The Outsiders: Wanted

Chapter 11: Ambivalent

The day dragged on as always, agonizingly slowly and boring. Ponyboy sat at his desk in algebra, tapping his pencil absent mindedly as he stared out the window. He had a sub in this class, automatically making it a silent study for the whole period. Feeling an all too familiar jab in his side, making him jump slightly, turning his head to glare at the soc behind him, only to get a smirk in return.

"What, squeak toy broken today?" the soc asked mockingly as he ran the eraser end of his pencil up the auburn's spine, in between his shoulder blades and up the back of his neck, making the young greaser shudder at the unwanted ticklish sensation .

"C'mon, make some noise for us squeak toy," the soc beside the one in back of the auburn said, flicking Ponyboy in the back of the ear, making the greaser hiss in pain. The socs chuckled at the young greaser, watching as he rubbed his sore ear lightly as to ease the pain.

"Ahem!" a loud cough rang from across the room, getting the classes' attention as they looked up from their work, but more importantly getting the socs' attention as well as Pony's. "If there is a problem gentlemen, feel free to see me after class, if not, I don't see why we can't keep our hands to ourselves - now, is there a problem?" the substitute asked, walking slowly down the isle that the boys were seated in, his hands folded behind his back as he eyed each boy; waiting for a response from any of them. "Well is there gentlemen?" the man asked, getting rueful shakes of heads and mumbled no's as a response. "Good, now leave the classroom," just as the man uttered the words, the bell rang, dismissing the students from their classes. Ponyboy let out a sigh of relief as he walked down to his next class, health.

"Pony!" Two-Bit shouted down the hall, getting his friends attention as he ran up to him.

"Hey Two-Bit, need some more help with math?" Pony asked, walking to his class a bit slower with his friend beside him.

"Nah, just felt like walkin' with ya 'sall," Two-Bit shrugged, laying his arm across the younger greaser's shoulders.

"Okay," Ponyboy chuckled a bit, walking along with the rusty haired teen beside him.

"Guess I'll catch ya at lunch," Two-Bit said, waving lazily before walking away, "Hey Johnny Cakes," Two-Bit said as the dark skinned boy walked past him towards Pony.

"Hi," Johnny said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips at his rusty haired friend.

"C'mon Johnny, before we're late," Ponyboy said, tugging on his friends sleeve lightly. The two greasers made it in just before the bell rang, getting seats right next to one another.

"Alright," the teacher's voice seemed to boom in the chattering classroom, getting the students' attention before he began, "As you all may have figured, this is health," the teacher said, getting a few giggles from some of the immature students in the class.

"I am Mr. Kranderson, I will be teaching this class, whether you part take in this class or not will be up to you and I will grade accordingly," Mr. Kranderson said, leaning up against the desk at the front of the room, scanning the rows of desks with his eyes as he looked at each student. "Seeing where you placed yourselves in the rows of desks, I'm guessing it's near your friends, I have no problem with it as long as there is notrouble or unnecessary talking going on between you when I am talking or teaching," the man said flatly before continuing on, "Now, what you will need for this class is a folder and a notebook, the health books will be distributed to you tomorrow, any questions so far?" the teacher asked, looking for any raised hands, finding none, he continued, "Good, now what we will be learning first is the body- how it works, the different muscles and bones, and the reproduction process. Which brings us to what we will be learning after that, STD'S, Sexually Transmitted Disease's- the best way of preventing them from happening is not having sex at all, but we both know that that isn't going to happen, so please have safe sex, in other words - use a condom," the man said as he looked at the class. The class drawled on as the man continued to explain about the class and what they would be doing. At long last the bell rang, students spilling out of the classrooms and into the halls.