Edith George- An Outsiders Fanfic

Twenty-Five

The next day, it was around three thirty in the afternoon on the Friday and everyone roamed around the main floor. Darry was about to leave to fetch a few things, but he had a few rules for the others, especially Ponyboy and Sodapop. No one had seen Edith all day and as of then, only the Curtis boys knew about her jumping. Two-bit and Johnny were curious as to why Edith hadn't been to school all day.

Edith hadn't even left her room all day. She woke up near ten o'clock and realized she was very late for school, but then remembered everything that happened. She did not mind staying back that day because she did not feel hot or even close to it. She had cried for an hour about the way she looked, the way those Socs treated her and how awful it was. She was scared. Edith didn't eat all day and she wasn't too hungry, she had lost her appetite and no matter what she did, she still looked awful.

Sniffling, she scooted over to the edge of the bed instead of lying in the middle, then got up and headed downstairs. She was going to go find her bag of clothes she had brought over, but couldn't find. She had searched her room and searched the house earlier that day. Nothing. On her way downstairs, she walked slowly and held the railing, something she didn't usually do. Edith could hear the boys talking downstairs and she mentally face palmed herself, hating the way she looked.

Keeping her head low, she managed to make her way through the crowded living room. Soda and Pony had stopped what they were doing. Darry gave her half a smile, knowing she wasn't hot or feeling well. He tried speaking with her about it, but she didn't say anything to him. "Hey, Smarty, where ya going?" Darry asked.

"U-uh, to find my-my bag." She stuttered, keeping her head low as she stopped in front of the door.

"You all right?" Steve asked, standing up from where he was seated, looking over at her. Dallas furrowed his brows in curiosity, sitting comfortably at the edge of his seat, eyeing the girl. Two-bit couldn't seem to take his eyes away from the screen and Johnny looked up from sorting the cards he and Pony finished playing.

"Ye-yeah." She nods. "I'll be back."

Walking out the door, Darry turned to his brothers. "Make sure she eats something before I get back." Soda nodded to Darry's address to him.

"Hey, Darry," Dallas questioned, standing up and pulled his jeans up. "What's up with Edith?" 

Darry bit the inside of his cheek, hesitant to tell any of the other boys. No one had noticed the way she looked because she had kept her head low and didn't say a word or make a face about what had happened. She never groaned or winced, she did not hold her side, but the stuttering gave it away. "She ugh, got jumped last night by four Socs."

"Same guys that jumped Ponyboy?" Two-bit asked, looking away from the TV for brief moment.

"Don't know, didn't see 'em and I don't think she ate all day. Don't mention it to her. She's shaken up and Soda said she was crying last night about the way she looked. Today ain't gon' be any better."

"Who was it then?" Dallas asked.

"Don't matter. We don't need to go jumpin' them and gettin' in trouble. All right?" Darry eyed Dallas, who shrugged and nodded, sighing dramatically as he threw himself back down on the couch. 

Darry walked outside and headed out to pick up a few things. Edith had found her bag down the street and picked it up with a bit of trouble. The heavy bag filled with clothes caused her ribs to become sore and she winced at the pain, but continued walking anyhow because she didn't want to show her weakness, especially to the boys.

Entering the house, Edith didn't say a word and kept her head low. Two-bit stopped her and Pony's eyes widened, wondering why Two-bit had done that. It was not a good idea to ask Edith about the way she felt, looked, or the jumping at all. "Hey, Ede, how's it going?" He asked her.

"Good, just like every other day." She was not playing dumb, by now, everyone knew she had been jumped. There was no doubt about it. "I'll be upstairs if you need me."

Watching her leave, Sodapop waited until she got to her room before heading to the kitchen to grab something for her to munch on. The boys discussed the jumping and it have them a whole new and better reason to have a Rumble. No one messed with their girls, especially Edith George.

In her room, Edith threw off the fresh hoodie she had on the night before, walking around in a bra and found a long sleeve shirt. She proceeded to pull a yellow wool sweater on over top and then pulled on a pair of  burgundy hip-huggers. Just finishing up and pulling her pants up, her door opened and Sodapop entered after knocking after he had opened the door. She whipped around to see who it was, forgetting for a moment about the way she looked and stared at him.

He held a plate in his hand and a glass in the other, staring back at her for a brief moment before clearing his throat. "Oh, um, brought you this." He told her, walking further into the room and she turned away, taking her seat on the chest.

"You can place it on the dresser by the door there." She told him.

He set the plate and cup down, shutting the door most of the way, leaving a crack open. He wandered in a little more and she remained by the end of the bed, staring towards the window. He rubbed the back of his neck in ponder. "Ede, are you sure everything's all right?"

"Yeah. You know, I plan on going out soon and getting jumped, because you know, so what?" She said, mocking his words from the night before.

He licked his bottom dry lip. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

"No," She turned and rubbed her arms. "But that's what it came out as. You know, my parents leave for a weekend, I get jumped, you say it's normal and look at me." She explains, he nods, staring at the ground. "Look at me." She spoke up, her tone a little more strict.

He gazed up and met her eyes. "I think you should eat."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, plopping down onto the chest at the end of her bed. "No." She shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

"Edith, you haven't eaten all day."

"Soda, the day you become my father, brother, or husband, you can tell me what to do."

He knew she was stubborn, but this was ridiculous and he knew it. Darry advised him to make sure that Edith had something to eat before she starved herself and things got worst than what they were. "Darry wants ya to and he's the boss. I'm sorry I'm only trying to help you." He turned and headed for the door. "There's med's here, too. Thought maybe you might want them, but I guess it doesn't matter. So what?" He shrugged, shutting the bedroom door and left.