Author's note: I know this has taken longer than it had any right to take, but I've been debating whather to post this chapter up or not. I hope you enjoy it. :D
Larken loved the Curtis home. It wasn't very big, and it had a grand total of three rooms, Four, if the attached kitchen counted as a room. But it was nice, and it was cozy, and whenever she needed to cram in a late night study session, and she didn't want to wake up her sisters, she could come here, gently wake up Darry and force him to follow her and help her understand just what antidisestablishmentarianism meant, besides that it was the biggest word in the English dictionary.
"Found it."
"I am astounded at your finding skills." Larken hung upside down from the bed Soda and Pony shared, her head buried against dusty hanging blankets, one hand trying to pull them away from her face. She tumbled off the bed, and ended up in a pile on the floor.
"Well, shoot, I know you don't want to do this essay, but isn't this taking things too far?"
"Funny." Larken drawled, trying to wrestle the sheets off. "Hey, feel like helping me?" it was more of an order than a request. Darry leaned down and offered her his hand, "Thank you."
The book was not particularly pretty, or distinctive, or even that interesting looking. In fact it was just a normal, dusty book, worn from Two-bit sleeping on it, Lark had never been happier to see a book, she took it from Darry carefully, almost afraid to drop it. Carefully she turned around, keeping her hands on the thing, then she remembered something, she placed the book on the counter and ran back to Darry, throwing her arms around him again.
"Thank you." She kissed his cheek, and then she took the book and ran back to her house, because the essay was due tomorrow and her procrastinating nature left her very little time to finish it.
"You're back."
"So it would seem."
"Je n'aime pas." Micky threw her book across the room, "Je n'aime pas, je n'aime pas, je n'aime pas."
"You don't like? You don't like, you don't like, you don't like." Skylar translated the French to English with a questioning look on her face.
"I gather she doesn't like it."
"I don't like French."
"Coming from the girl who speaks French at random intervals in her sentences."
"Oh, bite me." Micky said grumpily, with as much dignity as she could muster, she turned over onto her stomach and offered them all a glare.
"Or not."
"Je deteste!"
"Hey Lark?" Ponyboy frowned.
"Uh hu?"
"Did you abandon Darry?"
"He's coming…"
"You abandoned him!"
"He fell behind!"
"Larken!"
"Do you want me to go get him?" Larken asked finally.
"Yes!"
Larken got up and made her way to the door, making faces at Ponyboy that had everyone else laughing, she grabbed her coat and slammed the door closed.
It was cold outside, and dark, the sun had set, and almost immediately she regretted abandoning Darry there. "Darry!"
"Darry!"
A swing set creaked; she felt wind yanking at her hair and clothes. A car stopped, and parked, doors opened, people got out.
"Hey shoot, it's a Greaser broad."
"A pretty one too."
"Hey you, what're you doing here all alone?"
"Lookin' for some socs." Larken said smoothly, only some of her sarcasm leaking into her voice; she leaned against the rotting fence surrounding the hazardous jungle gym.
"What is it? Got tired of your own kind?"
"If I say yes will you leave me alone?"
She hadn't thought to bring her knife with her, which would be like inviting a fight to come to her, with trembling fingers she picked up a rock, not too large, not too heavy.
"We just want you to tell us where we can find some Greasers." The one who looked like the leader of their group stepped forward.
"You can find anything if you look hard enough."
"We don't feel like looking." His hand was around her bicep now, digging painfully into what little muscle she had there.
"Isn't that just like a Soc? Lazy as Hell." she spit the last word.
He yanked her towards him, "I can make this easy or I can make this painful." He twisted her arm; she let out a squeak, "Where can we find some Hoods?"
"The second star to the right and straight on till mornin'."
He threw her to the ground, "Stupid girl."
"I thought I was a broad." That earned her a smack across the face, she tasted blood.
"Grab her."
"Don't." Larken nearly burst into grateful tears at the sound of Darry's voice. Always she felt her spirits rising a little at the sound of his name, at his voice, but now she felt a sort of light creeping into her heart.
Larken clasped her fists together and slammed them into the face of the boy to the right of her, then slipped out of his grip, it took a kick to the other soc's… family jewels… to get away from them both. Darry punched the Leader, who fell like a sack of stones.
"Lark, come on."
She ran after him, in case they were being followed they ducked into several back ways, even some gardens, finally they paused to rest, certain that the socs had given up the chase.
"Are you okay?"
Lark shook her head, afraid that opening her mouth to speak would make her cry.
"Look at me."
Larken did, her mouth trembling violently, gently he wiped away blood from her split lip, but that was the extent of the damage.
"Does your mouth hurt?" Larken shook her head, and then she gave a barely perceptible nod. She seemed to be saying, only a little. As hard as she clenched her teeth, they chattered, a tear escaped down her cheek. She found his arms around her; Lark buried her face in his chest, her body shaking cruelly. "It's over, it's over." Darry whispered in her ear, she could hear anger in his voice, at her? She hoped not. To be honest, she knew it wasn't at her.
"What if you hadn't been there?" Larken asked, her face still pressed against his chest, her voice muffled.
"You know how to fight."
"I don't know what I would have done."
"You would have done something."
"You're just trying to make me feel better."
"Is it working?"
"Only a little."
Larken stared up at him, into the familiar blue, green eyes. She stared as they got closer to her own, and she stared as they closed, she stared as his lips touched hers, and then she closed her eyes, and kissed him back.