I Get Around

When I saw the guard bring out a white blond, well built teenage boy, I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling so much. It had been a while since the last time we had seen or spoken to each other, and, being best friends, we had missed each other's company. When he caught my eye, he grinned in spite of his tough guy reputation, and his normally icy blue eyes shone with a hint of happiness as he lifted the phone off the receiver.

"Hey Kit-Kat," he greeted, only a hint of the usual roughness in his voice.

"Hey Dal," I said, smiling so hard that my cheeks were hurting. Man, last time I saw him was when he got arrested for shoplifting, and that was two weeks ago. Despite the facts that we couldn't get to hug and hold each other's hands, getting to talk was amazing, even if it was for a short period of time.

"How are things over at your place? Everyone miss me?" he asked jokingly. Besides me, only my other best friend Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, and Johnny Cade, my younger brother Ponyboy's best friend, came to visit. My older brother Darrel, whom we called Darry, my twin Sodapop and his best friend Steve worked all day Saturday, the only day of the week when people were allowed to visit the men in the county jail. Ponyboy had only just turned fourteen, so Darry didn't really want him to come over here. And even as much as Ponyboy respected Dally, with his cool attitude and brains despite doing all the things he was hauled in for, didn't like him much.

"Of course, you're the light of the party!" I laughed. "Pony's birthday was last week, so everyone kinda missed you for that. Things are kind of going on like normal though."

And they should be. Ever since my parents died in an automobile accident in January, my brothers and I have tried to go on with life as normally as possible. During the first month or so, we thought that we'd never get on, with the funeral and the legal battle between the State and Darry as he fought to keep us from going into a home and being separated. And there was also the psychological battle that we were all going through: Darry had became a father of sorts to two boys and one girl at hardly twenty years old; Ponyboy was still somewhat young, and was having a hard time understanding what was happening, and to add to everything he began having nightmares that terrorized him to no end. Sodapop, happy go lucky and grinning, always had a hard time processing serious reality, and for about two months, refused to believe that they were really gone. As for me, I tuned out everything around me. I refused to talk for over a month, which made school difficult and the legal battle harder for Darry. The state wanted to send me to a mental institution because I refused to talk.

But with the help of the boys, our gang that we consider family, and my girl friends, we made it through. Soda began sleeping with Pony to help him with his nightmares, and Pony began hanging out with Johnny a lot more. By picking up another job, Darry was not only able to keep us, but the house too, as long as we didn't get into major legal trouble and kept the house clean. Two-Bit and Dally helped me overcome my temporary muteness by softly forcing me to sing. Dally was my ex boyfriend, but we still remained close friends, and after the accident, I went back to him again for comfort. One night, he snuck into my room just to cuddle and kiss, because that was all I really wanted. I happened to be singing, and he heard me. After that night, he and Two-Bit had urged me to sing at any chance they had, by turning on the radio and playing my favorite records and taking me to dances.

On Valentine's Day, I spoke my first sentence since the accident; just three simple words, but Soda almost cried when he heard me talk. I never realized the effect that the words "I love you" had until then. Those were also the last words that Mom and Dad had ever spoken to us.

Dally seemed to figure out what I was thinking about, and placed his hand on the bulletproof glass that separated us. I placed my hand where his was, and squeezed the air gently, wishing that I could hold his hand.

"Everything's okay now sweetheart, you're still with your brothers and it doesn't look like the state is going to separate you anytime soon."

"They almost did when Soda dropped out."

Sodapop dropped out, because according to him, he was dumb. Sure, the only things he was passing were auto mechanics and gym, but he wasn't dumb; he just didn't get school. We had to go to court again, because they thought that Soda was just going to lay around the house doing nothing, but the gas station that he worked part time for hired him full time, so when the state saw that he was helping pay the bills, they didn't separate us.

"But they didn't. Come on sweetheart, I wanna see that gorgeous smile of yours back," he begged softly, and I just had to smile. I'm too much of a thinker, I look way too deeply into things or think about stuff too much.

"How much longer are you going to be in this place?"

