Chapter 2:
She was thin just as Julie was and her face was a little more rounded but still slim and her eyes were wide and green and sparkling. Her cheeks had a pink tint to them and her lips were also plump and pink and her nose was a little wider than Julie's. Her hair came down to her collar bone and was a soft orange and very straight. Her hands were like an exact replica of Julie's. She smiled, baring perfectly straight teeth, and she came in on resilient striding legs. She was very short, Julie was just a little taller than her and the red-head looked to be about five foot. You could tell that she and Julie were related.
"H," She said in that mesmerizing voice, it seemed to be the same voice that Julie had yet her voice had a hold on me. The girl walked over to Julie and hugged and then looked at her head. "Why did we leave you alone? Why?"
"Because you're stupid," Julie laughed and so did the red-head. Julie then stood up and faced all of us with her arm entwined with her porcelain red-headed doll's arm. "Everybody, this is my cousin and best friend, Amber Canti-"Julie began introducing her to everybody and I could not help but stare at Amber's beauty. I then glanced over at Ponyboy who was doing the same thing. My thoughts began to wonder again but they were broken when Julie said my name.
"Hi, nice to meet you all," She said to all of us and then turned to Julie. "Uhm, Gia and everybody took off because they had to go and pick someone else up."
"Are you kidding?" Julie groaned. "How are we getting home then? I'm not walking by myself."
"We'll figure something out." Amber rolled her eyes.
"Are they gone already?" Julie asked.
"I don't know let me check." Amber turned to go out the front door and check to see if their friends were there or not, but she never got to set one foot outside because as she was about to walk out, Dally was walking in. Amber ran into his chest and quickly apologized, then looked up at Dally's face. She froze. Her eyes were wide and lost their sparkle.
"D-d-d." She stammered and then was quiet, still unmoving. Julie had her back to them and when she turned around she froze also, but the look in Julie's eyes was a look of fear or confusion, they looked surprised. Julie took a deep breath and spoke.
"Amber move." Dally who was staring surprisedly down at Amber looked surprisedly over at Julie, and then his eyes grew so wide that I thought that they were going to pop out of his head.
"Julie." Dally spoke softly after a long silence. Amber was still looking up at Dally dumbfounded, her mouth agape. Dally made to move but ran into Amber who quickly walked away and sat down beside the closest person, which was me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Dally said in an angry voice. Most girls would be terrified but all Julie did was put her hands on her hips and answer him in a voice calmer than the ocean on a still night.
"I was jumped and they all rescued me."
"That's not what I mean!" Dally yelled. "I mean what are you doing in Tulsa? Why aren't you and Amber still in California?" Julie did not flinch.
"Amber's contractor sent us here. We are trying to get out of it though."
"I can't believe you're here," Dally quieted down and put his hand on his forehead and looked around.
"You still like her don't you?" Amber said out of the clear blue making everyone look at her.
"No," Dally said, and Julie looked down at the ground.
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, yes you do."
"No, no I don't."
"Yeah you do!"
"And this is based on what?" Amber stood up and walked over to Dally.
"This knowledge is based on the fact that when someone doesn't love someone anymore they don't break then find out that that person is leaving for America, pack their bags, get up at five o' clock in the morning, take a cab all of the way down to the Port, race through the crowd bump into her just to say "Hi." Dally opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He turned around to Julie, took her hand, and pulled her out onto the porch. Amber stood there triumphantly smiling.
"What was that?" Steve asked.
"Dally and Julie used to date and they dated for a couple of years and then they broke up when we all moved back to France and then lost touch." Amber crossed her arms. "They'll end up going back out which means even if I get out of the contract we will probably be living here, which I don't have a problem with because I kind of like it here."
Amber's POV
I knew that I was talking pretty fast but I felt rather uncomfortable, you see that dark eyed boy was staring at me and to tell you the complete truth, I liked it. I liked him, I guess I liked him from the moment I lay my eyes on him which was as soon as I walked in the house. He was cute, he was not as strong looking as the other boys but there was something about his dark complexion and his black fearful eyes that were drawing me to him. He seemed a sweet boy and looked to be about my age. He was very quiet and he had a scare by his temple which I found very attractive.
