Greaser Girl

The Rumble

"Yeah real tuff." I mumble and I cross my arms like a stubborn kid. "Watch the house, Maia."

"We just don't want you to get hurt, Mi. That's all." Two Bit tells me.

I sit on the couch between Soda and Steve, Two sits on the coffee table in front of me. They (being him and Dally) don't want me to go to the Rumble. I don't understand that, I've gone to them before and I've kicked ass at them before. There's no blades or chains at this one either.

"Two, just let her fight." Steve speaks up. "She can fight as good as any of us."

"It ain't like Dally is going to be here. He's laid up in the hospital after all." Soda says and Two frowns.

"You're too important." Two says.

"Dally would beat us senseless if he finds out we let you fight." Darry speaks up.

"Figure me this." Steve speaks up. "What happens if a couple of socs come to he house? She'll be here by herself."

"They'll be in our territory." Darry says. "And she'll have Two's blade, right Two?"

"Uh no, Dall has my blade." He scratches the back of his neck.

"What does someone who's laid up in the hospital need with a switch?" Steve wonders and it clicks in my head.

"So he can go to the Rumble." I say and Two half smiles.

"I knew I liked you for more than beauty." He says with a laugh. "You have a blade?"

I nod and pull my blade from my pocket, they all take turns looking it over to see if it's sharp enough. Once they all agree they start to get ready for the Rumble. Two downs two beers and everyone else gets properly dressed and their hair perfectly greased.  Once their ready, they all start to file out (not before telling me to be careful and to keep and eye out for socs) until it's just Soda, Steve, Two, and I. Soda and Steve laugh and lean on each other.

"I think we need a kiss for good luck, Pop Tart." Steve says and I hear Two Bit mumble something along the lines of 'stupid grease monkey'.

I hug my best friends tightly and kiss their cheeks.

"Don't kill yourselves." I tell them and they smile.

"We're gonna stomp those socs into the ground." Steve yells before run in outside. We laugh and Soda looks at me.

"Be careful, Miss Maia." He tells me and I smile.

"I hope they don't mess your face up too much, Pretty Boy." I say and he ruffles my hair before following Steve out the door.

I'm left with Two in the Curtis living room. I look at my feet before meeting his eyes.

"I thought it was you fight, I fight." I say and he smiles.

"Just sit this one out, okay?" Two steps closer to me putting his hands on my hips.

"Be careful, Two." I say as his face gets closer to mine. "Ive already got a brother laid up in the hospital, I don't need a boyfriend there to."

"I swear on my switch, chocolate cake, Mickey Mouse, and Budweiser that I will be careful." He laughs before his lips reach mine.

We kiss gently and slowly for a while before Two pulls away again. He leaves his face about an inch from mine.

"I'll be back before Mickey comes back on." Two promises quietly and I smile. "I love you."

I press my lips to his again before pulling away.

"I love you. Be careful and kick some soc ass." I say and he laughs.

"I knew it was more than beauty." Two says before joining his friends.

I watch them from the deck as their backs disappear down the street. I sit down on the steps. Then I start to do the math in my head. Even with our unofficial gang and Tim Shepherd's gang, I feel like we're going to be greatly out numbered. I look up at the clouds that roll in, a storm's coming and not just a thunderstorm.

I roll up the welcome mat and grab the hidden spare key. I lock up the Curtis house and slip the key into my jacket pocket where I know it's safe. I walk down the steps, out the gate, and I start to chase the boys down the street.

Two Bit

I knew somewhere deep in my heart that the Curtis house wasn't going to keep Maia Winston. I knew that sooner rather than later I was going to hear her Converse chasing us down the street to the lot. It never happened. We make it to the lot and meet up with Tim Shepherd and his crew. I keep looking behind me and I expect to see my tiny girlfriend racing towards us.

I know she can fight and I know she's good at it. But I don't want her here, I don't think she's at one hundred percent. After her brother and everything with her old man, I don't think she's running on a full tank. I also know if Dally was able to, ahem, convince the nurse to let him off and he saw his little sister out here fighting, we'd all be dead.

The socs pull up in a couple of cars and they start to pile out. I'm looking at the numbers, they could be worse. I alway look on the bright side of things. I take one look behind me as one of the socs get in Darry's face and am I ever happy I did.

Maia has just stepped into the chain link threshold of the lot. Her brown hair hangs in curls around her shoulders and even though it's dark I can see her bright blue eyes shining. I turn back and run over to her. I don't even give her time to explain herself, I pick her up over my shoulder and trot her over to the shell of an old car that sits at the lot. I set her on the roof and look at her.

"Stay." I say quietly before running back to the Rumble.

So a few things happened while I was getting the tar kicked out of me and returning the favour of kicking the tar out of a soc. The first was it had started to pour like crazy. The second, at some point or another I looked over to see Dally and Ponyboy tag teaming this one big soc guy. I guess my knife is a pretty good negotiator, I've really gotta get that back from him after this.

The next was while I was successfully beating this soc, a couple of gorilla faced socs decided it would be fun to pick of Two Bit's girlfriend who doubles at Dallas Winston's baby sister. This is where Maia isn't most girls, she didn't scream. I kicked the guy I was fighting to the ground and looked back. I saw my girlfriend standing between the monkey faces. They were each trying to grab an arm. I watch proudly as my Maia elbows them both in the stomach to create separation then punches them as hard as she can in the face. Let's just say they left her alone after that.

Shortly after that, the socs all fled. We won, we're all soaked and muddy and bruised but we won. As soon as they started to leave we cheered and all went around Maia. We take turns asking if she was okay and crap like that. Dally had his chance to scold his little sister or try to he couldn't wipe the proud smile off his face.

I snake my arms around her and pull her into me. She turns to face me and wraps her arms up around my neck.

"My little brawler." I laugh. "Living up to your last name and your shiner."

"You're not pissed that I followed you?" Maia asks and I shake my head.

"I know you'd come sooner or later." I admit.

"Did you now?" She laughs and I nod.

"You Winstons can't say away from Rumbles." I nod towards her brother. "Even when you're in the hospital."

Maia laughs before kissing me.

"I love you." She says into my mouth.

I pull away and kiss her nose.

"I love you to."