Times Change [UNDERGOING EDITS]

Chapter Four

"Hey Two?" I asked as we made our way to the drive in.

"Yeah, Sis?"

"Why do you think Darry doesn't trust me like he used to? I mean, he won't let me go nowhere on my own anymore," I explained. Two Bit stopped in his tracks.

"Of course he trusts you Winnie, he just doesn't trust other people. Darry's only lookin' out for you," he told me. "After what happened to Johnny and after Pony got jumped yesterday, I think he just doesn't want anything like that to happen to you, he just wouldn't  forgive himself if you ever got hurt."

I sighed, "I guess you're right, Bit," We started walking again, "He just hasn't been the same since Momma and Dad died."

"Of course he hasn't, he's had to grow up too fast so he can take care of you munchkins. And y'all don't make it any easier messin' around all the time."

"Yeah, I guess so," I kicked a rock in my path. I hadn't really thought of it that way before.

Two Bit punched my arm, "Hey kid, stop bringing the mood down, we're supposed to be having fun." He smirked, "I bet I can cartwheel farther than you can." Then he took off.

I took off after him and started doing perfect cartwheels down the street. Darry had taken a gymnastics class once at the Y, then he taught us everything he learned, saying it would be good in a fight. I'm not sure if we had ever used gymnastics in a fight, but we sure used it to screw around. Once Soda and Steve had even gotten arrested for walking on their hands and doing flips down a downtown street. They were "disturbing the public" according to the cops. 

My vision was blurred but I could make out Two Bit falling on his butt. I laughed and did a few cartwheels past him before collapsing into the grass, my vision still spinning.

"Showoff," I heard him mumble from a few feet away. I walked back to where we had started cartwheeling and grabbed the switchblade that had fallen out of my pocket. I walked back to where Two Bit was waiting for me. "How's that blade working out for you?" he asked.

"Pretty good, thankfully I've never really had to use it," I replied, twirling the closed blade between my fingers.

"Well you had it out pretty fast yesterday to protect your baby brother," he grinned, nudging me with his elbow.

"That's what it's for, ain't it?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "You did real good, it takes some serious guts to go after a group of Socs on your own."

"Thanks, Bit," I grinned.

After walking for a little while we finally got to the drive-in. It took us an extra 5 minutes to get there because we saw police cars by the Dingo and no way we were going anywhere near that.

"Okay Winnie, here's a quarter, you get in through the front so you don't have to climb under the fence," Two Bit said, holding out the coin to me.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, glaring at him, "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" I walked over to the chain link fence and slid under before Two Bit could complain.

"Alright then," he shrugged, wriggling under the fence after me. 

"That looks like Pony and Johnny over there," I said, pointing to the rows of seats near the back of the outdoor theater, "Looks like they've gotta couple a Socy girls with 'em." Two Bit grinned at me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. "Two Bit, don't do it!" I hissed.

He ignored me, and strode over and placed his hand on Pony's shoulder. "Okay, greasers, you've had it," he growled in his best Soc impression. The boys jumped about a foot out of their seats.