Simply a Greaser

Chapter 18

"Arrested?" I was beginning to wish I hadn't woken up. "For what?"

"Well, he went after your dad," Pony muttered, cringing.

I blinked, almost expecting them both to yell 'surprise!' and Dallas would jump out from under the bar or something.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's alright." Johnny smiled at me or at least tried to. "Should get outta jail soon. Can't see your dad pressin' charges."

Pony nodded and added, trying to lighten the mood, "Didn't seem like the type."

"Why're you two talkin' like you've met him?" I was joking, but both of their faces turned white. "Guys?"

"No reason." Pony was looking anywhere that wasn't me.

"What did you do?"

Silence from both of them.

I stood up, tipping the barstool over behind me.

"Ava, where you goin'?" Johnny and Pony followed behind me. I liked those two, but they were shit at hiding stuff and they were pissing me off by not just telling me the truth.

"To your house to find out what the fuck happened!"

I stepped inside and immediately started yelling.

"What the fuck?! Why are those two talkin' like they met my dad?! Why'd y'all let Dallas-"

"Slow down, Ava!" Darry yelled right over me.

"Why ain't you at work?!"

He shrugged. "Just needed a day off."

"Bullshit. Tell me what's goin' on!" I sat down on the couch, took the remote from Steve, and turned the TV off.

"What the fuck?! Y'all just let Dallas get himself get arrested?!"

Two-Bit stepped out of the kitchen with a bag of peas on his cheek. "Not exactly."

"Why do you have-"

"He got hit," Johnny replied. "Can you please stop shoutin'?"

"Yeah, sorry." I lowered my voice, trying to calm down. "Tell me what's goin' on."

"Okay, your brother," Two-Bit began, "was pissed. Like, really, really mad. And so were we. And, uh, we decided we might want to-"

"He might want to. Don't make it sound like all of us went after him," Pony said.

Two-Bit sighed. "Listen, I know what Dally said, but Ava should know the truth."

"Agreed," Steve said, smiling at me. "You'll see all of us as your knights in shinin' armor."

"We went to your house and found your dad, and... well, we were just gonna threaten him at first, then he started yellin' and sayin' real mean shit 'bout you, and Dal got real mad." Two-Bit shrugged.

Darry continued, "Dallas attacked your dad, then the cops came 'cause one of your neighbors called. Dally told us all to run, so we did."

I had no idea how to answer... that. That whole thing was a lot to process.

"Well?" Soda sounded nervous.

"How do you want me to answer that?"

"I was hopin' you'd say thanks," Steve joked, but I could tell he wasn't actually joking.

"You want me to thank you?" I wasn't mad, or happy, or anything, really. I didn't know how to feel. "I... you went to my house, yelled at my dad, beat up my dad, and let my brother get arrested?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Steve blushed in embarrassment.

"How else am I supposed to put it?" I put my head in my hands, trying to figure out what the fuck I was supposed to do. "I need some time to think."

I went outside and sat down in their yard.

I heard the door open, and when I looked up, I saw Johnny walking toward me. I didn't expect him to be the one who would come and talk to me, but I somehow wasn't surprised. He sat down next to me, and we didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Don't tell me not to be mad," I said eventually, half-kidding.

He nodded. "I wasn't goin' to."

"Good."

"They tried to do the same thing with my parents." Johnny looked in the direction of his house. "I stopped them in time, though."

I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. "Why didn't you stop them from goin' after Dad, then?"

"I stopped them 'cause I thought I wasn't worth the risk of one of 'em gettin' hurt. And when Dal said he was goin' after your dad, we all knew that you were worth the risk of gettin' hurt."

"Well, that's bullshit." I looked at him and he shrugged. "I don't know what we would do without you, Johnny, and you might not know it, but every one of us loves you. And you're worth a lot more than possible injury."

"Thanks... I guess." Johnny was smiling at me. We lapsed into silence again.

"How bad did Dallas hurt dad?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer. But I had to know.

"Not too bad. We stopped him 'fore he could hurt him too bad."

"Thanks." I stood up and brushed the grass and dirt off my pants. I went back inside with Johnny following me.

"I'm goin' back to my house." I looked at them all, waiting for someone to object.

Soda for wed and began, "Ava, you can stay-"

"No. I'm goin' home. I'll leave if things get too bad."

They all nodded like they expected me to do this.

"At least let me drive you." Two-Bit grabbed his keys and we went outside together. He started the car and began to drive me home.

"Thanks," I said immediately, not only thanking him for the car ride. I hoped he got the message.

"Not a big deal." He hummed along to a song for a minute, then said, "I get it if you're mad, but just try to remember we were tryin' to help you."

"I'm not mad." Sighing, I admitted, "I don't know how I feel."

"Can't say I blame you." We stopped at a stop sign, and Two-Bit turned to me, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling something down. "This is my phone number. If anythin' happens, and I mean anythin', call me. I'll come to get you as fast as I can."

Happy New Year!!!