My eyes slowly cracked open and I looked around slowly.

Johnny was laying next to me on my left, curled against my body for warmth.

Ponyboy was on my right, his head snuggled in my long hair and right arm lay across my bare stomach.

I smiled at Pony and brushed back his hair with my hand.

Downstairs I could hear talking. One voice belonged to my brother's, and the other to one of his friends.

I looked at Pony again and kissed his forehead. "Wake up Colt," I whispered.

He cracked his eyes open and yawned. "Morning already?" he asked.

I smiled softly and nodded. "Morning." I turned to Johnny and nudged his side. "Wake up Johnnycake."

He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at me. "Hey Callisto."

"Hey. Get a nice night's sleep?"

He nodded. "Wonderful." He slowly sat up.

"My brother and some guy are downstairs. I'll go down first and get you guys something to eat. Stay here, ok?"

They both nodded.

I got to my feet and stumbled to the door. I went down the stairs, waved to my brother, and went into the kitchen, yawning. I rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out a box of cereal. I grabbed three bowls and the milk. I got three spoons and went up to my room.

The boy that was talking with Jason eyed me. "Cal, good morning."

I glanced at him. "Morning." I trudged up the stairs and went to my room. I shut the door with my foot and locked it. I put the bowls down and collapsed on my bed, yawning.

Johnny looked at me as he poured himself some cereal. "You ok?"

"Tired." I whispered, and curled into my blankets.

He smiled. "You don't want to eat?"

"I'm fine, thanks." I closed my eyes and yawned again.

Ponyboy poured his cereal and milk and started eating. "Thanks for the food." He said with a full mouth.

I smiled. "Your welcome."

Around noon, when Jason and his friend were gone, the three of us left.

I climbed into my Corvette since Jason had taken the Porsche, and started the engine.

Ponyboy and Johnny were getting a look at the car as I cleaned out some garbage inside of it. They climbed in when I had put the garage door up, Johnny in front, and Pony in back.

I backed the car out and left the driveway. "We going to your house, Pony?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Yeah, Darry might be worried that I've been gone all night."

"Okay." I nodded.

Johnny pointed to the street and I turned down it.

I parked in front of a house and as Johnny and Pony got out, lit myself a cigarette and followed them up to the door.

Pony went in first, yelling, "Anyone home?"

"Soda's upstairs, I'm in the living room!" It was Two-Bit.

We went to the living room and I stayed in the doorway as Ponyboy tackled Two-Bit and Johnny smiled at them.

"Get off him, Two-Bit!" Soda laughed as he came into the room. "You're gonna crush him."

Two-Bit picked himself off the boy and his eyes immediately met mine. "Well, there's our favorite lady!"

I blushed. "Hey Two-Bit."

"Don't you go getting any ideas!" Ponyboy snapped at Two-Bit playfully, and socked him in the shoulder.

Two-Bit quickly tackled the boy again.

I laughed. "Get off him, Two-Bit."

Johnny looked back over at me. "What were you going to do today?"

I turned my eyes to him as Pony rolled over on Two-Bit. "Well, I was gonna go swimming with my brother since he's leaving tomorrow."

"You want time alone with 'im?" Johnny asked as he lit his own cigarette.

I blew out the smoke from my nose. "Trust me, wherever we go, someone's always with us. Did you want to come?"

He shrugged.

"He was also taking me to the horse track and race track. Got me why, though. There aren't races today." I muttered.

Soda's eyes lit up. "Can I come?!"

I blinked. "Do you want to?"

"Yeah, please?"

"What about Natalie?" I asked sharply.

"She had to go see her mom today." He shrugged.

I glanced over my shoulder and out the window at my Corvette. "I can only take four people. Johnny and Jason obviously all ready. Got one more seat…" I sighed. "Anyone else?"

Pony looked at Johnny. "I'll go."

I smiled quickly. "Cool. But we better…" my phone started ringing, interrupting me. I rolled my eyes and pulled it out. "Yellow?"

"Hey Cal, it's me. Where are you? I just ditched what's his ass."

I laughed. "I'm at Darry's place."

"Oh, all right. He coming with us?"

"Na. Johnny, Soda, and Pony."

He blinked. "Eh, ok. I'll be right there."

"Later." I hung up the phone and laughed softly. "All right, head to the car." I shoved a thumb over my shoulder.

Soda was immediately out of the house and at the car.

I rolled my eyes and walked between Pony and Johnny to my car. "This should be interesting."

Jason's Porsche pulled up a few minutes later. "Follow me!" he said.

I got into the car with the other guys and started the engine. "Later Two-Bit!" I called out my window as I sped off, following Jason.

