Starting an Outsiders Fic Maserlist as I’m getting some requests! Hopefully I get more! Please, feel free to send me any requests you want and I’ll try my absolute best!
Those Hard Days - Masterlist
Those College Days - WIP
Two-Bit:
Do You Wanna Kiss As Bad As I Do? x reader request
Wet Dog - x reader request
Surprise - x reader
Ponyboy:
Can’t Breathe/Going to the Doctor x reader request
That Highlight, Tho - w/ Sylvia (& cameo from Dally) request
Don’t Shut Me Out - WIP
Best Friend - w/ reader
Darry:
Going to the Doctor After A Rumble - x reader request
Christmas Day - a Curtis family request
Johnny:
Breakfast in Bed - x reader request
Deal - x Sodapop request
Soda:
Cold Nights - w/ Johnny request
Crazy - w/ Darry & Soda request
Stray - w/ Steve request
Steve:
Secret-keeping - x Evie request
Dally:
Trust- w/ Mr. Curtis request
Tim:
Target Practice - w/ Dally request
OC
Jumped - Baby Curtis Sister request
Survivor - Curtis Sister request
Kiss Me - Rae Winston x Curly Shepard
Tattoo - Rae Winston x Curly Shepard
Name: Rae Lee Winston
Birthday: August 22, 1950
Age: 15
Hair: Medium Brown, straight, collarbone length
Hair Style: Usually down, but also enjoys high ponytails
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5’3”
Build: Skinny, underweight
Scars: None
Style: Converse, jeans, dark colored T-shirts or tight long-sleeved shirts (a camisole underneath every shirt), and a jean jacket (until Dally gets her a leather jacket for her birthday), hair ties always around her wrist
Makeup: Only on special occasions
Fears: Heights, seeing her own blood
Nervous habbits: clenched jaw, playing with the hair ties on her wrist
Prefers to shower in the: morning
Morning or night person: Usually morning
Alcohol?: In moderation
Smokes?: Not tobacco, will smoke pot
Highest Level of Education: Sophomore in high school
Intelligence level: Has natural book smarts, but under-achiever on purpose. Street smarts could use work.
Hobbies: Watching TV/movies, cooking, astronomy, has been known to sit down with a book(usually one of Ponyboy’s)
Favorites:
Animal: Tiger
Color: Blue
Favorite Dishes: Any form of potato (especially mashed potatoes with corn mixed in, and potato wedges), chicken carbonara with mushrooms
Favorite Dessert: Peach Cobbler
Favorite Snack: Oreos, Potato Chips
Favorite Drink: Milk, Cream Soda
Favorite work of art: Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Vermeer’s The Concert
Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday
Relationships:
Family: Brother(Dallas Winston), Mother(deceased), Father(estranged), Foster family (mother, brother & sister)
Perception of family: Thinks blood relatives are bullshit and you choose the family you want in life.
Best Friend(s): Curly Shepard, Carrie Merril
Dating: Curly Shepard
Natural Allies: Other greasers including the Curtis Outfit, Shepard Outfit, and sometimes Brumly Gang and River Kings
Enemies: Socs
Pets: No, but loves cats
Conflict:
Respose to threat: Clenched fists, glaring, tense body
Fist or tongue: Preferably tongue, but has anger issues
Save one thing from a burning house: Dally’s St. Christopher medal or her switchblade
Perceive Strangers: Wary, unless they are other greasers.
Love to hate: Socs, cops, authority
Weapon of choice: Fists, Switchblade one Dally taught her how to use it
Person she despises most: Father
Bullied?: Yes
Please let me know if theres anything else you want to know!
I’ve wanted to do this for a while, so I finally did XD This is a Rae Winston x Curly fic!
Fic Masterlist: here
Those Hard Days Masterlist - here
Warnings: none, except for tattoos i guess?
