Chapter Eleven

It was past my curfew when Officer Ford and I arrived at my house. I peeked over to see the gang pour out of the front door and into the street. I slouched in the backseat and stared at the floor. I was confused about what to feel and more interested in being alone then I was interested in being cared for.

Officer Ford stepped out of his car. He shut his door and left me inside. Darry and Soda met with the officer by the side of the patrol car. I heard the officer ask Darry if he was my legal guardian. Darry answered 'yes sir' then inquired as to what kind of trouble I had gotten myself into.

"No trouble at all. Unfortunately, your sister was involved in a family dispute at the Jasper residence tonight. She's pretty shaken up, but she's alright."

"Dispute? Are the Jasper's alright?" Darry questioned with concern.

Sodapop knocked on the squad car window to get my attention. "Sissy, are you alright?"

I was unresponsive as I sat inside the car. The shock from the situation at the Jasper house was beginning to sink in, and it was creating doubts and fears in my mind. I felt my cheek where Angela had hit me. The red mark was faint, but the emotional pain was immense. I couldn't bring myself to look up at my brother.

The officer lowered his voice to answer Darry's question. "Not entirely. It seems Mrs. Jasper has quite the drinking problem and temper to match. Your sister is just a bit shaken up and she has a mark on her cheek from where Mrs. Jasper hit her."

"She hit her? Why? What happened?" Darry questioned the officer.

Officer Ford put his hand up to calm my brother. He stepped over and opened my car door. "As I'm to understand, Scout was protecting the little girl from the mother's drunken outburst." The officer reached in and helped me out of the car.

Darry grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards him. I stood with my back against his chest and looked down the street at Johnny's house. I had been there when he was beaten by his parents. I had witnessed their rage against their son, but this was different. I didn't have to spend time with Johnny's parents like I may have to in the future with the Jasper family.

Darry asked the officer, "What about Owen Jasper, is he hurt?"

"His mother walloped him good. He's a little banged up, but he's going to be fine physically. They took him to the emergency room for some stitches. He had a little gash on his head. He and his sister will be staying with their grandfather, until their father returns in the morning."

Sodapop leaned down to look me in the eye. "Come on with me. Let's get you inside."

Ponyboy walked to my side to join us. "Scout, you okay?"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I stared at the concrete under my feet as parts of the night's events flashed in my mind.

"Scout? Honey, you need anything?" Casey asked quietly as she joined my brothers and we walked up the front steps.

I stepped through the front door of my home and looked around. All of a sudden, I felt choked up and short of breath. I missed my house, I missed my parents, I missed the feeling I had as a child that every day, everything would be okay. What I needed wasn't here anymore.

I whimpered to my brother, "Sodapop, you are right. Watching someone you love get hurt, hurts so much worse than getting hurt yourself. I understood that now."

Sodapop frowned as he looked at me. "Sissy, I never wanted you to have to understand that. Tell us what happened?" Sodapop sat me on the couch then sat on the coffee table in front of me.

"I love him, and she hurt him right in front of me! She hurt all of us." I said again as the shock of the entire night compounded in my head.

"Scout, what happened?" Pony gently asked.

Looking down, I quietly whimpered. "He told the cops everything. All of it. I don't know what's gonna happen to them, or to us."

"Who is he? Owen?" Pony asked.

I looked over at Ponyboy as the hot tears filled my eyes. "She won't be able to hide what she did anymore, none of them can. It could be in all the papers by anytime now."

"Hide what?" Sodapop asked.

"What she did to Oliver. She's gonna have to admit it to everyone, even herself." I said as I stared at my hands that I was wringing together in my lap. I couldn't help but think of what that meant for the Jasper family, and my place in it. "She blamed me, but I didn't do it. He hated her before I even knew him."

Sodapop looked at his little brother. "Pon, what is she talking about?"

"I don't know?" Pony answered. "Maybe we should get Darry."

Sodapop looked over at our friend. "Casey, go get Darry."

"I don't feel well." I whined as my stomach grew queasy from stress. All of the color rushed from my face as I announced, "I think I'm gonna be sick!" I ran to the bathroom and vomited my emotions into the toilet.

"I just don't want to have to deal with all of this anymore!" I angrily protested as the sick feeling failed to cease. "I want my mom and dad so much!"

"I'm here for you." Ponyboy said gently as he walked into the bathroom. He flushed the toilet and wetted a washcloth for me to wipe my face. Ponyboy sat on the edge of the tub and rubbed my back to give me comfort.

"Pon, you should leave. I'm gonna be sick again."

"Nah, just go ahead. I'm staying here." My twin pushed my short hair behind my ear just before I knelt over the stool and more of my fears gushed from my body. Ponyboy softly asked, "Tell me why you're upset?"

