Chapter 23: My Decision
The next day, Two-Bit, Christian and Dermot walked around town, talking and chatting, joking with each other softly.
Two-Bit was smiling faintly, smirking at the two as they jabbed each other with playful insults, admiring the two of them as friends.
His eyes were filled with soft sadness, however. He had cut himself again, last night.
He had cried a little too, his emotions all mixed up. The gang coming to see him had really messed with his emotions, hurting him even more.
"Two-Bit, where do you wanna hang out today?" Christian was grinning, jabbing at Dermot's side a little.
"Aw gee, I dunno guys," Two-Bit shook his head a little. "You can pick."
"Aw come on, Two-Bit," Dermot insisted. "You can pick for once ya know."
"Well I can but-"
"Lookie here!" They heard a loud voice, followed by laughter.
Two-Bit's eyebrows furrowed, turning around, seeing four boys, all dressed in blue. Uh oh. Weren't these guys Waves?
"It's the Flam- well lookie here, they got a new member!" One boy was laughing, looking at Two-Bit. "Hey Dermot, who's your friend?"
Apparently they knew Dermot.
Dermot growled softly, fists clenched. "Y'all better beat it, Waves."
The Waves kept on laughing. "Where's your master, Dermot?" They jeered.
Dermot and Christian were growling, glaring. Two's eyes went narrow too. These guys were just like the Socs.
"Let's teach this newbie what the Waves are really made of! Get 'em Waves!" The boys hollered and started for them, beginning to brawl.
Two-Bit snarled and fought with one of them, glaring, punching him, keeping an eye on Christian and Dermot, not wanting them hurt.
He punched his guy away, ripping away the guy who was taking on Christian, growling.
"Leave him alone!"
Two-Bit fought the boys, ripping them away from Dermot, who were almost pummeling him.
Angered, he whipped out his knife, snarling. "Lay off! Get the hell out of here! All of you!"
The Waves huffed at the knife, looking a little startled but not backing away.
Then Dermot punched one of them hard, knocking him onto the ground with a snarl and the Waves finally took the hint and beat it out of there.
Two-Bit snorted, looking at his friends, putting his knife away. "Y'all okay?"
"We're fine." Christian huffed.
"Two-Bit, you're hurt." Dermot frowned, pointing at Two's cheek.
"I am?" Two-Bit brought a hand to his cheek, frowning softly. It was just a little cut. "Oh, i'm fine."
"You sure?" Dermot frowned, brushing himself off.
"Yeah. Those Waves really are awful, aren't they?" Two-Bit huffed.
"Yeah, they're little -" Christian cussed them out, shaking his head.
"Good thing you scared 'em off though," Dermot nodded. "Now they'll know not to mess with you."
"Yeah. That's good news." Christian chirped with a grin.
"Yeah….." Two-Bit swallowed, looking at the ground, suddenly thinking of his cuts, the Waves reminding him of home.
"Come on, let's not the Waves spoil our day, come on!" Christian bounced on his feet, grinning. "Let's hit up the arcade, boys!"
Dermot wrapped a friendly arm around Two-Bit with a smile, encouraging him to come with and Two-Bit smiled faintly, going with them.
After the arcade and a long day of hanging out with his friends, Two-Bit was walking home with them when he stopped, seeing four all-too familiar faces coming up to them.
"Oh no."
"What's wrong?" Dermot stopped, frowning.
"My friends." Two-Bit swallowed hard, slowly backing up.
"Two-Bit, I-"
"Two-Bit!" Two-Bit heard the gang and cringed, frowning as they ran up to them.
"Buddy!"
"Two-Bit, we gotta talk…..!"
"What's to talk about?" Two-Bit growled, shooting them all a glare. "I told you everything there is to say."
"Who are they?" Dally growled, pointing at Christian and Dermot, who stood tall beside Two-Bit, frowning.
"These are my new friends, Dallas," Two-Bit snapped. "Don't recognize a friend when you see one, huh?" He sneered.
"New friends?" Steve frowned softly, eyeing the two over.
"Two-Bit, please, we want to talk to you." Darry frowned deeply, a hand extended out.
"I don't want to talk." Two-Bit growled lowly.
"Please, Two-Bit, give us a chance to explain." Soda spoke softly.
"Explain? What is there to explain?! I told you I already know what went on! You don't have to keep torturing me about it! Okay?!" Two-Bit shouted.
"Two-Bit, we-we all care about you….we-we want you to come home, where you belong." Soda frowned deeply, voice quiet.
"I'm not going home." Two-Bit growled, shaking his head. "Never."
"B-But Two-Bit, what about Ponyboy? What about us?"
Two-Bit tensed, his eyes flickering with a storm. "Wh-what about Ponyboy? He don't want me back home."
"Yes he does, course he does. You guys are best friends. He really misses you!" Soda frowned deeply.
Two-Bit shook his head deeply, getting more and more upset. "Like hell he does! I don't believe any of it! I ain't going to come home!"
"You-you're just going to stay here? Without us?" Darry frowned deeply at him.
"Yes, without you. It's my decision. It's what you wanted anyways, isn't it Darry? For me to be away from everyone?" Two-Bit growled, sneering.
Soda frowned deeply, wanting his friend back. "Two-Bit, please…..we care about you, we-we brought you your money back…." Soda held out Two's $300.
Two-Bit tensed and eyed it, swallowing, but didn't hesitate to snatch it back.
"Come home with us, Two-Bit, we want you to-"
"Beat it! Get out of here and don't come back! I ain't comin' home and I never will! So just forget about me!" Two-Bit screamed at them, turning away with anger, walking off.
Dermot and Christian looked at the boys with a frown before they turned, following after their friend.
The gang frowned as they watched Two-Bit go, disappointed, knowing they had failed to get their friend back and now they didn't know what else they could do.
Two-Bit was glad the next day when he didn't see the gang anywhere, them having went home. He was happy they couldn't bother him anymore.
Christian and Dermot were keeping him company and being very good friends and he was very happy to be with them.
Surprisingly, Two-Bit was starting to get to know Riff too, realising he wasn't entirely awful. Two-Bit wasn't just the newbie anymore, he was a part of the gang now and Riff was starting to respect him.
Two-Bit was glad, though it was still hard to watch Riff tie up and mock the other boys, though it wasn't as bad as it was when he first got there.
So the next few days, it was actually fine for Two-Bit and he wasn't doing too bad. He missed the gang, half-heartedly, but he knew they weren't missing him so it was okay.
He had Christian and Dermot as friends now anyways.
Days passed and Two-Bit got used to his new lifestyle.
Slowly, he was beginning to think he really did belong here, putting his whole past behind him, not regretting it.