Rae and Curly sat side by side on the Shepard’s couch one summer afternoon, lazily flipping through a magazine. She laid her head down on his shoulder as he skimmed through one of the articles. When he turned to the next page, though, she lifted her head slightly.
“Hang on,” she ordered, putting a hand on his arm. He let it drop to his lap and lifted the magazine so she could see it. The piece was on tattoos- the photo of a woman’s back the centerfold. A giant dragon slithered over her skin, around her shoulder and down her arm. It was...beautiful.
“What?”
Rae ran her finger down the line of the artwork etched into this model’s body.
“It’s so pretty,” she answered. “I wish I could get somethin’ like this.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I don’t know anyone who does that kinda shit.”
“I know plenty of people.”
“Are they trustworthy?” Curly tilted his head to the side.
“Well…” His answer wasn’t really an answer but she understood it, nonetheless.
“Plus it costs a ton of money, doesn’t it? I ain’t got shit.”
“That’s a lie,” he retorted, smiling his lopsided grin. “You got plenty saved up.” She shoved him in the side with her elbow.
“Ya know that’s for college, dumbass.”
“Tell ya what, huh?”
“What?”
“I’ll pay if we get a matchin’ one.” Rae cringed.
“Matchin’? Isn’t that a little...corny?”
“Not if we get somethin’ really awesome.”
“Hm...I guess.” She looked back down at the magazine spread, debating with herself. “Like what?”
“Hell, I dunno.”
“A lot of help you are.”
“I know,” Curly said, smiling proudly.
After work over the next week, Rae would stop in at the library, looking for ideas. There weren’t a lot of books on tattoos. If she wanted to see design ideas she’d had to go into the shop itself. So instead, she branched out into books on astronomy- something she’d always been interested in. Those books pointed her towards mythological gods and fantasy creatures.
One evening, Curly joined her, flipping through the pages of a book, his chin leaned into his hand.
“You don’t have to be here if you don’t wanna,” she said quietly, watching him. “You’re not even lookin’.”
“It’s boring at home without you,” he shot back without looking up and turned another glossy page. Her chest shook with a silent laugh.
“I don’t even come over every day.”
“So?”
“You’re stupid.”
“Well that ain’t news,” he chuckled. “Besides, if it’s goin’ on my body too, don’t ya think I should have a say in it?”
“I suppose,” Rae said, heaving a dramatic sigh, but a smile tugged at her lips. Really, she loved him here, but she wished he was a little more helpful. She glanced over at the book in front of Curly. The page he was pulling the corner up with his finger had a giant, fantastical bird. It may have been in black and white, but she could just imagine the colors.
Yellows, oranges, reds. Brilliant blues and maybe even vibrant greens.
She grabbed the book out of his hand and pulled it over to her.
The Phoenix.
Rises from the ashes.
“Curly, what about this?”
Finally, he sat up, reading the overview. She watched as his eyes scanned down the page and his face break out into a smile.
“This is great!” he exclaimed, forgetting that they were in the library.
A chorus of “shh!”s sounded after. He ducked his head, his ears turning red.
“Oops,” he nearly whispered, then turned back to the book. “This is...perfect, Rae.”
“You think so?”
“Hell yeah. I’ll get my buddy to design us a good one.”
“Somethin’ flowy- but not too girly, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
Two weeks later, she found herself sitting in the chair of the tattoo parlor. She’d agreed on the first design the artist had come up with- it was amazingly done, exactly how she’d wanted. She decided on her shoulder blade- while Curly was going with one side of his chest.
Her back was bare against the chill of the room while her chest was pressed against the chair. Curly sat in front of her while the artist sat behind her, poised to begin.
“You know why I’m doin’ this, right? Why this tattoo is perfect?” her boyfriend asked, taking both of her hands in his.
“I’d imagine because you love me,” Rae responded. He chuckled.
“Well, yeah- but that ain’t the only reason.”
“Then tell me and quit stallin’!”
