Chapter 4

(Sunday, the day before the first day of school)

Harley

My grandmother had come through, unbeknownst to my family, and had helped me line up my tutoring gig. Many of the kids I would be tutoring would be student-athletes making sure they stayed eligible for their sports and helping them prepare for their last-minute SAT and ACTs. Ford is not going to be happy that many of his fellow football players are getting tutored by me, I thought worriedly. Hopefully, he won't find out.

The past week since bonding more with the gang, I've been hanging out across the street at the Curtis house and getting a lot of alone time with Pony and getting to know him better. I was starting to like him and I think he liked me too. We seemed to understand each other. We both felt like outsiders in our own families and our passion for writing. I explained to him my passion for true crime how I enjoyed doing research at the library when I had the chance and how I wanted to be an investigative journalist. The rest of my time was prepping for my classes to start tomorrow, getting the list of colleges I wanted to apply to lined up for early decision, getting my tutoring appointments scheduled, and trying to avoid Ford. Ford being at football practice many days and hanging out with the team took up most of his time, so I didn't have to try that hard to avoid him. But, to my chagrin, Ford just got home after the last practice before school started and he seemed in a terrible mood.

I heard the door slam. "Harley!" Ford screamed as he entered the house. This made me shake in my boots and I stayed quiet in my bedroom hoping he would think that I wasn't home. The next thing I knew I was picked up off my bed like a rad doll and thrown across the room and I slammed into the wall with a sickening thud. I felt all the air get knocked out of my lungs as I hit the wall, and my head started swimming. I must have a concussion, I thought. "Why are you interfering with my friends on the team?" Ford shrieked. Oh no, I thought. This isn't good. Ford found out and there was no one to notice. But it wasn't like my parents cared unless it affected our reputation and their work. "I didn't interfere with anything Ford," I whimpered looking at him as best as I could which was hard because my vision was still swimming. "Don't lie to me!" Ford shrieked as he kicked me multiple times in the rib cage with as much force as he could. The pain from his kicks was vibrating through my body and was sharp as well. I wouldn't be surprised if I had cracked ribs from this. "They told me you were going to be tutoring them!" Ford continued. "What is your agenda? Huh?" The next thing I knew he picked me up by my shirt collar and pressed me up against the wall. I winced in agony from the pain coming from my ribcage and the sheer movement. "Answer me," Ford yelled. "I just wanted some extra cash," I cried out. "That's all Ford. Please believe me." Tears were streaming down my face and my voice was pleading. "I promise I won't jeopardize your friendship or your reputation." That seemed to appease Ford because he loosened up his grip on me and he started lowering me down. Then all of a sudden he tightened his grip again and started pummeling me. My nose started gushing blood all over my shirt. "You better not," Ford spat at me. Then he dropped me like a stone and strode out of my room, out of the house, got into the car, and drove away. I lay there for a moment whimpering. I knew I needed help when I heard a rumble of a truck outside. I slowly lifted myself trying to get through the pain and noticed that it was getting dark. My parents should be home in the next couple of hours, but I can't let them see me like this, I thought. Just then I saw Darry's car pull into the driveway with Soda in the car coming back from his shift at the DX. A lightbulb went off in my head. I could go over there for help.

I slowly made my way out of the house and checked my surroundings to make sure that no one was around to notice. As soon as I got close enough to Curtis's car, I rapped on the window. Darry turned around, evidently startled, and made eye contact with me. I saw his jaw drop and he immediately opened the door. While he did this Soda ran around the car to me. "What the hell happened Harley?" Darry asked with concern. Soda gently steered me towards their house as they tried to get me inside. I looked Darry in the eye and mumbled, "Ford." That was the only thing that I could mumble before I lost consciousness.

Darry's POV:

Today was a long day because my boss had me come in for some extra hands-on-deck situation. I didn't mind though, because we could use the extra cash. I had just picked up Soda from his shift at the DX. Steve and Two-Bit were going to be meeting us back at the house later. I was assuming that Harley would stop by later. I knew she couldn't stand being in the house with her brother. Ford reminded me of the Socs on the football team that I used to play with. Not all of them were bad, but a lot of them were intense and had the worst ways of acting out their anger. It didn't help that her parents didn't do anything to stop his actions. I felt really bad for her, but she had the gang and it seemed that Pony and her were getting along, so I was hopeful. They would make a cute couple. The rest of the gang thought so unbeknownst to Pony and Harley. They were oblivious.

