Before I knew it, I saw them everyday in school, at lunch, and after school. I didn't see Dally as much as I'd prefer, something was going on with him and this guy named Tim Shepard. I heard he slashed his tires, or something, and was told to stay away from him by Ponyboy to keep myself safe for the next week. It's not like I ever see Dallas outside of school, anyway -- at least, not alone. I kind of wanted to, but I felt like he hated me, so I didn't bother putting up an effort.
It really helped the time pass, because I never came home until around midnight or even later anyway. Just didn't want to come back home. Don't ever want to see his face..
Of course, I didn't hang out with them after dark. I'd watch them play football and Two-Bit would crack jokes about how he'd want me to be the cheerleader, but he knew that wouldn't happen in a million years. I realized by being out in the sun so much that my hair wasn't black. It was a dark cola. I wondered if it was because I was out in the sun so much, or simply because I never went outside much unless it was dark until I met them all. My hair was getting longer already, but I don't pay too much attention to those things.
One day when I was walking around, where I would normally find the gang on the weekends, no one was there. I sat in the open field, sticking a crumpled cigarette in my mouth and letting it dangle between my lips. I ripped out some grass out of boredom, and carefully tied the blades into bows. Destruction for beauty.. why do I always think so deeply about nothing?
I heard screaming just down the street. Then a door slam, so I stood up, suddenly feeling a chill down my spine. I don't know if it was because I knew what was coming, or if it was because of the cold wind catching up on me; winter was coming much, much sooner than I had expected..
It was Johnny. Stumbling into a run, as if he had a knife in his side. Thankfully, he didn't. I took a few fast steps towards him, and he didn't see me, but it seemed like he were running as if gravity itself were pulling him to me. So, I began to run. I didn't mean to really say anything, but it just blurted out.
"Johnny!" I called, and the cigarette almost fell out of my mouth. One quick last drag, and I tossed it to the ground, and he looked up at me, then looked down, ashamed. I stopped. There was blood going down his face, and I felt my jaw drop. He wasn't crying, but he looked like he was going to. So I started running again, until I reached his side.
He turned away from me. "Hey, Tobe.." His voice was shaking. I looked around for a minute, and realized that his parents did this to him, not Socs. I felt a lump in my throat, and my stomach jolted like I was going to get sick. But, I didn't. It was just harder for me to speak, and my voice was shaky, too.
"What happened..?" I could have kicked myself for asking. It was the only thing that came out, but maybe he wanted to talk about it. Maybe he wanted me to know.
He paused real long. It seemed like it was an eternity until he replied, and my face was on fire. Not too sure why, but the wind made my hair cover most of it.
"My folks.." He forced a harsh laugh. "It's cool." He turned back to me, and winced as if me seeing him all beaten up and sore hurt him worse than the beating itself. He must have felt embarrassed. A grin formed, and I heard his hands patting against his thighs against old, soft denim. He looked down. I was almost as tall as him, and when he slouched, I was.
"Hey... you're bleedin' pretty bad, there..." I straightened my throat. "We gotta get you to Pony's. He lives 'round here, right?" I'd never been to Pony's house. I just knew that he lived near Johnny and the park that we were in. Johnny nodded, and I gently put my hand on his shoulder. He flinched, so I retreated, but didn't want him to notice that I noticed so I put it back on his shoulder a little more roughly. He looked up at me kind of oddly, as if I were a different specie. Right.. I'm a girl.. it's weird if I put my hand on his shoulder, right? So I grinned and stared at my sneakers for a second. "You'll be okay in no time."
We got to Ponyboy's house, but no one was there. They left the door open, and Johnny explained to me that it's not unusual, and that they always leave the door open in case a friend needed a place to cool off, or a hideout.
"Maybe we should leave.." Johnny suggested. We both were standing in the doorway. I yelled out to see if anyone was home, but it was to no avail.
"It's alright. He has brothers, too. One of them should be here soon, and I'll explain when they get here." I reassured him, and looked around for a bathroom. Johnny then lead the way, and I started running the water, and grabbed a rag for him. The water was cold, which felt good on my hands but would feel better on Johnny's head. His lip was swollen and busted, too, but I was more worried about his bleeding head. Some of his hair stuck to his forehead from the blood that was beginning to dry; he needed more than just a wet rag, but I handed it to him, anyway.
I noticed that he was looking in a mirror, almost terrified, but as if he had seen it a million times. I know how he felt, but I didn't want to tell him that. I swallowed, and looked at myself. Man, I look lousy, I thought. A tight black tank and dirty, ripped jeans. No wonder people mistook me for a greaser. My clothes may be dirty, but my body is clean. Then I felt like an asshole, because I realized how lousy Johnny looked -- I worry about myself too much.
After Johnny had gotten halfway cleaned up, I already had out the alcohol and cotton balls when I heard the screen door slam. I heard some voices, and with a cotton ball dabbed with alcohol in hand, I stepped out of the bathroom into the living room. A tall, well-built man with eyes as hard as his body looked at me, confused and concerned.
"Who are you?" He asked before I could give an explanation. I felt embarrassed, and didn't really want to explain anymore.
"...Hey, Tobe..." Ponyboy surfaced from behind the superman-like figure. He seemed confused, and my eyes widened at the sight of his bloody neck.
