Finally, sorry about the long wait. I've been busier than usual.
Know it's time for me to get to one of the chapters I'm rewriting. I definitely prefer this version of the chapter. In someways I'd say it changed a little and in others a lot. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's the only way I can describe the change.
I do not own The Outsiders.
A sigh slipped from between Andromeda's lips. She sat at her desk, cheek in her palm as she pushed a back sheet of lined paper around on her desk. She was supposed to be working, but couldn't work up the energy to pick up her pencil and work. She was having one of her 'off days'. Thankfully, they weren't as frequent as they used to be back when she was in California, but every once in a while, one would creep up on her.
Andromeda's lips twisted in the direction of what was supposed to be a smile, the concert the day before had gone so wonderfully, that she couldn't help wondering what was getting her down that day.
Andromeda nudged the sheet away as she pulled out her phone. Her finger hesitated, however, over the talk button. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Johnny, it was that she couldn't remember is he was doing something or not. She didn't want to interrupt if the answer was yes, he was doing something at the moment. Andromeda was about to set down her phone when there was a chime that said she'd gotten a message. She gave her phone a strange look, she knew she could send 'text messages' and pictures, but frequently got confused on how to do so and never saw the point in it.
After fumbling with her phone for a while, Andromeda finally figured out how to open they message. The celebratory smile on her face quickly faded into a look of disgust as she saw the picture she received from her ex. Her face burned with shame at the sight of bodily part that she shouldn't have seen in the first place. She tried not to look at the picture while she tried to delete it only to realize that she didn't know how to and left the picture.
Her body thumped onto the desk with a groan. She'd have to deal with the picture later. Her head turned toward her clock to see it was still too early to go too bed so she reluctantly turned back to her work and finished it before she got into the bed.
Andromeda huffed a minute later, no mater how hard she'd tried, she hadn't been able to convince her Aunt Christy to let her get a different bed. She rolled on her side as she attempted to get into a better sleeping position. After rolling around countless times Andromeda peeked wearily at the clock. It was midnight. A tired moan left her lips as she dropped the pillow on top of her head. She was still lying like that when a child's voice said, "Feeling sleepy?"
She felt someone pat her on the shoulder and pulled her head from under to pillow before she murmured, "Seffy?" Her sister smiled, she was wearing the same outfit she'd died in. Andromeda pulled herself into a seated position as Persephone said, "I don't sleep very well now. you know why, don't you?"
Seffy's mouth pulled into a smile, but her eyes sparkled with malice.
"You abandoned me Andy. You let me die all alone." Andromeda shook her head mutely as Seffy insisted, "Yes you did. You knew I was scared but you left me there to rot. Alone. And I hate you for it." Andromeda sputtered out weakly, "B-but you said-" "You heard what you wanted to hear." Persephone eyed her as she spat out, "You don't deserved friends, you don't deserve happiness. What you deserve is to die." Andromeda tried to move but found she couldn't. she began to pant as she turned to see cuts appear on the Seffy, the same injuries that had taken her life. Andromeda found herself struggling to move as the flesh began to rot off of Seffy's body to leave a corpse dressed in her sisters clothes.
The corpse giggled and pulled out a bloodied knife which it brandished as it said, "It's time to pay the reaper." The blade plunged toward Andromeda who woke screaming.
Andromeda gasped for breath as she sat up in bed. She held her head in her hand. There was the sound of loud footsteps which approached her door. Andromeda had just raised her head when her Aunt threw open the door with a livid expression on her face as she yelled, "Just what the hell were you screaming you head off about at one in the freaking morning!?" Andromeda winced as she replied tiredly, "I screamed because of a nightmare. I-it's over now s-so you can leave."
Andromeda winced as she stuttered slightly. Her Aunt just scoffed as she snapped, "A nightmare. A nightmare? You disturbed my sleep because of a nightmare!? What are you, six!? You better not expect me to ... cuddle you ant tell you soothing nonsense because I won't!" Andromeda winced as her Aunt's voice rose and yelled back, "Of course I never expected comfort from you! How foolish would I have to be to expect that? And little kids aren't the only people who have nightmares!"
Her Aunt just scoffed as she snapped, "Just shut up, go to sleep, and don't bother me again or you'll regret it." Her Ant left the room and slammed the door.
A muffled yell slid out of Andromeda as she flopped onto her bed then regretted it. She was still lying there when her phone chimed again. Andromeda stumbled to her phone as sleepily found the text she'd been sent. She froze a moment later as she felt herself tear up slightly. It was sent by her ex, naturally.
Andromeda head dropped as she trembled. She wasn't aware of the blank look on her face as she turned toward the door.
Dallas snickered as the joke Steve told as he leaned back against the couch. It was late, but nobody cared. It wasn't a school night so Darry wasn't insisting to much that Pony ought to go to sleep. Eventually, Two-bit grimaced when he looked at the clock and muttered, "1:30. My moms gonna murder me if I don't get back soon." He grinned playfully at everyone as Steve called, "Make sure to invite us to the funeral." Everyone, especially Two-Bit roared with laughter while he opened the door.
The room when quiet though when they saw Andy standing at the door. Her face was blank, and her hair was unusually messy. Her cell phone was clenched tightly in her fist. Dallas took in her appearance as he stood up. It wasn't like Andy to just show up somewhere looking like a mess, especially in the middle of the night.
