Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Outsiders'
Chapter 2:
I sat down at me seat and opened my book.
"Hey, Jane."
I glanced at Pony. "Hey, Ponyboy."
"Wow," Pony marvelled. "That's a big bruise you've got there."
"Oh." I turned away from him, touching my sore cheek with light fingers. "Yeah."
"Did you get in another fight?"
I put on a cocky smile, despite the ache on my face. "Yeah. You should see the other guy."
Pony laughed. "I'm sure it's bad."
I sighed. "It wasn't too bad. I've had worse."
Pony gave me a look I didn't like at all. He looked like he felt bad for me. "Is that what it's liking growing up on the Southeast side of Tulsa? Or is it just because if the River Kings?"
My fingers twitched, feeling like I needed a cigarette between them. "Things are rough all around." I looked over to Pony, who was smiling. "What?"
"A girl said almost the exact same thing to me once."
I smiled. "Smart girl."
"Yeah, she was."
"You don't talk to her anymore?"
Pony sighed. "She's a Soc, so we never really talked."
"Oh," I said, surprised. Socs weren't a big deal on the Southeast side. It was more about the River Kings and the Tiber Street Tigers, and maybe the Packers, but not so much social class because we were all pretty well the same.
Coming to Will Rogers really opened my eyes. There were so clearly two different kinds of people. Socs and Greasers. It was so clear, you'd have to be stupid to mistake one for the other.
Yeah, sure, there were a couple gangs on this side of Tulsa. The Shepards Gang and the Brumly Boys. The Curtis gang was another, but from what I heard, they didn't really fight any other gangs. But then again, neither did the Shepards or the Brumly gang really. Or at least not like my brother's gang does.
So it was a little bit of a surprise to me that the biggest problem this side of Tulsa had was social class separation.
"Yeah," Pony said, bringing me back to the class.
"What happens if you date a Soc or somethin'?"
Pony almost laughed. "That would never happen."
"So if I wanted to ask out a Soc, they'd laugh in my face."
"Probably."
"What if they asked me out?"
"It'd be a joke."
"Wow." I leaned back in my seat. "They really don't talk to us greasers, huh?"
Pony shook his head. "No."
"Ms. King, Mr. Curtis!" The teacher yelled. "Silence please."
Pony nodded. "Yes, sir."
I covered my mouth to not laugh. "Sure."
"Detention for both of you." The teacher gave me a stern look before turning back to the board as I laughed into my jacket sleeve.
"Hi, honey."
"Hey, mom," I said quickly, walking straight to my room. I was walking so fast, I didn't even realized the big body in front of me.
"What's got you in a hurry?"
I kept my head down, walking past David. "Nothing."
David caught my arm and spun me around. "What -" He saw the bruise on my cheek and he shook his head. "God damnit, Jane."
"I skipped school and then I talked back. It was my fault."
"It's never your fault. Dad should never put his hands on you!"
"I know." I nodded. "But it's done now and I'm over it, so can you cool it?"
David sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm gonna have a chat with him."
"Please don't."
"What're you gonna do when I'm gone, Jane? Huh?" David said, growing more annoyed with my nonchalant attitude. "How are you gonna protect yourself?"
I hated talking about David leaving. David wasn't a teenager anymore and he had a nice girlfriend. It would make sense for him to want to move out and start a family with her. He'd been working since he was ten and he was starting to look at houses.
It made me nervous. David was the reason I was sane in the stupid house I lived in, and if he left, I didn't know what I'd do. It was selfish of me, but I didn't want him to leave. That, or make him take me with him.
"I don't know, David."
David turned around and walked into the kitchen as I walked to my room. Paul was in my room, screwing around with the stuff on my dresser.
"Paul!"
He turned my way, casual smile on his face. "Hey, sis."
"What're you doing?"
"I just asked out Catherine Jones. She said if I got her a present, she'd go out with me."
I walked over and pushed him away from my stuff. "Then buy her something. Don't touch my stuff."
"Why would I buy somethin' when you have a bunch of junk you don't use?"
I groaned and sat on my bed. "You can take one thing. One thing, Paul."
