Here is another chapter!

Life was harsh in some ways, but it taught us either to be strong and persevere or let it overcome us. My father was smiling at me over his morning cup of coffee, "Liz, soon we need to know who the father is. If we need to contact our lawyer to keep our grandchild we must do it early," it was heartwarming to see he cared.

"Daddy, he doesn't know it isn't easy to tell him. I know he will want us together to raise our child, I am going to tell him today and by tonight you all will know," I was pushing the eggs away and my mother just made the plate vanish and replaced it with fruit, now that was groovy.

"Thank you, eggs taste horrid now," my brother was angry with me, and hasn't spoken to me but my parents said he would get over it. Peggy was coming home tomorrow she has been in upstate New York for the past week visiting with her Nana.

I need to do this if his reaction was bad it happens, and I overcome it and move on. It had been two months since our break up he still calls nightly trying but in the end, it was his involvement with Lawson that was keeping us apart.

I stand my clothes different now, I was hiding the small round bump now but it was our child and I was still doing everything in my power to finish school and make a life for us. "Going for a walk," it was nearly four in the afternoon and by nightfall, he would call and I would tell him regardless of consequences.

They waved me on as they were leaving for the Country Club for some adult fun. With each stride, my mind became more clear, more resolute, as if the growing physical distance between everything had now become an emotional chasm. As the nascent sunlight caressed my skin, promising new dawn, a new beginning, I entombed memories in thick walled ice. Then, abruptly pausing to close my eyes and take in a deep breath of dewy air, steeling myself to only think of our future from here on in. A future I would mold, build, direct. Then with each stride after that, I felt more in charge, in command of my own mind, body, and soul. Now I was a girl walking into my own destiny, a destiny that lay squarely in my own hands.

I didn't know where my feet carried me until I glanced up seeing Lawson's ditzy car, it was in the train tunnel which was beyond stupid. I walked faster hearing a child's cry, my eyes peeked around the cement wall seeing Lawson holding Wayne while his brother was flat against the wall. Muller was watching but with horror, Vinnie was laughing but his eyes say much more he wasn't happy.

His voice, "Come on Lawson, lets split. We could be doing something better than picking on some kid," but Lawson just snarled.

"No one hits me and lives," his voice was sinister, and the small click of the switchblade was heard. I couldn't just stand here; Vinnie was trying to get Lawson to stop this insanity.

I snapped, "You let him loose, Lawson," I could do nothing to them but Vinnie would never stand around and watch him do anything and my guess was Muller would stand with him.

"Look who it is fellas, the Winter Queen herself," he dropped Wayne but blood was already pooling as Jimmy just rushed to his brother pulling him off the tracks. I stood my ground but North was pleased as punch Lawson was walking towards me, I wasn't scared.

I retorted, "Still picking on those smaller than you, guess you put as much dick into your terrible personality to compensate for what's lacking between your legs," one thing he liked was a girl who could stand on her own.

He smiled, "See now only if you weren't a square you be my girl,"

"Never not even if I would lower myself to be one off you, you never stood a chance with me. I will always be too good for you," I thought I heard the faint whistle of the train coming, but if needed I could grab Jimmy and run for it.

Lawson wasn't smiling anymore, I heard it again the train was coming. North smiled coming a foot closer. "How about you give me some sugar,"

"No, I don't think so you disgusting pig," not like any of these Greasers noticed but I moved back every time they advanced a fraction closer. I could hear Jimmy sobbing and Wayne whispering telling me I was close enough. Looking down Wayne was no longer moving and Jimmy was just dry heaving, I reached down pulling him up "Come on Jimmy," making my voice softer pulling him to me nestling him into my side.

He wrapped his arms around me, I looked at the four men two looking worried. My jacket had fallen off while getting Jimmy, my small round belly was showing enough as Lawson laughed. "Pregnant, guess the beauty queen can get dirty," Vinnie was normally very pale but now it was like he was translucent.

"Make your choice," Vinnie moved a step to me when the loud whistle of the train blared it was coming as my eyes swept the ground seeing the red rabbit's foot. Like I wasn't round with pregnancy, I moved to snatch it from the gravel before I chucked it as far as I could.

"Have fun assholes,"

Lawson came towards me but Vinnie tossed him to the ground, "GET OUT OF HERE," his voice panicked as Muller socked North then it was a mad scramble to find the keys. But that was the last I heard as I ran dragging Jimmy with me, just dragging him both sobbing and running until we saw a lone officer.

"The train it hit Lawson's car, his brother Wayne was killed," he calls it in before bundling us both into his car.

I sit in my room crying when Mr. Vincent walked in, "I am sorry my dear, Vinnie. He passed in the wreck," his own pain was so clear as my mother wrapped me in her arms, her words only for me to hear. "He was never just your friend, was he? He was your heart,"

He was and now he was gone.

Muller escaped the car and North he was a mess when he stood outside the school a week after the funeral. I walked up to him, "He was going to leave the gang, he and I both. At first it was the trill that got us and then the fun but in the end, we both fell in love with girls we never should have,"

"Love is the most powerful emotion, live your life this is your chance to overcome the life you used to live. Vinnie was my everything and now he is gone and will not see our child grow," Loss is the side of loving they never warn you of... that should you lose your lover your heart is buried with them. When the dirt hits the wood, it buries your soul too. There is no coming back, and so the world becomes as if made of shadows and every breath feels hollow in the chest.

Time marched on like a diligent soldier.