Homecoming
On the good side, I was allowed to go home the next day.
On the bad side, I hadn't heard from Dallas since his outburst that afternoon.
I guess you have to take the good with the bad sometimes, huh?
I woke up early that morning, only to find Sodapop snoring a few feet away on a hard chair, one that'd inevitably leave welts in his back from sleeping on it for the night. I nudged him with my toe, waking him up almost immediately.
"Huh.what, is it mornin'?"
"Yep. And I'm goin' home!"
Soda grinned. "Yeah, you are!" he exclaimed happily, leaping up to undoubtedly pound on my shoulder again, but falling on the floor instead, as his quick movement from sleep caused his leg muscle to cramp. I burst into laughter.
"Shut up, it hurts like a mother-" Soda bit his lip to avoid blurting out one of Two-Bit's personal favorite obscenities. After a few moments, he returned to the world of the living to help me gather my things to go home.
"So, are ya gonna tell me what happened yesterday?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Whaddaya mean?" I responded innocently.
"Oh, I dunno, the whole Dally thing.him runnin' out like he had the devil on his back, cursing up a storm, waking up the whole damn ICU down the hall.I wouldn't bet you knew what I'm talkin' about, huh?"
I sighed. "Yeah. I don't know, Soda, it's complicated. It's between me and Dallas, of course it's complicated," I said half-heartedly. I wished our relationship didn't have to be so complex and difficult to understand (or explain, for that matter), but it was.
"Yeah, I got it. But you used to tell me stuff, ya know." Soda plopped down on the bed, watching as I packed my robe and toothbrush.
"I know, Pepsi-Cola, and I still do," I replied, hoping to please my twin by using Dad's nickname for him. "It's just.I don't know, I don't really wanna even think about it. Ya know?"
"I know," Sodapop responded. "But you'll say somethin' if you feel like it, all right?"
"No prob." I knocked him lightly on the side of the head, each of us grinning at the other.
"Who's ready to go home?"
I whipped around, only to find Ponyboy, Darry, Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny all standing in the door frame, grinning like little five-year-olds. The only thing that ruined the image was the missing link of Dally.
"Can we go now?" I asked eagerly, ready to run for my life as soon as possible. I had begun to share Ponyboy's distaste for medical institutions after spending five days there. They weren't exactly the most pleasant places.
"Grab your stuff, and we're outta here," Darry instructed, looking just as pleased to get me out of there as I was. "Hitch a ride with me, shorty," he continued, squatting so that I could jump up on his back. I'd refused to use a wheelchair (hospital policy) or be carried to the car, so the doctor finally settled with our way. After all, Darry didn't mind. He probably didn't know I was there, considering the ridiculously heavy loads he carries on a daily basis down at the construction sites.
All of us headed out in one happy bunch, piling into Darry's pickup with Darry, Pony, and I in the front, and Steve, Two-Bit, Johnny, and Sodapop bringing up the rear. They loved sitting on the outside of the truck, allowing the wind to flow through their greased-up hair.
"So.I guess you haven't seen Dal since yesterday, huh?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent. I can't say I succeeded.
Darry shook his head. "No. Kinda wondered why he wasn't there today. He spent every night at the hospital, ya know, kid."
"Yeah, I know. He just got kinda upset yesterday, and I was wonderin' if you'd since him since he ran out," I explained, staring out the window, the sunlight blinding my eyes. Just try going outside after spending five days in a darkened hospital room (three of which were spent asleep). You'll be blinded, too.
"What'd he get upset about now?" Ponyboy questioned.
"Oh, nothin'.I just accused him of somethin' he obviously didn't do. He was right to be pissed, I shouldn't have even thought of him."
"What was it?" Oh, great, now both Darry and Ponyboy were going to get their two cents in on it. Could a girl just have a little privacy in this family?
"Nothin'. Ya'll, just let it be. It's nothin', he didn't do it," I said, wanting desperately to drop the subject.
"What." Ponyboy stopped short of his question. "You didn't accuse him of.the other night, did you?"
I gave Pony a look of death. "Mind your own business, Pony."
"You did, didn't you? Why?"
I sighed. "Look, I just thought the jacket he had smelled like one of those Socs, that's it. It triggered a memory. But turns out, he just lifted it off a Soc the other day, so of course it wasn't him. Now, would ya let it go? Jesus!"
Ponyboy and Darry exchanged conspicuous glances. I knew what they must be thinking.
"Oh, don't tell me, now you think he did it, don't you? Guys." I was livid now. It was stupid enough for me to think Dallas did it. Now Dally's own buddies thought he was guilty. It was unbelievable.
"Well, he's not the most upstanding guy around, Rob," Ponyboy pointed out. "It's not like he treats girls real well or anythin'."
"You don't know him like I do. Neither of ya'll do, so just shut up. You don't know what you're talkin' about!" I exclaimed.
"Look, nobody's accusin' nobody," Darry broke in. "But I'd like to talk to him, all right?"
"Are you kidding me? Darry, we've known Dally forever. He'd never hurt any one of us, and you know that," I said, trying to be reasonable. "Why don't you trust him?"
Darry looked directly at me. "Because you're fallin' for him, and I hate that."
A/N: Don't let the reviews slow down.I really love reading them! Please let me know what you guys are thinking, and if you have any suggestions, just tell me! Hope ya'll like it so far. ;)
Much love, Ash
On the good side, I was allowed to go home the next day.
