𝗜 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗧 𝗔 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗔 | ponyboy curtis

chapter six: words marked

~~~Marina~~~

The third day of school passed, the fourth, then the fifth, and soon the first week was finally over. We were being bombarded with work that first week but the load had lightened by Friday. James's words had been forgotten. Teachers had flocked around for the rest of the week after a child had gotten so hurt. They'll forget by Monday, and everything will be as it was. Today's Friday. Just after school. I'd done the small bit of weekend homework I had at my place- we were to finish the first scene of act two. I stayed up all Thursday night with Pony cramming for that Act one quiz. As you know, I fell asleep. I could probably fall asleep again right here on the sidewalk walking to Pony's.

I walked in and flopped on the couch.

"What's up with you?" Soda asked.

"Tired. Sleep. Now," I replied putting one arm up in the air. I fake snored and Soda snickered.

"Baby!" I heard someone yell. I whined. "Get up," the same person said. I whined again.

"Ooh, baby," said Soda in a high pitched voice.

"Ooh baby lets read," said Two-bit

"Oooh okay baby, let's read Shakespeare as a romantic date," said Soda in the same high-pitched voice.

"Stop."

"Ooh, the kid's gettin' angry!"

"Ughhghghghgh," groaned Pony. I slowly got up. Steve walked in the door with some canned beer, giving one to Two-bit on his way in.

"Why are you always here?" Steve asked me. Pony gave me a sympathetic look. "My girlfriend isn't always here, and when she does come she doesn't make like this is her home and-" I interrupted. "But you make yourself at home."

"That's different. I've known these people for a long time. They know you for what, two weeks, and you're Pony's girlfriend within 2 days, and I've been with Evie for months and, well, even I'm not here as much as you so give me one real good reason as to why you're aaaaaalways here," he ranted on.

"I live next door so I can easily come for a bit without having to change plans or anything." Steve went quiet and walked away defeated. I laughed. "Too easy," I told Pony.

"So what do you wanna do tonight?"

"Sleeeeeep," I dragged on, collapsing back down on the couch. He gave me a long kiss and I popped up.

"Fine, I'm awake," I said. "Let's go somewhere so I stay that way." He dragged me off the couch and took the cake from the icebox, we ate a few slices and went on our way, talking about any random conversation topic like we always do. But things escalated quickly when we got into town, trying to stay out of harm's way. It was James and four other socials. I stopped in my tracks, remembering James's words, but hoping he didn't

"Do you remember, Pony? What he said?"

"I sure fire remember." He slipped into the doorway of Don's Ten Cent Store. We went inside.

"How long will we have to stay in here for?"

"Long enough for him to get out of town, I guess. "

"That could take hours."

"Well, then we might as well share a root beer float." He walked up to the counter and flipped the lady a dime. She quickly made the float and within ten minutes, we drank it down and complained to each other about why homework shouldn't be a thing.

"You're really amazing," he commented, playing with my hair on the way out. We'd forgotten we weren't going to go outside. Too in love. Out the door and into a small alley, just our luck, bumping straight into James.

And just like that, the two of us were on the ground. Pinned, being held by our arms and legs, socked silly. He bent my shoulder joint backward and I screamed as I heard a pop. Pony tried to run to me, but they had him on the wall. He kicked them away just for a second but before he could reach me they knocked him over again. I continued to scream, hoping someone would hear, but they stuffed a towel in my mouth. I kept kicking them away, but they continued to come back. Then finally, a small bunch of greasers who were lurking in the alley came to our rescue. The socs were outnumbered and ran quite quickly when they saw these guys. They were quite muscular and all wearing practically the same thing. Pony had gone unconscious.

"Thank you," I said, holding my arm.

"Our pleasure, kid."

"Can you tell me... did you see a phone anywhere?"

"Yeah look, there's one across the street." I ran there quickly and called the Curtis's.

"Hello?" Darry picked up the phone.

"Darry, oh thank goodness. Pony, we ran into... James... I screamed... oh ouch... Darry... it hurts.. a lot.."

"You're out of breath, Marina. Where, Marina, where?" He sounded real worried.

"Alley on Main. There were these others... chased James away... oh it's my fault, Darry I shouldn't have bothered him... Darry..." I broke down.

"I'll be there in a minute, Marina. Stay there." He hung up. I went down on my knees. Ripped clothes, scratched shoes, blood. I cried.

"Hey, hey kid." One of the greasers had come to this side of the street.

"Come on kid, let's go to the other side." He took me slowly across the street again, letting me put my weight on him because I limped. I broke down over Ponyboy.

"Is he breathing?" asked a greaser with a deep voice. I watched his chest go up and down slightly as his lungs filled and emptied, then put my ear to him and listened to the beating of his heart.

"Mmhmm," I sobbed. Darry's car turned the corner. With him, were Johnny, Dally, and Soda. They parked quickly next to the sidewalk and ran to us. Johnny kneeled next to me.

"What do we do?" Soda asked.

"Let's take him to the hospital," said Darry. "Hey, thanks," he said to the crew of greasers that saved us. "Thank you."

"Hey, nothing to hate but those socs." They waved and walked away. "Good luck."

"Hey, Marina, it's gonna be alright," said Johnny, rubbing my back. I brought him into a one-armed hug.

"I believe that," I sobbed.