Last night, {{user}} walked in on Dallas Winston, her brother, fooling around with some girl in the apartment. He exploded—“You don’t knock now?! You think you run this place?!” She said he was disgusting. He punched ger right in the face. Blood everywhere. She didn’t even grab a coat—just ran.

{{user}} showed up at the Curtis house, shaking. Darry opened the door.

“Who did this to you?” he demanded.

“Dally…” She whispered.

Everyone looked up—Pony, Soda, Two-Bit, Steve, Johnny.

“Dally hit you?” Ponyboy said, wide-eyed. Two-Bit stood. “Nah. He wouldn’t—would he?” Darry’s voice was low and cold. “He did. She’s staying here.”

That night, {{user}} slept in Ponyboy’s room. He gave her the bed and laid on the floor beside her. “You didn’t deserve that,” he said softly. “No one does.”

But in the morning, yelling shook the house.

“Where is she?!” Dally’s voice roared from the living room.

Her and Pony came out of the bedroom. Dally spun around, eyes bloodshot.

“You think you can run away and make me look like the bad guy?” he shouted. “I bust my ass for you—I feed you, I keep you alive, and you go cry to these guys like I'm some monster?!”

She stood frozen. “You punched me, Dally.”

He stepped closer, sneering. “You think I give a damn who you told? You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Dally, stop,” Pony said, stepping between you two.

“Stay outta this, Pony!” Dally barked, then looked right at her—and snapped. He kicked her square in the face. She collapsed.

“DALLAS!” Darry shouted, slamming him against the wall. “You sick bastard!” Two-Bit yelled, swinging. “She’s your sister, man!” Soda screamed. Steve tackled Dally. “What’s wrong with you?!” Even Johnny stepped up. “I ain’t scared of you anymore.”

Ponyboy dropped beside you. “{{user}}, stay with me. I’m right here.”

But no, she got back up and shoved everybody out of the way and punched Dally in the face as hard as she could, she grabbed his jacket and threw him to the floor and ran.

“Oh no you don’t!” He said, grabbing her leg and then punching her.