“Because, baby,” he started, pressing his forehead against hers. “You’re my phoenix.”
The needle bit into her shoulder and she sucked in a breath.
“You’ve risen out of the ashes of your own rough life and you’re all the more stronger for it.”
Alright, ya'll, throwback to my high school days and I used to draw. What did I draw? Fanart to my own fanfiction 😂 I drew a cover for the binder I kept my chapters in, before I changed Rae's name to normalize it a bit. The other girl is another OC in my fic, Carrie. The guy was supposed to be Steve (as if the vest didn't give it away?) but I was really terrible at guys. 😅 Enjoy?
So, I wanted to do a one shot with Curly Shepard x Rae Winston (my OC). This takes place around five years after the story of Those Hard Days. I chose 3 prompts from one of the lists I posted.
Outsiders Masterlist: here
Those Hard Days Masterlist: here
Prompts: “Relax–it’s just me! I ain’t an axe murderer, I promise!”, “We may be soulmates, but that does not mean you can just waltz in here like you own the place! I could have been naked, or somethin’!”, & “Shut up and kiss me, you idiot.”
—-
Rae stood in the bedroom of her apartment after a nice, long shower, and pulled a camisole on over her head. She slipped into a pair of pajama shorts, then gathered her wet towels and tossed them into the hamper she kept in the corner by her bed.
She went back to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. After she’d brushed her teeth and started combing out her hair, she slid under the covers of her bed and settled in to go to sleep.
Before Rae could doze off, she heard the front door’s handle jiggle. Her eyes popped open and her brows knitted.
Who the hell was trying to get into her place after midnight?
Well, she was alone, she supposed, but if someone thought they’d get the better of her, they were sorely mistaken. She may not participate in much gang activity these days, but she was still a hood- had her reflexes- still knew how to beat the shit out of someone.
She hopped up out of the bed and went for the jeans she had worn earlier that day. They were folded in half, legs hanging out of the hamper. The blue-handled switchblade her brother had gotten her for her thirteenth birthday was still tucked into the back pocket of her pants. Every single day.
She was never going to let someone get the jump on her again.
Rae pressed the button to open the knife and flipped it in her hand so the blade was sticking out the back of her fist. She pressed herself against the hallway wall, out of sight of the front door and waited.
When it finally flung open, whoever it was had heavy footsteps, as if they were burdened by something. She lifted an eyebrow.
When the hallway light flipped on, she readied herself. She lifted her knife, her hand poised to strike when they-
But when Curly Shepard came around the corner, Rae’s eyes widened and she had to force herself to pause before she cut him. Her fiance dropped the heavy box he’d been carrying, surprised. The sound it made was probably loud enough to wake her downstairs neighbors. Instantly he held his hands up.
“Holy shit!” he cried. “Relax–it’s just me! I ain’t an axe murderer, I promise!”
“Jesus Christ, Curly,” she breathed, her chest heaving a few times. “You scared the fuckin’ hell outta me.”
“Sorry, babe. I just wanted to bring this down tonight. Found it at a yard sale earlier and thought you’d-”
“Really? You came down here at midnight to drop this off?”
“Well, yeah, there somethin’ wrong with that?”
“We may be soulmates, Curly, but that does not mean you can just waltz in here like you own the place! I could have been naked, or somethin’!”
“Like I haven’t seen ya naked before? We literally took a shower together this mornin’, doofus. You on drugs?”
“W-well,” Rae stammered. “Then, you should knock first.”
“What did ya give me a key for if I have to knock to come in?”
“Stop makin’ sense.” Her face grew hot and she knew her cheeks were turning red.
Curly chuckled at her reaction and bent down to pick the box up. Rae pushed the blade of her knife back into the handle and tossed it into her room, onto her bed. She followed him into the living room and he set the cardboard down on the coffee table.
“So, what is it?” She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him peel the packing tape off the top.
“Patience.” When his fingers didn’t suffice, he looked back up to her. “Got any scissors?”
