Here is another chapter.
My hair hung down once again it was all the style right now for girls with longer hair, and mother was very adamant with my hair being long. The girls with shorter hair like Joan and Betty always had really neat bobs, but Peggy and I were not allowed to cut our hair as of yet. A red headband was nestled into my hair as I glanced at myself making sure I looked okay.
I picked out a red Bermuda collared broadcloth blouse with A-line skirt in wool woven plaid it was red, white, and black. The sweater was black it was a cable stitched sweater of wool knit, stitched knee socks of wool and stretch nylon also in black. Last, I sit putting on red snappy oxford ties with uppers. I was ready but really nervous this was High school now, my brother was giving me a ride because the school bus was for unsavory people.
We sit around the table as a family eating eggs and bacon before our parents left for work and us to school.
"You have a great day, Elizabeth," mother smiled as father helped her into the car. I was hugged and with a small kiss to the head, my father was in his own car and pulling from the gravel drive.
I walked with Peggy to our Government class, the day so far had been ace. I smiled, "After school are you coming over to study?" we did have an Algebra test coming, it had been two weeks here and finally was coming into my own.
She touched her hair, "Of course. I'm pretty bummed out over the test, so soon into the year," it was a drag but it was life.
The lockers are a steel gray, the halls are dressed in black and white and the tiles are a checkerboard. The halls were crowded with people, and the chaos was so perfect, like a movie. There was the Greaser couple that was always making out on the left side of the hall, and about ten feet farther down, the cliquey girly girls. Opposite them, the cliquey jocks by brother was front and center.
But further down as we walked from the B building heading to Government, the Greasers are in the courtyard either smoking or talking about their cars. But what caught my eye was the now darker bleached hair, it was not very long but not short either his fingers ran through it as he was laughing. I had not seen Vinnie since the resort but here he was laughing with Richard Lawson, now he I hated he was a crude prick. Peggy she just groaned, pulling me faster. But it was David North, the typical bully his hair greasy as his leather jacket was as black as Lawson's hair. His voice called out, "Hey there my favorite teeny bobber, how about you give me some sugar?" his grin was wide as we hurried along any time he saw Peggy he just acted like a ditz. North was as bad as Lawson but now we are nearly passed them when David grabbed her arm.
She snapped out, "Split, I want nothing to do with you," her face red making her freckles stand out even more, I glanced around seeing Lawson leaving with some random chick. My brother nor her's anywhere in sight.
I stomped on his foot as she hit him with her book, he looked stunned and very angry. My tone level, "You leave her be as if you stood a chance with her,"
He raised his hand to us when another grabbed it at first my body relaxed thinking it was my brother to save the day, but when my eyes found the earthy hazel of Vinnie did my heart pick up as if it was trying to fly from my chest. His voice so soothing, "Leave the chicks alone, we have things to do. Lawson wants us now before class," his eyes flicker to me before he was manhandling David into leaving.
"I will be seeing you chicks later," he would follow up on that threat too, but Vinnie just turned giving a slight wink before they vanished.
"No good greasers," was being muttered all the way to Government, her tone sour.
After school int eh parking lot my brother was in a fury hearing about David but for now, he helps us into his car. Lawson and his gang watch it was always ready to turn into a rumble, "You keep North away from Peggy and my baby sister, Lawson. Because that small switchblade doesn't scare me, I will pound you into the ground once again," I hardly heard him, and my guess was no one but North, Vinnie, and Lawson heard it.
But Richard Lawson gave a smile, "Leave the two teeny bobbers alone, David. We will rumble when I am good and ready," but if Lawson was worried or fearful of anyone it was Joseph, guess they have a history and it's not good.
Two days later: Saturday Night
Peggy and I, we sit at the back booth at Hay Day it was the best diner in town. Every teen was here it was the happening place. The marble floor is done in the everyday checkerboard black and white, every seat either the bar or booths did in red and white leather. I sit with Peggy waiting for Wayne Norman her own boyfriend, he was pretty neat he was a freshman like us. Betty and Joan walked in with Wayne, Kevin, and Kyle I was the seventh wheel tonight it seems.
I convey, "I am leaving, call me later," I could just get my dinner to go and walk home.