"They said three months, so end of September, beginning of October. If I keep up the good behavior though they'll consider lettin' me out early."

"Dallas Winston and good behavior?" I asked, feigning shock. "Now how does that work out?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Sorry, I don't feel like it," I grinned, winking at him.

xXxXxX

We joked around and talked for maybe half an hour more, when I felt a guard's hand on my shoulder.

"Time to go miss," his voice was rough and harsh, and I widened my eyes, pouting slightly.

"Just another minute, please," I said in my soft voice, hoping that it would sound just innocent enough, just enough to let me have a few final words with my best friend.

He looked at me for a second then nodded, taking a few steps back.

"I guess I have to go Dally..." I whispered sadly.

"Where ya gonna head to?"

"Maybe walk around a bit before going home, get a Coke or somethin'."

"Hoping to run into Tim Shepard?" he asked with a smirk, and I felt my cheeks heat up fast.

"I don't know, Darry wants me back by eleven."

"Plenty of time," he laughed.

"Miss?" The guard placed his hand on my shoulder again, and left it there telling me with his dark eyes that I had to leave. I sighed.

"Alright, well see you Dal. I love you."

"See ya kid," he said, smiling, although I could hear the small amount of sadness in his voice, the sadness due to having to return to his cell and eat flavorless food, of having only one hour of fresh air a day and having to sneak cigarettes. I placed my hand on the glass again as he hung up, and he placed his over mine. Our hands closed over the air, and, just for a second, I pretended that we were holding hands, before the guard on his side pulled him away. I blew him a kiss as I slowly took my hand off of the glass, and he grinned, pretending to catch it and placing it close to his heart.

xXxXxX

I dug through my jeans pocket, struggling a bit because the jeans were so tight and the pockets so small, to see how much money I had. I had less than a dollar in various coins, but enough for a Coke. I grabbed one off the shelf in the fridge, and processed to the checkout counter, wiping my forehead. Damn, it was almost nine in the evening, and still nearly ninety degrees.

There were a few other people in the store with me, some Socy looking guys, and a couple of greaser couples. The Socs, short for Socials, the rich kids in the West part of town who own Mustangs and Corvettes, were us greasers' rivals, and they had been throwing glances at me, snickering. One of them walked up to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, and I gave him a glare, tensing up.

"Hey baby," he said in an overly smooth voice. He had clean cut dirty blond hair, green eyes, a big build and was wearing a red shirt tucked into tan pants. "You're pretty good lookin' for a greaser chick. My friends and I are going to head over to a party in a few, care to join us?"

"Not interested," I said, trying to keep my voice even and wondering if I could get my switchblade without him seeing.

"Aw, come on. You'll actually have some fun for once, and it doesn't look like you're doing anything."

I moved forward; one person was in front of me now. I pushed his arm off my shoulders, feeling disgusted. "Leave me alone."
His friends laughed in the background, mimicking me. The bell jingled as someone came in, and the cashier handed the guy in front of me his change.

"Next please," he said as the Soc wrapped his arm around me more tightly. He took the bottle of Coke out of my hand and set it on the counter, whispering harshly in my ear. I could smell his cologne and shaving lotion, mixed with the smells of tobacco and hard liquor.

"Listen girl, you're going to come with me and my friends without any complaint, alright?" I heard the flick of a switchblade and gasped as he held the blade against my side, threatening to cut through my thin top. "And if you try to fight, I'm going to beat you so bad that your pretty face is going to be unrecognizable by the time I'm finished with you, got it?"

"Just the Coke?" The cashier asked, a college student by the looks of it. He had a nervous look in his eyes as he saw how tight the Soc was holding me. I nodded, not being able to talk. My heart was pounding so hard and fast that I swore everyone in the store could hear it over the music that was playing. Inside, I was screaming, wanting to get out of the store and go home, safe with my brothers. The warfare between the greasers and Socs remained between those of the same sex: girls against girls and guys against guys. However, the guys from both sides would bother the girls at times, and I knew girls that had been beaten up, or worse, by guys. It wasn't pretty. "Okay, it's fifteen cents."

