Disclaimer: I don't own anything from The Outsiders


2

I closed my locker and put my bag over my shoulder, walking down the hallway. A small body came out of nowhere, hitting my shoulder quite hard, knocking my books right out of my hand.

"Sorry," I apologized, kneeling down and reaching for my book.

"You should really keep your head up, Debbie," she said with a certain smile on her face. "You could get hurt."

Macy Dell. She was a friend of Scott's, though she hated that that was all she was to him. She and her friends were always around him and his friends. They were one of the cliques I had only had the privilege of watching for most of my life. She was very pretty and very rich. And very self-assured. To her, everyone else was just an extra in the movie that was her life.

I stood, clutching my textbooks to my chest. "I know."

She patted my arm lightly, like she didn't want to touch me. "Are you coming to my party next Saturday?"

I was still grounded from when I came home fifteen minutes late - which was nothing compared to when I when I didn't come home that night at all. Thankfully, my mother had fallen asleep before 11 and woke up and went to work before I came home. She must've not checked either of our bedrooms. I got out of that one on pure luck. I was very, very lucky that I was grounded for the rest of my life.

"I don't know," I said with uncertainty, offering a shrug. "I'm sort of grounded, but -"

"But you can find away around it, right?" Macy said, definitely expecting me to clap my hands, jump up and down and agree.

I just shrugged again. "I can try."

She smiled widely. "Great!" She walked around me, the sound of her high heels filling the hallway. "See you there!"

I waved a couple seconds too late. I let it go, walking out of the school as a bunch of kids jumped inside of their cars and sped out of the parking lot way too fast. How multiple people hadn't died in the parking lot was a mystery to me.

I noticed a car swerve into the parking lot and I shook my head. I watched anxiously as the car almost smashed into three other cars and I sighed when I saw the car come to a stop, crooked in a parking space close to me.

I started to walk away.

"Deb! Hey, Deb!"

I turned around slowly, my eyes landing on my little brother in the drivers seat of the car that I had been previously watching. He had a massive smile on his face and he was waving excitedly. A face appeared close to his, smiling just as wide.

"What's up, baby?"

I ran over to the car, glancing around to see that no one cared enough to look over at us. "Are you crazy?" I was talking to Two-bit. "He is fourteen! He can't drive a car!"

Danny laughed, grabbing my arm. "Debbie, I wanted to come pick you up from school, alright?"

I looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Speaking of, this is what you were doing instead of coming to school today?"

He seethed, slinking back into the car and putting his hand lazily onto the steering wheel. "Ouch, Deb."

I shook my head, examining the beat up Chevy. "Whose it this anyway?"

"Mine," Two-bit answered.

I grabbed the handle of the drivers side door and pulled on it. "Scoot over. I'm driving."

Danny complied, knowing that I was serious. But it didn't stop him from saying something. "You sure, Deb? You're not the best driver..."

"Coming from you?" Two-bit laughed at that, one arm out the window, the other extended over the backseat. I looked over at him. "I'm not impressed by you either."

Two-bit didn't stop smiling. "And why's that?"

I leaned forward, out of the way of Danny's head. "Both of you could've died."

Two-bit did the same thing as me, looking me in the eyes. "This kid was drivin' fine."

"I'm concerned for your perception of what is 'fine'."

"I know your brother was drivin' just fine." Two-bit leaned back into his seat comfortably, looking at Danny. "Weren't you, Dan?"

Danny nodded. "Course."

I turned the key in the ignition, foot ready on the gas. "You're both delusional." I pulled out of the parking lot cautiously, doing my 360 check. Once I made it onto the road, I sighed and relaxed a little. "Okay, Two-bit, where do you live?"

"I'm not goin' home," Two-bit said. I wasn't looking at him, but it sounded like he was smiling. "We're all goin' to the drive-in."

I shook my head quickly. "No, I have homework. And so do you," I said, glancing at a relaxed Danny. "A whole days worth."

"Go to the drive-in," Danny said as a response.

"Excuse me?" My eyebrows rose and I glanced at the both of them. "Who is driving right now?" I put the blinker on to turn left and waited for the other cars to go by.

"We're going to the drive-in!" Two-bit yelled. He reached over and grabbed the wheel just as I pressed on the gas. I immediately moved to the brake, but Danny's foot came over mine, pressing the gas down harder.

The car went straight instead of right, missing my turn. More importantly, I nearly had a heart attack as other cars honked when we nearly hit them.

I grabbed the wheel with one hand, pinching Danny's leg with the other. The boys laughed their heads of as I tried to catch my breath. "Are you both insane?!"

Danny laughed wildly. "Oh, Deb, if you had seen your face!"

Two-bit laughed too. "Oh, baby, you have not lived."