She frowned, "Why,"
"It is not fun, I am a seventh wheel when we are all together," my body already up seeing Wayne walking up.
He smiled, he had a boyish face still. "Hey there, Elizabeth,"
"Hiya, Wayne. Catch you later," finding the waitress to have mine canceled, by the time I arrived home it be colder than all tar.
It was twilight when I walked from the diner alone, I trudged along the pavement at a sedate pace, my mind focused on the gentle footsteps that seemed to echo throughout the minimally packed streets. The darkening sky was filled with lavender and indigo clouds, covering up the first stars of the night.
This douche had to try and ruin it, David walked up with a lit smoke in hand looking evil and this time I had no brother or Vinnie to step in. I just walked on if he started something there are enough adults to cut in before he killed me because he looked more than ready to try.
His voice was cold in a joking manner, "Look who's all alone,"
"Beat it, loser," my tone firm but not like he cared in the least as he stopped dead in front of me with an evil smirk as he took another drag from his smoke.
I tried to move to pass him but he was taller and bigger than me. "How about you give me some sugar," his tone sly and creepy.
"Not a chance, now split,"
His hands would leave marks as he gripped my upper arms so harshly, "Give me some sugar,"
My voice snapped out, "My brother is going to kick your ass," hate seethed through. But it only made his grip tighten is possible.
His ugly face was inching closer, he knew his ass was grass when Joseph found out but he was going to try to get a kiss as I rammed my knee up, his grip slacked but he didn't let go and I was in no way able to escape his slacked grip.
Snarling, "Let me go you gorilla,"
With a single tug my body slammed into his, he wasn't pudgy by the bone-jarring pain that flared. "You're a happening chick," his tone was malevolent. His eyes flashed with indignance and anger, much like lightning on a pitch black night. His states had no greyscale, only the polar extremes existed. I drew in a deep breath, the burning hard stare would last only as long as it took him to think of the most brutally cutting or painful thing he could tear me down with. Which right now might just be my nose, it was so hard to tell and so pointless to run.
The loud squeal of tires could be heard but David just glared at me with such hate and another foreign emotion. But like a bolt of lightning Vinnie tackled David into the wall. I just stumbled back my arms on fire, Vinnie threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to David's face, it hit David's jaw with such force blood pooled into his mouth and he spits it on the floor.
Vinnie with his own two hands grasped David's head in his hands and brought his knee cap up to his nose, there was a blunt crack and Vinnie released David's dark-haired head. Crimson leaked from both his nostrils and his nose was twisted right. David drew his fist back again and it plowed into Vinnie's stomach, it was like hitting a train head-on. My guts smashed together, watching all this. Vinnie paid this by punching his jaw, Vinnie's fist collided with all his body weight. He continued this battering until David fell to the floor. His chest gently rose and sank with each shallow breath he drew in when he looked at me his eyes. His eyes were the color of milk chocolate edged with a deep forest green. Sometimes the two colors seemed to swirl together like moss creeping over rich soil and right now they held fire.
He moved with slow steady steps towards me, "Lizzie, you okay, Doll?"
I just looked at him gobsmacked.
He spat out, "You were warned, David. She is off limits, Lawson will be pissed. Split, I am on my way to meet up with him and I will pound you again," and to my surprise he did, David walked to his own car and peeled out leaving us behind but the look was intense, he wasn't done.
Vinnie just removed his Marron jacket, leaving him in a tight black shirt and jeans, boots on too. His hands were gentle as he wrapped me in his jacket before leading me to his car. "I am not going to hurt you, come on I will take you home," his voice so soothing as he helped me in. It was a stunning car, red and white he just got in and took off his blonde and darker brown hair blowing in the wide.
He smiled, "It's a 1960 Corvette, a birthday gift from my parents,"
I finally spoke, "Thank you, I don't know why David keeps cornering us," the car engine sung to the lone country roads, I relished the roaring winds that twirled in her long brown hair and whistled in my ears.
He broke the silence after a few minutes, "For one doll, I don't know where your pad is. Are you hungry we could go grab a bite," his smile was crooked as much as he was, he was a greaser and a badass. But he had been very kind to me when his friends started trouble, and even though my brother would come unglued.
"Sure," it was simple and that one word would change my life forever.