The Outsiders: Before My Time | Sodapop

Soc Vs Grease

When we were back at the Curtis house, I couldn't even step outside without Darry asking me where I was going. I still had my Time Machine in the trunk of my car, and I constantly needed to go outside to try to fix it. I was able to sneak off a few times to swipe as many parts as I could that belonged to the Time Machine that were still in the field, but I was running out of surface area to check.

Tonight was the night of the big rumble, the greasers versus the Socs. They've been talking about it all day. Soda told me that he thinks it'll be the biggest rumble he's ever fought in, and there's no Soc and no gang that isn't in it. The Socs had crossed the line this time, so no one was going down without a fight. He tried to talk me into going, but I just can't bring myself to go.

I know how this ends. Greasers are triumphant, and they come home accomplished and they won't have a cloud of pain over them since Johnny is alive and well. He will probably be a part of the rumble, but he's going to have to be careful because every Soc wants his head since he's the one who killed Bob. But I know that Darry and Dally would never let anything happen to him out there.

I have gone to a couple of the rumbles, and I usually stand with the girlfriends who are cheering on their boyfriends. I don't go to many of them because they terrify me. It's so hard to see my best friends get absolutely destroyed and beat up. They usually win though, but it doesn't seem worth it when they have to deal with broken noses, black eyes, and broken fingers. People get really hurt at these things, sometimes they get killed.

Johnny was supposed to die tonight, almost immediately followed by Dally. I know that Johnny won't, but who's to say that Dally won't do something unbelievably stupid and somehow fall into the clutches of fate? He's still an angry young man. My anxiety over what will happen once night falls was overwhelming me.

I grabbed the phone and dialed Buck's number. I twirled my fingers around the coiled cord of the telephone until someone picked up the phone.

"It's Buck," Buck answered with very little emotion. He's a man of very few words.

"Hey, is Dally there?" I asked.

I heard some murmurs and grunts on the other end until Buck finally asked into the phone, "who's asking?"

"Bri."

More muttering was grumbled into my ear followed by obvious sounds of movement. Then Dally's voice came onto the phone. "Bri?"

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Just getting ready for the rumble, about to get real boozed up. Are you goin'?"

"No, I'm not."

"It's gonna be a real good one. You sure you ain't gonna come?"

"I was actually wondering if I could talk to you."

"Talk to me? Why? W-why would you wanna be talkin' to me?" He rambled.

"Can you meet me at the Lake in a few minutes?" I asked, glancing over at the clock. The sun should be going down pretty soon, and we can't miss it.

"Yeah, sure. I can do that," he promised.

"I'll see you soon," I said and I hung up.

I went into my room to change. I slipped on a pair of straight leg jeans and put on a thin strapped blue and white striped tank top. I used a brown belt to break up the two blues, and I put on my black converse sneakers.

I started my hobble out of the house again, with Darry immediately stopping me. He asked, "where are you going?"

"I'm going over to the lake," I told him vaguely.