He saw me looking at him and he quickly glanced away while running his fingers through his thick greasy black hair. I simply smiled and went on with my story, all the while knowing that his sable eyes were focused on me yet again.
"I'm an actress too." I said.
"You are?" Two-Bit asked. "So you sing and act?"
"Well, yes," I nodded feeling his gaze touch me. "It all ties in with each other I like to be on stage. That is really my dream is to sing and dance and act on stage rather than in a movie-" I was cut off by the click of a door being opened. I turned and saw Dally and Julie-who was wearing Dally's big leather jacket- coming in with big grins on their faces which could only mean that they were back together. I glanced down at the dark-eyed puppy sitting cross legged on the floor. He was no longer staring , instead he was fiddling with his shoe lace.
"Hey, Amber," Julie put her hand on my shoulder and I quickly turned my eyes towards her, she gave me a look that showed that she knew what I was doing and then kept on. "I'm going to stay with Dally tonight, why don't you call Gia and everybody to come and pick you up?"
"Alright." I said and took out my cell phone. I tried to call but I did not get good reception in the house so I went out on the porch in the freezing cold. I called Gia only to find that there car had broken down in the middle of no where and that they had to call our boys to go and get them. So I was out of luck at least that is what I thought.
Johnny's POV
As I stared at her uncontrollably while she talked, I listened. I listened to her tell about her acting and dancing and singing career that she wishes to pursue. I listened contently but I did not expect her to turn around all of a sudden, and when she did she saw me staring at her. I looked away hurriedly and started to fiddle around with my shoelace. I stole a glance up just to see her looking at Julie and Dally coming through the door. Julie told her that she was going to spend the night with Dally so Amber had to go home by herself or get a ride one or the other. So Amber took out her pink cell phone and went outside into the cold without a jacket and I so badly wanted to run out there and give her my jean jacket so that she would not be cold. I controlled myself though. Soon after she walked outside she came in shivering. She shut the door behind her and put her pink cell back into her pocket.
"Gia's car broke down so their all waiting for the boys to get there." She informed Julie.
"How are you getting home then?" Julie asked. "The boys don't have cell phones and their all probably out driving around. It will be hours before they reach them."
"Guess I'll have to walk." Amber shrugged.
"You can't walk by yourself at this time of night in the freezing cold without a jacket." Soda said.
"I'll walk you home." I blurted out, and then my cheeks grew hot and I know they turned visibly red.
"You will?" She said, staring at me with a grin.
"Yeah," I started. "I was going to go home anyways, I'll just walk you home and then go back to my place."
"You don't have to do that." She said. "My house is pretty far."
"I don't care, I'm not in any rush to go home anyway."
"Johnny, are you sure?" Darry asked with a raised eyebrow, and I nodded.
"Uhm, okay, then let's go."
"Are you sure Amber?" Julie asked, Amber turned around and nodded. I stood up as she opened the door and stepped out into the cold, maybe I would give her my jacket.
Ambers POV
I now it sounds crazy letting some strange boy that I have never met before in my life walk me home but there was just something about him that made me trust him. Maybe it was his movements. They were so careful and he seemed to be looking around with a worried expression in his eyes. He just seemed harmless to me. He walked a little slouched over with his hands in his jeans jacket pockets. His dark greasy hair fell a little over his eyes, he seemed a little nervous to be around me. Could it be possible that I was the one that was intimidating him?
Johnny's POV
The door shut behind us both and we stood there for a couple of seconds embracing the cold. I glanced over at her and saw her shivering, I suddenly felt guilty about having a jacket and her not, so I took it off despite the intemperate weather.
"Here." I said, holding my jacket out to her. She stared, shivering.
"No," She said behind chattering teeth. "It's yours, you wear it, and I'll be fine."
"I don't want it," I said. "You take it."
"You're not cold?"
"Well, yeah, but you need it."
"So do you." She said. "Now put it on." She gave a little girlish giggle which made me smile. I shook my head and walked over behind her and placed the jacket on her shoulders.
"Thank you," She said. 'But don't you want to wear it it's freezing out here." I shook my head. "You don't talk much do you?"
"I do." I looked at her as we stepped of the porch and rounded the street.
"I want to thank you for walking me home," She gave a brilliant smile. 'I was really nervous about walking home by myself."
