Authors note- yeah long wait, but long chapter. Once again, please don't give me reviews saying this isn't how it happened in the book. I know and anything that's not identical to the book I wrote it like that purposely. Okay I guess that's it. Have fun reading dears.
((Ponyboy's POV))
"So are you guys going to start on us now too?" Cherry asked glaring.
Johnny and I both looked at Two-Bit and he threw his hands up in mock surrender.
"No" I answered.
"You don't look the type anyway, what's your name?" She asked.
"Ponyboy Curtis." I answered.
"Wait, you're Sodapop's brother right?" She asked. I just nodded. I couldn't tell you how many people knew me by being Soda or Darry's little brother.
"I should've known you guys were brothers." She said smiling.
"Why you say that?" I asked.
"Because you both seem real sweet." She said still smiling. She sure was pretty.
"It's a common misconception." Two-Bit said with a wink and her and her friend laughed.
"I'm thirsty Ponyboy would you mind coming with me to get a soda?" She asked.
"Sure." I answered and received another wink from Two-Bit.
We walked out and stood in the enormous line. I thought it would be awkward but she broke the silence.
"Your friend, Johnny is it? He's awfully quiet." She said.
"Yeah, he's pretty shy around girls." I said and suddenly remembered usually am too.
"How did he get that scar?" She asked. I stuck my hands in my pockets. I didn't like thinking about that, even though I did practically every day. I didn't really want to get into it because I know I would end up getting all worked up so I kept it simple.
"One night he was practicing his football in the park and he got jumped by a bunch of Socs, and one had a lot of rings and messed up his face real bad." I said in one breath.
She looked down almost in shame. "Do you know their names?" She asked quietly.
"No. We never knew who did it, Johnny didn't remember. He just remembered the guy had a lot of rings." I said looking down.
"I'm sorry." She said.
"Not your fault." I said collecting our cokes.
She just nodded. "We better get back or Two-Bit will think we eloped to Mexico." I said grinning. She giggled.
We walked back and the credits were already rolling on the screen. "I wonder what happened in that movie." Two-Bit said winking at Marcia, Cherry's friend, who blushed.
"Do you want us to walk you ladies home?" Two-Bit questioned.
Cherry and Marcia glanced at each other for approval and Marcia shrugged. "Yes, sure, that would be nice." Cherry replied.
((Kristina's POV))
"Dally wait up!" I called to Dally who was practically racing down the street.
He slouched his shoulders and turned around and waited.
"Thank you." I said running up to him. He didn't answer.
"Are you mad?" I asked after a couple seconds of silence.
He sighed. "Nah, it's Johnny." He said lighting a cigarette.
"Be careful of those," I said tossing his cigarette out of his mouth. "They travel in packs."
I laughed at my corny joke and laughed even harder when I got a look of disgust from Dally.
"You and Johnny are really giving my temper a beating." He said glaring and lighting up another cigarette.
"Yes well its what I do best." I said as we turned a corner where I walked right into someone's chest.
I looked up and saw Steve's face above mine. "Damn Steve where's the fire?" I said rubbing my head.
"Sorry, Kris. What's up Dally?" Steve said but I was hardly listening to him I was just staring at Soda, who was standing next to him completely silent.
"Hey, Kris." Soda finally said. Was he serious? 'Hey Kris, sorry I dumped you and made you give up one of your dreams last night, but hey let's be friends.' So I did the best thing I could thing of. Silent treatment, very adult, I know.
I stared at him blankly. "So Steve who's party are you going to?" I said turning my back to Soda.
"Oh come on don't be like that." Soda said irritably.
"You mean an immature jerk? Hmm where have I seen that before?" I asked sarcastically pretending to think.
Soda opened his mouth to retaliate but Steve pushed him forward. "Come on lets just go man. See you guys later."
"Okay but Kristina just make sure the next guy you date knows never to trust you, because well that got shot to hell." Soda said before turning around.
"Only if you let your next girlfriend know she has to sign a contract to leave the neighborhood." I said smiling sweetly.
"Kristina let's go. Now." Dally said pulling my arm.
"Have fun with that one Dally! Just remember, don't get attached!" Soda said smirking.
"Shut up, Soda. Come on." Steve said and Soda reluctantly turned around and walked away with him.
"Do you want to go home?" Dally asked once they left.
I sighed. That was the last place I felt like going. Sharon had now officially moved in with us.
"Do you care if I go wherever you're going?" I asked.
"I was just going to chill at Buck's, but yeah you can come if you want." He said shrugging.
I nodded and replayed the scene with Soda over and over in my head. I shook my head. It was obviously over, now it was up to me to get over him.
((Ponyboy's POV))
I had just finished telling Cherry the story about Soda and his old horse, Mickey, and once I had finished she actually had tears in his eyes.
"That is the saddest thing I've ever heard." She said.
"Yeah I felt awful for him, I even tried to save enough change to buy him back, but he was gone." I said smiling at my naiveness at the time.
"So tell me about your other brother, I feel like I know Soda the way you talk about him. Is he reckless like Sodapop or dreamy like you?" She asked. For some reason that question set me off.
"He aint like Sodapop and most certainly isn't like me. He can't stand me. I bet he wishes he could throw me in some boys home but Soda won't let him." I exploded.
"Pony that's not true you and Darry get along just fine." Johnny said confused.