“Why didn’t ya say somethin’ before I threw my knife in the other room?” She rolled her eyes. She started to head back to her bedroom but-
“Just kiddin’, I got it.” There was a tearing sound and he pulled the tape up and off of the top flaps. “I think you’re gonna love this.”
“Will you just tell me what it is?”
“Will you just hold on a second? Damn.”
Curly reached inside with both hands and pulled out a large lamp. But it wasn’t just a lamp, it was-
“It’s called a rain lamp.” He held it up for her to see. Rae’s eyes widened and she gasped. “You can hang it from the ceilin’ or put it on a table.”
It was gorgeous. The top and the base were made of brass, held apart by a lot of metal rods, thin enough to look like string pulled taut. In the middle stood a figure- the goddess Aphrodite- surrounded by plants. It had an electrical plug hanging from the bottom with a switch to turn it on.
A smile spread across her lips.
“What does it do?” she asked him. He held up a finger and handed her the lamp. He grabbed the cord and pushed it into the closest outlet, then flipped the switch.
The light turned on, shining over top of the Venus statue, and after about fifteen seconds, drops of liquid started sliding down the rods. Rae touched it and rubbed it between her fingers.
Oil.
The beads of oil glittered in the light as they made their way down to the base.
Rae set it down on the coffee table and knelt down next to it, completely entranced. Across the table, Curly stood and watched her reaction, a toothy, lopsided grin on his face.
Finally, she stood up and moved to him.
“Do ya like it?”
“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed.
“You’re beautiful.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. She shook her head, a cat-like smile forming on her face, and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to reach his face.
“Shut up and kiss me, you idiot.”
“As you wish, babe.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, then reached down and lifted her, bridal-style, then carried her back to the bedroom.
Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?
Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death
A/N: I...I’m sorry about this.
AO3: here
Fanfiction.net: here
Masterlist
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter 39 - Shot
They weren’t the first at the lot, but Rae was the first of her outfit to show. The Shepard and Brumly boys integrated with each other, and she sat on the hood of an abandoned car as she waited. When the sun had gone down, a familiar face tackled her to the ground.
“Rae!” Carrie screamed, a huge, toothy smile on her face. Her blonde friend sat up and helped her up from the dirt. “Tim said he was gonna bring ya! I didn’t believe him, but here ya are!” She looked Carrie up and down, dressed similarly to herself, long hair pulled back. The other girl crushed her in a hug.
“Jesus, Carrie,” Rae groaned. “Have you been workin’ out or somethin’?”
“Oh, sorry,” she giggled and let go. “Tim’s been continuin’ the training Dally gave us. Guess I grew some muscle, huh?” They both took a seat back on the car, leaning into each other, whispering quietly between them. Tim joined them after a while. There was a rumble in the distance.
"Sounds like a storm," he observed and took a deep breath. “Smells like it, too.”
"They're here," one of the other boys called, and pointed to the line of boys approaching in the darkness. Rae couldn't help but smile as she slid off the hood. Tim left them to go greet the newly arrived Curtis outfit. She leaned down to Carrie’s ear.
“Do you know if Dally’ll be here?”
“I doubt it,” she answered, her voice low. “When we went to the hospital, he said he hated missin’ it, but he’s so volatile, right? Who knows.”
Rae watched as Sodapop pushed past his oldest brother and Tim, eyes shining in the light of the bonfire. He was the first one to notice she was there. When he confirmed it was, in fact, her, he hopped over the rubber tire sitting in the overgrown grass and latched on to her, almost as tightly as Carrie had.
"How’ve ya been, kiddo?" he asked as she wrapped her arms around his back. God, had she missed him. Missed them all.
"It’s been hell without you guys," she answered as he released her and held her at arm's length, looking her up and down.
“You’re so thin,” Steve interjected, walking up next to his best friend, followed by Two-Bit on Soda’s other side. “Are they not feedin’ you over there or somethin’?”
