Chapter Fifteen

Two-Bit, Ponyboy and I exited the bus and headed straight to the DX station to buy some Cokes and to visit Sodapop and Steve. We walked up and Sodapop came out to greet us. "Hey ya'll how are Johnny and Dallas doing?"

I looked over at Ponyboy who shrugged and looked over to let Two-Bit answer the question. "Dally's gonna be fine. I think they'll probably kick him out of there before he's healthy enough to go." Two-Bit frowned. "Johnny aint doing too well. They didn't tell us much, but he looks pretty bad."

Hearing Two-Bit's voice, Steve walked out of the garage to listen into the conversation. A disappointed look filled Soda's face. "Is he doing any better than yesterday?"

Two-Bit shrugged and looked away. "I don't know. He heard his mother had come to the hospital to nag on him and he got so upset he passed out. Nurse wouldn't let us see him after that."

"His mother went to see him?" Steve said, squinting into the sun.

"Yeah," Two-Bit held the door to the DX station open for everyone to go inside. "That woman sure is a piece of work. She don't spend ten minutes being nice to him in the last sixteen years and she can't figure out why he don't want to see her."

"Johnny said that?" Sodapop asked. My brother was proud that Johnny had stuck up for himself.

"That's what he said, right Pony?" Two-Bit looked over at Ponyboy who had pulled himself a Pepsi out of the cooler. Pony nodded and Two-Bit grabbed a Coke for himself. "I don't think the nurses were gonna let her see him either. Don't know for sure though cause we went off to see Dally."

"Man…" Steve said and shook his head. "It just aint fair, ya know? Johnny aint never done nothing to nobody for sixteen years and now all of this happens." No one spoke after Steve's comments, mainly because there was nothing to say. We all just paid for our drinks and Ponyboy and Two-Bit decided to head home.

"Come on Scout let's get going." Pony said and turned to leave.

For some reason I just didn't want to go home. I guess I had too much on my mind. I knew if I was home all I could do would be think about it, so I looked over at Sodapop. "Sodapop can I stick around here till you're off work?"

"Sure," Soda smiled. He never had a problem with Ponyboy and me hanging around the station with him. Sometimes it bothered Steve, but I never really concerned myself with the things that bothered Steve.

"Suit yourself." Two-Bit said to let me know he had heard I wasn't going home with them. "See ya'll tonight before the rumble." Two-Bit slightly pushed Ponyboy in the back to get him moving out the door. I watched from the window as the two walked down the street toward the park and disappeared from sight.

Steve went back into the garage to finish the engine repair he was working on and fancy newer white Chrysler Imperial coupe rolled up to the gas pump ringing the air bell. With a wide, charming smile Sodapop headed out to greet the four Soc girls in the car. Not caring to be noticed I stepped outside and sat down on the curb by the station garage door. All four of the girls climbed out of the car to be in awe of Sodapop's good looks.

The driver walked close to my brother and asked. "We're gonna run inside and get us some Cokes, okay?" She was a pretty girl dressed in a red skirt and white sweater.

"Sure thing." He smiled back with a toothpick clenched between his teeth. "I'll be right here waitin' for ya." His comment made each of the girls giggle. He turned with a smile and winked at me as they headed to the door of station. I could tell my brother had mastered the art of flirting.

"Who wants a Coke? My dad's buying." The driver asked then counted up the amount of drinks she needed to buy. She disappeared inside the station leaving the three other girls to converse just a few feet from me. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

"See I told you he was gorgeous!" A girl with a black haired ponytail bragged.

"Could you imagine what your dad would say if you brought him to brunch at the club?" A shorter auburn haired girl teased and threw a glance to Sodapop who was admiring the girls as much as they were admiring him. "My dad would surely throw me out! But it might be worth it!"

The driver of the car walked out of the station with three bottles of Coke and joined her friends. "Ok girls, show's over." She said sarcastically and the crowd walked back to their car. The girls leaned on the car while the driver paid for her gas and drinks, and second carload of kids pulled up on the other side of the gas pumps.

The driver of the Chevy convertible yelled to the Soc girls. "Hey Rachel! What are you girls doing?"

"Not much…" I heard the driver say then the conversation grew muffled as the kids gathered behind the Chevy. I could easily label all of them as Socs because of the girl's fine clothes and boy's lettermen jackets. I eyed the group with a hint of jealousy. They seemed to be enjoying their day without a care. I couldn't say the same about myself.

I studied Sodapop as he took care of his new customer's car. I could tell my brother had no feelings of inferiority as he stood smiling amongst the group. One broad shouldered boy caught my attention as he threw his head back with laughter. I could tell he was often the center of attention as the girls, in their pretty skirts, pawed at him for any ounce of affection in return.

Two-Bit's words entered my mind. "You could be a Soc…" I answered the memory with my thoughts. Anyone in my family could have been a Soc if we had grown up on the right side of town. Even Sodapop with his good looks could have made it through high school as a Soc on charm alone. I cleared my mind and glanced up at the popular blond boy a second time only to have him catch me looking. Immediately I turned my head away as if I was interested in the passing traffic. Then I peeked back towards the group to find the boy's full attention as he walked towards me.

I watched him approach. I could tell through his fancy clothes and jacket that he was muscular and athletic. "Scout, right?" He took one hand out of the pocket of his jacket and casually pointed at me. He stopped in front of me and I looked up at him. I remembered those beautiful blue eyes. It was Owen Jasper from the cemetery. I half smiled as my stomach turned nervous. "Yeah," I said quietly and thought about the ratty jeans and old sweater I was wearing.

Owen plopped down on the curb next to me as if we were good friends. "You weren't in school Friday like you said you'd be."