Paul laughed in triumph and took a bottle of perfume I never used. "Your school called again. Detention, huh?"
"I was barely even talking." I crawled onto my bed and curled into a comfortable ball. "Get out."
"Whatever you say, Janey."
After Paul left, I got up and opened my window.
Like hell if I was going to stick around and get beat for something as stupid as a detention.
I crawled out carefully. One time, I broke my ankle jumping out of my window. I was a lot more cautious now a days.
When my feet were planted on the ground, I started running down to a place my brothers hated me to be. But I knew Ray would be there and I just wanted a cigarette.
It really didn't take me long to get to Buck's, and I was so close before I got stopped.
"Jane King."
I heard that annoying but lovable voice from behind me. "Curly Shepard."
Curly smirked and stepped closer to me. I noticed he had Pony and some other kid by his side. "Pony told me you were on this side of Tulsa. I had to see it to believe it."
"Well, here I am." I held out my hands and spun around.
Curly nodded to the building behind me. "You headin' in there?"
"Yeah, I was looking for Ray."
Curly smirked. "You know you don't need Ray when you got me."
The only reason I knew Curly Shepard was because he had a habit of putting himself in places he didn't need to be in, like in the middle of a turf war between the River Kings and the Tiber Street Tigers.
I laughed and shook my head, switching my sight to Pony, who had been silently standing beside the loud-moused, curly-headed one. "Hey, Pony."
He waved, but didn't say anything.
I shrugged. "Well, I best be off. See you guys later."
"See ya, Jane."
I turned around and walked into to Bucks. It was easy to find Ray. He was surrounded by a bunch of beautiful girls on the ugly couch.
I walked up to him and put my hands on my hips. "Ray."
Ray smirked. "Hey, baby."
"You got a cigarette?" I asked.
"Yeah." Ray reached into his pocket and passed me his pack. "Go nuts, kid."
I leaned over to table, putting my face close to his. "Thanks." I reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter before pushing myself away from him and walking off to the bar.
I lit my cigarette and took a puff.
"Jane King."
I was getting tired of hearing that. "What do you want, Chip?"
A member of my brother's gang and a major pain in my ass.
"Do your brothers know you're here?" he asked, and he had a wide smirk on his face.
"I hate you. Did you know that?" I said, only making his smirk grow. "I hate you."
"Ah, I know." Chip leaned against the bar and put up his hand. "Two beers, please."
I raised my eyebrows. "Trying to get on my good side?"
Chip shook his head. "Don't tell your brothers about this."
"You got it, Chip." I raised my cigarette to him as he pushed a beer toward me.
"God damn, Janey," Chip said, sounding like he was regretting his decision. "Your brothers will kick my ass if they know about this."
"You can trust me."
"Fine," he said, leaning off of the bar and starting to walk away. "Holler if you need me."
"Sure, Chip." I smiled, going back to my cigarette and my beer. This was way better than sitting around, waiting to get beat for getting a stupid detention. On the other hand, my brothers would've been pissed.
"Janey, Janey, Janey."
I smiled. "Ray, Ray, Ray."
"What're you doin' out here?"
"Got detention."
Ray laughed. "Your daddy kick you out?"
"No. I ran before he could do shit." I took a sip of my beer.
"You goin' home after this?"
"I don't know."
"You can always come back to my place," Ray said, leaning closer to me.
"Oh, Ray. You're my knight in shining armour."
Ray slipped behind me and put his arms around my stomach. He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear, "I've got you."
I elbowed him. "Not tonight."
Ray groaned and stepped away from me. "Fine. I got some blonde beauties waiting for me anyway."
I tipped my beer to him. "Knock yourself out."
Ray clicked his tongue and turned around, resuming his surely liberating conversation with the blonde girls on the couch.
I slowly slid into my room, but lost my grip and dropped onto my floor.
"Ow! Shit!"
"Shit is right."
I gasped and stood up quickly. "Paul, hey."
"Where the hell were you?"
"Church," I muttered sarcastically.
"Jane."
"I was at Bucks, Paul. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Paul stomped his foot and spazzed out, trying to keep quiet because it was late. "No! God damnit, Jane! What were you doing there?"
