Chapter Three

A while later she felt the ground moving. "What?" she asked trying to sit up, but her head throbbed so much she just laid it back down. "It's just me Bobby," Pony whispered.

"Ponyboy," she said, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You look terrible though. That guy had a lot of nerve to hit you like that."

She felt his body shivering. "Are you cold?" she asked.

"Yeah."

A few seconds later Bobby sat up. Her head still hurt but it was starting to feel better. Pony was watching her. "If I ever get a hold of that guy who punched you he'll never jump anyone again." he hissed.

Bobby smiled and hugged him. "What's wrong Johnny?" Pony asked.

Bobby's eyes snapped open and the stench of blood filled her nostrils again. Her stomach turned and she squeezed her eyes shut again and hugged Ponyboy tighter. She heard Johnny and Pony talk for a second before Pony shoved her off of him and ran off to the swings. She heard him retching and the sound of vomit splattering on the ground. She tried to ignore it and hold back her popcorn from the movies. She got up and walked over to Pony. Johnny followed her. "You really did kill him, huh, Johnny." he choked out. He looked like he was close to tears.

"I had too," Johnny said, kneeling down on the ground and pulling up dirt and grass absently, "They was drowning you. And they were gonna beat me and Bobby to death."

He wiped the switchblade on the grass to clean of the blood. Bobby sat down next to Pony. "What are we going to do?" she whispered.

They all looked at each other and she knew they were thinking the same thing. Dally.

They all ran to Buck Merrill's house. Dally said that Buck was having a party and that was where he was going to be. They knocked on the door and a few seconds later Buck opened it. "What?" he asked.

"We need to talk to Dally." Johnny said. Pony and Bobby were standing together shivering. They had their arms around each other but Pony was still soaking wet and that made them both even colder.

"Dally's busy right now." Buck said. He sounded drunk.

"Just tell him it's Johnny, Ponyboy and Bobby he'll come!"

Johnny shouted.

Buck closed the door. The trio walked over to one of the windows and went to see what Buck was doing. He walked back into some room they couldn't see and came back out with Dally. They rushed back over to the door just as it opened. "What is it?" he asked.

"Johnny killed a Soc." Pony said.

"Alright good for you." Dally said flatly.

"Look, man I'm sorry we got you away from this party," Johnny said, "but we need you to help us get out of this."

Dally saw that they were all really scared and he looked around at the party. "Okay come with me." he said.

They followed him into the house and back into Buck's bedroom. "Pony are you wet?" Dally asked.

Ponyboy nodded. "Take that shirt off," Dally scolded, "You'll catch pneumonia before the cops get you."

Pony pulled the wet shirt off and Dally tossed him a towel. Dally rummaged around in the drawers and threw Pony a dry shirt. Then he pulled out a gun and loaded it. "Here," he said handing it to Johnny, "Don't point it at me it's loaded. Here is fifty bucks. Look I'm not itchin' to be the one to tell your brother about this and get my head kicked in."

"Then don't tell him." Pony muttered.

Dally sat down on the bed and gestured for them to lean in closer. "Get the 3:15 train to Windrixville. It's a freight. There's an abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. There is a pump in the back so you don't have to worry about water." He lit a weed before he continued, "Get a week's supply of food, as soon as you get there, this morning before the story get's out. And then don't so much as stick your noses out the door. Am I clear?"

They all nodded. He sighed. "I'll be up there as soon as I think everything is cool. Relax."

He patted Johnny on the back. The poor kid was still shaking. "Man," Dally said, "I thought New York was the only place I would get caught up in a murder wrap."

He handed Pony his leather jacket and they walked back through the house and out the door. "Take care of yourselves." Dally said, "Good luck."

They walked back to the lot before Pony stopped. "What's wrong?" asked Bobby.

Pony looked at her sadly. "You can't come with us." he said.

She was silent. "Why not?" she finally asked.

"Because I don't want you to get in trouble from this too." He looked like he wanted to say anything else rather than what he was saying right now.

"Don't be a hero Pony," Bobby said, "I'm in this just as much as you are."

"No you ain't. Johnny killed that guy because he was drowning me. That means I am part of the problem. You aren't."

Bobby's face paled. "I'm sorry," Pony said miserably, "I couldn't bare it if you got in trouble for my stupid move."

Bobby looked like she was on the verge of tears. But she blinked rapidly. "Well if that's what you think is right." she whispered.

She turned to walk away but Ponyboy turned her around and wrapped her in a tight hug. Johnny mumbled something about getting a head start and walked of a ways to give them some privacy. Pony rubbed Bobby's back. "I love you." he whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." she mumbled into his chest.

He kissed her and jogged over to Johnny. Bobby stood, frozen in place, until they were gone from view.