I really should be studying for my lab practical, but I had to get this chapter out. I don't like this one very much, but it is necessary. And I'd like to thank alley529 and Jinling95 for reviewing.

I do not own The Outsiders

My blood felt like it had all flowed to my feet. My heart kept beating, but it felt like only air was passing through my veins. Alex's eyes were wide and tears were sliding down her cheeks. I looked at her hands and noticed she was shaking. What had her brothers done?

"What do you mean it was your brothers?" Two-Bit asked, seeming to know that we all were thinking it.

Alex sighed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Before you found Johnny, Brian and Tyler came home with weird looks on their faces. They cornered me and said that you guys would be pissed. I asked them why and they just smiled and said, 'Let's just say that not all of them are as tough as they think they are.' That got me scared so I went out looking for you guys. I thought they had done something to Pony since I'm so close to him, but I saw him leave the DX with Steve and Soda so I knew they were fine. But, then I saw you run over to the other side of the lot and I knew it was Johnny before we even reached him. I'm lucky I didn't get sick when I saw him, not from how he looked but from the enormous amount of guilt that fell on me. My brothers and their dumbass Soc friends jumped him. That's why I've been trying to stay away from you."

I almost felt tears falling from my own eyes. Brian and Tyler had beaten up Johnny. That was why she looked so terrible. I could almost see the guilt eating away at her. I wanted to tell her that she had no reason to feel guilty since she hadn't touched Johnny, that I was sure he'd still trust her.

But Dally and Steve apparently didn't feel the same way.

Dally stepped up close to Alex, making her lean her head back so she could see him. I felt scared for her because I knew that look Dally had meant that he was beyond pissed. Her lip quivered a bit and I noticed that she started shaking harder.

"You little bitch. I should've known you'd bring trouble." He grabbed her upper arms and threw her onto the sidewalk. Steve stepped up alongside Dally and they both looked down at her threateningly.

The way that Alex was staring up at them surprised me. She didn't look scared, she looked ready. "Go ahead, I deserve whatever you do. But whatever you do to me is nothing compared to what I do to myself. I feel terrible for all of this. I wish I could go back and stop them. So go ahead, do what you want."

Once the words left her mouth, Dally slammed his fist into the left side of her jaw. She rolled to the side from the blow, but turned back. Steve stomped his foot into her stomach, making her wheeze as the breath was knocked out of her.

"Guys wait; I don't think this is a good idea," I said quietly.

"Yeah, it's not like she was the one that jumped Johnny," Two-Bit added.

Dally grabbed Alex's braid, pulled her up, and threw her back on the hard concrete. Then he glared at us. "She deserves all of this. Her brothers did this, her family. She probably told them that Johnny would be the easiest to jump." Then he punched her in the eye.

Dally and Steve took turns landing punches on Alex. I stood back, too scared to do anything. I noticed that every time Alex got hit, she didn't make a sound or try to get away. She just sat there and dealt with what they gave her.

Two-Bit shocked me when he stepped in, grabbing Dally's fist in the air. "That's enough Dal. She's had enough."

Dallas glared at him for a moment before shaking his arm free. He looked down at Alex, curled up in a ball, and scoffed. "I don't think so, but whatever. I'm outta here." He turned and walked off, and Steve walked off in the other direction.

I knelt next to Alex and carefully took her shoulder, feeling her tremors under my hand. "Are you alright?" She pushed herself off the ground and looked at me, her hair falling away from her face. Her left eye was black and starting to swell up. The lower side of her jaw was bruised too and her lip was cut open, a small line of blood dripping down her chin. She lifted a shaky arm and pulled up her tank top, revealing dark bruises coloring her stomach.

She shook a few more times before throwing her arms around my neck and bawling. I hugged her back, being careful not to hold her too tightly. Two-Bit sat down next to us and rubbed her back. I figured Two-Bit wouldn't hold a grudge against her; he wasn't really one to harbor something like that. But I had a feeling that Dally and Steve wouldn't let it go that easily.

Soon Alex calmed down and sat back, wiping her eyes. I stood up and took her hands, helping her to her feet. She swayed a bit and I caught her. "Whoa, easy. Let me help you get home." Without waiting for her answer, I took one of her arms and brought it over my shoulders, supporting her weight. Two-Bit took her other side so we were almost carrying her between us. She didn't say anything, just shuffled her feet along.

When we got to her place we did have to carry her up the steps. I rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened and I saw Julie standing there. When she saw Alex, the color drained from her face and she looked horrified.

"Alex! What happened to you?" She rushed forward and took Alex's face in her hands. Alex looked at her mother and opened her mouth to say something, but just ended up sobbing again. Julie carefully slid her arm under Alex's and started to lead her inside.

Suddenly Jim appeared in the doorway, looking madder than Dally had. He saw Alex, and then turned to me and Two-Bit. "What the hell did you do to her?" he hollered. I shook and took a step back. Alex looked like she wanted to say something, but Julie quickly took her inside. "I'm waiting for an answer!"

Two-Bit stepped up, clearly angry. "We didn't do shit. Your beloved sons beat up our friend, who is also her friend. Some of the other guys didn't really like that, but her brothers started it."

"Don't you dare try to blame my sons! They have done nothing wrong. She obviously fell in with the wrong people. She can blame no one but herself. As for you, I never want to see you or your so called friends near her again. Clearly you bring out the worst in her," Jim spat at us. Then he went inside and slammed the door in our faces.

The next day I didn't wait for Alex at her house, I didn't want Jim to see me. I tried to find her at school, but I couldn't. But at the end of the day I saw her before she walked outside. I ran over to her. "Hey Alex, how you feeling?" I saw that her bruises looked darker, but the cut on her lip had scabbed over.

She turned to look at me but didn't say anything. She glanced around before grabbing my arm and dragging me over to the janitor's closet. She opened the door and threw me in, closing the door behind her. The closet was dim, but light enough that I could see her.

Alex turned to me and sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "Ponyboy, I need to you listen to me. I can't be seen with you anymore. Jim practically kicked my ass last night when you guys took me back home. He said that what happened was my fault and I needed to be punished. Anyway, he told Brian and Tyler to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn't hang out with you or the gang. If they see me with you, Lord knows what Jim will do to me or to you guys. I'm sorry Pony, but I don't think we can be friends anymore."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She always seemed like she didn't care about what her dad said, why would she listen to him this time?

"Alex, come on. We could hang out between classes. Your brothers won't be able to find us that way."

She sighed again. "Pony, that won't work. Even if Brian and Tyler don't see us, one of their friends will. I'm not saying this to protect myself; I'm doing it to protect you guys. It's just safer if you all stay away from me. I don't like it, but that's how it's got to be. I need to go now; if they don't see me go home then it'll be hell to pay. I'm sorry Ponyboy." With that, Alex turned and left.

Hope you like this chapter more than I do. I don't like the idea of parents splitting up a friendship, but that's gotta happen for the rest of the story. So if I don't work on Tuesday, I'll stay up on Monday night writing the next chapter in celebration of the lab pratical being over.

Ciao bellisima,

Kris