"Make it two Cokes," the Soc was pulled off of me and I heard him snarl. I looked quickly at who had pushed him away, and saw the leader of one of the gangs my brothers were allied with. He was lean and cat like, with greased back curly black hair and smoldering blue eyes. He had a scar running from his temple to his chin, and he was giving the Soc a death glare.

"What the hell man?" The Soc yelled, letting go of me to face the newcomer. "She's off limits, and I swear if I see you botherin' her again you're gonna get the beating of a lifetime. Now fuck off," the guy spat, reaching into his pocket. Something glinted under the fluorescent lights, and I knew that it was his own switchblade. If the Soc wouldn't back off, a fight would ensure.

The Soc opened his mouth to say something back, but the cashier cut in. "Boys, I don't any trouble..."

The guy and the Soc glared at each other, and the Soc finally went away. I let out a breath that I had been holding in, and smiled gratefully at the boy who had pushed him away. He just nodded at me and gave the cashier thirty cents before walking out, his arm around my waist.

"What are you doin' out by your lonesome Miss Katherine Curtis?" He asked, leaning against his car and popping the top off a bottle before handing it to me.

"I was visitin' Dally in jail," I replied, going next to him. "I could ask them same thing about you Mister Timothy Shepard. How come you aren't with your gang or family?"

"Curly's over at a friend's house and Angela's visitin' our aunt in Arkansas. I'm going to head over to Buck's later, wanna come?"

"Darry would never let me go there," I said, taking a sip of my drink.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"That's true," I stepped in front of him, putting the arm with the bottle around his shoulders and looping some of my fingers through one of his belt loops. "But I can think of another thing that he doesn't need to know about, and I personally like it better."

"Oh really?" He asked, lifting the bottle to his lips then wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer and grinning mischievously. "And what do you have in mind?"

"Something along the lines like this," I replied, pressing my lips to his, but pulling away before anything could get out of hand. His eyes shone in the darkness, with tiny specks of orange due to the streetlights, and a smirk quickly made its way to his lips. "Get in the car." I hopped into the passenger seat and him into the driver's seat. Just as he put his key into the ignition the group of Socs walked out, and we sat there in silence, seizing each other up, the only sounds being the engine and the regular city noises. Without breaking eye contact, Tim turned on the radio, and Out of Limits by The Marketts came on. I grinned as I heard it; I had often imagined it playing in a movie with a scene like this.

"See ya Socs!" He yelled, revving the engine and driving off, flipping them the bird as I laughed, throwing my head back and letting the wind whip my hair back.

xXxXxX

Tim kissed my neck hungrily, pushing me against the wall and running his hands over my sides and ass. I let out a loud moan as he bit down on the tender skin, and I felt his smirk against it.

"God, I can't fucking wait to taste you," he growled, putting his hand up my shirt and cupping my breast, and I moaned again. "It's been such a long time..." We pulled away so he could take off my shirt, and in the dim light I could see his eyes shining. He pressed his lips forcefully to mine and I let out a yelp, but I kissed back just as hard, running my hands through his hair. His hands went to the back of my bra and he unhooked it. He bit down on my bottom lip before pulling away, and I threw my bra to the floor, biting down on my lip, twirling my hair around my finger.

"You're such a sex kitten, you know that?" But I didn't answer, choosing instead to moan into the kiss as he laid me down onto his unmade bed. He played with my breasts and kissed, sucked and bit my skin as he made his way down, running his nails across my skin as he came to my jeans. He unbuttoned them; I lifted my hips up to make it easier for him to slip them off. When they were fully off, he kissed his way back up, one hand teasing me through my panties and the other playing with my left breast. He kissed me on the lips, slipping his tongue in my mouth as I moaned when he twisted my nipple. Our tongues mingled for a little while, but he was the undeclared dominating one; the guy was always the dominating one.

"You're so wet," he whispered, kissing the crook of my neck. "Do you like what I'm doing?" I just bit my lip and let out a soft moan. "Do you want me to lick you and eat you out and make you come and scream my name?"

