🌷Kimmy🌷

KIMMY had nearly forgotten that Cherry and Henry was listening to Pony by the time he was done. Cherry's face was white as a sheet and Henry's eyes were so wide that Kimmy thought they might take up his entire face. "All Socs aren't like that." Cherry said. "You have to believe me, Ponyboy. Not all of us are like that."

"Sure." Kimmy shrugged.

"That's like saying all you greasers are like Dallas Winston. I bet he's jumped a few people." Henry added to Cherry's statement. Dally did indeed jump people. He told the gang stories about muggings in New York that  made Kimmy want to plug her ears every time Dally brought them up. But not all Greasers were like that.

Cherry didn't look sick anymore, she looked sad. "I bet you guys think that the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West side Socs. I'll tell you and your sister something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You two want to know something?" She looked at the two siblings in the eye.

"Things are rough all over."

"We believe you." Ponyboy said. "We better get back or Two-Bit'll think we eloped to Mexico." They went back to the others. Two-Bit and Marcia were hitting it off fine since both of them had the same scatterbrained sense of humor. But the others sat there in silence.

☀️Time Skip☀️

After the movie was finished, the Greasers realized that Cherry, Henry and Marcia didn't have a way home. Two-Bit offered to walk them home-the west side was only twenty miles away from the drive in- but Cherry and Marcia wanted to call their parents and have them come and pick them and Henry up.

Kimmy thought that Cherry and Marcia were maybe half scared of them. They were getting over it as they walked over to Two-Bit's to pick up the car. It seemed funny that Socs, if Marcia and Cherry were even considered Socs were just like them. They liked the Beatles and thought Elvis Presley out and the Greasers thought the Beatles were mid and Elvis was in. Kimmy liked both singers, but Nancy Sinatra, Lesley Gore, and Judy Garland were her favorites.

Kimmy was lost in her thoughts, wondering what the other Golding siblings were doing right now. Were they trying to escape the mansion? No, their rooms were on the second floor, and there was no way Cassie would risk injury. Amy would probably make some sort of way to get out with a whole jar of spiders in her hand like Louisa Von Trapp did in The Sound of Music. If only George wasn't scared of spiders.

Her mind few drifted over to other things. One of them being- and she always wondered this every time Amy and one of her siblings came over- if the gang knew what happened in the Golding mansion. She felt that her brothers had their suspicions, but they were keeping them to themselves. That was okay, Kimmy thought. She could ask them another time. As for Two-Bit, Kimmy thought that he was too drunk to notice her friend's behavior whenever they refused a cigarette.

Kimmy also thought that Steve had his suspicions, but never thought about the topic much. Dally wouldn't know or care about whatever happened in the Golding mansion. He was too busy arguing with Henry all the dam time. Amy thought that Dallas had a crush on her brother but was denying it. When the girls told him, Dally just said: "Attraction?! For that snobby little Soc?" and Amy gave her a look that said: "Yup, he's definitely denying it."

But the person who Kimmy suspected knew about the Golding siblings troubles was Johnny. He had it rough at home too, his father was always beating him up and his mother ignored him. He hated sleeping in his own house, which often led him to sleep in the lot or Kimmy's house or Two-Bit's house. Johnny was probably keeping the Golding secret to himself. Or maybe Johnny had his suspicions. Kimmy wasn't sure which.

Marcia suddenly gasped, pulling Kimmy out of her thoughts. "Cherry, look what's coming." They all looked and saw a blue Mustang coming down the street. Johnny turned white and made a small noise in his throat. Kimmy instantly moved over to stand next to him and Ponyboy. Her brother pulled Kimmy closer to him as if protecting her.

Marcia was shifting nervously. "What are we going to do?" Cherry bit a fingernail. "Stand here." She suggested. "There isn't anything else we can do." "Who is it?" Two-Bit asked the girls. "The F.B.I.?" "No." Cherry said bleakly. "It's Randy and Bob." "And." Two-Bit added. "A few other of the socially elite checkered set." "Your boyfriends?" Johnny's voice was steady, but he was shaking. Kimmy held his hand, as if comforting him.

