Whipped this one up really quick, don't know if it's such a good chapter. Thanks for the reviews and don't be shy, I love constructive criticism. Just don't be too harsh. lol


Angie never did particularly like the walk home, but driving was useless. She didn't feel like going early just to get a parking space, and some exercise was required to keep such a slim figure.

She cringed as she saw two little girls racing each other to their homes. Often times she'd see them. Sometimes they'd be talking to each other, others they were fussing, and sometimes they'd even wave at her with false smiles plastered on their faces. The sole reason she lingered back to wait on Maria was to escape seeing them, because they were a reminder of a distant past.

When she saw them, memories of her sister flooded her mind. When they played, Lindsey was always the queen, and Angie was always the princess. Once Angie had argued this – she wanted to be the queen. And Lindsey, with her blond curls and big hazel eyes, let her be the queen for one day, because she adored her beautiful little sister.

Angie shook her head, shook away the images of her sister smiling and laughing. Her throat ached for alcohol, her head throbbed for it.

"No, I can't do it. I won't." She muttered to herself.

She forced herself to think of the pleasure that awaited. It was enough to make her sister slip from her mind for the time being. That lovely, perfect specimen of a boy was in her basement at this very moment, and very soon, he'd be professing of his love to her. Angie cackled loudly, throwing her head back, as if something really spectacular had amused her. She then sprinted the rest of the way home and leaped up the steps to her front door.

Darry heard the door slam. He whipped his head over to Sodapop, who was lost in his thoughts.

"Soda, you remember what I said?" He half whispered anxiously. Ponyboy peered over in curiosity.

"Huh?" Sodapop looked over at his brother.

"That girl likes you, and if you're nice to her, maybe she'll let us out."

Soda was about to question how Darry knew this, but then he recalled what he had been explaining earlier, how Darry had seen that girl kiss him right on the lips before she'd left.

"Funny that I slept through that…" Soda muttered, wishing he could rub the back of his head.

"You can sleep through anything you…" Ponyboy began grouchily, when the sound of footsteps sounded from above. He snapped his mouth shut and became rigid, as did the rest of the boys.

Angie stepped down, a wide smile on her face. She was positively beaming.

"Maybe we should get to know each other,"

"Get to know each other…" Darry was beginning angrily. Angie's temper flared.

"And no sass, I'm your source of food for the moment, so I'd suggest you'd be nice."

It seemed she'd lost track of what she was saying. She picked at her nails for a moment, scowling at Darry for interrupting her perfect rhythm.

"Ahem, anyway, I'd like to know your names, since I'll need to be addressing you by something while you're here."

"I'm Darry, that's Sodapop, and the one on the end is Ponyboy." He would've gestured to each of the boys, but since he had no use of his hands, he simply pointed his head in their direction.

"I think I know Ponyboy. I've seen him in the hallway at school."

"You're the one who throws all those parties." Ponyboy finally spoke up, stuttering just a bit.

"The party girl…the rich girl…the girl who gives out beer and liquor and booze…the girl whose parents are never home…" She began listing off, pacing back and forth through the basement. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I know I shouldn't be rambling in front of guests but…"

"Are you going to tell us why you have us here or not?" Darry barked.

Angie shot him an ice cold glare. She intended to continue, but saw that his mouth was still parted. He was going to yell out the moment she started up again, so she stopped.

"Oh muscle boy, you think you're tough, don't you? I think I've heard of a Darry. I've heard your story. Weren't you this big football boy?"

Darry said nothing, he bowed his head and became silent. Angie smirked, knowing she had quieted his futile attempts at getting her to talk.

"I will tell you what I want when I want, but for now, I'll promise that if I get what I want, nothing too bad is going to happen to any of you. Perhaps you'll even be happy."

Angie stopped pacing and stepped closer to the boys, mainly Sodapop.

"My Sodapop, for a boy with such a weird name, you have the most incredible eyes."

Despite the how dark his current situation was, his face lit up.

"Thanks," he said. Angie nearly melted at his smile, it was pure euphoria.

"I think you boys are hungry, you've been out for quite a few days now. I'll get you something."

Angie then rushed off, leaving the boys stunned.

"What do you think she'll get us?" Soda asked.

"I doubt she'll give us anything at all." Darry replied.

Nothing further was said. They waited for Angie with fearful anticipation.

She returned with two bowls of moldy salad, and two slices of cold pizza. She set the plates of pizza and the other bowl of salad down and walked up to Darry, an evil grin plastered on her face, well knowing that he'd hate her food choice.

"Darry, you can go first. I figured you'd want something healthful, so eat all of this you can; I'm only holding it for a minute."

"What about a drink?"
"I'll get to that in a moment, your time has already started."

Darry stuck his face in the bowl and gnawed away at the lettuce and thin slices of rotten tomato. He swallowed broccoli whole just for the sake of having something in his stomach.

Angie tore the bowl away from his mouth, a disgusted look on her face.

Angie didn't speak to Soda, she just held out the slice of pizza as if she were a preschooler offering her friend a cookie. He ate it quickly, even though Angie said nothing to him of a time limit.

"Well Pony, I'm not sure about you. What is your preference?"

Angie could've cared less what Pony's preference was. She was observing how he responded to her. Darry had proved himself to be an antagonist, whereas Pony hadn't said too much.

"Doesn't matter to me," replied Ponyboy. Everyone in the room knew well how frightened he was, but it was like him to play cool.

"I guess you can have this last piece of pizza then."

She let him eat it, giving him no time frame to eat it in, just as she had done Soda.

"Didn't I fix your car a few weeks ago?" Soda finally asked. He had wanted to ease his mind of this screaming question ever since he'd seen the girl, but more than anything, he wanted something, even Angie, to block out the sound of Pony's noisy chewing.

"Yes," Angie gave him a pretty smile. He was slightly dazed for a moment. There was no denying that even if she was crazy, she was also very beautiful.

"You gave me a lot of money, and you had a real tuff car."

"That was me." She said as she ripped the remainder of the pizza crust away from Ponyboy. She discarded it in the empty salad bowl.

She took her trash, including the uneaten bowl of salad, and went upstairs with it. A moment later she returned with water bottles, the kind you use for hamsters.

She nailed a hook above each boy's head and then dangled the bottle from it. It took twenty minutes to do, and in those twenty minutes the silence screamed loudly. Nothing but the sound of hammering and breathing was made.

"Sometimes it drips, I'd give you coke, but it'd make you sticky." She directed this towards Sodapop, who was on his tiptoes, sucking down the water.

"Now that I've taken care of that, I have some questions."

Questions, merely questions? All of the boys wondered. No, something worse lurked around the corner, they were all sure of it.