I jumped into house chores, just as I'd said that I would. I began on the dishes, that had had all the long, hot day to

get even ickier. But, I set to work doing them, and Darry went to put some laundry into the washing machine.

He paused, as he came back into the kitchen. "I'm gonna grab a shower, and then I'll figure out somethin' for supper," he told me.

"Okay," I said, wanting to be agreeable so he wouldn't stubborn up.

Once he was gone, and I was left alone in the kitchen, I felt the weariness of the long day come over me. I realized how hot, and sticky,

and just generally messy I felt. I had stains on my clothes from my day at the Wilson's. Some of the stains I couldn't even identify. Which

was nasty.

Darry was out of the shower quick-like, and in clean jeans and t-shirt.

"I'll finish these up," he told me. "Go on and get a shower yourself."

I couldn't turn that down, so I went to take a super quick shower. I felt a lot better, and went back to the kitchen, where

Darry was making grilled cheese, and Soda was standing at the sink, washing the dishes that had been left.

I could tell they had been talking about me, or about what had happened with Mrs. Wilson. I went over quietly, and

began to dry the dishes that Soda was washing and putting into the dish drainer. Soda smiled at me, as if nothing out of the

ordinary was going on.

Darry flipped the grilled cheese over on the griddle, and said, "Think you can throw together a salad?" to me.

"Yeah," I said, and went to take lettuce, and tomatoes out of the refrigerator.

I began tearing lettuce, and cutting up the tomatoes, and Darry half-turned to look at me, from where he stood at the stove.

"It's not workin' out at the Wilson's," he said.

"You said you'd think about it," I reminded him, pausing in my tomato chopping.

"I have."

"Not very long," I argued. "We've only been home for an hour-"

"It's long enough for me to make up my mind," Darry said.

"Mr. Wilson said it won't happen again!" I protested.

"It might, though. And, even if it doesn't, I think there's stuff goin' on that you don't need to be a part of," he said, repeating what

he'd said earlier in the day to me.

"What stuff?" I asked, and Darry paused, scooping up the grilled cheese and putting them on a platter.

When he didn't answer right away, I said, "What stuff, Darry?"

"Things between them, stuff like that," he said. "Her not bein' where she said she'd be."

He set the platter in the center of the table, as we heard the front door open and shut again.

"Hey! I'm home!" Pony called out.

He appeared at the kitchen doorway, white paint scattered all over his jeans and shirt, and in his hair.

"Supper's on," Darry told him. "Get washed up."

"K," Pony said, and disappeared towards the bathroom.

"Could I try it one more time?" I pleaded. "If she's just around the house, and doesn't leave to go anywhere?" I scattered the tomatoes

over the lettuce in the big bowl.

"Naw, Junie," Darry said. "I don't want ya goin' over there any more."

"But, that's the only way I can make any money," I protested.

"Maybe somethin' else will come along," he said.

"Like what?" I persisted. "You won't let me get a job downtown!"

I guess Darry had had enough, because he gave me a look. You know the sort I'm talking about. And then

he said, in finality, "That's the way it is."

I stood up, and headed towards the back door, just as Soda and Darry each sat down in their seats at the table.

"Where ya goin'?" Soda asked me. "It's time to eat."

"I'm not hungry," I said. I had my hand on the door, pushing it open.

"Come on and sit down," Darry said.

"Not hungry," I said, again, and stepped outside, letting the screen door slam behind me.

Darry let out a holler. "June Marie!"

Well, I stopped in my tracks. When Darry bellows, that's never a good thing. And, even if I was mad at him, I didn't want

to get into real trouble.

I came back the few steps and opened the screen door again, but kept my two feet outside of the kitchen.

"I don't wanna eat right now," I said.

Pony came in, sliding into his seat and reaching for a grilled cheese.

Darry gave a nod to my chair. "Sit down," he said, sounding firm.

"Yeah, come on, Junie," Soda said, smiling at me. Soda. Always the peacemaker.

