~ Disclaimer: I do not own ANYTHING, all characters belong to S.E Hinton, only characters i own are Emily, her parents, and her brother!~

I sighed as we drove back into a hell hole called Tulsa, i didn't want to be here, neither did my brother. We had ran away from out father Micheal, he was a complete drunk, he abused and beat me and my brother, but usually my brother was the one who got decked in the face and knocked out, he would just simply punch, shove, and kick me. My mother (who was driving,) was just the kind of person who didn't care about us, she would just watch me as i bled, cried, and screamed. She was a druggie, a drinker, and a stupid, slutty broad. My brother always kept me from getting hurt more than he did when he was younger, he was 19, going to be 20 soon. He had nice, jet black hair that he always greased back, his eyes were just a soft, warm brown. Me on the other hand, I had bright red hair that was turning darker, my eyes were a bright, beautiful blue, my skin was lighter than my brothers, i had a small nose piercing on the right cause it made me look 'tuff' and tough. I didn't always wear so much make up, only smudged eyeliner and mascara with my long lashes.

I sighed as i was the first one out of the car to see my dad about deck me in the face. "Where the hell do you think you were going you little broad?" He roarded in anger as i frown slightly, i was not even close to a broad or a slut, i was a virgin and i hated guys, i always had a fear of them because of my 'father'.

I glared at him as my brother had gotten out pretty quickly, mom just drove off again and went who knows where. "Somewhere but here you fucking dick!" I yelled, not even caring if the whole street had heard it, i was ticked off, loosing it, i had never lost it before, i have been dealing with this ever since i was five, well 10 years later and i'm not going to tolerate this anymore!

I got an ice cold stare as he slapped me making me light headed, i fell to the ground as tears formed into my eyes, my brother was shocked, he had never seen me really stand up for myself. By fact, i think it was better that i didn't. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!" I heard my dad scream as i got up, i looked up at him, straight in the eyes.

"I SAID... SOMEWHERE BUT HERE YOU FUCKING DICK! ARE YOU DEAF OR SOME SHIT!" I yelled louder than he was, a face of shock spread across his face, it quickly turned angry, and he became quickly enraged as he punched me in the stomach as i screamed from pain, falling back to the ground. My brother quickly pulled my father away, he just turned back and decked my brother in the face, i got back up, hurting more than i ever have, i started running as fast as i could, i took track in high school last year before i dropped out. Tears quickly formed in my face as i took a sharp turn, it had started heavily raining.

I kept running until my feet hurt so bad, that i collapsed, breathing heaving, trying to get air, gasping, and closing my eyes getting a major headache, and still hurting everywhere, i heard footsteps, and i heard someone yell as they ran to me, everything started going black.

Ponyboys POV~~~

As i ran too the girl who had collapsed right as i got out of the movie house, i realized that she was blacked out, i started freaking out, i picked her up, she was so light weighted, she weighed like a 9 year old. I quickly took short cuts through alleys and lonely streets, it was raining, i was so soaked, i was trying to keep her dry. I finally got to the house as i heard Soda, Darry, and Steve come out of the house, she was bleeding on her cheek slightly, i sighed as Darry quicklly took her inside as we all walked in, nothing was said until Darry had the heater on and blankets on her.

"Where did you find her?" Asked Darry strictly. I looked at the ground as Sodapop handed me a towel as i took off my shirt.

"I walked out of the movie theater.. And she just collapsed." I said as Darry nodded looking at her, Soda was looking at her also, but in a weird way.

"She looks familiar." Shrugged Soda as he sighed slightly.

"Your right, she does." Darry said, but the let it go after i went into mine and Soda's room and got undressed and put some dry cloths on.

'Familiar? Who is she? What happened to her? Why did she collapse? Why did her cheek look like she had been slapped or punch so hard that it bled a little?' I kept asking myself, Soda had walked in when i was still thinking, i was looking outside, it was supposed to be rainy all week, then snow.

"Hey, Pony." He said quietly. He sat down on the bed as i glanced at him, he smiled kindly, i knew he was down, Sandy had hurt him pretty badly, it was one of the only times i saw Soda not smile for a long period of time, he would just not talk to anyone, at the DX, he stayed in the back and fixed cars so he wouldn't have to talk with anyone, at home, he would lock himself in the room so i had to sleep on the couch most of the nights.

"Hey, Soda." I said smiling back, and looked back outside, he yawned slightly and stretched across most of the bed.

"So, Pony, You looked pretty freaked out. Ya' alright?" He asked as i nodded.

"I'm fine... But you said she looked familiar?" I asked as he was looking at the ceiling.

"Just an old friend, thats all." He sighed closing his eyes as i nodded. I layed down next to him and fell asleep.