"You're welcome." I could not come up with anything else to say, I did not usually talk to girls so I was a bit nervous.
"I'm sorry," She looked up at the sky and then at me. "What was your name again?"
"Johnny Cade." I said weakly.
"That's a cute name, it fits you." After that we walked in an awkward silence that absolutely had to be broken. The cold was getting unbearable for me and I had to get it off of my mind.
"So where do you live?" I asked, finally thinking of something to make at least a little conversation with.
"You know that big white two story house just on the brim of the Soc territory?" So she knew about Greasers and Socs.
"Yeah I know of it." How could I not it was a beautiful house and I have always wanted to see the inside of it.
"That's where we all live even though we only have two cars and one of them belongs to the boys that live there with us."
"Well, how many girls are there with you?" I asked, she thought for moment, she seemed to be counting.
"Eight," She answered. "And then we have six boys that live on the other side of the house with us. My mom doesn't know that there are boys in the house and if she did she would probably kill Julie and me."
She laughed and I smiled.
"Did Julie live with you in California?"
"Yeah, she moved in with us after her father, well," Amber's joyfulness seemed to disappear. "He killed her mother and went to jail and they sent Julie to live with us when we I was like five."
"Oh." I said, remembering my own home life.
"My real dad still lives in France and my mom re-married and my step dad isn't the best step dad in the world to put it lightly."
"My home life ain't so great either," I said trying to make her feel a little better. Then I changed the subject real fast. "Are you from France?"
"Yeas, I was born there and I am fluent which means that Julie is fluent because she has lived with us for so long. "Amber explained. "After the divorce, though, my mom took me away from my dad and we moved to California but then I ended up moving back with him. Then Julie moved in with my mom so I moved back and then Julie met Dally and we all went back to France and then they broke up and we moved back to California and now we are here.
She laughed softly and looked at me as we turned the corner which is where my house was. The lights were on inside and you could hear my mother and father yelling and screaming at the top of their longs at each other. She stopped and stared and listened.
"Who lives there?" She questioned and I wish she hadn't. I did not want to tell her that it was me who lived in that stupid house with those messed up people.
"I do." I sighed and I suddenly felt sick as she whipped her head around to stare at me with a look of shock on her face and in her eyes.
"Really?" She said and I nodded. "Is that where all of your bruises came from?" I nodded once again. What about your scar?" I shook my head and looked at her.
"I was jumped by Socs and they cut me up pretty bad a couple of months ago," She looked sad all of a sudden and then she glanced back at my hose when there was the sound of breaking glass which probably meant that my mom was throwing dishes. "Come on, let's get you home."
"I don't want to." She said stubbornly, still staring at my house.
"Well you have to go home," I said and she shook her head. "Then where are you going to go?" She turned and faced me with her hands in the jacket's pockets.
"Can't we talk?" She asked, and I smiled to myself because that is what I wanted to hear so badly. I did not care if the cold was almost unbearable, I wanted to talk to her too and get to know her better, so I took her to the lot.
Once we were there I lit a fire and we leaned up against the seat that was torn out of an old car and we talked. She told me all about France and how much she missed the theater there. She told me about California and New York and how badly she wanted to perform on Broadway. She told me about her and Julie's abusive father and she told me about Julie's sister Rachel who lived in New York. She told me about her three sisters, Bella, Jade and Rocky. It was like she had been looking for someone to talk to and I guess that I as that someone because that night she poured her soul out to me and she made sure that I understood her and what she was all about, and I did. After she had poured her soul out to me I poured mine out to her and she listened as intently as I had. I told her about the gang and how I was jumped and I told her about my house life and how my parents hated me and hit me and ignored me all of the time. It wasn't before long that I felt hot tears running down my face, and it wasn't too long after that that she hugged for what seemed like hours. It was weird because she seemed to be a Soc but yet she was not a Soc at all and she was sitting here with me, a Greaser, pouring her soul out to me. We seemed to be the same person in many ways and we seemed to understand each to her. I could not say those things that I said to her that night to ay of the gang and she had told me that she never had anyone to talk to, not even Julie. I just could not figure out way she shoes me. Me, someone who she had not even met before, but it seemed right to her and I promised her that as long as she was in Tulsa that I would be her friend and that I would be there to listen to her every night.