Chapter Twenty
I sat on the back of the Curtis's sofa, enjoying every minute of loudness and commotion there always was when the whole gang was in one room. "Mickey!" I heard Melody screech. Roaring with laughter Mickey ran into the living room from the hallway. "What did you do?" I asked, obviously the only one that heard Mel. Chris and Steve where fighting over the remote, Donny and Colby where searching the cupboards for food and Erica was sitting at the table watching Chris carefully. "I opened the door on her while she was in the bathroom." He said grinning one of those dorky grins. "You pervert." I said laughing softly. He winked at me and went back down the hall.
This time I heard the door slam against the wall and then scuffling noises. "Help!" Mickey cried staggering back into room with Melody on his back, pounding away at him. "Aw Mel get off the boy!" Donny said turning towards them. "Don't ever open the door on me again Mickey Mathews." She threatened, dropping to the ground and walking off down the hallway. Mickey laughed and started back after her. "Mickey!" I heard Melody holler. "You dickhead leave my sister alone." Candy Cane, a petite strawberry blonde said dragging Mickey back into the living room. "Hey Candy!" I called to her; she looked at me and waved before disappearing back into her room. She was a shy girl but she was brave; Soda said she was like his younger brother PonyBoy. Currently she was upset with all of us because we wouldn't let her come to the rumble so in result she locked herself in her room.
Mickey came and sat down next to me, just plain out staring at me. Casually I gave him the finger and he tackled me to the ground. I hit the ground with a thud and we rolled around, some how he got me pinned in a head lock. "Say I'm the best!" he said. I squirmed and his grip tightened. "Say it!" he said again. "No! Get off me!" I said trying to get loose once more.
"Say it Hail!"
"No!" I shouted and then I bit his arm. He hollered and jumped right off me and everybody turned and looked. Quickly I got up and dusted myself off, "Jackass." I grumbled walking off towards the bathroom to find Melody. "Gosh Hail you are mean!" Mickey shouted after me. "You started it!"
Fifteen minutes later we where walking down the street. Mickey was still upset that I bit him; I mean I never saw him this upset. "I think I got rabies, thanks a lot Hailey." He grumbled. I was getting tired of his complaining, "Shut up Mickey you sound like a damn baby." I said bitterly. "You do know the human mouth is like the dirtiest mouth in the world." Donny said. We all looked at him shocked, "You actually know something?" I asked amazed. He rolled his eyes, "I thought it was pretty cool." He said shrugging his shoulders. Melody, Erica and I roared in laughter. "That is like the last thing I thought I'd hear from you." Mel said. "Shut up." Just then a light flashed in Donny's eyes and he stared at me for a moment and smirked. My jaw dropped I knew what was coming. "You better not." I grumbled, making an attempt to grab him.
Too late, he raced to the front of the gang, walking backwards. "Hey guess who I saw coming out of the bathroom last night at Millers!" he said staring back and me with a wide grin. "Who?" Steve asked, wrapping his arm around Melody's waist. "Hailey and Timothy Shepard!" he shouted.
I cringed and I felt everybody's eyes on me. "Shut up Mickey, you where in there like five different times a different girl each time!" I shouted back, I could feel the heat rise to my face and I rarely blushed. Colby was staring at me the hardest and I felt like I had let him down in a way but then I felt pissed, he wasn't my father he was just my older brother that didn't mean he could walk around bossing me around and expecting me to follow his order! I mean I know for a fact he did 'it' during a party in a bathroom plenty of times, why is it such a big deal now. "Are little girl ain't to little any more is she?" Mickey said breaking the silence. "Shut up." Melody said glaring at him.
Colby held his jaw tight and turned around. "Whadaya mean?" Donny asked his brother, pleased with himself. "She's been grown up for a while!" he paused, and I thought he was actually taking up for me but he was just digging that knife deeper and twisting it round and round, "I know for a fact she lost it to Joe!" he said. "Mickey! If you don't mind you own g'damned business I'm going to beat the shit out of you!" I screamed. But he didn't stop he kept on going until Colby hit him.
He staggered a few feet, a bit stunned. "I don't care if you're a family friend or not, don't yell out my sister's personal life." He said continuing to walk. Everybody was quiet from that point on, and I knew we would win this rumble because Colby was pissed and when he was pissed he always got what he wanted, just like my dad.
We arrived just as Tim Shepard and Co walked up; my heart sped up like a frightened rabbit as I made eye contact with Tim. Steve shoved me lightly and when I looked back up at Tim he was exchanging looks with Colby. I felt like killing Donny right then and there, he ruined just about all the chances I had with Tim and Colby accepting it. And because of him there still was an edge to everybody because nobody had said a word and it bothered me I hated the quietness.