"Yes... Yes Tim, ple-please!" I closed my eyes, and he placed a kiss on my lips again before going south. He slipped off my panties and ran his thumbs in circles on my inner thighs, kissing me. He began to suck gently on my clit, inserting two fingers inside of me at the same time. "Fuck!" I moaned, running my fingers through his hair as he went down on me. God, it felt so good; I could feel myself tightening around his tongue and fingers.

"Touch yourself," he commanded with a growl. If I hadn't been so riled up, I probably would have been embarrassed by what he told me to do, but I took each nipple between my fingers, rubbing and twisting them, moaning as he continued to kiss and finger me.

"Tim, I'm gonna... I'm gonna cum," I moaned, running a hand through his hair. He didn't say anything, just continued to thrust his fingers inside of me and sucked on my clit. I came with a cry of his name, panting hard.

"Fuck that was good," he said, wiping the side of his mouth. His eyes were still somewhat glazed over with lust, and I felt him smirk under my lips as I kissed him. I kissed his jaw and neck, biting down softly on the crook of his neck, and began to make my way lower. He seemed to guess where I was going and pushed me off for a second, throwing off his jacket and t-shirt. My breathing was still somewhat hard, and I could tell that his was getting more labored as I ran my hands over his toned chest and laid a trail of kisses down to his jeans. Even through them I could feel his erection, and smiled. I had already seen him before, and he was pretty big.

I kissed the skin right above his jeans, and slowly unbuckled his belt. I undid his jeans, and he lifted his hips to make it easier for me to take off. Smirking slightly, I squeezed him softly before rubbing him through the thin fabric of his boxers. He let out a moan at my touch, which turned to a growl when I didn't go any farther.

"Fuck Curtis, hurry up," the last two words were drowned in a low groan as I slipped off his boxers, and he gasped as the cold air hit him. Before he could get used to it, I took him in my mouth, closing my eyes and wrapping my hand around him. "Shit!" He ran his hands through my hair, pulling me closer to his cock, letting out moans and growls as I sucked him hard. He thrust his hips, wanting me to suck faster, but I held them down with one hand. His breathing got more labored, and I knew that he wasn't going to last much longer. Tim came with a yell of my name, and I swallowed.
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to him. I laid my hand on his shoulder, listening to his breathing get even as the minutes passed.

"You're good Kit-Kat," he said after some moments of silence. I just smiled, looking into his eyes and shrugging.

I thought about it for a minute or two. I hadn't really been with any decent guys. I had once gone out with a middle class guy, but it didn't really last long after I found that the only reason he asked me out was because of a bet. The most decent guy I've been with was probably Dallas, but it was a relationship in the loosest of terms. We were going steady for about five months or so when we broke it off because I wouldn't give my virginity to him, but after that we would still go out and kiss and all that stuff whenever he wasn't with Sylvia. Dad sure wasn't happy the few times he had caught me and Dally making out, because we weren't officially together, but he said that as long Dally never hurt me, he would put up with it. After he and Mom died though, I started going to Dally for comfort again, and guys as bad as Tim Shepard and even worse. I hadn't had a steady relationship since the accident, but Dally and Tim were the two guys that I went with the most. When Darry had found out me and Dallas were somewhat seeing each other again, he had gotten so mad. After cooling down though, when he saw that all we were really doing was cuddling because that's all I really wanted, he didn't ban me from seeing him.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Just stuff," I replied, kissing him. He pulled me on top of him, wrapping his arms around my waist. I moaned softly when he slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I could still taste myself. I wondered for a second if he could taste himself, and broke away, letting out a giggle.

"What?" he asked, confused.

I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing," and I kissed him again.

Things started to get heated pretty fast again, and I could feel at my entrance. He was nipping at my neck, but I pulled away, not wanting things to go too far.

"What is it this time?" He asked, seeming annoyed.