"How was work little buddy?" I asked Soda as we drove home. I knew he had to be beet too. "It was good," Soda said with a yawn. "It was made better though that Steve was working the same shift. Also Two-Bit visited us." "That's nice," I said with a smirk. I knew that Two-Bit can be a pain in the butt especially at the DX. The boss at the DX didn't like Two-Bit that much, so he snuck in when he could. "How was your day Dar?" Soda asked. "You know," I said with a sigh. "Nothing like the all-hands-on-deck overtime shift." Soda chuckled.

Before I knew it we were pulling into the driveway. Soda and I sat there in silence for a minute since we knew it was going to be a loud night since Two-Bit, Steve, and Pony started school tomorrow. If Two-Bit could maintain some decent grades, he would be graduating this year along with Steve and Harley. Soda would've too if he had not dropped out of school. "Ready to go in, little buddy?" I asked Soda, looking over at him. "Yeah, I wonder what Pony made," Soda said. Before we could move I heard a knock on my window which startled me. I whipped around and saw Harley standing there with wide glazed-over eyes, a bruised and battered face, and blood streaming down onto her shirt from her nose. This had me shocked at my core. Who did this to her, I wondered in disbelief. Surly not her brother. As I was opening my door slowly to not startle her, Soda was already behind her trying to steady her on her feet. "What the hell happened Harley?" I asked Harley with concern. Soda started trying to move her toward the house, but she could hardly move. She was shaking and it looked like it hurt her to move. "Ford," she whispered. The next thing I knew she crumbled to the ground, but Soda caught her before she completely fell. I was only stunned for a second. "Get her into the truck Soda," I said sternly. "Let me get Pony, and then we are going to the hospital." Soda nodded in shock and carried her back to the car.

I opened the door to the house to the smell of fried eggs and double chocolate cake, which was Pony's staple. It made my mouth water, but I knew it had to wait. "Pony," I called. "We need to get to the hospital." I saw Pony whip around the corner. "What for," Pony said with concern tinging his voice. "It's Harley," I said softly. Harley and he had grown close in the past week, so I was trying to address him softly. "She has been hurt badly, we have to take her there. Go wait in the car with Soda and Harley, and I will meet you there. I'm going to call Steve and Two-Bit to meet us there." Pony nodded wide-eyed and mouth agape. He also had tears streaming down his face. I checked to make sure that the stove and oven were off before I made the calls. I decided to call up Two-Bit first. "Hello," Two-Bit slurred. Gosh, he was already drunk. "Hey, Two-Bit, it's Darry," I said urgently. "What couldn't wait until I saw you in a couple of hours?" Two-Bit asked. "I need you to meet me at the hospital," I told him straightforwardly. Which was the only way to get through to Two-Bit in general, but especially when he was drunk. "Harley is hurt." "I'll meet you there," Two-Bit said in a way that made it seem like the news sobbered him up. Next, I called Steve. "Hey, what's up," Steve said when he picked up. "Hey Steve, it's Darry. I need you to meet us at the hospital. Harley's hurt pretty bad." I told him. "I'll meet you there in a jiffy," Steve said and was gone before I could say anything else.

I raced out to the car and jumped in. Soda was in the passenger seat while Pony was holding Harley's head in his lap. "How is she doing kiddo?" I asked Pony with concern. "She is breathing raggedly and hasn't regained consciousness," Pony said with concern and tears streaming down his face. This isn't good, I thought. I immediately pulled out of our driveway and drove as quickly as I could to the hospital. When we got there I picked up Harley out of the backseet and carried her into the emergency room. "Please, help her," I begged as I entered the emergency room. "Our sister was injured pretty badly." The doctors and nurses ran over to us. "What is her name and age?" I was asked. "She is 16 and her name is Harley," I whispered. "Is there any guardian that can be called?" The nurse asked. "Our grandmother," Soda offered. I glared at Soda out of the corner of my eye. "Good, give her a call, we need a guardian present after we treat her." The nurse said as she walked away following the doctors pushing Harley away on a gurney. "How are we going to call her grandmother," I asked Soda angrily. "You're the one that said she was our sister," Soda snapped back. That was true, I thought. I couldn't argue with him there. "I have her phone number," Pony whispered, seemingly coming out of his shock. "She gave it to me this week. She said in case there was an emergency with her. It was more reliable than her parents." This made my heart ache for her. "Give me the phone number," I told Pony and held out my hand. Pony handed over the piece of paper with a phone number on it. I walked over to the phone and dialed the number.

