Chapter Eighteen

Darry and I returned home from the hospital just after dinnertime. As we walked up the front steps Darry commented he was starving, but I didn't feel like eating a thing. Inside we found the whole gang waiting on us, even the girls.

Two-Bit walked over to me, his round eyes filled with concern. "So how is Casey doing?"

I answered him as I stood by the front door and kicked off my shoes. "She's alive, and the doctors say she will be fine in a week or two."

"Good." Two-Bit remarked with a serious look on his face, "It'll be good to have her back in the neighborhood."

I looked over at him and frowned. "She isn't coming back."

Sodapop threw his hands on his hips and joined into the conversation. "Well how come?"

I looked over at Darry, he knew all the information I knew, but he was going to let me tell it. I took in a deep breath in hopes that I wouldn't get more depressed than I already was. "Her grandparents are coming to get her and Mary Lynn, their gonna move back to New Mexico." I sighed, "Mary Lynn doesn't want to live alone anymore."

Two-Bit stuck his hands into his pockets. "Can't says I blame her." Then he looked over at me and I could tell in his gray eyes that he was concerned about me too. I could see he was wondering if I was going to feel safe all alone, but he never spoke his mind.

"Come on ya'll!" Ponyboy yelled to draw everyone to the dinner table. "We've been keeping dinner warm while we was waiting for ya." With that the boys grabbed their plates and helpings of spaghetti. I wasn't hungry, so I went to sit out on the front porch to get some fresh air.

As the screen door slammed shut I could hear the guys inside talking and laughing. I thought for a few minutes what it would have been like for them tonight if I was in the hospital or worse. I sat down on the edge of the porch and rested my feet on the concrete steps trying to shake away my prior thoughts. I let the cool breeze hit my face and looked down the street into the darkness. A strange noise caught my attention and I felt a heightened sense of fear begin to creep into my body. Then the wind made a funny whistle and a car door slammed shut where I couldn't see it. Immediately Duke's face filled my mind and I jumped to my feet and ran back into the house.

"What's the matter Sissy?" Steve asked and stood up from the couch to look out the door to intervene in any trouble.

It was only then that I realized how I had bolted through the door, pale as a ghost. "Nothing… I … I just spooked myself is all." I said and walked away from the front door and shut the blinds on the front window.

Steve held his plate as he stood by the front door a few minutes longer. Then a car pulling up caught his eye. "Hey ya'll the fuzz is here." He looked around the room to notice any guilty faces and to try to determine who was in trouble.

I sat down on the couch as Darry walked with authority to the door and stepped out onto the front porch to greet the officers. Sodapop followed behind and sat on the arm of the couch by the front door to listen to the conversation. After just a few seconds Soda turned to me with a big grin. "They got him Sissy! Duke's in jail!"

I couldn't help but smile back. I was so relieved to hear the news that I wished I could run back to the hospital and tell Casey. I wanted to talk to Mary Lynn and tell her she could stay and everything would be all right. The other boys in the house cheered quietly at the news as the front door swung open and Darry invited the police officers in.

Both of the lawmen removed their hats and greeted the household, Dally sat at the dining room table and hid his eyes with his hand. He obviously was familiar with one of the officers. Darry looked over at me and rubbed his hands on his jeans. The tell tale sign that Darry was nervous worried me and I braced for bad news as one of the officers walked over and sat next to me on the couch.

"Scout, I'm Officer Corey. I heard a lot about how brave you were yesterday." He smiled and patronized me first, which I read as being not a good sign. "I know you have been through a lot but I am going to need you to do one more thing for us tonight." I stared at him and listened. "We're pretty sure we have Mr. Dobbins in custody, but to make it official we are going to need you to come down to the station and pick him out of a police line up."

My eyes grew large and my heart rate began to increase. The second officer noticed the worry and he tried to rationalize the situation for me. "Scout you are the only witness we have who can point him out tonight. If you don't, we're gonna have to let him go free." The officer looked down at me with a small pout on his face.

I looked at the officer sitting next to me. "He won't be able to know it's me, will he?"

"No darling, he won't." The officer reassured me. "He'll be about twenty feet from you and we got these bright lights that we shine in their face, then they can't see anything."

I looked around the room at Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy. "Can my brother's go with me?"

The two officers exchanged glances. They knew their job was to get me to the station to do the line up at any cost. Officer Corey made the decision. "Sure they can go to the station with you, but probably not into the line up room. That is just for the witness."

I took in a shaky breath and dreaded the thought of leaving the house and going to the police station again. I looked up at Darry. He looked exhausted and had gone through almost as much as I had. I thought how he wouldn't get a chance to finish his dinner or relax at home before the workweek if I went to the station. For a moment I considered not going, but I hated the thought of Duke being free.

Sodapop sensed my hesitation. "Scout I'll take you down. That way Darry can finish his supper." Soda looked to Darry for permission to be in charge.

"I'll go with you too." Ponyboy called out and the two officers exchanged looks again as if to say, 'I bet she can't say no now.'

I shook my head and looked at the officer to my side. "Ok, I'll do it. Do I need to ride down with you two?"

"No darling," The standing officer replied. "You should just head down to the station now. We'll let them know you are on your way."

Soda, Pony and I headed to the police station only minutes after the officers had left the house. I had to remind Sodapop not to speed. I surely would be embarrassed if he got a speeding ticket on his way to the police station.

In the lobby we were greeted by Officer Robert Shuller. He was a tall, over weight man whose only job was to coordinate the lineups. "Hello Miss Curtis, thank you for coming down so soon." I shook his hand as he greeted both of my brothers. "And you two are?"

Soda stepped forward. "We are her brothers, I'm Sodapop and this is Ponyboy."

