Chapter Text
Playing outside wasn’t an activity the Curtis’s were able to do often, given the fact the Oklahoma heat warranted complaints from the children. But today it was a comforting degree outside — not to hot, not to cold, t-shirt weather — which Mrs. Curtis decided they would hang out.
Steve and Soda were playing with cars, and Pony was pretending to be an airplane; running around with his arms spread out. Darry was playing Football with his father, who was going easy on him.
Two-Bit came around soon later, no shoes on, which resulted in a harsh scolding from Mrs. Curtis. Jane drifted by, too, hanging around Mrs. Curtis and refusing to look at any of the boys.
—
“I don’t want them to hurt me. Like Pa. Big guy, football. He’s scary. Do they like having a girl like me around? Seemed like everyone wouldn’t care if I was gone forever—“
She was snapped out of her trance when Mrs. Curtis gently carded her fingers through her long, curly hair, “Sweetheart, why don’t you go play with the boys? They’d love to play with you.”
“…They scare me.” Jane curled up into Mrs. Curtis, tears starting to fill in the voids she called eyes. “…Boys. They can hurt me, Ma.”
Those words felt like something had shot Mrs. Curtis. She had dealt with children with borderline abusive parents; Steve for example, but he never feared the other children. The things her parents had to do to make her fear the other children made her nearly cry herself. “It’s okay, baby,” she assured, rubbing the girl’s back slowly. “They won’t do anything to you. They love you. You’re their sister.”
Jane sat in silence, staring out into the blue sky, which complimented the vibrant green grass below the horizon. She wouldn’t consider herself a morning person; that was when her folks were up, yelling, screaming and whatnot. Usually her and Johnny were able to get out before anything happened to them.
“I know,” she replied, letting Mrs. Curtis play with her hair. It wasn’t the most appealing hair a girl can have, but it was definitely batter than what the boys had. “I can beat ‘em in a fight.”
Mrs. Curtis chuckled at that. “Yes you can.” A small sigh came out of her mouth, gently rubbing the young girl’s side. Having a daughter was her dream, but three boys had gotten in the way. After a terrible accident during Pony’s birth, she was bound to never have children again. She had always dreamed of having a big family; loved and cared for. She never imagined it would be with other people’s children.
Being in the Curtis’ house was like being on a whole other planet for Jane. For a girl who had only known the evil side of life, she was scared of the care she was given. The thought of her not having someone to lean onto until now made a lump form in Mrs. Curtis’s throat.
She loved all of her children, biological or not. She was sure they loved her, too.
—
Jane slept on the Curtis’ couch that night, spread out like a starfish, and snoring like a buzzsaw