The Outsiders And Me

Chapter Ten

Sodapop Curtis

I ran into the house with only one thing on my mind: Adele. I didn't know why I was so concerned about her since I only met her tonight. Or is it last night? It's been a few hours, so I'm sure it's early in the morning. I ran past the small kitchen and living room area and headed for the stairs.
That was when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Whipping around I saw Darry, Two-Bit, and Steve. It was good knowing that they always had my back. There was a scream and we all rushed upstairs. There was another tap on my shoulder and I was handed a wine glass. "You expect me to fight with this?" I said.
Then Steve and Two-Bit disappeared downstairs for a few seconds and returned with a knife. "Yikes! I don't wanna kill the guy." I whispered harshly. There was another tap and I was handed a frying pan. Oi.

This would have to do.

When we reached Adele's room, I was filled with anger. There Addie was curled up on the floor, trying to block her father's punches and kicks. There was a great deal of blood on the floor and more dropped down with each punch.
Her dad's back was turned to me, so I quietly went up to him. Looking over my shoulder I saw Darry and Steve with their thumbs up, encouraging me.
I raised the pan above my head and brought it down. Hard.
There was a loud clanging sound as the pan collided with the back if his head and the man fell to the ground, out cold. Darry came and patted me on the back. "Good hit!" Two-Bit said, his arms full of packs of ramen noodles. "Really?" Steve scolded.
I ignored them and rushed over to Adele and put my hand on her arm, causing her to flinch. "It's okay, I'm here." She slowly uncurled herself and looked up at me with pale green eyes. "D-Did my dad see you?" she asked weakly. "No. I hit him from behind." I replied as I bent down and picked her up.
Addie yelped and stiffened in my arms. "I think her ribs are broken." I told Darry.
Steve, who'd been in many rumbles and therefore had broken many bones in his past, nodded. "I'll look it over when we get to the garage.
Darry looked at the man, disgusted. "How could someone do such horrible things to their children?" he asked no one in particular. I felt a warm wetness and looked down to see Addie's blood all over my white t-shirt. And she was crying. I hate it when girls cry.
Pulling her close, I told her what I had once told Pony when he was jumped by Socs. "Don't worry Adele, he ain't gonna hurt you no more." She looked at me and opened her mouth to say something before falling unconscious.
Once we were in the garage, Steve and Darry put down a few covers to lay Adele on while Two-Bit snuck back into the house to get her a change of clothes.
Steve rolled up her shirt. "Don't look, kid." Dally told Bambi as he looked over Steve's shoulder. He gave a low whistle. "He got her good." Johnny and Pony were look over Darry's shoulder as he sat next to Adele.
"So much blood..." Johnny said, his greasy black hair falling in his face. "All those bruises..." said Ponyboy.
I lightly touched one of the bruises on her stomach. "Yeah she definitely broke a rib. Maybe two." Steve said. He then took off his shirt. "What are you doing?" I asked, rolling Adele's shirt back down.
"I'm going to tie it over her chest. It'll help the ribs." He said as he tore his shirt. I lifted her shirt again and let Steve tie the cloth around her upper body. Two-Bit returned with ten different outfits. Everyone looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "What? I don't know what girls like these days..."
"Now what?" I asked Steve. "Now she rests." Darry said as he got up. "Where are you going?" Ponyboy asked. Darry looked at the clock on the news. It was 7:45 a.m. "To get a job."