The officer tried to suppressed a smirk at the sound of the boys names. "Well then, why don't you come on back with me." The officer pulled gently at my arm, but my legs failed to move.

I grabbed Soda's hand and started to feel sick about seeing Duke one more time. "Sir, would it be ok if my brother's came with me? See I don't have any parents and…"

Officer Shuller held out his had to have me stop my explanation. "That will be fine. Why don't you all come along with me?"

We went into the observation room and the procedure was explained to us. I was given a spot to stand and told that I must verbally identify the man I recognized as Duke Dobbins. When the line up came in Ponyboy and Sodapop were to stay quiet and against the back wall. I didn't care much for that idea because I wanted my brothers closer, but those were the rules.

When I was ready the ultra bright lights were switched on and I waited for the line up of men to come in and face me. One by one the men walked along the far wall. I nervously rubbed my hands together and began to wonder if I would even recognize Duke. The men against the wall had similar characteristics to the man who had shot my friend. What if I fingered the wrong one?

As the final man walked in I recognized the swagger and his profile brought my memory back to the moment when he looked around the living room for an escape route. I grabbed the officer's arm for his attention and whispered. "That's him."

"Hold on Scout, you have to wait till we have them face forward before making your selection." Seeing the man filled me with fear and I didn't let go of officer Shuller's arm. The officer began the formality of the line up. He bellowed, "face forward!"

As Duke turned around I thought for a moment he was staring at me, I felt like he would lunge toward me and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. I studied his face and hid behind the officer and whispered. "That's him, number twelve."

Shuller yelled out. "Step forward number twelve!"

As Duke took a step forward I panicked and ran to the back wall into the perceived safety of Soda and Ponyboy's arms.

The officers in the room noted the fear and Officer Shuller ordered number twelve back in line then walked back to speak calmly to me. "Do you recognize number twelve to be Duke Dobbins."

I stammered. "Yes… yes sir… I do."

The policeman turned and ordered number twelve back in line and the men returned to another room. "Well done Scout." The officer praised me. "You were very brave and you can rest safely tonight knowing that Mr. Duke Dobbins will be in jail for a mighty long time."

Every possible minute of the following week I spent with Casey. My routine was going to school, afterwards I would have Two-Bit or Steve drop me off at the hospital then I would arrive home late in the evening after dinnertime and stay up late finishing my homework. With Duke behind bars I felt safe enough to fall asleep in my own bed. It wasn't until I entered the dark unconscious world of sleep that fear returned and many mornings I found myself asleep on the floor beside Darry's bed.

On Saturday I returned to Casey's home for the first time since the incident. Her grandparents had come to pack up the Dobbin's belongs and Mary Lynn had asked my family if we would help out.

I walked in to the living room and could still smell the blood that ran from my friends wounds. The sight of the scene overwhelmed me at first and I had to sit out on the front porch to gain my composure. Ponyboy took the time to sit with me as I gathered the courage to help and pack up my friend's life. I wasn't alone, everyone in the gang skipped the football game to help out. As I sat with Pony's arm around me I couldn't believe Casey wasn't coming back. I had to agree with Two-Bit on one thing, I couldn't blame Mary Lynn and Casey for wanting to be with family that loved them. I felt the same way.

One bittersweet solace I had was that I would see both mother and child again. After his arrest Duke Dobbins pleaded not guilty forcing the case to court. The police told Darry I would be subpoenaed to testify in front of a jury of Duke's peers before he would be sent away for good. I thought about Duke and wondered if Dally would ever end up like him, bitter and controlling. Dally was back in jail for accessory to robbery. We wouldn't be seeing him for weeks.

On Sunday everyone went to the hospital to bid farewell to Caseycakes. I went inside her room a few minutes before everyone else. "Hey Casey!" I said in a fake cheerful voice. "We got everything packed up and ready for you." I wasn't ready for the response she gave me.

"I don't want to go!" Casey looked over at me and hot tears began to stream down her face. "I've been thinking about it the last few days and I don't see why we have to leave if Dad is in jail."

Seeing her cry only made me show my true emotions and cry along with her. I knew the gang would be walking in at any moment so I tried to comfort her. "Casey it won't be that bad. You and your mom should be closer to your family."

"You're my family!" Casey called out and pulled me into an emotional hug.

I sniffed in my feelings. "I know … you are my best friend. I don't want to see you go, but …" I couldn't think of a "but". I agreed with Casey that her and her mother would be safe as long as Duke was behind bars. Sadly it wasn't our decision and we would just have to live with it. "Casey, I'll see you again." The two of us just hugged and cried like two girlfriends who were moving away to college after spending their whole lives together.

"Hey Casey." Sodapop said softly to interrupt us. "We all just wanted to come and say goodbye." I held her hand as Soda, Darry, Pony, Johnny Steve and Two-Bit bid her farewell, told her to take good care of herself and remember to breath when she spoke. The last one was Two-Bit's comment. I loved his ability to make anyone laugh at anytime.

The seven of us stayed at the hospital until the transporting ambulance pulled away from the drive and Casey rode off into the sunset. I though of how appropriate that was for a cowgirl from New Mexico.

On the way home I didn't cry. I tried to convince myself that she was better off and I would be fine. Life would turn around for me and things were sure to get better as the autumn days arrived. At school my grades were A's and I didn't care if the socs near my locker harassed me or called me names. I knew someday those names wouldn't apply to me just like they never applied to Casey.

