Part 1 – New kid

Soda hated school, the fifteen-year-old hated it with his entire heart. Nothing fun ever happened and the only things he was passing was art, music, gym and auto mechanics. He hadn't any really good friends in his grade either. He was freshman and his friend Dallas Winston barely had a class with him, Two-Bit Mathews, whose real name was Keith, was a year older than him and in sophomore year and his older brother Darry was a senior. It was two week into the semester and Soda was already tired of it. He sat in math class with Dallas behind him when the door opened and the school secretary came in.

"Good morning everybody", she said. "We have a new student today." She moved out of the doorway and a guy entered. He had dark hair that was greased and combed back in complicated swirls, his eyes were dark, almost black, he had some scars on his face too and he looked annoyed.

"Well", the math teacher Ms. Samuels said and rose. "Welcome to the class…"

"Steve Randle", the boy said.

"Welcome Steve you can sit over there beside the blonde boy, Dallas Winston."

Dallas raised his hand and grunted and the new kid walked over and sat down.

"Well now that that's settled…"

"But Ms. Samuels", a soc said innocently. "Aren't you gonna let the new kid tell us something about himself."

"Ya know my name pal", Steve said. "And that's enough."

Some of the greasers in the class and a couple of the socs snickered.

"Well let's continue shall we", Ms. Samuels said and started writing on the blackboard. She wrote y=f(x), f(x)=3x-2. "Now can someone tell me what f(-2) is? Mr. Winston."

Dally shrugged.

"Less than three", he said and the class snickered.

"No that's not correct."

"It is", Steve spoke up. "In one way."

"Excuse me?"

"Ya asked what f(-2) is right? It's -8."

"Yes that's correct Mr. Randle but…"

"The guy said less than three and it's true."

"I see your point. Now let's continue."

"Ya didn't need to defend me pal", Dallas hissed at the new guy.

"I didn't", Steve hissed back. "I just wanted to get to the teacher."

"Mr. Randle maybe you can answer my question", Ms. Samuels said.

"And that is?"

"Give me the value of x if y=7."

"x=3."

"That's correct I see at least someone is paying attention. You should follow Mr. Randle's example Mr. Winston." The bell rang.

Out on the schoolyard Dallas hurried up to the new guy and threw a punch at him.

"Ya little shit are ya trying to make me look bad or something?" he asked.

Steve just ducked away before impact and smiled.

"That can't be hard considering your ugly appearance."

"Ya cocky little shit!"

In the meantime Soda was listening to Two-Bit bragging about some blonde he'd met up with yesterday, while they were walking outside school.

"Anyway she looked at me and asked if she knew me", Two-Bit said. "I said well of course doll who doesn't know about me. Then she asked me if I was a movie star and…" He trailed off when they heard the sound of a fight. "Hey it's a fight let's go check it out!" He grabbed Soda's shoulder and pulled him with him. They rounded the corner and found a lot of greasers standing in a ring while someone was fighting inside it.

"Hey Tim what's going on", Two-Bit asked as they got close enough to see what was happening.

"Dallas is fighting with some new greaser… and he's losing."

"Really", Two-Bit and Soda looked into the center and saw their friend in a full blow fist fight. And as Tim was saying, Dallas was losing. Steve was a real good fighter; he ought to be after living where he did before. Dallas had gotten some good hits on him too but not as many. Dallas suddenly lunched forward and the boys started wrestling fiercely.

"Whoho", Two-Bit yelled enthusiastically. "Come on Dallas!"

Dallas had managed to get Steve onto his back and was trying to hold the new kid down. Which it turned out wasn't successful. Their places were soon switched.

"What's going on here", a voice yelled and the gym teacher came up to the ring and separated the two fighters, the school secretary was with him.

"Mr. Randle I should have known you're one of those kids", she said. "But since it is your first day and I know Mr. Winston I'll let you slip."

"Hey", Dallas protested. "He started it!"

"I find that hard to believe Winston", the gym teacher said. "Most fights on this school are started by you or Sheppard. You'll come with me to the principal's office."

"Mr. Randle you better behave", the secretary said. "Or you'll join Winston in detention."

Steve stalked off, when he walked by the bicycle stand he kicked some bikes and they fell.

"Oh a feisty one", Two-Bit laughed.

"Who is that kid", Tim Sheppard asked.

"Steve Randle", Soda explained.

"Ya know him?"

"Nope, he's new around here; he's in my math class though." Soda explained what had happened at math.

"No wonder Dallas went after him", Two-Bit said. "Though it wasn't his fault entirely… He's a good fighter."

"Yeah", Tim said and smiled interested.

"Keep your hands off that guy Tim", Darry Curtis said and the others jumped. They hadn't noticed him coming up. "The last thing we need is another kid going in and out of jail."

"Aw Darry, Darry you make it sound as if I'm bad influence."

"You are. What happened here? I saw Dallas being dragged to the principal… again."

TBC If you want it of course.