Dally didn't say anything, he just stroked my hair, brushing it with his fingers. That's another thing about Dally that I loved. He knew how to do my hair. Mama used to do my hair everyday, but when she died I didn't know how to do my own hair.

One day I was in my room getting ready for school when Dally strolled in and started to French braid my hair without a word. I didn't say anything either because to be honest, I was stunned. He finally asked me to hand him a hair tie so he could tie it off and I fumbled through my drawer to find one. When he was done he told me that if I told anyone about this then he would personally beat the tar out of me.

I thanked him and as soon as he was there he was gone. To this day I still have no idea how he learned to braid hair. It's not like he has a little sister or anything that I know of and I don't know anything about is mom either. Ever since that day he has come to braid my hair a couple times a month and my brothers just assumed I learned how to do it.

The memory snapped me out of my trance and I pulled my face away from Dallys shoulder. "I'm sorry" I didn't even recognize my own voice. It sounded so robotic like I was only going through motions and not even living. Slowly with small metallic movements I got up and strolled out the front door. I caught a bit of Dally telling me to wait as the door slammed shut, but I pretended I couldn't hear him.

I didn't know where I was going, all I knew was I needed to get away from everyone. I walked slowly barely acknowledging where I was going. It wasn't until the screech of a car caught my attention that I realized I was in the street. The screech belonged to a black corvair that was coming straight at me. I froze while I watched the car try to stop before it hit me not even 20 feet away from me. The car stopped inches away from me, my eyes glued to the red corvair symbol on the hood of the car. "Get out of the road!!!" a voice boomed at me.

I started to stumble my way towards the sidewalk until my brain processed the words and I recognized the voice. My blood ran cold and I couldn't stop myself from turning to look at the driver.

That was when Alex's older brother locked eyes with me. I turned quickly hoping he wouldn't recognize me. My hopes were crushed however when his voice returned. "Izzabel, what a lovely surprise seeing you here" his voice dripped with sarcasm "all alone too" he added.

That got me mad, I should be scared I thought to myself. I've been bawling like a baby for days since the incident because I was so scared and now I was in the most danger I had been since that night and I wasn't scared. I was mad. I was mad because not only did he beat me half to death for something I had no control over, he turned all my friends and family into worry robots that didn't speak to me normally around me anymore, and made me a bawling mess who jumped at her own shadow.

He wasn't being fair and he was going to pay for it. I glimpsed over my shoulder pretending to be scared and I looked in the back pleasantly surprised to find that he was alone. I could take him in the state I was in, especially if he was alone.

I started to run towards a nearby alleyway hoping he would follow. I looked back smiling when I saw he had taken the bait. When he ditched his car and came after me down the alley, I made a show of trying to find a way over the chain link fence that blocked the exit of the alley, even letting out a small gasp when I turned around to find him waiting for me.

Little did he know that's exactly where I wanted him. I gave up on the fence and turned to face him, a scared look still on my face. I even started to shake a little but I didn't have to fake it much since it really was cold out.

His smile grew the closer he got, showing all his terribly perfect white teeth. "You just keep falling for the same trap don't you sweetheart" I really wished he'd stop calling me that "guess you can't be pretty and smart." I was boiling with anger at his comment. "I didn't think I'd see you by yourself so soon," he snickered. My mind raced with ideas of what to say back. I have to be strategic about this. "You thought right" I said with a hint of triumph in my voice.

He knew my brothers and I'm sure he'd been laying low the last few days. I watched his expression change and he quickly turned to make sure there was no one else in the ally. I took that as my opportunity to strike him in the side of his face. He stumbled backward, but I didn't wait for a reaction before I went full crazy on him.

He got few good punches in but it did nothing to defend him against the monster I had become. He was on the ground unconscious in what felt like 30 seconds. It brought me joy to see that I had single handedly brought him just as much pain as he did me. The only difference is I was half his size and a girl.

I looked around but found no eyes watching so I swiftly turned and strolled out of the ally, turning back towards my house. I stopped in the lot, sitting on the curb that Curly and I had sat on a week before. My triumph was starting to fade leaving me to feel the throbbing in my face. I knew I must have a killer black eye and when I reached up my hand came away bloody.

I stared at the blood running down my hand. He didn't have a blade, atleast I didnt think he did. I sighed knowing my brothers would have a fit over my new injuries. Just then I heard the rumble of a car, I wasn't worried though because it didn't sound like a nice car. I could tell by the way it rumbled and stuttered that it did belong to a soc.

My predictions were confirmed when Dally came speeding around the corner in Bucks T-Bird. He was probably going 30 over and no doubt heading to my place. I froze hoping he wouldn't see me and he didn't. I got up and walked the rest of the way to my house.

It was only a five minute walk. I was surprised to see Darry's truck parked in the driveway when the house came into view. Soda had dropped Darry off at his work site and then took the truck to the DX. But that was only a few hours ago, it was probably no later than 1:00pm and Soda doesn't get off until 4:00.

My confusion only grew when I stepped up into the driveway and could hear shouts coming from inside the house. I climbed the three steps up to the porch and took a deep breath before stepping inside the house.