Disclaimer/Author's Note:
See previous chapter for a good disclaimer.
Oh my goodness. This is an action packed chapter. I hope you all enjoy! Sorry if it isn't exactly like the book or the movie. I don't have the book (yet) and my sister yelled at me to stop backtracking the movie. So now you know.
OTHlover04- Aw, thanks again!
Volleyballlover- As of this moment I will be working my butt off too. And you totally rock my koala socks with your reviews. That and I can't wait for more in your story. It's getting good.
HazleSilver- At this point in time I don't know what I'm going to do. While I'm editing do you want me to use word tracker so you can see what I've edited?
Duckie- Bwhaha, I'm like drugs. I'm addicting. Meanwhile, thanks for your reviews and I'm glad you liked the Sleeping Beauty part.
Sodapop's#1gurl- I'm so glad you like. And here's an update.
King of Cups- Steve is mean, but I wuv him… most of the time. Meanwhile, I'm going to kidnap you, drag you to my house, (have you been there other than the time Nikki's mom drove us home?) and make you watch that movie. And I have your present, I'm just going to give it to you after Christmas.
Chapter Five
I was taking a nap on the couch when Soda and Steve came in, both bright-eyed and rose red from the cold.
"That was an amazing game!" Soda exclaimed. I groaned and rolled over.
"Could you two be any louder?"
"Aw, you looked so cute when you were sleeping. So go back." Steve said, leaning over the couch and running his hand along the back of my neck, a secret weak spot. I brushed his hand away and put the pillow over my head.
"Where's Pony and Johnny?" Soda asked, sitting on my feet. In his hand was a plate that held a gigantic piece of chocolate cake.
"They're still at the movies with Dal." I replied.
"You should've been there Scar. It was an awesome game. We were losing in the third quarter, but our team brought it home." Steve described the game. I decided to give up any idea that I had of getting more sleep.
"That's great." I replied, pulling my feet from under Soda and heading into the kitchen to get a cup of apple juice, the blanket trailing behind me like a queen's cape.
"Hey kids." Darry greeted, walking in the front door.
"Hi Dar." Steve waved, tossing a worn out football to Sodapop. "Hey Scarlet, we should head on home."
"I guess so. Isn't Dad home though?" I asked.
"Yeah, but if we just stay out of his way then he can't give us a hard time." Steve pointed out. He sure is in a good mood. I wonder if… on second thought, no I don't.
"See ya later Soda." Steve said, ushering me out the front door. I grabbed my shoes wondering why he wanted to get home so fast. I caught Soda's wink to him. That was the wink Steve got when he was "meeting" a girl.
"Steve," I began as I slipped on my shoes. "There wouldn't happen to be a girl waiting for you would there? A certain girl named Evie?"
Steve stopped in his tracks and glared at me. I grinned and twirled on my heels.
"If I cover for you, you owe me big time buddy." If I could make this into a bribe I would. Why do the work for free when you can get payment of some sort?
"Oh come on Scarlet, I've covered for you plenty of times." Steve groaned.
"Name one." I challenged.
He looked almost thoughtful for a minute, an accomplishment for my brother.
"There's the time where you snuck out to see that kid from the Brumley gang. I lied and said you were at Audrey's."
"Fine, but that's just one time. You'll still owe me."
"Whatever." Steve said as he stole into the night. I rolled my eyes and kept walking. It was beginning to get really cold out and the only place I wanted to be was home.
"Psssst!" A voice whispered from behind me. I spun around, but there was no one there. I decided to keep walking not letting myself look back. "Pssst!" The voice hissed again.
"Alright," Even I could hear the pathetic quiver in my voice. "Who's there?"
I let out the loudest scream as Two-Bit picked me up and twirled me around. He set me back down, his face bright red with laughter. Ponyboy and Johnny were close behind him, both of them laughing too.
"Glad to see everyone thinks it's so damned funny!" I huffed, beginning to walk away.
"Aw, you're okay kid." Two-Bit said.
"Yeah, you just scared the shit out of me." It seemed I always talked tougher around Two-Bit and Dally. I never figured out why, I just did.
"You should've been there tonight. Poor girls." Two-Bit laughed. I just shook my head. Two-Bit was always trying to get with a girl.
"I bet," I paused and looked towards my house, "See you guys later. I ought to be getting home."
"Steve go with Evie?" Two-Bit asked.
"Of course. Be good now." I called over my shoulder, running the rest of the way to my house.
When I got home I was greeted by the sounds of arguing from my parents' bedroom. I kicked off my shoes and went to start on the dishes. If Dad was mad, which you could tell by the sounds of the arguing, then I didn't want to get on his bad side.
Too late when I heard the bedroom door slam and the sounds of Mom crying her eyes out.