"Pony, are you.."
"Johnny?" The muscular man bolted over to where he had seen the bathroom door opened, and Johnny all beaten up inside. He was interrogating Johnny, eyes not as hard as they were a second ago. He must be Ponyboy's brother.
"Johnnycake?" A more innocent voice spoke. It was a slender, handsome teen -- a practical heartthrob, I might add. He looked a lot like Ponyboy, except older, and had brown eyes instead of green. He ran over to Johnny, whom was promising both of them already that he was alright. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, like I didn't belong there. Pony noticed that I was staring at my sneakers, thumbs in my pockets, my fist cupping the cotton ball as if it were my worst enemy. So I looked up and spoke.
"Ponyboy, are you okay?" He was observing Johnny from afar, and then rubbed his neck nervously when I asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Is Johnny.."
"He's okay. Had something going on with his folks.." Pony looked down suddenly. "Well, um.. I guess since you guys are here now, I'll get going.." I reluctantly started towards the door, looking back at Johnny, and he didn't notice me.
"Whoah, whoah, whoah, where you goin', lil' missy?" A familiar voice spoke. Two-Bit! I smiled a little.
"I was just takin' care of Johnny until y'all came back, so.." Two-Bit raised his arm up as if he were a cross guard and told me to stop, while shaking his head.
"You're just as welcome here as I am." My mouth opened a little bit before I spoke, and my eyes narrowed accusingly.
"It's not like you live here." I laughed a little.
"He practically does!" The handsome teen suddenly bolted past me and jumped onto Two-Bit in the doorway, managing to get the jokester in a headlock and noogie his swirly, greasy hair. Two-Bit gave him a few punches to the shoulder, and he let go. Both of them were grinning at me, they seemed a lot alike. But, the other teen seemed as if he were born to be happy. Happy, sappy, and sweet -- his brown eyes almost looked like..
"I'm Sodapop." He held out his hand, and I laughed out loud, on accident. He must have thought I was laughing at his name, so I felt dumb, and immediately forced my name out, since it was almost as unique.
"I'm October." I shook it; his hands were sweaty and hot. One of his knuckles was bleeding.. or had blood on it, and once he realized that I saw, he quickly pulled away.
"Oh, uh, don't get me wrong, I uh!" He laughed. "Pony here got into a little of trouble, and see, me, Darry, Two-Bit and Dally helped out."
Darry? I wondered. Oh, Superman. Speaking of which, he returned from the bathroom with Johnny. Pony looked down again, embarrassed.
"Did they pull a knife on him?" I saw his neck well, it was a clean cut. I looked back at Sodapop, and he seemed surprised. I hate being a girl, all of the guys always consider me an innocent prude that doesn't know anything about fights or getting jumped or anything. I realized that the cotton ball was still in my other hand.
"..Yeah. But we got there just in time, huh, kiddo?" Sodapop gave him a loving noogie. I grinned; his knuckles must be greasy enough to glide on doing handstands from all that noogying of the gang.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, Soda.." Pony gave him a soft punch in the ribs, and Soda let go.
"Sorry about that earlier," Darry was talking to me. I tried to look more serious, like he did. "I just didn't know who you were, and some random girl in my house just has to make me wonder.." Soda snickered. I wanted to, too. It was kind of funny.
"It's fine, I understand."
"October, right?" He held out his hand.
"Yeah. Tobe, too." I shook his hand; it was rough and calloused, and much bigger than mine.
"I'm Darry. Pleasure to meet you." He almost sounded like a businessman.
"Darry, this ain't no business interview; you ain't gotta be so proper." Two-Bit cackled behind me, after speaking my own thoughts. I smiled, and pulled my hand away. I turned to Two-Bit, and the door was still open. It was real dark outside.
"I should get going. It's dark."
"You live around here?" Sodapop had disappeared for a second, but reappeared with a slice of chocolate cake, which he was dousing with sugar, and about to eat with his hands.
"Yeah, just around six blocks away."
"Won't your folks be mad if you get home so late?" Two-Bit's words synchronized with his exhale of smoke.
"..Nah, it's alright." I felt as if everyone was staring at me, and I almost clammed up.
"Want us to walk you home?" Sodapop managed while swallowing a bite of his chocolate-and-sugar-cake.
"Ponyboy has homework to do." Darry stated, leaving Ponyboy out, while Ponyboy negotiated with him in whines and groans.
"I'll be fine." I'm out every night, but they didn't know that. Nothing bad has happened to me then. I stepped out the door, past Two-Bit, and suddenly remembered how cold it was. I shivered.
"Hope you get better, Johnny. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I waved as I turned and began walking.
"Ni'sh meeting ya', Tobe!" I could tell it was Soda's voice. What a cute kid.
I remembered after I was a block away from their house that Two-Bit said Dally had helped Pony get out from getting jumped, by no other than the Socs. Even though they didn't mention that part, I knew it already. Dally's back again, from hiding wherever he was hiding. ..No.. Dallas Winston doesn't hide, he just disappears because he can't show face for a little while. Maybe I'll run into him. I halfway hoped I didn't, and the other half of me wanted to see him. Cold-hearted, tow-headed delinquent..