Scottish Gold (An Outsiders Fic)

Chapter 29: The Nightly Double

Vikki's POV

The Next Day

Steve, Soda, Two-Bit, Cookie and I stood in the old abandoned lot hanging out before the movie. Two-Bit and Cookie were kicking a can back and forth between their feet playing a makeshift game of American football to pass time before the movie started at the drive-in.

"What are we waiting fur?" I asked Soda, who was leaning up against Darry's truck we borrowed for the night.

"Just for the sun to go down a little more, darling, we don't wanna be the first ones there." He said. "I don't wanna be there longer than I have to."

"What's with ye and the cinema?" I asked, "ye make it sound like torture!"

"It oughta be." Soda laughed, "I'd rather chase my tail than sit through a two hour picture where I ain't allowed to stand up or talk."

"Those are the universal film rules." I said with a smile.

"I know, I know." He said with an exaggerated groan. He tilted his head up slightly, peering at the car that was pulling into the lot.

"Is that Clint's car?" Soda asked.

I squinted my eyes to get a closer look, and I would recognize it from a mile away. I cracked my neck as I tried to search for Cookie and get her to look up and tell me that I was crazy. Instead, I heard her say, "fucking shit."

"Dammit." I said, scared out of my mind. We had been caught. We had been caught hanging out with greasers.

"What do we gotta do?" Soda asked as Clint parked and stepped out of the car and headed towards us.

"It's too late." I said. "He knows."

We held our breath as Clint walked toward us slowly, trying to tuck in his yellow sweater vest into his khaki pants. I couldn't see the look on his face, but I knew what was coming.

"Thought I would find you girls down here." He said, getting closer until he finally stood a few feet in front of us. I paused. Not sure what to say or do. I looked to Cookie in panic as she came to stand beside me. Her shoulders were drawn back in stubborn pride.

"What for?" Cookie asked.

"Karen sent me to come get you." He said, "said it was for some fancy dinner."

"We got plans." Cookie shrugged plainly, staring him down, daring him to say otherwise. I could feel the boys tensing behind us. I wanted to run, to get out while I still could. "Wolf or Sheep?" She asked and Clint smiled.

"I can see that." He chuckled. He stepped forward and offered his hand to the closest boy to him, Soda. "Put 'er there."

Soda looked just as confused as I felt, shaking his hand as Clint went around the lot. I was expecting yelling, screaming, dragging us out of there by our ears for disobeying him, but we got kindness. Instead, he was kind to the very greasers he once bad mouthed.

"It is nice to meet you all. The real you." He said, "ya know? Jeans suit y'all more than khakis."

"Yer not mad?" I asked, the confusion clear in my voice.

"Greasers... Socs... Those are just labels. We can't marginalize a group based on the actions of a few." He said, looking at Cookie and giving her a small nod, "I don't give a hoot if you're greasers. As long as you treat these girls respectfully, then frankly, I don't give a damn."

"Thank you, sir." Two said, coming up and slinging his arm over Cookie's shoulders with his usual carefree smile. I almost panicked, thinking that maybe that would set him off. My nerves were in overdrive due to the whole situation.