Darry approached the door as he gently scolded, "Andromeda, what are you doing here at 1:30 in the night without shoes or a coat on?" Andromeda snapped out of her stupor and blinked rapidly before she stared in confusion first at then, then at her her knee-length sleeveless pick nightie and bright red toes.
She winced and shivered as she let Darry help her hobble inside. Dallas saw Soda hurry back to the entrance with a bathrobe and old slippers as he said, "They probably smell, but it shouldn't be a problem. Soda then sniffed at a slipper and gagged as he added, "Okay, bad idea. Just ... don't smell them." Andy gave him a sympathetic look as she put on the slippers and robe as she said, "Thanks and sorry. I don't know what possessed me to come here in this state."
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she shook her head than accepted the glass of water Pony gave her with a word of thanks before she drank some.
Two-Bit looked confused as he asked, "Did somethin' happen?" Andy glanced at him as she replied, "Sort of. Nothing that should have elicited this sort of a reaction." Steve leaned over Johnny who'd sat directly to Andy's right as he said, "Try telling us." Andy glanced over before she began, "I guest I should begging with it been one of my 'off days' I haven't been feeling like myself all day today. And then my ex sent me a ... lovely ... picture."
Dallas raised an eyebrow as he said, "You have an ex?" With how Andy acted, he'd always assumed she'd never had a boyfriend. Andromeda shrugged as she said, "Yes, Edward Maison. He broke up with me after I found him in bed with my cousin Vivian." Some of the gang stared at her as Soda said, "What an idiot."
Two-Bit leaned over Andy's shoulder as he asked, "What sort of a picture was it?" Andy looked uncomfortable as she found the picture and handed it to Darry who glared at it darkly. The phone was then passed around to the other members of the gang who expressed their disapproval. Dallas felt his lip curl as he looked at the picture and passed in on. Even he wouldn't send a picture like that. Two-Bit, the last to look at the picture, eyed it before he said, "Don't know why he's showing it off. He's tiny." Darry looked disgusted as he snatched the phone and snapped, "Two-Bit!" Two-Bit shrugged as he said, "What? A.C didn't get it." He gestured to Andy who had a confused and disturbed expression on her face.
Once the picture had been deleted, Darry asked, "Did something else happen?" Andy glanced down looking slightly embarrassed as she said, "Then there was the nightmare." Andy paused and Soda asked, "What happened in the nightmare?" Andy didn't respond for a while before, "I was trying to sleep, even in my dream. There was ... a little girl who asked if I was sleepy. She said she couldn't sleep well either."
Andy paused to drink some water and Johnny said encouragingly, 'It doesn't sound so bad so far." Andromeda shrugged then added, "Then she started to blame me for ... something she said I didn't deserve friends or happiness, t-that I deserved to die."
Andromeda swallowed then continued, "Then the girl turned into a corpse and attacked me." The gang shared disturbed looks before Soda said, "That's worse than I was expecting to hear." There was some nods in response and Dallas grimaced. Anyone would be upset if they dreamed they were being attacked by a corpse kid. Even he would be disturbed.
Andy hummed as she said, "I screamed myself awake so my aunt heard and came into my room to yell about being woken up and how she wouldn't 'comfort me' and that nightmares were childish. We argued a little before she left." Andromeda scoffed and muttered, "Ask her for comfort, I could get more comfort from a rock than from her." Two-Bit nodded and called Andy's aunt a few choice words before he let her continue.
"I was still dealing with that when my ex sent me this derogatory text. After that I sort of shut off and then I was here." Andy looked calmer than before, but Soda whipped out a cigarette to offer her. Andromeda refused on account of the possibility of an asthma attack.
Andy glanced at the time before she muttered, "I should head back now." Darry shook his head as he said,"You want to walk home, alone, at this hour? In a nightie and slippers. No, it's too dangerous. You can sleep here tonight. Andy looked like she wanted to refuse but thought better of it and replied with a simple, "Okay." She yawned as though she suddenly realized how tiered she was. "So I suppose I'll sleep on the couch?" The gang looked at her as if she was crazy, "No way." Pony said. Soda nodded, "We may be hoods, but were not that cruel." Darry crossed his arms as he said with finality, "You'll sleep in Soda's old room."
Andromeda yawned again as she stumbled to he feet and mumbled "OK, which way do I go." She stood up and stumbled slightly from sheer exhaustion. Dallas rolled his eyes before he grabbed her shoulder, and said, "I'll show her." He lead her out to everyone's surprise, including his own.
They made their way down the hallway but after Andy stumbled one too many times, Dallas scooped her up and mumbled, "I'm not getting an earful from Darry if you fall and hurt yourself." No response came however as Andy had already fallen asleep. Dallas studied her for a minute, she looked so peacefully then that she hardly looked like the freaked out girl he'd seem a few minutes before. A frown crossed his face. Dallas wasn't used to seeing her look upset any more. Not since shed gotten stronger. That sort of weakness she showed bothered him. Dallas shook away the thoughts and dropped her somewhat gently onto the bed and covered her with the blankets when she shivered.
Dallas stood there for a minute before he left the room. He was tired, but there was something he had to do before he went to bed.
I feel it's safe to say this version of the chapter has less melodrama than the first. I think Dallas is more in character (maybe not fully in character) than the previous one too.
In any case, the next chapter will be a rewrite too. I'd like to say it'll be up in a week, but no promises. I'm currently trying to focus on a project I'm working on and It'll take some time.
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