A/N: Happy late Halloween! I was gonna update on Halloween but that didn't pan out too well. Basketball started Monday and I'm sore and tired and yeah...sorry.
I couldn't find the school Pony went to or if it even said so let's call it AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the song, Rumor Has It.
All of these words whispered in my ear. Tell a story that I cannot bear to hear. Just 'cause I said it, it don't mean I meant it. People say crazy things. Just 'cause I said it don't that mean I meant it. Just 'cause you heard it.
Two-Bit was the first to spring up. "Well hello, then." He stuck his hand out. "Mighty nice meetin' you. Name's Two-Bit, Two-Bit Mathews."
Ronnie looked at him a little strange, but shrugged it off and held a grimy hand back. "Ronnie."
"Dallas," I hissed at a whisper. "He really your brother?"
He turned a shoulder and lit another cigarette and cussed about his piece of shit lighter and then his blade.
"Dal, didn't tell us he had a brother." Soda walked over to join in, in the handshaking. His eyes wondered to Dally as he followed Two-Bit's lead and shook the stranger's hand.
Everyone's out to seek approval. Problem is, the one your asking couldn't give two shits about approval.
"Yeah, I suppose he didn't." Ronnie eyeballed him.
Dally turned on his heel, liquidating any chance for readings, and lit another cigarette, sending smoke up into the air the size of a mountain, sucking in as much as he could. He needed it.
"You from New York?" Steve asked from his position on the ground.
"Yeah, sure am. Thought I'd come down here and visit some family." He smirked and threw a foul stare at Dallas. "Looks like I struck gold."
All eyes gazed upon Dally's oddly relaxed body. He didn't move an inch at the remarks. He kept his stance clean and just smoked his cigarette like nothing. Like he didn't care that this guy was trashing him in front of his face. That he was doing it to his friends and almost humiliating him.
"How old are ya?" Two-Bit asked.
"Fifteen."
Everyone's focus went back to this new guy standing in front of us. Mine didn't move. Dallas Winston's baby brother stood here in the flesh. His eyes the same exact color and hair a smoky color, but he didn't speak.
Figures, huh Dal?
"Half-brother."
"What?" I spun back around.
"Same dad different mom," Dally grumbled for the first time. His body moved and he made his way back over to us.
Hell's still hot ain't it?
"So what this is your long lost brother or somethin'? You really expect us to believe that shit?" Steve growled at the two as they met each other again.
The stare down started again between the brothers.
Thought so. You can feel the heat.
"Nah," Ronnie answered. "Nah, we ain't."
It got quiet again for a while. The only thing going on was the showdown between them. It's just them and everyone else is standing still. The two brothers with icy blue eyes staring at each other like beams of fire were shooting from their eyes, each wanting to kill the other.
"Uh, well we should… go get cleaned up I guess," Soda broke the silence. "Ronnie, Dal?"
"Nah, you guys go on ahead," Dally stated, not breaking away. "I got somewhere to be."
He looked over his shoulder at me and then walked past everyone and down the street, one hand in his jacket, the other one still holding that stupid cigarette.
You deserve an applause.
"What'd you do?"
The door slammed shut behind us.
"Hey, now don't be lookin' at me," Two-Bit defended himself. "I didn't do nothin'."
He plopped down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table, grabbing a bowl of chips with his good hand. He's home.
"Get your feet of my table." Darry ran by his legs, knocking them to the ground making Two-Bit whine. "I just cleaned that."
Soda stepped over the dirty laundry on the floor, kicking a few items, and headed into the kitchen. "Thought you had work today, Dar?"
"Nah, Jim sent us home for the rest of the day. Things got slow." He followed Soda into the kitchen and opened the freezer door. The ice crackled as he scooped it up out of the box and wrapped them around a rag.
"He your uncle or somethin'?" Ronnie whispered.
I shook my head and took a seat on the arm chair. "Brother."
He stared for a minute at the man walking back in forth in the kitchen. It wasn't an odd remark someone was to mistake Darry for an uncle or even a father. Hey, it's happened. The new facial hair he's grown hasn't helped his case out that much either.
