Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns the Outsider and I own Rhea and Eric!
Dally looked me over deciding whether or not I was fine and then said he was taking us for something to eat. I mentally groaned.
We drove to the DQ and Dally ordered. I ate a few fries and about two bites of the burger and then threw it away. Johnny looked at me next to him in the booth then looked at Dally across from me. Under the table I took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"Dallas. Were going back and I'm going to turn myself in," Johnny said.
"What?!," Dally choked on the sip he was taking from his drink. "What do you mean you're going back!"
"Dallas, It was self defence Pony and Rhea can testify to that! It's not fair for Soda and Darry to be worrying about Pony all the time. I don't suppose my old man has been asking about me?"
I squeezed Johnny's hand a little tighter. "Mine either?"
"Hey! The boys are worried. Did you know Two-bit threatened me with his blade to make me tell him where the hell you guys were."
I dropped Johnny's hand and looked at Dallas with an angry look. "You don't think we realized the boys were worried about us?" I yelled in his face. "I for one didn't ask if they were worried, I asked about my parents!"
The three boys looked at me worried. Very perturbed I got up and walked out of the building. I walked to Dally's car and got a cigarette and a light out of his pocket. I lit up and leaned against the car taking a long drag.
A guy about my age or a little older came over to me.
"Uh, Hey. Um, I couldn't help but notice you were uh-"
"Smoking?" I interrupted him.
"Yeah. Thanks. Anyways, you only look about sixteen, my age, so I just figured I'd see if I was right. I mean, people my age shouldn't be smoking. It's against laws you know."
"Yeah. I know. And your right. I am only sixteen," I dropped the cigarette and put it out with my shoe, "Why should you care? You don't know me and I'm sure you don't want to."
"You know, it's people like you who make us teens look bad. Like we're just trouble makers."
"Hey man. Back off.Your the one who came over here. I put it out ok? Be happy and leave."
Just then Johnny came over. "Uh Rhea. Who's he?"
"I really don't know Johnny. He came over here and started bugging me about me smoking."
The guy spoke up. "I'm Eric. And you are Rhea so I hear."
"Why do you insist on tormenting me?"
Pony and Dally walked over. Eric reached for his back pocket. I didn't know what he was getting so I reached for my back pocket and pulled out a switchblade Twobit had swiped for me.
"My blade and your neck will have a long, deep conversation if you try to pull anything."
He pulled out a peice of paper and handed it to me. I put my switchblade and the paper into my pocket. He turned and started to walk away.
"Oh and to answer your question, " He said turning around, "It's because I think your cute."
I shuddered and looked at Dally. He had an expression on his face that meant he wanted to stomp that guy. Stomp him real good. He got in the car and told us to get in. He drove back to the church cursing and yelling at Johnny for wanting to go back.
When we got back to the church the first thing I saw was fire. Then a man and woman surrounded by frightened little kids. Wanting to know what happened I jumping out of the car and ran towards them. I heard Dally screaming for me to get back.
"Jerry some of the kids are missing!" The woman yelled.
"No there not." The man, obvioulsy, Jerry stated.
"Yes. I counted," the woman said crying and looking towards the building.
Pony and Jonny appeared at my side and told me to come back to the car. Instead I started in a flat out run to the church, and began ripping downs boards to get in. I finally found a way in and Johnny and Pony followed me. I found a few little kids and outside Dally was ripping down boards. We started passing them out the window. Once they were all out of that room we heard cries coming from the one next to us. I signaled for Dally to go to the next room and went to help the little kids. We got all of them out of the next room and then pushed Pony out too. Johnny and I looked up at the ceiling and saw the roof caving in.
"Come on Rhea let's get out. The roof's caving in."
I kept looking around the burning room to make sure everyone was out. He pushed me forward and I fell. As I started to get back up, a peice of wood fell on my leg. I could feel in snap in two. I burned my hands trying to push it off. I was about to get up again as another peice of wood fell on my head, rendering me unconcius.
~*Johnny's POV*~
Did she just pass out? Is she even ok? I stopped thinking and picked Rhea up.
"You're gonna be fine as soon as I get you outta here," I whispered in her ear.
I passed her to Dally out the window and got out myself. I turned around just in time to see the roof caving in on the burning church.
I begged the man to ride in the ambulance with her because I wanted to be there if she woke up. No. She will wake up. I know it. Even if it's breifly. She will. We were in the ambulance about ten minutes before she awoke. She sat up and looked at the man, then me. I smiled at her but she didn't smile back.
"Who are you people? Where am I? Why am I here?" she asked me very confused. She started to panick.
"Rhea, calm down it's ok. Your in an ambulance. Some of the church's ceiling fell on you. I beleive you broke a bone or two,' I told her.
"Well, I'll calm down but, I still don't know you or why I'm here."
~*Rhea's POV*~
The rest of the ride to- hmmm now what did he call it. Oh yes, the hospital, I thought of my brother Dallas. I wondered where he was.
We got to the hospital and they took me to this big, pale, off white colored room. Probably an hour passed before Dally and Darry walked in.
"Dally!" I was so happy to see him. He rushed to my bedside, kneeled down, and took my hand.
"Hey babe, if you ever, and I mean ever pull a stunt like tha again and I'll kill you. Got that?"
"Why kill your own sister when you can get Darry to do it for you. All brawn and no brains." I laughed a little and had a coughing spasm.
Both Darry and Dallas stared at me jaws dropping to the floor. Darry unplayfully but not meaning to hurt punched Dally in his arm.
"Sister?! She's your sister!?" He yelled at him.
"Well we have different fathers but-"
"How could you not tell us?!"
At that moment three boys walked in. One stared at Darry awkwardly as if he saw something and he wasn't sure whether or not to tell.
