Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.
oOoDancingQueenoOo: Thanks for reviewing like every chapter of this story. Your reviews are always special.
Alaskajenna: Wow, that's really flattering. Many people seem to want her to end up with Dally. At first I was kind of iffy about it but now I kind of like the idea of them together. I'm just not very good at writing him without him being OOC but I can try. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.
ZELINIA: LOL. I really didn't mean for the hand stamping guy to be all "hey-i'm-a-rapist" but I guess he is kind of creepy. He's not a rapist though. He's in this chapter, but he's just some random guy that I had to throw in because he thinks Roxie is pretty, which is one of the things she's learning in this story, she really is a pretty girl. I hope you like this chapter.
WhiteLies: I'm glad I rock someone's socks. That's quite a compliment. That poll was just for fun. You didn't miss out. I just wanted to see what the readers thought. Dally seems to be very popular. Two-Bit is a good choice though, I love him. Thanks for your input.
Banana4422: Dally is overprotective there. I think he's a little OOC there. It was originally going to be Darry because he's like her big brother but then I decided I should throw a bone to the people who want her to end up with Dally. I'm pretty sure that was the same person but to be fair I had to count it. Not that the votes really count for anything, I just wanted to see what the readers wanted. I hope you like this chapter.
Babygurl33: Hey you have to give yourself a little credit; you're the one who fixes all the spelling and grammar mistakes. I hope you enjoyed proof reading this chapter. LOL. And it's totally okay that it took so long, I was just worried you got grounded again or something. Thanks so much!
Tehsylvania: That's an interesting username. I like it, very original. Thank you for the compliment. Everybody is either saying Johnny or Dally. Johnny does really talk to her much though so I don't really think that would work out.
Stef: I'm glad you don't think that chapter was filler. I hate filler. I'm really considering Dally. I hope you like this chapter too.
Cutiepiepink angel: I'm glad you liked your dedication. Soda and Pony are possibilities, but you'll just have to read to find out.
Sodapop's#1gurl: I really wasn't supposed to be so confusing to figure out who she ends up with when I first started writing. I think during the first chapter I thought Steve or Two-Bit but then I changed my mind and was trying to pick between Soda and Pony. And a bunch of people wanted Johnny and Dally so then it got really confusing. I really like your reasoning for her perfect match. Very similar to my own. But I can't give too much away here. You'll just have to read the rest of the story. And more about Roxie's life before she came to Tulsa is going to show up in the next chapter in case you are interested. I hope you like this chapter; I think you'll really enjoy the end of it.
Author's Note: Wow, I thought I got a lot of reviews for chapter seven! I know I said that this chapter would be longer and better than the last one but I had a bad case of writer's block which I am now thankfully over. Sorry if this chapter isn't as good at the others, I was kind of stuck. I knew what I wanted to happen but I just couldn't get it right. There is a lot of drama in this chapter just to let you know. Now an announcement: drum roll please…………after a lot of thought I have finally picked Roxie's guy! But I can't tell who because then you wouldn't want to read the rest of the story. As always I would like to thank my beta-reader babygurl33 for all the awesome work she has done!
This chapter is dedicated to Sodapop's#1gurl for being the 50th reviewer!
Chapter Nine
"Why did you do that Dally?" I asked him, taking my elbow away from his grasp. Dally glared over my shoulder at the guy who was stamping people's hands. I turned around too. The guy had a short brown crew cut and brown eyes, he was dressed rather nicely too. All in all he was pretty good looking, he wasn't a Sodapop Curtis or anything, but still he was decent.
"Roxie are you blind?" Dally said loudly. He wasn't yelling at me but I could tell he was frustrated.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest and staring at him.
"Well…uh…um…" Dally mumbled. He wasn't making any sense what-so-ever.
"What's going on Dal?" Darry asked, coming over to us. The rest of the gang was grouped around the game where you knock the milk bottles down. Two-Bit was trying really hard for that stuffed lobster.
"That weasel tried to steal Roxie away." Dally said, pointing at the kid. He was
still glaring at the guy. Darry looked at me with a quizzically.
"He did what?" he asked. I could tell he was about to go into big brother mode.
"All he did was smile and say hi to me. Dallas is just over reacting. If the guy had said hello to Trisha you wouldn't be doing this." I said shooting Dally a look. I only called him Dallas when I was upset with him.
"Roxie, you aren't Trisha. You aren't like Trisha in the slightest bit." Dally said.
"Are you saying that I can't handle myself?" I asked pursing my lips and glaring at him. He looked annoyed which is never a good sign.
"He's not saying that Roxie." Darry said, stepping into intervene. "It's just you aren't from around here. You don't know what can happen with guys you don't know here. This isn't Ohio. Now come on. We're here to have fun remember?." Then he led me and Dally back to the group where they were deciding what ride they wanted to go on first.
"Hey!" a familiar voice yelled at me. I was sitting on a picnic table with Olivia and Trisha while the boys were off getting more tickets, it was only about an hour into the fair and we had already used up all the ones we had bought at the beginning. This was primarily due to Two-Bit's obsession with the bumper cars which he felt the need to go on four times in a row. I looked up and saw the hand stamping guy coming toward me.
Olivia rolled her eyes and continued to look up at the sky, although they weren't due to start the fireworks for another half hour; while Trisha elbowed me. "Go talk to him," she whispered.
