Thanks Hakoum for pointing that out. I thought that socs would go somewhere different, but I didn't know where. I'm enjoying everyone's reviews right now. This is the most popular fic so far. Just like I thought it would be.
Chapter 18: To Be Tuff
On Monday, after school, I was walking home from school. I really had nothing to do that day. I remembered when I was a soc. Whenever we were bored, we would just pick on greasers. But now I lived on the other side. Greasers usually got enough flack.
Then I saw Tim Shepard and his gang again. I hoped that they didn't know that I ran out on that party. They approached me.
"Hey. Where'd you go at that party?" asked Tim.
"I was there…for a little while," I said, not coming up with a good excuse.
"What. You're not tuff enough?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I felt insulted again.
"C'mon. If you wanta be a true hood, then you've got to be both tough and tuff."
"I am that."
"Not enough," he said waving his index finger. "Start hanging with us. We'll show you how."
Start hanging out with Tim Shepard? And the Tim Shepard gang? I looked at them. I remembered when they jumped me. I wanted to be that tough. It's no different from when I was a soc. Y'know, just jumping socs and I couldn't stand them now. Except for Cherry of course.
"Alright. I'll start hanging out with you guys."
"Good," said Tim. "Let's go."
And with that. I started becoming a hood.
I started doing a lot of things with Tim. I remember the first night we did something. We egged a couple of soc house. I knew they weren't Cherry's, so I wasn't mad or anything. It felt good. I like being a hood. When we were back in our neighborhood, we all sat in the car while Tim and Curly went into the house. They then came out with beers in their hand.
"Drink up," he said handing me a bottle.
I looked at it. He wanted me to drink alcohol. Why didn't I drink alcohol? To impress my mom. And she was dead. I still had no one to impress. I don't know why I didn't still do it after Soda saved me from that bus. I popped it open and slugged it down. Like I said before, interesting taste.
Then this girl came outside. I had never seen her before. Don't think I was mesmerized or something. She wasn't that cute. Well, not as cute as Cherry.
"Let me have some," she said to Tim.
"Why?" he asked.
"I can take it. I've done it before."
"I don't care. Just don't take the whole package."
The girl walked over and grabbed a beer. Then she looked at me.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"That's Dean," said Curly before I could even open my mouth. "New guy."
She looked at me with a smile. I hope she wasn't hoping for me to ask her on a date. I was already working on my progress with Cherry. But no one knew that.
"I'm Angela. Tim and Curly's sister."
"Hey."
Tim dropped me off at my house. Les' had already gone to bed; I told her I might be out late. Except I told her I was studying with Pony. So she didn't mind that I was out late.
I didn't even bother to eat the food she left out for me. That beer had given me a headache. But I liked it. It made me tuff that I was drinking. It also made me seem tougher. I just swaggered over to my room and threw off my shirt. I plopped right into the bed. I had drunk more than one beer.
The next morning, I was late to school. I had hurried into the classroom and the teacher counted me late. When I sat down, the teacher started grading some papers. Ponyboy then slid over towards me.
"Is it true that you joined the Tim Shepard gang?" he asked.
"Kind of," I answered.
He had a confused look on his face. I really didn't want to say that I joined the gang. I don't think that that would make him too happy. I mean…I did stop hanging out with them suddenly.
Ponyboy didn't get to retaliate to the question, because the teacher wanted attention to him now.
I think Les' started to expect a couple of things. She came into my room one time and let out a load of questions.
"Hey Dean."
"Yeah."
"I just
want to know how it's going. I haven't seen your friends
lately."
"They've been busy."
"Doing what?"
"Working and stuff."
"I thought only three of them have jobs?"
"The others are just having some personal stuff to do."
"Even Ponyboy? He seemed happy that he went to church. Does he want to go again?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"Bad memories."
"Like what."
"I don't make him talk about it."
"Um. Okay. Time for bed."
"Alright."
It wasn't time for bed though. I knew what time she usually falls asleep. You would know too, by her snoring. When that time occurred. I slipped out my window. Tim and the gang were going to do some stuff.
