Chapter 2 "Christmas answers"

Saige's POV-

I woke up around 10:00 am. I knew that everyone was already up. I changed into a "NBB" shirt, a pair of old jeans with mud and holes on them, my tennis shoes, and of course my jeans jacket. I went to the bathroom brushed my teeth, the brushed my hair and put it up in a low side ponytail. When I walked of the bathroom I remembered what happened last night, and I started freaking out. I ran to the door put my coat on, and ran out. I was going to have breakfast but no time for that now. I ran to the lot, the gang was playing football. I looked for Johnny he wasn't there. "Hey Saige." Steve said. "Finally up, huh?" Dally said. "Have you guys seen Johnnycake yet?" I asked. "No not yet." Pony said. That's all I needed to hear, I took off towards Johnny's house. "Where are you going?" Pony asked. "I have some where I need to be." I said. That somewhere is Johnny's house. The next thing I knew the gang was right behind me. "Wait up." Pony said. "Can't" I said, and kept running. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Johnny sitting on his porch picking something out of his foot, I'm pretty sure it was glass. Pony ran into me and we both fell. Soda helped us up "You guys alright?" he asked. "Yeah" Pony said. "Saige?" Soda asked. "Sure" I said still looking at Johnny. "Hey look there's Johnnycake." Two-bit said a little too loud. "Shhhh" I hushed him, thankfully Johnny didn't hear. "Come on." I said, then we sneaked up to the porch. Johnny didn't see us until we were right in front of him. He looked up at us, his eye, and lip looked better, but his neck was worse. "Hey Johnnycake." Dally said. That was the first time I heard Dally say Johnnycake, it kind of makes him seem soft. But if any one told him that they will regret pretty fast. "Hey guys." Johnny said barely a whisper. I knew everyone wanted to ask the same question, was Johnny's secret true. But no one dared ask that question. Or maybe they just didn't know how to without hurting or embarrassing Johnny. "How's it going?" I asked trying to act casual. The next thing Johnny said shocked all of us even Darry, "You guys know don't you." We all nodded, "Why didn't you tell us?" I asked. "Does it really matter?" Johnny said. "Does it matter? Well of course it matters dammit Johnny we care about you." Dally practically yelled which made Johnny wince. Dally sat down next to Johnny put his arm around him and said, "Johnnycake? I didn't mean to scare you." And I knew he meant it. Johnny was becoming like Dally's kid brother, and everyone knew it. "It's alright Dal." Johnny said. "Hey about we go to dairy queen and get some cokes." Soda said, "Yeah that sounds good." Two-bit said. "How about it Johnnycake. Want to go?" Dally asked. "I don't know." Johnny said, looking back at his house like he was excepting his mama, and daddy comin' out, Dally noticed. "What's wrong Johnny?" he asked. "Nothing let's go." Johnny said and stood up. "Whatever you say Johnnycake. Come on guys. " Dally said. Wait did Dally just say whatever you say, Dallas Winston say whatever you say to a 7 year old, half his size. I looked at the gang they were as shocked as me, but we followed anyways. When we got to dairy queen we got one of those big booths and ordered 8 coke-colas. When the waitress brought the cokes some soc walked up knocked over Dally's drink, then picked up Johnny's drink and threw it at him. Dally was already mad at them for knocking over his drink, but when they did that to Johnny Dally was furious. Dally grabbed that soc's shirt collar and said, "Did you just do what I think you did. Cause if you did you better apologize to my friend here, and buy us some new cokes with all that money you got from your mommy and daddy." "Come on Dal let's go." Johnny said. "No Johnnycake, I'm not leaving until I teach this soc a lesson." Dally said. "Johnnycake really that's the toughest name I ever heard." The soc said, the other socs laughed. "Oh, that's it." Dally said but got interrupted by Darry holding him back and saying "No Dally, remember the last time you got into a fight with the socs." "Yeah come on Dal let's get out of here." Two said, helping Darry hold him back. "Better listen to him Greaser." The soc said, and for the first time I got a good look at him. It was Bryce, he was my x-boyfriend. When I meet him he treated me nice in all, but he only dated me for 2 reasons. #1 he was trying to make his old girlfriend (Julia) jealous. #2 he thought I was pretty that's it, because I was pretty. He didn't like anything else about me except I was pretty. I