"She hit me and she says it's all my fault." The tears welled up in my eyes. I heard the screen door slam shut, and my other brothers appeared in the bathroom.

Darry squatted down next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I know about Mrs. Jasper's accident that killed her son. The officer told me everything. It's okay that you don't have to keep that secret anymore, and neither does Owen."

I stared at the floor and let the tears fall from my cheeks.

Darry gently rubbed the back of my neck. "We always tell you how tuff you are, you always have been, you'll get through this. Just let us know how you are feeling."

I frowned and told my brother, "I am sad and I am scared."

"What are you scared of?" Sodapop asked from the doorway.

I looked down at my fingers and noticed the promise ring. "What if he is so mad at me that he never speaks to me again?"

"Who, Owen?" Ponyboy asked. I sheepishly nodded my head before Pony told me matter of fact. "I told you he loves you too much to be mad at you. Especially for something like this that isn't even your fault."

"But what if you are wrong this time? What if his family is torn apart by this and they never let me back into his life? What if his mom goes to jail and never comes home again? I don't think Owen would have fought with his mother about everything if I had never met him. I'm a curse!"

Darry sat down on the bathroom floor next to me and let me know, "you are not a curse!" He wrapped his arm around me and told me I just needed a good cry. I told him he was wrong about me not being bad luck then I leaned into him and bawled.

Pony and Soda wandered into the living room looking for answers. Two-Bit told the gang everything he had heard the cop tell Darry. Before I was done melting down everyone in the gang knew the truth about the incident, Owen's mother and the death of his brother. When my sobbing subsided to a few sniffles Darry looked down at me. "Do you feel a little better?"

"Barely." I answered with a pout.

"One step at a time, kiddo." Darry told me and sounded a little like Mrs. Ottavi. "I don't want all this stress to mess with your head. You know?"

"I know." I sniffled away a few more sorrows. "Darry, do you think Mrs. Jasper will have to go to jail for what she did to Oliver?"

"I don't know. We'll have to ask Art about that."

"How about Mr. Jasper? Do you think he will have to go to jail for lying about it all these years?"

"I don't know much about that either. I tell you what, it's real late, let's get ready for bed. In the morning, I can ask Art if he can meet us for lunch at the diner near the courthouse and we can ask him those questions tomorrow. How's that?" Darry stood up and pulled me to my feet.

I was quiet as I thought to myself about whether Mr. Ottavi would have the answers. I grabbed my toothbrush.

Darry questioned me. "You still want to go to court in the morning to hear opening statements, don't you?"

I spit the toothpaste out of my mouth and asked. "Don't you think the jury would find it weird if I weren't there at the end?"

"Maybe." Darry replied and folded his arms across his chest. "I sure wish I knew even the littlest bit of what the jury was thinking."

"Me too." I finished brushing my teeth and walked out of the bathroom with my brother. "It sure is nice being home."

Casey walked over to me and hugged me tight. "Scout, I'm sorry you had to go through all that. You've already been through so much. It just aint fair!"

I silently hugged my friend back and tried not to cry again.

Two-Bit walked over and joined in the hug. "Maybe I outta quit my job and be your body guard for the summer?"

I giggled a little at the suggestion, let go of my friends, and tried to joke back, "I don't need a body guard. Besides, you're just looking for a reason not to work."

Two-Bit fired back, "Ah hell, it'd be work 'cause babysitting you's gotta be the hardest job on the planet."

"Aint that the truth!" Sodapop chimed.

Just then, Steve heard a commotion on the front porch. "Shhh! Someone's outside." He whispered loudly, and everyone moved towards furniture or a wall to take cover.

I held onto Ponyboy as my heart began to pound rapidly in my chest. Darry stood in front of the two of us to shield us from any danger.

Two-Bit slid his switchblade out of his back pocket. There was a knock at the front door. Two-Bit pulled the blinds back on the front window to see who was there. He looked over at Steve who was protecting the entrance. "It's Owen."

The room sighed in relief. Steve pulled the front door open revealing an exhausted young man. He had a fresh bandage over his wound, but was still dressed in his polo shirt with the drips of blood on the collar. Owen pleaded with Steve as he stepped into our house. "Please tell me Scout is here."

Steve let him know I was safe and sound. Owen looked around the room and could tell by everyone's face that they had heard about his problems. "I guess you all know now?"

"Yeah man," Two-Bit said and patted Owen on the back. "We're real sorry to hear about all that."

Casey's lower lip pouted with sadness. She darted across the living room and wrapped Owen up in a hug before he could take another step. "I'm so sorry you've been having to live with all of this for so long. It just breaks my heart for you, and Scout too! You're not mad at her, are you?"