I scoffed, eyes wide at the road. "That is not living, that is almost dying!" I pulled over to the side of the road, putting the car into park and looking at them. "I'm walking."

Danny continued to laugh and Two-bit got out of the car, throwing an arm on top of the car as the other hung over the open door. He watched me attempt to cross the street. "Oh, come on, Deb, get in the car."

I shook my head and sighed. I looked back at him, noticing how his eyes looked in the light. "I walk home almost everyday. I think I can manage."

Two-bit smiled. "Alright." He nodded, stepping onto the sidewalk and closing that door. He walked around the the front of the car and stood in front of me - too close. "I'll pick you up Monday then?"

I scoffed. "No!"

Two-bit continued to smile, putting a hand on the car behind me, his face close to mind. "I'll see you at 3." He started to lean closer and I ducked underneath his arm and out of the way.

"Don't come pick me up," I said, making my way to the sidewalk.

"Okay," he said, but he still had that look on his face.

I pointed at him. "I'm serious, Two-bit."

He nodded, opening the drivers side door. "I heard ya, baby."

I sighed, turning around and walking down the sidewalk. I saw the car peel off from the sidewalk and I highly doubted Two-bit shoulder-checked before he did. I watched the car until it disappeared around a corner.

I couldn't remember the last time I prayed, but I did right there and then that Danny returned home alive. And that Two-bit Mathews would stop calling me baby. I liked the sound of it too much for my own good.


I spent my weekend doing schoolwork, housework and ended it with a nice day at the Holy House. For the duration of the entire weekend, I had not seen my brother. I didn't seem him until late Sunday night.

My mother was in bed and I was putting the trash out, still in my church clothes, when a familiar car sped up the street and came to an screeching stop in front of my house. The loud music went out just as the headlights did and both passenger and drivers side door opened.

"Debbie!"

I groaned, putting the lid on top of the garbage, turning and walking toward the house. "You're so loud," I mumbled to myself.

Danny ran up beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Hey, Deb, how's your weekend been?"

"Just fine," I answered.

When Two-bit tugged on the back of my skirt, I spun around and went to slap his hand. He stepped back quickly, laughing. Apparently, stuff like that was funny. "Where were you today, church?"

"Yes."

Two-bit nodded, looking me up and down. "Even in that outfit, baby, you have me feeling some type of way."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. I shook my head and pulled my cardigan tighter around me. "Where have you guys been all weekend?"

Danny smiled widely. "We were just bummin' around town, hanging out in some bars."

"We went to a bar out of town yesterday and Danny nearly lost his finger," Two-bit said, making me eyes widen and Danny laugh loudly.

I hit Danny. "Be quiet. Mom's in bed."

Two-bit threw his arms up, as if he was in triumph of something. "Then let's go out!"

Danny high-fived him. "Alright!"

I looked between the two of them. "You just got home, Danny. It's Sunday night and we have school tomorrow." I sighed, feeling exhausted all of the sudden. "Make some smart decisions here."

Danny took a couple steps toward me, his hands gripping my arms. He leaned down slightly to look me in the eyes. "A fun decision is not always a smart decision, Debs." He smirked, kissing my cheek and spinning around. "Let's go!" He walked toward Two-bit's car.

I grabbed Two-bit's big arm to keep him from walking away. I waited until Danny was in the car for me to say, "What are you doing?"

"What?"

"You're corrupting my little brother," I said to him, hands crossed over my chest.

Two-bit mimicked me, but he had a smirk on his face that I didn't. "So? Your brother is old enough to make his own decisions. I thought we've already been through this."

"I just don't want him to regret this part of his life."

"Let me ask you a question, Debbie," Two-bit said, losing the stance and taking a step too close. He had no idea what personal space was. "Have you ever seen Danny happier?"

I valued honestly, so I tried to think honestly, and honestly, I haven't. "Well..." I started to say.

"Ha!" Two-bit smiled, clapping. "What'd I tell you, baby?"

I shook my head, taking a step backward. "Just don't kill him, please."

Two-bit was still smiling, but the goofiness in his eyes left as he walked toward his car. "You know I'd never let that happen right?"

I appreciated that more than he'd ever know and I offered a kind smile. "Thank you, Two-bit."

He nodded, walking toward his car and opening the drivers side door. "I'll see you around, baby." He smirked at me just before ducking inside. The car started and pulled out of the driveway as I went back inside.

The light turning on surprised me. My mother stood by the light switch near the hallway, robe on, curls in hair. "Why did it take you so long to take of the trash, Debbie?"

I valued honesty, I really did. But not when it concerned my brother - evident by the hundreds of times I had covered for him in the past years. So I gestured behind me and put on wide eyes. "There was some kind of raccoon -"

"Just get to bed."

