A/N: I am really sorry about the multiple notifications subscribers got about this chapter. Fanfiction was giving me all sorts of trouble, saying it was posted when it wasn't. Thanks to all the readers who notified me of the problem... I hope it works this time and was worth the trouble!

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Dinner was strangely comfortable, considering all of the tension that had been shared between the lot of us - Darry and Alison seemed to have made amends about whatever they had argued over, and Anna and I were back on good terms. I was fairly certain that she had learned her lesson – now she just had to prove that to Darry.

Ali and Anna stayed for a while after supper, Alison and Darry disappearing into his room and Anna and me into my room, where we tried as hard as we could to hear what Darry and Alison were doing. I thought for a moment about mentioning the double standard of him and Alison being alone in his room while Ben and I were not even allowed to be alone in the house, but even I had to admit that the situations were pretty different, him being twenty and me only twelve. I was pretty sure they weren't doing anything too wild anyway, we heard some giggling but mostly just talking.

Eventually we gave up and started talking ourselves. Anna asked me about babysitting and of course wanted to know everything about Coach Karis's house. She was definitely included in the group of girls that had a crush on him, and I think was a bit jealous that he had asked me to babysit. She wouldn't have been able to do it anyway – she worked in the pizzeria in the summer, but she wanted to know every detail about his house, his wife, his car, everything. I thought it was pretty funny, but I begged her not to tell anybody else on the team about me working for him. The last thing I needed was them making up rumors about the two of us. They already considered me his pet since I got the most playing time of anybody.

Eventually Alison called for Anna and the two of them left, Darry making plans with Alison for the next night, and Anna promising to call me the next day. Soda had taken off with Sandy and Two-Bit and his new lady friend, who I had yet to meet, and Ponyboy had hunkered down in a bedroom with his latest book. That left just Darry and me sitting out on the porch after the girls left.

"I guess I don't have to water the flowers today," I joked. It had rained and hailed enough during the storm to keep them happy for a few days, probably.

Darry chuckled, then looked over at me, a serious look on his face.

"That must have been hard for you, today… I mean, being in the cellar, without Dad there. Mom, too, but I know Dad was the one who always took care of you down there."

I kicked at the dirt from where I was sitting on the bottom stair.

"It was." There was no point in lying about it. Especially since I knew he had seen me crying once Soda finally found the flashlight.

"You should have said something."

"I felt stupid. Only little kids should be crying about the sirens. It doesn't matter, Ponyboy calmed me down anyway."

"It's not stupid. But I'm glad Pony realized what was going on." There was a tone of 'but it should have been me who realized it' to Darry's voice.

"Where are you and Alison going tomorrow night?" I asked him.

"The movies, and dinner, probably. The other waitresses can cover her shifts more in the summer, when they aren't in school."

I laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"Just… Ben asked me to go to the movies with him tomorrow night, too, with Kevin and Kate. We could have a triple date."

Darry didn't seem to think that was so funny. In fact his expression changed to serious again.

"What?"

"Just… You just went out with Ben last night."

"So?"

"I just don't think it's such a good idea for you to be spending every free moment together. I mean, two dates in one weekend seems like kind of a lot for kids your age."

"So what, you're saying I can't go?"

"Look, don't get mad, Scout. I'm just trying to be fair. Mom and Dad wouldn't have let any of us be dating every night at your age."

"How do you know? Maybe they would trust me enough to let me. I thought you said you trusted me? It was Anna who screwed up, Darry, not me." I was getting mad. After all the bad stuff I'd been through in my life, Ben was the one consistently good thing I still had, and now Darry wanted to limit my time with him? For Pete's sake, it was only the movies. Then something occurred to me.

"You just don't want me and Ben in the same place as you, because then I might see what you are doing with Alison, that's it, isn't it? You don't want me seeing you two making out!"

"Scout, this has nothing to do with Alison so leave her out of it." He was getting angry back.

"Then what does it have to do with?" I practically yelled. "You say you trust me, and Ben hasn't done anything to make you not trust him, so what gives? Or were you just feeding me bullshit about trusting me?"

"Scout, I'm not fighting with you about this. I don't want you going out twice in one weekend. You're twelve."

"Fine!" I got up and went back into the house, giving the screen door a good slam.

"What's your problem?" Ponyboy called out through his door as I stormed down the hallway.

"Darry's being a jerk!" I called back, and went into my own bedroom, giving that door a good slam as well.

I sat on my bed and cried tears of frustration. So this was how it was going to be, then… Darry wanting me to measure out time spent with Ben? Stupid. And probably as I got older his rules would just become stricter and stricter for me, while the boys got to do whatever they wanted. Hell, Soda and Sandy spent practically every night out on dates.

I sat there and fumed, eventually changing into pajamas and going to bed. I heard Darry knock softly and whisper my name an hour or so later, but I ignored him and pretended to be asleep. Eventually, I really was.

