Chapter twelve

The weeks following the rodeo I missed Danny something awful. He was in all of my thoughts, and I couldn't believe I had found a great guy and couldn't keep him. Sure we could have wrote letters and kept in touch, but it wouldn't have been the same so we just parted ways with a final kiss. I moped around the house a little, but none of my brothers knew why and Casey didn't understand because she rarely got attached to one man.

Luckily I didn't have to try hard to find something to keep me busy because Casey always had us doing something. "Hey do you want to walk to the Dairy Queen and get some ice cream?"

"Sure." I always answered yes because I never had a reason to say anything else. "We'll have to stop by the DX and see Soda so I can get some money from him."

"Cool!" Casey smiled. Visiting Sodapop was one of her favorite things to do. The two of us slipped on our tennis shoes and headed to the station. It was late in the afternoon and I had no idea where Pony and Johnny were. I half expected them to be at the station, but was surprised to learn they hadn't been there all day.

"Hey Caseycakes!" Soda yelled from the front door of the station. "Where are you and Sissy headed?"

"To the DQ for some ice cream, wanna come?" She smiled and Sodapop grinned back at her.

"Nah I gotta stay here and work, but you two have fun." Soda handed me fifty cents and the two of us continued our walk

The ice cream stand was full of old cars and people. Before we bought anything Casey wanted to make the rounds and visit with the guys and girls that she knew. She sat on the hood of a car and began flirting with a boy I had seen around the Sheppard gang before. The two of them hit it off fairly well so I knew it was going to be a long conversation. I hopped up on the hood next to her and waited. Minutes later the boy's friends came back from visiting with a group of girls in a car a few parking spots away.

"Hey Vincent you ready to head out?" Curly Sheppard said as he led the pack of boys and he caught my eye. "Well well, if it isn't Ponyboy's little sister." He flashed his greasy smile. "You still got that solid right hook on ya?"

"Hey Curly." I said to be friendly.

Curly lit up a cigarette and clenched it in his teeth while he spoke. "Aint you suppose to be far away from guys like us?"

I looked at him. "What do you mean?" Then my vision caught those green eyes. James was a few feet behind his friend, he had grown taller and looked different. He didn't say anything to me, but he kept his gaze fixed to mine.

"Hi James." I said and hopped off the car. "Casey we gotta go."

"Don't leave on my account." James barked and I glared back at him.

"Fine, I won't." With that I hopped back up to where I was sitting.

Casey laughed and elbowed me. "That the creepy guy you were talking about?"

I smiled because I was glad she said it loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yeah, that's him."

"He's pretty damn cute!" Casey batted her eyes at him, but he didn't say anything to her.

Boldly he walked over and leaned up against the car a few inches from where I was sitting. In the past I probably would have gotten scared or walked away, but not anymore. Having Casey in my life helped to build my self confidence and I wasn't leaving on account of him being there. So the two of us held our ground as I started snotty conversation. "So you and Cindy married yet?"

"No." He stared at me, "I gave her your ring and all, but I don't see her anymore. As for marriage I am still holding out for you."

"Really? I hadn't heard that hell was freezing over anytime soon." The crowd hissed at the comment and waited for James' response.

"You know what Scout? I'm the type of guy that gets what he wants," he leaned close to me in a threatening manner, "and if I don't get it… I just take it and there aint nothing your brother's are going to be able to do about it."

I heard his words, but didn't jump, or cringe or run. I was emotionally stronger now and I didn't fear him. "I dig what you're saying?" I said and looked him in the eye. "It's your death sentence if you do." The crowd hissed again and laughed at the comments.

James grabbed a hold of my arm and squeezed it tight as a show of superiority. I could have punched him or wiggled free but instead I just dared him. "I'd like to see you try!" Our eyes stayed connected while the crowd yelled out a mix of 'get her! Take her right there on the hood!' and 'just let her go. Get over it'. Knowing I wasn't scared he finally released his grip and said quietly. "You're lucky I still care about you." Then he walked away and a few of his friends followed him as the crowd dispersed.

