Okay, no new chapters have been added. I just did some serious proof reading on my previous chapters and changed the odd thing here and there. Hopefully it had made my writing a little stronger. I'll more than likely have an update within the next week!
S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. Not me.
XXX
May 1966
As the seconds on the clock ticked by painstakingly slow Paula could sense Pony getting restless in his seat beside her. The two were sitting near the back of the classroom, and although Paula didn't mind geography with Mr. Martin, the sweltering heat outside was making it impossible to concentrate inside. She brushed away a drop of sweat that was trickling down her temple and tried to focus on the black board. Towards the front though it didn't look like Martin was much into what he was teaching either.
Losing interest for what felt like the millionth time that day Paula followed Ponyboy's gaze up to the clock hanging on the wall. Eighteen minutes until school was out. Sighing, she let her mind wonder to what she would do after the last bell rang. She guessed she could go home now; Rick would probably be long gone. More than likely he would be sitting on a bar stool at his favorite joint getting his beers in before work. It was a wonder he could even keep a job when he practically drunk 24/7.
A light punch to the shoulder brought Paula out of her daydream. She looked up to see Ponyboy standing above her.
"What."
She looked around the classroom as the rest of her classmates were filing out towards the hallway. Obviously she had missed something.
"Mr. Martin let us out early, he could barely breathe up there," Pony shook his head, a smile tugging at the two corners of his mouth. "I think his tie was too tight."
Paula let out a laugh and followed him out of the room in a hurry. A cold coke at the DX was looking better every minute. Stepping outside she was assaulted by the blazing Oklahoma sun.
"Shit. Has it ever been this hot?" Paula pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, in an effort to keep her neck cooler.
"I dunno 'bout that, but it sure is hot." Pony scanned the parking lot, presumably looking for Steve's car. Sighing he turned back to Paula, "well, I don't see Steve or Two-bit anywhere."
"Are we going to the DX? We might as well get on walking if we are," but before she could take another step something, particularly someone, caught her eye.
Sam.
Groaning, Paula hastily grabbed Ponyboy's arm and started walking down the sidewalk, probably a little faster than needed.
"Paula – it's hot, slow down." Pony was whining behind her but Paula didn't slow down. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Sam and whatever questions Ponyboy was sure to have.
"All the more reason to get to the DX quicker!" throwing a glare over her shoulder to her friend she continued on with her stride.
When the familiar rumble of Sam's engine came up beside her Paula took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Ya'll need a ride somewhere?" he called out of the window. It was an innocent enough question. If it had been absolutely anyone else, any single other person in all of Tulsa, she would have jumped in without a moment's hesitation.
"No," Paula shook her head vehemently without even throwing a glance in his direction.
"Aww, c'mon, that ole Oklahoma sun is scorchin' today, ya'll are goin' melt before long." His southern drawl was somewhat coaxing to Paula at that moment. She shook her head again; the sun was making her delirious. There was no way that Paula would be getting into Sam's car in broad daylight.
But then again, the daylight might just be the reason she would.
Glancing back at Ponyboy Paula rolled her eyes. He was panting like a dog ready to pass out.
"Fine," she muttered quietly and motioned for Pony to get in the front seat. He didn't make a move though.
"Really?" Sam seemed to speak for Pony instead. His one eye brow was cocked and his smirk was might big.
"Well, like you said, it's hot out, damn it." She turned her gaze back to Pony, "you want to walk out here for another half hour?"
Paula knew it was a bad idea but between the heat and Sam's inviting drawl she knew she couldn't resist the ride. It was just a ride. If Tim somehow questioned her about she would just say she didn't know he was a River King. Crawling in the back seat she sighed, realizing it was just as hot in the car as it was outside. At least they would get to the DX ten times sooner.
Ponyboy shook his head slowly and got in the front seat. She could tell he was tense. She silently wished that he had had track practice today.
It wasn't even whole minute before Sam slowed down to a near stop. Out of the front window, Paula could see two young guys waving to his car from the sidewalk. She wasn't worried at first but that was only until she got a close up view of one of them. He was the same kid that Curly had gotten into a fight with back at the drive in on the weekend. Sam muttered a curse under his breath, loud enough that Paula could hear in the back seat however.
"Ehh , Sam give us a lift, we're burning up out here." She knew he would have no choice but to let them in. Her stomach turned inside and Paula definitely regretted her decision to accept the ride.
The two boys crawled into the back and the one closest to her took a look around the car to identify the other guests, landing his gaze on her.
"Well now Sammy who've we got here?"
Paula did her best to keep her eyes trained on the back of Pony's head.
"Just some kids who needed a ride." Sam's voice didn't waver the least.
"That right," the boy closest to her let his eyes wander the length Paula's body, stopping extra long on the patch of skin between her skirt and thigh highs. That was just about all she could take.
"Excuse me," she spat, her eyes narrowed at the boy.
"Well shit! She's got some attitude." He looked at her amusingly, but there was something else glinting in his eye. Something that resembled recognition.
"I thought I knew you from somewhere! You're Shepards kid sister, ain't yah?"
