The Unshed Tears

Chapter 10

Soda POV

Shit. Does he just stalk his sister? And who are all these other guys...Shit...Is he really some Gang leader? I bet he could kill me..I wonder how many guys he's already killed over his sister..

Some guy helped Amy up off the ground, and she was speechless...She looked around at all of them, then back at Jim who was about to kill me.

He pulled me away from the wall then slammed me back into it. "STOP STARING AT MY FUCKING SISTER!" He yelled. That knocked the wind out of me. That's a sickening feeling..it's like you don't know when you'll get your next breath, or if you'll get one. I gasped in some air, before he slammed me into the wall again.

"Do we understand each other?" he said in a low voice. I didn't want to back down to this guy, cause I didn't want him to think he could scare me "No I don't...You're harassing when in fact She came onto me!"

He threw me down pretty fast... I got really dizzy for some reason, and then I felt his fist slam into the middle of my back. I was sprawled out on my stomach. Kinda gasping for breath. That hurt...it felt like he'd throw my back out of place.

Amy screamed at him.. "Jim! STOP IT NOW! It's my fault! I'm the one who sat in his lap! Would you leave him alone?" Jim just glared "He provoked you I'm sure. Reggie, put her in the car, and get her to shut up." he ordered.

I didn't like that. And pulled myself up off the floor. I seen the guy go to grab her arm, but she just jerked away "Don't touch me!"

I turned and face him "Listen...let's just talk? Sound good? I'll grab us some cokes, and we'll talk." He glared "What's to talk about! I want you to stay away from my sister!"

"You're sheltering her! Do you even ask her about how she feels? She says you're suffocating her!" I snapped. He tried to punch me, but I dodged it. "Tell him Amy!" I told her.

She looked at me unsure, then looked at Jim who'd turned to her. "Well? You got something to say to me?" he snapped at her. She got quiet, and looked at the ground. Come on Amy...don't make me a liar...

He walked over getting right in her face "Well? What is it?" She bit her lip "Nothing ok! You're just trying to protect me remember!" She snapped, then ran off crying. Jim sighed "Reggie go." the guy turned and followed her.

Jim walked over to me. "You..my friend...just became a liar..." I sighed, not sure what else I could do. Before I knew it two guys were holding me against the building, while he started punching me.

I guess I'd started yelling. I don't remember telling myself too. All I know is Steve came out, cussing, saying that he had called the cops, and they left. He helped me inside, and told me it was just a bluff.

I sighed, feeling sick and dizzy, and just curled up behind the counter passing out. I felt sick, and hurt, and like I'd just lost everything.

Steve shook me at closing time. "Come on Buddy...let's get you home." He helped me up and to his car. Taking me home. He told Darry he'd explain, and put me in bed. I was glad for that. And I was really glad he'd talk to Darry. I didn't feel up to getting chewed out right now.

Pony POV

I feel sick. I can't move. I really can't. I think...I'm gonna die. Just...keel over. Really. I-I don't know what's wrong. The doctor told me. But I can't remember. I've got to get a nurse to sit down and write a letter out for me.

I can't hardly breath. And I'm cold...so cold...I f-feel sick. I need to sleep...No...don't sleep...don't sleep...You might not wake up...and then you can't tell Soda and Darry.

And you know the state won't tell them. You know they don't care. They won't tell them. They won't know until I never come home... Will they care? I hope not. I don't want them hurt.

I gotta stay awake...Just a little bit longer. A nurse should come in to check on me soon. Just focus on the clock. Count...try to remember your address. Just think. If you think, You don't sleep.

Amy POV

I ran off crying. I'd screwed up again. Soda was looking at me to tell him the truth, and I let him down, and I let myself down. How is Jim ever gonna take me seriously if I can't even stand up to him?

I heard someone running behind me...and soon a couple of strong arms grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. I cried into Reggie's chest. And it felt like the good ole days.

When we were back home, and I always had the gang on my side. I always had Reggie.. Good ole Reggie. He's the only guy that Jim ever really trusted. And with that trust he earned me.

He was my only boyfriend. The only guy that Jim could put up with. All the old memories with Reggie came back to me as he held me close. His scent was intoxicating...

He chuckled deeply, holding me close "I missed you.." I smiled "I missed you too...what are you guys doing here?" He picked my chin up "What's a gang without it's leader? Things were getting boring back home without you guys."

I smiled "I knew you couldn't stay away." he grinned, rubbing my back softly. Trying to calm me down. I was still a little shaky from crying.

He smiled "You didn't change a bit." he said. I smiled "Neither did you..." Before I knew it, I felt him kissing me...holding me close...and there wasn't anything I could do...because I enjoyed it...

We'd only broken up for a couple reasons. One was because I was moving here...but he didn't know why I wasn't so sad about leaving him.. He has a tendency to get rough...we've never went all the way or anything...but he's defiantly touched me in ways I didn't necessarily like...

Soda POV

I went to work the next day. I had several bruises. And I think my ribs may be busted up pretty good. But I don't care. Why did she run off? Why couldn't she tell him...

Darry didn't say anything to me. I offered to work on cars. I had wore my old jeans, and one of my oil stained shirts. I didn't feel real good, so I just ran a comb through my hair. I didn't bother greasing it up.

Steve noticed, and asked me if everything was alright, and I just told him I wasn't feeling so hot after having the shit beat out of me yesterday.

