anxious Cedar pacing, "Can I sleep on your couch? Door's locked... sorry..."
"Yeah," Soda replied half asleep still as the two pulled her up and through the window. Things must have got awful bad. This was the first time she'd ever actually taken them up on the offer of a couch to sleep on when things in her house went sour. She just went in and crashed on the couch, groaning slightly. Life sucked. When Cedar woke up in the morning, she rolled off the couch in shock.
Darry turned around in his towel and groaned, "Why doesn't anybody tell me when people are here?"
"Um, I came in at three am."
He returned to his room and found Cedar making herself useful in the kitchen. "You know what?" he said to her. "I'm gonna just let you do that."
She laughed, "I'm sure."
Steve barged through the door, obviously rattled. His hand was combing through his greasy hair repetitively and he had a cigarette he was smoking like nothing else. "I'll kill 'im someday... I swe- Hello Cedar."
She looked away, reddening at the sight of his cheek. "Whoa what happened there buddy?" Darry asked, leaning back at one of the chairs at the table. Steve scowled.
"I got slapped."
"Someone slaps hard," Darry replied. His voice was serious but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, glittering at prospects of his little brother's friend.
"Yeah. She does," Steve's gaze was still leveled at Cedar and Darry just wondered what he'd done to piss her off. She never blew up at his little power antics, or Soda's idiot antics, or Ponyboy on his smart-aleck days. Just Steve got her razzed. And her step-dad.
Darry continued thumbing through the paper, "Can I give ya a ride something this lovely mornin' which smells like actual cooking?'
"Erm..." she bit her lip. "Debbie's on-"
Both men stared at her. She bit her lip and looked down. Obviously they knew the name and she knew the reputation wasn't so hot. In fact, she hated working there and the rumors were for the most part true but she was desperate enough. She was blowing out of here never to return when she turned eighteen. She was hauling ass back to the rez. Darry just shook his head, "Okay."
*
Steve was actually having a good rest of the day once he ate a rather good breakfast. At work, his boss offered him a raise and it was good; anybody can use a raise to make their day brighter. After work, he dropped by the drugstore and bought a couple of packs of cigs to the last the next day, but what he saw crawling from the drugstore alley made him hit the brakes hard.
"Cedar?" he asked getting out of the car. She didn't respond. "Cedar?"
Finally when she realized he wouldn't go away, she looked up with tears welling in her defeated eyes. Her skin was nearly black and blue all over; her clothes were ripped and some of her was cut up bad. Real bad. Then she curled up again.
"Cedar!" he dropped to his knees. "What happened?"
"T-They came outt-t-ta kn-know-w-where," she stuttered.
"Who?"
"I dunno!" she sobbed. "They were driving T-birds."
He cursed. "What'd they do to you?" he asked more tenderly, helping her sit up.
"What does it look like?"
"I got my mind reeling Cedar," he told her.
"They raped me all right?" she cried.
"No. Not alright," he stated firmly. "Can you get up?"
"I dunno."
"I'll help you," he said and gently took her waist as she sucked in a breath and stood. Throwing his coat, his leather one that he was so proud of - he saved for it for so long - tossing it over her shouldn't, he put an arm around her and ushered her to the car.
Her body nearly collapsed in a heap of bones in his passenger's seat, wincing at every move she made. Her glazed gaze out the window unnerved him. "They were a buncha Socs," she stated.
He looked at her again, pausing before turning the key, "Did they do it just to do it?"
"No. They know you guys," she replied, still not looking at him.
"Lay down and sleep sugar," he told her softly, as tears poured down from her eyes again. "I ain't gonna let 'em get you again. Ever."
Somehow she was reassured by the one human being who seemed to hate her outside her family and laid down on his seat. Curled up by her worst opposition of the gang, she drifted off to sleep.
.-*-.
A.N. Wowee! That chappie was long! Remember to review! ^_^