Paula could here Pony cough a little up in the front.
"She ain't Roy, leave it alone," Sam decided it was his time to step in. Some help he was.
"Stop the car and Let us out."
He didn't and Paula began to get nervous. She had a right to be. She'd gotten to careless. Tim had told her to stay away from any gangs, in particular the River Kings. But had she listened? No. She had gotten herself tangled up with Sam and now she was trapped in a car with three of them.
The boy, Roy, sitting next to her threw an arm around her shoulders and she thought she might just be sick right there in the back seat
"Stop this fucking car and let us out."
Ponyboy turned around in his seat, looking about ready to say something but before he could the car came to an abrupt stop. As soon as Ponyboy had the door open Paula was pushing her way out, not quickly enough though because the boy beside her moved his hand from around her shoulders landing on her rear side.
As soon as her feet hit the ground Paula whipped around and stuck her head back into the car.
"You're a pig," she said in a surprisingly even, calm voice before slamming the door. She let herself be pulled away from the car by Ponyboy and took in her surroundings. Thankfully she could see that they had made it to the DX. Sam's car took off in a hurry, not even bothering to let one of the guys get into the front seat.
That was it. She was cutting herself off from Sam and his weed. She was done. She was not into this sneaking around shit.
"What was that about?" Ponyboy was looking at her with a mixture of annoyance and deep confusion.
"Nothing Pony, just don't tell anyone, okay?" he looked like he was about to say something, a look he often had, but then shut his mouth and began walking toward the gas station.
It was good that her friend was so timid and quiet, or else she would really be worried about her secret getting out.
XXX
Paula and Pony had spent the rest of the afternoon at the DX drinking coke and listening to the older boys' banter between each other. It wasn't anything to exciting, but she didn't mind the company. They were a nice bunch of boys, probably the nicest of the whole neighbourhood. Soda was probably the nicest greaser out there, and most definitely the best looking. Paula couldn't deny that she'd had more than a few butterflies floating around in her stomach the first day Pony had introduced them. Two-Bit was the jokester of the group and Steve wasn't too bad either; he could be a tinge cranky though. She liked hanging around Pony's gang; they were a heck of a lot nicer than her own brother's.
But it had gotten late, the sun was already setting and she needed to get home to do her homework. It had cooled down considerably so walking wasn't a problem anymore. When she heard that familiar engine rumble again she couldn't help but feel her stomach twist itself all up.
The car was crept up to her slowly until they were side by side. She quickly glanced to the right, taking in the fact that only Sam was in there now.
"You stalkin' me now or what?"
"Well no, I reckon I ain't. Just thought I'd apologize for the way Roy was actin' earlier," he said simply which made Paula believe he was probably being sincere. In fact he hadn't been nothing but nice since the first day they'd met. Although he did hassle her about kissin' him, but she knew he didn't mean no harm by it.
"Well it was damn stupid thing to pick them up."
In all actuality she knew it wasn't his fault, she knew, if she hadn't been in the car in the first place the other boys, Roy, wouldn't have had a chance to hassle her.
"I guess you're right," Paula stopped in her tracks. She didn't know what to say, or where the conversation was even going.
"You want to meet up tonight?"
Of course she did, after seeing her mom and Rick fight the way she did, it had stayed on her mind all day and she wanted something to help her forget. But she knew if she kept this habit, and kept meeting up with Sam it was only going to get her into trouble. Weighing the options in her head she sighed. Neither option was going to get her what she really wanted.
"I ain't asking you to marry me," he smirked at her, the dimples in his cheeks deepening. After the day she'd had she wanted had the sudden urge to knock it right off his face.
"Same time?" she relented. Paula knew it was the wrong answer, but she said it anyway.
"Course."
XXX
It was only eight o'clock and Paula was already wishing she could leave. Rick had apparently decided to skip out on his night shift and he and her mom were going at it again, obviously trying to finish the fight they had started this morning. Tim wasn't home, which wasn't a surprise, he'd barely been home in the last few weeks. When Curly had left this morning Paula guessed he didn't plan on coming back until no one in the house could possibly be awake. Angela was home though, but she was much comfort.
"Aren't you goin' ask how my date with Bobby went?" Angela was painting her nails, on Paula's bed and she couldn't help but feel irritated. Why couldn't she paint her nails on her own bed? She knew she'd spill sometime or another. It was stupid thing to be irritated about, but hell, anything Angela did was irritating.
"Not really," Paula sighed, knowing she'd hear about it anyway.
Angela huffed and sent a glare in Paula's direction. Less than thirty seconds later though she opened her mouth again.
"It was great at first. He picked me up, on time which was a nice bonus. I was looking stunning, of course. We had dinner, and I guess while we were eating there wasn't much time for talking but once we got to the drive in I realized how much of a total bore he really was. I practically ignored him for the rest of the night and then of all things he decides to kiss me before he lets me loose!" Angela looked as though this was the worst thing to ever happen to her. Paula couldn't help but laugh. So he'd kissed her? That certainly wasn't the farthest she's ever gone.