The guys merged with another group of guys and where talking with them, leaving me, Erica and Melody. "Is it true?" Melody asked with a gleaming grin. I knew what she was talking about, "Yea." I said softly. Erica just stared at me. "You should try and get to know him, he is really cool. Nothing like we thought." I said. Mel smiled, "I'd always thought you two would make a good couple!" she said. "When did you start thinking that?" I asked shoving her lightly. "When I saw him looking at you across the poker table at Millers." She said. I shook my head and laughed, "That was last night Mel." I said. She shrugged her shoulders, "Plus it's like written somewhere. I mean my dad and Steve's where best friends growing up its like natural for me and Steve to be together and your dad and Tim where like that too so it was either Colby and Tim be best friends or one of you two to hook up with Tim." She said in a long breath. Erica and I exchanged looks and laughed.
"Have you ever did it before?" Melody asked Erica. Erica was quick to respond, "No!" I laughed softly, "Probably the oldest virgin in Tulsa." "Well that's sad on Tulsa's part." Erica muttered. "You're not waiting until you're married are you?" Mel asked suddenly.
"I dunno."
"I don't know where she gets it from; mom was like Colby's age when she had him"
Erica didn't mind our taunting she ignored it like always.
"Where's Cole?" Donny asked walking over to us. "I dunno, thought he was with you?" I said bitterly. "Hey! Hail! Look to your left!" Mickey called. "Ha looks like Colby is giving Tim a talk." Donny said laughing. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough Tim and Colby stood, both looking like they where about to beat the living hell out of each other. And by the sounds of it all the other greasers where watching too because the lot fell silent. "You don't know how much I'd like to kill you." I said to Donny, wanting desperately to scream, cry or beat the living day lights out of Donny out of pure frustration.
Just then the Socials pulled up in their fancy cars, stepping out in their expensive wanna-be-hood clothes. Reluctantly Colby turned his back to Tim and walked back towards us, his blue eyes where flaming.
"Lets go welcome the Socs!" Mickey cried running to the curb. From where I stood I could here him and Donny greeting the Socs. "Hello, how would you like your ass kicked today?" or "Thanks for coming to loose."
Tension grew briskly over the crowd as the Socs lined up in front of us. The leader of the Brumly gang, Bruce, I knew him from school, he was in my math class last year, spit and walked forward once all the cars where empty. Another Socs stepped forward with a smirk on his face, and they circled each other slowly. Suddenly Bruce tackled him to the ground and the rumble was on.
I hit the first guy I saw, he was my height but he had a stocky build and he really did pack a punch real good. Without hesitation he hit me right in the jaw, I swung back and kicked him in the stomach, he fell backwards and somebody tackled me from the side.
The ground came up to meet me hard and fast. We rolled a couple times, and I tried with all my might to get him off me but he was too strong. Repeatedly he punched my face, I knew it'd be bruised and swollen by tomorrow, but I hit him back. I dug my nails in his face and he yelped, catching him off guard I kicked him in his stomach. He fell back and I got up as quickly at I could. My face was throbbing in pain; Melody was fighting steadily with a guy and bumped into me. Without hesitation we ganged up on him, having on the ground in a matter of seconds.
Somebody came up from behind and grabbed my hair; I held my breath and tried to turn around. And if you ever had your hair clenched in somebody's fist you knew how I felt. It was like a helpless feeling, knowing if I whirled around he'd most likely rip my hair out and if I kicked him he'd jump back and pull my hair with him. His grip loosened and I took advantage to spin around, ignoring she sharp pull against my scalp. He hit me in my stomach and I stumbled backwards hitting my head against somebody else's. This guy didn't give any slack and I fought back with all my might. The weight was knocked off of me and dizzily I got to me feet, swinging on anybody who came near.
"You shoulda stuck with you sister!" A familiar voice said, defending myself against my new challenge I looked over to see Tim fighting the guy that had just had my hair and the guy Mel and I tackled. "She got it real bad, Mel got to her-" He paused as one of the Socs cracked him in the jaw. "Son of a bitch!" he said, I was impressed as he flung his fist out at the guy, I only saw Colby fight that hard before and until then I thought nobody else could. I was barely listening to him, but I heard bits and pieces.
Every single part in my body was throbbing in pain, but I still fought until I took a swing and hit nobody. Then I realize the Socs where running away. I listened carefully for one of the Mathews smart remarks like, "Ya'll come back now." Or something like that but I didn't. I looked around, Melody was checking over Steve's face with Erica at her side. Chris was flexing his right arm heading towards Colby who stood stiffly, still fired up and ready to go, he could fight for hours. Mickey was grinning a bloody ear to ear smile and Donny sat doubled over. Tim and his gang stood at the street watching the Socs drive away, the Brumly boys helped up a knocked out fellow… It was just like always.
I either held my grudges over aggressively or not at all, there's no middle for me. Slowly I made my way over to Donny. "Donald Duck everything okay?" I asked bending down in front of him. He looked up at me, "Yea broke a couple ribs." He said softly. "C'mon get up." I said giving him a hand. "I got a lil' to cocky." He said gritting his teeth as he got to his feet. "I coulda told you that long before the rumble started." I mumbled, helping him over towards Erica and Mel.
Sorry it took me a while to update, just lost track of time. Going back to last chaper like somebody asked what Hailey was doing when she said I know how to tell if you need stitches, well she was going to poke it again just to be smart. I dunno I do that lol... U know the deal so Read and Review please!