Young Blood ⏤ Ponyboy Curtis | ✓

08 | aid

Billie brushes past the sea of students heading towards the cafeteria as she walks in the opposite direction to her spot behind the school for lunch. She feels shoulders dig into her back and curses her lack of height. All her siblings were tall and somehow she was the only one who had ended with the short gene from their mother. 

Billie finally makes it out of the busy corridors as she turns left, sighing in relief when she sees that it is empty. She's about to continue walking to her spot for lunch when she hears her name being called. 

A Hispanic girl has stopped several metres away from Billie, her arms in front of her, looking away awkwardly. She looks to be the same age as Billie, but Billie doesn't recognise her. She is wearing a black t-shirt with denim shorts and combat boots, a plaid shirt wrapped around her waist. By her clothing, Billie can tell that the girl is a Greaser. 

"You're Billie Shepard, right?" the girl asks nervously. 

Billie nods her head. 

The girl continues speaking. "Your sister got into that fight yesterday because of me. Bob Sheldon was making comments about my... heritage and your sister stood up for me. I didn't get to thank her for that and since you're her sister, could you thank her for me?" 

Billie nods her head again. She had just thought Bob Sheldon was picking a fight based on social class like most Socs, but it went deeper than that. He was picking on a freshman girl based on her race. "Sure. I can do that."

The girl gives Billie a small, grateful smile. Billie opens her mouth to ask for her name but the girl disappears down a corridor before Billie has a chance to. 

The day passes on, as Billie goes to class and learns quietly, her conversation with the girl still on her mind. Now that she knew more about the fight, she understood why Angela stepped in. She wondered if Tim knew the full story. Maybe he would have been less harsh to Angela if he did. 

Billie heads down the front steps as school ends. She passes by Steve who both give Billie a polite smile as she passes him as he waits for Ponyboy and Two-Bit. She waits by the front steps for Scott so they can walk home. 

The stream of students continue, Billie watches as Ponyboy and Two-Bit arrive and the three boys of the Curtis gang leave in Steve's car. Billie sees Bob Sheldon making his way down the stairs, chest puffed out like a turkey and his arm around a redheaded girl's shoulder. Billie thinks he looks ridiculous and looks away before he sees her. 

Less and less students start to come out of the front doors and still, Scott hasn't shown up. Billie frowns. It isn't like Scott to be this late. She decides to walk up the stairs to look for him. The corridors are empty and silent, no students or teachers to be seen. Billie walked up and down corridors, but Scott was nowhere in sight. 

She walks back out of the school and decides to check around the side of the building. Billie is horrified to see a bloodied Scott on the ground, getting jumped by three Soc boys. They are kicking him in the stomach and Billie can see the pain that spreads across his face every time he is kicked. 

Billie grabs a stick nearby on the ground and points at the boys. "Hey!" she calls out. "Let him go!" She knows that the boys won't listen to her, but she can't stand there and do nothing. 

"What are you going to do with that stick, little girl? Stab me with it?" one Soc boy taunts, laughing at Billie. 

Billie tightens her hold on the stick but knows he is right. Billie wouldn't stab him. She just wanted them to stop beating up Scott. 

Billie's silence gives the Soc all the answers he needs. "You don't have the guts to stab me," he sneers at Billie, causing Billie to gulp. Turning to his other two mates he says, "let's go boys. Fun's over."