Author note: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! And just to note for qwerty, I know Ponyboy usually doesn't cuss, the only time I had him cuss is when he's really mad, like when he knew that Riley's dad was hurting her and he hung up on him…it made him very mad. That's the only time I have Ponyboy cuss.
This chapter is very short, so I will be posting the next chapter right after this one. It's a cliffhanger. I'm going to be getting some medical test done, so I can't promise when the next chapter (chapter 13 it would be) will be posted (I should be fine, don't worry). I just wanted to make sure I let you guys knows that.
FYI: This chapter gets a bit graphic
Riley:
It was odd…to say the least. Earl left. When I finally convinced the boys to let me go back home, he wasn't there. He didn't show up all night or the next day. I don't know where he went, but I figured he must have found a girlfriend or something and was playing around with her. So I kept the place up, got a job as a waitress at the diner down the road and was able to make enough to keep the bills paid. I got free meals at the diner so there was no need to keep food in the place. Besides, even though Earl was gone, I still spent a lot of time with the guys.
Everything just felt so right and so perfect. I felt welcomed into the family and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. Ponyboy and I would spend our weekdays at school, at night I'd work the diner and he'd come visit me on my breaks. On the weekends I would work the morning shift, then spend the rest of the day with Ponyboy. We would have fun no matter what! We could sit on the couch all day, barely watching tv and bullshitting, or run around town doing whatever we could find to do. I loved being with Ponyboy…I loved Ponyboy.
Memorial weekend, all of us drove to the beach. I packed sandwiches and figured out how to make potatoe salad, it was like one of those cheesy family things…but I couldn't of been more excited. Ponyboy's eyes got so wide when he saw me in my bikini and we both blushed. We spent almost the whole day in the water, splashing around and dunking each other under the water. Towards the end the guys found it funny to pick me up and throw me like a rag doll in the water, I couldn't help, but laugh the whole time. The whole day was so perfect; I didn't want it to end.
But of course, all good things must come to an end, but we were going trying to stop it the best we could. We decided to go to the drive-inn. My clothes had gotten soaked at the beach, so we had to stop at my place first before we could head to the movies.
As I climbed out of the car, Ponyboy grabbed my hand and started to climb out too. "I'll go with you."
"No you don't Buddy!" Darry said, glaring at him.
I glanced at Darry and laughed, then turned back to Ponyboy and smiled. "If I'm not back in two minutes, avenge my death." I gave him a kiss on the forehead and ran inside.
When I walked into the house, everything looked fine in the living room. I set my bag of wet clothes and made my way to the bedroom, but halted in the hallway entrance. There sitting at the kitchen table, was Earl.
He just sat there. He didn't move when he was me. My heart began to race and I debated on what to do…if I screamed the guys would hear me and come in, but if they hit Earl, he would call the cops on them. I was trapped. I just stood there, staring at him, barely breathing and praying that he would get up and leave.
Finally, he coughed…it sounded more like a growl and looked up at me. "Been having fun without me?"
I didn't reply. What do you say to that? I kept debating on running, or screaming, or just staying there. Staying there won…only because I was too afraid to breathe, let alone move.
He sat there staring at me and I watched as his eyes went from dark, to twisted. I can't explain the look in his demented look that suddenly came across his face. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed a beer bottle and threw it right at me. I leapt onto the floor, cramming my body between the doorway of the kitchen and the fridge. It crashed right above my head and brown tints of glass rained over me. I kept my face tucked under my arm, so I didn't see him come at me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the middle of the kitchen.
"Scream you idiot!" My head was yelling at me, but I was so stunned, I couldn't comprehend what was happen. "Scream!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He yelled at me, he stood over top of me. I couldn't help, but cry out and coward down onto the floor, as if I could disappear into the floor.
That didn't help; he picked me up by my shirt and began to shake me. He held me right in front of his face and on his breath I could smell liquor and cigarettes. His eyes were glowing with a blaze of madness, as he yelled at me, calling me every name he could think of. Telling me I was worthless and a whore and how could he have ever gotten a dumb girl like me.
I made a mistake and I let him get to me. I started to struggle and I swear I began to scream. When I couldn't get free and when no one came in to rescue me, I began to cry and beg with him. "Let me go dad…. I'm sorry…please let me go…."
Last thing I remember him saying was "fuck you." Last thing I remember seeing, was fire lighting in his eyes, as he threw me back. I fell backwards and hit my temple against the kitchen counter and everything went black.