My phone rang as we were headed for the freeway, and I saw that Jason had his phone to his head. I pulled the cell out. "Yellow?"

He just laughed. "You need to find another way to say hello."

I smiled. "Shut up. I thought we were going swimming?"

"Na. Were going racing. I got ya a present there. Follow if you can…" the phone buzzed, signaling that he had hung up, and Jason's Porsche zoomed off.

I laughed. "Hold on boys!" I slammed down the gas since the freeway was practically empty, and jetted up to 90 to get up with my brother.

He turned into the other lane and slowed down.

I almost passed him, but got the idea because I knew where the track was, and slowed down.

He turned off the freeway and we headed for the racetrack.

Pony looked around. "You're gonna race?"

"Yep. Jason, I think." I stopped the car on the inside of the track and let them out. I met Jason at the start/finish line, and revved the engine.

"I got some friends coming, so don't mind them." He said with this huge smirk.

I nodded.

He slammed down the gas and sped off.

"HEY!" I yelled, and raced after him.

Just as he had said, three cars joined up on the track.

I swallowed when I recognized all of them. They were serious about winning, and they'd do anything to win. I had to swerve once to keep my Corvette from getting hit by one of the boy's Mustangs.

I snarled at him and his eyes met mine. He knew what he was doing.

He sped off, picking up the smell of burnt rubber.

I smirked and zoomed after him. "I ain't gonna lose, not bar far!" I yelled, and went up alongside him.

He turned his head and swerved his car up.

I turned the wheel quickly to avoid being hit, and went ahead of him. "BURN BABY, BURN!" I laughed and my arm flew out the window with my V sign on my fingers. I pumped up the radio and swerved around Jason's Porsche.

He turned his eyes at me and smirked. "Watch the turns!"

My eyes jolted. "The what?" I squeaked.

There came a loud scream of tires and one of the boy's Mustangs slammed into the back of my Corvette.

I screamed as I watched the wall coming right me at 140 miles an hour, and my car smashed right into the wall headfirst. It was like slow motion for a second, then it all happened way too fast. I don't know what happened, but I knew that someone had hit me and I was gonna die at the age of fifteen. The front of the car collided into the wall, crunching the engine and luckily for me, not catching fire. The wheel slipped from my grasp and my head smashed into the car door. I tried to grasp something, to stop all the whirling motions and keep my head from smashing into anything else, but my hands were too slippery with sweat.

All three cars zoomed by.

My hands fumbled and I screamed as something smashed into my car again.

The boys didn't car if they wrecked their cars. They didn't care if they killed me.

Dazed, I pulled my head up and looked at the dashboard. Blood was splattered over it, and on the door where my head had hit, too.

My skull was cracked and blood poured down the side of my head. My fingers trembled for something to hold onto, and I was for once glad in my life that I hadn't been smoking.

The radio was still on, but crackling.

I reached down and turned it off. The car wouldn't start, and the door was smashed in. I pushed down the window, pulled myself out of the car, and rolled out onto the track.

Pony, Johnny, and Soda were already running towards me.

I groaned and turned on my side to look at my car. The side was totaled, actually, the whole car was. I whined and lost my lunch.

Johnny rolled me over and his eyes went wide when he saw the crack in my skull. "Oh God…"

Pony went down the track and waved down my brother.

Jason swerved to a stop and jumped from his car.

"Look what those bastards of friends did to your sister!" Ponyboy yelled.

Jason shoved him away and knelt down beside me. "God, are you ok Callisto?"

"Make it stop…" I whispered. "God, make it stop swirling…" my stomach churned and I rolled over to throw up again.

Pony's eyes narrowed, and he turned to Jason.

The other three boys were stopping their cars and casually walking towards us.

Pony had the look of kill in his eyes, and he jumped on the guy that had smashed into me. He socked the boy and they went rolling down the track on top of each other.

The other boy tried to fight back, but Pony pinned his arms and kept slugging him without thinking.

Jason didn't object. He ran his hand down my side for broken bones.

I whimpered and rolled over on my back. I pushed him away. "Get the hell away from me…" I moaned. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks and it felt like they burned my skin.

Johnny ran his hand down my arm, then my other. He had to be slightly rougher as he felt my leg bones because of my baggy pants. He was finally convinced I hadn't broken any other bones other then my skull. "We have to get her to a hospital."

"No, God no! Not again!" I objected.

There came a crackling sound, and we all looked at my car.

The two Socs went farther down the track, and Jason slowly followed, keeping his eyes on the Corvette against the wall.

Soda slowly stepped away from the car.

"It's gonna blow up…" I whispered.

Pony's eyes jumped up and he yelled when he saw the engine spark and catch fire. He sprinted up the track as fast as he could to get to us.

