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Velma spent most of Sunday in her bedroom.

Just before she had went to bed, She had gone down stairs to get a glass of water. On the way back to her room, she passed by her Fathers study. She noticed him pacing back and forth and could faintly smell alcohol. She stepped into the study and over to her father, " Daddy..is something wrong - " He just turned around and hit her so hard that she fell to the ground, then he kicked her in her side, " Go to your room!" He shouted, and she did so.

When she woke up in the morning, she had two problems. One, She had a bruise on her cheek and a pain in her side. Two, She has over protective friends, some of which have a short temper. She rummaged though the drawers of her vanity and took out some make-up. She covered up her bruise to try and make it look natural. She looked where her father had kicked her and noticed a cut. All she did was put a band aid on it. She had passed both parents on her way out, they both ignored her, so she figured everything went back to normal.

The whole school day, she managed to keep it fully hidden. She ended up going to the Curtis's with Ponyboy and Two-Bit. They had been sitting on the couch, Two-Bit watching cartoons, and Pony and Velma were talking, when Darry came home from work.

"Hey Guys." Darry said, talking off his jacket.

"Hi" They said in unison.

Darry looked toward the couch and stared at Velma for a moment, but she didn't notice until Darry said, " Velma, come here..."

She didn't move at first, she just kinda looked at him..

"Now."

She stood up and slowly approached Darry, she didn't asked why.

"What happened?"

Velma tryed to look confused, "What ever do you mean?"

Darry roughly rubbed off the make -up on her cheek, " That."

Two-Bit and Ponyboy were staring now, too. They stood up and stepped behind Velma Two-Bit was staring carefully at her bruise.

Velma blushed, " I fell..."

"On what? A fist?" Darry asked, sounding quite angry.

Velma just looked at the ground. Two- Bit tryed putting his arm around her, but she flinched and stepped away.

This only seemed to make Darry angrier. He smacked her side, not very hard, but she yelped and backed away, holding her side.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing...really"

"Its not nothing!" Darry was practically yelling at her, " What happened?"

"It's..nothing...honestly...My father seemed up set about something...and I think he was drinking...I shouldn't of bugged him...It's..my fault, really.." She said quietly, looking at the floor to avoid eye-contact with Darry. She didn't understand why he was so angry...But he was just concerned, and he had a strange way of showing it...

"Your father hit you, and your blaming yourself?" Darry sounded like he was going to explode.

"Darry...calm down..." Ponyboy pleaded.

"I think I should go home.." Velma muttered quietly and attempted to get passed Darry. He stopped Velma and she looked up at him with a sad and scared look in her eyes and the anger in Darry's face seemed to change into a helpless look. " Atleast let me check your side...you know...make sure you don't get a cracked rib, or something?"

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She ended up staying after Darry checked her side. Ponyboy and Velma had did their out on the front step.

"Hey guys! Supper!" Darry yelled. Pony and Velma packed up their school books and headed back inside. They were having corn on the cob...

" Looks good.." Ponyboy said, " You positive that Soda cooked it?"

" Hey! I'm a damn good cook." Soda said, puffing out his chest, trying to look big, " But I have to admit, I was kinda worried when I dropped that bottle of paprika..."

Everyone just looked at the corn in silence. Then, Darry stood up and went over to the phone.

"What are ya doin?" Soda asked.

"Ordering a pizza.."