Cherry started to walk down the street. "Maybe they won't see us. Act normal." Two-Bit grinned. "Who's acting? I'm a natural normal. "Wish it was the other way around." Ponyboy muttered. "Don't get mouthy, Pony." Kimmy whispered to him. The Mustang passed them slowly. Marcia sighed in relief. "That was close."

Cherry turned to Ponyboy. "Tell me about your oldest brother. Is he wild and reckless like Soda or nice and kind like Kimmy-" Kimmy smiled at the compliment. "Dreamy, like you?" "George might agree with that statement." Henry muttered, only for Kimmy to hear. Ponyboy was silent for a while and Kimmy thought to do it for him, since like Pony knew Soda very well, Kimmy knew Darry very well, too.

Basically, the older brothers of the Curtis family, took the younger ones under his wing, like Meg and Jo did with Beth and Amy in Little Women. Kimmy liked to think of it that way. Kimmy has a nice relationship with Soda, but Ponyboy and Darry's relationship was different. They were close before their parents died and, as Pony told Kimmy, Darry couldn't seem to stand him.

"He's not like Sodapop or Kimmy at all and he sure ain't like me. He's hard as a rock and about as human. He's got eyes exactly like frozen ice. He thinks I'm a pain in the neck. He likes Kimmy and Soda—everybody likes Kimmy and Soda—but he can't stand me. I bet he wishes he could stick me in a home somewhere, and he'd do it, too, if Soda'd let him." Ponyboy burst out.

Two-Bit, Henry, Kimmy, and Johnny were staring at him. "No..." Two-Bit was dumbfounded. "No, Ponyboy, that ain't right...you got it wrong..." "Gee." Johnny said softly. "I thought you and Kimmy and Darry and Soda got along real well." Henry nodded, as if agreeing with him. "Well we don't." Pony snapped. "An' you can shut your trap, Johnny Cade. 'Cause we all know you ain't wanted at home, either. And you can't blame them."

Johnny's eyes went wide and winced as if Ponyboy had belted him. "Ponyboy!" Kimmy scolded her brother as Two-Bit slapped him hard across the head. "Shut your mouth, kid. If you wasn't Soda's kid brother I'd beat the tar out of you. You know better than to talk to Johnny like that." Two-Bit put a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "He didn't mean it, Johnny."

"I'm sorry." Ponyboy apologized. "I was just mad." "It's the truth." Johnny bleakly grinned. "I don't care." "Shut up talkin' like that." Two-Bit said, messing up Johnny's hair. "We couldn't get along without you, so you can just shut up!"

"It ain't fair." Kimmy cried. "It ain't fair that we have all the rough breaks!" She started thinking about Johnny's father being a drunk and his mother a selfish slob, and Two-Bit's mother being a barmaid to support him and his kid sister, Katie, after their father walked out on them, and Dallas—wild, cunning, Dally—turning into a hoodlum because he'd die if he didn't, and Steve—his hatred for his father coming out in his soft, bitter voice and the violence of his temper. Sodapop...a dropout so he could get a job and keep his younger brother and sister in school, Darry, getting old before his time trying to run a family and hold on to two jobs and never having any fun, and the Golding siblings, coming to their prison of a mansion with emotional abusive parents—while the other Socs had so much spare time and money that they jumped greasers and each other for kicks, had beer blast and river-bottom parties because they didn't know what else to do. Things were rough all over, all right.

Cherry and Marcia didn't say anything. Kimmy had forgotten they were there. Then the Mustang from earlier came waltzing down the street slowly. "Well." Cherry said resignedly, "they've spotted us." The Mustang came to a halt beside them, and two Socs in the front seat came out. One of them had on a white shirt and a madras ski jacket, the other a bright yellow shirt and a wine colored sweater. Kimmy felt underdressed. All she wore was a pastel blue cardigan sweater that belonged to Cassie, one of Darry's old shirts from when he was her age (which was a bit oversized), a pair of jeans that Soda had but were too small for him (he was fourteen at the time) and Ponyboy's old Converse and, as usual she had her bandanna bracelet. She also wore a beige headband in her hair.

Back when their parents were alive, they passed down clothes to the younger kids when the older ones outgrew them. Unfortunately, when Kimmy was born, they didn't have many girls clothes, so Kimmy grew up wearing her brother's baby clothes and her mother's old clothes from when she was a kid. She still wears her brother's old clothes, but since meeting Amy, Cassie secretly gave her some clothes that she outgrew behind her parents' backs.

