I climbed the steps in the school to my locker in Soc's row. My head was thumping with pain. I wasn't sure if it was because of everything I was thinking of or if it was my lack of sleep. I reached my floor and began looking for Owen. I wanted nothing more than to talk to him about everything that was on my mind.
"Scout!" Owen's voice called to me from thirty lockers away. He came to me, wearing his letterman jacket and holding a stack of books in his hands. Pete, Alex, and Bethany tagged behind him. "Pete just got done telling me you were hassled yesterday by some greaser kid."
His description of James caught my attention because it was the first time I could remember him ever referring to someone as a greaser. I stopped at my locker and pulled the door open. James being back in town bothered me, but his presence was the least of my worries. "I was, but I'm fine. Pete and Two-Bit were around to help me out." I smiled at Owen's friend. "Thanks, Pete."
"Anytime!" Pete smiled back. I liked him.
"Who was the kid?" Owen inquired, and his friends stayed close for any extra information they may hear.
"James," I told him without embellishing. I knew that Owen knew who James was, and what our history had been. "He's out of reformatory school and back in town."
"Do you think he's going to be a problem?" Owen asked.
"I doubt it." I said with a tired exhale. I didn't plan to waste a moment of my thoughts on a boy I didn't care for. I gathered the books for my classes in my hands, and Owen took them from me as I expected he would. I shut the metal locker door. "I tried to call you last night, but you were not at home."
"I took Olivia out for ice cream cause my parents were arguing. There were still yelling when we got back. I didn't want any part of it, so I put Olivia to bed then I went straight to bed too." Owen stacked his own schoolbooks on top of mine, bid goodbye to his friends, and gently placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me down the hallway to my classroom.
"Do you have to work after school?"
"No. I got all my work done yesterday." Owen grinned. "I was hoping you and I could go to Rusty's for a Coke after school, if you think Darry would let you."
"Darry won't care as long as I'm home for dinner and I get my homework done. Besides, I have got something important to talk to you about."
"Is it serious?" Owen's face showed concern as we stopped outside the door to my classroom.
"No," I lied a little. "It's just that I have a big decision to make, and I want your opinion as to what I should do."
The boy smiled. "Okay, it's a date then. I'll see you at lunch." Owen leaned down and kissed me quickly on the cheek before leaving for his own classroom.
I tried to concentrate during my morning classes, but my headache persisted. I looked forward to lunch. I was hungry. When the bell rang I rushed out of the classroom only to hustle down the hall and unexpectedly meet up with Two-Bit. It was no accident on his part. He knew right where I was going to be. He grabbed my arm, and pulled me towards the doorway that led to the parking lot. "Come on Sissy, let's go to lunch."
I scowled at Two-Bit as he pulled me along. "Not today, Two-Bit. I'm going to lunch in the cafeteria with Owen."
"Nope," Two-Bit commanded. "You're coming with us today. I found out some news you and the boys are going to want to hear."
My hunger pained, but my interest peaked. Two-Bit was only bossy when it was necessary. I decided to follow Two-Bit through the parking lot to Steve's car where Steve was waiting behind the wheel, and Ponyboy was sitting in the backseat. I climbed into the back with my brother. Two-Bit slid onto the passenger's seat.
Steve started the car and looked at me in his rearview mirror. "What are you coming along for?"
"I made her come along," Two-Bit answered for me, and turned his body to give consideration to all three of us. "We've got a bit of a problem that I wanted ya'll to know about." He had our attention as Steve drove the car out of the school parking lot. "That boy James that was bothering you yesterday. He aint runnin' with Shepard's gang anymore."
Steve, who only heard about my problem with James on the morning drive to school, groaned at the news. "Are you serious? Damn, that s the worst!"
Ponyboy sat forward in his seat, confused by the information. "I don't get it. Why does it matter whose gang he is hanging with?"
"Geez! Come on Pony!" Steve yelled wishing Ponyboy kept better tabs on the unwritten rules of the gangs in the neighborhood. "It means, if he aint running with Shepard's gang no more, then he don't have to follow the rule that he can't mess with Scout no more."
Ponyboy was as confused as he was concerned. "What?"
Two-Bit looked at Ponyboy, and jumped into the conversation. Two-Bit spoke with more care then Steve. "Remember a year ago when James wouldn't leave Scout alone?"
"Yes." Ponyboy answered.
"Remember the rumble with Shepard's gang?"
Ponyboy had only been in two rumbles in the last year, so he hadn't forgotten either of them. "Yes."
"The agreement was, if we beat Shepard's gang, James couldn't mess with Scout anymore. But he aint with Shepard's gang now, so the deal is off. He don't have to leave Sissy alone if he don't want to."
"Oh," Ponyboy said blankly and looked to me for my response.
Steve piped up. "Why isn't he with Shepard's gang anymore?"
Two-Bit turned forward in his seat. His voice grew low as if he didn't wan the kids in the back to hear. "Know that red headed girl, Rhonda, that Tim had been running with?"
"Yeah," Steve responded.
"Seems James decided to have his way with her, without her permission, if you know what I mean."
"What?" Steve asked less in question and more in shock to hear the news.
"That's what I heard from one of the Weston boys," Two-Bit answered. No one doubted the information. No one in the gang had more knowledge of the happenings in the neighborhood than Two-Bit did.
"If he isn't running with Tim Shepard, who's he running with now?" Ponyboy asked, and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket.
"Northside Boys." Two-Bit replied and lit his Zippo lighter for Pony's cigarette. No one spoke. We all knew the Northside Boys was one of the roughest gangs in the city. They didn't care much about brotherhood, honor, or rules. They were cruel, violent, and ruthless. There would be no 'fight for honor' in the vacant lot with the Northside Boys. They only fought for fun, for blood, and for death.