Chapter 3

That night, with lack of anything to do, we headed over to Pony's house. I felt odd around all of the guys there. I wondered if their parents knew that all of those people were there, but for once in my life, I decided not to ask questions.

The television was blaring and they were shouting across the room to one another.

"Johnny, will you get me a beer while you're in there?'

"Yeah, Two-bit."

"Hey, Soda, will you take this box?"

"What are you doing, Darry?" Pony asked.

"We have to get rid of some of this old stuff; we don't have the room for it all."

"Darry," Soda said, "What about this?"

"Just get throw it away, it's probably broken anyway."

"Let me see it, Soda." Pony stood up from his seat on the couch next to me.

"What is it?" I whispered to Pony as he sat back down.

"It's a typewriter."

"Hey Brian," One of the guys yelled from the other side of the room, "Do you guys play poker in Chicago?"

"You bet." Brian went to join their game.

I could hear Pony clicking on the keys of the typewriter.

"Does it work?" I asked him.

"Well I'm pretty sure it would, if it had any paper in it." He said. "Here hold on to it I'll find some." He placed the typewriter in my lap.

I felt the round metal keys.

"Here," Pony came back and put the paper in. I still had my hand on the keys.

"Put your hands like this," he picked up my fingers and placed them correctly on the keys. "There now you can be and expert typist."

"Oh, of course," I laughed, sarcastically.

I pressed down a key and it made and odd clicking sound.

"That's an 'A'." He said.

"Where's 'B'?"

He lifted my index finger and used it to press another key down.

We continued this way throughout the alphabet. All the while, I got very comfortable, with his hand over mine, guiding me to each of the keys. No one else seemed to notice us there on the couch. Who knows what Brian would say?

"Oh, shoot!" Brian said suddenly, making me jump. "Come on, Joy, it's time to go. Mom's gonna kill me!"

"Darry, I'm gonna walk them home, okay?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, just hurry up."

All thoughts of the typewriter, abandoned, we hurried home.

"How come that car is following us?" I had been listening to the sound of it's muffler for a few minutes.

"Just keep moving, Joy." Brian whispered grabbing my arm.

The car pulled in front of us and stopped. "Joy, just stay here." Brian told me, releasing his grip on my arm.

"Hey, Greasers, What are you doing out this time of night." An unfriendly voice was moving closer to us. I wished I hadn't been so stupid as to leave Lady at home for the night.

"Who's the girl?" One of the guys asked, as he moved closer to me, close enough that I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I backed up and tripped over my own feet.

"You leave her be!" I heard Brian yell.

"Leave her be!" One of the guys mocked.

"What's going here?" I heard a different voice say.

"Nothin' Tim, we're just having a friendly little chat."

"Well I suggest you beat it!" Tim said.

"Good thing we have better places to be." 3 car doors slammed and the car tore off down the road.

"You guys alright?"

"Yeah Tim, we're okay." Brian said.

"You alright, Joy?" Pony asked.

I nodded and he grabbed my hand, pulling me up.

"See, ya'll later," Tim said, "And kid, if they ever bother you again, just holler for me. I'll beat the damn socs for ya'."

After a long and tedious lecture from my mother about the importance of being in before curfew, I lay in my bed for a long time.

Socs and Greasers. What was the difference? There had to be something else besides hair grease that set them apart. Which was worse?

Later in the night, a rumble of thunder shook our house and brought me from my light slumber.

"Come here, Lady!" I called softly outside. She came running in from the storm, lightly covered in rain drops.

She stayed beside me as slept that night, my head nestled in her hair.

I wanted to see. I don't know why it hit me like it did just then. Maybe it was because I couldn't see them, the socs, I'd felt so insecure. I needed to be taken care of, like some child. Independence, what a wonderful thing that could be, but I guess I'd never know.

Thats all for today, ya'll. Thanks for reading. Goodness knows why this thing won't let me indent... Anyway, PLEASE review!