Not what I anticipated

Chapter 1

The autumn leaves scattered the ground where I had stepped, having the sidewalk decorated in the fuchsia colors. Unintentionally I had tried to step on each crunchy leaf, having the satisfaction when I did step on the pleasant leaves.

My thoughts then adventured to a movie I just saw, Ocean's eleven. It wasn't all that bad I suppose, but it wasn't my favorite. It wasn't my style, usually I'll go for a fantasy and action type book or movie more than anything else.

My head wondered a bit more about what Johnny was doing, maybe later him and I could go to the Dingo with Dal or something. Maybe I could convince Johnny to stay at our house instead of his house or the lot.

I stumbled a bit on a rock, and hurt my foot a little. I winced a bit at the pain and looked at the bottom of my shoe.

Only then I heard the purring of an engine. An engine that I knew was in trouble. It wasn't the busted moan of the old beat cars that we would drive, no it was a clean and new sound that wasn't entirely unfamiliar.

Cautiously, I peaked over my shoulder, and just as I expected a bright red Soc-y car was following close behind me.

It was cruising by excruciatingly slow, making my heart jump to my throat. I thought about running but that was quickly shut down by the group.

They found out that I knew of their presence, and better to act now then never. They sped up until their car was blocking the road in front of me, so now I had nowhere to run.

I stood on the sidewalk petrified when the Socs stepped out of their vehicle with their faces twisted in a sick manner that reminded me of when a lion stalks its prey.

"Would ya' take a look at this scrawny little grease." One taunted, the others joined in on an ensemble of laughs and other names.

I stumbled back before losing my balance and landing ass-first into the sidewalk, and that's when my fate was sealed.

They all circled me like a committee of vultures seeing a lifeless animal.

Then they attacked, rushing towards me. I wanted to scream but one of the Socs had sat on my chest making it hard to breathe correctly, the other four had my flailing limbs in a tight grasp, making it impossible for me to break free.

"What should we do with this one?" A blonde Soc said, he was the one holding onto one of my arms. I could hear my heart pounding in my head. I started seeing black dots across my vision, and that only meant one thing. They were suffocating me. I was going to die.

One of the Socs holding my legs had a grand Idea that I wish he'd never thought of...

"How about we carve a permanent reminder of what he'll always be?". The one on my stomach smiled before getting up.

I gasp for air only to have the wind knocked out of me once again because the four Socs pinned me to the fence. I opened my mouth but I didn't dare to speak, for I was in shock when one of them pulled out a switchblade.

I started screaming, for Darry, for Soda, heck even Steve. But no one came to save me. Not this time. I really wish I'd listened to Darry about not being in the clouds all the time. Now I see what he was warning me about.

"Shut him up before someone comes over here!" The Soc with the switchblade whisper-shouted. I thrashed and tried to pull my arms away but it didn't work.

One of the Socs clasped their hands around my mouth. I opened my mouth even wider and chomped one the boy's hand until I tasted blood and got slugged in the face.

I remember the switchblade only when the blade is etching something into my stomach. "Now you don't make another noise or else I'll make this ten times more painful."

I felt my eyes sting and hot tears ran down my face. God how I wish Soda and Darry were here, they would save me.

The Socs sliced in a new spot and I could feel droplets of blood trickle down my stomach onto my old worn out jeans.

They let up for a second, only to press down harder into a different area. I don't know when they shoved a belt into my mouth, but it gave me something other than my teeth to bite down on.

When the leader finally finished and pulled away from me, I could see that they were deciding whether to do worse or not to.

One of the boys kicked my stomach and I yelped in pain helplessly. I felt humiliated by how weak I was.

They started punching and kicking me, and as stupid as I was, I didn't do anything. Just stood there and took the beating. I wonder...

Is this how Johnny felt when he got jumped?

I heard yelling but it was muted, I didn't care. But then the Socs all stopped. That's when my interest had peaked. Weakly I pulled my head up and saw a bunch of movement and thrashing. I couldn't see well because of the pathetic tears in my eyes.

I felt someone yank me up and I went rigid. But when I opened my eyes I saw, what seemed to be Darry, I calmed down.

I couldn't hear him, but I knew he was talking to me, and that made it all feel so much better. I knew he was here.

Someone touched my shoulder, so I snapped at them. I jumped out of Darry's firm hold on my arms to face the person.

It was Soda. I must've looked like a scared animal because his brows were furrowed and he held his hand out as if he was trying to approach a fawn. "Pony, it's me, calm down." Soda reassured me.

My whole body shook, I didn't know why I was shaking so much, my little beating wasn't twice as bad as Johnny's. Still, everything ached, and the searing pain in my stomach wouldn't stop. I felt a pair of strong arms— probably Darry's —Pick me up and hold me to their chest, like I was a baby. Listening to the patter of their heart beat made me doze off, forgetting of the pain all over my body. I felt myself go limp in their grasp.