I got off of him, sitting up. "I just don't... I don't wanna... I'm not ready yet," I mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

"I shoulda known," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, sitting up too, and then glanced at his bedside clock. "Need me to take you home?"
With any other girl, he probably would have ignored their requests for him to stop, but he knew if he ever hurt me, he would get a whipping from Darry, and boy did he know that Darry could whip his ass.

I looked at him, smiling softly. "That'd be nice."

He stole a few more kisses from me as we got dressed, and I tried to straighten my hair out as he greased his back in the bathroom down the hall.

"Just get a brush from Angela's room," he said, leaning in the doorway, looking at me up and down. I nodded, and went past him when we heard the front door slam shut. "Shit, they're back." He took me by the wrist and dragged me down the hall. The screaming was loud and clear, and I heard something crash. Tim cursed, pulling me faster. I thought that we were going to go through the front door and wondered why, because then we would be passing right by his mother and stepfather, but he led me to the side door.

"BOY!" hollered his step father, and Tim swore under his breath. "What the fuck are you doin'?"

"Go out to the car, I'll meet ya," he hissed, pushing me out the door. I stumbled out, and he slammed the door behind me. I could hear him yelling back at his stepfather, and shook my head. Man, I was awfully glad me and my brothers didn't have a broken relationship.

xXxXxX

"Just leave me the fuck alone, will you?" I turned my head to the direction of the house to see Tim storming down the steps of the house, his hands in his pockets. He hopped into the car, putting the keys into the ignition, but the car wouldn't start. "Damn it, come on you piece of shit!" He had a couple of unsuccessful attempts, and during that time his step dad stumbled out of the house, swaying as he made his way to us.

"Come back here you ungrateful bastard!"

"Yes!" Tim managed to get the engine to start and sped away as his step father stumbled out on the street swore at us, partly in English and partly in sign language.

xXxXxX

"Thanks for driving me," I said, leaning into his car.

"Yeah, no problem," he nodded, then asked with a slight smirk, "when can I see you again Curtis?"

"Anytime, it's summer and it's not like we're going anywhere."

"Cool, so let's say... Wednesday?"

"Sounds good," I smiled. Keeping my hands on the side of the door, I leaned in some more and kissed him. "See you around Shepard."

"See ya Curtis."

I turned away, back to my house and smoothed back my hair and skirt. Closing the front gate, I swore that I could have seen a shadow behind the curtains, but I wasn't really sure. I could hear the gang's laughter and The Who playing loud and clear because the windows and front doors were open. I pushed the screen door open and it closed with a slam, and everyone turned to look at me. I smiled at them; they were some of my best friends in the whole world.

"Kit-Kat!" Keith "Two-Bit" Mathews, my best friend, leapt up from his place in front of the TV and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, laughing. We've been best friends since nearly forever, having played in the sandbox together and gone out exploring in the woods as kids. Two-Bit was a great friend to have; he was always laughing and cracking jokes, and could make nearly any serious situation funny. He had this natural talent of five finger discounting, although it did sometimes get him into trouble. He was more than two years older than me, but still a junior in high school. He was really smart though, and like I said, he was a great friend to have.

He put his face in my hair, kissing the top of my head, but stopped and lifted his head up, giving me a questioning look. I had smoked a couple of cigarettes on the way here, but I guess you could still smell the sex. He was the only one, besides Dally, who knew about me and Tim, although I'm pretty sure Soda suspected something was going on. I could feel my eyes widening and shook my head slightly, and his grin returned, and I turned my attention to the rest of the guys, who greeted me with smiles and waves.

Sodapop, my twin brother, was sitting on the floor, playing poker with his best friend, Steve Randle. Soda and I were as close could be, doing nearly everything together. Technically, Sodapop was twelve minutes and seven seconds older than me, and he never let me forget that. People usually describe him as having movie star looks, and unlike most greasers, he had a strong dislike for alcohol, hardly ever touching a drop. Pony said that he gets naturally high on life itself.

Steve Randle was seventeen, and in my year at school. He was cocky but intelligent, and great with cars. He could lift a hubcap quicker and more quietly than anyone I knew, but he could also drive anything on wheels. Except bikes, he never really got the hang of those ever since he nearly got ran over as a kid. He was tall and lean, with thick greasy hair that he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was alright, although we would get into pretty nasty fights at times.

