Porcelain

Chapter 4

Babydoll went back to the Old House to change clothes and pretend that nothing had happened. His hair was already almost dry from the sun, and he was currently wearing a shirt that was either Two-Bit's or Steve's. He'd give the stuff back eventually.

In the meantime, he threw on his other pair of jeans, along with a different t shirt and his denim jacket. It would be too hot in the bright sunlight for the leather.

Fully redressed, he left the house with the rest of the clothes in his arms, and went to hide them, so if he got asked to give them back he could say he didn't have them.

He found a tall tree near to the park, and after putting all the shirts and pants into the bag on his back, he quickly and nimbly scaled the tree, then began hanging them all out like flags in the branches.

When all of the shirts and pants hung from the branches like banners, Babydoll climbed back down and headed towards the gas station to grab something to drink, and whatever else he fancied once he got there.

To his dismay, most of the gang was standing there in front, now fully clothed.

"Oh, hello there gentlemen," he said when they all turned to look at him. He tried to keep walking, but a hand clamped around his bicep. At least enough to stop him.

"Come on, where are they?"

"Where are what?" He asked, playing dumb.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Don't worry, go home, you'll find em fast enough," he said, a grin on his face.

"What's the catch?" Ponyboy asked suspiciously.

"Smart kid, I like him," Babydoll nodded approvingly. "But as I said, you'll fine 'em fast enough."

With that, he pushed his way through the group and out of the grasp of Two-Bit, and went in to grab a bottle of coke. While he was at it, he helped himself to a candy bar, some gum, and a pack of cigarettes.

He then proceeded to wander around the rest of the evening, enjoying his stolen goods.

_____
The movie theater was a popular place in Tulsa for Socs and Greasers alike.

Babydoll was bored, he didn't feel like having a repeat of the night before, so he quickly jumped the fence and wandered in.

He spotted Ponyboy first, along with Dallas, and some Soc chick he didn't recognize.

When the chick poured a drink all over Dallas, Babydoll couldn't help but laugh as he joined the odd group, which was Dallas, Ponyboy, Johnny, and two unknown Soc chicks.

"Not lookin' so hot there, Dallas," he said.

Dallas just scowled in response, so he turned his attention to the others.

"I don't think we've been introduced, who's this?" He asked Ponyboy and Johnny.

"This is Cherry Vallence, and her friend Marcia."

"Your name really Cherry? Cause if so, your parents did ya dirty."

"No, it's Sherri, but everyone calls me Cherry because of my hair."

"Oh. Well-"

She scowled, expecting a rude comment from the new Greaser boy.

"- I'm Babydoll. Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"What a gentleman," she said sarcastically.

"Only if you want me to be," he winked.

"How'd you get a name like Babydoll anyways?"

He didn't reply, he just sat down, then turned at looked at her through his long eyelashes.

The girl blushed and looked away while Babydoll smirked.

The movie bored him, nothing made it special besides the people around him. Dallas had already left, off to do something, or someone, unknown, probably a fight, and Ponyboy was occupied talking to Cherry.

He instead chatted with Johnny, getting to know the quiet Greaser boy a bit better.

When Two-Bit joined them, that was his cue to leave, so he jumped right back over the fence and went out to look for his own trouble. While he was walking the dark streets, he saw a blue mustang speed by.

Socs. No doubt. Drunk ones at that. And that meant trouble. Even though Two-Bit was there, he just knew that if they saw the Greaser boys with the Soc girls that meant trouble. He made a mental map of the area, and realized the car was going in the direction of the Movies, and that was almost guaranteed trouble if the two groups interacted.

He was about to head off in that direction, but then realized it wasn't his fight. If it went to shit he was already nearby and could go end a fight if he had to.

He instead went to the park, the one on Greaser territory, where it wasn't uncommon to find someone asleep under the trees.

He sat himself down under one before quickly falling into a light sleep, resting but still ready to be alert at moment's notice. So when he heard the sound of boy's voices, as well as the menacing tones of Socs and the growl of a mustang energy, he immediately snapped awake and grabbed his knife from his jacket.

The boys were fighting as best they could, but they were far outnumbered. The boy being dragged to the fountain, that had to be Ponyboy.

Babydoll clenched his jaw. Pony was just a kid. He deserved to have the chance to be a kid, but these Socs couldn't see past the bottom of the beer bottles.

"Get the fuck away from them!" He shouted, hoping to at least distract them. The one dunking Ponyboy paid him no mind, but his goons turned their attention to Babydoll.

He made sure they knew he was armed, before rushing to try and get them away from Johnny. But at that moment, he saw the Soc groping at both Ponyboy's pants and his own, and his vision went red.

"Get the fuck off of him, you fucking pedophile!" He screamed, making sure everyone heard every word he said.

Quickly glancing at Johnny, he saw that his knife was drawn, preparing to stab the Soc assaulting Pony.

Babydoll sighed, and rushed foreword, past the Soc goons. He knocked Johnny's knife out of hid hand and pushed him back, before burying his own blade into the Soc's throat.

He grabbed Ponyboy and dragged him away, as blood started flowing from the Soc's dying body, making sure not to look at what he'd just done.

"Ponyboy, he didn't do anything but dunk ya, did he?"

He shook his head no, while Johnny stood off to the side, breathing heavily.

"Other than the obvious problems at hand, are you both okay?"

After they signaled that they were both as decent as the could be, Babydoll clenched his jaw.

"Okay. Good. Here Pony, take my jacket, or you're gonna die or somethin.' Now, we all need to leave here, right now.