(1/3) The Outsiders - the Sequel.

Chapter 3

       I think I know what Darry was going to tell me when he got home from his picnic date with the girl he's in love with. I think he was going to tell me that I had to get a temporary job. I was scared of the inevitable, so I stayed in my room and pretended to be asleep and ignore life's problems. It didn't last long, because even though it was a Saturday, Soda had to work that weekend. Awfully close to Christmas, too. It was a week away. Anyways, Soda's not very good at keeping quiet in the mornings.

       I decided to walk over and get Two-Bit and Steve to play football in the lot again, even though it's freezing cold. I grabbed Johnny's jacket off the hook and stepped outside. Boy, was it cold. At least we lived in the same area. I was about halfway down the street when my luck turned on me. A shiny silver Corvair was following me. The Socs have been really angry and restless lately, and I should have known not to walk alone, even if it's just in the neighborhood. Anyways, the car pulled up and I started running like my life depended on it, which, it might have. But I wasn't quite fast enough. Five or six Socs surrounded me, and I didn't know what to do. The one that acted like the leader had auburn hair and had a threatening look in his piercing blue eyes.

       I suddenly remembered the knife in my pocket. I slowly moved my hand and grabbed dad's old switch blade. I held it out, threatening the Socs. I was shaking real bad. My thoughts turned to Johnny. He had been in this situation, and he had chosen to kill a Soc. In the long run, it killed him. I didn't know if I wanted to chance that, but the Socs were gonna hurt me. I put the blade back in my pocket and tried to walk away, but they wouldn't let me. "Where are you going?" snarled one of the Socs. "We're not done with you," another breathed down my back. They were getting closer.

       I didn't want to just stand there and take it, so I tried to run. One of them threw a punch so hard that it knocked me to the ground. The others followed, and I was getting hammered. I was aching all over by the time they stopped, but I guess they weren't done. One by one, the Socs started pulling out their blades. Before I knew it, I was pinned to the ground with a knife held against my throat. This feels familiar, I thought. I never could get those words outta my head: "Need a haircut, greaser?" I shivered, but it wasn't from the cold, though it was freezing outside. I decided that this time, no one was coming to help, so I had to do something. Then it hit me. I kicked the Soc that had the knife on me. The blade slipped and I got cut a little, but I was free. I ran, with the Socs close behind. My ankle hurt bad, and I didn't feel too hot, like I was going to pass out, but I kept on running.

       I was almost to Two-Bit's house when my ankle gave out. I think I sprained it. I felt terrible, and I couldn't run, so just layed there on the cement. Everything was kinda fuzzy and I couldn't focus, but I think that's because I was in shock. I got hurt pretty bad.

       The next thing I remember, Two-Bit was there, fighting those Socs with his switch blade—actually, he wasn't really fighting them. The Socs were running back to their Corvair with almost no injuries. My head was pounding, and I was hurting all over, but I'd be just fine. "Are you okay, Ponyboy? Can you walk?" Two-Bit asked out of the blue. "No. I'm not fine, and I don't know if I can walk. I think I sprained my ankle" I said.

       Two-Bit helped me to his car, so he could take me home. Pulling out of his driveway, he asked, "Pony, you need to tell me what happened." I drew a quivering breath, and said, "I was walking to get you and Steve to come play football in the lot again, when the Socs pulled up, and, I don't know, surrounded me or something." Two-Bit looked concerned, which honestly, is pretty rare for him. "You don't look too good. Are you gonna pass out again?" I was confused. "I passed out?" Two-Bit sighed, "You were unconscious when I saw the Socs approaching you. You know, Pony, I'm getting kinda worried about you, kid.

       When Two-Bit and I got home, Two-Bit honked the horn on his car to let Darry know we were back. Darry opened the door, saw me, and ran to the car as fast as he could. He was so worried. "Two-Bit! What happened!?" Darry asked. Two-Bit said, "I'm not entirely sure. You'll have to ask the kid, but I found him unconscious on the sidewalk, and I had to drive away like, six Socs." Darry took a good look at me. "I wish Grandma Curtis was here. She went to get breakfast." Darry said, sighing. "We need to get him to the couch. Can he walk?" "No. He sprained his ankle," Two-Bit responded. "Well, I can't carry him with my back messed up and all, so can you? Do you think we need to take him to the hospital?" Two-Bit looked around nervously, and said, "I don't know. Let's get him inside and see what we can do."

       Grandma Curtis wasn't home yet, but she'd been gone only forty-five minutes or so. Instead, Darry called over his girlfriend, who was actually going to nursing school. Her name was Valerie, and she turned out to be really nice. When I first saw her, I saw the same auburn hair and the same piercing blue eyes as the Soc that jumped me earlier, and my heart stopped. I was terrified. At least her eyes didn't have the threatening look that the guy had had. Her eyes were calm and kind. Anyways, Darry has her come over to take care of me. When Darry saw the nervous look in my eyes, he asked, "What's wrong, Pony? She's awfully nice." I didn't reply at first. I finally had the courage to ask her, I said, "Do you have a brother?" She looked at me kind of confused. "Are you talking about my twin brother, Dennis?" I looked around nervously. "I—I think so." She just stared at me. "Did you have a run-in with him and his friends? They were taking a ride in my silver Corvair today because he crashed his red one." Darry sat down next to me and asked, "What's bothering you?" I couldn't keep the tears in this time. I sobbed, and the tears ran down my face. "It was her brother!" I cried. Darry and Valerie were shocked. Valerie looked like she was going to start crying, too. " I can't believe it. I'm so sorry!" she said to me.

       Valerie took good care of me until Grandma Curtis came back. You wouldn't believe grandma's face when she saw me. She was so shocked, but I guess that's what happens when you aren't from around here. I don't think they have Socs jumping greasers in Washington. Valerie went home for dinner, probably because her parents care, but Two-Bit stayed. In all reality, his mom probably wasn't even home yet.

       Soda wasn't home yet, either. He probably had to work late. And on the Saturday before Christmas, too! That's what I call unfair treatment. It was getting kinda late, like, eight-thirty-ish I think, when Soda came home. Boy, was he worried sick when he found out what happened. They went into the other room to talk, which left me alone with Grandma Curtis, which isn't bad, she just was over-stressing the situation. It was a relief when Darry and Sodapop came back into the room and told grandma to take a breather.

       It was an early night for us all. I took a couple aspirins (Darry wouldn't take my usual four or five), and climbed into bed. I was out like a lightbulb, though, it didn't last long. I woke up in the middle of the night hurting. I tossed and turned, trying to find a better position to sleep in, because I was hurting all over. I think I might have accidentally woken up Soda, because he wearily asked, "What's wrong, Pony?" I just replied, "It hurts." Soda snuggled in closer and quietly said, "You'll be alright, kid. Just try to go back to sleep."

       When I woke up the next morning, I was sore and aching all over, but at least my head wasn't swimming anymore. It was pounding, though. Darry and Soda were already awake and breakfast was almost done. I had no idea who was making it, 'cause I slept later than usual. When we were all sitting at the table, Soda asked, "What happened yesterday?" I responded, saying, "I was walking over to get Two-Bit and Steve so we could go play football, and the silver Corvair pulled up. I tried to run, but they surrounded me and started beating me, and they all pulled out their blades. They pinned me to the ground with one of the knifes to my throat, so I kicked the one with the knife on me, and I started running. I almost got to Two-Bit's house but I tripped and passed out." Soda and Darry looked at each other. "It looks like the Socs are tresspassing," Darry said. Soda added, "They can't just jump a fourteen year old greaser in their own neighborhood."