Chapter 1

                                    

                                          

Phaedra's POV
                          
I wiped the sweat off my brow as the hot, sticky Tulsa sun beat down on me.  I caught the ball that was tossed my way.  I ran my fingers over the dirty laces as the batter took their place on the side of the plate, bat in the air.  All I had to do was strike her out and we'd be one step closer to state.  I stared into the eyes of my opponent, swinging my arm around, I let the ball fly.  "Strike 1!" The umpire called as I caught the ball again.  I threw the ball again, knowing it would be a strike as soon as it left my hand.  "Strike 2!"  I caught the ball again.  My heart pounding in my ears.  I pitched the ball again.  Swing and a miss, "Strike 3!"  
                          
My team ran onto the mound.  We were laughing, cheering, hugging each other, as our coaches come over, "alright ladies! You gals looked good out there.  No practice tomorrow, but we will see you Monday after school.  Great game ladies!" My coach clapped me on the back, "nice pitching, Curtis.  I want your fast ball a little more consistent, but overall,  you pitched a hell of a game."
                          
"Thanks, Coach,"  I walked back to mound.  I kissed my index and middle finger, put them over my chest, and then pointed them up to the sky, "won this for you, mom and daddy."  I ran off the mound and met up with my brother.
                          
"You still point, huh?" My twin brother, Ponyboy, asked me as he handed me my batting helmet which I stuck in my gym bag along with my bat, ball, mitt, and cleats.  
                          
"Always," I slipped my feet in my sandals, "before and after, every game."  I took my mousy, brown hair out of my ponytail and piled it on top of my head into a messy bun.  We started the half a mile walk home, "what's the plan for tonight?"
                          
"I got a test to study for," Pony muttered.  
                          
"That's what happens when you're in all the genius classes," I joked.  I had accepted the fact that I would never be as smart as my twin.  I wasn't dumb by any means, but I also wasn't taking college courses at 16.  "I think Natalie's coming over."
                          
I watched Ponyboy's eyes light up and his ears turn red, "that's tuff."  Pony had a huge crush on my best friend.  He would never make a move though, he's too shy.  He also thought Nat was too good for him, which was bullshit, but Natalie is considered "middle class".  Pony and I are greasers, we're considered low class, hoods, juvenile delinquents, and to be honest most of us are, but Pony's not.  He's gonna get outta here and be somebody.
                          
We got home just as our older brothers, Darry and Sodapop pulled up in Darry's  rusted pickup truck.  Soda hopped out, "how was the game?" He asked as he tried to put Pony in a headlock.
                          
"Good.  We won." I tried to sound as nonchalant as I could.  I knew it bothered them that they hadn't caught a game all season.
                          
"Did you pitch today?" Darry asked me as he took of his toolbelt.  Darry worked construction.  He was always putting in long hours.
                          
"Yeah.  I guess I did ok." 
                          
Pony stared at me, "just ok?  Phae almost had a no hitter!"
                          
Soda grinned, "that's pretty tuff, Phae."
                          
Darry put his arm around me.  He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "That's impressive!  I'm sorry we missed it."
                          
I just shrugged, "S'ok.  I get it".  I told them I was gonna take a quick shower before supper.  I hated knowing that my brothers felt bad for missing my game.  Darry and Soda work really hard to keep us together.  Darry gave up his football scholarship to take guardianship over me, Pony, and Soda when mom and dad died.  Soda dropped out of high school to work at the DX, a gas station, down the road.  He said he was gonna drop out anyway.  Shop class was ths only thing he was passing.  The state told us we could stay together as long as we stayed outta trouble. 
                          
That evening, after supper, Natalie came over to hang for a little bit.  Natalie's my best friend, but we couldn't be more different.  She has red spiral curls that always look perfect, her eyes are blue and she has a fair complexion.  She's small and does gymnastics.  She is also the queen of gossip.  The first thing she said as soon as she walked in the door was, "Phae, did you hear what happened to Annmarie? One of the cheerleaders?"
                          
I cocked an eyebrow, "should I care?"
                          
"Yes!" She shrieked.  "It's bad, Phaedra."  
                          
I sat down on the couch, "fine, tell me."  I heard the newspaper rustle and realized my oldest brother was listening too.
                          
"She got stalked on the way home and beaten up really bad.  She's in the hospital!"
                          
"Oh..." I didn't really know what to say.  People get jumped around here all the time, "they know who did it?"
                          
"It was just some greaser,"  she spoke that last word with a bit of disgust, "that's all they know."
                          
"Um Nat, you realize you are literally surrounded by greasers, right?"
                          
She turned red, "I didn't mean you guys.  How was the game?"  She quickly changed subjects.
                          
"We won.  Going to sectionals this weekend." I grinned.
                          
She squealed, "that's awesome! You ladies are totally going to state."  She picked up an issue of 'Seventeen' and started flipping through the pages.  Eventually, the topic of Annmarie was completely forgotten and replaced with friendly banter over the Monkees and the Beatles.