To the right of me I heard a few slow loud claps and I turned to see Two-Bit and Dally standing by the side of the DQ. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it!" Two-Bit said to Dallas.

"Who is that girl?" Dally asked rhetorically. "It sure aint Scout because she would have taken off running and we would have had to take care of that boy ourselves."

I hopped off the car and walked toward my friends and Casey threw her arm over my shoulder. "I've made a new girl out of her!"

"You sure have." Two-Bit commented. "I don't know if I like it though."

"Awe come on what's not to like?" Casey asked and leaned up against the building as I stood before the three of them.

"I'm not saying there isn't enough there to like," Two-Bit smiled, "I'm just saying I used to like her being our little sister. We kind of liked looking out for her."

"Well you all can still look out for me Two-Bit!" I said and shoved my hands in my pockets.

"We will…" Two-Bit smiled and Dallas reached over and messed up my hair. The four of us bought some ice cream and then started walking over to the Dingo to look for Johnny and Ponyboy.

We were halfway to our destination when a car pulled up close behind us and we heard the chirp of a police siren. We turned to see the police officer get out of this car and no one moved except Dallas. He tried to take off running but a second squad car pulled up to him, an officer jumped out of the car and tackled him to the ground.

"Lordy!" I gasped, "What he do now?"

"I don't know, let's go see." Two-Bit said and Casey and I ran over to where the officers were getting rough with Dallas. "Hey! Leave him alone!" Two-Bit yelled but one of the cocky officers turned around and held his billy club in his hand and threatened Two-Bit telling him to back off or he'll be next. Two-Bit stepped back and kept his mouth shut.

Casey and I heard an officer read Dallas his rights and tell him he was going to jail for burglary. Then two of them hoisted Dally off the ground and I saw him laughing at he police as blood filled the gaps in his teeth and ran down his chin. Without struggle our friend climbed into the squad car and was hauled away.

"What'd he burglarize?" Casey asked.

Two-Bit still stared in the direction of the fleeing car. "Oh… I think he broke into Old Jakes liquor store a few weeks ago and stole some money and stuff."

"Are you serious?" I kind of yelled because I was still a little shocked from watching the arrest.

Two-Bit looked at me like I had just asked him if the sky was blue. "Yeah I'm serious! Didn't you hear about it?"

"No!"

"Oh." Then Two-Bit laughed.

I grew angry at his indifference. "Two-Bit this is no laughing matter! Dally just got arrested again! He's going to jail!"

We all started to walk towards the Dingo again and Two-Bit didn't seem to have a care. "Awe hell, he's been arrested before and he'll get arrested again. It's not that surprising!"

"Do the crime, do the time!" Casey added with a grin.

"That's right baby." Two-Bit smiled and threw and arm over each of our shoulders. "Besides he'll be out before he has to go before the judge." I couldn't quite understand how Two-Bit just accepted criminal behavior. Then again I was thinking of the same guy who considered shoplifting to be a sport.

We found Pony and Johnny drinking Pepsi's at the Dingo talking to some kids Ponyboy knew from school. My brother told us about some excitement at the Dingo a few minutes before we arrived. Three carloads of socs circled the diner yelling names and throwing things. Without hesitation two carloads of greasers drove off after them. Ponyboy and Two-Bit tried to imagine the socs getting their butts kicked in their own turf when the greasers caught up to them. We waited around for another hour to see if anyone returned with a victory story, but no dice. Finally the sun began to sink in the sky and the four of us began the long walk home.

"So you all ready for school on Monday?" Two-Bit asked the four of us.

"I know you all aren't, but I sure am!" I said with a smile. I loved school as much as Two-Bit, just for other reasons.

Two-Bit laughed like a hyena. "Sissy you are probably the only person I know … no wait, you are the only person I know who wishes all summer for school to start."

I blushed, a little embarrassed. "I just always liked school. It's a challenge."

"Yeah I can see that." Two-Bit helped me reason as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "It's like me fighting, or lifting things."

Ponyboy laughed. "Yeah Two-Bit, school is just like that!" Then everyone laughed. It was too hot to walk all the way home so we cut over a block to the DX and made Steve give us all a ride home for dinner.