The new outsider

Chapter 12: Jessica's Life

Chapter 13: Tia's Life
"How old are you for starters?" Darry asked.
"Like I told Two-Bit, thirteen and a half." Jessica said leaning back.

"Thirteen!?" Darry exclaimed. "Why the hell didn't you guys tell me?!"

"Cause we knew you would freak out like you are doing now." Two-Bit said managing to make a full sentance.

"Is your name actually Jessica?" Darry asked sitting down.

"Yeah, Jessica C. Chase." Jessica said, her voice thick with boredom.

"Your parents are dead, right?" Darry asked.

"Nope, my dad is in Dallas and my mom is six feet under." Jessica said tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear.

"You lied?" Darry asked.

"Yeah." Jess said without any remorse.

"Why did you run away?" Soda asked when Darry didn't say anything else.

"I was sick being shoved around by my older brother Evan and even more sick of my dad taking swings at me." Jessica said slouching down farther on the couch.

"Your dad and brother hit you?" Johnny asked.

Jessica quickly sat up straighter, Johnny had barely said three words to her since she got here. He was now looking her directly in the eyes. She looked back at him, she could see the pain and fear in his eyes, it broke her heart. In that moment she knew, he had been abused too.

"My brother didn't hit me too much, he just made fun of me alot and kept getting me into a lot of trouble with the fuzz and getting my dad to beat me at least everyday. My dad would beat me alot but he was close to have done worse. I left cause I didn't know how much longer it would take him to try to do  that...step further. Plus the night I ran away he finally pushed me too far. He tried to rape me but of course I didn't let him, but when he got mad he cracked a bottle on my knee cap while I was trying to run away. I still got the pieces of glass in there since the wound healed over." Jessica said looking directly at Johnny. "Your dad hits you too?"

Johnny nodded and Soda hugged him to make him feel better. He probably would have hugged Jessica too but knew better, she didn't look in the hugging type of mood.

"You hitch-hiked here?" Darry finally asked.

"Yeah, I rode with a trucker from Dallas to Wichita Falls. From there I rode in a van of high schoolers to Oklahoma City. From there I rode in a truck with two guys to Muskogee. I rode with another trucker to Sapulpa and walked to Tulsa and the rest is history."

"Wow." Dally whistled. "Hitch hiking is kinda dangerous."

"I had my blades with me, I am quite sure I was more dangerous then anyone I could meet on my travels." Jessica said making them laugh.

"And you didn't do anything with Tim, right?" Darry asked.

"Come on Darry. I already told you that I am not that type of girl, I don't sleep around with Hood's I meet at parties." Jessica said smiling when Darry turned slightly red and looking away.

"One more question?" Two-Bit asked, his words still slurred.

"Sure." Tia said shrugging.

"If you didn't mess around with Tim then how many guys have you-"

Darry shoved Two-Bit, cutting off his sentance.

"You don't have to answer that." Darry said giving Two-Bit a filthy look.

"Wha?" Two-Bit said getting up "I was just wondering, take it easy."

"None, well on that my...dad tried to." Tia said quietly.

"What?" Dally asked turning to face her.

"Matthews asked me a question and I answered him, I haven't been with any guys." Jessica said still laughing at the look on the guys faces.

"You kiddin'?" Dally asked.

"Nope, I don't wanna get pregnant, I live too fast and I don't want to be slowed down now."  Jess said shrugging.

Dally didn't say anything else. She was one of the very few people he actually admired even though he didn't admit it. She knew how to take care of herself and she used good judgement, he should have known she could handle Buck's party and Tim.

"Is there any chance your father or brother could be looking for you?" Darry asked when everyone had regained their composure.

"My brother probably will, he still thinks I am his baby sister. If he finds me, he will take me back to my father. I would prefere to die then go back home, hell if I went back home he would probably kill me anyways." Jessica said sighing.

"Don't worry Jess." Dally said putting an arm around her shoulders. "We won't let anything happen to you."