At home life was still tense. The looming trial brought a lot of unwanted attention from the State. Darry and Ponyboy were back to bickering and arguing about little things like picking wet towels up from the bathroom floor and who was going to put the milk away after dinner. Sodapop tried to be the glue and keep everything at a calm, but I knew sooner or later he would crack too. Me, I just stayed out of everyone's way and stayed inside where I felt safe and comfortable. I didn't want to admit it, but I missed Casey more than I had imagined and I was constantly sad without her. So sad that I didn't even want to go to a movie with Ponyboy one Friday afternoon, and I rarely missed an opportunity to go to the movie house, just Pony and I.

End of Escalation

This storylinecontinues with the next edition: Landslide

I would like to dedicate this edition of the story to my good friend who passed away today. Blu was a wonderful dog with a big heart and a happy tail for my family everyday! God Bless you girl and enjoy your greener pastures in heaven. I'll see you when I get there! Love Erin.

Commentary and Deleted Scenes

First off I was trying to think of whether I should continue my story under the title of Escalation or begin again. I decided that with the length of the deleted scenes I would wrap this story up and begin again under a new title. Yep for those of you worried I was done… I'm not.

Beginning this story was the hardest beginning I have ever had to work on. In fact you will read that in the two deleted scenes. I thought and thought for the opening scene that would lead to Scout getting jumped. (I had that scene written into the last story, Coming of Age, but the timing wasn't right so I held back.) I felt for the beginning of this story I needed to build the tension so I chose the 'greaser' calls after school as an introduction. For me this turned out to be a good introduction chapter then I was off and running with the rest.

Escalation happens right before the book so I knew I needed to add elements that are part of The Outsiders. The biggest one being the tension between the social classes. A few other facts I felt the need to put into Escalation were Johnny getting jumped and Dally getting jailed. Plus whether I liked it or not I had to start to write Ponyboy in a way that he and Darry aren't getting along, at least from Pony's point of view. This is the reason for the scene in Scout's room after she is jumped and the report card scene. I want the reader to feel Pony's distrust of his oldest brother and the best way for this to happen is to have him try and convince Scout of the same thing. This also gives Scout that extra bit of confusion in her life

Casey is my new character who is the sunshine in Scout's life. She is Scout's "Two-Bit" with a little touch of "Dally". Her new friend is fun and reckless and taught Scout first hand to be the same. The difficulty with Casey is that I didn't want her around when the book parallel began, so she had to leave. I knew there would be a tragedy to separate her and Scout. After many walks on the treadmill I realized the abusive father idea fit my writing needs. It was what is called a story arc. I set Duke's characteristics of being rough and violent in the rodeo chapters and then brought him to life many chapters later, hence the arc. Hence also my need for Danny, but we will discuss that shortly.

Casey being gone is serving a purpose as well. If she were still around when Ponyboy ran away Scout would have someone to confide in. I have always seen Scout as horribly "lost" without her twin so the friend had to go. I did like Casey and wouldn't be opposed to bringing her back many months from now as one reviewer suggested. Plus I don't have plans now, but if Duke goes to trial Casey and Scout will reunite.

Danny Percell was written in there for building Casey's history and for the readers who like a little love story with their drama. I think of it as Scout's introduction to the fact that the world is bigger than her neighborhood. The love scene was put in to "imperfect" Scout just a little and make her blend better with the gang. For a brief moment it was her "skeleton in the closet", her only problem was she opened the door. I know a few readers were disappointed with Scout's decision and they didn't like it being written in. That actually was nice to read that emotion from the readers because I knew they would then be able to relate well to Soda's disappointment in what happened.

The Ottavi family remains a symbol of status the Curtis family does not have. I don't have a clear vision as to what will happen with these characters, but I wanted to keep them alive and in the readers mind. The future has not written itself yet for how involved Kathryn and the Ottavi's will be in the Curtis' lives, for the better or the worst.

I have added a "signature" to my stories – a nightmare scene. With Ponyboy and Scout being twins it just seems natural she would have nightmares too. So in the Scout series I will be sure to include a nightmare scene. Now, on to the deleted scenes. Then on to starting the next installment. Stay tuned and thanks for reading and reviewing! Your reviews keep my mind and fingers busy creating the next chapter.

DELETED SCENE# 1 – shopping scene with Socs. This was the first scene I wrote for the beginning. I was attempting to show Scout being exposed to the soc's world. I was also hoping to expand Kathryn's roll in the story and build her character, but I have not decided if she and Darry will become more serious or not. The plot was flat and didn't seem to go anywhere so I cut it.

I skipped over to answer it. "Hello? Oh hi! How are you doing?" I looked over at Two-Bit and could see he was trying to figure out who was on the phone. "Oh wow! I would love too! Thank you. Ok I'll see you out front of the school." I hung up the phone and noticed Darry smiling from the kitchen doorway. I looked at him slyly. "You knew she was going to ask me didn't you."

"Yeah, I just thought she should be the one to ask you."

I was so excited and I looked down at the jeans and t-shirt I was wearing. "I gotta change!" I ran to my room and looked for the best clothes I had. I pulled out a short sleeve sweater and a skirt. Kicked off my tennis shoes, slipped on my loafers and was to the breakfast table just in time to get a spoonful of eggs and a few pieces of toast. "Steve I won't be needing a ride home after school."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Two-Bit called out, looked over at me and cocked an eyebrow. "You're all dressed up, smiling and don't need a ride home tonight. You don't have another boyfriend do you?"

"Nah Two-Bit." Darry and I exchanged cheerful glances. "That was Kathryn on the phone. She's got a few friends and every year they get together with their little sisters and go shopping together on the last day of school. Kathryn wants me to be her little sister!" Now it was Darry's turn to try to cock an eyebrow at me. He knew I was reading too much into the little sister thing.

Before I left for school Darry called me into his room and handed me a fist full of dollars. "It's not much, but it's all I can afford. I want you to buy yourself something nice with it."

