I'M BACK! OH MY GOD, I'M ALIVE!

I made a very similar announcement in my other story, TNUF XD I'm sorry for disappearing! I haven't updated in so long, and anyway, I want to still do this story. Just don't expect updates to come really fast :P

Well, here's chapter three!



"Hop the three-fifteen freight, to Windrixville. There's an abandoned church up on Jay Mountain." He paused to take a drag on his cigarette. "There's a pump in the back, so you don't have to worry about water. Buy a week's supply a food once you get there-this morning, before the story gets out, then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. I'll be up there as soon as I think it's clear." He gazed around the room, his eyes hard and thoughtful. "Man, I thought New York was the only place I could get mixed up in a murder rap…Jesus Christ…"

Dallas' words still rang through Johnny's head. He was walking through the grocery store now, pacing up and down the aisles, waiting for the cops to barge in, grab him, and run enough electricity through him to light up San Francisco. Every time he would near the front counter, the cashier would politely ask, "You need help finding anything?" and Johnny would nearly jump three feet into the air. He was a nervous-wreck, but knew he couldn't let Ponyboy see him like this. Poor kid was scared enough as it is. Johnny had to try and stay strong for him, even though he felt like sitting down and having a good cry.

He grabbed a few bags of bread and tossed it into his basket. Smokes, he thought, I won't be able to last a week without them. Quickly, he grabbed a pack…more like three…and tossed them in too. To add to the list, he grabbed some baloney, two candy bars, a pack of cards, a box of matches, and a copy of Gone With the Wind. Gosh, did he ever like that movie. He hated that Scarlett O'Hara though. He hated to admit it, but the first time he watched that movie, he had a slight crush on Melanie Wilkes, the sweet, pretty and simple girl who ended up marrying Ashley. Now that's a girl, he thought to himself. Too bad she wasn't around these parts…stop this fucking Soc and greaser thing with one hand tied behind her back.

Johnny finally worked up the nerve to approach the counter. He pushed the basket of food and goods towards the cashier, who started to put them in bags.

"Um, could you put that…in a box, please?"

The cashier gave him a smile. "No problem."

He looked around the store, smiling. He couldn't help but picture Two-Bit strolling in, stuffing this and that underneath his leather jacket before flirting with the other customers. Although, there wouldn't be much to flirt with. Besides Johnny, there was only two other people in the store.

Suddenly, a bottle caught his eye.

Peroxide…

He eyed the bottle anxiously, before walking over and grabbing the bottle, adding it with his other purchases.

I wonder what Ponyboy would look like blonde, he thought. He would've smirked if he hadn't remembered why they would be disguising themselves in the first place.

---

"Well," Johnny muttered weakly, "I guess we're disguised."

"I guess so," Ponyboy replied, running his hand through his new hair. His new grease-free, completely short, bleached blonde hair. Pony frowned, wishing he had drowned in the fountain.

"Oh, shoot, it's just hair."

"Shoot nothing!" Ponyboy snapped. "It took me a long time to get that hair just the way I wanted it. And besides, this just ain't us. It's like being in a Halloween costume we can't get out of."

"Well, we got to get used to it. We're in big trouble and it's our looks or us."

Ponyboy went silent. He tried to eat a candy bar, even though it didn't taste that good as it should have. "I'm still tired." Ponyboy knew he was whining, but he couldn't help it. All of this was happening too fast for him. To Johnny's surprise, Pony's eyes started to water and become red.

"I'm sorry I cut your hair Ponyboy," Johnny apologized softly.

"Oh, it ain't that," Pony replied through bites of chocolate. "I mean, not all of it. I don't know, I'm all mixed up." In frustration, Ponyboy threw the candy bar away.

Johnny shivered. He knew how Johnny felt. "I know, things have just been happening so fast…" He saw the sullen look on Pony's face, so he wrapped an arm around him and forced a smile. "You know, I was thinking, Two-Bit shoulda been in that store. He could've walked out with half that place, man."