"Gosh, you people don't buy food no more?" Steve slammed the fridge door shut and went to slamming cabinets.
Soda chuckled and popped open a Pepsi. "Nah we just hide it from the monkeys that tend to show up."
"Here, kid." Darry held out the wadded up rag to Two-Bit. "Cops ain't goin' to show up in a minute are they?"
"Just gimme the damn ice!" Two-Bit snatched it and hissed once it touched his sensitive skin.
I stared at the multicolored laundry spread all around the living room. Bras, shorts, and tee-shirts coated the carpet floor. It was my week to do laundry and Kathy couldn't back me up this week.
"Kathy still got late shift tonight?" I asked.
He ran a hand through his hair and kicked a bra on the floor. "Yeah. Dan you gotta clean this crap up. I haven't had a clean shirt in days." He turned around, his eyes going to the boy sitting on the arm of his chair. "Um, hey."
"Dar this is Ronnie."
Ronnie held his hand out. "Hey, man."
Darry blinked a few times before doing the same. "Hey."
Soda reemerged into the room with a handful of chocolate chip cookies. He stuffed one in his mouth and giggled. "He look familiar, Dar?"
Darry stared again. He couldn't tell. I couldn't. He couldn't-
"You related to Dallas Winston by chance?"
"Brother."
There's that word again. Brother. Some sign of Dally not being produced my aliens was sitting in our house right beside me. Who knew? Who'd really know?
Darry half-nodded and hollered into the kitchen, "Stevie boy you better not touch that chicken or I'll rearrange that big ol' nose for you."
He stomped after him, ignoring everything.
Ronnie didn't exactly seemed thrilled to be here but he did give an occasional wry smile to the jokes Two-Bit threw and sometimes he'd even chuckle and move his shaggy brown hair out of his face.
I took the time to examine the damage.
His eyes were darker than Dally's. Maybe even deep blue instead of light. I'd go as far as saying they were navy. He also had this tooth that was a little lopsided because it lapped over another just the tiniest bit.
His mannerisms weren't Dally's either. He was bigger and scruffy. He sat as if he had a corncob up his ass and if he moved it'd move. Maybe he really didn't want to be here either but neither did I.
"Two-Bit!" The screen door slammed back, loosing what screws were still holding it together. "I had to hear about you getting your nose broken by freakin' Mary-Jane! What on Earth did you do and why didn't you call?"
She slammed on the sofa and reached out for his face.
He shoved her a good foot down the couch. "Shut-up Em. My nose ain't broken but you're about to make my head."
Her hands took position on her hips looking just like her momma. "It's already broken."
The boys in the back didn't hide their chuckles as the conversation echoed. If Two-Bit told half the stuff his sister said about him, he'd be more of a comedian than he already thought he was.
Two-Bit blushed. "Emily, shut it! I can take care of myself, thank you."
"Apparently not because I do your laundry and you don't even know how to wipe your own ass right!"
The laughs got out of control and Two-Bit's chubby baby cheeks got redder.
Emily Mathews. My-oh-my how she'd grown. Size B knockers, miniskirts, low ride tops, boys eyes following her as she left or bent over; Two-Bit had sometime this summer as did she. In the words of Darrel Curtis Jr.: Welcome to it big boy.
"Shut-up!" he yelled again, this time in her face. "And what in God's green hell are you wearing?"
She huffed and her eyes did a spin. Attitude. Mark that one down too. "God's hell isn't green, moron. And it's a skirt. I didn't know that was a crime too!"
His eyes burned her skin. "You bend over and the whole world can see your ass!"
Too late for that. "Two-Bit leave her alone. It's fine."
Emily's brown eyes darted over. "See-" They darted back- "Danni agrees with me."
His eyes were the next to move. He shot me a glare, burning my skin, and snapped back to her. "Yeah well don't go gettin' any ideas."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
He threw his ice down on the coffee table and rushed out the door, slamming it shut.