I came back in, and over to my chair, and sat down, still balking.

"A person shouldn't have to eat if they're not feelin' hungry," I protested.

"A person should stop pitchin' a fit unless they wanna find themselves in their room the rest of the evenin'," Darry

countered.

I weighed my options. I didn't particularly want to spend my evening with any of them, anyways.

"I'd prefer to go to my room," I said, feeling brash.

I'd surprised Darry. And Soda. I could tell. Even Pony was watching me as though wondering what had taken over

my body.

"That so?" Darry asked, raising his eyebrows at me. There was a warning in his tone. If I cared to heed it.

"Yeah," I said, stubbornly.

"Come on, Junie," Soda said. "Don't be like that."

Darry spoke as though Soda hadn't uttered a word.

"Alright," he said. "Go on."

I gave him a last look, trying to meet his eyes. He looked set. Unyielding.

I stood up really fast, and walked out of the kitchen, and to my bedroom.

I shut my door with a decided close, though not a slam. I banged around in my room, slamming things down for a few minutes. Then,

I turned on my radio, found my favorite station, that played a lot of Elvis, and flopped down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Everything kept jumping around in my head. The day at the Wilson's. The long day. Thinking about how much money I had now,

all together. $19. I was so close to being able to buy the camera flash.

After awhile I could hear other voices. One was Two-Bit. And I thought the other one was Tim Shepherd. Well, maybe. I turned

my radio up, and sat on my bed, looking thru the photos I'd taken with my camera over the last couple of weeks.

I went out once, to go use the bathroom, but didn't run into anybody in the hall. I was really tired, I guess, from the

long day, and I went to sleep, curled up, still in my clothes and with the radio and lights still on.

Outsiders

Somebody came in at some point, and turned off the radio and the light. Because, when I woke up later, the room was

dark, and quiet. Somebody had covered me up, too. I tried not to think about that, and how nice that it was.

It had likely been Soda, though it could have been Darry, too. I got up, and went to the door in the dark, and

went out, going to the bathroom again. The house was still and quiet. I knew I would have to eat something, in

order to get back to sleep. My stomach was protesting my refusal of those grilled cheese sandwiches of Darry's.

I went to open the refrigerator, and found one lonely sandwich remaining. I took it and a banana and headed back

to my room again. There was the sound of a car, and then steps on the porch, and someone unlocking the front door.

I paused there, and even though it was only shadows, I knew that it was Soda, coming home from wherever he'd been. He

was whistling softly, and I heard him bump into something, and swear under his breath.

He switched on a lamp and then headed to the kitchen, not seeing me standing there by my doorway. I went to stand

in the kitchen doorway, watching as he poured himself a glass of milk. As he closed the refrigerator and turned,

he saw me, and said, "Damn, Junie, I didn't see ya there-"

I was silent, just looking at him. He downed the glass of milk in one swallow, and put the glass in the sink. He switched

off the kitchen light, and we stood there, with only the small lamp in the living room for light.

"Decided to eat somethin', huh?" he asked, nodding towards the grilled cheese in my hand.

"Yeah."

He studied me. I knew he'd been drinking, because I could smell it on his breath. But, he wasn't drunk, or

anything.

"How come ya gotta be such a pill, Junie?" he demanded, in a loud whisper. "Darry gets worried when ya

don't wanna eat and all."

"I needed to be by myself," I said. "And I wasn't bein' a pill, either, Soda."

"Yeah, ya were," he maintained.

"How worried is he gonna be when he finds out about the rumble?" I asked. "And that you're thinkin' of goin'?"

"We're not talkin' about me-"

"That's way more worrisome than me not eatin' one time," I said.

"Alright, we're done talkin'," Soda said, and went to turn off the living room lamp. I heard him walking on then,

towards his and Pony's bedroom.

"Because you know that I'm right!" I said, into the darkness after him, in a way-too-loud whisper.

Outsiders