♢ROSE GOLD♢

Chapter 01~Rose Gold

The water below me roared as it moved south toward my parents' pond in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You'd think my screams and cries for help would drown it out, but that's why the Socs jumped me here. One of the tall guys held me by my ankles off the side of the East side bridge.

"You should've stayed a Soc, you dirty greaser!" One of the boys yelled.

"I'd rather drown than hang out with you jackasses!" I spat.

"Oh, did I hear I hear that correctly boys?" The Soc holding me laughed. "She'd rather drown!"

I braced for the impact of the giant rocks before the Soc even let go of me. I heard a car door slam and the sound of knuckles hitting bone. Just as the hands around my ankles released, a hand wrapped around my left ankle, jarring me a little.

"You alright down 'ere?" My best friend, Sodapop Curtis looked at me over the side of the bridge.

Soda and me's been friends since I was in seventh grade and he was a freshman. It sounds odd, but he was the reason I chose the greaser lifestyle. We met at the DX 'cause the car I stole from my parents blew a head gasket.

Soda's always getting me out of trouble with Socs. They don't like me 'cause I ran away from home to live like the greasers. My parents are the richest of the Socs, but I despise the way they treat people. Soda greased me up good and showed me the ropes of being a greaser. He even let me stay at his place because his parents didn't mind. I slept in his bed while he slept in a hammock.

We always talked about our future together. I was the first to know when he was gonna drop out of high school. I didn't try to talk him out of it and now I'm regretting it.

"Yeah, Soda." I smiled up at him. "I coulda handled 'em myself."

"Oh yeah?" Soda smiled with a hint of mischief in his pretty, blue eyes. "Then you won't mind if I-"

A small scream slipped from my lips when Soda acted like he was gonna drop me. "Soda Curtis, you dirty dog!" I tried to reach up and slap him, but due to my lack of upper body strength, I failed miserably.

"Come on, Soda!" I heard a voice. "We ain't got all day!"

"Well, come help me." Soda chuckled. "And it's almost midnight, it's past all day."

Soda's buddy, Steve Randle, leaned over the edge. I met Steve when I met Soda. I didn't like him at first, but that's just 'cause he stole my hubcaps. I also had the hots for Soda, but of course I was too young for him, so I found something better to do than crush on him.

The boys pulled me up and helped me steady. I could hear the blood rush from my head. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was Soda yelling, "Rose!"
_

I opened my eyes and light surrounded me. One of me greaser pals, Two-Bit Matthews hovered over me. "Hey there, dollface!" He said quite loudly. "What'd you do to them Socs?"

"Nothin'." I blinked rapidly to erase my grogginess. "I was on a date. He had to go deal with somethin' so I went the scenic way home 'n they got ahold o' me."

"Yer too young to date, Ro." Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Ya probably deserved it."

"Who ya talkin' to, Bit?" Soda came in and noticed I was awake. "'Ey, there, Rose. Guys, Rose is up!"

A swarm of familiar faces came into the room hoopin' and hollerin'. "Y'all ain't gotta be so loud." I giggled.

"Ay, you're alright!" Johnny Cade shook me.

Johnny and I are each others personal therapists. He comes to me when  something's on his mind and I do the same in return. He just recently got attacked by some Socs. They left him with a scar from his temple to his cheekbone.

"I've been alright, Johnnycake." I messed up his hair as he hugged me.

"I'm still older 'an you." He grumbled, fixing his hair.

Steve tore a huge chunk of chocolate cake from the pan he was holding and held it out to me. "Here, have some." He smiled, the cake in his mouth making him look like he has a gap.

"No thank you, Stevie." I smiled softly.

"Whatever you say." Steve shrugged and shoved the piece of cake in his mouth.

My breath hitched when I saw Sodapop's little brother, Ponyboy come to the doorway. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms, a guilty look on his face. I smiled softly, but he shook his head, looking at the floor.

"I think Rose needs some gal time." Two-Bit said, noticing how Pony and I were looking at each other. "Let's go watch Mickey. I'll tell you what happens dollface."

I smiled in thanks and watched the boys go out one by one. Ponyboy acted like he was going out, but when everyone was gone, he shut the door and locked it.

Ponyboy was the one I was on a date with. We met when Sodapop brought me home. I made fun of his name, calling him stuff like, "horsie," and "yeehaw." I still call him yeehaw when I'm feeling cheeky.

Pony and I just recently started hanging out away from the Curtis house. We've actually been official for a while now, but were too shy to do anything. He's the reason I don't like Soda anymore.

"They made me real scared Pony." I admitted. I fiddled with the baby blue blanket Soda got me when I first started staying over.

"I'm sorry I left." Ponyboy sat at the edge of the small bed. "I feel like it's all my fault."

"No, Pony." I shook my head. "It's been like this for a year now."

"Yeah, but they did it 'cause I wasn't there." Ponyboy said.

"You know, they'll jump six greasers at a time if they got 'nough of them." I sat up and moved next to Pony. "It ain't your fault and I don't wanna hear anymore of it. Let's just forget it."

"Oh, alright." Pony smiled. He turned his head to hide his face. "What do you say we go watch Mickey?"

"I'd love to." I smiled.