"So?" Paula tried to act uninterested. But truth be told, hearing about her date was much more inviting then listening to the screaming down the hall.
"Well it was damn near terrible!"
"Did he ask to go out again?" Of course he did, boys tripped over their own feet in an effort to date Angela. She was beautiful. She had long dark hair, longer than Paula's had ever been. Her olive coloured complexion was flawless and as she'd grown up her body had matured in all the right ways.
"Duh, but I told him it wasn't going to work. I told him it wasn't me, it was him."
Paula couldn't help herself as she burst out laughing. It's not me, it's you? Only Angela would have the guts to say that to a guy. Angela looked at Paula with a scrunched up face, confused as to what she found so amusing.
Both girls, though, were brought back to reality when a loud thud, the sound of someone being thrown up against the wall, echoed throughout the house. The crying accompanying it made it easy to figure out what had happened.
Angela rose from the bed quickly, moved to the mirror and fixed the flyaways in her hair. Paula could see her face in the mirror and could tell she was upset but when she turned back towards her sister's face was lit up in a smirk.
"Nice chatting with you little sis, but I got myself another date!"
Of course she did. But then again, maybe she didn't. Maybe she just wanted to get out of the house as badly as Paula wanted to.
One last look and Angela lifted the window and jumped the few meters to the ground. That window sure did get a workout. Paula frowned, she was all alone again. Her siblings had a habit of leaving her to deal with the aftermath.
She gave it a good five minutes before she wandered into the living room. The yelling had stopped leading her to believe Rick had left. But the crying continued. She found her mother bunched up against the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. Her whole body was shaking with sobs. Paula sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her mother. At first she'd flinched at the touch but then let her body relax once she realized it was her daughter. Paula was always the one to comfort her mother. She didn't know why she did it though. Her mother wasn't nice to her at all. Drunk or sober she barely had a nice thing to throw Paula's way.
After awhile her mother finally lifted her head. Paula assessed the damage, a split lip and a bruised cheek, and went off into the bathroom for some medical supplies. By the time she returned to the living room her mother had a bottle of jack in her hands.
"C'mere mama," Paula wiped away the dried blood and caked on makeup that had run down her face. By the time her mother had finished the bottle and made her way to bed it was well after ten. They hadn't spoken any words and for that Paula was thankful. She didn't have a clue as to what to say to her mother? She knew if her mother every left Rick there would be pigs flying in the sky.
Exhausted Paula sat herself down on the couch and closed her eyes, willing three o'clock to come sooner.
"What are you doing here?" a voice sneered. She hadn't even noticed anyone come into the house.
"I live here," she muttered, almost to herself. It probably wasn't her best line, but the words had slipped through her lips nonetheless.
Rick raised the bottle of beer to his mouth but she could still see his smirk behind it. It unnerved her and she wanted to get up and leave but like this morning he was blocking her path.
"You never did thank me for that," Rick sat on the couch next to her and she swallowed the bile that was ising in her throat. She wished Tim or Curly were home.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. The smell alcohol on his breath and it was making her stomach turn.
"Yer slut mother couldn't afford to keep you. Four of you little brats were too expensive," he chuckled to himself, "She was goin' have to ship you off to yer good for nothing daddy,"
Paula's heart dropped. No one talked about their dad. Ever.
He'd been a mean on son of a bitch. She knew that. But being the youngest, Paula didn't have any memories of him and frankly she wanted it to remain like that.
"You're lying," she did her best to sound confident. Most days Paula was pretty sure that her mother liked her least out of her four children, but she wouldn't have actually sent her away would she have?
"I ain't talkin' about ole Timothy Shepard, baby. Your mama was shackled up with some other guy. That's why Shepard left in the first place."
Paula felt as though her heart had fallen to the pit of her stomach. Her breathing became heavy and her mind fuzzed as she tried to decipher what Rick had just revealed to her.
"You're lying," Paula said again, willing it to be true. Paula glanced Rick's way, hoping to catch him laughing at the cruel joke.
"But I'm not," Rick scooted closer to Paula on the couch and when she tried to stand up his large hand caught her arm. When she tried to move away his grip tightened so hard that she let out a shout of pain. Her mom wouldn't hear her anyway, she was passed out in bed.
"Get off-"Paula tried with all her might to push away at him but it was obvious she was facing an impossible battle.
"Now-now, don't try pretendin' that you don't take after yer slut of a mother," his hands were making their way to her middle and it took all she could to stop of the scream that was building in her throat. Instinctly Paula pulled he leg behind her and then threw her foot as hard as she could into Ricks shin. The pain caused him to let go and Paula took this time to pull herself away from the couch and him and half ran and half trip towards the door. Paula could hear Rick curse from behind her but she kept running until she was far enough from her house that she could even feel safe enough to look back and make sure she wasn't being followed. But she didn't feel safe, she felt anything but.
A/N: Okay. So if anyone's confused. Paula is the youngest Shepard. In my world Curly is older than her, Angela is older than Curly and Tim is of course the oldest. Rick is the step-father, but as you can see Paula's father is not Curly, Angela's, or Tim's. Please review and let me know what you think :)