On the bad side, I hadn't heard from Dallas since his outburst that afternoon.
I guess you have to take the good with the bad sometimes, huh?
I woke up early that morning, only to find Sodapop snoring a few feet away on a hard chair, one that'd inevitably leave welts in his back from sleeping on it for the night. I nudged him with my toe, waking him up almost immediately.
"Huh.what, is it mornin'?"
"Yep. And I'm goin' home!"
Soda grinned. "Yeah, you are!" he exclaimed happily, leaping up to undoubtedly pound on my shoulder again, but falling on the floor instead, as his quick movement from sleep caused his leg muscle to cramp. I burst into laughter.
"Shut up, it hurts like a mother-" Soda bit his lip to avoid blurting out one of Two-Bit's personal favorite obscenities. After a few moments, he returned to the world of the living to help me gather my things to go home.
"So, are ya gonna tell me what happened yesterday?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Whaddaya mean?" I responded innocently.
"Oh, I dunno, the whole Dally thing.him runnin' out like he had the devil on his back, cursing up a storm, waking up the whole damn ICU down the hall.I wouldn't bet you knew what I'm talkin' about, huh?"
I sighed. "Yeah. I don't know, Soda, it's complicated. It's between me and Dallas, of course it's complicated," I said half-heartedly. I wished our relationship didn't have to be so complex and difficult to understand (or explain, for that matter), but it was.
"Yeah, I got it. But you used to tell me stuff, ya know." Soda plopped down on the bed, watching as I packed my robe and toothbrush.
"I know, Pepsi-Cola, and I still do," I replied, hoping to please my twin by using Dad's nickname for him. "It's just.I don't know, I don't really wanna even think about it. Ya know?"
"I know," Sodapop responded. "But you'll say somethin' if you feel like it, all right?"
"No prob." I knocked him lightly on the side of the head, each of us grinning at the other.
"Who's ready to go home?"
I whipped around, only to find Ponyboy, Darry, Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny all standing in the door frame, grinning like little five-year-olds. The only thing that ruined the image was the missing link of Dally.
"Can we go now?" I asked eagerly, ready to run for my life as soon as possible. I had begun to share Ponyboy's distaste for medical institutions after spending five days there. They weren't exactly the most pleasant places.
"Grab your stuff, and we're outta here," Darry instructed, looking just as pleased to get me out of there as I was. "Hitch a ride with me, shorty," he continued, squatting so that I could jump up on his back. I'd refused to use a wheelchair (hospital policy) or be carried to the car, so the doctor finally settled with our way. After all, Darry didn't mind. He probably didn't know I was there, considering the ridiculously heavy loads he carries on a daily basis down at the construction sites.
All of us headed out in one happy bunch, piling into Darry's pickup with Darry, Pony, and I in the front, and Steve, Two-Bit, Johnny, and Sodapop bringing up the rear. They loved sitting on the outside of the truck, allowing the wind to flow through their greased-up hair.
"So.I guess you haven't seen Dal since yesterday, huh?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent. I can't say I succeeded.
Darry shook his head. "No. Kinda wondered why he wasn't there today. He spent every night at the hospital, ya know, kid."
"Yeah, I know. He just got kinda upset yesterday, and I was wonderin' if you'd since him since he ran out," I explained, staring out the window, the sunlight blinding my eyes. Just try going outside after spending five days in a darkened hospital room (three of which were spent asleep). You'll be blinded, too.
"What'd he get upset about now?" Ponyboy questioned.
"Oh, nothin'.I just accused him of somethin' he obviously didn't do. He was right to be pissed, I shouldn't have even thought of him."
"What was it?" Oh, great, now both Darry and Ponyboy were going to get their two cents in on it. Could a girl just have a little privacy in this family?
"Nothin'. Ya'll, just let it be. It's nothin', he didn't do it," I said, wanting desperately to drop the subject.
"What." Ponyboy stopped short of his question. "You didn't accuse him of.the other night, did you?"
I gave Pony a look of death. "Mind your own business, Pony."
"You did, didn't you? Why?"
I sighed. "Look, I just thought the jacket he had smelled like one of those Socs, that's it. It triggered a memory. But turns out, he just lifted it off a Soc the other day, so of course it wasn't him. Now, would ya let it go? Jesus!"
Ponyboy and Darry exchanged conspicuous glances. I knew what they must be thinking.
"Oh, don't tell me, now you think he did it, don't you? Guys." I was livid now. It was stupid enough for me to think Dallas did it. Now Dally's own buddies thought he was guilty. It was unbelievable.
"Well, he's not the most upstanding guy around, Rob," Ponyboy pointed out. "It's not like he treats girls real well or anythin'."
"You don't know him like I do. Neither of ya'll do, so just shut up. You don't know what you're talkin' about!" I exclaimed.
"Look, nobody's accusin' nobody," Darry broke in. "But I'd like to talk to him, all right?"
"Are you kidding me? Darry, we've known Dally forever. He'd never hurt any one of us, and you know that," I said, trying to be reasonable. "Why don't you trust him?"
Darry looked directly at me. "Because you're fallin' for him, and I hate that."
A/N: Don't let the reviews slow down.I really love reading them! Please let me know what you guys are thinking, and if you have any suggestions, just tell me! Hope ya'll like it so far. ;)
Much love, Ash