The Outsiders

Chapter 2

The girl looked at me. I was half-scared of her. I'm half-scared of all nice girls, especially Socs. "Are you going to start in on us?"

I shook my head, wide-eyed. "No."

Suddenly she smiled. "You don't look the type. What's your name?"

I looked at her, boy she had cute eyes. "Ponyboy Curtis."

The redhead just smiled. "That's an original and lovely name."

"My Dad was an original person." I said. "I've got s brother named Sodapop, and it even says so on his birth certificate."

"My names Sherri, but my friends call me Cherry because of my hair."I know." I said. "You're a cheerleader. We go to the same school."

"You don't look old enough to be going to high school." the dark-haired girl said.

"I'm not. I got put up a year in grade school." Cherry was looking at me. "What's a nice, smart kid like you running around with trash like that for?"

I felt myself stiffen. "I'm a greaser, same as Dally. He's my buddy."

"I'm sorry Ponyboh," she said softly. Then she said briskly. "You're brother, Sodapop he works at a gas station? A DX, I think?"

"Yeah."

"Man, your brother is one doll. I might have guessed you was brothers- you look alike." I grinned with pride. I don't think I look one bit like Soda, but its not everyday I hear a Soc telling me they think my brother is a doll.

Johnny came back and sat down beside me. He looked around for Dally, he managed a shy "Hi" to the girls and tried to watch the movie. He was nervous, though, Johnny was always nervous around strangerd. Cherry looked at him, sizing him up as she had me. Then she smiled, and I knew she had him sized up right.

Dally never came back. Maybe he was stunned on how a girl, even a Soc, could back talk him. Johnny was looking at Marcia, not just her, but her neck. I was getting antsy, Johnny's stomach rumbled. "Are you hungry, Johnny?" He took his eyes off Marcia, but said a plain old "No". His eyes were dark, but it had lust and hunger written in his eyes. That was when a cold hand was placed on my shoulder, and a deep voice said, "Okay, greaser you had it."

I looked up to see the object of my plan, Two-bit. He was laughing so loud, Marcia and Cherry turned around.

"Glory, Two-bit, scare us to death." He was real good at voice imitations. I looked at Johnny. His eyes were shut and he was as white as a ghost. His breath was coming in smoothed gasps. Two-bit knew better than to scare Johnny like that. I guess he'd forgotten. He's kind of scatterbrained.

Johnny opened his eyes weakly. "Hey, Two-bit."

Two-bit messed up his hair. "Sorry kid," he said. "I forgot." He climbed over the chair and plopped down behind Marcia. "Who's this, your great-aunts?"

"Great-grandmothers, twice removed." Cherry said smoothly.

I couldn't tell if Two-bit was drunk or not. If he was their went my plan on how he got his contacts-or eye color- at? It's kinda hard to tell with him- he acts boozed up and sometimes even when he sober. He cocked one eyebrow up and the other down, which he always does when something puzzels him, or bothers him, or when he feels like saying something smart.

"Shoot, you're ninety-six if your a day."

"I'm a night." Marcia said brightly.

Two-bit stared at her admiringly. "Brother, you're a sharp one. Where'd you two ever get to be with Pomyboy or Johnny?" All of us shrugged.