“We’ll talk about that later, okay?”
“Is it okay that you’re here?”
“Prob’ly not, Keith, but I’m here nonetheless.”
Before anything else could be said, she was lifted and enveloped by Darry Curtis and his large muscles.
“It’s good to see ya, kid,” he whispered into her hair. “You’ve been sorely missed.” He dropped her back to the ground and looked down at her, sternly. “But you’d better be careful.”
"I know. But I had to be here for this. For Johnny." She took another look around. Ponyboy fidgeted beside his big brother at the sound of their injured friend’s name. “You okay, Pone? You look pale.”
He looked up from his sweatshirt zipper but, before he could answer, there were a series of loud horns blaring from down the street. The Socs were arriving. The greasers started forming up. Carrie came up next to her, cracking her knuckles. Rae looked at her and both nodded at each other. She heard Darry and Ponyboy mumbling further down.
"You stay close to me, kid," the oldest Curtis brother ordered the youngest. Lightning flashed in their eyes, followed by an earth-shaking growl of thunder. She looked up at the sky for a moment before focusing on what was happening ahead of her.
Darry approached an older boy in a letterman jacket- the leader the Socs had brought with them. They exchanged some words, but all she could focus on was her brother’s voice filtering in from behind the greaser line.
"You know a rumble ain't a rumble without me!" Before she could turn her head and look at Dally, the first punch was thrown and the rain started to beat down on them. She watched as Ponyboy went down, hard as a rock, but as she went to help him, she was tackled by someone else.
When she’d gotten back up and balanced, the rain was so thick, Rae could barely see two feet in front of her, but was able to clothesline a Soc coming right for her. He dropped into the mud on his back and she kicked him in the face.
"Nice try," she smirked, watching the rain wash away the blood running from his nose. “How’s it feel to be beaten by a girl?”
She was too slow, though, when she heard movement behind her. She was pushed off the kid under her by a hard punch to the cheek, and fell backwards. The wet earth seeped into her pants.
"Slick, grease," the Soc said as he leaned down to pick her up by the shirt. He lifted her off the ground and his hand pulled back to punch her in the face, but someone else bulldozed him. She fell back into the mud. Rae turned her head to see her brother, but he hadn't noticed that he’d just saved her.
“Dally!” she yelled for him, trying to get his attention. “Dally!” But, he didn’t hear. Between the rain and the yelling, he couldn’t hear her calling for him. She went to stand up and make her way over to him, but suddenly, a Soc ran past her. And another. She paused to watch them retreat.
"Well, that was fast," she mumbled and gingerly touched her cheekbone. She pulled her hand away when her face felt wet and wiped her muddy hands on her already soiled jeans. Someone behind her roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her after him. She looked up to see Steve.
"Time to get outta here before the fuzz get here," he said. Rae nodded. When they passed Tim, he nodded his understanding and she went to catch up with her gang, peering around the lot for her brother. He’d disappeared.
"Where’s Dally gone now?” she asked, frustrated. Two-Bit patted her on the back.
"He’ll show his face sooner or later," he answered her. She sighed, but nodded.
"Hey, Pony's gone too," Darry said, looking around at each of them.
“I’m sure he’ll catch up. Maybe they went to tell Johnny the news,” Soda offered, and they all trudged their tired bodies back to the Curtis house.
A few minutes later, Rae stood in front of the freezer, filling a dishrag full of ice. She twisted it off and pressed it to her face, then walked back into the living room. The boys were tending to their own injuries. Two-Bit turned on the television for some background noise, then sat on the floor, leaning against the wall.
"It makes you look different," Soda said to his best friend, who was running his tongue over his newly broken tooth.
Things went quiet for a while, everyone mentally recovering. The boys started relaxing, settling in to watch some late-night TV.