I remembered the day he dropped me off at my house. I told him I would see him at school the next day. "Yeah… I kind of made other plans."

"I'll say! I read about you in the newspaper this morning." Owen looked across the lot at his friends then back to me. "I bet your mom and dad would have been real proud of you. I know my parents sure were."

"Really?"

"Sure! They said those little children didn't stand a chance till you four showed up to rescue them. They thought so much of you that I even told them that I knew you just to be part of their conversation!" Owen laughed a little then looked directly at me. "I told them I kind of liked you too."

"Shut up!" I blushed and looked over at Owen's friends. I could tell by their body language they were trying to figure out who I was and why Owen had left them to talk to me. I dropped my head to stare at the concrete between my feet. "You don't even know me."

The boy looked back at me, and a light wind wisped through his blond bangs. "That's not entirely true. I know you're really smart, have a good heart, and a beautiful smile." I blushed even harder as the words lifted my spirits.

"O!" The tall redheaded boy in the Lettermen's jacket called out. "We got plenty of girls! Let's go!"

Owen looked at me with his ocean blue eyes, "I gotta go. We've got plans for tonight." The boy stood up and looked down at me one last time. "I better see you at school on Monday!"

I stood up and looked into his eyes, "you can count on it." I told him with a smile.

He walked backwards a few steps to keep me in his sights, "you better be there or I'll be pretty disappointed," then he turned and jogged back to his friends. He hopped into the backseat of the convertible and a few girls piled in around him hoping for attention. My heart fluttered with excitement and I couldn't wait for the weekend to be over.

As the two cars pulled away Sodapop walked across the lot towards me. "What'd you and Owen have to talk about?" My brother and I continued walking into the garage where Steve was working on a car.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "How do you know his name?"

"Scout!" Sodapop almost shouted. "That's Owen Jasper. He's one of the best football players in the city, hell… maybe even the state!"

Steve pulled his head out from under the hood to join the conversation. "Jasper? I heard that kid has had looks from a handful of colleges who want him to play for them. He's even a better player than Darry was."

Sodapop leaned up against the car Steve was repairing. "I betcha Darry knows who Owen Jasper is."

"Of course he does," Steve said matter of fact. " Jasper's been playing on the varsity squad since the ninth grade. Plus he's president of his class again this year."

I looked at the two boys and thought of Owen's perfect smile, blue eyes, and sighed. "Well I don't care who he is… he's cute."

Steve looked up from his engine and drawled. "No offense Scout, but he is way out of your league."

I furrowed my brow and challenged. "What are you talking about?"

"It's simple." Steve said and pushed his hands back into the greasy engine. "He's a Soc and you're a greaser."

I looked over at Soda to see if he was planning to side with Steve or me. "I'm not a greaser!" I remarked, as if being a greaser was a bad thing to be. "Besides Two-Bit just said a few hours ago I could easily be a Soc, just like Darry could."

Steve stood up and grabbed the top edge of the open car hood. "You may have the grades and the pretty looks, but you were born on the wrong side of town, and you aint got the money." Steve said with cockiness in his voice.

I threw a glance over to my brother who had his hands shoved into the pockets of his blue jeans just like me. "Don't worry Scout. Someday you, Darry and Ponyboy will all make fine Socs."

I grinned back at my brother. "Yeah… and when I do I'm taking you with me." Soda lightheartedly grabbed me around the neck, pulling me away from the car and smiled at the thought that someday one of the Curtis kids would be able to pull the rest of us out of the North side of town and into the lap of luxury.

"Hey ya'll!" A voice called from outside as Steve slammed the car hood. In walked Ronnie, the second shift station attendant. "You boys ready to call it a day?"

"Yeah!" Soda sang out, "Let's go on home."

"We got some butt stomping to do tonight!" Steve hollered with joy as he wiped his greasy hands in a half clean rag. Together we walked out of the station down to the street where Steve's car was parked. All three of us crowded into the front seat and Steve drove my brother and I home.

The two of us walked into our house and found Darry setting two cooked chickens on the table. "Where's Ponyboy?" Soda and I exchanged a question filled glance and I answered.

"We don't know, he left the DX over an hour ago with Two-Bit."

"Oh." Strangely, Darry didn't seem to mind our brother's absence and we all sat down for dinner. "Did Steve go home to get cleaned up?" Darry asked his little buddy.

"Yeah, he's gonna go eat at Evie's house then head back here." Sodapop said and dropped a mountain of mashed potatoes onto his plate. The sound of the front door squeaking open drew our attention and Soda called out. "Hey Ponyboy, where ya been?"

The scene was an eerie reminder of what had happened in our home a little over a week ago. I held my breath and stared at Darry. Ponyboy shut the front door behind him and nervously wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"Why don't you get on over here?" Darry said without a hint of anger in his voice. "Dinner's getting cold." I exhaled in relief that Ponyboy and Darry chose not to argue. Pony picked at his dinner, but I ate up! For the first time in a week dinner tasted good to me. I was so happy to have everyone home again.

"I'm showering first!" Soda called out with food in his mouth. He wanted to be sure he had plenty of time to make himself look good for the rumble in a few hours.

"Okay, I'll go second, Ponyboy, you go last." Darry directed, then looked at me. "Scout, you're gonna stay home during the rumble."

I looked back at him while the fright of the comment covered my face. "No way!" I yelled out thinking Darry should have known better. "I aint staying here alone in this house!"

Darry looked back at me half worried and half annoyed that I wouldn't just stay home so he had one less thing to be troubled with. The way I saw it he should worry about me no matter where I was and right now I preferred to be where my brothers were, so I was going too!

Author's note: Special thanks to volleyballlover for beta-reading my chapters.