"I don't think you want to know," I said, getting up and jumping into my bed, hiccuping in the process.
"Are you drunk?"
I smiled. "No."
Paul marched over to me. "You're drunk off your ass."
I groaned, rolling over. "Maybe."
Paul leaned closer to me, sniffing my jacket. "And you were smoking. What did I tell you about that, Jane?"
"Jesus, Paul, back off. You're not my dad."
"I'm the closest thing you've got."
I sighed, knowing it was true.
David and Paul pretty much raised me. My dad was too drunk to remember I was his daughter and my mom was too busy trying to take care of him. I spent a lot of time with my brothers. Even though we fought, I loved them more than anyone else on the entire planet.
"I know."
"Shit, Jane." Paul laid down next to me. "When I say something, you have to listen. You hear me?"
"Yeah."
"That means no smoking, no drinking, and no Bucks."
"What about Ray?"
"I can't control you that much." Paul sighed. "But if I see you with him, I'm gonna kick his ass."
I smiled. "Alright."
Paul breathed out through his nose loudly and shuffled around in my bed.
I rolled my eyes, knowing that he wouldn't move now. "Paul..."
"Ssh."
I laughed, rolling the other way and closing my eyes.
"King! Left-Mid!"
I squinted at my gym teacher. "Left what?"
"Left-Mid, King!"
I looked around to see if anyone else understood a single word the lady was saying.
I saw Pony standing around the track and stretching. He paused for a second to point to the left side of the soccer field. "The middle left of the field, Jane!"
I quickly got in my position and looked down at my shoes when the whistle went. Everyone started moving except for me. I looked around helplessly.
In my old school, we didn't have a gym class. I mean, we had a gym class, but no one ever actually did anything.
"Move, King, move!"
I groaned, running down the field until I gave up. I pulled out a cigarette and lighter out of my sock. I lit the cigarette and took a puff as everyone else ran around me.
"Trash." A girl spat at my shoes as she ran past me. I flipped her the bird and took another puff of my cigarette.
"King!" The teacher yelled.
"What?"
"Get over here!"
I walked over casually. "Yeah?"
She had her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. "Get that thing out of your mouth and run laps."
I moved to the track, but didn't throw away my cigarette. I was going to enjoy my cigarette whether I was 'allowed' to or not.
"Jane."
I laughed. "How do you keep showing up?"
Ray shrugged and put his arm around me. "I came for you as I always do."
"Ray." I elbowed his arm off of me. "Go home."
"It's been days, Jane." Ray stepped in front of me. "Come on."
I stuck my cigarette between his lips. "You're gonna have to try harder than that."
Ray smirked, taking the cigarette between his fingers. "You are so hot, you know that?"
I smiled. "I've been told."
"I'll get you later on, Janey." Ray stepped away from me, taking my cigarette with him. "I'll pick you up at 7 o'clock."
"Make it 5."
I walked inside my house after my quick and ultimately disappointing hangout with Peter, trying to keep quiet. It was dark and not a sound of anyone, but as soon as I closed the door, the lights flicked on and someone grabbed a good chunk of my hair.
"There you are!"
I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Jesus," I merely gasped out.
He yanked my head back, causing my to scream out. He let go eventually, only to spin me around and slap me. "It's all your fault!"
"You son of a bitch!" David yelled and passed me to go to our dad.
I sighed in relief at his voice as well as Paul's effortless ability to pull me away from any bad situation.
Paul took me by arm and rushed me to his room. He sat me on his bed and handed me an icepack.
"Thank you."
"What'd you do this time?" Paul asked, sitting down next to me.
I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe something to do with the bills. I don't know."
Paul sighed. "Stop worryin' about that."
"It's all my fault, isn't it? We wouldn't be having this money problem if I hadn't gotten expelled."
"Jesus, Jane," Paul groaned. "I don't know."
I put rested the icepack against my cheek and sighed deeply. "I'm so stupid."
"Yeah."
"I don't need you guys to save me, you know?"
Paul scoffed. "Yeah, right. Dad would've broke you."