But not Rae. She couldn’t sit still. The uneasy, bad feeling that had been sitting in the pit of her stomach for a month was becoming overwhelming. She had constant chills running down her spine, and her stomach wouldn’t calm. She sat criss-cross on the floor, leaning against the coffee table, foot constantly tapping the wood under her. The bad feeling that had been slowly getting worse over the last month was at its peak.
"Ponyboy!" Soda exclaimed as the screen door creaked open. Rae sat up straight and turned to see him. He looked terrible. Bruises everywhere and a split lip. A trail of tears ran down his face amid the blood and dirt.
But no Dally.
“Pony?” Darry asked, standing from his armchair, sensing the wrongness in the air.
His next words made everyone in the room freeze.
"Johnny's dead.” He paused and swallowed. “I don't know, he just died. Told me to ‘stay gold.’” Another pause.
J-Johnny..? Her mouth dropped open. When...when had she seen him last? What...what had been the last thing she’d said to him?
“Dally's gone. He couldn't take it. He's gonna blow." The entire room went completely silent except for the TV in the background.
"We-we have to find him," Rae said, her voice shaky. She went to stand up, but the phone rang, loudly, and she jumped from the sound. Steve picked it up.
"Hello?" He waited for a few seconds. "No, it's Steve." Another pause. "Yeah, sure." He held the phone out to Darry, his eyes suddenly haunted. The older boy took the phone and held it up to his ear.
"Dally?" he asked. "We know." Rae could hear some muffled noise coming from the receiver. “Of course. We got R-” He hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to his friends. "That was Dally. He's in trouble. We gotta hide him.” He looked her square in the eyes, knowingly. “He hung up before I could tell him. He doesn’t know.”
“Where?”
“The park.”
Rae was the first one out the door, running ahead while the other boys were still pulling their shoes on. She took off down the street, closely followed by the rest of her gang. When they reached the park, they found Dally standing on top of the hill, cops surrounding him. There was a gun in his hand. And suddenly she knew why she’d had a bad feeling for so long.
“You’re never gonna get me alive!” her brother taunted the cops, aiming a heater at them.
“It’s not loaded!” Ponyboy yelled. The others followed suit, but she slowed to a stop, a loud ringing overtaking her head.
"No…," she whispered to herself, watching him closely, willing him to turn his head. "Look at me. Please, look at me." But he didn't. And she knew he wouldn’t. He had no idea she was there.
Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?
Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death
A/N: I originally wrote this fic when I was in high school. It has been around for a good decade but needed a major face-lift (it was pretty cringey). I have worked hard to make this fic seem more realistic (if theres something that doesn’t seem right, please tell me, I want to make it right) and the characters more, well, in character. I truly hope you all enjoy it. The story is…very different now than it was ten years ago xD As a fair warning, it’s 30 some chapters, so be prepared. Chapter list and other information under cut.
Major Characters: Rae Winston (OC), Dallas Winston, Two-Bit Mathews, Curly Shepard, Carrie Merril (OC)
Relationships: Curly Shepard/OC, Tim Shepard/OC, Steve Randle/Evie, Dallas Winston/Sylvia (mentioned)
Point-of-view: Prologue/Midpoint/Epilogue 1st Person, Chapters 3rd Person
AO3: here
Fanfiction.net: here
Character Profiles:
Rae Lee Winston
Carrie Merrill
One-shots:
Kiss Me - Rae Winston x Curly Shepard, 5 years later
Tattoo - Rae Winston x Curly Shepard, 1 year after the end of the story
Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?
Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death
A/N: 1/4 of the way through the story! This story contains more Curly cuteness <3
AO3: here
Fanfiction.net: here
Masterlist
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter 10 - Flash
The next afternoon, Dally and Tim were sitting on the front porch of the Curtis house when Rae and Ponyboy arrived. They all looked at each other, then Dally turned to Tim.
"Thanks, man," he said. The boys slapped hands and shook as they approached.