"Hello, this is Helen Adams." I heard a crisp proper voice on the other end say. "Who is speaking?" "Hello, Mrs. Adams," I said in my most stern voice. "This is Darrel Curtis, Sodapop and Pony's older brother." There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Ah, Mr. Curtis." Mrs. Adams responded. "What can I do for you at this hour?" "I'm sorry for calling at this hour, but it is about Harley," I said feeling my voice start to crack. "We are at the hospital. It seems that she has been beaten badly and we need a guardian here." I heard a gasp on the other end. "I'll be right over," Mr.s Adams whispered. Then the line went dead.

As I walked back to Pony and Soda in the waiting room, Steve and Two-Bit walked into the hospital. "Over here guys," I called to them. "What happened?" Steve asked with a furrowed brow. "Her brother apparently," Soda said with anger in his voice. "It looks like he picked a fight with her. We don't know when and why, but she walked over to our car and scared the daylights out of Darry and me. The only thing she could say when we asked her who did this was Ford." Two-Bit and Steve started angrily pacing back and forth while we waited for news and her grandmother arrived.

Pony's POV:

It was my job to make dinner for today since Darry was called in at the last minute and Soda was working a shift at the DX. Today was a little bit of a lonely day because Harley couldn't hang out as much as she usually does because of her prepping for her tutoring sessions and prepping for her AP courses. I admired her, she was much more dedicated to school than I was, and that was saying something. I decided to make fried eggs and my extra chocolate cake because that was Darry and Soda's favorite, and I thought today caused for celebration because it was the last day before school started. Per that, Steve and Two-Bit would be coming by later. I couldn't wait to go back to school.

I heard the truck pull up in the driveway and I knew that my brothers would be in any moment. Good thing I just finished the dinner, I thought. Soda would have killed me if I hadn't finished it when they got here. I started tidying up the dirty dishes and putting out the servings when I heard someone barge in. "Pony," Darry's voice called. "We need to get to the hospital." I whipped around the corner with a heavy dread in my voice. Was it Soda? I thought horrified. Did something happen at the DX? "What for," I asked quietly. "It's Harley," Darry said softly. I felt my hands grow cold and my heart dropped in my chest. "She has been hurt badly, we have to take her there. Go wait in the car with Soda and Harley, and I will meet you there. I'm going to call Steve and Two-Bit to meet us there," Darry said sternly.

I could barely contain myself. I felt tears streaming down my face. Who could do this?, I wondered. Ford, that's who. I then felt anger and bile rise into my throat as I made my way outside to the truck. Soda was in the backseat cradling Harley's head. I gasped when I opened the door. "Harley!" I shrieked. "Hush, honey," Soda said quietly. "She can't hear you. She collapsed. "Let me hold her," I begged Soda. "I'll sit with her while you sit up front with Darry." Soda gave me a sympathetic look and then looked down at Harley with concern. He complied though. As Soda got in the front passenger seat, I slid into the back seat next to Harley and gently moved her head into my lap. I heard a small groan of pain escape her lips. I decided to go against my better judgment and scan her face. All over her face were dark bruises and it looked like her nose would be broken and had blood oozing out of it. I slowly lifted her tank top and noticed bruises on her rib cage. This is so bad, so bad. The next thing I knew Darry was getting in the car. "How is she doing kiddo?" Darry asked me. "She is breathing raggedly and hasn't regained consciousness," I said with concern and tears streaming down my face. I couldn't even look up Darry or I thought I would lose it.

When we arrived at the hospital, Darry carried Harley into the hospital. Everything from there was a haze. Did Darry just call Harley are sister though? They need a guardian…. Her grandmother!

"We can all our grandmother," Soda said like he was reading my mind. That was bizarre. Why do Darry and Soda have to fight? Just why? I need to put an end to it. We need to be here for Harley, not at each other's throats. "I have her phone number," I whispered. Soda and Darry looked at me in shock. I guess I haven't said anything in a while. Oh well. I handed Darry Mrs. Adams's phone number and he walked away. I went back into shock until Steve and Two-Bit came busting into the waiting room. "What happened?" Steve asked with a furrowed brow. "Her brother apparently," Soda said with anger in his voice. "It looks like he picked a fight with her. We don't know when and why, but she walked over to our car and scared the daylights out of Darry and me. The only thing she could say when we asked her who did this was Ford." Two-Bit and Steve started angrily pacing back and forth while we waited for news and her grandmother arrived.

