The new outsider

Chapter 15: Lisa

Dally stayed with Jess and Pony for a little while after school. Jess didn't say much, mostly just alternating a bag of ice from her eye to her lip.
"There's a rodeo coming up." Dally said when Tia gave up with the ice.

"When?" Jessica asked sitting up.

"Friday." Dally answered.

"I dunno if I should go or not. My face must look kinda nasty right now." Jess pointed out.

"You have to go, people have been asking about you." Dally said.

"Why?" Jess asked, confused.

"Because they are not use to seeing a girl riding in the rodeos and even more impressed at how good you ride." Dally said.

"Same winnings?" Jessica asked, carefully touching her lip to see if the swelling went down any.

"No, Buck said he will throw in an extra 20 if you show and win." Dally explained.

"Fine, i'll go. You riding?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, I need to try and get some more cash. I lost an awful lot in a poker game earlier in the week." Dally yelled from the kitchen where he was rumaging through the fridge.

"Hellllllllllo!?" a yell came from outside and the sound of the door opening was heard.

"In here!" Pony yelled back

Jessica laughed to herself, she loved being in a house where when you yelled you didn't get lectured.

Soda and Steve came into the room a few minutes. Tia kept her face tilted down and let her hair hang infront of her fair a little. She didn't feel like explaining her day all over again.

"How was your first day at Stonehill." Soda asked, taking off his jacket.

Jessica let out a couple chosen words.

"That good." Soda said and turned on the television.

Jessica could feel Steve watching her from across the room.

"How thick is your skull, Soda Pop?" Steve asked mockinly.

"Depends." Soda said looking up "If it is a competition, my skull is thicker then yours. If not, then not quite as thick as Two-Bit's."

Pony laughed but Steve just glared.

"She is hiding something, she won't show you her face." Steve said motioning to Jessica.

"Thanks alot, I will get you later." Jessica growled.

"What happened?" Soda asked turning off the tv and turning towards Jess.

"Socs." Dally managed to say through a mouthfull of chocolate cake.

"Glory, Jessica please look at me." Soda said gently.

Jessica looked up at him and tried to smile but it hurt her lip.

"I'm fine, don't worry, the Socs look worse then me." she said and got a smile from Soda.

Luckily Soda and Steve dropped the subject but Darry flipped when he saw her.

"Fighting on the first day of school?!" he yelled "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well," Jess said looking coldly at him "I won."

That got a laugh from the gang but Darry just continued to glare at her. He stormed off before he said anything he would regret. She had wanted to give him some more money for letting her stay ther but she was scared he might tried to stuff it down her throat if she gave it to him now. Instead she gave it too Soda.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day at school while she was trudging through the halls she heard quick foot steps coming up beside her. She noticed a shorter girl with dark brown hair keeping stride with her.

"Are you Jessica?" she asked.

"Yeah, why do you wanna know?" Jessica asked and kept walking.

"Your the girl everyone is talking about!" She exclaimed "The one who rides in rodeos, beats up Socs and gets around with Dallas Winston."

"I don't get around with Dally, well not like that. He is like a brother to me." Jessica explained impatiently. "Who are you anyways?"

"Lisa Walker. I never saw you ride before but everyone says that you are really good. My brother KJ saw you ride last time, he hasn't stopped talking about you." Lisa exclaimed. "I still can't believe you hang out with Dallas, he is the toughest guy around."

"Here's my class." Jessica said turning into her History class.

"I am in your class too, I sit right behind you." Lisa said following her.

Jessica had missed History yesterday because of the fight. It turns out they had to do a project in History so Jessica went with Lisa. Although she was quite a chatter box, it was nice to talk to someone who isn't a guy or scared of you.

Lisa went home with Jess to work on their project after school. Dally was already there, sleeping on the couch when Jess opened the door. Jessica decided to take advantage of his unconscious state. She found a marker and was half way through a mustache on his face when he woke up.

"What are you doing now Little-J?" he asked rubbing his face, smudging the mustache.

He looked down at his hand and saw the marker. He playfully knocked her into a chair as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Glory." Lisa whispered. "I thought he was gonna kill you."

"Dally? No way, he wouldn't for a little thing like that." Jessica said.

When Dally came back from washing his face he tried to hold Jess down so he could give her a mustache too.

"No Dallas." Jessica said laughing "Not infront of company."

"Company?" Dally asked, giving up.

"Meet Lisa Walker, she is in my class, we have to work on a project." Jess said.

Dally nodded to Lisa and smiled. Lisa looked like an animal in head lights, she just stared-wide eyed-at him. He looked at Jessica and raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, he won't bite... I think." Jess said laughing.

Dally just laughed at the comment.

"Walker? You related to KJ?" Dally asked Lisa.

"Yeah." Lisa replied and cleared her throat "He is my brother."

"He is a tough guy, I get around with him sometimes. Tell him he still owes me 5 bucks." Dally said and went into the kitchen.

Lisa wasn't sure if he was joking or not. She had heard so many stories about Dallas Winston that she was terrified of him. They spred out their books on the floor and started their project. It was on World War II.

"Little-J?" Dally yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Jessica yelled back.

"What are you wearing for the rodeo?" Dally asked.

"I dunno, probably that black shirt you gave me." Jessica said.

"No way Little-J." Dally exclaimed "You don't wear the same thing twice to a rodeo. Not when so many people are going to be watching for you. I will pick something up for ya again, k?"

"Sure, just make sure it covers most of my body." Jessica added.

She knew that when Dally said 'pick something up' he literaly ment it, like Dallas Winston would ever pay for something.