I nodded, speed-walking past her and right into my bedroom. I stopped in front of the mirror, taking off the layers of clothes I was wearing. I caught sight of the bruises on my arm where my mother had grabbed me to keep me from falling over in the uncomfortable shoes I was wearing.

She either went into panic mode and latched onto my arm for my safety or to save her embarrassment. I was pretty sure of which one it was, which hurt my feelings, but it wasn't like I hadn't experienced something like that before. I remembered one time I had taken a drink of an open beer in the fridge when I was just a kid and she slapped mw across the face. After that, there was no beer in the fridge.

I crawled into bed with my more comfortable pyjamas and my mind floated off.

Two-bit was such a strange person. He had a serious side to him that showed through on the off occasion he wanted it too, but he was mostly this fun, funny, spirited, excited, life-loving person who was just trying to get through his life the only way he knew how.

I couldn't imagine the stuff Two-bit might have been through. Maybe he had been through a lot or maybe he had been through nothing. If he had, he didn't let it show so much. He seemed to be only happiness, which was such a shock to me. Everyone in the group of Socs I hung around put on a face that behind it so obviously held a deep sadness.

It was strange to see someone with everything being sad about life versus someone who had close to nothing be so happy.

Two-bit and Scott were two very different people. Scott liked me for who he wanted me to be and I was trying very hard to be that for him. I felt much different around Two-bit. I blushed and found myself not hiding it. I smiled and I didn't have to censor what I said before I said it, because somehow, I knew he would understand.

And Scott was handsome, but Two-bit was something else.

An image of Two-bit's hands sliding over my body ran through my mind and I wanted to slap myself. If my mother knew that I had been thinking of a Greaser that way, she would lock me away and tell me to smarten up.

I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help it.

For the rest of the night, my mind wouldn't fall asleep. I was too busy thinking about an idiotic Greaser.


"I know, I know, Monday's aren't very fun." That was the response my physics teacher had after everyone in the room groaned when he told that we were going to have to do a lab write up with the lab we were doing. He chuckled, sicking on top of his desk. "I'm sorry, but I don't know why you guys think that we won't do them."

I knew we were going to have to. That was why I got mine done last night. But I didn't like to gloat, so I waited until everyone was deep in their work for me to walk up to the front desk and hand in my lab write up.

"First as per usual, Debbie," Mr. Crane said, chuckling and shaking his head. "Do you have premonitions or are you just smart enough to know that lab write ups are a requirement."

I laughed lightly. "The second one."

Mr. Crane nodded, putting my write up out to start the pile. "Do you want early dismissal?"

Last block of class, last thirty minutes, but I didn't want to skip. I never wanted to skip. I didn't want another teacher of the principle to see me roaming the hallways and get the wrong idea.

"No, I -" I gasped when something hit the big window to my left. The windows were massive and looked out at the parking lot. The physics room was on the second floor, but the windows still opened, and they were open, so I didn't miss it when someone started yelling.

"Debbie! Deb! Hey!"

"Oh, my god." My eyes widened as rushed toward the window, leaning out of it, eyes searching.

Two-bit was standing on the grass by the parking lot, looking up at the window. He had one shoe in his hand, the other one not on his foot, and he was smiling widely. "Hey, baby!"

I looked behind me at the physics glass. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, looking at me and laughing discreetly as they stood and walked over to the windows. I blushed furiously, turning back to Two-bit, waving him away. "Go away!"

Two-bit dropped the shoe, putting both hands to his heart and using his acting skills to give me a romantic voice. "Debbie Wilson, would you do me the honour of skipping the rest of school to come to a movie with me?"

I scoffed and shook my head. "No!"

Kids I didn't really know, ones I had only talked to in this class looked at me. "Come on, Debbie, give the guy a chance."

A girl chimed in. "He's cute, Debbie, you should go for it."

I sighed, looking down at Two-bit. "You're crazy, did you know that?"

Two-bit smirked, hands falling from his chest and moving to his hips. "You comin' or not, baby?"

"You have early dismissal," Mr. Crane said, still at his desk. I couldn't believe him. "It's the least I could do with how easy you've made work for me."

I couldn't believe everyone at that point. Even myself.

To hide my slowly forming smile, I grabbed my bag from my desk and ran out of the room. I ran through the school, not grabbing anything from my locker and running out onto the front lawn of the school. I shook my head once I saw, Two-bit, laughing. "Do you know that you're crazy or not?"

Two-bit smiled. "Of course I do."

I continued to smile. "Why did you do this?"

Two-bit was putting his shoes back on. "I was bored."

"You did all this because you were bored?"