I looked down and counted the money. "Darry I can't take this! There is ten dollars here."

Darry looked at the money and knew how much he needed it for other things. He also knew how important it was for me to meet new girls and to see the other side of the tracks. He wanted me to want to be just like Kathryn, to go to college and create a decent life for myself. "Don't worry about it. I'm picking up a few extra hours this week."

I sighed and looked up at Darry. I understood how important it was to him that I took the money. I folded the dollars and hugged my brother.

After school I almost ran to the front of the school to meet Kathryn and her friends. I ran down the stone stairs and scanned the crowds of people who were estatic to be free for the next three months. A few seconds later I found Kathryn and four other girls waiting by the side of a large black cadilac. Their simple dresses were more beautiful than anything I had ever owned. Quietly I walked to join them.

"Scout!" Kathryn smiled and gave me a hug. "You look nice. Are you ready to shop?" I smiled softly and shook my head yes as she introduced me to the others. "This is my friend Laura and her sister Peggy and my friend Jennifer and her sister Lisa." I smiled and greeted everyone and we piled into the car.

We headed to a side of town I didn't remember ever being. There was a quaint street filled with boutique shops and designer clothes. Kathryn parked the car and we walked into a small café for what Laura exclaimed was a "late lunch". As the six of us sat at a table I looked over the menu. All of the items were much more expensive than any of the dinners at the Dingo or Rusty's.

"So what are you having Scout?" Kathryn leaned into my personal space and I noticed the sweet scent of her perfume.

"Well, I think just a soda, I'm not really hungry." I lied as my stomach rumbled and gave me away. Kathryn shot a look at me and knew I couldn't afford the restaurant. She winked at me and told me to pick anything on the menu because she was paying.

"Scout?" Laura asked as she tossed her long brunette hair back over her shoulder. "If you don't mind me asking, why did your mama name you Scout?"

I smiled back at her. "Well actually my dad named me. My mom named my first brother Darrel, after my father. Dad didn't think it was very creative so he convinced my mother to let him name the rest of the children." I looked around at the table as everyone was listening attentively. "He named me Scout after the book character from to kill a mocking bird. My two older brothers are named Sodapop and Ponyboy."

The girls giggled at the silliness of the names and Jennifer asked. "Why in the world would did your dad name your brothers Sodapop and Ponyboy?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well sodapop was my dad's favorite drink and he never really had a reason for Ponyboy, he just liked the sound of it." The laughter continued and I started to feel self conscious. I wasn't sure if they were laughing with me or at me.

"Scout," Lisa called to get my attention. "Did you have a good first year of high school?"

"Acutally …." I stopped and thought about my answer. Part of me wanted to just say yes, but I knew Kathryn would eventually let everyone know the truth. "I just finished up the first semester of my Sophmore year." I paused to give everyone a moment to be amazed. "My brother Ponyboy and I are pretty smart."

The conversation traveled into many different areas. I talked with the younger sisters about the classes I was taking and the older girls chatted about college, finishing school and boys. Kathryn's friend Laura was planning to get married in a few weeks. Lisa just graduated from high school and Peggy was a junior. In time I became more comfortable with the situation and slowly felt as if I fit in then we went shopping.

In the first three or four stores I saw loads of beautiful clothes. The prices in the shops were very high and I could have only gotten one skirt or one shirt. I just didn't want to spend Darry's hard earned money on something the family didn't need. The other girls saw life differently. Their father's had given them fistfuls of cash to by new summer clothes, summer hats and bikini swimsuits to wear by the side of the country club pool. I watched as they tried on clothes and either curled their noses or shrieked with delight and encouraged each other to buy an item. It was at that point I knew I wanted this life. I wanted to be able to take my children to fancy boutiques for clothes and to expensive restaurants and be able to afford to leave half of the meal on my plate. Darry sure knew what he was doing when he let me go with Kathryn.

I think she had a plan too. "Scout. You haven't tried on one single outfit all afternoon."

I smiled a little out of embarrassment but didn't say anything. Kathryn grabbed a yellow sundress off the rack. "Go try this one on." I looked at her and wanted to say no but she pushed again. "Go on and try it on!"

I went into the dressing room with the beautiful dress. It was plain and simple, but pretty. I slid the dress on over my not so white undergarments and could feel the cool silkyness of the dress's inner lining. I stepped out of the dressing room and looked in the mirror. This was the kind of dress my mom always wished she could buy for me but could never afford.

Kathryn's voice broke through my thoughts. "That is beautiful on you, but you are going to need these shoes to go with it." My brother's friend handed me a pair of white shoes and I slipped them on to complete the look. "Perfect! She'll take it!"

My heart jumped and I didn't know how to tell the girls that I didn't have enough money for the outfit.

Kathryn called out to the saleslady who each of the girls knew by name. "Janet! She'll take this and she's wearing it out of here."

I climbed off the little platform in front of the mirrors and ran to Kathryn's side and whispered. "Kathryn, I can't buy this…. I don't have enough money."

Kathryn looked at me calmly and smiled in a wealthy way. "Don't worry love, it's my treat. In fact the whole rest of the day is my treat to you."

I stood there shocked as the sales lady removed the tags from my dress and Kathryn picked out a sweater jacket to match so I wouldn't be cold in the evening. Her generosity continued into the next few stores where she bought me a two pairs of summer shorts with shirts to match. I climbed into the car feeling like a million dollars.

"Alright girls!" Kathryn yelled out a little wilder than I would have thought she yelled. "Let's head back to my house for a little nightcap and a surprise for you Scout!" The other girls giggled knowing what the surprise was. I didn't have much time to wonder what it could be. My mind was busy soaking up the view of the elegant homes that lined the streets.