"Dally will kill me if he sees me!" I shot back. She gave me a look that plainly said "get your ass in gear and go talk to the guy because I didn't give you that make-over for nothing". I sighed, hopping off the table.
"I was hoping I'd find you," the guy said coming up to me. I nodded. "I'm Josh."
"Roxie." I said, looking over my shoulder to make sure Dally couldn't see us. If he did then I would be in major trouble.
"Who are those people you're with?" Josh asked, nodding towards Olivia and Trisha.
"My friends."
"Oh and those guys you came in with, are they your friends too?" he asked. I nodded.
"Which one's your boyfriend?" he asked suddenly. My mouth fell open and my eyes grew wider than Johnny's ever had.
"Excuse me?"
"Well a pretty broad like you has to have a boyfriend." Josh explained. I raised my eyebrows at his use of words. I was used to Dally calling me a broad but to have someone else do it was just plain weird. It bothered me. I wrinkled my nose.
"I don't have a boyfriend." I said firmly, though I did cast a look to the ticket booth where the guys were standing. Luckily Dally was in a wild conversation with Two-Bit and had his back to me.
"Really? Well then hey do you want to go on the Farris wheel with me?" Josh asked. I bit my lip. I had already promised Ponyboy that I would go on the Farris wheel with him because nobody else wanted to. I was about to make my excuses when Trisha came up behind me and took hold of my elbow the way Dally had done earlier.
"Dally's coming," she whispered to me.
"Uh…sorry Josh…I have to…uh…" I started, glancing over my shoulder at Dally going over to the picnic table.
"Come get popcorn with me!" Trisha said pulling on my elbow.
"Yes, popcorn, with my friend. I'll see ya." I shouted as Trisha pretended to drag me over to the table where Darry was handing out tickets.
"Bye." Josh said hopelessly, getting washed into the crowd as we arrived back at the table where Evie and Sandy had graced our group with their presence. Evie was wearing heavy eye-makeup and the shortest skirt I've ever seen while Soda had his arms around Sandy and was whispering in her ear. I glanced at Trisha, wondering if she would say anything about that day at the drug store but she kept her mouth shut, just gave me a poke in my back with one of her long red fingernails.
"Who's your friend Stevie?" Evie asked looking me up and down. Steve smiled at her.
"Baby you remember Soda and I told you and Sandy about Candy's niece."
Steve said soothingly to her. Evie and Sandy looked at each other and back to me with surprised expressions.
"That's the freak?" Evie asked loudly with a snap of her gum. Her words echoed into the silence of our group as I felt the tears form in my eyes, probably going to smear my mascara. Two-Bit pulled me over into his arms and hugged me while Johnny and Ponyboy patted my shoulder. Darry was glaring at Steve, I knew they never really liked each other but this seemed to be the last straw, I had never seen Darry flex his muscles quite so menacingly, when some of the color drained out of Steve's face I knew he hadn't either. Soda left Sandy's side and came over to me to whisper soothing words into my ear about how she didn't know what she was talking about, which left Sandy to stand abandoned by Evie and Steve. Trisha was being held back by Olivia. I knew that Trisha could pack a punch if she meant it. Dally started to march up to Evie and I knew that this was the side of Dally that the gang had always warned me about. Before I knew what I was doing I broke out of Two-Bit's arms, and hustled past Soda, Pony, and Johnny.
"Dally don't!" I said stepping in front of his path. He stopped and I knew that he could plow me over in a second but he didn't. He looked rather flabbergasted that I had stopped him, as did the rest of the group.
"Thanks." Evie mumbled to me, looking over to Dally who just about had smoke coming out of his ears. I turned to her, my face red with anger.
"I didn't do that for you. I did that for me. I don't need other people to fight my battles for me." I said as firmly as I could. Evie raised her eyebrows as if she didn't think I was much of a threat.
"Like a little freak like you could do anything to me," she said with a laugh that sounded much like a horse.
"I could but unlike you I have some class so I won't." I said giving her a fake smile before turning on my heel to go over to Olivia and Trisha. Olivia patted me on the back and Trisha stuck her tongue out at Evie who was standing there with Steve by her side, but you could tell by his body language as he lead her away that he wanted to come over where the guys were congratulating me on showing up Evie. Sandy stood off to the side, waiting for Soda who after he kissed me on the cheek went over to her and lead her away like Steve did to Evie.
It was at that time that the fireworks started. The gang all sat down in the grass, looking up at the sky and pointing out the bright colors, except for Dally who was slouching over by the picnic table smoking, the collar of his leather jacket popped up. I got up off the grass and walked over to him.
"Good job," he said flicking his ashes in the dirt. I nodded, knowing that he was going to say something else. "It takes a lot of guts to stand up to someone like that. I'm proud of you," he mumbled softly. I smiled in spite of myself.
"Aw is ol' Dallas Winston going soft on me?" I asked, feeling more confident about teasing him now that I had faced Evie. He looked caught of guard for a second but then he gave me a soft smile and shrugged.
I didn't think Dally was capable of smiling softly but he did, there on the Forth of July with the fireworks exploding above our heads with mighty crashes.
Aw…I like the way it ends. Seems like Dally and Roxie have some fireworks between them (or over them rather)…but Soda did kiss her (on the cheek mind you but still). Who do think Roxie is going to end up with now?