Ponyboy was sitting on the couch, talking quietly to his best friend Johnny Cade. Pony was real smart, having been put up a year in grade school, and out of all of us, he had the best chance of going to college and getting out of here. He was a dreamer, and loved to draw. Him and I got along well because we both loved movies and reading; we were the only ones in the gang who dug them. He had auburn hair like me, grey green eyes, and a good build for someone his age.

Johnny Cade was the quietest of our gang, besides me. The only people he really spoke to were Pony and Dally, but he loved us like we were his own siblings, and we felt the same way towards him. We tried our best to give him all the love we had, considering that his parents treated him like shit, but we knew that we could never replace them, as much as we wanted to. He was dark skinned, with thick greasy hair that fell over his dark eyes.

Darry was my older brother, and sort of the father figure of our gang. He had a great build for someone in our part of town, and could take on anyone who tried to fight him, not that they did. He had dark brown hair and icy green blue eyes. He never really smiled anymore, not having much time for fun because of his two jobs. And right now wasn't an exception. He was standing in a corner of the room with his arms crossed, and his mouth was set in a tight line.

"Who just dropped you off?" His voice was hard, and I could feel the chills running down my spine, even though it was relatively warm. I debated with myself for a couple of seconds, wondering if I should just say a friend or answer honestly.

"Tim Shepard," I said finally, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Soda snap his head up at the name.

"What were you doing with him?"

"He drove me home from his place."

Something flashed in his eyes, and Two-Bit squeezed my hand.

"What were you doing over there?" Darry asked, coming closer. My heart was pounding, and I breathed slowly, counting. If he found out what I had been doing...

"I saw Angela after visitin' Dally and we went over to her house," I lied, trying to keep my voice even. "Her parents came back though and they started to fight, so Tim brought me home." I was looking anywhere but him, afraid that my eyes would show that I was lying.

Darry stepped in front of me, and I slowly lifted up my eyes to look at him, praying that he couldn't smell what Two-Bit had smelled...

"What's that smell?"

Shit!

"I uh... I..." I couldn't find the words to say. For fuck's sake, I wasn't about to tell the whole gang what I had done!

"Katherine Joanie Curtis," Darry began, his voice rising, "why the hell were you with Tim Shepard and what did you do with him?"

Everyone was looking at me, and I could see the confusion in Pony's eyes; he was trying to figure out what was happening.

"Darry, she's almost seventeen-" Two-Bit said, but he was cut off by Darry.

"You stay out of this!"

I felt my eyes watering and wiped at them impatiently. Someone gasped, and looking up at everyone, I knew that they knew.

"I can do what the hell I want now Darry!" I screamed, clenching my fists.

"I'm your legal guardian and it's my job to prot-"

For a second I saw Dad instead of Darry, telling me the same thing but not yelling, not in front of everyone. I could feel the embarrassment and anger building up inside of me as my older brother went on, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I don't care if you're my legal guardian, you aren't Dad and you never will be, so you can just shut up!"

You could almost feel the tension in the room as I screamed those words at him, and with a sob I ran to my room, locking the door behind me. I could just barely make out the yelling in the living room, and ignored Darry's pounding against my door, begging me to open it.

xXxXxX

I wiped my eyes and sniffed. Fuck, I wish that Darry hadn't asked who had driven me or asked those questions... And the smell... I should have grabbed a bottle of Angela's perfume or something on the way out. The house was quiet now, with just the shuffling of feet and hushed whispers. I could hear Soda and Pony saying goodnight to Darry, and then their door closed. Footsteps approached my door, and a person knocked tentatively. I held my breath as Darry said my name and knocked again. After a few seconds he sighed, and walked away, his bedroom door closing.

I reached to my bedside table and turned on my light, looking at my bedside clock. It was just past midnight; I had been in the darkness for almost an hour. With a sigh, I grabbed a notebook and pen out of the drawer, thinking for a moment, then began writing.