"Hey," Ronnie broke the tension. "I'm Ronnie."
She looked away from the door, her eyes lighting up. "Hi."
Red and Green. The colors our school chose to have represented them. Even the lockers are painted the spirty colors. Every time you walk into the school and overwhelmed sense of Christmas fills your mind. Even during away games, the sound of Christmas carols are shouted from the stands along with laughs and points.
Bravo, Thomas McKinley, Bravo.
There have been rallies to try and change the colors. Some have even gone to the board but each time it ended with the same words: This is our school, these are our colors. We shall represent them with honor and respect, no matter what.
Marilyn James has took those words and lived by them.
Her top of the line sweaters also had a pinch of green or red and on days there was a game, you can count on that bouncy cheer skirt to be walking up and down the halls along with the bushy red pompoms right by her side.
Each sprit week she organizes a few Prep Rallies to try and pump the school up and get them to wear the prideful colors. During spirit week, she even offers a check to the person who wore it best.
Lately though, there haven't been many prep rallies.
Tonight on the other hand, the Bears are playing the Cardinals and today, Marilyn James is as festive and chipper as ever.
"Randy it's not straight." She pointed at the top corner. "Move that side up!"
He huffed and readjusted the poster that read in big bold letters: Let's Go Bears.
Marilyn makes them every night before a game and comes in real early to hang them up. She goes to the store near midnight and buys glitter and markers and dolls them up real nice and then she watches movies and stays up late with whoever it is that helps her out.
Then sometimes she'll have a glitter fight and it'd take days just to get it out but she said it was okay because everyone looks good with glitter on them.
"Jane what'd you do to your hair?" she squealed.
"Mom did it last night." She smiled happily.
Marilyn twirled it up her finger and looked on in awe. "She'll have to do mine sometime. This is a really good look for you."
"Is this alright?" Randy asked, pressing the pin into the paper.
She nodded and thanked him once he got down and kissed his lips quickly before anyone saw. "James, does it look alright?"
"How long did ya spend on it, sis?"
"I was up 'till one. I didn't have any helped because Jane had piano."
Jane apologized again and began to pull on her short hair. It was going to fall out again like it did last time. It was another habit she couldn't break.
Marilyn spun around to head to her locker, revealing something that someone should have pointed out a long time ago. Something she'd die to know someone saw.
She smiled at herself in the mirror and grabbed a book out before turning and looking. "Hey, Danni."
"Hey, Mar."
"You going to the big game tonight?" she asked. "We're supposed to win so it'll be fun, ya know?"
I grabbed my math book and shook my head. "I don't think so. I kinda got somethin' to do."
"With Dallas?"
She was beaming. Her teeth had just been whitened the day before and her roots done. She was glowing without the light. "Yeah...something like that."
She clung to her books. "Have fun then."
Once she turned the laughter behind her seesed and I got a full look at the accident yet again. No one had told her. Everyone was laughing and pointing. Randy, James, and Jane were gone. She was going to go all day with it.
I bit my lip. "Mar, uh, come here."
"Yeah?" Her movement made the points and sneers return.
"You need to come here."
Her heels clicked as she proudly made her way to me. "Yes?"
There was no easy way to tell her. No easy way to tell anyone but especially Marilyn James. She was just a spark getting ready to light fire to anything in her path.
I snatched the blue jacket from my locker and tossed it to her. "Put it around your waist."
She looked at it, puzzled. "Why? I don't want your jacket Danni."
A boy ran by her, a hand over his mouth trying to control his laugh.
"You need it."
"No." She held it back out. "Thanks but no thanks dear. Not really my color."
"Mar-"
"I said no!"
"Just take it. You're-"
"I don't want your stupid dirty jacket!"
His footsteps made the floor rumble. They always did. "What's going-"
"Why?" I snapped at her. "Say it Mar."
She rolled her eyes and latched on to Randy's arm. "I don't need to say anything. I don't want your jacket. I think we've discussed this. I don't need it and-"
"You leaked," I stated. "All over yourself."
