Title- Outsider Jess

Chapter Title- Mental Breakdown

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders

Note- I had fun writing this chapter, it's longer than the others. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

The next day I showed up at DX after Steve thought he saw me go into school. He thought it was weird how I never saw him; I didn't mention that I haven't gone to school yet.

"Steve said you wanted a job?"

"Yep, those damn Socs destroyed my car and I need to pay for it to get fixed. I'll work full time, but only tell Steve I work part time. He'd kill me, though I don't know why, if he found out."

"Sure, uh, you can do register, or you can fill."

"Register," I told him.

"Okay, and if you steal anymore sodas, it'll come out of your pay, or you'll be fired."

"How'd you know?" He just grinned. I wanted to smack him.

"I'm not dumb," he told me and I rolled my eyes. I can roll my eyes real good. I practiced a lot.

Steve came in after school ended and wanted to know how I got here early. He had gotten a ride with Two-Bit and supposedly I walked. I shrugged and told him I got a ride and he almost went crazy. I knew it was dangerous, I'm not five. I'm six whole months older than him!

I was bored, I'm not one to stay in one spot, so I tried to leave early, but Steve and Soda wouldn't let me. After work we would go back to Soda's house, if dad hadn't called the gas station.

You are at a register full of money, alone!

Don't you use your brain?

'Shut up! I work here now; I could get fired, or hated.'

Big Deal, they won't catch you until tomorrow.

'Yeah, that's the point.'

You can leave tonight, take the Curtis's car... you've hot wired before.

'Once before, and stop!' I covered my ears and screamed.

"Help!" I hollered before falling to the ground nonstop screaming. I thought I would kill somebody. I was kicking my legs and fighting to keep my hands on my ears. My mouth wouldn't shut. I kept my eyes shut tight as I had spasms on the floor.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled at the voices and then screamed again. Once in a while I managed to scream a 'help!' Why weren't Steve and Soda coming? I opened my eyes to see a crowd of people standing over me and Soda was trying to calm me down. Steve was on the phone calling people.

"Sh, sh, tell me what's wrong," he said soothingly. I blinked and stared at him with huge eyes. I don't know what came over me but I smacked him in the face. It was his turn to blink and stare. He held my hands to the ground.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he kept asking me and I started to squirm again. I opened my mouth and let out an ear piercing scream.

They're going to find out about you, and hate you.

Yeah, if you weren't so loud and just did what you asked yourself to do.

"I DIDN'T ASK ME TO DO ANYTHING! YOU ASKED ME TO DO IT!" I yelled and everybody became silent and watched me fight with myself. Soda was trying to calm me down still and Steve was arguing on the phone. He hung up and soon Darry came in. Him and Soda picked me up and held me still enough to get into the Ford. I remember kicking somebody but then I blanked out.

I woke up to somebody yelling.

"Damn! She's got a mouth!"

"She bit me!" I recognized the first as Steve and the second as Darry. I was strapped on a hospital bed and all of the guys were staring at me. Two-Bit sat in the corner.

"Guys, um, yesterday I saw her in the store. She does a lot of shop lifting. I think she said shirts, a skirt, pants, sodas, magazines, candy, and a car. That's only while she was here, imagine what she did in New York. Oh, and cigarettes."

"She hasn't been to school yet," Soda said quietly but I heard him. I called his name and he came close to the bed. When I got his face close enough to me, I bit his nose really hard.

"You said you wouldn't tell!" I yelled at him and I was struggling to get off of the bed.

C'mon, let me out, I'll beat him up for you.

"Let you out? What the hell?" I couldn't tell I wasn't thinking anymore, but actually screaming.

You're other personality, mean and tough Jess.

"I don't have another personality!"

You have plenty, plus you're a kleptomaniac.

"I don't have other personalities, and I'm not a KLEPTOMANIAC!" I opened my eyes to see everybody looking at me. I giggled nervously and said hi.

"Somebody, go find out what a kleptomaniac is," I heard Steve say; "I'm going to get a doctor."