I lay in bed for a long time, crying most of the time. I couldn't stop crying, no matter what. Dally was gone. I think he might've been the only person I would ever love. I didn't know why. He was just the one that was the tough one. The one that thought of life as one big ball of shit. He was like me.

I remembered running a fever from crying so much. It was a killer fever, and Darry and Soda were working their asses off to keep both me and Ponyboy healthy. Apparently both of us were sick. I got better soon enough, but I still wasn't over his death. I cried every night after that.

Ponyboy had a couple of visitors while he was sick. I didn't have any. I didn't care though. I usually don't like people feeling sorry for me.

A few days later we went to the hearing. The judge asked all of us questions. He didn't ask me much because the doctor had said that Pony and me were too sick to be answering any difficult questions.

After the death of Dally and Johnny, I didn't go out much. All I did was go to school and come home every day. Soda and Darry seemed worried but I always said I was okay.

"Hey did the mail come in yet?" Soda asked from the living room.

"How was work?" Ponyboy asked.

"Okay."

"Something wrong?"

He didn't say anything. He left his room and went into the living room.

"Soda, can you come here a minute?" I asked.

He came in quietly. I could tell something was wrong, and I was determined to find out.

"You feeling alright?"

"Yeah."

"You don't look good. I could tell something's botherin' you so don't even bother lying. What is it?"

"Sandy." he said slowly. He looked like he was about to cry. "Remember that letter I sent her?"

"Yeah. What about it?" He took out an envelope out of his pocket. It was the letter he had sent her, returned unopened. I felt so bad for him. He had always been there for me, but now I needed to be here for him.

"Oh, Soda. I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say. I had never been too much on the soft side. Everyone knew that, but there were times I could be, but only Soda knew that. I was never nice to anyone except Soda because I knew he needed me. He needed me because no one else was there for him. He always helped everyone. He was understanding and constantly listening to everyone, especially Ponyboy. He needed someone, and since I thought I never needed anyone, I was there for him.

"Well, I'm gonna go cook dinner." He left, and didn't talk one bit after that.

It was dinnertime and we were all really quiet. After dinner, Ponyboy and Darry started an argument. I'm not sure about what it was about because I wasn't paying much attention.

"Coke!" I heard Darry yell. "Can you come here a minute?"

I walked to the living room. "Where's Soda?"

"He ran off. We gotta go talk to him."

"I already talked to him, but since you guys are arguing half the time you don't pay attention to me or Soda. But you always go to Soda for advice, but you never listen to what he has to say, and as for me it's like I'm not even here!"

I ran off to go see Soda. He was at the park when Ponyboy tackled him. He got up and they sat down by the fountain. Darry was there soon enough, but I decided to stay hidden in the trees. I thought this was a moment where the Curtis brothers had to talk by themselves. I didn't belong in that family no matter how much I wanted to belong. I was just a roommate. A roommate and a friend, but that's it.

After a while they walked back. That was when I joined them. They were racing back home, so I joined the race too. We all tied.

When I went to bed that night, I cried. I thought about Dallas, and then thought to myself he wasn't dead. He was right here with me, and suddenly he was there with me.

"Hey, Dallas!"

"Hey!"

"Long time no see. Where were you?"

"Texas, hunting for Johnny. He's dead, but I made it through alive."

"I'm glad you made it, but I feel bad for Johnny."

Soda poked his head through the door. "Who you talking to?"

"Dally. Can't you see him?"

"Coke, you sure you're alright?"

"I've never felt better."

"Coke," Soda started to say. He swallowed hard. "Dallas is dead. He ain't coming back. Nothing you do or say is going to bring him back."

"No! He's right here! It's hurting him that you think he's dead when he's not! He's not dead!" I started hitting Soda in the chest, but he just grabbed hold of me. He wasn't dead. He was right there with me. Soda carried me up and I lay in his arms all night. I heard him talking to Darry about something, but I couldn't understand what.

The next morning I woke up in a white room. I was all alone. There was a window there where everyone could see me, but it just felt like the world was passing by. I was locked up in a room with nobody there. I can't stand being alone, and I couldn't believe they had done this to me. I was in a mental institution.

"Miss Kaitlyn Walsh? You have a visitor."

I stood up from my bed, and walked to the table in the room. The visitor was Sodapop. He walked in the room and sat down.

"Hey, Coke! How you doin'?"

"How could you do this to me?" I said through tears.

"Coke, I told Darry not to do this to you, but he wouldn't listen. You gotta believe me."

"How? How can I believe something I didn't hear? How?"

"Coke, you just gotta."

"Don't call me Coke here, or else when I get out of here I will remember Coke being in a mental facility. I would rather think Kaitlyn was the crazy one, not Coke."

"You're the same person no matter what, but okay."

I wasn't listening too much. I turned away from him and tried to remember what happened last night. Soda had tried to stop Darry. I suddenly remembered what happened.

"She's been having hallucinations. She says she saw Dally, and I heard her talking to him, but he wasn't there," Soda had said.

"Well.then we're gonna have to take her to a mental facility," Darry replied.

"You can't do that. She.she won't survive. You and I both know she hates being alone. Besides, she needs her family more than ever right now. It's obvious that she needs someone to listen to her. You know it'll drive her more nuts if she goes."

"Soda, I don't wanna hear it. She has a mental problem, and needs medical help. No one can help her but a psychologist. I'm gonna make the call right now."

That was all I could remember of last night, if it even was last night.

"How long have I been here?"

"Two weeks. You've been real dazed. You know, from all the drugs they've been giving you. I came to see you a couple of times, but they wouldn't let me talk to you."

"Has Darry come?"

He looked at the floor. "No."

"Darry's wrong."

He looked at me again. "What?"

"He knows I hate being alone, and yet he brings me here. I know I'm gonna go mad soon enough. I think I should go home."

"I think so too, but the doctor's won't let you."

It was silent for a moment but then Soda said, "Well, um, I gotta go. I'll come by tomorrow, okay? Bye."

"Bye."

He got up, and kissed my forehead. He left and I was alone again. I knew the days I spent here were going to be the longest days of my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that was the end of this story. I really hope you enjoyed it. I'm thinking of making a sequel, but I want your opinion first cause I already got it ready if you do want one. Well tell me in your reviews, or e-mail me, or talk to me on AIM if I'm online. Well, Buh Biye! ^^.