He let it go, and I worked on a car all day. Amy didn't visit. Evie came by to see Steve...and I was kinda hurt to see that Amy hadn't tagged along. Maybe she was avoiding me.

I went home that night, and slept...Tomorrow was suppose to be our date. But I don't know if she'll still want to go with me..

Darry got me up to eat dinner, then I went back to sleep. I didn't feel well...and I was worried about Pony. But I guess that was more because it was something to think about besides Amy.

The next day, I went back to working on the car. I was underneath it, on a little rolling board. "Sodapop?" I heard Amy ask... "That's me." I answered. Still working under the car.

I glanced over, seeing her standing next to the car "Can we talk for a second.." I seen someone in jeans, and some black shoes, and figured it was Steve.

I rolled out, and glared at the guy standing next to her. I think Jim called him Reggie...I can't remember. Amy introduced us, but I didn't move to shake his hand anytime.

Amy bent down "Did Jim do that?" she asked looking at the bruises across my face. "Yea..he did." I said simply. She looked sad, but at the moment I wasn't feeling too forgiving. Why did she just run out on me? "I'm sorry Soda...I didn't think–"

I shook my head "You didn't huh? Why didn't you tell him? Huh?" She looked at me saddly "I freaked okay? I didn't know what to say. How am I suppose to look at my brother, and tell him to back off and leave me alone when all he's trying to do it protect me?"

I stared across the garage. Then laid back down, getting under the car, going back to work. "Soda...don't do this...come talk to me."

I shook my head even though she couldn't see me. "What's to talk about. I mean...How am I suppose to tell you that I feel like you let me down, and that I don't know if you really care about me anymore? When all I wanted to do was to make you happy."

She got quiet. I hope she's happy. She'll never really know how much she's hurt me. "Fine Soda. Don't bother picking me up for the movies tonight. I won't be there." she said, sounding upset. Then I could hear the click of her shoes as she hurried out of the garage with Reggie following.

That hurt a lot. But I pushed it to the back of my mind, and focused on every turn of the wrench, every click of the socket wrench, and every bang of the hammer against the metal, as I slowly fixed up the beat up car.

When I got home that night, I checked the mail, and didn't know whether to be worried, or happy to receive a letter from a hospital in California.

I opened it up, walking inside. I stopped in the door way as I started reading the letter that wasn't in Pony's handwriting. It was too pretty to be his...

Dear Sodapop And Darry Curtis,

I'm sending this letter in regards of Ponyboy Michael Curtis.

He's asked me to write this for him. And the rest is from his own words.

I love you guys. Don't ever forget that. Something's gone wrong.

I knew it would. They wouldn't listen. I can't breath, and everything

seems to be weighing down on me. I can't move, which is why I'm

having the nurse write this letter for me. I hope it gets to you

alright. Something about an infection where the bullet went in.

I can't remember, and the nurse says she'll attach a notice as to

what's wrong. It'll need surgery, and they don't know if it'll work.

I feel sick just thinking about it. I'm gonna miss you guys if I don't

make it. I hope you'll remember me in a good way. Not like I left.

I hate myself for ever turning into that. And I really wanted

a chance to fix it. But I guess I might not get that chance.

If I do...promise you won't let me go back to that. Don't let me.

I can't stress how much you guys mean to me. And I love you.

And I know you wouldn't want me to die without saying

goodbye. But..I know that you both love me, and care about me.

And I know you're both worried. And I hope you'll understand.

I love you,

Ponyboy Michael Curtis

The signature was shaky, and I could hardly read it. But I knew what it said. He'd signed it. And it looks like it had been difficult for him. I wanted so bad to fall to my knees, and bawl, but I had to figure this out.

I looked at the other piece of paper attached that had a bunch of big words, saying what was wrong with him. But I couldn't for the life of me understand what it said.

I wanted to cry... I wanted to curl up in a corner and die. So I went to my room and bawled my eyes out into my pillow.

I felt someone's hand on my back, and I knew Darry had come home. He sat there with me for a long time while I cried. I felt kinda bad cause he should be crying too.

So once I had the energy, I set up and gave him the letter "I-I can't read the doctor's report...what does it mean?" I asked shakily once he was finished with Pony's letter.

He looked torn, and I knew he'd been bawling next to me in a minute. But he held himself together long enough to read the doctor's report.

"It...it says...that he's got blood poisoning..." he said shakily. I bit my lip "But what does that mean? I don't understand any of that!"

Darry sighed shakily "They'll have to do this process where t-they slowly take out chunks of his blood, and replace it with clean blood...and they'll have to keep doing this until all the blood is replaced.."

I fidgeted around a bit. "B-but how long will that take?" "It could take several weeks...to months...and sometimes years I think. C-cause they've got so many complications to worry about...he might react differently to the new blood in his system. There's no telling what could happen."

Soon he broke down...which made me break down. We cried all night. He passed out before I did. And the next morning, nothing was said as he went to work.

I went to work, just because I feel like I could do something drastic if I wasn't at the garage or somewhere where people–namely Steve– were watching me...

Amy didn't come by. And for some reason Evie and Steve kept talking in hushed voices. I just stared at the counter. I had to work the register since I'd gotten the car finished. It was a slow day, and I slowly got more and more depressed as the hours inched by.