~The next day!~

Emily's POV ~~~

I woke up, i was in a room, living room, there was nobody in it as i glanced around to see the time, it was 9am. I sighed before getting up, feeling major pain all over again, i let out a small moan of pain as i try to get up and get my balance before anyone walked in. I felt instantly dizzy when someone walked in, he looked so familiar, it was crazy. He glanced at me and smiled, he was gorgeous.. For a guy, his smile was just so amazing and his looks were movie star handsome! Oh my, and his blue eyes (this is in the movie,) they were just beautiful.

"Well its nice to see you up, you were out for like two days." He said as he was just wearing a towel around his waist, he also had some nice abs. I blushed slightly as i nodded.

"Uh... Where ... Am ... I?..." I asked as i rubbed my eyes. He smiled brightly as i glanced at him.

"The Curtis household." He said, thats it, i remember now! Darrel, Ponyboy, and Sodapop were the closest things i had to family aside from my brother, and the rest of the gang.

"Uh... I'm.. Emily..." I said, he had probably forgot about me, but his face froze for a moment and lit up instantly, his smile had gotten wider.

"Do you remember me? I mean if you don't..." He said trailing off as i chuckled lightly but quickly stopped cause it hurt.

"Hey... Soda." I smiled a little as he nodded and came over and gave me a careful, yet heart-warming hug.

"I thought you were never going to come back! I missed you so much Emily..." He said as i put my face into his bare chest, hugging him back, he let go quickly and kept the towel from falling, he had turned bright red.

I was red as well as i felt my stomach, only to feel more pain, he must have noticed because he sighed. "Mind.. If.. I.. Uh take.. A sho-wer." I said, it hurt so bad to talk, i just don't know why, but then again i hurt everywhere.

"Yea.." He nodded and helped me to the bathroom, "Need help.. Getting undressed?" He asked blushing bright red as i nodded, there was no way i could take off my shirt. It just wouldn't work.

He held up one finger as he went and got some pants on, but he quickly came back, he sighed as he helped me stand off and took off my shirt carefully, only to reveal and large, purple bruise, it was painful, and it didn't look amazing at all, his face went to shock but he sure as hell didn't want me to see it, he took off my shorts to see cuts from sharp branched down my legs, he sighed and nodded. "And you can go from here." He said kindly.

"T-thanks.." I said as he nodded as he put on a small smile and walked out, closing the door, i took off my bra and undies, and quickly got into the shower, instantly feeling so much better! I washed my hair and body, i took a short shower compared to my normal ones. I got out and wrapped a towel around me as i looked at myself in the mirror, my bruise on my cheek was almost gone and barely noticeable, but my stomach was something else. I wrapped my towel back around me as i walked out only to see boys, boys, and more boys.

"Oh, who's the chick?" Asked one of them with a Mickey-Mouse shirt on. Soda smiled and got off the couch, still not wearing a shirt.

"Emily." He said smiling, a few faces brightened up, i recognized everyone in there. The man, quickly got up and hugged me softly.

"I hope you remember me.. Two-Bit." He said coming out with his name as i nodded smiling, he was one of my best friends aside from Dallas.

"Man i missed you!" He said, louder than necessary as he turned his attention back to the tv.

Soda had handed me some sweat pants and one of Ponyboys shirts. I went and got dressed quickly, putting back on my undies and bra, then putting on the sweat pants and shirt, i walked out, i looked really skinny, my ribs popped out, and my arms were skinny as well, but it didn't look bad.

I sighed and sat next to a man, he smiled at me and put an arm around me. "Hi Em-n-M." He smirked, I hugged him tightly, Dallas, i about broke down crying.

He hugged me back softly as i glanced down at me, "I missed you so much, bro!" I said, louder than necessary, i get it from Two-Bit, as we both started cracking up.

Two-Bit, Soda, and a man who looked similar to Steve looked at him weirdly. He smiled a little as he started lighting a cancer stick, i'm not a smoker, its just not my thing, i got up as i got hugged by two people at once, feeling instant pain i gasped as they quickly backed up saying sorry.

I shrugged it off, it was Johnny and Steve, Darry was cooking some food in the kitchen with Ponyboy was what they told me.

I nodded as Soda sat down on the couch putting on a DX shirt, i quickly sat next to him, he was an emotional bestfriend, we were closer than me and Dally, and Two-Bit, but he would always be there for me to talk to about my problems.

"You know you talk in your sleep?" He smiled as i blushed red and looked away slightly.

"Pshh.. Yea." I said quietly as he laughed lightly and shook his head.

"So what happened to you.. Well the day you blacked out?" He asked. "You never quiet finished talking in your sleep, you were just worried about your brother." He said shrugging. "Oh don't worry, he called to see if you were here.." He quickly added seeing my signs of freaking out.

"Well... Its a long story.." I said as i explained what had happened, he just nodded, i had broke down crying as Soda held me in his arms, calming me down, boy-oh-boy, i was a complete mess!

I hoped you enjoyed it! Please review and check out my other storys! Thanks for readying! 3