Chapter 2

I was afraid. I was afraid that I wouldn't find Dally. I was afraid that I would let Johnny down and if I did that, I'd let myself down.

I knew he was probably gonna rob a store, beat up someone, or something. He couldn't have gone far. I looked outside the hospital. My mind slowly started to numb. I almost welcomed it but realized that numbness would drive me away from my purpose. I thought of all the times Dally had helped us. He may have only helped us cause of Johnny, but still. I felt I owed him too.

There was a liquor store on my left, about three blocks far. I started towards there because that was probably where he was going. I let my feet take over, trying not to feel. My whole body throbbed because of the rumble that was not too long ago. It felt like months ago. I sped past the stores, everything going in blurs. I couldn't tell if it was because I was running too fast or tears were filling my eyes. When I was almost there, something hit me and knocked me to the floor as I ran pass the grocery store. I felt as if the whole left side of my body was bruised. I looked to see what had hit me and nearly caused me to get a concussion. My head already hurt because that Soc beat it in. It was Dally. He looked at me for a second, narrowing his eyes. For the first time in my whole life, I saw pain, real pain, clear in Dallas Winston's eyes. He got up and kept running. My eyes widened as I saw what was in his hands: money. He had just robbed the store.

A sturdy man came out confirming my horrors. "Police! Police! Someone catch that kid!"

I heard sirens go off. I started to feel dizzy. It took me a minute to get up and start chasing Dally again. This time I wasn't the only one. I tried to speed up. Dally was heading towards the lot. It was pitch black. It would be pretty hard to find him in there.

"Dally!" I yelled. I almost reached him. Although I felt sick and tired, I was still fast enough to almost catch up to him. As I entered the lot, I looked around. The sirens sounded pretty close now. Everything was going too fast for me to handle. "Dally!" My voice sounded a bit weaker.

"Dally, please come out." I cried I knew he wouldn't, though. I heard ruffling to my left. I really couldn't see what was going on in the empty lot. I went towards the noise. It was coming from behind a tree. I heard sobbing. Never in my life, and I mean never, had I thought I would see the day that Dallas Winston would shed a tear. I didn't know how to approach this but I knew I didn't have time.

"Dally?" I said softly.

A gun popped out from behind the tree, a gun and a hand. I was terrified.

"You better get away, kid, or this thing's going off." Dallas said his voice husky.

I was about to ask if he'd really shoot me, but I thought of a better question.

"Would Johnny really want you to kill me? If you think so, go ahead pull the trigger."

My heart pounded quickly, scared out of mind. I quickly apologized to all the people that I've done wrong to. Oh, please, God. Let me live. I knew he could do it. he was in a very fragile state. I wondered if I should take back my last statement or just let him do it.

He got up, the gun and his hand, sliding out of view. Then, he got out from behind the tree. He held the gun with both hands. The gun was pointed at my forehead. He cocked the gun. I closed my eyes. If I died, I would die with dignity, especially because I let him do it. I heard him slowly pull the trigger. Soda, Darry, please forgive me.

The gun was empty. I remembered when he said the gun was just a trick to get Socs away. When he pulled it, he started crying, and I mean bawling. I didn't know what to do. I felt really bad, but I dint know what to do. I walked closer to him. "It's alright, Dally." I tried to calm him down. The sirens were here. I tried to hold him the way Soda did when Johnny-I nearly choked. "It's gonna be alright, Dally." I wasn't sure myself. It didn't feel like things were ever gonna be okay again.

I heard people running towards us. I took the money Dally dropped. The cops were here. It was about five or six guys with flashlights. Wow, that was a lot for one guy, but it was Dally. I slowly loosened my grip on Dally and went to the cops. Dally was still crying. It would support my story.

I didn't know how to approach this. I went towards the nicest looking cop. The cops looked almost as confused as I felt. They saw the toughest guy anyone would ever see crying. I'm not really sure what I looked like that night after all that went on but I must've looked awful. I was out of breath and I was pretty sure I was bleeding everywhere.

I nudged towards Dallas. "His little brother just died." I wasn't lying. As I spoke the words, I knew it was the truth. Dally cared for Johnny like Darry cares for me. "Could you please cut him some slack?" I asked as nicely as I could.

The police officers looked at him. They've seen him at the station before. He stole, he cheated, and he lied, and did just about every illegal thing in the book but never for a good reason. This was the only thing he did out of sorrow, not anger.

I put the money in one of the man's hands. "Here, can you give this back to the store?" I started walking back towards Dallas but I turned around to say one more thing. "Oh, and the gun, Dally probably threatened the store owner with, it's empty." I threw it to them.

They didn't say anything but I knew I had them on my side. I silently went back.

Dally looked at me. He stopped crying for a few seconds. I could have imagined what he would have gone and said if he wasn't like this. He would have nodded approvingly. He would have told me that I knew how to sweet talk my way out of problems with the fuzz and the next time, he'd commit a crime, he'd bring me along. We'd laugh. I tried to remember what my laugh sounded like. It wasn't more than a few hours ago I was budding off with the gang before the rumble.

I looked at Dally in front of me, crying. I heard voices behind me. I saw the world spinning. It was spinning faster and faster. The voices were getting louder and louder. Was that the sound of my guilt, my angst? Was this really happening? I almost smiled to myself. It was all a dream.

I welcomed unconsciousness as I knew I would wake up to a good time, a time where Mom and Dad were alive. Every day after their death felt like a dream. I hit the floor with a thud.

A/N Hey, I thought this was a good place to leave off. I'll try to make the next chapters longer if you want me to. I hoped you found as much emotions in reading this chapter as I did writing it. Love you all. Review please.