At My Side (The Outsiders Fanfiction)

Chapter 11- Part 2

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So before I send you into the last chapter of this fanfiction, I just want to thank you guys! I mean, you guys broke my read record, and I can't believe this little fanfic has gotten so far. Hell, I had even wanted to take it down quite a bit! But you guys made me change my mind, and I just want to thank you guys. This makes my day, and if there is anything I can do for you guys, tell me! I love you guys
❤️❤️Felix

***THE SEQUEL IS CALLED "AT MY SIDE 2"! IT WILL BE RELEASED ON FEBUARY 28th 2015! IF YOUR NOT FOLLOWING ME, FOLLOW ME FOR NEWS ON THE UPDATE AND TO BE NOTIFIED OF UPDATES! OR COMMENT BELOW IF YOU WANT TO BE MESSAGED ABOUT UPDATES! ***

"I don't know if you ought to be in this rumble, Pony," Darry said slowly as Cocoa tore back into the room.

"How come? I've always come through before, ain't I?"

"Yeah," Darry said with a proud grin. "You fight real good for a kid your size. But you were in shape before. You've lost weight and you don't look so great, kid. You're tensed up too much."

"Shoot," said Soda, trying to get the ace out of his shoe without Steve's seeing him, "we all get tensed up before a rumble. Let him fight tonight. Skin never hurt anyone- no weapons, no danger."

"I'll be okay," Pony pleaded. "I'll get hold of a little one, okay?"

"Well, Johnny won't be there this time . . ."- Johnny and Pony sometimes ganged up on one big guy- "but then, Curly Shepard won't be there either, or Dally, and we'll need every man we can get."

"What happened to Shepard?" Pony asked.
Cocoa didn't like Curly, especially after he burnt Pony. He always smelled like cat litter and as much as Cocoa liked cats, she hated cat litter.

"He's in the cooler," Steve said, kicking the ace out of Soda's shoe. "In the reformatory."

"Let me fight, Darry. If it was blades or chains or something it'd be different. Nobody ever gets really hurt in a skin rumble."
"Well"- Darry gave in- "I guess you can. But be careful, and if you get in a jam, holler and I'll get you out."

"I'll be okay," Pony said wearily. "How come you never worry about Sodapop as much? I don't see you lecturin' him."

"Man"- Darry grinned and put his arm across Soda's shoulders- "this is one kid brother I don't have to worry about."

Soda punched him in the ribs affectionately.

"This kiddo can use his head." Sodapop looked down at Pony with mock superiority, but Darry went on: "You can see he uses it for one thing- to grow hair on."

He ducked Soda's swing and took off for the door. Two- Bit stuck his head in the door just as Darry went flying out of it. Leaping as he went off the steps, Darry turned a somersault in mid- air, hit the ground, and bounced up before Soda could catch him. "Welup," Two- Bit said cheerfully, cocking an eyebrow, "I see we are in prime condition for a rumble. Is everybody happy?"

"Yeah!" screamed Soda as he too did a flying somersault off the steps. He flipped up to walk on his hands and then did a no- hands cartwheel across the yard to beat Darry's performance. The excitement was catching. Screeching like an Indian, Steve went running across the lawn in flying leaps, stopped suddenly, and flipped backward. We could all do acrobatics because Darry had taken a course at the Y and then spent a whole summer teaching them everything he'd learned on the grounds that it might come in handy in a fight. Cocoa found it silly, and even though she too could do many acrobatics, she merely skipped down the steps into Two-Bits arms, "I get ta' watch you guys fight!"

Two-Bit looked to Darry to confirm this and Darry gave a hesitant nod, "Well that's great!"

Cocoa smiled wide as Two-Bit put her on his shoulders.