"No we don't! And you shut your trap Johnny because you're not wanted at home either!" I snapped and immediately felt horrible.
"Shut your mouth kid. I'd beat your butt if you weren't Soda's brother." Two-Bit said angrily.
"I'm sorry Johnny, I didn't mean it." I said truthfully.
"I know. It's okay." He said.
Cherry got a worried look on her face. "Marcia!" she called.
"What's wrong?" she asked and Cherry pointed at the blue Mustang slowly coming towards us.
"Are they your boyfriends?" Two-Bit asked and Marcia nodded.
Cherry walked up to the car as they got out.
"Cherry, what are you doing?" Bob Sheldon asked looking at us disgusted.
She just glared at him. "I know your mad because we got a little drunk.." he continued.
"A little!" she yelled. "You call passing out a little? I told you I'm not going to hang out with you while you're drinking and I mean it!"
"That's no excuse to hang out with these losers." Scott Anderson said getting out.
"Come on Randy your chick is here too." Scott said banging on the car door.
"Seriously girls what were you thinking?" Bob asked grabbing Cherry's arm and she threw him off.
"What you want to stay with these greasers?" Scott asked smirking.
I wondered how Kristina could be friends with him. Then I heard Two-Bit and Bob going at it and suddenly Two-Bit tossed me a broken bottle to fight.
"Let's go! Right now!" Two-Bit was yelling and I shifted uneasily. I really didn't feel like fighting.
"Stop it! Just stop okay! I hate fights! I hate them. We'll go with you," she said to Bob and he laughed and took another swig of beer.
She turned to me and I quickly let her know I would never use that bottle on them.
"I know." She nodded.
"Look if I see you in school and don't say hi, please don't be offended." She said fidgeting.
"Yeah, I know." I said rolling my eyes.
She smiled weakly. "I hope I never see Dallas Winston again, if I do I might fall in love with him." She said and ran away and got in the car and left me standing there dumbfounded.
I watched them drive away and saw Two-Bit glaring at them as they drove away. Once they were out of sight he turned around and whipped out a cigarette and lit it.
"We learned a good lesson today boys." He said and we started walking home.
"And that would be?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
"Stick to our own kind." He said taking a drag. I sighed. He was right.
"You guys going home?" He asked.
"Well I'm going to go to a party, you guys want to come?" Two-Bit asked.
"Nah no thanks." I said and Johnny shook his head.
"Alright see yas later." He said and turned the other corner.
"I'm going to go the park for a little." Johnny said.
"I'll come too." I said and we started toward the park.
We got there and laid down in the lot. "Man that car was tuff. Mustangs are tuff." He said taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Yeah big-time Socs alright." I said somewhat bitterly. It wasn't fair they got all the nice things and all the breaks. There had to be something else there, some sort of a downside right?
"I can't take much more! I'll kill myself or something!" Johnny suddenly cried passionately.
"What? Don't. You can't kill yourself Johnny." I said sitting up shocked.
"Well I won't but I got to do something, I mean there has to be somewhere without greasers or Socs, just ordinary people."
"There is, out in the country." I said lying back down and started to think about the country and how our whole family would go up there, before the accident.
Suddenly I felt someone shaking me. "Pony, wake up. Come on man wake up."
I sat up and was suddenly freezing. "Oh God Johnny what time is it?" I practically yelled.
"I don't know man I fell asleep too. You hurry up and go home I'm going to spend the night here."
"Okay." I said yawning. "But if it gets too cold come over."
"Okay."
I got up and ran home as fast as I could almost trembling at the thought of facing Darry. I finally reached our house and peaked in the window and saw Soda sprawled out asleep on the couch and Darry in his armchair reading the newspaper.
I slowly opened the door and Darry was up the same second. "Where the heck have you been?" He yelled. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
I simply shook my head.
"Well its 2 am kiddo. Another hour and I'd have the cops out there for you. Tell me Ponyboy because I would love to know where in the almighty universe you have been?" His asked his voice rising.
I thought about my answer. Damn, it sounded stupid even to me. "I, uh, I fell asleep in the lot.." I said looking down.
"I'm sorry you WHAT?" He shouted and Soda sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey Pony, where ya been?" He asked almost cheerfully. Why couldn't Soda be the oldest? I thought miserably.
"Look Darry I really didn't mean to." I said solemnly.
"Yeah well I guess you never thought I could be here worrying my head off contemplating calling the police on you but they'd throw you in a boys home so fast it would make your head spin! God Pony what is the matter with you? Why can't you ever use your head?"
I was tired and frustrated by this point and about to lose it. "I don't know what you want me to say, I said I didn't mean to okay?"
"I didn't mean to! I forgot! God that's all I get out of you!" He yelled angrily.
"Come on Darry.." Soda said. But Darry quickly turned on him too.
"Soda keep your trap shut! I'm so sick and tired of you sticking up for him!" he yelled in Soda's face. I was shocked and Soda's jaw was practically to the ground. I quickly recovered from the shock and turned it into anger. No one ever yells at Soda. No one.
"Don't you yell at him!" I screamed in Darry's face with all my anger. Darry turned around and slapped me so hard I fell across the door.
Silence. It seemed to last an eternity. I looked at Soda and his eyes were as big as saucers and Darry was standing there clutching his hand as if he couldn't believe it just moved like that.
So I did what seemed best. I ran.