shouldn't have dated him in the first place. First of all I'm only 6. Second of all I'm a greaser and he's a soc. I was so mad at him I wanted to walk up to him and slap him, or punch him, or kick him. Either way I wanted to hit him, but I couldn't let the gang find out. If they did I'm dead and so are Bryce and his gang. That's a lot of funerals. "Darry, Two-bit let go of me. That soc has it coming." Dally yelled. "I have it coming no greaser you have it coming." Bryce said. Then Darry and Two-bit looked at each other, they said something but I didn't hear. Then Two-bit said something I could hear "Ok you socs have 15 seconds to run out of here, before you regret what you just said." "Yeah right" Bryce said. Darry and Two-bit looked at each other then let go of Dally. Dally tackled Bryce to the ground. Bryce managed to kick Dally off and they ran out and we were right behind them. We ran after them all the way to the park. When we got there, there was 5 more socs. So now there were 8, hey at least it's even. All of the socs were 8 or 9 years old. "What are you greasers doing here?" one of them said, which I think it was Matt. Matt is Bryce's best bud. "These greasers been messing with us since we got to dairy queen." Bryce said. "Lair." I said. "What did you just say to me?" Bryce said. "I said lair. Problem? I think not." I said avoiding his eyes, so he won't recognize me. "You greasers should leave. Before it gets ugly." A soc said, it was Bob, yeah I was pretty sure. "Trust me it already has." Dally said, eyeing all of the socs. Me, Johnny, and Pony were behind everybody. I knew all of them, I just couldn't remember their names (like it matters). But I was getting really uncomfortable. "Was that a threat?" Another one of them said, know that was for sure Randy. "Maybe it was maybe it wasn't." Dally said. "You're going to regret that." Bob said. "No I don't think I will." Dally said, I could tell he was trying to get on their nerves. "That's it." Bryce said. Then Bryce grabbed Dally by the shirt and punched him in the nose. "You shouldn't have said that." Dally said, he kicked Bryce off and punched him in the eye, that's going to leave a mark. I could tell that there was going to be a big fight, "Hey you kids better cut that out." A deep voice said, it was the fuzz. Dally looked at the guy then turned to us and said, "Run" We took off, I looked back at them Bryce noticed me and grinned at me. Oh, great why did I do that, I'm in for it now. When we got to the lot we collapsed on the grass. "See Dally, you could have got us into trouble with the fuzz." Darry said. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dally said, like Dally going to say sorry to any of us. But on the way up he hit Johnny. "Sorry Johnnycake." Dally said, and he meant it. He just said sorry for hitting him, but he wouldn't say sorry for almost getting us all in the cooler. Did I hear him correctly did Dallas Winston just say sorry to a KID HALF HIS SIZE, A 7 YEAR OLD KID! Its official Dally has a soft side for Johnny. I looked at the gang they were shocked. More shock then when we first saw Johnny in the lot. More shock then finding out Johnny's secret. More shock then when Dally was comforting Johnny, that is a lot of shock. All of us sat up, we been gone for a while, actually a long time. "Guys maybe we should go home it's getting late." I said. "Yeah we better go before mama and daddy have heart attacks." Soda said. "What time is it anyways?" Pony asked. "1:00pm" Two-bit said looking at his new watch his mama gave him. She got it for him so he will be ON TIME, but you know Two-bit he never gets anywhere on time. Actually that's one of the reasons Two-bit gets all of those detentions. "Come on guys let's go home." Darry said. We followed him back to our house when we got there daddy was on the couch reading the newspaper and mama was in the kitchen either cooking or cleaning up. When she saw us she said "Oh, there you kids are, we been worried sick, come on and sit down you must be starving." "No not really." I said. "Nonsense have some chocolate cake." Mama said. "No I'm really not hungry." I said. "I'll have some." Soda said. "Okay dear here you go. Who else wants some?" mama asked. "Me, me, me I want some." Two-bit yelled. "Yeah me too." Steve said. "I guess I'll have some." Dally said. "Here you go kids." Mama said. "Darry, Pony, Johnny want some?" she asked. "Sure" Pony said. "Why not." Darry said. "Johnny?" mama asked. "No thanks." Johnny said. "Are you sure?" mama asked. "Yeah." He said. "Come on Johnny let's go watch TV." I said, dragging him in