“Yeah, no problem. See ya later.” He stood and inclined his head towards Rae as a greeting. She gave him a curt wave and he took off without another word.
"Hi Dally.” She gave him a wide smile.
"Hey, kid," he responded, watching her walk up the steps and sit down in one of the chairs. She nodded. Ponyboy went past them and into the house. Dally took a drag of his cigarette and leaned back in his chair. "Soda told me about your teacher."
"Yeah. We thought it best you knew," Rae said with a sigh, her smile fading. "I threatened him. It was all I could think to do"
"Darry thinks there ain’t nothing we can do right now ‘cept wait and see what happens" Dally said, flicking the butt out into the yard. She nodded. "What you did was stupid, kid, I ain’t gonna lie." She nodded, again.
“I know. I wasn’t thinkin’.”
“Well you’re gonna have to start thinkin’,” he chided. She could tell he was trying to keep the level of his voice and his tone in check. “Sometimes you’re just as bad as Pony.”
“Sorry, Dally.” Rae looked down at her lap.
“Don’t apologize. Just don’t do it again,” he ordered with a small shake of his head. “Get inside and do your homework. Tim said Curly might drop by later, after he’s done takin’ care of some business for the gang and you ain’t leavin’ this house ‘til it’s done.”
“Yes, dad,” she mumbled but immediately obeyed.
“You better not get smart with me,” her brother said as she went inside and dropped her backpack on the floor. She spread her books on the coffee table and settled in to do her work. The next hour passed by, slowly. She really hated Math.
"Rae?" Ponyboy's voice came from down the hall. He peered out from behind the corner. She set her pencil down in the bend of her notebook and closed it. Finally, a reprieve from numbers.
"Yeah?"
"Could you come help me with my English?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied and lifted herself off the couch. She wandered down the hall to the room he shared with Soda. He sat at the desk by the window and she leaned in to read over his shoulder. She explained the assignment to him and answered any questions he had along the way. She may have been lazy in school, but at least she was good at English (even if she didn’t speak it well). “You good now?”
"Yeah, thanks," Pony said, with a nod. Rae turned to go out of the room, but almost collided with Curly. She about jumped out of her skin.
"I never knew you were so smart," he said, that stupid smile once again plastered to his face, and snaked his arm around her waist. She rolled her eyes, but smiled as well and let him pull her close. He leaned in to plant a quick kiss on her lips.
“You’re a damn liar,” she said. “How many times have I helped you out?”
“Oh, get a room, would ya?” Pony complained. She winked at her friend, but led Curly back to the front room. When they were both sitting on the couch, Curly grabbed her chin and examined her face.
"Got roughed up a bit, huh? By who?"
"No idea. They knocked me out cold first."
"What ‘bout you? Heard you had some business to take care of.”
"Some kid has been giving some Angel shit," he answered. Rae didn't know Curly’s sister too well, and she didn't really mind that. If you wanted some hard ass bitch, you’d want to find Angel. Even at fourteen, she was wild as hell and usually high as fuck. Angela made her uncomfortable and she’d only met the girl a handful of times. Rae settled in against him and he laid his arm across her shoulders. She pulled her notebook back into her lap to finish the last few problems. "Tim told me 'bout your teacher."
"How'd he find out?" Rae asked, laying her head against the smooth leather jacket sitting on his chest. She opened back to the page her homework was on and continued writing in answers.
"Prob’ly Dally. They may beat the shit out of each other but they tell each other everything. Tim said he was here when ya’ll got home from school."
"Mm, he was here."
"You know, if you need me to rough up anybody for you, just-"
"I think I scared him pretty good on my own," she said, cutting him off. "I am a Winston after all" Curly nodded, satisfied. “Dude just stared at me with his damn mouth hangin’ open.”
"Atta girl," he said, with a smile, burying his nose in her hair. The phone rang in the other room but before Rae could uncurl herself from Curly, Ponyboy was in the kitchen, phone in hand.
