The new outsider

Chapter 11: A Different Kind Of Fighting

Dally watched helplessly as Jessica fought. He would have liked to break up the fight and drag her out of there but you just did not do that sort of thing around there. Luckily Jessica didn't look that hurt except she looked like she might pop a couple knuckles.
Before Dally could do anything Brenda's boyfriend and his buddy joined in the fight. One pulled Jessica off of Brenda and held her arms while the other one took a few swings at her. This was no longer a fair fight so Dally joined in.

He jumped on the back of the one who was beating Jessica and wrestled him to the ground. He hadn't even noticed but Steve had joined in too and was working on the other guy.

Dally had the other guy out cold in a matter of minutes and had just enough time to grab Jessica before she lunged at Brenda again. Dally yelled to Steve and dragged a struggling Jessica towards the car.

Steve came trotting close behind Dally as they fought their way through the crowd. Dally transfered his struggling captive to Steve so he could unlock the doors.

"For god's sake Jess, calm down!" Steve yelled.

She just struggled and cussed harder and louder. Steve, who wasn't known for patience, slammed Jessica against the car as hard as he could. It knocked the breath from her lungs and she hung limp in his arms, gasping for air.

Steve almost jumped ten feet when someone shot up from the back seat. Two-Bit peered out the window. He looked at them as if he had never seen them before and layed back down. How he got in there, they didn't know. Dally got the car unlocked and reached back to unlock their door from the drivers seat.

Steve roughly shoved Jessica into the car ahead of him. They drove home in silence, the only to be heard was Two-Bit snores and Jessica's painful forced breathing.

Dally pulled up infront of the house. He would have liked just to drop her off but he could see Darry still awake in the living room and knew that he had some explaining to do.

He climbed out of the car and walked up the steps with an angry Steve and Jessica who was clutching her rib cage. Dally silently hopped that Steve or the other guys hadn't broken any of her ribs.

Dally opened the door and the other two followed him inside.

"Evening Darry." Dally said calmly and plopped down on the couch.

Darry just stared at him for second then looked from Steve to Jessica who was glaring at Dally.

"Where the hell have you been?" Darry asked trying to keep his voice down, Pony and Soda were sleeping.

"At a party." Jessica said and backed up against the wall as Darry came towards her.

"Who's?" Darry said dangerously.

"Buck Meril's." Jessica said looking him straight in the eye.

"Your wasted." Darry said, smelling beer off her breath.

"No I ain't, not compared to Two-Bit that it." Jessica said with sarcasim.

"You've been fighting." Darry said clenching his teeth to keep from yelling.

"Yeah." Jessica said coldly and slid past him.

She sat down on the couch as far from Dally as possible.

"Did you take her there?" Darry asked Dally.

"No, Tim did." Dally said shrugging.

"Tim Shepard?!" Darry yelled.

Sure enough stirring came from Pony and Soda's bedroom and they emerged from their room.

"What's going on?" Soda asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Jessica just came back, wasted and beat up from Buck's party!" Darry yelled now that he didn't have to keep his voice down.

"You got to go to Buck's party? Lucky..." Pony commented while he poured himself a glass of chocolate milk.

"Would you just lay off Darry!? I can take care of myself." Jessica said angrily putting her head in her hands.

Her stomach felt sick and her head and ribs were throbbing.

"You and Tim didn't..." Darry asked his angry voice was now quiet and concerned.

Jessica didn't answer, disgusted that he would even think she was that type of girl.

"I caught them making out in a corner, I dunno if they were upstairs or not." Dally pointed out.

"Shut-up Dallas, you have helped enough. What is it with you guys? Do you have a one track mind or something?" Jessica said, frustrated "So what if I did? It's none of your buisness!"

"While your staying in my house it is my buisness!" Darry yelled.

"Fine then, no, me and Tim didn't do anything else but I am not sorry for what I did do. Then only thing I am sorry about is getting caught." Jessica said.

She closed her eyes again, hoping the ground would stop spinning.

"Come on Darry. Don't yell at her anymore, she looks like she could pass out and minute now." Soda said quietly.

"She got thrown around a bit," Dally said, not wanting to point out Steve did some of the throwing "she might had cracked a few ribs."

"I am going to bed." Jessica said, standing up.

She swayed for a minute and the colour drained from her face. She quickly sat back down, growing more and more frustrated with herself.

"Jessi." said a quite voice infront of her.

She looked up into Darry's concerned face.

"You scared me tonight." Darry said "We think of you like a kid sister even though we barely know anything about you. We want you to stay here but you can't keep getting yourself into trouble because your luck will eventually run out and we won't be around to help you."

"Fine then." Jessica said "What do you wanna know?"