When I Met Ponyboy

My stomach was doing aerobatics and my hands were clasped in Two-Bits', both of us slowly sweating in the hot night. But it wasn't the heat that was making us sweat.

"C'mon girly, get yourself and your boy outta that car and it'll all be over nice and quick."

"She ain't goin' nowhere with you and neither am I." I've never see Two-Bit look this mean before and he looked especially tuff when he lit up a cigarette. He did so to either look exactly that or to calm his nerves. With him on the driver's side of the El Camino he reminded me of Napoleon, ready to conquer anything.

"We saw you in town today and wanted to know if you wanted to come out and play?" Rodger taunted.

Two-Bit took a long drag. "You need to calm down a bit there, Rodger. You just recently tuned Soc, am I right? And if I'm correct, it's your brother who calls that shots, not you. So why don't you and your friends go back to the sandbox, like the other kids." Two-Bit was such a smooth talker under pressure. I didn't know how he did it.

"Watch yourself, greaser. You'll regret saying something like that when one day your girl here disappears."

That was the last straw for Two-Bit and grabbed Rodger by the collar of his jacket, pulling him through the open window of the car. Two-Bit hovered his cigarette over Rodger's face. Just one flick from Two-Bit and and hot ashes could fly into his face or worse he could dig the cancer stick into Rodger's cheek or nose, scarring his face for life.

"No one threatens my girl like that. No one, you lousy son of a bitch. You're cruising for a fuckin' bruising."

The cigarette glowed dangerously close to Rodger's eyelashes.

"Oh, Two-Bit! Layoff him!" The voice was high and flute-like. Two-Bit's eyes widened. The girl had a long slender body with curves in all the right places, she wore her chestnut hair in a ponytail draped over her shoulder. Two-Bit's eyes flickered in her direction for a moment.

"Hey Kathy, when did you join these clowns?"

"Ever since you picked up this whore."

"That's it, we're leaving, Kitt. This is exactly why we broke up, Kathy. Everything that comes out of your mouth is trash. I guess it matches your persona."

Kathy's eyes filled with tears. "Please, just give me another chance, Keith."

Two-Bit started Lucy up and backed her out. Rodger looked pretty shaken up still, once Two-Bit had finally let him go and Kathy was glaring at me with revulsion. We were almost out of the Drive-In when I felt something wet against my cheek. Kathy had spit at me through the open window.

I couldn't contain my sobs anymore and I let the tears fall freely down my cheeks.

"Oh baby, I'm sorry. Please don't cry." Two-Bit looked like he was in pain. I just tucked my head into my lap and kept on crying.

"I didn't mean to be so mean to Rodger, he just needs to know he can't talk to you like that."

"It's not that." I said in between gasps.

"Was it Kathy?"

"I hate her. I never did anything to her and now she thinks I stole you away! That's what she thinks, doesn't she?"

"To hell with what she thinks, it's over between me and Kathy."

I put my head on Two-Bit's shoulder. "I just want to go home."

"You got it, Kid."
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When we reached the house all the lights were on and there were shouts coming from inside.

"Something's wrong." Two-Bit raced into the house and I followed.

All the boys were crowded around a battered version of Johnny and Ponyboy. Dallas and Darry were doing their best to bandage up Ponyboy while Steve and Soda worked on Johnny.

"Who the fuck did this?!" Two-Bit hollered. Darry looked calm but stressed.

"Dallas saw that Rodger character and a few Socs beating up on them just outside the Drive-In. It was when we were about to meet up with you and Kitt when it happened."

Dallas was fuming. "I almost beat the tar out of the punk but he ran into the Drive-In. I would've done it there inside but I can't commit another felony or I'll be hauled off for sure."

I piped up. "We saw Rodger at the Drive-In. He was definitely trying to start up something."

"If I had known what he had done to Johnny and Pony I would've kicked his ass, hell I'd d more than kick his ass."

Two-Bit went on for a few minutes describing what he'd do to Rodger the next time we saw him until Darry interrupted him.

"This will not go ignored, I can promise you that. Until further notice, we're at war with the Socs. We'll plan a surprise attack. But to do this we need help."

"What kind of help?" I asked.

All of the boys looked uneasy. "We need Tim Shepard's gang."