Title- Dealing With It

Chapter Title- Now They Know

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders

Reviewers-

XAmberX- My brother goes to college next year… I don't know if I will miss him.

Punkforever- Ah, siblings… I can annoy the heck out of my sister just by putting on some Evanescence or Chevelle

Darkravenx0- Yeah, there is a chance for my best friend in the whole wide world… too bad it isn't you! Just kidding, no, these things are top secret and you have to wait like everybody else…

Note- Anybody catch the VMAs last night? GO GREEN DAY! SEVEN FREAKING VMAs! -Does a little dance- I think when I was in Florida Steve said he'd give me a Green Day poster… I hope he wasn't kidding… I want, no, need that Green Day Poster

She smirked, holding my Mickey. She was an evil 7 year old. I don't remember being that evil when I was 7. Maybe I did some lying, like when I got Chocolate, or maybe I was a little evil. I did cut the hair off of Steve's girlfriend once. I stared at her, waiting for her to do something. If I made a grab for the Mickey, she'd probably do something strange. Maybe she would've licked me, or bit me. She stared at me back, holding its ear.

"What're you gonna do?" I asked cautiously. I was afraid to find out. She brought the ear to her mouth and licked it. I let out a shriek and made a grab for it. I got it and grabbed the others as well. I carried them into the kitchen. I put them into a garbage bag, wiping a way a tear. I had these things forever. I left Nate's alone; he could do what he wanted with them. I tied the garbage bag up and put it into my closet.

"Why do ya make everythin' clean?" she asked me. "Nobody at my house cares. Mama and daddy don't care, they throw things 'round." I know they did, that's why I hated being over their house. They had cigarette butts on the coffee table and beer bottles on the counters.

"When things aren't clean, germs spread," I explained to her. She looked at me, confused.

"So?" she asked. She just didn't get it.

"You can die," I told her. She looked at me, worried at first, and then laughed.

"Mama and daddy haven't died yet, and they aren't clean. I never wash my hands as much as you do. Just after going to the bathroom and before eating." That scared me. I grabbed her sleeve again and dragged her to the bathroom. I turned the water on and shoved soap into her hands. She dropped the soap and turned towards me. "Your nuts," she told me. She ran out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Can I speak to Mrs. Randle?" she asked. "Mama, I'm scared, Veronica's scarin' me. She's makin' me wash my hands. She told me that germs could kill me. Mama, please come get me," she whined. I slapped myself in the forehead. Mom had thought I had gotten over this. Nobody knew I still did it. The only thing that they knew about and bugged them was me spending an hour in the shower.

"Is she comin'?" I asked her after she hung up. She grinned. Winnie and I never liked each other. Her grinning would only mean it was something bad.

"Uh-huh, and she's bringin' Auntie Jessica, your mom," she laughed. I closed my eyes. 'No, no, no, no,' I thought, 'this isn't fun!'

"Well, then sit down and behave," I told her.

"Okay and I'll let you wash your hands," she replied. She was right; I ran into the bathroom and scrubbed my hands. I kept going, even after I heard the door open, and footsteps down the hall. I had a mini scrub brush that I washed my hands with and sometimes I made them scratched up until they bled. This was one of those times. I wanted to stop, I really did. A few times I reached to shut off the water but I couldn't. I would feel disgusting if I didn't.

"Veronica Lynn," mom gasped. She turned the water off and grabbed my wrists. She was still in her uniform and suddenly I felt bad. I had pulled her away from work. I struggled to break free from her grip. Her filthy hands were touching me! I was unsuccessful; she pulled me into the living room. "Say you're sorry. God, Veronica, you're 15, I can't believe you would do something like this."

"Sorry," I mumbled and tried to pull away again.

"Ronnie, why do you do it? Why?" she asked me. I knew she cared, but her hands must've been filthy. I shrugged, I didn't want to.

"I don't want to, it just happens," I told her.

"Fine, you'll go to work with your father tomorrow, Nate can stay here and baby-sit Winnie."

"No, I hate gas stations. They're so filthy!" I yelled. She can't do that to me, she just can't! She stared at me.

"Well, Winifred and I have to go," Megan said. She gave me a look that made me feel bad. I think its weird how everybody else calls her Winnie but her mom insists on calling her Winifred. Aunt Megan and Winnie called everybody by their full names. I used to like Megan, but once Winnie was born she started to spoil her. I don't think she liked me much anymore.

Mom took me into the kitchen and sat me on a chair. She went into a cabinet and grabbed the stuff to clean out my cuts. I used that stuff a lot. She put some on my scrapes, probably expecting me to flinch. I had gotten used to the stinging.

"Ronnie," she began, looking at me, "why do you do it?" I shrugged. I stared back at her.

"I don't know Mom, I try to stop it, I just can't." It was the truth; I tried to avoid the sinks. When I did, my hands felt sticky and I feel strange. I feel sick, and I haven't been sick in a long time.

"Well, tomorrow you are going with your dad. Anything else bothering you?" she asked. I nodded. I explained to her about Winnie licking my Mickey and how they were in my closet because they were covered in germs. She took the disinfecting spray and sprayed them all down. I thanked her and went into the kitchen. We were out of cake. I decided to attempt to make it, after all, it can't be that hard, can it?

Reviews are loved… I have loyal fans… and still no cookies to give you guys though