Thank you so much for the last chapter's reviews. It's really appreciated that you took the time to do that. Please keep the review coming, honestly, they're my inspiration and my assurance that you're enjoying this story. This chapter is kinda short, sorry, but please, please, please review. Anyway, enjoy =)

Johnny let out a short breath and swallowed hard. Who would want to shoot him? Johnny sat back in the chair but kept his stare on Ponyboy who had returned to looking down at the sheets. He played with the end of it as small tears made a faint line down his face. He was scared, probably more scared that he'd ever been.

"Pony," Johnny says then moved to the edge of the chair. "Who would want to shoot me? Why would they do that?" he questions, trying to stay as calm as he could. He tried to keep his voice steady and his tears at bay. He tried to keep strong, that's the least he could do for Ponyboy right now.

Pony didn't bother to even look up. He shrugged as if he didn't know the answer, but it was obvious that he knew. He knew who shot him, but he wasn't going to tell. Not if telling was going to get someone he cared about hurt. Ponyboy wiped his tears away and looked over at Johnny who at this point was running through names in his head, trying to think of anyone who would hate him and Pony that much that they'd want shoot them.

"Johnny. You gotta believe me. It's better if you don't know."

Johnny licks his lips and lets out a nervous deep breath. "How?"

Ponyboy shakes his head. "You trust me, don't you Johnny?" asks Pony, answering Johnny's question with a question.

Johnny looks away impatiently, getting aggravated that Pony was dancing around the main concern. He nodded, though. "Of course I trust you, Pony."

Pony stared straight at Johnny, letting him know that he was completely serious. "Then you gotta trust me when I tell you that I can't tell you. Johnny, I don't want no one else hurt. I wanna make sure everyone stays out of this. Just…just forget about it."

"Forget about it? How can I forget about it? How can Darry? Or Soda?"

"Johnny…," Pony began, but was cut off.

"Those guys left you for dead Ponyboy. No one shoots someone and expects them to stay alive. Do you understand what I'm telling you? Those people wanted you dead. Dead! And if I hadn't been there you would've been. And now you're telling me that these same people want to shoot me, too? And you won't tell me who shot you?!" Johnny's voice got louder and louder. He's usually not like this, but Pony was making him frustrated.

"Not just you Johnny. Darry and Soda,too. They'll hurt all of you." Pony explains.

Johnny sank back in his chair.

Both boys were silent, they looked at each other form the corner of their eyes, waiting to see which one would speak first.

"Who hates us that much?" Johnny said softly.

Pony looks away.

"It's complicated."

Johnny sighed.

"I don't understand," Johnny admits.

Just then, Soda and Darry walk back into the room.

"How ya doing?" Soda asks walking back over to Pony.

Ponyboy shrugs. "Okay, I guess."

"That's good," Darry chimes in. "Hey listen, Pony, the doctor said we gotta go, okay? They want you to rest. Me and Soda will be back in the morning. Okay?"

"Okay," Pony answers softly.

All three boys head for the door. When they were a safe distance for Pony's room, Darry finally spoke.

"He tell you who did it?"

Johnny sighs.

"No. He said he can't tell me."

Soda looks over at him with a confused look on his face.

"Did he tell you why?"

Johnny was quiet for a second of two. He was wondering if he should tell them the truth about what Pony said. Should he tell them that Pony's keeping quiet because whoever shot him will shoot them, too. Or should he just play dumb and tell them that he doesn't know. Soon, Johnny came to a decision. He knew that he shouldn't lie to Darry and Soda, especially when it was about Ponyboy.

"He said that if he told any of us who shot him, that they'll shoot you too," Johnny explain.

"Shoot who? Soda?" Darry asked anxiously.

Soda gave him a quick look then turned back to Johnny for the answer.

Johnny shrugged, "All of us, I guess."

Johnny seen both Darry's and Soda's eyes go big.

"But who would do that? I don't get it," Soda says to Darry.

Johnny shrugs. "I don't get it either. But that's what he said."

Darry sighs. "Maybe he's just scared. Maybe he's trying to protect us or something. He probably thinks that whoever shot him will shoot one of us, too. I don't think that we should think too much into that. He'll talk when he's ready," Darry concluded quickly.

Both Soda and Johnny shrugged, taking his word for it.

They exited the building and headed for the truck in the parking lot. Soda reached the car first, then Darry, then Johnny. On the passenger seat window there was a note. It was small. Just the size of a ripped off corner of a piece of paper. In the dark Soda couldn't read it, and the light from the streetlight wasn't good enough, so he stuck the paper in his pocked and entered the car, not thinking too much of the note on the window. No one else saw the note though.

After dropping Johnny off at home, Darry pulled up to the front of their house. They entered the house and took off their jackets.

"I'm goin' to bed," Soda say heading to his room, not even looking back at Darry. He was both physically and mentally tired, this was hard on him and Darry knew it. So without asking a question, Darry just nodded and said, " Goodnight."

When in his room Soda sat on his bed and took the note out of his pocket. He unfolded the small piece of paper. Soda reached over and turned on the light. He gasped when he read the sloppy red letters. It said :

'I'm coming for you next.'

Alright! So….Pony still won't tell, huh? Johnny's upset with Pony for not telling the truth and he's also scared out of his mind, Darry as to worry about both of his brothers and Johnny, and now Soda gets this note…. Everything is slowly unraveling into a whole bunch of trouble. =) hahaha

Anyway please review. Tell me who you think it is. Why would they shoot Pony? Do you think Pony's right for not telling? And Soda, what's gonna happen to him? ANYTHING! Please review.

I'll update again sometime shortly after Christmas.

( One more thing, go check out my other Outsiders stories. You might like them. Please review them too, if you decide to read them. Thank YOU!!!)