Title- The Return of Jess

Chapter Title- Lisa's Jessica-Torture

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders

Note- As always, my flash backs are omnipresent.

Soda put his arm around me and sighed. He talked and I listened. At first he started to stall, it was that bad. I yelled at him and he went right to it.

Flash back

Two boys entered The Dingo, and a dark haired waitress went over and started to talk to them. A blonde waitress shooed away the dark haired one. The dark haired one went to a table and sat on it, hopelessly swinging her legs.

"My name's Lisa," the blonde one said to the two boys at the table.

"My name's Steve and this is my best buddy Soda. We work at DX, an' our lunch hour's almost over. Could ya hurry up?" The blonde waitress huffed. She realized that Soda was the other's boyfriend.

"You see that waitress over there?" she asked pointing her pen to the dark haired girl. "She's having this thing, with our cook, Chris."

"That's bullshit," Steve said, "that's my sister Jessica, and I know she's not."

"You know where she is every minute? That's wrong, that's like stalking your sister. Well she is, and the fucking slut has probably slept with every guy on the east side." Lisa started to enjoy this. "The little whore probably has every fucking disease out there. She only got a job here because she's run out of guys who will pay her. I don't think she charged much; she's kinda ugly and fat. Nobody in their right mind would pay a lot for her, and the guys were probably drunk. She's tried a few Socs, I think, they just don't want a greasy bitch. The girl's a fucking prostitute."

"You're crazy. I know my girlfriend hasn't done any of that," Soda snapped and got up. Lisa was jealous; none of her boyfriends had ever trusted her that much. If somebody even suggested the idea, they broke up with her.

"We came here to eat, not to hear you talk," Steve said and he and Soda walked over to the other waitress.

I stared at Soda. She, she said that about me?

"Don't worry 'bout her Jessi," he told me and got up to fill a tank. I got up.

"I wish I could work here again, with you."

"How much work would we get done?" he asked and I looked at my watch.

"Oh, shit, I'm gonna be late," I screamed. I quickly kissed him and ran to The Dingo.

"You're late," a familiar voice sneered. I was late, by 5 minutes. What can I say? I'm not a runner. I'm more of a, well, I don't know anymore. I used to be a train-hopping, shop-lifting, New York girl. Then I was like an outsider here because everybody had their gang, and I wasn't part of it. Now, I don't know what I am. I'm Sodapop Curtis's girlfriend, Steve Randle's half-sister, a Lisa hater. Lisa, why was Lisa here? I wasn't that late so it wasn't her lunch hour.

"Why are you here?"

"I dropped out of school; I need to help support my family." Yeah, that was the reason. Her step-dad worked. This was all part of her Jessica torture. Well, were going to get her back. I shrugged and grabbed my order pad from the hiding spot. I thought I could get away from this girl.

"Where's your boyfriend? Did he leave you for somebody prettier? Thinner? Maybe somebody who wasn't crazy?" 'Okay, Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, I can do it,' I told myself.

"Why do you have a problem with me?" She walked off. She just needed a person to hate, and I crossed her path the wrong way. This wasn't over yet, I was going to get my revenge with the help of Michelle and Anna. Oh, and that other girl. What is her name? Sara, her name is Sara. She doesn't stick out too much.

I finished work and dragged myself over to DX. Lisa kept telling her jokes to the other people working here, most likely about me. I was so embarrassed. I walked into DX because Soda wasn't outside.

"Soda has work, Jessica."

"Ha ha, you're funny," I told him, "why didn't you tell me what Lisa said that day?"

"Well, it was bad; I told you it was bad."

"I know, Soda told me. Now she's dropped outta school and is working full time with me at The Dingo. Can't I get a job here? I had therapy in New York, please?" I begged. I was weak, I knew I was, but this girl was mean. She was 16, and I was 18 in less than a week, it was really bad.

"You can't get a job here, 'cause we know you an' Soda wouldn't work. You guys would like talk all day."

"Fine, I'll just quit my job at The Dingo and I'll hang around here all day."

"I'll see what I can do, but you can't run from your problems." I rolled my eyes at him; I could run from my problems if I wanted to.

"Do I hear Jessi?" Why did Soda insist on calling me that? It wasn't as bad as when Lisa said it. When she said it, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. He hugged me from behind and lifted me slightly off the ground and span around.

"Soda!" I yelled when my feet were safely on the ground.

"You have oil and other shit all over you and now it's all over me!"

"What were you two talkin' 'bout?"

"Stevie," I had to call him that, and I was going to think of something for Soda, "Stevie is gonna see if he can get me a job here. I had therapy in New York, and I'm not crazy anymore."

"Why do you want a job here? You have your job at The Dingo."

"I can't go back there, Lisa's working weekdays now too," I told him.