the living room. I scrolled though the channels, we ended up watching Mickey Mouse. Dad went I the other room, I think he's about to leave for his job. The gang came in when we were though 15 minutes. Two-bit sat himself down in front of the TV with the remote in his hand. "Let's go play some football." Dally said. "Okay but how are we going to get Two-bit away from the TV?" I said. "I got it." Dally said, heading over to Two-bit. "I'll help." Soda said. "Me too." Steve said, following them. "I'll go get the football." Darry said, heading off to his room. Now Soda and Steve were holding Two-bit back by his arms, while Dally tries to get the remote. After Dally got the remote Soda and Steve literally dragged Two-bit out the door. We played football for a while until Johnny said, "I have to go home." "Why would you want to go back there?" Dally said. "Um…. My dad said to be back when my mom got back." Johnny said looking at a car parked in his driveway. "Okay, but we will walk with you." I said. "You don't have to do that. I'll be fine." Johnny said. "No we have to." I said. Pony nudged me, "Saige stop." Pony whispered to me. "Fine." I whispered back. "Bye, Johnny." I said waving. "Bye" He said and started to walk towards his house, which was surprisingly quiet. "We should follow him." I said. "Nah, he said he'll be fine, so he'll be fine." Dally said. We started walking back to our house when we heard yelling and screaming coming from Johnny's house. We went inside watched mickey mouse, and some movies before we fell asleep in the living room. I woke up at 6:30am it was still a little dark out, but I decided I wanted to take a walk. I went to my room, I passed my parents room they were gone probably at work I thought. When I got to my room I changed into some clothes and slipped out the door. When I got outside it was lightly snowing. Then I remember there's only a few more days until Christmas Eve. I walked down the side walk not far from the house when I saw them. Them as in Bryce and his gang not his whole gang just him, Matt, Bob, and Randy. I walked a little faster but not too fast so it looked like I didn't know them. But it was too late he saw me, I started running they were right behind him. I was almost to the path that leads to my porch when Bryce tackled me, I screamed when he took his hand off my mouth to get his switch blade. A light turned on in my house and the door flew open and the gang stepped out. Bryce didn't see them, when he took the switch blade and held it against my cheek Dally threw him off me. Pony and Soda helped me up. "Are you alright?" Pony asked "Yeah" I said. "You sure? Did he hurt you?" Soda asked. "Yeah I'm sure." I said, by now the gang were running back towards us. "You alright?" Darry said. "Kid are you alright?" Dally asked, I know they care about me but God how many times are they going to ask. "Yeah I'm fine. Stop asking me." I practically yelled. "Those are the same guys that were at dairy queen. Do you know them Saige?" Steve said. "No why?" I lied. "Cause that soc said your name." Dally said. "Well I don't know him, and I don't know how he knows me." I lied, again. "I think you do." Darry said. "Well I don't. Can we go home its cold out here." I said. "Sure let's go." Soda said. When we got home I lied on the couch and fell asleep.

Johnny's POV-

I walked in the Curtis' and Saige was asleep on the couch. "Hey guys." I said. "Hey Johnnycake." Dally said. "What happened?" I asked. They told me everything that happened that morning, when they finished I said, "Well I missed a lot." "Yeah you did." Saige said, getting off the couch then added "I'm going for a walk." "By yourself. Do you even remember what happened this morning?" Soda said, but before Saige could answer Dally said, "How about some football while were out." "Yeah let's go." Two-bit said following Dally, Steve, Soda, and Darry out the door. "Great just great. I mean a private walk." Saige yelled after them then walked out. "Come on Johnnycake. Might as well join them." Pony said putting his arm around me while we walked out the door.

Saige's POV-

There was a moving truck next door to Johnny's house. "Hey look Johnny it looks like you're getting a new neighbor." I said. "Yeah I guess I am." Johnny said. Then I saw a girl that looked around my age walking out of the house. "Hey look a girl." I said, jumping around all excited. "Great another girl just what we needed." Dally said. "I know isn't it great?" I said and started running towards the girl with the gang right behind me, and Dally yelling after me. "I was being sarcastic."