As we reached Kathryn's house she pulled up the driveway and we stepped out of the car. END SCENE

DELETED SCENE # 2 - This scene came right after the last day of school. I liked it alittle, but wasn't satisfied so I let it sit. Later I was able to revise it and fit it into the story.

By nightfall Soda had delivered on his promise to throw a big party. The house was full of people, most of them I knew. It was also full of smoke and noise from the radio blaring and everyone trying to talk louder than the music. When Darry left to go see Kathryn I tip toed back to my room. I figured no one would miss me much, but if Soda or Two-Bit saw me leaving they would have pulled me back out into the fun for sure.

I sat on my bed and looked at the boxes of unpacked stuff in the corner. Some of it was mine and some was my mom's stuff that I still had to sort through. I sighed heavily and tried to read a book, but the music was too loud. I tried to be like Pony and draw a picture, but only ended up with piles of crumpled paper launched into the corner near the waste basket. So after a long time of avoidance I decided to begin the chore. An hour later I had half of it boxed up again to get rid of and the rest of it put away. Sitting on my bed was the last piece, my mom's jewelry box. I sat down and lifted the lid. Mom didn't have anything expensive in there, but at lot of it was pretty and I wanted to keep some of it. I sorted everything into piles on my quilt.

From the hall I heard the jingling of glass bottles knocking into each other. I looked up and saw Soda move past the door with a wooden case full of empty bottles he was taking to the back porch. I watched the doorway and a few seconds later Soda appeared again.

"Whacha doin' Sissy?" He asked and he came into the room and sat on the edge of his bed.

I looked at the jewelry box and the pile of earrings I had made. "I was just sorting through mom's jewelry and I was trying to decide what to do with the earrings."

Soda flashed me a crooked grin. "Just wear'em!"

"Duh So!" I grabbed my ear lob and pushed it forward with my thumb. "My ears aren't pierced!"

"Oh." With one simple response Sodapop stood up and abruptly left the room. Before I could figure out what I had said and why he left my brother was back, grabbed the pile of earrings and my hand.

"Come on Sissy!" Soda pulled me off the bed and down the hall. "Where does mom keep the needles?"

"In the drawer in the kitchen, why?" I asked but Soda just told me to hold on and I would see. "What's going on?"

We walked into the kitchen and Soda retrieved mom's sewing box. I wandered into the dining room and noticed Evie and Sandy digging through the bathroom looking for something. I walked over to help. "What are you looking for?"

"Rubbing alcohol?" Sandy asked and I pointed to the wall cabinet.

"Why do ya'll need rubbing alcohol?"

Evie looked over at me like I was dumb. "We gotta sterilize the needle before we use it to pierce your ears."

"Pierce my ears?" I asked and grabbed my ear lobes. So that was what Soda went to do. He recruited the girls to pierce my ears so I could keep mom's earrings! I didn't know whether to thank him for his thoughtfulness or panic and run.

"Scout this is going to be so much fun!" Sandy bubbled and skipped out of the bathroom with the rubbing alcohol.

I smiled nervously, "Well wait… will it hurt?"

Evie joined in the conversation and pulled out a dining room chair for me to sit on. "No, well yeah it will, but it's just for a minute."

I grimaced at the thought of having a needle shoved through my ear lobe. "On second thought, maybe Darry will get mad." I tried to use my brother as a scapegoat.

"Come on Sissy!" Sodapop drawled. "Darry aint gonna care, you're just chicken is all." Then he and Steve laughed at me. I'm not sure why, but I hate it when those two laugh at me together.

"I never said I wasn't gonna do it!" I defended my fear, sat down in the chair and pushed my hair behind my ears. "I just don't want to get in trouble for it is all."

"Soda baby!" Sandy called to her boyfriend. "We're gonna need some ice too. Oh, and a wet wash cloth." Soda obediently went to fetch the items as the gang sort of crowded around to watch. I looked around and noticed Ponyboy and Two-Bit watching with big grins on their faces.

"What are you all grinning about?" I asked them as my nervousness rose. I tried to hide it to look tuff, but I was starting to rub my hands together which was a tell tale sign that I was scared.

Two-Bit's smiled stretched from ear to ear. "We just aint seen anyone have a needle stuck through their ear and we wanted a front row seat to see it!"

"Yeah, and I want to be able to see if you pass out or something." Pony added obnoxiously as he puffed on his cancer stick.

I drawled back my response. I tended to do that too when I'm nervous and trying to look tuff. "Well ya'll better go find somethin' else to do because it aint gonna hurt and I'm not passin' out."

"Ok are you ready?" Sandy asked. "I'm gonna put some ice on the ear and then Evie is going to push the needle through so don't squirm."

I sat up straight and took a deep breath. I made sure to look straight ahead and concentrate on something. I felt the freezing cold ice cube on my ear and then Sandy pulled it off and dried the earlobe. I heard Evie count, one, two, three. I rush of pain made me jump out of the chair a little and I stamped my feet on the floor to try and distract my brain from the pain.

In my ear I heard Soda yelp out, "whoa look at that bleed!"

Then Sandy scolded Evie, "You were suppose to push the needle all the way through."

"I tried but I just wasn't holding the needle tight enough!" Evie defended herself. "Sodapop give me that rag so it doesn't drip blood on her shirt."

I looked over at Ponyboy who had a surprised yet concerned look on his face. Two-Bit was near by trying so hard not to bust out laughing that his eyes were tearing up. "What happened?" I asked as I took the ice and put it to my ear to try and cease the throbbing pain.

Evie looked over at me with a frown. "I screwed up and didn't push the needle all the way through."

