The Paths We Take (The Outsiders fanfiction)

(Final Phase Pt 1)

Braids eyes quickly fixed onto the sight in front of her. The sight of expensive cars making their way towards the lot. She slowly started cracking her knuckles as her face contorted into a mischievous smirk as her eyes glared with anger. She was channeling all her rage for Chris. She told the gang over and over how she wanted to swing the first punch at him. She wanted to sock him right in the jaw. To slam him right in his chest. To boot him in his balls. All in all...she wanted to make him suffer. To suffer so bad that he runs home with his tail in between his legs like the spineless coward he sounded like. The description the gang gave of Chris was not needed for Braid. She could tell exactly who he was as he walked all cocky with his peers all following behind. She almost pitied them. To her, they looked like they had no will of their own. No individual thoughts and no passion. Braid could picture a future for them where they only had to go to college for a couple of years, shake a few hands and inherit their fathers career/company. They will no nothing of the real world and because of that, when something unfortunate does happen and no amount of their parents money will make it go away...that's when the struggle of life and the unfair reality will finally kick their heads in. While they will be struggling to walk threw life's hardships, Braid and her family will already be striding.

It wasn't hard for Chris to spot Braid, as she was the only girl at the rumble. He looked at her up and down. Taking in this small, petite fifteen year old that apparently beat the crap out of Bob Sheldon. The girl that he heard rumours of that had lived on the streets and learned to fight from boys. Though...all the sick bastard could focus on was her chest and body. He let out a chuckle as he smiled a most evil grin as he thought of all the filthy things he would love to do to Braid. Even...if it was against her will. "Well well. You must be the famous Braid I've heard so much about" Chris said in a mocking tone as he got closer to the front line of stern face greasers. "Good thing you put your hair up sweetheart, ripping that rats nest out of your greasy scalp would have been my first move." Ponyboy tried to step up to Chris, but Braid predicted his move and put her arm out to stop him in his place. "Listen up, baby harmer" Braid said with booming anger as she spat her words at Chris. "Your mine first! I'll make you wish you've never been born for hurting my daughter, for nearly killing Johnny and for costing Ponyboy his job! Once I'm done with ya...you'll be begging for death before my gang each have a turn with you!"

"Funny" Chris said while sniggering at how serious all the greasers were looking at him. "I was about to say the same to you, slut." No sooner had Chris finished his sentence, Braid punched him right in his face. Just like that, the rumble burst into action as punches, grabs and kicks were seen all around. All the gang were trying to get to Chris Cooper. Each wanting to take a turn on him to act out their revenge. Unfortunately, it was hard to reach him with the amount of socs that pulled and hit them as they desperately tried to move ahead. It was especially difficult for Darry. He was trying very hard to keep an eye on Ponyboy, Braid and Johnny all the while with multiple socs trying to football tackle him to the ground or jump on his back. All he could do was watch out from the corner of his eye as he saw Ponyboy being dragged back by one of Chris's friends to stop him from getting near him.

"Let me go asshole!" Ponyboy shouted with frustration as he tried to hit and kick his way free. "Your all scum! I won't let you or your mouth breather leader hurt my family ever again!"

"CHRIS!!" Johnny angrily yelled as he heard Pony's shouts to break free. "Don't think we don't know what your doing! Ya can't hold us all back!"

"Yeah Asshole!!" Shouted Steve as he dropped kicked a soc in his chest, only to have another one fling himself on top of him a few seconds later. "If you think this is gonna stop us from beating the tar out of ya, your more stupid then you ya look!!"

Chris Cooper didn't like hearing that. Being called stupid, dumb, an idiot by people he considered dirt boiled his blood. Braid took this opportunity to punch Chris as hard as she could in his stomach while he was distracted. She wanted to see all the air leave his body before she pushed him to the ground and finished him off by kicking his face in. Unfortunately, Chris saw right through her plan. As soon as Braid tried to push him, he pushed her down instead and pinned her to the ground. His face was wide with an evil grin as Braid shouted and struggled to break free. "Shut the fuck up you little slut!" Chris said loudly threw gritted teeth as he slapped Braid hard in the face and pushed harder with his knees on her legs and grabbed her throat tight. As Braid felt the cold from the snow push through the layer of her leather jacket and the air struggling to stay in her lungs, she felt something else. She felt Chris Cooper pulling at her jean buttons. She knew what this bastard was trying to do. She just couldn't believe he would try and rape her in the middle of a rumble. "This bastard is dead meat" she thought as she struggled to pull his hand away from her throat and try to claw at his face.

Ponyboy looked up from the ground where a soc had him pinned to. He saw Braid gasping for air, he saw her desperately trying to struggle, but what really gave him the burst of adrenaline to break free and run towards his fiancee was the glimmer of Chris Coopers evil eyes and smile as he pulled at Braids jeans. Ponyboy leaped over fellow greasers and enemy socs. His track had really paid off in this time of need as he ran faster and faster to Braid and Chris. Chris certainly was taken by surprise when he felt Ponys full force tackle as his grip came loose around Braids neck.

As she turned on her side and struggled to catch her breath, Pony was seeing red. The whole gang saw red when they glanced over at Braid, holding her red neck and seeing her top jean button had been ripped off. They all were fighting and pushing to get to Braid and Ponyboy. Two Bit especially as he shouted; "KICK HIS ASS PONYBOY!! SHOW THAT IDIOT SCUMBAG NOT TO MESS WITH OUR GANG EVER AGAIN!!"

"No one...calls me an IDIOT!!" Chris Coopers angered shouts were heard all through out the rumble. Though, what soon followed...was a piercing scream of pain.