Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Introductions | 3 |

"I'm 16 actually, I just have a young face."

"Wow, okay then." I look at the card spread "What're you guys playing?"

"Poker." Ponyboy says putting down a card

"Poker? What're you gambling?"

"Money, cigarettes, etc." Johnny says putting down another card

"Lemme join." I say sitting down beside them

"You play poker?" He gives me a skeptical look

"I rule at poker. I've been playing it with my friends for years." They give each other looks but let me join.

   It's been an hour and a half, I've won $34, 2 packs of cigarettes, a pocket knife, and can of hair grease. Pony stopped playing 30 minutes ago so Dallas and Soda joined in his place. I'm killing it. "Oh c'mon!" Soda shouts, I had just won.

"Sorry boys!" I said in a cocky tone "But I think I'm done," I stand and start to pick up my earnings. "Oh I don't want these, do you want them? I don't smoke." I held up the packs of cigarettes.

   Dallas grabs them out of hand and immediately starts smoking one "Thanks doll."

    I walk away from the game and sit down on the couch next to Two-Bit and Steve. Two-Bit pulls out a beer from somewhere and offers it to me "Here, or do you not drink either?" Back in California I got drunk once or twice and it and was a lot of fun but I haven't since then, I got scared that I would get addicted or something. After a moment of thinking about it I grab the beer out of his hand and start drinking.

   I got really drunk, we all did, after I started drinking, Steve and Dallas did as well, and after an hour or so the only ones who were still sober were Soda and Ponyboy. I have never laughed so hard in my entire goddamn life, it was so much fun. We didn't really do anything that funny but we all just kept laughing. "Heyyyy what ime is it?" I slurred out

"Almost 10." Ponyboy answers. Uh oh. My curfew is 9.

"Oh shit," I tried to stand up but I was wobbling. "I gotta geett home!" I started making my way to the door when Soda caught up to me.

"You're not walking home this drunk." He stood in front of the door, blocking my way out.

"Oh come onnnnnn," The room was slightly spinning "My mom isss gonna kill mee! My curfew is 9."

He looks around for a minute "Fine, but I'm going with you." He moves out of the way a little bit and we  leave. The walk goes by in a blur, I'm at my house before I know it.

"Thiss is my placee" I point to my house "I live here."

"Okay," he gives me a hug "hopefully your mom won't be too mad at you." And he starts walking off. Im gonna have to act sober, crap. I stand outside for a second trying to force the world to stop spinning, and I walk in.

The door quietly closes behind me "Where were you?" Theo asks peeking out of his room.

"At my frienndss."

"You're drunk?" He whisper-yells.

"No." I say whilst still wobbling.

He lets out a disappointed sigh "Mom went to bed around 8 so she doesn't know you got home late. Go to bed and we'll talk in the morning."

I slam into him giving him a hug "I lovveee youuu."

He pushes me off "You smell like beer. And you look like shit, go to bed." I hobble up stairs and into my room, once I get to it I collapse on my bed and almost immediately pass out.