I could tell from the look on her face that she was sincere in her apology and I made an effort not to get mad. I picked up the hand mirror and pulled the bloody ice cube off my ear. I looked at the lobe dripping with blood and heard Pony tease. "Oh this is the part where she's gonna pass out."

I looked over at him and noticed Johnny peeking over my brother's shoulder. "I told you I aint gonna pass out!" I meant it. It was time for me to step up and finish the job. I looked in front of me and had Sandy hold the mirror for me. I took the wet washcloth from Soda and cleaned the blood from my ear. "Evie would you please clean the needle off and give it to me."

Steve leaned over from the part of the table he was sitting on. "What are you going to do, pierce it yourself?"

I looked up at him assuredly. "Yeah, if I am going to have a hole in my ear it better be able to hold an earring." I took the clean needle and wiped my ear lobe one more time so I could see what I was doing. Then I lined the needle up and pushed it all the way through. It hurt, but it was one of those pains that don't hurt as much because you do it to yourself. I pushed the needle all the way through my ear to be sure the hole was complete.

"Oh that was gross!" Johnny said.

"Just one of the things broads do to look good for us." Two-Bit said and patted Johnnycakes on the shoulder.

Dally had been watching from behind Steve. "That was pretty tough Scout. I aint never seen a girl shove a needle though her own ear before."

I smiled because being called tough by Dally was a nice compliment. I wiped the ear a second time and Sandy cleaned it with rubbing alcohol again. Then we slipped in one of the simple gold earrings from my mom's jewelry box. I tried to see in the mirror how it looked but the blood was still bubbling out from the hole. I pinched my sore ear lobe with the washcloth and waited for the bleeding to stop. "Sandy why don't you do the next one for me."

"I don't know that I could do any better then Evie." Sandy looked at me apprehensively. "I've never pierced and ear before."

"Give me the needle, I'll do it." Dally said as he gently pushed Sandy aside and clenched his cigarette with his teeth. I looked at him in his blue jean jacket and white t-shirt. I pondered whether I trusted Dallas Winston to push a piece of steel through my flesh. Then a thought crossed my mind that with a rep like his he has probably stabbed at least one person before. Dallas sat down on the chair directly in front of me. "Just push it through right?"

Evie took his cigarette and handed the needle to him. "No not just through, the hole needs to be even with the other one so her ears don't look crooked."

I looked at Ponyboy's eyes to ask him if he thought I was crazy to let anyone in this gang try to pierce my other ear. Pony kind of read my mind and shrugged his shoulders up to let me know that he wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. I looked back at Dallas who had the needle in his hand and was waiting for Sandy to use the ballpoint pen to mark the spot on my ear where the hole should go.

I pulled the washcloth away from my ear. "Has it stopped bleeding So?"

Soda leaned forward from where he was sitting on the table. "Yeah, I think it has."

I held the washcloth in my fingers as Sandy put the ice cube on my second earlobe to numb it. I looked at Dallas who struck my earlobe with the needle like a cobra snake. In an instant he pushed the needle halfway through and then pulled it out the back of my ear. I cringed at the initial pain. Sandy pushed the earring through the hole and without a drop of blood the ordeal was over and my ears were pierced.

Darry never got mad about my ears being pierced. He even said they looked really nice.

END SCENE

DELETEDSCENE #2– trying out for cheerleading. This scene was meant to develop Scout's character into a more confident girl. The thought process was that she would make the squad and then struggle with whether she should live at that social level. As a cheerleader she would have contact with Cherry too. Again I was thinking of strengthening the relationship between Scout and Kathryn. I chose to axe this chapter because it was too soon for Scout to rise to the level of soc. I also worried that if Scout made the squad she would make too many new friends, and that wouldn't work well as we paralleled with the book. (obviously the book elements greatly affected the content of Escalation.)

The first day of school I was up dressed and ready to go before anyone else. I sat on the couch with my nap sack filled with new notebooks, pens and pencils, and watched as my brothers slowly moved through the house to prepare for their days. I must have looked out the window two dozen times waiting for Steve's car to pull to the curb. When it finally did I couldn't keep myself grounded to the couch any longer.

Steve and Two-Bit strolled through the front door. "Hey Scout you look nice!" Two-Bit greeted me. I thought about my blouse and shirt. I was happy to have hand me downs from Kathryn and Casey that made me look more like a soc then an greaser.

Steve looked over at me, his eyes moving over my appearance. "I bet you woke up before the sun came up!"

"NO!" I rolled my eyes in humor. "The sun was up… barely." I laughed along with the gang as Casey came in through the back door. Fifteen minutes later chaos broke out in the living room as all seven of us headed out the front door, five of us to school and two to work. The short journey through the sun to the car was almost spiritual for me. I was excited to walk into school proud of my intelligence, my appearance and filled with a new sense of self.

Together Casey and I strolled the halls before the bell ring. Outside the activities office we checked the list of clubs and sport groups set to begin.

"Here it is." I said quietly.

"Here what is?" Casey leaned over to see what had caught my eye. Her jet black hair was pulled back in a perfect ponytail and she smelled sweet like candy. It was the same scent that Kathryn had worn in the diner the first time I met her. The smell took me back to a day I had stuffed into the back corner of my memory, my parents funeral. I remembered the rectangular holes dug into the cold ground. The two ornamental boxes suspended above the darkness. The scene in my head caused me to shiver and Casey's voice called me back to the present. "Scout what did you find?"

I looked up at the flyer. "Cheerleading tryouts are next week."

"Cheerleading? You never told me you wanted to do cheerleading." Casey stepped back and looked down at me.

"My guidance counselor says I need to join a club or something." I wrote the tryout information on the back sheet in my notebook. "I'd rather be a cheerleader then captain of the chess club!"

