Chapter Seven
Home At Last and Surprises
(June's POV)
I was finally out of the hospital and free to go home as long as I relaxed for a few days. Dally drove back to the Curtis's house where the gang was waiting for us. I heard was sick a few days ago, but he's okay now. When we pulled into the driveway, I jumped out and was nearly tackled to the ground by Soda and Two-Bit.
"JUNE'S HOME!" Two-Bit screamed.
"Hey Two-Bit." He gave me a hug and spun me around. I laughed as he squeezed me harder. When he let me go I ran towards Soda. "Soda!" I hugged him.
"I'm so glad your home June." He said to me.
"I'm happy to be back." he let me go, and I saw Johnny. "Oh Johnny!" I hugged him and almost started crying.
"It's going to be June. Those two will never hurt you again or my parents because your not going to see them." I felt so safe in his arms and around the gang, even Dally. Tears spilled from my eyes, Johnny must've sense this because he began stroking my hair.
"Let's go inside guys." Soda said and I walked in with Johnny's arm wrapped around my shoulders. In the living room were Darry, Dally(he magically appeared there), Steve, and Ponyboy were sitting in the living room. Darry walked over and gave me a hug.
"Good to have you home kiddo. It's great that you're okay." He smiled at me.
"Thanks Darry! Hey Pony!" I walked over to him and gave him a hug.
"Great to have you back. We were all worried." I let him go.
"Ha-ham thanks Pony. Steve, great to see you." He only nodded and looked away. Typical Steve Randle. Steve was never my favorite but we care for one another.
"CAKE TIME!" Two-Bit yelled. Honestly, I am so sick of cake! When Darry offered me a piece I just shook my head no.
"What's wrong?" Darry asked.
"I can't eat anymore cake. Too much sugar isn't good for anyone. I'm surprised I haven't gained weight." The entire living room burst into laughter. "What? Did I miss something?"
"Your hilarious June. You weigh like nothing and your worried about your weight!" Two-Bit said.
"Shut up Two-Bit! Before I beat the shit out of you!"
"Calm down kid. I was kidding!"
"Well than watch your mouth and I will be calm!" Threat was in my voice now.
"Damn girl. You can hold a grudge!" Dally said.
"Well, where I lived it was either that or die! So yeah I can."
"I know how ya feel. I grew up on the bad side of New York. I've been to West Orange many times and I know what your saying." Everyone began eating at chatting while I sat there just sipping my water. Soda and Darry began whispering to each other. Than Soda got up and went into the other room.
"Hey June, come over here." Darry said and I slowly got to sit next to him.
"Yeah Dar?" I asked but he didn't answer until Soda came back into the room.
"June, we wanted to give you a 'Welcome Home' present. This is the first thing." He handed me a small purple bag. I opened it and pulled out a little black box and it was about seven inches long. When I opened the box I picked up the small object that was inside it, my eyes went wide. How did they know I had always wanted one.
In my hand was a purple and blue handled switchblade. The background of the handle was purple and the metal part of the handle was blue. In bright white was a Chinese symbol, I think anyway. When I blade flicked open, it glistened brightly in the light.
"Well? What do you think?" Two-Bit asked.
"I-I." I was speechless, I did know what to say nor could I say anything. My eye's should've said it all and that the fact that my mouth was dropped with a smile creeping up.
"Oh my god! Thank you! I LOVE IT!" I practically screamed as Two-Bit sighed in relief.
"Damn girl. Gave me a heart attack there! I thought you hated it!"
"I was speechless, I've never had a knife before but I've always wanted one. Thank you guys so much! I couldn't stop smiling I was that happy.
"You're welcome June. Now! Time for your second present. Close your eye's and Darry cover up her ears." I couldn't see or hear anything. After a few minuets Darry uncovered my ears.
"Alright June, stand up but don't open. We're going to start walking slowly towards the door." Darry said and he lead me to the door and down the stairs. I felt my feet touch the grass.
"Are you ready for your second present!" Soda asked and I nodded. "Alright! On the count of three, open your eyes. One-Two-" Soda was cut off.
"46, 92, 33!" I heard Two-Bit shout.
"TWO-BIT!" Everyone screamed.
"What? I can't count!" He laughed.
"Lets try this again." Darry said.
"Okay…One-" Soda tried.
"RED, GREEN, PURPLE!" Two-Bit screamed.
