S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders, and Sam and Paula are mine!
May 1966
He hadn't come. Paula sucked in the night air. He'd never not shown up before.
She thought back to Friday at the drive-in. Sure, she did blow him off but what did he expect; it was obvious why she'd done it. He'd seen with his own eyes the conflict between her brothers and the River Kings. The gang he belonged too.
Paula settled into her usually seat against the children's play equipment anyway. It was old and weathered but something about it made her feel comfortable. She remembered playing on it when she was young, with her siblings. They were a lot more innocent then, even Tim.
It was the same spot that she and Sam had been meeting the last few weeks. They would share a joint and Paula would feel that wonderful sense of calm overcome her. Sam would talk about a few things that she had no interest in and he wouldn't question her when she didn't respond.
Paula pulled her knees up to her body and put her head in-between, trying to keep her breathing even and calm while trying not to think of the prospect of losing her marijuana hookup. From day one she should have just taken the weed and sent Sam on his way. Just did a normal business deal. This was just like her though, screwing it all up. Sighing she lifted her head, ready for the long walk back to her home.
"You crying?" his voice startled Paula as it broke the silence of the night.
"Of course not," she wasn't crying. She never let anyone see her cry. She'd done that once and her siblings had laughed in her face. You didn't get anywhere within the Shepard family if you cried.
"Oh." He looked a little flustered, and his voice was certainly strained.
"I thought you weren't coming," Paula narrowed her eyes at him. All the while trying to look annoyed she couldn't help but feel excited. She kept her voice even though. He didn't need to know just how much she needed his product.
"I just-ran into some trouble." He pulled out his cigarette box and fished around in it, avoiding any eye contact with Paula.
"What kind of trouble – did anyone see you leave?" she thought he was smart enough, but after last weekend she couldn't help but question him.
"Nope," Sam shook his head back and forth. Nonetheless Sam's hand was visibly shaking. Something was bothering him enough that he couldn't even steady his fingers to find the little white stick buried within his cigarette box. Paula pulled out her matches, lit one and held it over the box so he could see better. Within seconds he pulled it out and put it to his lips. Paula used the already lit match to light it for him.
After on quick inhale, Sam handed it over to Paula.
"So, you wanna make out?" Paula couldn't help but smile. He was trying to deflect any further conversation about where he'd been and Paula let him. There were more pressing matters to discuss.
"Sam, I meant what I said before, we aren't friends, we can't be," Paula wasn't sure how he'd react but she felt the need to squash whatever issues that were arising between the two. She couldn't afford to give up this three o'clock high. It was what kept her sane, kept her together.
"That's sure a shame. I'm a real good friend."
"Exactly! You're loyal to your friends – who just so happen to be enemies with my brother. So sorry, we can't be friends," she shook her head. Why was this so hard for him to understand?
"Fair enough Paula, fair enough," with that, Paula let the drug take control of her body as she gazed up to the twinkling stars.
XXX
Paula awoke to the familiar sounds of screaming and cursing. Groaning she buried her head beneath her pillow to try and drown out the sounds coming from down the hall. When it got louder, only muffling the words Paula whipped her blankets of her small bed and hoped over to the dresser she shared with Angela, dodging the discarded objects strewn across the floor. Her older sister was already gone. In all honesty though, Paula hadn't even noticed if she had been in the bed when she got home earlier in the morning. Her sister could have easily not have come home at all.
Paula dug through the dresser drawer searching for something with less wrinkles than anything on the floor. Her sister barely did any laundry even though she went through ten times the amount of clothes as Paula.
Settling on a white t-shirt and a dark blue skirt she tied her hair up with a hair elastic and set out into the battlefield that had overtaken her home.
Today was Monday; Paula knew her mother was not supposed to be at home, she was supposed to be work. That was probably what started the fight to begin with.
"All you are is a lazy fuckin' bitch, I can't support this family my own damn self!" Rick was drunk; there was no doubt about it. He was wobbling over, and the liquid in the bottle he was holding sloshed onto the carpet. He was also in her way. Paula stood at the end of the hallway, waiting for him relocate so she could leave the house. Unfortunately, the bastard locked eyes onto Paula. "And your lazy ass kids do nothing but fuck around on my dime!"
Paula's blood boiled. She would have liked to ask how they spent his money when it all went to booze for himself and her mother. But, she knew better than to speak when he was in this type of mood.
From behind her she heard a door swing open and turned to see Curly hop out of his room, pulling a t-shirt over his head. He had a scowl on his face. When he reached the end of the hall he grabbed Paula's arm and pulled her through the living room, brushing past Rick, and out the door. Paula sucked in the warm morning air, praying that he wouldn't come out after them. Something from inside shattered, Paula guessed it was the bottle of booze Rick had been holding. Without looking back she took off after Curly who was already halfway down the street.
"Curly, wait up!"
