(August 15th 1965/5:30 PM)

(Ponyboy's POV)

When I walked outside, the sun was so bright that it hurt my eyes. It was really hot that day, so it wasn't the best weather for walking. Usually, I walked by myself and didn't have anyone with me. But sometimes, my older sister Bexley would come along to get out of the house.

Bexley sports dark blonde hair reaching her shoulders, with the top portion lazily tied up in a ponytail, while the back cascades down her neck and bangs sweep across her right forehead. Her eyes are a deep shade of blue, resembling our mom's. Freckles dot her arms and face, adding to her charm.

My sister's personality was what I cherished the most. She had our mom's nurturing nature and she didn't tolerate any nonsense. She's one of the toughest girls I've met and not someone who wears heavy makeup. She's really similar to Sodapop, our other brother. They were twins, but he was born a few minutes before her.

Being noticeably shorter than Sodapop is something the gang always teases her about.

I'm a greaser and hardly anyone in our group bothers to cut their hair. I'm different from the other greasers, I suppose. I enjoy reading books and going to the movies whenever I can. It's something I can do alone.

Sodapop is my brother, and he never reads books. Bexley doesn't either. They're both going to be 17 years old on October 7th, which is coming up soon. Soda has dark brown eyes and his hair is a dark gold color that he usually styles back, just like Bexley.

He constantly wore a happy smile that was impossible not to adore. Unlike Bexley, he left school at sixteen, and got a job at the nearby DX in town. He worked there with his best buddy, Steve Randle.

I'm not like my eldest brother, Darry. He looks after the three of us. He has ever since our parents died in a car accident back in January. He's always on my case over every little thing I do. I was beginning to question if he did love Bexley and Sodapop more than me.

The socs will jump the greasers if they walk alone for too long, which can be really dangerous. It's easy to forget the risk until you find yourself surrounded by them. Darry is strict with Bexley when it comes to going out alone.

The Socs were like the rich kids from the West side, they had everything going for them. They were the lucky ones who had all the advantages. On the other hand, us Greasers may live on the poorer side of town, but we're still wild and unique in our own ways.

Greasers are like hoods, famous for fighting, stealing from gas stations, and cruising in old cars. If Darry had seen me doing any of that, he would definitely skin me. On the other hand, the Socs drink excessively, toss beer cans around for fun, and pick fights with greasers whenever they have the chance.

I was almost home, just two blocks away. But then, I heard a loud noise from a Corvair car and it got my attention. As soon as I heard it, I quickly started walking faster. Sadly, my plan didn't work because the red Corvair suddenly turned and blocked my way.

When the car came to a stop, five Socs stepped out of it. They were all dressed in madras and khaki pants. I felt like I should run, but all the paths were blocked, so I couldn't escape.

A soc inquired, "Why are you alone, Greaser?" I stood there silently, sweat trickling down my spine, unable to come up with a response. What do you even say when you're about to be jumped?

"We're gonna do you a favor, Grease. We're gonna cut off all of that long greasy hair," one of the soc said as he pulled out a blade. That made me feel sick to my stomach. The sunlight gleamed on the blade after that soc opened it. "L-Leave me alone," I stammered, mentally scolding myself for not seeing that coming.

I began to move back, but accidentally ran into another soc who was right behind me. Suddenly, they grabbed me and pushed me to the ground, making me lose my breath. I couldn't move my arms and legs because they were held down.

A socs sat on top of me. I tried to wiggle free, but they were too strong. I was really scared because my whole body was shaking. Suddenly, the soc on top of me delivered two punches to my face, causing my head to snap back. Blood spurted from my mouth due to the force of the blow.

The smell of tobacco was really strong, and it made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Suddenly, I felt something cold against my throat. It was a switchblade, and it gently cut my skin, causing blood to trickle down my neck. "Why don't we give him a nice haircut below the chin?" the soc said to his friends.

I couldn't stop myself anymore. I yelled for Darry, Soda, Bexley, or anyone around. This made the soc with the knife angrier, and he pushed the blade harder against my throat. He forced a handkerchief into my mouth, and when I tried to spit it out, he pushed it in deeper.

"Hey, Greaser! You better pay attention! If you don't keep quiet, we'll teach your siblings a lesson," he warned, which confused me. How did they find out about my brothers and sister?

"Yeah, we know about them. If you don't stay quiet, we're gonna go to your house and kill them. You don't want to know what we'll do with her before we kill her and you," they teased me, now holding a sharp object against my cheek. My heart started beating rapidly in my chest. I felt dizzy and disoriented.

I was really scared when I heard that threat - I didn't want the socs to hurt my family. I couldn't even imagine what they would do to Bexley if they caught her. As I tried to scream, I felt the blade slowly cutting my cheek and it hurt so much.

The soc sitting on my chest reminded me, "Do you really think we've forgotten what you did?" My face turned pale as I instantly recalled what he was referring to. It was clear that they were now seeking revenge, determined to make me suffer as much as possible.

My chest, arms, and legs were stinging from the soc's cuts. The blood seeped through my jacket and shirt, creating a warm sensation against my skin. As for the other socs, they were too occupied with punching and kicking me relentlessly on my ribs, stomach, and face. The impact was so intense that I could almost hear my nose crack.

Every punch and kick caused me excruciating pain, leading me to cry out in agony, while tears streamed down my cheeks. But my screams were muffled by the handkerchief in my mouth. The blade of their knife glistened red in the sunlight.

I couldn't help but wonder why no one heard me. Maybe I was too far for my voice to reach them. I felt the urge to yell once more, but I couldn't risk putting my family in harm's way. The last thing I wanted was for them to suffer because of me.

My whole body was in pain, making it hard to move. I felt lightheaded and could taste blood in my mouth. I really hope those socs would just go away and leave me be.

My vision was blurring, and the pain was unbearable. I don't know how I was even still conscious from how much pain I was in. I didn't even know how I was still conscious. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, a final blow to my head knocked me out cold. I was actually relieved.

Hey guys, I figured it was about time that I give this story a good re-write. I'm doing this with all of my older stories cuz they needed to be updated. Hope you guys enjoy.