Don't let them have the Satisfaction

Chapter 8

I had science that afternoon followed by shop. Most chicks thought that shop was a guys things, but then again a lot of chicks took shop just to be near the guys. I personally took it because Bryan and Lee had gotten me into cars and shop when I was 10. They were always taking me to Gary's dad's garage and showing me how to fix up cars. Bryan use to tell me, "If you know how to fix up your own car then I don't have to worry about some guy giving you a ride." I use to laugh but honestly I knew that was part of the reason they were showing me. Lee and Bryan had just been really protective over me since well, forever. They didn't want me getting rides with guys I didn't know. So I guess they figured if they showed me how to fix up and get me interested in cars, then they wouldn't have to worry too much about me depending on some guy for a ride home. But it was also a lot of fun working in the garage too. And despite what Lee and Bryan told some of their buddies, I knew they had fun.

Typically this was one of my favorite afternoons in school. Go goof around with Lee in Science then head off to shop and go mess around with cars with Scott. But today my mind kept going back to Angela. Oh how I hated her. I kept messing up and dropping things any time I heard some one say her name. Well technically there was another chick in my class named Angela not Angela Sheppard. But I didn't really care; just the sound of her name made me want to hurt somebody.

Garrett was finding this all pretty funny until I dropped one of our test tubes.

"Come on Princess," he said as he started cleaning up the mess.

"Sorry," I said feeling rather guilty as I helped clean up the mess too.

"It's okay. Just don't go turning into one of them girls eh."

I nodded my head. I knew by 'one of them girls' he meant the type of girls who spent the majority of their time wondering what their boyfriend was doing or thinking. Wondering if he actually liked her, getting mad at any girl who walked by him, and making fun of any girl who wasn't like them. I definitely wasn't like that. I didn't want to be. Yet here I was breaking and dropping things because Angela had talked to Ponyboy. Well she had been hardcore flirting with Ponyboy and I had been right there. Here I go again. I shook my head slightly and finished cleaning up my mess.

"Sorry Garrett I promise I won't drop anything else," I said with a smile.

Garrett laughed and shook his head, "Try not to kill our test subject either would yeah."

I looked down and noticed I was crushing the thing in my hand.

"Oops."

Garrett just shook his hand and walked over to the table to grab an orange. I looked at him kind of funny.

"Here do something useful. I'll say Angela and you squeeze some orange juice for me would yeah."

I laughed and punched him lightly in the arm.

By the end of class I was crushing or dropping things any more at least. And once I got to shop I had calmed down considerably. Though I had been ranting on about how much of a slut Angela was to Scott for a few minutes. But once I heard some girl and her guy get into a big argument during class about him talking to another girl, I quickly stopped my little rant about Angela. I watched as the girl ran out of the classroom and our shop teacher just shook his head. He was getting pretty use to this kind of thing, it happened at least once a week. I didn't want to be like that.

Scott and I made quite a bit of progress on our engine. And after school I met up with Ponyboy. We just walked around for awhile just talking. I liked that. Most guys weren't much into talking; they were more into trying to get inside your pants. But Ponyboy wasn't like that at all. We could just talk about everything or nothing at all but still be happy just to be near each other. I had these feeling around Ponyboy that I'd never had before. I just got this rush around him, and I was always happy. He made me feel happy.

It was getting kind of dark out but Ponyboy and me were still wandering around. We had saw Curly Sheppard and stopped to talk to him. The funny thing was that Curly was really hitting on me. Not that he didn't usually, he thought he as all that but he was far from it. I was making it real clear to Curly I was with Ponyboy but he wasn't getting the message.

"So hot stuff you coming over to my place tonight?" Curly asked as he attempted to pull me towards him.

"Dream on Curly. And while you're at it you wanna buzz off."

Ponyboy pulled me closer to him and Curly decided to leave before Ponyboy decided to pound him. I could tell Ponyboy was real close too doing it too.

As we walked away I looked over at Ponyboy who still seemed king of tense; "You could have taken him ya know."

Ponyboy grinned, "Yeah I know. I would have too, if you weren't clinging on to me."

"Well if you don't want me clinging?"

"No, no. I don't mind that part."

I laughed and leaned in to give him a kiss.

We had been talking again when we saw Two-Bit and Johnny.

"Hey."

"Hey it's my favorite couple," Two-Bit said with a grin putting his arms around us.

I laughed.

"Hate to be the barer of bad news Ponyboy but Darry said and I quote," Two-Bit made quite a scene of clearing his throat and all of us laughed. "You don't get home in 10 minutes he's gonna skin you."

Ponyboy seemed a bit reluctant but I told him I'd be fine. He insisted on walking me home but I was only a block away from Lee's work so I told him I could jus get a ride home with Lee. Besides I hadn't seen Lee since last night and I wouldn't mind a good old chat with him.

"Well… I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Ponyboy said.

"Better believe it."

We kissed a few times before Two-Bit started fake crying saying things like "Oh it's so sweet. Young love." I rolled my eyes and told them I'd see them tomorrow.

After they left I headed to the store where Lee worked. It didn't take me long and I caught him just as he was getting ready to leave.

"Hey there!" I yelled at him while he wasn't looking. He was a bit startled but it took a lot more then that to make Lee jump.

