Chapter 3
A/n: Thanks to all of you guys for the reviews, the faves, the alerts. It means so much that you like my story. I won't hold you up with this because I know you guys are all waiting for this chapter. So enjoy!
I ran out of the house with a piece of toast still in my mouth. I had woken up late because my crackhead alarm decided to break last night. How I hated that thing right now.
"Bye Mom! I'll see you when I get back!" I said as I ran down the sidewalk.
"Don't talk while your running and you have food in your mouth! You'll choke!" She hollered after me. I ran down to Ponyboy's house and knocked on the door. I waited a few moments, then started back off down the street again, figuring they weren't home.
"Man, I'm screwed! I'll miss the first ten minutes of class!" I mumbled under my breath to myself. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, even if I broke one trying to get to school on time.
Just then, as I was running, I saw Sodapop being surrounded by a bunch of richer looking guys. They were all big too. I stopped dead in my tracks, and stared for a moment.
"SODA!" I shouted, and he looked at me with fearful eyes.
"Well lookie here, boys. It's the new broad in town. The one I told you about yesterday." Rick turned around and snarled at me. I froze on the spot.
"AMETHYST! YOU GOTTA RUN!" Soda said as he decked one of the socs across the face and charged for me.
"Soda, I-" I started but he grabbed my hand and started dragging me behind me.
"C'mon! We don't have time to mess around!" He yelled as he pulled me along, both of us running as fast as we could.
"Sodapop! Take a left!" I told him, and he jerked us to the left, wrenching my arm in pain.
"Why did you call out to me, Amethyst? I could've taken them, and you can just about guess that Rick want revenge for what happened the other day." He said as we kept running, he looked back for a quick second. He locked eyes with mine, looked over my shoulder, then back to me. He grinned and turned back around.
He was enjoying this! The nerve!
"I was scared for you, Sodapop. I didn't want you to get hurt. You and the gang are really the only friends I have here." I said, and I spotted a dark crevice in between some buildings.
I pulled him into the dark alleyway, and the socs passed us by. I held my breath until the footsteps faded.
"If I lost anyone to Rick, I would go crazy knowing it was because of me." I panted out in between breaths. He hugged me after he let the thought process through his mind.
"Thanks Jello, it's nice to know that there's someone outside the gang who cares." I laughed at the joke towards my name, and he led me out of the alleyway
"Shoot! I'm late for school!" I said as I stomped my foot. I started to walk faster but Soda grabbed my hand.
"Look, the DX is just a block over, I'll jack Steve's car and drive you if you want. It's the least I can do for you for saving my rear." He pulled me towards the DX, and I blushed. He was holding my hand still.
"Steve! I'm jacking your car for a bit!" He hollared as he walked up to the garage.
"FOR WHAT?" Steve yelled. He walked outside covered with oil stains from head to toe. His jeans were especially covered in the darkest black I've ever seen.
"Gonna give little Grape Jello here a drive to school. I had a run-in with some socs on the way here, and she bailed me out." He rubbed the back of his neck, and Steve tossed the keys at him.
"Look, I ain't too friendly with this girl, but I guess I owe her one. You tear up my seats and I'll skin ya alive, ya hear?" He said as he pointed his finger at me.
"Sure thing Steve, I'll lay out a layer of acid before I sit down." I said as I threw my hands down to my side angrily. I huffed and walked towards the car
"Oh no Jello, you ARE the acid." He said and I turned around and shot him the bird.
"Don't let him bother you none, Jello. He's not used to a middle-class girl like you." Soda said as he opened the door on the passenger side, and I slid in. He went around to the driver's side and got in, then pulled me closer to him.
"He just needs time to see that you can be just as good of a greaser than anyone else in the gang. You'll see, I bet he digs you even." He smiled widely at the thought.
We drove a few blocks and got I got out the car, finally arriving at the school despite all the setbacks of the morning. I looked back at Sodapop before getting out, and I slid back in the car and gave him a big hug.
"Thanks so much for the ride Soda, I really didn't mean to bother you..." I said as I tried pulling away, but he kept his hold on me.
"I should be thanking you. Those guys had a blade and all. If it weren't for you, I'd be lying back at that corner, dead." He said. He pulled away and planted a small kiss on my cheek.
"My way of saying thanks." He winked at me. "Be safe at school. You know where Pony and Two-bit and all are if you run into any trouble." I nodded swiftly as I got out the car.
"Bye Soda." I waved to him as he honked the horn and drove off, and I made my way to the doors of the front of the school.
I walked down the hall to my class, and I stopped to grab my Science book out of my locker. Suddenly, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, and I froze.
"Well if it ain't the broad from this mornin'?" Came a sneering voice. Rick... I stood up straighter and turned around to face him, a scowl planted on my face.
"Why do you feel the need to pick on me? Why get revenge at all?" I yelled, and he hauled me up and slammed me into the lockers. I grunted in pain, and clawed at his hand to let me go.