Ponyboy, tears welled up in his green-gray eyes, smiled. "Yeah," he said, rubbing away the tears, "remember how he was wise-crackin' last night? Just last night we were walking Marcia and Cherry to Two-Bits'. Just last night we were lying in the lot, lookin' at the stars-"

That's as far he got. While he was talking, Johnny thought about what he did last night. Just last night he was thinking of showing a Soc's girl around his neighborhood. Just last night he had been kicked in the stomach by some Soc. Just last night he had killed a boy, not much older than he was. Johnny didn't want to think about what had happened. He didn't want to think of why he was hiding in a church, away from the gang. He just wanted Ponyboy to stop.

"Shut up about last night!" he shouted through clenched teeth. "I killed a kid last night! He couldn't have been anymore than seventeen or eighteen, and I killed him! How would you like to live with that, huh?" His voice started to rise in pitch, and he began to cry. "I didn't mean to…but they were drowning you…and I didn't know what to do."

Ponyboy sat beside him, hugging him close. Johnny couldn't help but sob into the crook of Ponyboy's neck. "There sure is a lot of blood in people," he murmured through sobs. Blood, he thought. I got blood on me I'll never be able to wash off…He suddenly felt like throwing up, so he stood up, pacing around the church, patting his pockets. Why, he wasn't really sure.

"What're we going to do?" Pony asked, and he started to bawl.

"This is all my fault for bringin' a thirteen year old kid along. You oughta go home, Ponyboy. The cops aren't after you! You didn't do nothin'!"

"No!" he shouted. "I'm fourteen! I've been fourteen for a month! And I'm in it as much as you are. I'll stop cryin'…"

Johnny was guilty for making Pony think like that. "Hey Pony, I didn't mean it like that." Johnny laid his head against Ponyboy's shoulder, relaxing. "Don't cry, Ponyboy. Don't cry."

Ponyboy never had the chance to reply though, because they both left their eyes close over and fell asleep.

---

It had been that morning when Marcia came down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had fixed her hair, but was still in her pajamas. She didn't feel like dressing up today, or even leaving the house. It was Sunday, a day she usually looked forward to. Right now, she wanted to knock herself out and sleep for the rest of the day, but for some reason, she couldn't fall asleep either. Just her luck.

"Well, if it isn't kids from here, it's those hoods," her father muttered, before looking up to meet Marcia's gaze. "Hello there, Sweet-pea."

"Morning, Dad." She leaned down and kissed his cheek, before stealing a bite of his bagel. "What were you talking about?"

"You know that boy you talk to in school? Joseph's son, Robert?"

She rolled her eyes. Everyone but the adults called Robert Sheldon "Bob." Apparently, the adults never caught on. "Yeah, what about him?"

Her father fiddled with his shirt collar, looking at her nervously. "I don't know how to say this Marcia, but he's dead."

Marcia immediately gagged, running over to the garbage can and spitting out the rest of the bagel that was in her mouth. She turned back slowly to her father, not bothering to wipe off the spit off her chin. "He's…what?"

"He's dead." His voice was frank, but bitter. "He was stabbed the night before last. Only got the story out this morning."

Even though she knew it was rude, she ran over, ripped the newspaper out of his hands and read the article. It talked about how he was found in the park far-east, and that his friends claimed witnessed to the whole thing, including Randy. They said that Bob was murdered by two greasers, one with tan skin and black hair, and the other with light skin, and light-brown hair.

That's when her heart stopped beating. She knew those boys. It even had their names written in clear, black print.

Ponyboy M. Curtis and Johnny Cade…out of town…suspected to be heading west, to Texas…charges may be laid…

"No," she said, "they're wrong. They got to be. I met those boys. They couldn't have killed him!" Her throat started to burn as she shouted, "They couldn't have kill anyone!"

"You know these boys?" her father asked. She wanted to slug him. Hadn't he heard what she said?

"Yes, I met them at the movies, me and Cherry." She ran her hand through her hair as she started to cry. "This is all so confusing…Bob's dead…"

Her mother ran over and gave her a comforting hug. "Now sweetie, it'll be all right. Just sit down, and if we hear of something, we'll let you know."

Is that suppose to comfort me? Marcia continued to cry anyways. She didn't stay for breakfast. Her stomach couldn't handle it. Instead, she snuggled up in her bed, the door shut tight and locked. She just wanted to be by herself and have a good cry. Just to let it all out without her parents fussing.