"Cherry, Marcia, listen to us..." The sandy haired Soc began. Johnny was staring at the Socs hand. He was wearing three heavy rings on his hand. "Just because we got a little drunk last time..." "A little?" Cherry yelled. "You call reeling and passing out in the streets 'a little'? Bob, I told you, I'm never going out with you while you're drinking, and I mean it!"

The Soc approached her. "That's no reason to go walking the streets with these bums." "Who you callin' bums, pal?" Two-Bit shouted. "Listen, greasers," the other Soc said, shoving Marcia and Henry out the way. Two-Bit's leather jacket, which Marcia was wearing slipped off from her shoulders. Henry side eyed the Soc. "We got four more of us in the backseat."

Two-Bit snatched up an empty bottle, busted off the end, and gave it Ponyboy, then reached in his back pocket and flipped out his switchblade. "Then pity the backseat." (Coolest. Line. Ever.)

"If you're looking for a fight..."

That was when Kimmy plugged her ears. She hated fights. Even when it was between her own friends and she had to pick sides, you wouldn't find her on anyone's side at all, she would be in one of the cabinets, her ears plugged in with cotton balls. One time, after Darry and Ponyboy got into another fight, they found Kimmy in one of the kitchen cabinets. Soda is convinced that Kimmy is half cat because she's always in high up places around the house, and when she lands, she's perfectly fine.

☀️Time Skip☀️

The greasers walked on home silent. "Well, those were two good-lookin girls of I ever saw any." Two-Bit yawned as they sat down on the curb at the vacant lot. "Did you see that pavonine strut of that Soc when he walked away?" Kimmy asked, immediately remembering the fancy word she had to say. "He thinks he owns the place."

Ponyboy and Johnny gave her a look. "Gosh, Kimmy, what does that word mean?" Ponyboy said, smoking another cigarette. "It means, relating to a peacock." His sister replied proudly.

Two-Bit took a piece of paper out of his pocket and tore it up. "What's that?" Kimmy yawned. She was tired after the exciting day. "Marcia's number. Probably a phony one, too. I must have been outa my mind to ask for it. I think I'm a little soused."

So he had been drinking. "Ya'll going home?" "Not right now." Ponyboy said. "I don't know why I handed you that busted bottle." Two-Bit said, getting to his feet. "You'd never use it." "Maybe I would have." Ponyboy replied. "Where you headed?" "Gonna play a little snooker and hunt up a poker game. Maybe get rip roarin' drunk. I dunno. See ya'll tomorrow."

The three remaining greasers stretched out on their backs and looked at the stars. Kimmy liked this. She relished the peace and quiet, the scent of Johnny's cigarette smoke and watching the stars shine above. "It's because we're greasers." Johnny said, talking about Cherry. "We could have hurt her reputation." "I reckon." Ponyboy replied.

"Man that was a tuff car. Mustangs are tuff."

"Big time Socs, all right." Ponyboy said, a nervous bitterness in his voice. Kimmy listened to the both of them, relishing the peace. "I can't take it anymore." Johnny said suddenly, putting his head in his hands. "I'll kill myself or something." "Don't." Kimmy sat up in alarm. "You can't kill yourself, Johnny. We couldn't get along without you." Ponyboy comforted him as he put an arm around him.

"But I gotta do something." Johnny said, lying back down. "There's gotta be someplace without greasers or Socs, just people. Plain ordinary people." "Out of the big towns." Ponyboy said, lying down to join Johnny and his sister. "In the country..." Kimmy closed her eyes and began to dream.

Ponyboy could have a yeller cur dog, like he used to, and Soda could have his horse, Mickey Mouse back and ride in all the rodeos he wanted to, and Darry could lose that cold, hard look and be like he used to be, before their parents died. Kimmy would have a treehouse with Amy and her friends and no teenagers would be allowed, ever. And since she was dreaming that her parents came back, Mom would make more chocolate cake and Dad would drive the pickup early to feed the cattle. He would slap Darry on the back and tell him he was getting to be a man.

