Chapter Two

Scar POV

Sitting here at Jason's while he rambled on and on was tiring. Every time we did this, it was the same thing. Don't get too close to anyone else, if you have a problem then go to someone in the gang, stay away from these people, yadda yadda yadda.

"Are you listening to me, Scar?"

"I hear you loud and clear."

"Don't get smart. You've only been here a year."

After the "meeting" we all just hung out. I was in a corner reading when Cam came and sat beside me.

"If I have to hear one more bad joke from Danny, I'm gonna scream."

I laughed. I evaluated everybody in the room. They'd only known me for a year. Little did they know, I'd known most of them my whole life. I hadn't met them until I moved to Tulsa, but I knew who they were. I'd never tellthem that, though. Of course, I only knew their names until I moved here. Now, I knew them. I could put a face with a name.

Keegan Curtis, he was the youngest in the gang next to me. He was 15, played football, and was always smiling. He was one of my closest friends in the group. He looked a lot like his dad, handsome. He was charming. All the girls loved him.

James Curtis was 17 and a skateboarder. He was a ladies man, but was just like his dad when it came to books and movies. Both of us always had our noses in a book and I loved going to the movies with him. We could just enjoy it without interruptions. He was an awesome person, one of the sweetest guys ever.

Daniel Matthews, or Danny as we liked to call him, was 18 and a wisecracker. I guess you'd have to be when you grow up with Two-bit as your dad. He was always cracking jokes and never shut up. And I loved him for it. He could always make me laugh.

Mikey Randle. I honestly don't have much to say about him other than he's 19 and I know he's Steve's son. He doesn't talk much, but when he does its ugly. I've barely ever seen him smile, and he just tends to stick close to Jason. I only consider him part of the gang, not my friend.

Jason Shepherd, Tim's son, was 21 and our unofficial leader. He didn't like us being friends with anyone except each other. He also didn't like me. He can be easygoing let loose, but I swear I'm the only person in the gang he doesn't smile at. I don't like him, but I'm pretty sure he knows that.

Cam Powers was the only one I didn't know much about. He's 17, the captain of the baseball team, and I don't know who his parents are. He's the one I'm closest to, my best friend. He's the only reason I'm in the gang. When I moved here a year ago, we just clicked. The next thing I knew, Jason had told him to bring me to a meeting.

"Since Cam seems to really dig you, Scar, you're gonna be part of the gang."

I was scared of Jason at the time, but I wasn't scared of him anymore. We were a gang, a close one, too. Even though I didn't like him or Mikey, we had each other's backs. I just didn't understand the big deal about not being close to anyone else. That never made sense to me, but I didn't question it.

My name is Scarlett, but I'd punch you if you ever called me that. I go by Scar. I was 16, and I worked a lot. I had to. It'd been that way since my dad died three years before. My mom had never been a mom, but my dad had been amazing. My mom had decided to move us back to Tulsa after two years without dad, and that's when I met the gang. My parents were from Tulsa. I was born in South Carolina. That's where I had lived my whole life until my mom moved us.

It's funny, our gang was really well known. Girls at school hated me for getting into the gang. I mean, they were all pretty good looking guys. They would try to get close with me so they could, but it never worked. I had always gotten along with guys better, anyway.

After the meeting, Keegan asked me to drive him home. We stopped at a little store on the way. We were walking up the aisles.

"You going to the drag race tomorrow night?"

"I don't know. I have to work until 8:00."

He stared at me.

"Don't give me that look. If I want the weekends off, I have to work all week."

"Yeah, but..."

"Keegan?"

We both turned.

"Shit!"

I scurried off to another aisle. I knew Keegan would do his signature grin.

"Hey, Dad. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. Who were you just talking to?"

"A friend from school. She had to go, though."

"That the girl who picks you up?"

Dammit... He saw my truck outside.

"Yeah..."

"You and James spend a lot of time with her, kiddo."

He nodded.

"We'd like to meet her, you know."

"I know, but..."

"What's going on, Keegan? You've been dodging this since you guys became friends. I've met everybody else."

I roll my eyes while listening to them. Keegan's dad doesn't know his son hangs out with Jason Shepherd. He'd freak.

"I know. Soon. I promise."

I gawked at that.

"Alright. Need a ride?"

"No, I'm covered."

I waited until he left the store.

"How could you promise that?"

He turns around to face me.

"What do you want me to say? I'm riding around town with a stranger in his eyes!"

I stomp out of the store and to my truck. He gets in and sighs.

"He won't put it together, Scar."

"He could..."

"He wouldn't..."

"I can't do it. I can't risk that. You wouldn't even know if..."

"That wasn't my fault! I can't help it that you freaked when you heard what my dad's name was!"

He's right. He wouldn't know if it hadn't been for that day back when we first met.

"My dad always said I had Ponyboy's eyes. You don't think Sodapop would notice that?"

"I don't know..."