My Best Friend

I swung open the screen door of my house and bolted to my room, slamming the door behind me and collapsing onto my bed. I burried my head into my pillow and began to sob. The fact that the pillow had Two-Bit's scent on it made matters even worse, and I cried out loud. I heard knocking on my door.

"Not now mom," I managed to say, my voice raspy.

"Honey, someone's here to see you," she said. She sounded worried.

Two-Bit? I wondered. I hoped.

"Come in," I said.

To my dismay, it was not Two-Bit, but instead it was Ponyboy and Johnny standing in my doorway. They walked in, hesitantly. They weren't sure how I would react.

"Rose, are… are you alright?" Pony asked, stepping closer.

"Not really, Pony, not really," I rubbed my eyes and wiped my wet cheeks. Both of the boys sat down on either side of me, Johnny placing a concelling hand on top of my own. "Why did he have to act like that? Why did he have to humiliate me infront of everyone?"

"Aw Mary, you know how he is… All he did was make an ass out of himself by the way he treated you," Johnny said lowly.

"I knew it would be a mistake. I knew I never shoulda told him. I shoulda kept it to myself. I messed everything up so bad."

"Don't you say that," Pony said sternly. "You did nothing wrong by telling Two-Bit how you felt. Heck, that took a lot of courage to come out and say. What you did was brave and true. Don't you let anyone make you feel wrong for doing what's right in your heart."

I pulled both Pony and Johnny into a tight hug and whispered, "Thank you."