･ﾟ➶ Loved and Abandoned ➶⋆* | The Outsiders x Male Oc

➶ 016 ➶

"I'll take on anyone." He stood there, tall, broad-shouldered, his muscles taut under his T-shirt and his eyes glittering like ice. For a second it looked like there wasn't anyone brave enough to take him on.

Then there was a slight stir in the faceless mob of Socs, and a husky blond guy stepped forward. He looked at Darry and said quietly, "Hello, Darrel." Something flickered behind Darry's eyes and then they were ice again.

"Hello, Paul." I heard Soda give a kind of squeak and I realized that the blond was Paul Holden. He had been the best halfback on Darry's football team at high school and he and Darry used to buddy it around all the time.

He was looking at Darry with an expression I just couldn't decipher, but I knew he felt a hatred towards Darry at the moment. Why because Darry was standing there representing all of us, and maybe Paul felt only contempt and pity and hate for greasers? Darry hadn't moved a muscle or changed expression, but you could see he hated Paul now.

It wasn't only jealousy--- Darry had aright to be jealous; he was ashamed to be on our side, ashamed to be seen with the Brumly boys, Shepard's gang, maybe even us. I can understand why to, its no good being a greaser. Darry couldv've goneto college if he had the money and time.

Paul said, "I'll take you," and something like a smile crossed Darry's face. I knew Darry had thought he could take Paul any time. But that was two or three years ago. What if Paul was better now? I swallowed. They moved in a circle under the light, counter clockwise, eyeing each other, sizing each other up, maybe remembering old faults and wondering if they were still there. The rest of us waited with mounting tension.

The moment either one swung a punch, the rumble would be on. The silence grew heavier, and I could hear the harsh heavy breathing of the boys around me. Still Darry and the Soc walked slowly in a circle. Even I could feel their hatred. They used to be buddies, I thought, they used to be friends, and now they hate each other because one has to work for a living and the other comes from the West Side.

"Hold up!" a familiar voice yelled. "Hold it!" Darry turned to see who it was, and Paul swung--- a hard right to the jaw that would have felled anyone but Darry. The rumble was on.

As soon as Darry got hit I went in defending him. that was my style. I deflected punches and kicks better than anyone, I defended and Darry attacked that was my fighting style.

I ducked and moved any punches that came my way, "duck!" I heard, I bent down and Darry had rolled over the top of me throwing a right hook to the soc taking him down in an instant.

"nice" I said in a breathy voice as we continued. I would defend for Darry and he would attack for me. After about five minutes or so Darry and I had gotten split up and Soc had gotten a hold of me.

I was gasping for air as he started to kick the shit out of me, "get offa him!" I heard, and then someone dropped down the ground beside me all bloodied up.

"They're running!" I heard a voice yell joyfully. "Look at the dirty--- run!" It seemed to me that the voice belonged to Two-Bit, but I couldn't be sure. I tried to sit up and saw that the Socs were getting into their cars and leaving.

Tim Shepard was swearing blue and green because his nose was broken again, and the leader of the Brumly boys was working over one of his own men because he had broken the rules and used a piece of pipe in the fighting.

Steve lay doubled up and groaning about ten feet from me. We found out later he had three broken ribs. Sodapop was beside him, talking in a low steady voice. I did a double take when I saw Two-Bit--- blood was streaming down one side of his face and one hand was busted wide open, but he was grinning happily because the Socs were running.

"We won," Darry announced in a tired voice. He was going to have a black eye and there was a cut across his forehead. "We beat the Socs."

➶

"WooHoo!" Two-bit yelled as we entered Darry's house. It was just the five of us, apparently, Dally had joined come just as Darry was punched, though he and Ponyboy had disappeared after we won.

"we were awesome!" Soda said matching two-bits excitement.

"we'll see. One of the Brumbly kids pulled a pipe on one of em', my best guess is that's why they ran. Cause we broke the rules" I said as Darry sat me in a chair. We were all pretty busted up so Darry came out with a first aid kit and we all kinda helped ourselves.

"yeah, well I don't care." Steve said resting on the couch with a bandage wrapped around his torso.

Soda was sitting down in the armchair with a mirror looking at his bruise and busted lip. Two-bit was finishing tapping up his head while I was helping Darry with his forehead.

"you know you should be takin' care of yourself as well," he said looking at me.

"I'm fine honest," I said, but in  reality, I felt horrible. My eye was stinging so much, it was really blurry, but I wasn't to concerned. I looked for some medical tape, "hey do you know where I put the tape?" I questioned and he looked at me with fear and concern.

"Joey. . . its right here" he picked it up and brought it to in front of him. "Joey how many fingers am I holding up?" he asked putting his hand in front of my left eye.

"I- I don't know". . .