Rumble Fish and the Pretty Fish

The next day I went walking around town with Ponyboy, Two-bit and Johnny. We headed over to the DX where Sodapop and Steve would be. Sodapop was a drop out and worked here at the SX gas station. I don't know why he keeps saying he's dumb. He's the smartest kid I've ever met, he makes more sense to me than my teacher. Sodapop understands everyone and everything, and he's always the best guy to go when you needed a good talking. We stuck around to drinking Pepsi's or well for Two-bit, beer. I loved a good beer once and a while, but I get drunk real easily and I didn't feel like having a hangover tomorrow.

"So yo' gunna stick around longer this time?" asked Ponyboy as we were leaning against the wall of the DX. I certainly wasn't going to go back to drunks and dopers. I always ran here when I needed to get out of that house. But I sure was too sick of it to go back. I nodded.

"Think so. I'll probably find somewhere to stay so I ain't bummin' around at your house all the time" I said with a teasing grin. Ponyboy chuckled and he bumped me playfully. "Shoot kid, your family. You can stay our place as long as you want" he said.

I shrugged. I'd feel like a fee loader. But then, everyone usually stayed at the Curtis'. It was always a mystery who was going to be sleeping there in the morning. My ears heard a loud rumble. It was a mustang again.

"Socs" I growled. Two-bit walked over to us and sighed.

"Here come the big times" he said. The mustangs pulled in and I looked to Ponyboy, "Got a cancer stick Pony?" I asked.

Ponyboy grabbed his pack and gave me one. I took it, and lit it with a lighter I swiped from my dad. The mustang pulled over and I noticed the guys were the same guys from yesterday. I nudged Ponyboy and nodded to the guys.

"Those were the guys from yesterday" I whispered. Ponyboy looked to them and gulped. I don't know why he was always so nervous. Just cause Johnnycake got jumped and it was real bad didn't mean it was going to happen to him. They walked by us with real stupid grins on their faces, eyeing me out. Especially one, who was tall fairly broad shoulders and he had a wine prep jacket, white pants and he had brown hair with the regular soc Beatle Cut. He winked at me and I gaged.

"Jesus Soc, yo'r ugly beatle cut is making me gag" I laughed nudging Two-bit and he laughed with me. The Soc grabbed me by the front of my shirt and hoisted me up.

"Do you want another cut on your face Greaser!?" he hissed. I growled and I pushed him off and slugged him across the face. I then looked to Ponyboy and pushed him away.

"Get Soda!" I snapped. Ponyboy ran over to the garage. The guy came back at me and tried to slug me but I missed and I punched him right in the stomach. The Soc's buddies ran at me and Two-bit stopped them and got them real good. The guy was then too hurt to walk.

"Man, yo're one lame Soc. I've fought little kids that could fight better than ya'll. Now get lost" I said kneeing the guy in the crotch. The soc fell back and his friends caught him. They looked up at me and I cracked my knuckles with a wild cat-like grin on my face. They gulped and got into their mustang and left but the one that kept coming back at me stared at me like I was a prize possession. I shuddered.

Soda, Ponyboy and Steve ran out towards us and I dusted my pants off and the boys looked at Two-bit and I all worried.

"Yo' guys alright?" asked Ponyboy. I grinned and gave Sodapop thumbs up.

"Hell yeah! Two-bit an' I took care of em. Didn't we Two-bit?" I said holding my hand out to him. Two-bit nodded and he gave me a five. Cousin's unite!

Ponyboy and I decided to leave to walk around town to look at some of the shops. Ponyboy looked to me and then looked around kind of nervous like again. I don't see why. We weren't going to get jumped most likely again, and I was all rallied up for another fight anyways.

"Gotcha' blade?" he asked. I nodded and patted my back jean pocket.

"Yo' betcha. Don't' leave home without it" I assured him. As we walked along the main drag I stopped at the pet shop and looked in at the display window. Displayed there was some cool looking fish. There was one of them that really caught my eye. He was about two inches long and his fins were really long and they were so long they looked like a greaser's hair, kind of swooped back, and he was silver and red. I knew what kind of fish they were, they were the kind of fish that if you put in a tank with another fish it'd fight it and eat it. Siamese Fighting Fish. Real cool.

"Like them?" asked Pony looking at the fish too. My face burned a dark red and I shrugged cooly. I didn't even realize how close my face was to the glass.

