On The Outside (A The Outsiders FF) #Wattys2015

Chapter 6

The smell of grease on a pan woke me up the next morning. I was surprised that I wasn't the first one up, but I was relieved because I was running out of things to make for breakfast.

I quietly made my way to the kitchen, smiling when I saw Ponyboy standing over the stove. The front door creaked open, revealing Two-Bit and Steve.

"Anybody home?" Two-Bit called, stepping into the house.

"Yeah, in here. Don't slam the door." Ponyboy called back, cracking a couple eggs into the pan that sat on the stove in front of him. They ignored him, slamming the door.

Two-Bit and Steve started creeping up to the kitchen, Two-Bit pressing his index finger against his lips and smirking when he saw me.

He silently came up behind Ponyboy, wrapped his arms around his waist, and swung him around a few times, causing the eggs that were in the pan in Ponyboy's hands to fly out onto the floor.

"You know you have to clean that up, right?" Ponyboy told him.

Soda came walking into the kitchen, wet with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Have you seen my DX shirt?" he asked. Steve stood next to him, eating a piece of chocolate cake.

"Hate to tell you this buddy, but you have to wear pants to work, too. There's a law or something." Steve told him jokingly. Soda rolled his eyes and playfully shoved him. Steve ruffled Soda's soaked hair as he made his way to the living room.

Soda sat on the couch, putting on his DX hat, yelling to the kitchen, "Hey Two-Bit, Mickey's on TV!"

Two-Bit came in seconds later, carrying a whole chocolate cake and a bottle of beer, sitting on the floor in front of the TV. I snuck up behind him, grabbed the back of his head, and smashed it into the cake that sat on his lap. He stood up and slowly turned around, his entire face coated with chocolate. I burst out laughing, not even trying to hold it in. His lips formed a mischievous smirk that told me that I should run.

He chased me into the kitchen, around Ponyboy, and back into the living room, causing me to run into Steve. Steve grabbed me by my shoulders and spun me around, Two-Bit standing right in front of me. He leaned in and kissed me on my cheek, getting chocolate on my face. Then, he took some off his face with his fingers and smeared it on mine.

He laughed, managing to say, "There, now we're even." I grinned.

Tiger poked her head through the front door. "Dakota, come with us." she said.

Steve let me go and I hurried out the front door, flinging the chocolate from my face into the grass outside. Luna and Kimi were waiting on the hood of Darry's pickup truck for Tiger and me, but shot up off of it when they saw Darry, Soda, and Steve following behind us.

"Thanks again, girls, for saving Ponyboy and Johnny yesterday." Darry said as he put his toolbox in the back.

Once they pulled away, we headed down the street toward the park. Although the park was beautiful, it still brought back unforgettable memories of that day Johnny killed Bob.

We climbed up on top of the jungle gym, looking out across the street at The Tasty Freeze. My bedroom was still visible, and I smiled.

"I remember my first day here," I said, breaking the unwanted silence. "I had landed right there in The Tasty Freeze, where I met Ponyboy, Two-Bit, and Johnny. Man, it seems like forever ago."

Tears were beginning to cloud my vision. A lot of things have happened since the first day I arrived, good and bad, but I'm glad I came here. Sure, I miss my family and technology, but I could never go back. The gang was my family now, and I couldn't leave them. I was afraid that if I did go back to my time, even if it was temporarily, they would forget about us.

A familiar blue mustang was pulling into the park, heading directly towards us. It was the same one Bob and Randy were driving that day Bob died.

I was dreading the moment Randy stepped out from the driver's side, three other Socs getting out after him.

"Well, you broads aren't exactly the Greasers we're looking for, but you'll do." Randy said, smirking evilly.

"What do you want?" Tiger groaned.

"We were looking for your friend - the one who killed Bob. We were going to, uh, teach him a lesson. Show him what revenge tastes like. But you were there when it happened, and if we did something to you broads, it would torture your little friends. Boys, get them."

The Socs began climbing the jungle gym from every side, cornering us. Each one grabbed our legs and pulled us down, our heads hitting the metal on the way. I tried to kick myself free, but it was no use; the Soc's grip was too tight. He let me stand up and steady my balance, giving me the perfect opportunity to punch him right in the nose. He stumbled backwards, but grabbed my wrist and brought me down to the ground with him.

He climbed on top of me and pinned my arms above my head, pulling out a switchblade with his free hand.

"I'll take her off your hands." I heard Randy tell one of the Socs. I turned my head and saw him carrying an already-unconscious Kimi to the trunk of his car.

I struggled to get up so I could help her, but the weight of the Soc on top of me held me down. He placed the cold blade of his switchblade on one side of my neck and slid it across to the middle, warm blood running down my neck.

"Come on, boys. We're done here." Randy called, trying to hurry his gang up.

Once the Socs were out of our reach, I carefully stood up, my head spinning. As I was walking over to Tiger and Luna, I saw the gang chasing the Socs into the mustang, punching them through he windows until they drove away.

"Are you broads okay?" Soda asked us worriedly once they came over to us, brushing my dark brown hair out of my face.

"They took Kimi. They knocked her unconscious and kidnapped her." I blurted out, the boys giving us rags to put on our cuts.

"Well, we have to get her back." Ponyboy said obviously.

"But first, we have to get you girls toughened up so you can fight back. Step one, let's get you some switchblades." Steve said.

I could never hurt someone, but when they hurt my friends, they're getting cut. Besides, if I chicken out, they boys will do it for me. Man, Randy is messing with the wrong Greasers.