Cherry, does she know? How can she handle this when I can't? Bob was her boyfriend, wasn't he? She would call Cherry later, but not now. She was too upset. She knew she had to though. Cherry needed a shoulder to cry on. Yet, she was angry at Cherry. The way she would eye boys even when she was dating Bob. They had been going on and off, but Bob really loved Cherry. He truly did. Marcia knew many things Cherry never realized. And to think Cherry was suppose to be the deep one…

It had been a year before. A dance was being held at their high school, and Marcia had entered the door, looking around for Cherry. Cherry had gone with Bob, so Marcia made her way to the dance by herself. She had wanted to go with Randy, but she was much too shy to ask him. Unbeknownst to her, Randy was too shy to ask her.

The gymnasium was lit up with clear twinkling lights. A disco ball hung in the middle of the dance floor, flashing dots of light everywhere. Greasers hung around the corners and the punch table. Socs stuck to the middle of the floor or near the stage where the band played music. Middle-class, well, they were free to be anywhere they wanted.

A slow song came on, and couples rushed to dance to the beat. She sat herself down in a chair, disappointed that she didn't have a date. To her surprise, she noticed Bob leaning against the wall a few feet away from her, a scowl on his handsome face.

Marcia hurried towards him, her plain, yellow summer dress whirling around her knees. When she tapped his shoulder, he jumped. "Oh, hi Marcia."

"Hey there, why aren't you dancing with Cherry?"

He jerked a thumb towards a pair slow dancing in the crowd. "She's dancing with that David guy."

She squinted at the pair and realized it was in fact Cherry and David. "Oh, Bob, I'm sure she just-"

"Yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes. "Don't bother feed me that bull."

Marcia looked towards Cherry and felt a flare of anger run through her. Cherry may be her best friend, but that doesn't mean she couldn't excuse her behavior. "I know you know."

"Could you be any less confusing?"

"Could you be any less pathetic?"

"Me?" He stared at her aghast. "Me, pathetic? I'm not the one who came here without a date!"

"I'm not the one who just got ditched by their date, and got picked up by another girl."

Bob cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Marcia grabbed his wrist and tugged him onto the dance floor, while saying, "You're dancing with me Bob, whether you like it or not."

"Oh, come on baby, you know I like it."

"Shut up and dance, before I shove you onto Cherry."

He placed his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They didn't do anything spectacular, no flips or cartwheels. They just twirled slowly in circles, staring into each other's eyes.

Bob gave Marcia a grin, cocky as ever. "Thanks for dancing with me."

"I couldn't leave you by yourself," Marcia replied, "what are friends for?"

Just as the song ended, Bob dipped her, before the crowd faced the stage and applauded.

"My lady," said Bob, kissing Marcia's hand.

"I think you're turning soft," Marcia told him in a teasing voice.

"Maybe I am," he said, "maybe I am."

She couldn't help but smile. She had always thought of Bob as her friend, a fond one at that. Until he started to change. He became more aggressive, more reckless, more mean and tough. He was still Bob, the handsome Soc who loved to laugh and have a good time, but he wasn't the same.

Marcia closed her eyes and felt her shoulders shake with anger and frustration. Bob…he had been so hateful sometimes. She remembered driving by him once, seeing him swivel and stumble down the street with a few of his friends, all of them pumped with alcohol. Marcia could remember Bob's face in the moonlight…how her eyes widened with anxiousness. He looked so defiant, so evil-spirited. His eyes looked hollow and dark. He had a wise smirk upon his face and he rubbed his golden rings with his knuckles thoughtfully, as if he was planning to do something.

That was why, at the Nightly Double, she was furious to see Randy and Bob in such a state. She wanted to kick him in the shin, and walk home with the sober boys they had met. That was why, when she had seen Dallas Winston with that same knowing smirk, she ignored his existence. She didn't like seeing that face…on any boy, greaser or Soc.

Marcia walked over to her windowsill and let her head lie on top of her crossed arms. A cold breeze tossed her hair back, making her cloudy eyes sting with salty tears.

It was only last night that I wished I would never see Bob Sheldon's face again…

She thought of Bob in junior-year, the way he went out for all the sports, his great smile, and deep eyes that she always seem to find pride in. His face looked…normal, like how a kid's face was suppose to be. He was just happy.

this morning, I got my wish…


I hope this chapter turned out okay :) Read and review!

-Kendell