"Hey Kate."

"Kind sir. Do you think you might be able to give me a ride home," I said with a smile then I just had to add, "Pretty please."

Lee laughed and shook his head, "Yeah sure. Go hop in I'll be out in a second."

I nodded my head and headed out towards Lee's car. Lee seemed to be in a pretty mellow mood. Most of the time that meant he had spent the whole day thinking about stuff. Which sometimes was a good thing, but I'm pretty sure I knew what to expect next. As Lee walked over and started up the car we talked about the usual stuff. You know, 'How was your day?' 'Did you see any good fight?' and 'What are you doing later?" But I should have expected what came next.

"How is she?" Lee asked kind of out of the blue.

"Who?" I asked pretending like I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Come on Kate. You know who?" I looked over at Lee and he had this real concerned look on his face. Like he felt bad and wanted to make sure Jen was okay.

"Jen," I said in kind of a nonchalant way.

"Is she okay?" he asked again with his puppy dog eyes, it was enough to make me heart break right then and there, "I know I was a jerk. And it's okay if she likes hates me but-"

I cut him off, "She doesn't deserve you."

Lee looked at me kind of confused, "Kate what are you talking about. I was an ass and-"

I cut him off again, "Yeah you were an ass. And I swear you do that to another girl again I'll personally kick your ass. But all and all she isn't worth it okay. Forget about her."

"Wait Kate. I don't understand. Did she say something to you."

"Yeah she did. And she's never going to go out with you because you're a greaser and she's a Soc. She thinks she so damn higher then everyone else when she ain't. So if she wants to pass up one of the greatest guys around then that's her fault. She's missing out. Not you."

Lee was kind of silent for a minute. I looked over at him and he looked on the verge of tears, "It ain't fair."

"I know but-"

This time Lee cut me off, "But nothing Kate. Life it just sucks okay. You know life gets going good then it just falls apart. I finally find a girl I actually like. A girl that I just didn't want a one-night stand with. And she completely blows me off because I'm not some rich snobby guy. Jen's gonna end up dating some snobby Soc and I bet you any money It'll be one of the guys who beat up Bryan just to put the damn icing on top of the cake."

I was a little taking back. Lee hardly ever talked about Bryan any more. Neither of us did. It still hurt to bad. I didn't even had time to say anything before Lee started again.

"Those damn Socs too. Can freakin get away with damn murder. And I can't even get the girl. It's like they've got all the breaks. And we don't got nothing. And anything we do have gets taken away. Like Bryan. Man I miss that guy so much. All I kept thinking about last night was how disappointed he would have been with me. I can just imagine the lecture he would have gave me. And I don't even get that Kate. I can't even get a lecture from my one of my frickin' best friends."

I saw tears welling up in Lee's eyes and it was killing me. I could tell it was killing him. He had kept this bottled up inside for so long and now here it was all out in the open. Overwhelming.

"Well if it makes you feel any better I'd be more then willing to lecture ya," I said as tears started to well up in my eyes.

Lee laughed as tears started falling down his face. He leaned over and gave me a hug. And we just held each other for a while.

I missed Bryan a lot too. And everything Lee was saying, I had though of one time or another. And Bryan always use to tell me to keep going. 'Don't let them have the satisfaction of knowing you didn't make it because of them. Prove 'em wrong. Make it then laugh at them. Because you'll have done it all on your own, threw all the rough times and without the help of daddy's money. You'll have done it all on your own. And you'll come out a better person in the end Kate. I know you will.'

Those words kept me going a lot of days. I'd though about suicide before. Not too many teens haven't. And I remember thinking about what Bryan had told me. And I knew I needed to keep going. Not for myself but to show Bryan I could do it. I knew he was watching over me.

"Listen Lee," I said pulling away, "I miss Bryan a lot too. But I know and you know he' watching us. And I know he wants us to keep on going. All right? Don't even think about Jen or the Socs or all of the unfair shit. Because we can't change that, you know. All we can do is keeping go. Besides you're way to good for Jen. And there's a long line of girls waiting in line just to talk to you."

Lee smiled, "Yeah I guess that line is getting rather big these days."

I managed a laugh, "Yeah it is."

I gave Lee another hug and we both stopped crying after a minute or two. We both weren't a big fan on crying any ways. By the time Lee got to Mrs. Hannigan's house we were already talking about the newest movie we wanted to see this weekend. Though I felt a lot better now and so did Lee. We both kind of when back to our normal selves and were playfully pushing each other and telling our corny jokes.

As Lee pulled up in front of Mrs. H's house somehow we had gotten onto the topic of Ponyboy.

"You really like that Curtis kid eh?"

I laughed and the expression on his face. Lee didn't really like the fact that I was dating Ponyboy. Not because Lee didn't like him, it was just because Ponyboy was a teenage boy I suppose.

"Yeah I really do."

"Well I suppose there could be worse guys then Curtis."

I rolled my eyes as he laughed.

"See ya Lee."

"Bye Kate."

I started heading towards the door when I heard Lee holler at me.

"Kate!"

"What?" I hollered back.

"Can I get that lecture tomorrow?"

I laughed, "You sure can."

SorryI haven't updated in a while. ButI hopeyou liked it. Please Review. I'll try to update tomorrow as soon asI can.