The Golden and the Tarnish

Chapter 4: Golden Reunion

(Present Day)

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only three things on my mind: Paul Newman, Anita McMullen and a ride home. In 2 weeks it would be Annie's birthday. I haven't seen her in 2 years, but she is still on my mind every day.

It was June 6th, 1965. Walking down the dirtied road, I bounced my tiny ball. A few Socs shouted at me from there perfect blue mustang, 'Greaser!' Keeping my head down, I continued to my house, thinking that I should have gone to the movies when Darry and Soda came home from work.

Nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do. For a while there, I thought I was the only person in the world that did. So I loned it. Annie liked movies too, especially science fiction ones about the future. When we we're younger, I would read my books with her. Even though she might not like it the way I do, she still tried.

I could have gotten one of the gang to come along, one of the four boys Darry and Soda and I have grown up with and consider family. We're almost as close as brothers; when you grow up in a tight-knit neighborhood like ours you get to know each other real well. If I had thought about it, I could have called Darry and he would have come by on his way home and picked me up, or Two-Bit Mathews--- one of our gang--- would have come to get me in his car if I had asked him, but sometimes I just don't use my head. It drives my brother Darry nuts when I do stuff like that, 'cause I'm supposed to be smart; I make good grades and have a high IQ and everything, but I don't use my head.

Besides, I like walking.

I about decided I didn't like it so much, though, when I spotted that red Corvair trailing me. I was almost two blocks from home then, so I started walking a little faster. I had never been jumped, but I had seen Johnny after four Socs got hold of him, and it wasn't pretty. Johnny was scared of his own shadow after that. Johnny was sixteen then.

Also, Annie got jumped a bunch of times. Mel, her older sister, told me that Socs liked to bother girls just as much as boys, maybe even more than us.

Annie wasn't as scared as Johnny became, but I've seen her hide her emotions better than anyone I've ever seen.

"Hey, grease," one said in an over-friendly voice. "We're gonna do you a favor, greaser. We're gonna cut all that long greasy hair off."

He had on a madras shirt. Blue madras. One of them laughed, than cussed me out in a low voice. I couldn't think of anything to say. There just isn't a whole lot you can say while waiting to get mugged, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Need a haircut, greaser?" The medium-sized blond pulled a knife out of his back pocket and flipped the blade open.

I finally thought of something to say. "No." I was backing up, away from that knife. Of course I backed right into one of them. They had me down in a second. They had my arms and legs pinned down and one of them was sitting on my chest with his knees on my elbows, and if you don't think that hurts, you're crazy. I could smell English Leather shaving lotion and stale tobacco, and I wondered foolishly if I would suffocate before they did anything. I was scared so bad I was wishing I would. I fought to get loose, and almost did for a second; then they tightened up on me and the one on my chest slugged me a couple of times. So I lay still, swearing at them between gasps. A blade was held against my throat.

"How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?"

It occurred to me then that they could kill me. I went wild. I started screaming for Soda, Darry, anyone. Someone put his hand over my mouth, and I bit it as hard as I could, taste the blood running through my teeth. I heard a muttered curse and got slugged again, and they were stuffing a handkerchief in my mouth. One of them kept saying, "Shut him up, for Pete's sake, shut him up!"