Hershey Curtis

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
     "Hershey breakfast is ready come on, you're gonna have to end up going to school with an empty stomach." said Darry. I finished brushing my hair and went to the table. Sodapop was sitting there chowing down on the bacon. He ate so fast it almost made my head spin. Darry was reading the newspaper and putting a fork full of  scrambled eggs into his mouth. Pony was picking at his food like usual and stuffing his nose in a book. I plopped down in my chair and started eating the breakfast off of my plate. I finished the rest of my food. While me and Ponyboy walked to school we saw a boy from our school named Randall sprint down the road. He was a greaser buddy of ours. Not soon after him a real tuff looking mustang sped down the road it was a kind of orangish red and in the car was 3 Soc's screaming greaser and drinking some booze. "Another day having the pleasure of being a greaser." Pony said with a tone of sarcasm in his voice. When we got to school Pony waved his hand and headed the direction of his school, the middle and high school are right next to each other. When I walked in everyone was whispering and looking at someone. It wasn't me because everyone's eyes were on the boy in the corner of the room. I took a seat and waited for class to start. The bell rang and slowly everyone started to quiet down. "Okay everyone, if I could have your attention up here I would like to introduce a new student from Windrexville. Make a warm welcome for Kevin Lingie." when Mr. Anderson stopped talking a boy with dark curly hair and grey eyes that reminded me the tiniest bit of Pony's walked to the front of the classroom. He looked sweet and dangerous at the same time. "Hey everyone." he did a little smile. "Happy to be joining you all." he then took a seat in the corner of the room where he was earlier. At lunch I was waiting in line to get some food when the mysterious new boy came in after me. "Hi." he said sweetly. "Hi." I said back. "You're Hershey Curtis right?" he asked. "Yessir." I said while grabbing a chicken sandwich and placing it down on my my tray. "Like the chocolate bar?" he said with a joking voice. "Yes, my dad thought I was real sweet when I was born, I didn't cry none so he named me after something sweet. Chocolate. Course I dunno why Hershey's chocolate but, hey we all have our questions." I said to him in a bitter but also joking response. "I'm Kevin, Kevin Lingie." he said. "I know, I am in the same homeroom as you." I said while getting out of the line and walking towards a table outside. "Oh, well I-I uh, I know about your brother and his friend. Real sad what happened." he said with pity in his voice. "Hmm." I sat down. "Well I just wanted to thank Ponyboy for being so brave, my kid brother was stuck in that church and if it weren't for him Sebastian wouldn't be alive." he said thankfully. "I'll make sure to let Ponyboy know." I assured him. "Okay, uh well, see ya around." Kevin started to walk away while Two-bit sat down. The cafeteria is split between the high school and middle school, Two-bit and I just so happen to have the same lunch period. "Who was he, haven't seen him around." he said while eating his chicken sandwich like a pig. "His name's Kevin." I said staring at him as he walked away. "Aww lil ol Hershey has a crush, well you'd better watch it, or Darry will make you transfer schools to make sure nothing happens between you two." he let out a hyena laugh as Ponyboy arrived. After school ended I told Pony I was going to head to the park. Of course as usual he wouldn't lemme go by myself afraid Darry would murder him. So we just walked to the park and stayed a while. "Hey uh Pone?" I said breaking the silence. "Yea Hersh?" he said while watching 2 pigeons fight over a piece of bread. "There was this guy at school who wanted to let you know he thinks you're mighty brave for going in and saving all those kids, says one of them was his lil brother and that if not for you and Johnny he'd have burned to death." I said. "Yeah well Johnny died." I could feel the tension begin to rise so I just stopped. When we got home Pony went straight to his and Soda's room. "What's the matter with him?" Soda said. "I dunno, told him about how this kid at school thought he was a hero for saving those kids. He kind of jus' snapped at me saying that Johnny died because of it." I explained to Soda. "Hersh we talked about this you gotta stop telling him about the fire and Johnny and stuff." he said with a sigh. "Sorry Soda but the kid really wanted me to let Pony know how much he appreciated it, one was his brother." Soda let out an "oh" and continued on his purple ham. When Darry got home me and Soda told him what happened. Pony looked down at his food, silent the entire time while after the story Darry kind of just shook his head and ate the rest of his food. After dinner Soda helped me with my homework and Pony did the dishes. Darry headed to bed because he wasn't feeling too hot. I went outside to think. Pony came out and sat next to me. "Sorry I snapped atcha earlier." he said lighting a smoke. "Eh, it's alright I said." I grabbed a smoke from the pack and let Pony light it. Darry doesn't let me smoke but, I do sometimes secretly because it's fun to break rules. For 30 more minutes we kind of jus' watched the fireflies come and go. Later that night after everyone had gone to bed I heard a scream. It was another of Pony's nightmares. It had been months since the last one had happened. Darry and I ran in while we Saw Soda just shushing Pony. "Aww Pone you're okay. Just a dream that's it honey." Pony's shivering slowed and eventually he stopped all together. I was about to leave the room when from the front door we heard someone come in. Figuring it's probably a drunk Two-bit I just walk to my room but what I see is someone dressed in all black. I freeze. "Curtis family, hated by every soc in the South Side." he said maliciously. Darry was still in Pony's room and I don't think he heard the Soc. I didn't scream anyone's name figuring the Soc would just kill me right then and there. He comes toward me slowly. I figure he'll just beat me up, no weapons. But instead, he pulls out a gun. I don't know none about them because our family only uses switch blades. "Scream and I'll shoot." he said. Suddenly Darry comes out of Soda and Pony's room. "Hey-" he realizes it's not our friend Two-bit. "Point the gun away from her now." he says sternly but with a quaver in his voice. "Why should I?" he asked. "Because Hersh had none to do with that night of the murder. She is completely innocent." he explains. "Yeah but, that's exactly why it's so fun, makes the real hoods suffer more." suddenly a loud bang and smoke comes out of the gun. I feel the worst pain I have ever felt near my stomach. I fall to the ground in pain. Pony and Soda come running to the living room while the mystery man makes his escape. They all kneel down. "Pony call an ambulance right now!" Darry says. Pony runs to the phone. I start to cry because it hurts so bad. "It'll be okay honey! Just squeeze my hand baby!" says Darry while his voice breaks. A crying Soda holds my wound with some cloth to try and stifle the bleeding. "Says they're on their way!" Pony comes to my other hand and gently squeezes it. He pushes back my hair. "Shhh you're okay." he does a soft smile. Pony has always calmed me down. He has such a soft personality that whenever he speaks it's soothing even his touch is as light as a feather. The hospital is only a few streets away from our house so right away we hear the rushing sirens letting everyone in the neighborhood know that the gunshot was not a false alarm. I started to sob more, I have a deathly fear of hospitals. Mostly cause I believe in all that paranormal crap. I think that everyone who dies there haunts the patients and the workers. I am not looking forward to getting possessed. I thought I would have time to calm down but sooner than expected they arrive with a stretcher through the doorway. They set me down on it and begin to insert an IV. Oh no. Last time I got my blood taken I fainted like every girl in those scary movies. When it slowly poked through my skin and slithered into my vein I could feel the color drain from my face straight away. Fear, panic, pain all combined sent me into what I like to call turtle mode. Aka, fainting. Everything is black just for a moment as you hide from whatever it is that has caused you to go back into your shell, like a turtle would. The voices became muffled and faces became blurry. All I remember before entering my shell completely was Darry lightly tapping my cheek and the feeling of being lifted up into the vehicle that would bring me to my doom.