"Cool choice girl!" Casey smiled and rolled her eyes at the chess club idea. I watched her reaction and felt a little guilty because I still thought being in the chess club would be fun.

It was hard to focus on homework during the first week of school. Everyone still wanted to lay around in the sun and hang out at the drive in. I couldn't though, my classes were harder then ever and the homework was piled on. Everyday after school Casey and I would do what ever we wanted till dinner time. After that I had to commit myself to the books. I wasn't always alone. Often Ponyboy and I worked together and sometimes Casey and Steve would work with us. Even Johnny tried to do his work, even though it was frustrating for him. He just didn't understand the world through words and numbers.

That weekend I spent my free moments in the yard perfecting tumbling skills. Darry worked with me too. He would stand in the grass and critique and critizes me. Ponyboy was annoyed by the toughness. I understood Darry was just helping me to reach deep inside myself for the best, the way his coaches and dad had done for him.

I attempted a no handed cartwheel, slipped and landed on my back at my coach's feet. "Darry?" I looked up at him. "Do you think I stand a chance at making one of the squads."

Darry beamed with confidence. "I know you do. I've been to plenty of football games. Most cheerleaders are just pretty bimbos with no talent." Darry squatted down in front of me. "But not you. You've got something special you can bring to the squad. You're gonna knock their bobby socks off!"

Darry was right! Of the eighteen girls who tried out, Casey included, I was amongst the few who had any gymnastic ability. Together Casey and I sat on the bleachers and watched the cheerleading coach and older cheerleaders digging through the score sheets. Occasionally a small group of them would look up and point into the crowd. I looked over at Casey who seemed relaxed. Not me! I was nervous. Not the type of nervous where I worried I wouldn't be good enough. These nerves told me I wished I hadn't even tried out. I started to dread the thought of learning new things and meeting new people. I began to sweat just thinking about it when I heard one of the current cheerleaders call out my name.

"Curtis? Scout Curtis could you come down here for a moment?"

I looked over at Casey and then stood up from the crowd and walked to the group of girls waiting for me. I could feel the eyes of the crowd follow me as my footsteps reverberated on the wooden bleacher steps. I hurried to the scorers table and was met by a lovely girl with flowing red hair and the most perfect smile I had ever seen.

"Scout?"

"Yes mam'." I answered causing the red head to grin and her friends to giggle.

"We think you may have made an error on your sheet." The cheerleader pointed to my grade and birth date. "It says you are in your Sophomore year, but you are only fourteen."

I smiled with pride and a touch of arrogance. "Yes, that's correct."

The girls looked at each other, "if she's only fourteen does she qualify to be on the junior varsity team?"

A second girl added. "Rules are you can't be a freshman, doesn't say anything about age."

The redheaded girl looked back at me and smiled. "Thanks Scout, we will let you know."

When I returned to the bleachers I told Casey what they wanted and she bubbled like a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. She was sure I had made the squad, she didn't know which one, but she was sure I was in.

Minutes later the coach called out the new members. "I would like to thank everyone for trying out. As you know this year we have limited spots to fill with new comers so I will begin by announcing the varsity winners." The coach read off four names, none of which were familiar to me. My friend and I noticed the winners were all of higher social class then either of us. "And as you know we have only three junior varsity spots available. Those three spots will be filled by Pamela Claire, Susan Townsen and Scout Curtis?"

Casey let out a big screech of excitement as I exhaled and tried to relax. I followed the other new cheerleaders down to the tables set up on the floor as the coached thanked all the others and told them they could go. I lined up with the other six girls as the coach welcomed us onto the squad and handed out folders to each of us. "Ladies these are the cheers I want you to know by the end of the week along with the required equipment you will need to purchase. Practices are Monday through Thursday after school, games are Friday nights. If you plan to miss a practice you should plan to be removed from the squad. A cheerleader is the best representative of the school that we have and I want you all to be first ladies!"

After the welcome and rules I ran to Casey who was still bubbling with excitement for me. Together we walked outside to check the parking lot for our ride. Just as expected Two-Bit was laying on the hood of Steve's car soaking up the sunlight.

"Guess what Two-Bit, guess what, guess what?" Casey ran to him as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the car.

"Ya'll made the squad?" Two-Bit grinned.

"No! Just Scout, isn't it great?" Casey ran around to the driver's side of the car and called out shotgun.

Two-Bit slid off onto his feet and hugged me. "That's great Scout. I'm real happy for ya."

I hugged my friend back and for the first time noticed how good he smelled, for a greaser. I also became aware of his strength. I had always known he was tough, but I had never thought of the wisecracker as strong too. "Thanks Two-Bit." I said and climbed into the backseat.

As Two-Bit squealed his way out of the parking lot I sifted through the rules, cheers and required equipment list. With each line my heart sank. I had never considered how expensive this was going to be. By the time we were half way home I had grown silent and made a decision I was going to have to decline the invitation to the team.

At the house Two-Bit and Casey raced inside to be the first to tell everyone the good news. I decided to go in with a happy face. The gang was genuinely proud of me, and Darry most of all. He and Soda led a cheer of their own pretending to have pom pons and using girl voices. All through dinner both of them had a smile permanently attached to their face and Soda and Steve used the good news as an excuse to throw a weekend party at the house.

By bedtime I was exhausted from my homework and wondered how I would ever keep up. I thought about my academics and decided to use that as a reason to drop out of cheering. It was the perfect excuse because no one could argue that sports was better then good grades.

"Scout?" Darry knocked on the door and entered my room. The grin was still lingering on his face when he sat on the edge of my bed. "I just wanted to tell you congratulations again. I knew you could do it."