"GODDAMN IT TWO-BIT! SOMEBODY TAPE HIS MOUTH SHUT BEFORE I MURDER HIS ASS!" Dally yelled.
"Come on Two-Shit's…Lets go inside." Steve dragged him off.
"Okay! One-Two-Three!" Soda yelled and I was finally able to open my eyes and I was even more shocked on what was in front of me.
"Sara!" I yelled and I gave her a hug and she hugged me back. 'I was not expecting this, whatsoever!' "Ryan!" we hugged him. I missed him so much, him and Sara both. I wanted to cry from happiness.
"So this is where you've been all these months? Sara asked.
"Yeah. I came here to find my long lost brother. Never thought that was a possibility until my parents told me sometime last year. How did you guys find me?" I asked.
"Well, we saw the entire thing with your parents on the news and caught Sodapop's name on the news and looked him up, called him and flew out here." Ryan explained. "Darry told us we could stay down here somewhere." I just realized that it was only us, Darry and Soda outside. I ran and hugged Darry.
"Thank you!" I said and he chuckled.
"Your welcome kiddo." I let go and we went inside. We walked inside and everyone was in a jumble of conversation.
"Hey guys! Guys!" I yelled but nobody heard me.
"EVERYONE BE QUIET!" Ryan screamed I laughed as half of the gang jumped and looked our way.
"Nice Ryan."
"Thank you."
"Guys, I want you to meet my best friends, Ryan and Julie. Guys this is Two-Bit, he's the one who constantly fucked up Soda's counting, Steve, Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny. Johnny's my brother. They both said hi. We all sat down, Ryan and Two-Bit were getting along real well, no surprise there. Sara and I went into the kitchen to talk.
"Sara, you haven't changed a bit! It's great to see you!"
"You haven't changed either. How have you been?" Just then Ryan came and sat down with us.
"Hey guys."
"I'm getting by, I guess. What about you two?"
"I've been okay. Wandering around West Orange." Ryan said.
"I wasn't so great. After you left it got pretty bad around the neighborhood. We didn't know where you went, June. For months we were all worried." Sara said with a frown.
"I'm sorry guys but you know what my life was like and how many times I was shot at and-" Ryan cut me off.
"You were shot at?"
"Yeah. My parents just hated me! My real parents live here and they hate me too. They hurt Johnny so that's why I live here with the Curtis's."
"How'd you get here?" Sara asked.
"Walked, which is why I was gone for so long. I had to get away, I couldn't take the beatings anymore. They can't hurt me anymore."
"How come?" Ryan asked.
"My dad was shot to death and my mom is in the cooler." They didn't speak. "What's the deal at home?" I asked.
"There was a huge rumble at home, weapons were used and Brad…June, Brad…he…died." Ryan said. Brad was dead, no he couldn't be dead. Tears were close to falling.
"W-What? No! He can't be dead!" I yelled. He couldn't be dead! Brad is to strong to die!
"June I was there in the fight with him. He got stabbed in the chest." Tears fell and I sprinted out the front door. I heard footsteps behind me. 'Please go! I want to be alone!' But they still didn't stop. I was at the lot by the time I stopped and fell to my knee's. Somebody kneeled down besides me. I looked down and cried.
"June are you okay?" Soda and Ryan were sitting by me.
"No!" I said. "Brad's gone and I didn't even get to say goodbye!" More tears fell down my face.
"Who's Brad?" Soda asked pulling my face to meet his eye's.
"H-He was my best friend, we were closer than you and Ponyboy. Brad was my brother." I cried more. "What the hell was the rumble about anyway?"
"Territory. After you left, they wanted your territory." Ryan said.
"Great! It's all my fault!" I yelled.
"Soda could you give us a few minuets?" Ryan asked and Soda left and waited by the end of the lot. I looked down trying to hide my tearful face. "June look at me please." I slowly looked at him, he wiped so tears away. "It's not you fault and don't you think for one minuet that it is. Please don't do this to yourself, I know how you get when your like this." He pulled me into a hug. "Brad's last words were to tell you that he loved you very much and he gave my this." He reached into his pockets and pulled out Brad's necklace.
"He really wanted you to have this." He put it around my neck and I held up cross, tears began to fall again. I continued to cry as Ryan pulled me into another hug. Soda came back and put his arms around me as well.
"You ready to go back?" Soda asked and I nodded and we began to walk home.
When we walked in the door, Johnny got up and wrapped his arms around me.
