People always tell me that she's in that big party up in the sky now. But the thing is, I don't believe them. Jackie's always here, even if the others don't think so. All the parties in Tulsa are bland now that she's gone. Sodapop never smiles or laughs anymore, and Two-Bit drinks so much more heavily now. At least a fifth of Jack Daniels whiskey a day, if not a lot more than that. I didn't realize the impact she had on all of our lives until she was gone for good. We all wished that she'd die, that she'd shut her trap for more than a minute, and now... we all regret thinking that, regret ever telling her to shut her mouth. Darry keeps himself too busy with work to really care, but you can tell that he's hurting because of the things he had said to her before she got herself kiled.

"Sugar's gonna kill you one day, and I hope it does. Maybe, you'll learn your damn lesson!"

Truer words had never, ever been said. Darry never screams or yells at me anymore, about any mistake I make, beacause the same thing could happen to me like it did to Jacqueline. I miss her, I really do. She was strange, sure, but damn, were her parties the best in Tulsa. She loved those parties. So, at her memorial service, we did exactly what she asked us to. We all wanted to make sure, even if it killed us, Jacqueline would get her one death wish.

"Pone, at my funeral, make it a party! I want balloons, and cake and punch. I don't want people to be sad when I'm gone! I want them to be happy that I can party all night now!" And she was so happy, so joyful when she went. It should have rubbed off on all of us, but instead, we were torn apart by her departure. When we all went to say our good-byes, she didn't cry. Jackie didn't even appear to be sad. Johnnycake went in first, and we could tell he was trying to be tough, but that he was ripping apart at his seams, that he was going to break. They were very close to each other, and it was increasingly obvious that they had a thing for each other. We were all expecting them to have... gotten together(?) before this time.

Due to subsequent conversations, I think that the days Johnny saw her were the only times Jacqueline cried while she was in that hospital.

~~Johnny's P.O.V~~

Jackie was my only girl friend and the only one I'd call my very best. We were so different, sure, but she understood me. Jackie was always smiling, always happy, always partying. Every day she was in the hospital, I went and saw her. We talked and talked for hours on end (Actually, she talked my ear off, and I just sat there and listened). Jackie told me she was scared. Scared of dying, scared of what happens on the other end. I know for a fact that I ain't. It sure is hard to be there for people when you don't understand what they're going through, the things they've seen and done. I mean, I was hanging on a thread, but I guess God decided it wasn't my time, yet. But Jackie, she had so much to live for, so much to breathe for.

"JOHNNY! I didn'tknowyouwerecomingohmycoffee IamSOOOgladtoseeyou!" That's Jacqueline for you. Fast-talking, hyper, and in short, unpredicatable. There she was, hanging on life support, and still the happiest girl in the world, and all because of what? Me seeing her? See, that's why I don't understand her. She can be halfway dead, her cat... starving, freshly broken-hearted and STILL see the "sunny" side of things. I guess- I guess that's why we were so close. I don't ever talk anymore now that she's gone. What's to talk about? The Oklahoma plains? The weather? I used to talk, not as much but I still did. I never do anymore, except maybe to Pony, and even then, it's still a rarity that I do. I can't say that I enjoy talking to him anymore, because honestly, I don't like talking to much anyone any more.

I really do miss her. I remember that during one of her last three days, we kissed. It wasn't anything special, anything important, but we did.

"Hey, Johnny."

"Yea, Jacqueline?"

"I think I'm dying. I don't think I'm gonna make it! They-they told me I only have a few days left... and then something about laughing gas."

"I...I didn't know you didn't know until now. We-we've all been here at least once to say our good-byes to you. That's why we all came." I said to her, and her muddy brown eyes darkened; lost all it's color. If I regret saying anything, that was it. It took all of her happiness right out, made her scared. Unless you know her, you don't understand how bad it is to make someone so happy... sad. Frightened. Scared.

"...even you? You only came because today was the last day I was ever going to see you again?" Jackie whimpered, the Hoover Dam holding back her tears breaking. I shook my head and tried to comfort her the best way that I would think of. Then we kissed. Simple, short, nothing special, but it was as if the sun had broken through on a cloudy, rainy day.

"Sir, your time's up. The others do need a chance." The nurse said, rudely escorting me out of the room. Jackie waved.

That was the last time I ever saw her alive.