Mrs. Adams finally arrived at the hospital. But, by that time we still haven't heard from the doctors yet. "Where is Harley?" Mrs. Adams asked frantically. "Where is my granddaughter? How is she?" I couldn't answer her, I couldn't make eye contact. "Mrs. Adams, I'm Darry," Darry said introducing himself to Harley's grandmother. "We haven't heard anything about Harley, but she was beaten. When we asked who did this, she said it was her brother Ford." Mrs. Adams's eyes brimmed with sorrow and then fury. "Has this happened before?" Mrs. Adams asked furiously. "I'm not sure if ever to this extent, but Ford has beaten Harley before," I told Mrs. Adams quietly. Everyone wurrled around and looked at me in shock. Everyone just sat in silence while Mrs. Adams went up to the receptionist and talked to her with intensity. Half an hour later a doctor came out in scrubs. Everyone jumped up and he looked at us all hesitantly.

"It's all right," Mrs. Adams said. "These are all Harley's brothers and the rest of my grandchildren." The gang looked at each other in surprise. A Soc grandmother was calling us Greasers her family. That was a first. The doctor cleared his throat. "Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Harley suffered a concussion and a few cracked ribs from blunt force trauma which could have been caused by kicking. She also had a broken nose, which I was able to fix and make sure that it won't show any signs of it as requested by Mrs. Adams," the doctor said sternly. "She is out of surgery and awake. If she does fine in the next couple of hours we will discharge her to go home tonight." Everyone sighed with relief. "You can go and see her," the doctor said.

We all followed behind the doctor and Mrs Adams to the pediatric unit. We entered one of the rooms and Harley was sitting up with a smile as she saw us. "Hey guys," Harley said with a croak. "It's good to see you guys." I couldn't handle it. I barreled over to her and gave her a big hug. She winced in pain. "Careful now, Pony. I'm still soar." Harley chuckled and winced. "Sorry Harley," I mumbled. "I'm just so grateful that you are ok." Harley gave me a smile and a peck on the cheek which caused me to blush. Then she looked over at Darry and Soda. "Thanks for getting me here," Harley said with a blush. "I'm sorry for ruining everyone's night, especially yours grandmother." "It was no problem at all," Soda said. "We are just glad you are ok," Darry said. "You had us all worried kiddo." Two-Bit and Steve nodded. "It was no inconvenience at all sweetheart," Mrs. Adams said soothingly. "I think I can speak for all of us when I ask what happened and why Ford did this to you." Harley blushed. "It's no big deal," Harley said. "Ford was just upset because some of the football team will be some of the kids I tutor this year and he doesn't want me to interfere with the social scene of his quote-in-quote Soc status." Everyone's jaws dropped. "That doesn't mean he can pummel you," Two-Bit said in shock. "Do you need me to go dropkick his ass?" Steve asked fuming. "No, no, no," Harley said with her eyes going wide in fright. "That would just make it worse. It would just be best to let it go and move on. Sure it might look bad, but it could be worse. It's happened before, maybe not this bad in a while, but it has happened. I shouldn't be saying this, but it was one of the main reasons we moved here besides the good pay. Some of the things I told you last week, Pony can set Ford off. The way I look at him, if I breathe funny, if I come too close to his friends or circle, or if I make a comment. It could even get some sort of acknowledgment for something I've done academically. The doctors in Detroit were catching on something was going on because of the doctor's visits so we had to move." My heart started to break even more. Everyone wanted to be there for Harley, I could tell by their faces. "This is unacceptable," Mrs. Adams said furiously. "How could your parents allow this to happen? It is inexcusable! You'll need to move in with me!" "Please don't do anything!" Harley shrieked. "I'll be ok. I promise." "We can be her safe space," Darry offered. "Our door is always open Harley, day or night if you feel threatened by Ford." "Thanks, Darry," Harley whispered. Mrs. Adams seemed to relax. "Just let me know if this happens again, I'll be right back to take care of everything." Mrs. Adams said. "Don't worry. I've also covered the bill, so you're parents won't know." Harley sighed in relief.

