Chapter 1: Healing

A lot has happened in the past week after the fight. Everyone was still on edge after the war. Keeping an eye out whenever anyone went somewhere just to make sure the fight was really over. You never knew with those guys. They lost the fight so they might be looking for something else to prove themselves. I hoped that they just left it alone. I wished that I would once again just roam the streets without the threat of being kidnapped by crazy, girl beating lunatics.

As the week went on and my body actually given time to heal, I was healing pretty well. Darry made me go the doctors to get my arm checked out. It was broken, but they couldn't set it, so it just had to be kept in a sling. The cuts had basically gone away, with a few scares –especially the one the stretched from my eat to my throat that Tony had placed on me. The bruises had yellowed over, minus the big, ugly one on my ribs. I didn't get that checked out though. I refused to. We already owed that hospital enough money.

Everyone that did or could go to school today was going just for the sake of me. To keep an eye on me. I didn't need them to though. They'd been through enough trying to protect me. I didn't want to be the one that caused them anymore hurt. I didn't like them fighting anyway. My brothers scared me. I think every time they looked at me they were reminded of what happened. I didn't want them to feel bad for me. I was fine.

School started today and in all honesty, I was scared to go. I knew that, when they decided to show up, some of the RK went there. They terrified me.

Luckily I had most of my classes with Ashley or Ang or even both. Two-Bit and Steve even had a few classes with me. Pony was a year younger than me so he didn't have anything with me.

Walking out of the bathroom, I went into my bedroom, making sure to get around any of the guys. I put on my outfit and put my hair up in a ponytail. I then proceed into the kitchen where breakfast was so deliciously waiting for me. Waffles, yum. I threw my backpack to the door, fresh with school supplies and went back to the table.

I was chewing when I noticed several of them starring at me. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

My fork hit the plate and I rolled my eyes. "I'm fine guys. Seriously, stop worrying. You would know if I'm panicking." I laughed. "I'm not going to let them control my being scared to go somewhere." I finish, taking another bite.

I knew they worried about this because we didn't know for sure if they would or wouldn't try something again. If for some reason they did, I was more defenseless than before. With my broken arm, I didn't very well have a chance of fending someone off. That was why I wasn't aloud to go anywhere alone again yet either. Not that I really could anyway, when Soc's decided to show up and bad mouth us. They didn't jump girls, but dealing with the words was still a pain in the ass to deal with. That had happened to me and Ang and Ash before a few times. We learned if you ignore them they'll go away. Or Ang would cuss them out.

"Whatever you say," Pony said, eying me. "How'd you get dressed anyway?"

"I had some random guy off the street help me." I answered, managing to keep a straight face. Two-Bit and Steve snickered.

Darry sent me an incredulous look. "That's not funny."

"Yes it is. You're just too up tight." I said, joking.

He answered by giving my head a light smack. I stuck my tongue out at him. I finished my breakfast and put the dishes in the sink, where Johnny was helping out.

"You wash, I'll dry?" I compromised. I liked talking to Johnny when I got the chance. Admittedly for some reason it never happened very often. One because he was always with Pony and two he rarely talked at all. But I cared for him, just like all the others, and I was pretty sure he did for me.

He smiled, reached over and handed me the towel.

While in the midst of that, I heard something crumple to the floor. I looked to see Steve having Soda in a head lock on the floor. I shock my head at their silliness. "Please try not to break anything this morning." I sounded just like my mother.

They ignored me and continued with what they were doing. I sighed and finished the dishes.

When I was done I went over to Darry. "Did you call work for me?" I asked.

He nodded. "They said that you have off until you arm is healed. You can't really wait with that." He grinned. Up to three weeks I had off. This was good and bad.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He stopped and looked at me a minute and I wondered if he was going to start talking to me again about the RK possibly being at school. "Have you talked to Curly lately?"

I froze, that was something I didn't expect. He had come to see me a few times with Ang. She and Ash were two people I talked to daily now, even if it was just over the phone. The last time he had come over was Monday, it was Thursday now.

"Um, not since Monday." I answered a little anxious. "Why?"

"No reason."

"Darry…" I accused in a pushing voice.

He sighed. "You need to talk to him."

"I have. We've talked."

He approached me and picked up the necklace lying at my throat. "About this. Yes, you've talked. But not about this. You two haven't been alone anytime he's come over. I've been there. You haven't talked to him about it."

I groaned, not wanting to get into this. "Darry, it hasn't been the time or place for it. When I talk to him about it I just want it to be us. Not the whole 'shebang'." I was referring to anytime that he and I talked, everyone seemed to watch. It was very frustrating.

I had learned that Curly had told Darry when I was 'gone'. Darry had known there was something going on by the way he was acting when I was gone.

"Well, fine. But get it straightened out. For both of your sakes."

He knew how much Curly meant to me. And even how much I meant to Curly.

By this time, Soda had bounced in the room. "Time to go, Sare."

I agreed and turned to head out for the first wonderful day of school.

It's two day's late. Sorry guys. I've been trying to find my folders still and I thought I had them yesterday when I did a system restore. But with my luck, nope, they didn't come back. Which sucked because I was excited.

This chapter might be a little boring cause it's just an opener, but I did my best!

Hope you enjoy! =]

Sorry to anyone who reviewed the old Aftermath and added it to story alert and what not before the new one. I completely forgot. So, I'm sorry and add the new one to alerts! =]