"We heard everything."
Dally looked me over deciding whether or not I was fine and then said he was taking us for something to eat. I mentally groaned.
We drove to the DQ and Dally ordered. I ate a few fries and about two bites of the burger and then threw it away. Johnny looked at me next to him in the booth then looked at Dally across from me. Under the table I took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"Dallas. Were going back and I'm going to turn myself in," Johnny said.
"What?!," Dally choked on the sip he was taking from his drink. "What do you mean you're going back!"
"Dallas, It was self defence Pony and Rhea can testify to that! It's not fair for Soda and Darry to be worrying about Pony all the time. I don't suppose my old man has been asking about me?"
I squeezed Johnny's hand a little tighter. "Mine either?"
"Hey! The boys are worried. Did you know Two-bit threatened me with his blade to make me tell him where the hell you guys were."
I dropped Johnny's hand and looked at Dallas with an angry look. "You don't think we realized the boys were worried about us?" I yelled in his face. "I for one didn't ask if they were worried, I asked about my parents!"
The three boys looked at me worried. Very perturbed I got up and walked out of the building. I walked to Dally's car and got a cigarette and a light out of his pocket. I lit up and leaned against the car taking a long drag.
A guy about my age or a little older came over to me.
"Uh, Hey. Um, I couldn't help but notice you were uh-"
"Smoking?" I interrupted him.
"Yeah. Thanks. Anyways, you only look about sixteen, my age, so I just figured I'd see if I was right. I mean, people my age shouldn't be smoking. It's against laws you know."
"Yeah. I know. And your right. I am only sixteen," I dropped the cigarette and put it out with my shoe, "Why should you care? You don't know me and I'm sure you don't want to."
"You know, it's people like you who make us teens look bad. Like we're just trouble makers."
"Hey man. Back off.Your the one who came over here. I put it out ok? Be happy and leave."
Just then Johnny came over. "Uh Rhea. Who's he?"
"I really don't know Johnny. He came over here and started bugging me about me smoking."
The guy spoke up. "I'm Eric. And you are Rhea so I hear."
"Why do you insist on tormenting me?"
Pony and Dally walked over. Eric reached for his back pocket. I didn't know what he was getting so I reached for my back pocket and pulled out a switchblade Twobit had swiped for me.
"My blade and your neck will have a long, deep conversation if you try to pull anything."
He pulled out a peice of paper and handed it to me. I put my switchblade and the paper into my pocket. He turned and started to walk away.
"Oh and to answer your question, " He said turning around, "It's because I think your cute."
I shuddered and looked at Dally. He had an expression on his face that meant he wanted to stomp that guy. Stomp him real good. He got in the car and told us to get in. He drove back to the church cursing and yelling at Johnny for wanting to go back.
When we got back to the church the first thing I saw was fire. Then a man and woman surrounded by frightened little kids. Wanting to know what happened I jumping out of the car and ran towards them. I heard Dally screaming for me to get back.
"Jerry some of the kids are missing!" The woman yelled.
"No there not." The man, obvioulsy, Jerry stated.
"Yes. I counted," the woman said crying and looking towards the building.
Pony and Jonny appeared at my side and told me to come back to the car. Instead I started in a flat out run to the church, and began ripping downs boards to get in. I finally found a way in and Johnny and Pony followed me. I found a few little kids and outside Dally was ripping down boards. We started passing them out the window. Once they were all out of that room we heard cries coming from the one next to us. I signaled for Dally to go to the next room and went to help the little kids. We got all of them out of the next room and then pushed Pony out too. Johnny and I looked up at the ceiling and saw the roof caving in.
"Come on Rhea let's get out. The roof's caving in."
I kept looking around the burning room to make sure everyone was out. He pushed me forward and I fell. As I started to get back up, a peice of wood fell on my leg. I could feel in snap in two. I burned my hands trying to push it off. I was about to get up again as another peice of wood fell on my head, rendering me unconcius.
~*Johnny's POV*~
Did she just pass out? Is she even ok? I stopped thinking and picked Rhea up.
"You're gonna be fine as soon as I get you outta here," I whispered in her ear.
I passed her to Dally out the window and got out myself. I turned around just in time to see the roof caving in on the burning church.
I begged the man to ride in the ambulance with her because I wanted to be there if she woke up. No. She will wake up. I know it. Even if it's breifly. She will. We were in the ambulance about ten minutes before she awoke. She sat up and looked at the man, then me. I smiled at her but she didn't smile back.
"Who are you people? Where am I? Why am I here?" she asked me very confused. She started to panick.
"Rhea, calm down it's ok. Your in an ambulance. Some of the church's ceiling fell on you. I beleive you broke a bone or two,' I told her.
"Well, I'll calm down but, I still don't know you or why I'm here."
~*Rhea's POV*~
The rest of the ride to- hmmm now what did he call it. Oh yes, the hospital, I thought of my brother Dallas. I wondered where he was.
We got to the hospital and they took me to this big, pale, off white colored room. Probably an hour passed before Dally and Darry walked in.
"Dally!" I was so happy to see him. He rushed to my bedside, kneeled down, and took my hand.
"Hey babe, if you ever, and I mean ever pull a stunt like tha again and I'll kill you. Got that?"
"Why kill your own sister when you can get Darry to do it for you. All brawn and no brains." I laughed a little and had a coughing spasm.
Both Darry and Dallas stared at me jaws dropping to the floor. Darry unplayfully but not meaning to hurt punched Dally in his arm.
"Sister?! She's your sister!?" He yelled at him.
"Well we have different fathers but-"
"How could you not tell us?!"
At that moment three boys walked in. One stared at Darry awkwardly as if he saw something and he wasn't sure whether or not to tell.
"We heard everything."