Owen furrowed his brow at my friend's question. With his blood shot eyes he looked across the room at me. "Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?"

I nervously answered. "I didn't lock Olivia's door. I didn't do what you asked and I messed everything up again."

Owen gently pushed Casey away from him. He ran his hand through his hair and thought a moment about what I had said. "Scout, please don't …" Owen ceased trying to reason with me. He stepped towards me with his arms wide open, and gave me an exhausted demand. "Come here!"

Immediately, I felt an imaginary weight lift off of my shoulders. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around the boy. Owen grew more upset and he didn't want the other boys to see him cry, so he walked the two of us into the bathroom for privacy.

"Scout, none of this is your fault, and I'm not going to let anyone say any different." He whispered to me through his tears. "I'm so scared. I don't know what's gonna happen to my mother or my family. I can't believe she did this to us? I can't believe she hurt you." The young man rested his head against mine and softly cried for a moment.

"I'm glad you came over tonight. I really needed to know that you weren't mad at me for not listening to you."

"Scout, you're my girl! You need to remember that no matter what happens I will always love you." Owen lifted my left hand to remind me that his ring was on my finger.

"I know, I just get so worried sometimes that it's all going to fall apart."

Owen leaned in and kissed me on the lips for a second before there was a knock at the bathroom door.

Darry stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He grabbed my boyfriend's shoulder and asked. "You gonna be okay?"

Owen straightened up and wiped his eyes. "Yeah, I'm going to be okay, but I should go. I can't stay here tonight and look out for you. My grandfather is already pissed enough about everything. Me storming out of the house against his will to say good night to you probably only made it worse."

Darry asked Owen one more time, "are you sure you are okay?"

"I'll be okay." He told my brother then looked back at me. "I don't know what's gonna happen next. My father is on his way home. Things might get pretty complicated for me in the next few days."

"You take care of yourself." Darry told him. "Take the time to do what you need to do. Don't worry about, Scout. We'll look after her. You take care of your family. You hear me?"

"I like to think that you all are my family." Owen grinned a little at Darry.

Darry smiled back and gave Owen a quick hug. "We are, little buddy! You let us know if you need anything." Then he opened the bathroom door and walked Owen out to his car. I watched out the front window as Owen drove away.

Ponyboy sat down next to me on the sofa and tried to lighten the mood a little bit. "Oh sure, you believe him when he says he's not mad at you, but you don't believe me!"

Exhausted, I rested my head on my brother's shoulder and replied in jest. "I believed you. I just needed a second opinion."

Pony teased, "You're crazy!"

"Don't I know it." I told him.

"Knock it off!" Darry issued a fatherly command. "I don't want to hear you saying you are crazy, or a curse. You are neither one!"

Casey bounced onto the couch next to us and hugged me. "That's right, because you are the love of that boy's life, and my best friend!"

Two-Bit leaned forward in my mother's chair and told me. "You're my best friend too. I mean that."

"Oh, come on Two-Bit!" Ponyboy called out in jest to call Two-Bit's statement a bluff.

"I'm serious. Aint no way I'd be where I am today if Sissy hadn't knocked some sense into me."

"And you aint no curse." Steve reminded me as he locked the front door. "If anything, you're the luckiest girl I know."

"How so?" I asked with a yawn.

"Aint no other girl I know in this neighborhood gonna marry a man who stands to inherit a company and all the riches that come with it."

"We aint married yet."

"That ring on your finger says different." Casey reminded me. "You better start getting wise to the fact. You two been through hell and back together."

"Probably scared the hell out of the devil when you was there too." Steve teased.

"I don't know why in the hell you think you're the curse in anything anyway." Two-Bit looked at me. "You didn't decide to talk to James without us encouraging you to, twice! You didn't make ole'Duke lose his temper, or them Soc's try to drown Pony in the fountain..."

"He's right!" Sodapop interrupted to agree. "You didn't start that church fire or make Dally lose his mind and rip off that five and dime…"

"Alright, alright! I get it." I interrupted my brother. "Ponyboy is cursed too."

Pony playfully grabbed me in a head lock and reminded me of my throbbing headache.

The room chuckled a little, but they all hoped that their facts were helping to change my opinion of myself.

"Ponyboy, let her go." Darry declared. "Come on ya'll. It's late. We're all tired, let's hit the hay. Lights out in ten minutes."

The gang went about getting ready for bed. Steve slept on the couch to guard the front door. Two-Bit curled up in the spare bed, and Soda and Pony went to their room. Darry turned off the hall light and walked into my room dressed for bed. He looked down at me and smiled. "I sent Casey to sleep in my room. If you need me, I'll be right over here." My brother tucked me in, turned off the light and spent the night in Casey's bed to be sure I would feel safe and protected.