"Everything will be alright June. I promise you that." He said in my ear as the tears started to cease a little. We broke apart after a few minuets. The gang went back to watching TV, I just played with my knife in my hands observing it closely.
"Nice blade June." Sara said. "Finally got one, huh?" We smiled.
"Yeah, I'm so glad you guys could come down. It must've cost a fortune for two round trip tickets."
"Well we didn't get round trip tickets. We could only afford two one-way tickets." She said.
"Where will you two stay?" I said Soda and Darry worked looking at them.
"Soda and Darry worked everything out. Since Dally's old man moved out and left him with the house. Dally said we could stay there, get jobs and help pay the rent."
"What about the gang? Your families? They care about you."
"Well, we kind of just picked up and left after we called Soda and Darry." Ryan said.
"Call your parents though. They need to know that you guys are okay." I said.
"Can we use your phone?: Sara asked. I nodded and she went towards the kitchen.
"Ryan you too, go call your mom." I said.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Her and my step dad kicked me out/"
"Why'd they do that."
"Said I fought to much and since I wasn't doing well in school, they said I had to leave and I did." He looked down. I put my hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry. You have to be careful walking around the streets here." Ryan gave me a confused look. "Ryan, since you live on the east side of town now you are considered a greaser like the rest of us. You can't walk alone or otherwise you can get jumped by the Soc's which are snobby rich people."
"Don't worry about me, I can handle my own."
"When you say don't worry that makes me worry even more." I said looking at him.
"Crap! I forgot, sorry." He smiled though. Sara came back in.
"What did she say?" I asked.
"She's furious and wants me home. She's sending me money for a ticket. I don't want to leave."
"I'd come Sara but…this is my home now." I gave her a hug.
"I know. You have your brother here but what about home? The gang? If Ryan's here with you who will be the new leader? The groups just breaking apart."
"I guess she's right but I can't go back and Ryan doesn't have anywhere else to go. What do you think Ryan?" I looked at him.
"I can go back but where would I stay?" Ryan asked.
"That's I problem. Ryan I refuse for you to stay on the streets! You could get killed!" I said firmly.
He sighed. "Fine. I guess I'm staying her. I'm really sorry Sara." He apologized. "I don't really have a choice since June here won't let me sleep on the streets." He pretended to be angry.
"I care about you guys to much for anything bad to happen and I can't lose anyone else. One was more than enough."
"Alright kids it's time for you two to get going. I'll walk you over there. Rules: Keep the doors locked, nobody over, the only people who'll call is Two-Bit, Steve or here. There numbers are by the phone if you need them. Oh, one last thing, don't do anything that I'd do." He smirked and I laughed.
"Bye June." They both gave me a hug.
"Bye guys!" I said back.
"BYE!" Ryan yelled at me about halfway down the street and waved his hands in the air. I waved back and smiled.
"June you need to come in and eat." Darry said. "You haven't eaten all day." He sat me in the kitchen with the rest of the gang. They ate in loud clatter as I sat quietly ate. Of course they had chocolate cake!
"Don't you guys ever get sick of chocolate cake? I mean you eat it everyday!" They all gave me a look.
"HELL NO!" They all said together and went back to there food. Soda looked over at me.
"Why are you sick of it?" Soda asked.
"Yeah. That's another reason I turned it down before." I answered and he went back to his food. Slowly I poked at my food, after a few more mouthfuls of food I was full.
"June are you alright? You barley touched your food." Darry asked me.
"I'm just not so hungry. Can I be excused?"
"Sure, just leave your plate, I'm sure somebody will eat it." I nodded and went to my room and plopped my bed. Again I began to cry my eye's out.
"Why did you have to go Brad? I need you. You were my brother." I said through my tears. "You promised me, that you'd never leave me!" I yelled in a whisper. "I love you brad, you were my first brother and I miss you." After a few more hours of crying I finally fell asleep.
Finally finished this chapter! It's not my favorite chapter though, but I hope you enjoyed it. I based Ryan, Brad and Sara off of two of my friends, although Ryan and Brad aren't there real names. Sorry Megan….Bryan just didn't seem to fit instead of Brad's name. XD
Sorry for not updating for awhile, I've been busy and stressed so…I haven't had much time. What will happen to June? How will she cope with…depression? I'll update as soon as I can. Right now I have to go, I have to get to my first period class in a few. R&R.