A couple of hours later, Harley was cleared to go back home and we all filed out of the hospital at 11 p.m. Harley hugged her grandmother goodbye and everyone followed us back to our house. When we got back to the house the party started with the cake and the fried eggs. "Harley, you can stay with us tonight," Darry said. "Thanks, Darry, but that isn't necessary," Harley said. "I think it's for the best," Darry said firmly. "Just to let Ford blow off steam. Do I need to go and tell your parents?" "They won't even notice if I'm gone," Harley said softly. "They are probably already asleep." This made my heart break. When everyone was going to bed for the night. I grabbed Harley and dragged her into the corner to ask her a question. "I know this is abrupt, but I wanted to let you know that I started having feelings for you Harley," I said with a blush. "So have I," Harley said to my surprise. Before I could say anything she asked, "Would you like to be my boyfriend?" I was floored. "I would love to," I whispered. This was a wonderful end to a summer and a horrible night.

Harley's POV:

The next thing I knew I was waking up in a hospital bed and a doctor was hovering over me. "Hi Harley, I'm Dr. Daniels. I did your surgery," the doctor introduced himself. I groaned as I was sore all over. "I was able to set your cracked ribs and fix your broken nose. You have a mild concussion which should go away in a few days. If you do well in the next couple of hours you can go home. Is it ok if I go get your family?" "Sure that's no problem," I said wearily. What family is he talking about? Hopefully not my parents and Ford. I sat myself up in bed to get myself better prepared.

The next thing I knew the gang was coming into the room along with my grandmother. I was so relieved that I smiled. All of sudden Pony had me around the waist, hugging the daylights out of me which caused my ribs to be smart. "Hey guys," I said with a croak. "It's good to see you guys. "Careful now, Pony. I'm still soar." I chuckled and winced. Laughing hurt also. "Sorry Harley," Pony mumbled. That made me feel guilty "I'm just so grateful that you are ok." I gave Pony a smile and a peck on the cheek which caused him to blush. Then I looked over at Darry and Soda. "Thanks for getting me here," I said. "I'm sorry for ruining everyone's night, especially yours grandmother." I looked over at my grandmother "It was no problem at all," Soda said. "We are just glad you are ok," Darry said. "You had us all worried kiddo." Two-Bit and Steve nodded. "It was no inconvenience at all sweetheart," my grandmother said soothingly. "I think I can speak for all of us when I ask what happened and why Ford did this to you." I blushed. "It's no big deal," I said. "Ford was just upset because some of the football team will be some of the kids I tutor this year and he doesn't want me to interfere with the social scene of his quote-in-quote Soc status." Everyone's jaws dropped. "That doesn't mean he can pummel you," Two-Bit said in shock. "Do you need me to go dropkick his ass?" Steve asked fuming. "No, no, no," I said with my eyes going wide in fright. "That would just make it worse. It would just be best to let it go and move on. Sure it might look bad, but it could be worse. It's happened before, maybe not this bad in a while, but it has happened. I shouldn't be saying this, but it was one of the main reasons we moved here besides the good pay. Some of the things I told you last week, Pony can set Ford off. The way I look at him, if I breathe funny, if I come too close to his friends or circle, or if I make a comment. It could even get some sort of acknowledgment for something I've done academically. The doctors in Detroit were catching on something was going on because of the doctor's visits so we had to move." "This is unacceptable," my grandmother said furiously. "How could your parents allow this to happen? It is inexcusable! You'll need to move in with me!" "Please don't do anything!" I shrieked. "I'll be ok. I promise." "We can be her safe space," Darry offered. "Our door is always open Harley, day or night if you feel threatened by Ford." "Thanks, Darry," I whispered. Grandmother seemed to relax. "Just let me know if this happens again, I'll be right back to take care of everything." my grandmother said. "Don't worry. I've also covered the bill, so you're parents won't know." I sighed in relief.

A couple of hours later, I was cleared to go back home and we all filed out of the hospital at 11 p.m. I hugged my grandmother goodbye and everyone followed us back to the Curtis house. When we got back to the house the party started with the cake and the fried eggs. "Harley, you can stay with us tonight," Darry said. "Thanks, Darry, but that isn't necessary," I said. I felt like an embarrassment, and I didn't want to be a burden. "I think it's for the best," Darry said firmly. "Just to let Ford blow off steam. Do I need to go and tell your parents?" "They won't even notice if I'm gone," I said softly. "They are probably already asleep." When everyone was going to bed for the night. Soda grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the corner I don't know what for. "I know this is abrupt, but I wanted to let you know that I started having feelings for you Harley," Pony said with a blush. "So have I," I said with conviction. Before Pony could say anything I asked, "Would you like to be my boyfriend?" That seemed to shock Pony. "I would love to," Pony whispered. I couldn't wait until tomorrow.