Baby » The Outsiders

Chapter 9

Babydoll's POV:

"You did what," I yell.

Darry sits in the old chair dad used to sit in every morning and evening reading his paper or a book. Darry looks up. His eyes swollen.

"I-It was an accident-"

He brakes. Soda comes from the couch to Darrel. Soda looks worse. His eyes are bloodshot, dry tears paint his face, dark circles eat their way from under his skin to the surface near his eyes, and his skin has turned a sickly pale.

I look away from him and to the clock. 6:34. I should call Tasha and tell her I'm on my way soon.

"Baby," Soda says, "did you see him by any chances? Like did you go for a walk last night like ya used to?"

"No," I say, "I was doing something last night."

"What?"

"That does n't matter."

"She was at Buck's last night," someone says from behind me. "Grinding on some boy."

I turn around to see Dallas. His face was expressionless. I feel my jaw clench as I see his smirk appear. Oh, how I hate that smirk.

"Oh," Dallas says, "didn't think I'd tell, did ya?"

"You're an ass."

"Well, at least I didn't drink and let someone continue to touch me."

"Babydoll," Soda says. I ignore him.

"Well, at least I don't sleep around or get them drunk enough to agree."

"I do not-"

"Oh, so you don't have sex almost every other day."

"I-"

"Let's not forget that one girl you did co-"

I was cut off by Dallas slapping me across the face. I look at him as I put a hand on my face. He looks at me for a second.

Third Person POV:

Babydoll and Dallas stand there for a second. Dallas's eyes say 'He didn't mean to.' But Babydoll says this. She rams him. She goes full force on him and knocks him down. The two switch back and forth from being the dominant being. Dallas takes Babydoll's nails to his face and her knee to his groin and lowers stomach.

Babydoll takes his first to her face. She knows bruises are coming shortly. She can hear her brothers shouting at them. As she gains dominance for the third time in the fight, she feels someone grab her. As she's pulled off of Dallas, she notices Steve and Sodapop holding her away from Dallas as Darrel and Two-bit holding Dallas away from Babydoll. But the two of them still squirm in the others' grips.

"Stop it both of you," Darrel says.

Babydoll looks at the floor. Her nose is bleeding. Her blood falls onto the hardwood floor.

"Now," Darrel says, "the two-"

Darrel is cut off by someone knocking on the door. Darrel looks at the door and then walks over to it. He opens the door. Elaine runs in.

"Babydoll," she says out of breath, "you need to come with me."

"Why? What happened?"

"The house caught on fire. She's in the hospital."

"Who?"

"Tasha."