"Yeah." He walked toward me, his arm coming around my shoulders and leading me to his car. "We're going to a movie." He quickly touched his front pocket and then his back one. He looked at me, still smiling. "Uh -"

"Let me guess," I said, giving him a look. "I'm paying."

Two-bit pointed, tightening his arm around my next. "And the next one's on me."

I laughed, shaking my head. "My brother wasn't available to you?"

"He told me he was gonna go to this hell hole," Two-bit said, separating from me to get into the car. "And then he told me that you had physics last today."

I smirked, getting inside of the car. "How did you know where the physics classroom is?"

Two-bit acted like he was offended. "You callin' me stupid?"

"Maybe I am," I said, feeling brave and not like myself. Either way, I liked it.

"Fair enough."

I laughed loudly.

We made it to the movie house and after I paid for everything, we had a nice time. Two-bit put his feet up on the seat in front of him, getting a warning from the manager twice, but he didn't stop. He ate messily and talked through nearly the whole thing, but everything he was saying was so funny. Needless to say, we got about eight more warnings before we were kicked out five minutes before the movie ended.

Two-bit and I were still laughing as we walked down the street.

"You should come out more," Two-bit said.

I shook my head. "If I start to go out, my mother will not be happy with me."

"Who cares?"

I glanced at him. "Has Danny told you anything about our family?"

Two-bit shook his head. "Not a whole lot."

I sighed, crossing my arms as I walked down the street. "Our dad died when we were kids and then my mother kind of latched onto us. When Danny started to go out, she put more attention on me, you know, always wanting me to be home or at least knowing where I was." I thought back on all the days I wished I could've gone to the pool, but I had to clean the house instead. "She cares a lot - too much, but it wouldn't be right for me to just leave her lonely."

"It's not your job to keep her company," Two-bit said, in such a simple way, while I struggled to understand even myself.

I shrugged. "I have to -"

"What are you doing that makes you happy then?" Two-bit stepped in front of me, looking me in the eyes. He started to smile. "You know what makes me happy?"

I smiled just looking at him smiling. "What?"

"Free stuff," he said, turning and walking up to a little mart of some kind. We walked inside and Two-bit slowly glanced at everything on the shelf of the candy aisle. "What're we hungry for, honey?"

I hid my smile. "Uh, I'm not sure."

I watched him discreetly look at the clerk, who wasn't paying attention, and then I watched Two-bit take a bag of Haribo Gold Bears into his jacket. He held it there with his forearm, putting the other arm around me shoulders. "I'm not hungry anymore. Let's go, baby."

I waited until we were outside and out of view from the clerk before I turned to him a hit his shoulder. "Two-bit!"

He laughed, opening up the bag. "What?"

"You can't just steal things," I said, eyeing up the bag of delicious gummies. "It's not right."

Two-bit picked out a red one, holding it out to me. "You want one?" I reached for it but he pulled back, a devilish smile on his face. "You have to admit that it feels good not to have to pay for something."

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. But I was hungry. And I was keeping a straight face in there, but really I just wanted to laugh the whole time. I sighed and let myself smile. "Fine."

"And you have to say that I'm the best damn guy you've ever met."

I laughed. "Two-bit, you're the best guy I've ever met."

Two-bit gave me a look. "No, I'm the best damn -"

"You're the best damn guy I've ever met," I said, not helping but to chuckle a little bit.

Two-bit smiled widely, starting on a strut, holding the bag out to me. "You know it, baby." He went on to a normal walk, throwing a very familiar arm around my shoulder. I was starting to get used to that. "Listen, I'll take you home, you have dinner, and then we're going out later tonight."

"Two-bit, it's a Monday night." Two-bit's shrug was response enough for me and I laughed. "I can't, anyway, my mother and I are going to our neighbours for dinner."

"Ah, alright."

I shook my head and laughed more. "Do you even have a job or any responsibilities?"

"I work at the DX on occasion," Two-bit said honestly. "My friend Steve scored me that one. You remember Steve from that night at Buck's?"

"The one with the girl in his lap?"

"Yeah."

I shook my head. "Yeah, he seemed to really like her."

Two-bit's smirked at me, his hand cupped my shoulder. "You ever have a boyfriend, Debbie?"

I blushed, elbowing him for him to move away. He could probably feel the heat of embarrassment radiating off of me. "Not officially, no."

"What, unofficially, you have?"

For some reason, I didn't want Two-bit to know about Scott. Or vice versa. But I wasn't going to lie to Two-bit and I also thought that Two-bit should know what was going on with me. Maybe he would stop putting his arm around me or stop calling me baby.

"Well, I'm kind of going out with this guy named Scott."

"Scott Liston? Danny's mentioned it before."

I nodded. "Yeah, we hang out."

Two-bit's arm came around me once again and he looked forward towards his car. "You're too good for him, baby."