He slowed his pace so his younger sister could catch up. He was shaking though and Paula knew he was pissed. She was mad too, but it was all to familiar for her to really get worked up about it. Curly on the other hand, was an emotional person. He'd deny until his face was blue and most of the time he kept his 'I don't give a fuck,' attitude in check. But Paula knew that Curly wore his emotions on his sleeve. Paula also knew that he'd probably had a long night trying to redeem himself with Tim, because he looked up to him so much. He'd deny that to, but she knew better.
Paula finally caught up to her brother, matching his stride, neither of them saying a word. Heck, there wasn't anything to say. By the time the two had reached the Curtis's Curly had all but calmed down.
"You going to come in before school?" Paula asked her brother as she stopped, one hand on the rickety gate. He didn't normally hang around with her and her friends, but she knew he got along with Ponyboy alright.
"Nah, Brad Thomas just lives up the road, I'm goin' see what kind of trouble he wants to get into today," Curly smirked as he strolled off in the direction of his buddy's house.
Paula rolled her eyes at her brother and called after him to not do anything too stupid, but she doubted that even if he did hear that he'd listen.
Skipping up the stairs Paula didn't' bother knocking on the door; instead she opened it up and walked inside. The sight that lay before her was something of the familiar type. Steve was standing near the door looking impatient and Soda hopping around trying to pull his socks onto his feet. His hair was still wet and pointing every which way indicating that he must have just jumped out the shower. Punctuality wasn't his strong suit.
"C'mon Soda, I have to get you to the DX and then get to that parts store all the way across town and back in time for school. I don't have a damn minute to spare!" he grumbled as he pushed past Paula and out the door, not bothering to say good morning. It didn't bother her though, he seemed to be having just as great a morning as she was.
"Hey there Paula – see ya Paula," Soda exclaimed goofily as he followed Steve out the door, shoes still in hand. Paula shook her head and continued on into the house.
Darry was in the kitchen cooking something up so that's where Paula's feet took her next. Her stomach grumbled and she hoped that he'd have some leftovers.
"Hungry?" Darry always seemed to know what she was thinking. Nodding, she caught the piece of toast the oldest Curtis flung at her. "You know where the butter and jam is!"
"Pony up yet?" she asked between bites, eating it dry instead.
"He's in the shower, had to wait till Soda finished. You're over early?" He glanced back at her. She didn't talk about her home life much, but she knew it wasn't too hard to figure out given she was a Shepard.
"Couldn't sleep," Paula mumbled. Darry just nodded his head her way left with nothing else to say.
Not three minutes later Ponyboy padded barefoot into the kitchen in search of his own breakfast.
"Morning," Paula called out to him. He looked just as impressed with this morning as she felt.
"Soda took all the damn water," Pony muttered. He barely swore; he left that up to Paula. She knew that she swore more than most girls, and even more than some boys. It was pretty much inevitable, what with growing up with Rick and her brother's. Nobody scolded her when she swore at home, but the Curtis's was a different story.
"Pony, watch your mouth." Darry reprimanded his younger brother. Pony looked down at his feet. He was fourteen, Paula knew Soda had been swearing for years and Darry barely noticed. Paula also knew Pony's issues with Darry run a lot deeper than the occasional cuss. Instead of arguing Ponyboy took a bite out of a apple before throwing it in the trash. The loud noise caused Darry to look back at Ponyboy, and looking like he was on the verge of another lecture.
In an effort to stop any further friction between the brother's Paula moved to the door, beckoning Pony to follow, "C'mon lets go before we're late. Steve had to drive across town to get some parts or something. We have to walk."
Pony followed her through the living room and out the door much to her relief. They were barely to the steps before he lit up a cigarette. Pony handed the pack to Paula who took one out and lit it with the same match Pony lit his with.
"These things are goin' kill us one day," Paula thought aloud.
"Well something will, this is as good of a cause as anythin' else," Pony nodded in agreement. Paula chuckled. He really did love his cigarettes. She figured he would like marijuana as well, but she knew Darry would kill her if she got Pony hooked on it. Her own brother would kill her if he knew.
"Who was the guy you were talking to at the drive-in on the weekend?" Paula took in a sharp breath. She knew Pony had noticed something was up, but she had prayed that he wouldn't dig to deep into it.
"Oh, I don't know, he was trying to pick me up I guess," Paula replied quietly. She was about to open her mouth to ask when the History quiz was, but Pony wouldn't leave it alone.
"Really? He's a Rive King ain't he?" he looked at Paula this time, and she turned her eyes away to the cars passing by them on the street.
"How am I supposed to know?" she snapped. The conversation was over now, she knew that. When every she got snappy with Ponyboy he always let up, he hated conflict as much as her brother's loved and she knew he was getting is full share with Darry at home.
XXX
A/N: I know its a little slow right now but it will pick up! Please review & thanks to those that have!
