Baby » The Outsiders

Chapter 2

I was right about the swelling. For the last four days, my face has been three different sizes—medium, large, and extra large. The swelling has slightly gone down, and a purple-green bruise is taking over.

"Baby," Elaine says.

I look at her. She's been trying to get me out of the room for the last couple days. Yes, I have resorted to staying in the chamber. I don't feel like leaving.

"Will you please answer me," Elaine says.

I sigh, "What do you need My Dear Elaine?"

It came out more sarcastic than I wanted it to be.

"We leave tomorrow," she says. "And I..."

She doesn't finish her sentence. I look over and see tears falling down her face.

"Elaine?" I ask getting up from the bed.

She looks at me before she breaks. I run over to her. Elaine has never shown emotion in the weeks I've been here. I walk over and hug her. She just cried.

"What's wrong," I ask. 

"I..."

"You what?"

"I'm scared."

"Why?"

"I was adopted ten times, and they never work out. What if they get tired of me?"

"They won't, and if they do.....I'll come with you."

She lets out a sniffle and looks at me. Her eyes and nose are red, and her face is sunken inwards. She looks smaller than she is now.

"You will?"

Will you? I asked the same question when Darry and we got split up. He said he would get us as soon as possible. Now it won't happen.

"I will."

As Elaine said, today the three of us were leaving. Miss Tasha comes into the home in a yellow sundress. Her dark hair is down and curled.

I look at the three of us. Elaine is in a pink sundress, and Makenna is in a pair of skin tight pants with a white blouse. To be honest with you, I'm completely underdressed. I share clothes with Sodapop. So all I've owned is flannels and jeans.

"Goodbye girls, we'll see you in a week for a check in," was the last thing Miss Green says before we get into a light blue Chevy Camaro.

I sat in the front while Elaine and Makenna took the back. I know Miss Tasha wants to ask what happens. She keeps staring at it.

"I got in a fight," I say. "With my brother."

"May I ask why," her sweet voice says.

"I told him I got adopted."

"How old is he?"

"My age, he's my twin."

She doesn't reply to that. I wouldn't blame her though.

"So," Tasha says, "what do you girls want to do?"

"Whatever you want Miss Tasha," Makenna says.

Miss Tasha chuckles, "Kenna, you can call me Tasha—mom if you want—but Tasha is beautiful, and I was thinking about getting you girls to your rooms and then go from there."

Tasha looks at the road again, and I do too. As we're driving, I see my old neighborhood. As we're passing, I see Dallas Winston getting put in the back of a police car. Not the first time Isaw it happens to him, but it still scares me.

"I have a question," Elaine asks.

"Yes," Tasha asks.

"You're a Soc, why do you want to grease and middle girls?"

Tasha smiles, "Because I want to show ya that y'all—being who you are—can be something else. I was in your positions. I was a greaser; then I was adopted into a middle. When taken into a center, my father—your new grandfather—took us to California where he struck luck, and we went into the Socials' Life. But that doesn't mean I'm not a grease and a middle. I'm all three. That's me, and it will always be me. Heck, I have more fun with the middle and greasers than I have ever with a soc. I dress like one, but I don't live like them. I can care less about the money and things, I miss being middle and a grease."

I sit there. I can care less about the money and things, I miss being middle and a grease. The woman continues to talk, but I can't hear her. I can care less about the money and things, I miss being middle and a grease.

"I know," Tasha says, "Makenna and Babydoll that it'll be hard, but can you try?"

I look at Tasha. Her eyes are on the road, but she's smiling. She was a grease. Makenna doesn't say it aloud, but she hums a yes. She was a grease.

"Yes," I say.

We pull up to a big house. Well, it's big to me, I mean I shared a room with three boys. Makenna seems shocked too. Even Elaine.

"You girls ready?" Tasha asks.

I get out of the Camaro so the other two can get out. The house is even bigger standing in front of it.

"So," Tasha says, "you each get your rooms. Babydoll your room has a red door with a B on it, Makenna your door is Royal Blue with an M on it, and Elaine yours is yellow with an E on it."

I grab my bag from the trunk, and the others do the same. Tasha closes the trunk, and we head to the front door.

"So," Elaine says, "is your husband at work?"

"I'm not married," Tasha says, "I live by myself."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine El; it's just a simple mistake."

I look at Elaine who's red in the face and looking at the ground. Then I hear the front door open. I feel the cold air come from inside. Then the four of us walk in.

The room is beige with light brown furniture. There's a rock fireplace in the corner. A tv is in front of the love seat and couch. A staircase is on the right of the fireplace.

"Your rooms are upstairs," Tasha says closing the door behind us.

She walks to the stairs first, and we follow. The stairs are wooden, and there are sixteen steps. As she said, all the rooms have letters on them.

I look at the B and then at the doorknob. It's silver. I turn it, and the door creaks open. The room is white with a big bed in the center, a desk is in the corner, a wardrobe is over by the desk, there's a bookshelf next to the bureau, and a small chair is on the other side by a big window. Everything in the room is either white or red.

I turn to look at Tasha, but nobody is there. I walk out of my room and look into Elaine's room, which is next to mine. Hers is identical to mine, but the colors are yellow and gray. She looks at me, and then we go to Makenna's room. It's just like both of ours except she doesn't have a window and the room is blue and green. There's an aquarium in her room too.

"Do you girls like your rooms," Tasha asks appearing out of nowhere.

It scared me, and I know it had to scare the other two also.

"Yes," we all say.

Tasha smiles, "Babydoll, you just said red, so I just paired it with white, we can change it if you want."

"No," I say, "it's perfect. I like it."

It's not a lie I do. I've never had a room to myself; it's nice. Scary, but I like it.

"So I was thinking," Tasha says as we sit around the table eating dinner. "We should go get you girls some new clothes and a haircut if you want. I just want to have a bonding day with you girls. What do you say?"

I look at the dinner. It's ten at night, and we're eating pancakes. I see Elaine and Makenna nod.

"Baby," Tasha says, "what about you?"

I nod, "Yeah, sounds fun."

Then I sat back in the chair and started thinking. Was that a lie or was that the truth?