……………………………

I woke up to a quiet house and figured Darry and Soda were both at work. Darry had been working Sundays for the past few weeks, and the manager at the DX had told Soda he could start back. I was glad; I was still mad at Darry and I didn't want to talk to him. I was sure Soda was on his side, he pretty much let Darry handle the parenting and rarely argued Pony or my cases, just his own. And he had no real reason to complain, Darry pretty much let him do what he wanted so long as he showed up for work and did his chores around the house.

I wandered out to find Pony eating cereal at the kitchen table.

"Everybody at work?"

"Yup," he said, pushing the cereal over to where I sat down with my bowl.

"What was all that with you and Darry last night? You guys hardly ever fight."

"He won't let me go to the movies with Ben tonight, since we already went out on Friday."

"Oh," Pony said, though he didn't sound like he really got it. He hadn't gone anywhere with a girl yet, though I knew there were a few who tried to hang around him at school. He just got embarrassed when I mentioned them.

"He doesn't make Soda cut down on his time with Sandy," I complained, "Those two go out every night."

"I guess. I don't know Scout, I mean, we either live with his rules or find a new guardian."

I didn't answer. I was hoping at least Pony would be on my side. I ate my cereal in silence as Pony washed out his bowl and went into the living room to watch TV.

I took a shower and got dressed, surprised that by the time I was done it was almost noon. Pony was still sitting watching television, a blank expression on his face as he was absorbed in some science fiction movie.

"I'm going over to Ben's," I announced, and he grunted an acknowledgement. At least he didn't give me a hard time about it.

I walked over to Ben's house, annoyed with the once again unbearable heat. If we were going to keep having all these severe storms, the least they could do was offer some relief from the heat. I rang the bell, and Ben came to the door, still in his pajamas.

"Hi!" He looked both surprised and happy to see me. "You're a little early for our date," he joked.

"Darry's not letting me go," I said, my annoyance obvious in my voice.

"What? Why?" Ben looked worried.

"I have no idea. He says I'm too young to go out twice in one weekend. He says he trusts me but he sure doesn't act like he does."

"Is it me? What'd I do?"

"Nothing. It's not you. I don't know what his problem is." I walked in past Ben and sat on the couch. He was watching the same thing as Ponyboy had been.

"Well, we'll just have to wait 'til next weekend, then, I guess. I mean, getting him mad at us isn't going to make him want to ease up."

"Where's Kevin?"

"He went to drive my Mom to work. Her car's at the shop."

"Oh. I felt a bit glad about breaking Darry's rule again. Who was he to tell Ben who he could have in his house anyway?

Ben came and sat next to me and I had to laugh. I went to take his hand and the sleeves of his pajamas were twice as long as his arm.

"Nice pajamas," I said, and he laughed too.

"Yeah, they're Kevin's. I forgot to do laundry," he said.

"They're cute," I said.

"You're cute," he responded, and kissed me behind my ear.

"Anna thinks you're cute," I said, giggling.

"Oh yeah? And what do you think?" he whispered in my ear.

"I think you're handsome," I said, and kissed him on the lips. He kissed me back, pushing me against the armrest of the couch.

"I warned you guys," Kevin was suddenly at the screen door. We hadn't head his car over the television. "In your pajamas even, Ben? Darry will love this."

"Fine, Kevin," I said, standing up. "Go ahead and tell him. He already doesn't trust me anyway." I stormed out the door past him, telling Ben I'd call him later.

"Bye Scout," Kevin laughed as I hopped over the fence bridge between our houses. I kicked a rock and just narrowly missed breaking a basement window. I didn't care, I was so mad.

I went inside and called Anna to complain. She was sympathetic – more so than Pony had been, anyway, but she was in no hurry to worsen her own situation with Darry, so she treaded lightly in the conversation. She did agree to ask Alison to talk to him about it and maybe lighten up a little, though.

By late afternoon it was so hot and humid I didn't even want to move. I turned on my fan and just lay on my bed, not wanting any parts of my body touching each other. Pony was doing the same thing in his bed, and when Soda got home he took a shower and lay himself down on the couch. I heard Darry's truck pull in and voices. I figured it was Kevin, and I knew I was going to be in for it.

I heard the door slam, his tools drop, and him asking Soda, in a less than happy voice,

"Where's Scout?"

Soda must have fallen asleep because he sounded all confused.

"I don't know. What, is she missing?"

"No, just in trouble."

I didn't move, and in a minute, Darry was coming in my room without even knocking.

"Do you even care about what I say around here, Scout? Do you? I spend all day feeling bad about you saying I don't trust you, only to come home and find that there is a good reason for me not to, since apparently you don't pay any attention to my rule about you and Ben not being alone in the house together."

"Yeah, well, maybe I only did that because it's a dumb rule, anyway. We're not doing anything, Darry. And we don't plan to be. Why should I bother following your rules when you punish me and won't let me go out even when I don't do anything wrong!"

"You're not being punished, Scout, you're being parented."

"Well you're not my parent. Mom would have let me go out."