I didn't smile. I didn't know how to tell him I wasn't going to be on the squad. I looked into his blue eyes and saw my father grinning back at me. Remembering the financial strain my family went through on a daily basis I sighed and broke the news to my brother. "Darry…. I … I've been thinking about cheerleading and I don't think I am going to have time with all my school work and stuff."

Shock replaced his grin. "What? No, I think you will do fine." He tried to help me realize that I could do both.

I couldn't look at him because tonight he was looking so much like my dad, and I could never lie to my dad. I tried to avoid the thought but then resigned to the truth. I pulled the folder off of my dresser, opened it and pulled out the cost sheet. "Darry, the truth is we can't afford me to be in cheerleading." I handed him the paper and he read down the list.

Skirt $6.00

Sweater $10.00

Pom Pons $5.00

Saddle shoes $7.00

Darry sighed. "Well it is a lot, but I can pick up a few extra Sunday shifts and have it paid off by the end of the month."

I threw my head back into my pillow with frustration. "Darry! I don't want you to have to work extra days just so I can do this." I reached up and pulled the list out of his hand. "I'll be fine without it."

Darry pulled one leg up onto the bed and leaned toward me slightly. "Scout, it's not a big deal and I am not letting you quit."

"It is way to much money!" I argued. "Besides practices are four days a week right after school. I will have no way to get home, and if not safe to walk."

Darry looked annoyed by my excuses. "I'll talk to Ponyboy and he can wait after school for you the way you wait for him when he runs track. Plus I am sure Steve or Two-Bit will help out." Darry beamed, "you know they will."

I laid back down and through the folder on the floor. Now that I had made the varsity squad there was no way Darry was going to let me loose it. I resigned not to be the martyr and pulled the bed sheet over my body to tuck myself in bed. "Ok… I'll stick with it."

"Good!" Darry walked over to the wall and turned off the light. "I am proud of you Scout….and mom and dad would have been proud of you too." Darry pulled my door shut half way and disappeared into the darkness.

I whispered back to my brother. "They would be proud of you too."

DELETEDSCENE #3 - This is the final deleted scene. I really struggled with the way the aftermath of Duke's rampage would have been handled in 1966. I wasn't sure if I was right, but I am happy with what I posted. Here was another option I considered.

The tall officer retuned from the house. "Ok, you can come on in, but the rest of the boys need to stay clear. Don't touch anything inside or my Captain will have my badge." Darry followed the officer up the front steps and into the house. My brother looked around the living room, but didn't notice me behind the handful of people who were preparing Casey for transportation to the hospital.

"Um." The officer said to Darry, let's step to the side a moment while they bring her out.

Darry looked hard at the young girl on the gurney, fearing it was me. "Casey?" He said with partial relief. The crew brought her by Darry and he watched her be taken out the front door.

Outside the boys notice the second victim being taken to the ambulance. Two-Bit was the first to speak and run toward the stretcher. "Casey? Casey?" Two-Bit looked up at he medic, "She's gonna be alright aint she?" The medic didn't answer as he closed the ambulance up tight for it's rapid journey to the hospital.

The boys looked toward the door of Casey's house. There was one victim left, and they hadn't brought her out. Sodapop started to weep as Steve helped him to stand. "it's gonna be alright buddy!"

As Casey left the home I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall.

"Scout?" Darry bellowed from across the room and ran to my side. I opened my eyes to see him kneel beside me. Sheer terror on his face as he noticed my white blood covered shirt and bandaged wound on my neck where the second bullet had grazed my skin. "Oh thank god your ok." Darry squeezed me in his arms and held me while I cried.

We were quickly interrupted by the Captain of the police squad. "Sir, I understand you are responsible for this girl."

Darry looked over at the man. "Yes sir, she's my sister."

The captain spoke again. "Well I know this is a hard time for you, but we are going to need to ask her a few questions while everything is still fresh in her mind."

Darry agreed and asked if he could stay by my side. The officer didn't object. The three of us stepped over to the kitchen doorway where I sat on a chair and repeated everything I had seen. The interview took over an hour as multiple officers asked the same questions over and over only in a different format. As the interview drew to a close the Captain was paged on his radio. Darry and I heard the conversation. "Captian, we lost sight of the black car, the assailant is on the loose."

I literally shook with fear. "We got to get out of here! What if he comes back looking for me?"

The Captain put his hands on my shoulders. "Now sweetie don't you worry about nothing, we are going to find this guy! You have my word."

His word didn't help to calm my fears. I had seen the merciless rage in this man. I grabbed Darry's hand for comfort and heard the Captain tell him he wanted me at the station in an hour for further questioning and a description of the perpetrator. Darry agreed and he helped up from the chair. I tried to walk, but found I was slightly crippled by fear.

"Scout you ok?" Darry asked as he looked me up and down.

"I'm scared."

My blue eyes met his and he hoisted me up like a baby and whispered. "Don't worry about it baby girl, I've got ya."

Darry carried me out the front door into the afternoon sunlight. The gang immediately jumped to their feet and rushed towards us. I heard Sodapop yell out first. "Darry is she ok?"

Then Dally, "what the hell happened in there?"

Darry told everyone that I was going to be fine and he was taking me home. Inside the house Sodapop started a warm shower for me while an officer waited by the bathroom door to take my clothes away as evidence. While I washed the blood from my body and hair Darry told the boys about the scene in the house and what had transpired.

I redressed into clean clothes and wandered out to the living room

Well that is the end of the commentary and deleted scenes. I hope you enjoyed them and stay tuned for the next installment of the Scout stories. Also a special thanks to SE Hinton for creating characters and a storyline that has filled my head with a great sister story.

Thanks!

Erin