I rolled my eyes. "I could've handled it."
"Bullshit. You were lucky David was there."
"David won't always be there," I said, giving into the fact that I needed the help. "What happens when David gets his house he's been dreaming about forever, huh?"
Paul gave me a hard look. "We'll be screwed, that's what."
"I think he knows that too."
"He's not gonna stay around forever, Jane. He's got a girl and a job and an actual life."
I leaned back and laid down on Paul's bed. "It's a tough world out there. I'm still hoping he'll come back."
Paul leaned back too. "Stop talkin' about him like he's gone already."
"He's about to be. Caught him talking to Molly yesterday about a little house on the other side of Tulsa."
David came barging into Paul's room at that moment. "Jane, you okay?"
I sat up and nodded, showing his my icepack. "I'm fine. You okay?"
David took the collar of his shirt and wiped his bloody nose. "I'm fine."
I stood up and handed him the icepack. "You could use it more than me."
"Thanks," David said, putting his arm around me and bringing me into a side-hug.
"Anything for my favourite brother," I said, pulling away.
"Oh, I love you guys, too," Paul said sarcastically.
The next day was easier than I thought. I mean, seriously, people barely looked at me. They were probably very used to seeing black eyes and bruises. I enjoyed the little attention. That is, until Ponyboy couldn't stop staring at me.
"What?" I said, finally having enough.
Pony seemed startled as he shifted in his seat. "Nothin'."
"I got it in another fight, if that's what you wanted to know."
"How many fights do you get in?"
I sighed. "A lot."
"I can see that."
"Then why'd you ask?"
Ponyboy didn't break this time. He just stared at me with almost no expression. "I don't know."
"Well -" I pulled a cigarette out of my pocket. "I want to get out of here."
"Ms. King!"
I smirked at my teacher, leaving the cigarette between my lips. "Yes?"
"Get out of my classroom right now!" The teacher yelled.
"Why of course." I picked up my bag and walked past her.
Free at last.
At that moment, I could care less about what my dad would do when I got home. I was done with school for the day.
I was making my way down the steps when Amy Jensen appeared at my side, skirt tight, shirt low, hair big. She was in my Chemistry class and boy did she love to copy off of the little notes I took.
I think she thought we were friends.
"Skippin' out?"
I nodded, walking on and hoping that she would leave me alone. "Uh-huh."
"Where to?"
"Home," I answered simply.
She smirked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and took one out for herself. "I could get us some free beers down at Bucks."
Everything tasted better when it was free. That was what happened when I started guzzling down a ton of beers at Bucks.
"Woo! Yeah!" Amy threw her arms around as she danced and drank and danced and drank and drank.
I pushed myself off the counter, walking a little closer to her, making sure to duck when she spun around. "Uh, hey, Amy..."
"Yeah?" she said, looking down at me with her drunk eyes.
"I'm gonna get some air," I told her, sticking my cigarette between my lips and not waiting for an answer as I went outside.
The fresh, brisk air was like a slap to the face.
I sighed, walking around the little deck in front of the building to go around to the back, passing all of the very drunk boys in front.
"How you doin', baby?"
I stopped walking to glare at him, taking the cigarette from my mouth and blowing out some smoke. "Piss off." I raised the cig to my lips once again as I walked away, right around to the back of the building. When I made it there, I sat down against the wall, leaning my head back.
"This is my spot."
"God!" My heart jumped and my eyes shot to the body sitting beside me. I breathed heavily, feeling my heart beating in my chest and I just focused on calming down. "Wanna warn a girl?"
"I was sitting right here when you walked up," he said in a rough voice.
I watched him blow smoke out of his mouth and I saw just the outline of the profile of his face. I could see that his nose was slightly crooked and there was some kind of small dent at his forehead, probably a scar.
I couldn't really see anything else in the dark, but he sounded handsome, so I stuck around.
"Maybe I'm a little buzzed," I told him, thinking it was true. I tapped my cig. "Jane."
He paused for a moment before he said, "Tim."
I nodded, looking up at the stars, definitely feeling the beer in my system then. "It's a beautiful night, Tim."
"Sure is."