"Rumble Fish..." I muttered aloud. Ponyboy raised an eyebrow in confusion and he stared at the it. Obviously he didn't know what those fish could do. "What?" he asked.

"Rumble Fish. That's what I call 'em. They're really called Siamese Fightin' Fish. If yo' put them in a bowl with other fish or another one of their kind they'll fight. It's real cool, yo' can even put a mirror up to it an' it'll attack it's reflection. That's why they've got 'em in individual tanks" I explained staring at that silver and red fish. I smiled, it reminded me of the old times.

Ponyboy nodded watching the fish just the same as me. He then looked over to me and I think he called my name a couple times but I was kind of zoned out in my own little world. Ponyboy then finally shook me and woke me from my daze.

"Yo' know lots bout these fish?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah...I used to have one back when I was little 'fore my family got all screwed up. Derek would have to drag me away from the bowl I liked it so much. He looked just like this one..." I said pointing at the silver and red one. Ponyboy nodded and he grabbed my arm.

"Common, the owner is starting to look kinda angry" said Ponyboy. I stared at the fish one last time and then followed beside Ponyboy. As we walked down the street Ponyboy sighed.

"Yo' finish your English assignment?" asked Ponyboy. I looked over at him, and I raised an eyebrow. We had an English assignment? I may have lived on the other side of town from Ponyboy, we still went to the same school and Pony was in my English class.

"We had an English assignment?" I asked in surprise. Ponyboy nodded.

"Yeah. Bout that book Romeo and Juliette we were supposed to read an' write a review an' our own summary on it" he said. I shrugged. I read the book, I love reading and Ponyboy was the only one I could talk to about books and movies.

"I read it. I thought it was pretty sad though, that it was just a stupid misunderstandin'. They could've been together if the word had actually gotten to Romeo. But what I don't get is that they get all dramatic about each other an' go an' kill themselves. I mean, I don't think I'd die for someone like that" I thought aloud. I then rubbed my chin "I dunno, I might..." I thought.

"If yo' really love someone I guess, then yo'd do it..." he said, I looked over at Ponyboy and his ears went red. I didn't know why.

"I think I might Oh! I've got an idea for the report!" I said jumping up onto a ledge and balancing on it. I then jumped down and laughed.

" The Rumble fish is Romeo, the real cool fish on one side of the reef an' then you got one of them Pretty Goldfish who is Juliette an' is real nice and gentle. Now everyone thought that the Rumble Fish was too mean for anyone an' he was dreadin' over he liked this one other fish but hasn't seen her in a long time. THEN, he met up with The Pretty Goldfish an' fell in love. He meets her at her coral reef an' pledges his love for her an' they get married even though the Goldfish's family is terrified of the Rumble Fish.

"Then the Rumble Fish gets challenged to a fight but doesn't do it but one of his pals in his gang decides to but gets his ass whooped. So Rumble Fish fights an' kills the fish. So the Fuzzy Fish Police kick him out by the high Prince Shark's orders. An' then Pretty Goldfish has to get married to some butt ugly fish. Then she an' Rumble Fish get it on in her room, then she goes to some scary lookin' Coral Fish to help an' he gives her a drugged rock to make her seem like she's dead for a while an' promises to tell Rumble Fish so they can escape.

"Before her weddin' she eats the drugged rock an' everyone finds her belly up an' everyone thinks she's dead. The message didn't get to Rumble Fish an' he jumps into some bad water an' dies since she's dead an then when Pretty Goldfish wakes up, she finds out an' she gets all sad so she goes an' finds a sharp rock an kills herself.

" An' THE END" I explained as we were at Ponyboy's house. Ponyboy was crying in laughter by the time I ended.

"Wow, yo've got a wilder imagination than me" he teased. I shrugged.

"I dunno, I thought it was good. Do yo' think Mr. Syme would accept that?" I laughed. Ponyboy shrugged and grinned at me.

"Shoot kid, yo' know he loves yo'r imagination. Yo'd get an A plus for sure. But it's got to be a lot longer than that an' I think you might've messed up somewhere in there" he said. I laughed and shrugged.

"Oh well, I'll call it Rumble Fish an' the Pretty Fish!"

A/N: My goodness, I was laughing throughout the whole Romeo and Juliette summary. I even had to change my prolog since I got an idea while I was writing it. Anyways. Enjoy! And thanks for Reviewing! I also appreciate those were explaining things to me. To be honest, I'm just doing this for Jollies :D But thanks anyways! R&R

Janino