"Hello?" he answered it. "Oh, hey, Darry. Right." He paused, listening to his oldest brother. "No problem. I’ll ask her." Pony hung up the phone and looked at Rae. "Darry is gonna to be home late and wanted to know if you could make dinner." Rae shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah, I guess," she answered. Curly looked at her, amused.
"You can cook too?" he asked.
"You sure don’t seem to know a lot about your own girlfriend," she said, poking him in the ribs. “I’m surprised Tim didn’t tell you he was graced with a sample of my amazing cookin’ one night.” She smirked.
“Wait, Tim’s had your cookin’ and not me? Why don’t you ever cook for me?”
“You never asked!” she exclaimed with a laugh.
"Darry said there ain’t much left in the fridge but there's some money on top of his dresser," Ponyboy interjected, interrupting their fake spat.
"Thanks. What sounds good?" Rae asked, standing up. She looked at Ponyboy, who shrugged. "You’re sure a lotta help." She sighed. "Something easy. Hamburgers and fries sound okay?”
"That'll work for me," Pony said. “You gonna stay, Curly?”
"Nah, I better get," he answered. Rae raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. Tim’s wantin’ me back home. Gotta report back to him." She shook her head in disbelief.
“All that bullshit just a second ago and you don’t even wanna stay?”
“I gotta go! You know Tim’ll break my skull if I don’t do what he says!”
"Don't worry about it. I'll just take Pony to the store." She rolled her eyes and nodded towards her friend. “Go get your shoes.” He went back to his room again. They both stood from the couch.
"Alright. I'll be back when I can," Curly said and leaned in to give her a short peck on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed his body against hers.
"See ya soon," she said, hugging him tightly. When she let him go, he gave her a crooked smile and was out the door. Dally must’ve still been sitting outside. She heard Curly exchange a few words with him. Pony appeared at her side, money in hand.
"Let's go," he said. Rae nodded and slipped into her jacket as Pony zipped up his sweatshirt.
“We’re goin’ to the store,” she announced to her brother as she swung the screen door open. “Darry asked me to make some dinner. Be back soon.” Dally nodded, still leaning back in his chair.
“That homework better be done!” he called to her as they headed down the sidewalk. She raised her arm and waved back.
“Yeah, yeah.”
When they got to the store, the two slowly traversed the aisles. Ponyboy tried to grab some snacks when Rae’s back was turned.
“I think Darry’ll roast me if I let you get all this shit,” she speculated with a small smile, seeing the bags in his arms as he tried to sneak them into her basket. She leaned over the meat section to pick out a couple of pounds of ground beef.
“Dang, Rae,” he said, reaching into the basket to put the snacks back. “I thought at least you’d let me get away with somethin’.”
“One,” she relented, holding up her index finger in his face. “You can get one. Somethin’ small, like a candy bar. And the evidence better be gone by the time we get home. Now, go get me some buns. I’ll get the potatoes and we’ll get outta here.”
He walked away from her, chips and cookie bags overflowing his arms. She headed off for the produce section of the store. As she turned down the aisle that had potatoes, Rae collided with someone and nearly dropped the basket that hung from her arm. She started to apologize, but he grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her and when she looked up, her father’s face flashed in her vision. Her body started shaking. What the fuck was he doing here? Quickly, she looked away.
“Miss?” But- that wasn’t his voice...
She looked up again and saw a man she’d never seen before. Confusion spread across her features and she shrugged out of his grasp.
“Please don’t-”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Just don’t-don’t touch me.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry for bumping into you,” Rae mumbled and shoved past him. Ponyboy came around the same corner holding a bag of hamburger buns. He did a double-take when he passed the man, but continued on to his friend.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine. I just thought I saw…” She trailed off, staring the potatoes down. “It’s fine. Nevermind.” She lifted a sack of potatoes out of the bin. “Let’s just get outta here.”