She stared blankly for a minute before it finally snapped. She twirled around and looked over her shoulder, gasping at what she saw, Randy turning his head and holding back a chuckle.
"Oh my God!"
"Yeah," I growled. "Want it now?"
Her head darted back. "No!"
"Why?"
Randy stepped slightly in-between us. "Guys I-"
"Get that away from me."
"Why don't you want it, Mar? Is because I smell? I have some kind of disease?"
She shook her head. "You're impossible. I don't want it. Just drop the stupid conversation and run off, Danni. You're good at that."
My eye twitched. "Why do you always have to be that way?"
"Be like what? Danni, don't even kid yourself."
"Say it."
"No."
"Say it."
"No!"
"You've been saying it for years," I shouted. "Go ahead and do it again! You always do this to me! You always have!"
She grew defensive. "I have always been that way to you! Look in the mirror Danni. Look at who you are!"
"Marilyn-"
"Who I am?" A crowd was starting to gather. "You're such a conceded bitch! This has always been it. I'm sorry I'm not a rich princess like you."
She sneered. "You should be."
"That's what you're saying! You can't be around me or heaven forbid, touch me!"
Randy sighed. "Danni that's not what she's saying."
She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed as she grabbed Randy's jacket to cover herself. "Don't flatter yourself Danni."
I sneered. "You haven't changed one bit have you? You're the same bitch you've always been."
"Oh trust me, the feeling is mutual." She tied the sleeves together, looking up and smiling. "By the way, how's your boyfriend doing? He in jail yet - wait, that's the other one."
The crowd had circled us. Randy took Marilyn by the arm, desperately trying to pull her away. Soon I felt the same thing beside me and a whisper in my ear telling me to just walk away.
"You don't know anything Mar."
She raised an eyebrow. "I know Dallas will be joining him soon. Can't kill a guy and get away with it, can you?"
A hand pulled my arm back. Everything was blurring up and my throat and chest were hurting and my legs were becoming unsteady. The effects of Marilyn James. Some things never changed.
"He didn't do it!" I tried to pull away from the person holding me. "You know that!"
Randy grabbed her arm as she followed my lead. "You know it's true. It's written in black and white, Danni. Wake up!"
"Danni, come on." His arms went around my waist, trying to take me away.
"You don't know him!" I shouted. "He was with me that night, alright? Don't you even-"
"What's going on here guys?" Two-Bit broke the tension between us, eyeing Randy. "We got a problem here?"
Randy dropped Marilyn's arm. "Get lost, Mathews. This doesn't concern you."
I breathed out for a minute and took a step back. "They're saying Dally killed Sam."
His stare hadn't broken from Randy's. "That true big guy?"
Randy shifted and his hands moved into his pockets. "What you gonna do about it, huh, Mathews? Told ya this didn't concern you so why don't you run along now. There's some skanky blonde down the hall. Better go after her."
Two-Bit's eyes turned colors. His fists turned into balls and he laughed. He stood there and laughed in his face. "Good one, bristle pad."
"Danni, let's just go," Pony begged. "Teachers are going to come out in a minute."
I breathed over and over again until my lungs were burning. I took his arm and took in a huge gasp of air. "Two, just come on. It ain't worth it."
I touched his pumping arm, calming him to leave.
Marilyn smirked. "Running again. Shocker."
It took him a minute but he broke his gaze and spun fully around, pulling me along behind him to where his arm was around me, and I couldn't see what was behind me.
I looked over my shoulder. Perfect princess. "Dally didn't do it."
The ends of her lips curled and she smiled her Marilyn James smile. One used to kill. "Gotcha'."
"Just remember, Marilyn, I still know." One last time. "I fucking know Marilyn."
And here's to a hammer we're taking to this goddamn wall of ours. It's about damn time.
Bless your soul. You've got your head in the clouds. You made a fool out of you. And, boy, she's bringing you down. She made your heart melt, but you're cold to the core. Now rumor has it she ain't got your love anymore.