"Well, we'll never know what she would have done, will we? But I'm the one in charge and this is what I decided, like it or lump it."

I didn't answer; I just glared back.

"Have a nice time on your date!" I spat.

He didn't answer, just turned and shut my door. I heard him mumble something to Soda about how my rebellious teenage years had started and it would be nice if Soda was willing to offer a little more support. I didn't hear Soda's answer.

I waited until I heard Darry shower and leave again before I left my room.

Soda was standing at the stove cooking hot dogs. He looked at me and started to say something but I cut him off.

"Don't, Soda. I don't even want to talk to you about it. You get to go out whenever you want, and you are doing stuff you shouldn't be. I'm not stupid."

He bit his tongue and stayed quiet.

"Are those done?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'm eating outside," I said. I didn't feel like sitting at the table with him and Pony, even though technically I wasn't mad at them. "And don't worry, I'll be sitting on the porch, alone, not sneaking out for a quickie with Ben," I added, sarcastically.

"Scout, don't be like that. It ain't easy for him, either, you know."

"Whatever," I said, taking my hot dog and a bowl of baked beans and sitting out on the front porch. They were a little later than usual, but the storms were rolling in, as they had every day. I watched the lightning in the distance and didn't even budge as the clouds grew nearer and nearer. Finally, as the thunder got near enough to shake the house, Soda came out to get me.

"C'mon Scout, come inside. We won't even talk to you if you don't want. Just… don't scare yourself to death just 'cause you're mad."

I got up and walked past him to my bedroom, shutting my door almost all the way. I sat on my bed and stared at the wall, cringing as the storm passed, but refusing to go out to the living room. Soda and Pony both passed by my door a few times on their way to the kitchen, asking if I was alright, to which I responded with a curt

"I'm fine."

The storm passed, and I took out a pad and pencil and drew for awhile, listening to Pony and Soda talking. After an hour or so, I was so bored and frustrated that I just gave up and decided to go to bed. I actually fell asleep pretty fast, though I awoke to thunder again and heard Darry, who must have just come in. I looked at my clock… eleven thirty. I heard him talking to Soda in his and Pony's bedroom, then I heard him stop at my door.

"Scout?" he whispered.

I ignored him. I'm sure he knew I was awake – I never slept through storms, but he sighed and went down to his own room, where I heard him crawl into bed.

I hardly slept at all, because the storms kept coming, all night long. I was even up the next morning before Darry, and had eaten cereal before he had even made it into the kitchen.

"I'll meet you outside," I said, as he sat down.

"Scout, look, you're gonna have to deal with the fact that I'm the one in charge here. You don't make the rules. Neither did I, when I was twelve."

"Fine, Darry. I know." I went to the porch and waited until he came out, then followed him to the truck and got in. We drove to Coach's house in silence.

Just as I had climbed out and was about to shut the truck door he called me.

"Scout?"

"What?"

"Have a good day. I love you."

"Okay," I mumbled.

I shut the door and turned to go inside.

…………………………………

Laura was having another tantrum.

""She didn't sleep well," Coach told me. "She hates storms."

"Me too," I agreed. They had stopped for the moment but the sky was already getting dark again in the west.

"Well, you know what to do," Coach said, over her screams. "Just let her tire herself out."

"Okay," I said, and he was gone.

So I just listened to her scream, not even bothering to try to calm her since I knew it was futile. Finally, after about an hour, she fell asleep on the living room floor. Unfortunately, just as she was falling asleep, the next storm was rolling in. I hoped she would be tired enough to sleep through it.

She did sleep for a half hour or so, but as the lightning and thunder got more severe, she started to stir and woke up. Thankfully, she was crying but not full-out screaming like before. I had just gone into the kitchen to get her a bottle when I heard it: the tornado siren.

My heart just about stopped. I had no idea where their storm cellar even was. I hadn't seen any doors in the house that didn't lead to a bedroom or bathroom… I figured they must have one that you had to enter from the outside of the house. Two-Bit's house had one like that. I grabbed the bottle and Laura and ran out the back door. I was right, the door was there, a metal ramp-looking thing with doors that opened out. It was starting to hail, and I was horrified when I looked out to the west and actually saw it, the funnel cloud. It looked to be a few miles away, but there was no mistaking what it was. I felt my throat tighten.

I grabbed onto the doors and tugged, having to put Laura down so I could use both hands, but the doors wouldn't budge. I cursed, feeling tears of fear falling. Laura was screaming, not liking the pelting hailstones, considerably bigger than the ones we'd had on Saturday night.

Finally, just as I was about to give up and run back inside the house, I felt a latch under my thumb, under the door handle, and pushed it in, pulling on the door at the same time. It flew open in the wind. I grabbed Laura and dragged her through the door, struggling to close it behind us against the wind. Somehow I managed, and it slammed shut and I heard the latch click, leaving the two of us surrounded by absolute darkness.

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A/N: I'll try to update quick. The next chapter is almost finished.