Maybe the Goldings would be living next door in a homey cottage, away from their parents, what Cassie would want. Maybe George would try and shoot his shot with Ponyboy, and Henry would be reading a book under a tree, and Kimmy, Cassie and Amy would be picking wildflowers to put inside. Maybe Johnny would come and live with them and the gang would come on weekends, and maybe Dally would that there was still good in this world and Mom would talk to him and make him grin in spite of himself.

"You've got quite a mom." Dal used to say. "She knows the score." Mom would talk to Dallas and kept him from getting into a lot of trouble...

"Kimmy"—Ponyboy was shaking his sister awake—"Kimmy, wake up." "Huh?" She woke up, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" "I don't know. I went to sleep, too, listening to you guys talk." Johnny replied. You'd better get home. I think I'll stay all night out here." "Okay." Ponyboy yawned. "If you get cold or something come on over to our house."

"Okay."

They went on home. Kimmy thinking on what to say when facing Darry. She had never been late to curfew before. "Hey, Kimmy." Ponyboy whispered. "The porch light's still on." "Maybe they're sleeping." Kimmy whispered back. They peeped through the window. Sodapop was stretched out on the sofa, fast asleep, before Kimmy could breathe a sigh of relief, she saw Darry in the big armchair under the lamp, reading the paper.

Ponyboy and Kimmy gulped simultaneously before Ponyboy opened the door softly. Darry was on his feet in a second and Sodapop was up. Pony stood there chewing on his fingernail and Kimmy was staring at her shoes. "Where the hell have you kids been? Do you know what time it is?" Darry was madder than heck. Ponyboy shook his head.

"It's two o'clock in the morning, kiddo." "Hey, Ponyboy." Soda said sleepily. "Where've you and Kimmy been?" "We went to sleep in the lot." Ponyboy said, walking to bathroom. "You what?" Darry questioned as his brother passed him. Kimmy stayed near the door, frozen, head hung with shame, maybe if she stayed quiet enough and didn't move a muscle, Darry wouldn't notice her.

"We were talking with Johnny and we fell asleep in the lot. I said didn't mean to." Ponyboy repeated, wiping his face. "I didn't mean to!" Darry shouted and Kimmy plugged her ears, squeezing her eyes shut and praying Please let this fight be over, please let this fight be over.

But she couldn't block out the fight forever. "I didn't mean to! I forgot! That's all I ever hear of you! Can't you think of anything?" "Darry..." Soda began, trying to calm things down, but Darry turned on him. "You shut your trap! I'm sick and tired of hearin' you stick up for them!" "Don't you yell at him!" Ponyboy shouted, before Darry wheeled over and pushed him.

He got up, and Kimmy understood what to do. She opened the door and ran out, her brother following her. "Pony, I didn't mean too!" Kimmy heard Darry shout. But they were already at the lot by then. "Come on, Johnny." Ponyboy told him as the other boy got up. "We're running away." Johnny didn't ask any questions, he began to run along.

☀️Time Skip☀️

They ran for several blocks until they were out of breath. Ponyboy sat down on the curb and cried, while his younger sister was leaning on Johnny's shoulder, catching her breath and processing what just happened. Johnny sat between the siblings, a hand on Ponyboy's shoulder and his other arm around Kimmy, trying to keep her close.

"Easy, Ponyboy," Johnny said softly, "we'll be okay." "Gotta cigarette?" Ponyboy asked Johnny once he calmed down. He handed him one and lit it.

"Johnny, I'm scared."

"Well don't be. You're scaring me. What happened? I never seen you bawl like that."

"I don't very often. It was Darry. He pushed me. I don't know what happened, but I couldn't take him hollering at me and hitting me too. I don't know...sometimes we get along okay, then all of a sudden he blows up on me or else is naggin' at me all the time. He didn't use to be like that...we used to get along okay...before Mom and Dad died. Now he just can't stand me."

"I think I like it better when the old man's hittin' me." Johnny sighed. "At least he knows who I am." "Let's walk to park and back. Maybe me and Pony'll be cooled off enough to go home." Kimmy suggested. "Okay." Johnny said.

Things will get better. Kimmy thought as she followed the boys to the park. They will be.

How very wrong she was.

Author Speaks:
So...that happened. Poor Kimmy, she doesn't know what dangers lie ahead yet. 😉 Have any of you guys heard of the Outsiders musical? I definitely recommend listening to it. Even though I cried listening to Stay Gold.