"You listen here," he paused and flicked out a switchblade, and I froze once more. "You need to learn your place here. It ain't with greasers, and it ain't with socs. You aren't in this war we have goin', so stay out of it." He put the blade to my throat.
"I suspect you know what would happen if you don't?" He sneered, and I started struggling again against his grip.
"You can't tell me who I can't hang out with!" I snarled at him, and he pushed the blade harder against my throat.
"I can, and I will. Now, either I slit your throat right here, or I get my way with you." He put away the blade, not waiting for an answer. The fear enstilled in me was then replaced by anger and rage as I felt myself start to shake.
"No way in HELL would I let you touch me!" I yelled at him, and I kicked him where it counts.
He dropped to the floor and I was able to get free and run. I was in to much of a panic to remember where my class was, so I ran for the first open door I saw.
I ran in the door and slammed it closed, and the whole class looked up at me in shock.
"What's the meaning of this?" The teacher yelled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude..." I said quietly.
"Then what on Earth are your reasons for running into my class like a wild woman and slamming my door?" She yelled at me, and I broke down crying. Two-Bit came flying to my side out of nowhere.
"Careful Teach, she's scared! Jello, what's wrong?" He said as he crouched down to my level.
"H-he had a blade, Two, and he was going to rape me..." I whispered under my breath, sobs still wracking my body.
"Say what?" He practically yelled, and I winced. "Who was it?" He said in a calmer voice.
"It was Rick." I said, and Two-Bit was upright and out of the door before you could say 'Oklahoma'. I leaped up and followed him out into the hall.
"Where are you going?" I hollered after him, and he turned around threw me his keys.
"Go get Soda and Steve. I'm gonna go get Pony and Johnny." He hollered back.
"I can't drive!" I said as I caught the keys in my hand.
"The DX is just a few block down the road, you need to get back-up!" He said as he ran off.
I stood there, silent. The whole class's eyes were on me, looking at me with such intensity that I wanted to die on the spot.
"Class, forget this little incedent, as will I." The teacher turned to me. "We saw nothing, now go help that poor moron before he gets himself killed."
I nodded hurriedly as I ran out the door. I quickly found Two-Bit's car as I ran out the front door. I ran over to it, unlocked it, and got in.
"Woah..." I marveled at the upkeep of the interior. The outside may not look like much, but the inside looked like it was owned by a millionaire.
I looked at the controls, studying them to make sure it wasn't some foreign design.
"Pretty standard..." I mumbled to myself. I put the key in the ignition and cranked up the engine and it started up like a champion.
"Ok, stay calm." I told myself as I threw it in reverse, backed out, and put it back in drive.
"Man, I got this!" I said as I punched the accelerator. I sped all the way to the station, and Steve came running outside.
"WHAT THE HELL? Where the crap is Two-Bit?" He yelled, and I quickly threw my hands up in defense.
"He sent me to get you guys! He got into a fight at school with Rick, and Rick has a switchblade on him!" He relaxed some after I said this.
"Ok, come on. I'll go get Soda and we'll get back to the school as fast as we can." He said. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me along.
"Does Two-Bit have his switch on him?" He asked as we walked in.
"He should, if he really does take it everywhere." I said, and he let me go as he went to the back. I heard some hollaring, then Steve and Soda ran out. Soda grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder.
"Jello, we need to give you a new name or something. Are ain't as heavy as you seem, and judging by how heavy you are, I guess you don't jiggle like jello." Soda laughed as he threw me in the back seat, and then proceeded to get in the front.
We sped all the way back to school, but when we got there, there were police cars and ambulances surrounding the school.
I leaped out the car and ran over to Ponyboy who was sitting at the edge of the sidewalk.
"What happened?" I panted out, and he looked up at me. He grabbed me and started bawling into my shirt.
"Rick knifed Two-Bit...he's at the hospital. Rick got him good in the side, and he might have hit his lung or a rib. Jello, what'll happen if he dies? He's my best friend!" He clung to me, and squeezed me tightly. I rubbed his back and whispered comforting words into his hair.
"Calm down, he's gonna be ok." I pulled away from him, and I realized something. "Where's Johnny?"
"He went with Two-Bit. He's scared to death of the police." He said as he wiped away his tears.
"It'll be ok, I promise." He looked at me with a sense of helplessness in his eyes, like he thought I wouldn't keep that promise.
Truth is, I had a plan. A plan to help Tulsa. It would help the schools, the people, everything. All I needed was for someone to help me. I don't mean just one person. No. I needed Socs and Greasers alike.
I smiled to myself as I recalled the details of my plan. I gave Ponyboy another hug before I stood up.
"Want anything to eat?" I asked. He sniffled.
"A burger or omething would be nice with a coke." He said as he wiped his nose.
"Ok, I'll be back in a bit." I said, then I turned to walk over to Dingo's, which was right next to the school.
Then yet another thought struck me, and I stopped walking when it did.
What the heck happened to my toast?