Trouble |The Outsiders|

10. Choices

|November 1965|

Danny's head leaned against Abigail's shoulder in the early hour of November first. The living room was still dark, the television screen had been turned off. Something else was off, she could feel it. In the shadows she could barely decipher Curly's shape as he sat beside her, his head thrown back and snoring softly. Danny was motionless, his chest occasionally moved while h breathed. That's when she heard it again, a sort of rustle on the other side of the door.

"This isn't funny," she whispered as she pushed Danny's head away and stood up, "Halloween is over."

Even if it was a struggle to see a foot in front of her, Abigail couldn't miss the doorknob turning as the door squeaked open.

"That fucking bitch," he slurred as he slumped against the door frame. Abigail came forward as quietly as she could to assist her father, but he ignored her. "After everything, she's done...Who does she think she is? A lying bitch. That's what she is, a lying-"

His hair was a mess, beer and more cheap liquor stained his white undershirt and blue button-up. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever, they only drew attention to the red veins tangling around his irises. Abigail rested her hand in between his shoulder blades and whispered soothingly. "Let's get you to bed, okay Dad? We gotta be quiet since Danny's still asleep." There was no use in telling him Curly was here, or that the two boys were asleep on the couch eight feet away. Suddenly, Eddy pulled away from his daughter and scoffed. "That fucking boy- more trouble than he's worth. Always runnin' around with those fuckin' thugs. It's gonna get him killed one day, don't come crying to me when the time finally comes!"

Curly's eyes shot open. He didn't move, but rather waited until his eyes had become fully adjusted to the dark before turning his head. Eddy leered over Abigail, waving his arms and whispering angrily as she tried to calm him down. His heart began to race, blood and adrenaline pumping just as hard as it did when he was jumped by the Tigers just hours prior. Danny slept on the other side of the couch, his foot rested beside Curly's. "Danny," he whispered while nudging his shoe, "C'mon man, wake up!"

"He's trying his best, Dad, at least his gang watches out for him!"

"They're thugs, all of 'em. The only thing they've given your brother was a record down at the station!"

"Holy fucking shit Daniel, wake the fuck up!"

"Maybe if you were a better father, he wouldn't be like this!"

Danny woke up just in time to watch his father throw the vase of lilacs against the wall, missing Abigail's head by less than two feet. "Don't raise your fucking voice with me girl, and don't tell me how to raise my fucking son."

Danny and Curly raced from the couch to the kitchen like rockets. Neither of them minded the broken glass, water, and petals littering the floor, all Danny cared about was distracting his father and putting as much room between him and Abigail as possible. Curly stood next to her, trying his best to ignore the way her arms and hands trembled as she wrapped them around herself. "He didn't hit you or anything, right?" He asked carefully. She shook her head in response, her eyes glued to her brother. "Go to bed Eddy, you're fucking loaded."

Eddy grumbled in response but made his way up the stairs regardless. Danny watched the man as he climbed the stairs, only releasing his breath when the bedroom door slammed closed. "That fucking loser, I hate him."

Curly said something, but she couldn't hear. Abigail was too focused on the glass sparkling against the kitchen floor and the incessant ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. She finally tore her eyes from the floor and glanced to the side, it was a quarter after eight. "Damnit," she cursed quietly. Danny looked up at his sister, blue eyes filled with rage and hatred. Curly didn't say anything. He just rubbed the back of his neck nervously, twirling a lock of hair around his finger just like Abigail did whenever she was nervous.