"Hi Daddy." I greeted, refusing to look up from the plate I was washing.
"Where the hell have you been all day?" He asked. I glanced at him and turned away. His eyes were bloodshot and he reeked of booze.
My dad was even more of an asshole than my brother, but he almost never drank. When he did though, he was not a person to be trifled with.
"I was with Audrey." I lied. No need to tell him that I was at the Curtis house all day. Usually he would be okay, because we had known the Curtis's for years, but not tonight.
"You were gone all day at that little skank's house?"
"Come on, Dad, Audrey's not bad." I tried arguing my point. I put the plate down. "I'm going to go into my room okay?"
"No." He slurred, pushing me hard. My back hit the counter and I winced. I didn't expect him to slap me as hard as he did. I fell on the floor, really seeing stars. "Get the fuck outta my house." Not his usual roar but in a low and much scarier voice.
I got up, ran into my room to grab my bag, and grabbed my shoes while practically running out of my own house. I didn't let the tears fall until I was well out of the house and down by the park.
"Scarlet, is that you?" Ponyboy asked when I passed The Lot. I jumped a foot in the air and wiped the tears off of my face.
"Yeah. Damnit Pony, you scared me." I whispered.
"Sorry." Pony apologized. I shook my head and smiled.
"Hey Scar." Johnny said when we joined him by the fire.
"Hola Johnnycakes." I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin between them, hiding my cheek from the fire.
It didn't need to be said that my dad kicked me out of the house or that Johnny wasn't going to go home because we just knew.
I fell asleep way before Johnny and Ponyboy. The last thing I heard before nodding off was something about a mustang.
"Come on guys." Pony said later. "We're running away!"
"What?" I asked rubbing my eyes as we ran until we reached a blue pickup. I stopped while Pony lit a cigarette and told us what had happened when he went home. I slung my arm around his shoulders.
"It'll be okay Pony, you'll see. Darry's just under a lot of stress right now."
I climbed the spider, followed by Johnny and Ponyboy. I tossed my bag, filled with my overnight stuff, on the ground under us. Johnny lit a butt that he'd found.
A blue Mustang drove around the park and parked a few feet away from us. I guessed it was full of Socs, but I had no clue what they were doing here.
"Should we run?" Pony asked Johnny.
"Best if we just stay put." Johnny muttered.
Five tough looking Socs got out of the car as Johnny and Pony lit up another cigarette. I was starting to feel super scared now. They looked like they mean business.
The leader, blonde haired Soc, I recognized as Bob Sheldon. He was dating Cherry Valence, the cheerleader. Apparently Johnny did too.
"Well, well what do you guys know?"
"They're drunk." Pony pointed out.
I sighed. Great, I thought, more drunks to deal with.
"That's the guy with the rings."
"Aren't these the greasers that tried to pick up on our women? They couldn't even get their own kind." Bob slurred and laughed. Apparently I didn't look greaser.
"You better watch yourselves. You're outta your territory." Johnny threatened.
"No pal, you'd better watch yourself." A dark haired Soc shot back.
Ponyboy and Johnny jumped off while I climbed down carefully and hid behind Johnny. I wished that I was still at home in my nice, warm room away from all of this.
"You guys know what greasers are? White trash with long, greasy hair." Bob threw some of what was in his flask at Pony.
I glared at him, feeling pride in being a greaser. There was nothing wrong with their hair. And at least greaser boys didn't walk around actin' like they were better than everyone else.
"You know what a Soc is?" Pony asked.
"What?" Bob challenged, taking a drink from the shiny silver flask he was carrying like a religious man would carry a cross.
"White trash with Mustangs and madras." Ponyboy shot back before spitting at them. Just like that he had sentenced us to a beating. I wanted to kill Pony at that moment. Steve was right for once. He didn't use his head.
"Get 'em!" Bob shouted.
I don't think I've ever run so fast in my life, probably because I've never had to run for my life. Not that it mattered because they caught up to us pretty quick.
A dark haired guy tripped me and I fell hard on the concrete. He picked me up and pressed me against the monkey bars where he tried to kiss me. I brought my knee up hard and when he double over I ran again.
"Asshole." I mumbled.
The next part is fuzzy, I was running and I tripped, hitting the pavement hard. Both my knees were skinned badly and where I threw my hands out to catch myself were cuts bleeding freely. I remember calling for Steve while the two Socs, who weren't drowning Pony, dragged me to the fountain.
I kicked and flailed but they got me in anyway. They held me under for a long time before I got myself back up. They held me under again, both of them laughing hysterically. I was crying now, calling for anybody, mostly Sodapop. On the way up for air I hit my head on the concrete and my world went black.