The new outsider

Chapter 13: Back to Normal

The guys didn't mention anything that they had talked about that night. Things slowly started to get back to normal. They treated Jessica about the same except they weren't quite so overprotective. She appriciated that.
A week after Buck's party, the whole gang was sitting around eating supper (fried chicken and mashed potatoes, curtesy of Darry).

"Hey Jessi?" Darry said when he finished his plate.

"Hmmm?" Jessica mumbled, her mouth too full of chicken to talk.

"If you are gonna be staying here, don't you think we should try and get you into school?" Darry asked.

"School was always one of my strong points." Jessica said once she swallowed. "But I always go into fights."

"What grade were you in?" Darry asked.

"Half way through eight when I was expelled." Jessica said, putting more potatoes on her plate.

"Why did you get expelled?" Pony asked.

"Fighting." Jessica said shrugging "I sent two guys to the hospital, I guess I broke ones arm and four of the other guys ribs. Now I realize how much it must have hurt."

Jessica put a hand on her still tender rib cage. She had let Soda fix her up the next morning because she hadn't slept from the pain the night before.

"We could get you into the a block away from Pony's school, Stonehill I think it is." Darry said.

"Do I really have to go? I mean I great at school and all that but ima get kicked out quickly." Jessica said scowling at her plate.

"Just give it a try." Darry pointed out.

"Fine, when do I have to start?" Jessica said sighing.

"Monday, I will talk to the principal and get everything arranged for you." Darry said.

"Tell me about the school, is there alot of Socs or is it more Hoods?" Jessica asked, scrapping the last bit of food off of her plate.

"Same as the highschool, pretty much half and half." Pony said.

"How far away is it?" Jessica asked leaning back in her chair.

"Far enough that you will have to take the bus." Darry said.

"Don't worry kid, I will drive ya and pick ya up for your first day." Dally said.

Dally had really taken a liking to Jessica. Although the rest of the gang called her Jess, he usally called her Little-J or 'Kid'. Although Jessica didn't know, Dally had taken the liberty of beating the crap out of Tim Shepard the last time he saw him.

"Any pointers for my first day?" Jessica asked Pony, who had gone to that school.

"The dress code sucks hard." Pony said shrugging.

"What is the punishment for breaking the dress code?" Jessica asked.

"Detention I think." Pony replied.

"Excellent." Jessica said, smirking to herself.

"Hey, now don't you go planning on breaking rule before you even get there." Darry said.

"Don't you worry Darrel." Jessica said, emphizing his name.

So it was settled, Jessica was going to start school at Stonehill. The school better be ready for a shock.