The car engine crackled and spurted flames.

Johnny tried to pick me up and get me away from the burning car, but too late.

The engine blew. The whole car caught fire and exploded.

I screamed before I even felt the heat, and I shoved Johnny to try and get him away from the car.

He went rolling down the track and stopped at Pony's feet.

Soda jumped at me, grabbed me in his arms, and covered me with his body. He kept quiet as the flames engulfed us and burned through our clothes to our skin.

I screamed and cringed under the heat and searing pain.

Soda tried to calm me but nothing kept me from screaming my pain.

It seemed like ages till ambulances and fire trucks came screaming down the track with their lights flashing and their horns sounding.

The flames slowly went away, and a rush of water splashed over my body and Soda's.

I groaned and wanted to scream again because the water only made it worse, but I was so tired I couldn't do much more then moan.

Soda opened his eyes at me and tried to smile. "You…" he swallowed and tears filled his eyes. "You okay?"

"Kill me now…" I muttered, barely moving my lips.

"Pony would kill me if I did." He said softly.

People came running towards us, and the sound burned my ears like drums.

*

It was so quiet I thought I was dead. The room was pure white, except for the black TV and a few wooden chairs and a table.

I flexed my fingers, triggering tears to fill my eyes from the pain. Practically my whole body was wrapped; I must have been burnt badly. I remembered what happened, and I started crying again.

Poor Soda, he probably had it worse then I did, because he was on top. But he hadn't made a sound or anything to signal he was hurt. But that was how boys were, tough and able to keep a scream or tears.

Jason's image filled my mind and was burnt there like a brand. He was leaving today. Or he was supposed to leave last night. I knew he wouldn't stay just because I was hurt. He would leave with the rest of the Air Force guys back to the base on the other coastline.

But what happened to the three Socs? I hoped with all my mind and heart that they were arrested. Maybe in more searing pain that filled my whole body.

I felt like I was on fire and deep in ice at the same time. I couldn't hold my eyes open for more then ten seconds. I watched the clock as I did.

There was a blinking light above my door, and I knew what that meant. ICU; Intensive Care Unit – no visitors.

I kept crying, but I wasn't sure if the tears were just to wet my eyes or if I was really crying, because I didn't make the usual sounds like sobbing when I do cry.

"We want to see her." Came a voice.

"I'm sorry, you can't. She's still in critical condition. She needs her rest and I've been in there, she doesn't go fifteen seconds without crying. There aren't visitors allowed until she gets better." Said a soft voice, probably belonging to a nurse.

I blinked. Fifteen seconds? Really?

"Will she get better?" that soft voice belonged to Johnny, I would know it anywhere.

There was a long pause. I wondered if they had walked off together talking about where I would be buried and if I was going to be incinerated.

"We don't know." She said. There was a soft clicking, and I knew she had walked off.

I swallowed and my throat even burned.

"But, we could see Soda…" Ponyboy whispered.

"You would think she would have been better off then Sodapop." Said another voice.

I tried to decipher it, but I couldn't remember it. It was probably Steve or Darry.

"Yeah, Soda was covering her." Pony said.

"Excuse me," said a woman voice. There was a shuffle, and my door opened.

I turned my eyes away and closed them because my ten seconds was up.

"Hello Callisto," said a friendly voice.

Don't make me talk. God, don't make me look at you.

The woman shuffled my pillow for me. "Do you feel hot?" she felt my head. "Do you want me to take off some of these sheets?"

I nodded softly.

She pulled back a sheet and a heavier blanket and put something on the nightstand next to my head. "One of those boys wanted me to give this back to you," the door shut again.

I turned my eyes to look at the nightstand. Sitting on it was the necklace Johnny had given me. I had been wearing it during the race. The dolphin wasn't white anymore, and the crystals were cracked. My eyes watered and I started crying again. But this time I wasn't crying from the pain of the burns, this time from the pain of my heart.

"What did the doc say about your burns?" the voice said.

I could tell that just because they couldn't actually see me, they were staying to make sure I was ok and that nothing happened.

"Minor." Pony whispered.

"You look like a black." Snickered a new voice. Two-Bit. "Hey, why aren't you guys inside?"

"Nurse said she's too bad off." Johnny whispered. His voice was cracked, and I prayed to God that he wasn't crying because of me.

"But, we could see Soda."

"Soda's fine. They said Cal isn't." Pony said softly.

I looked to the ceiling. Soda was fine. But, I was under him. Wouldn't he have gotten it worse? I took a deep breath and that burned my lungs.

The door opened again, I heard it creaking.

I opened my red eyes and saw the doctor and a nurse come in. I caught a glimpse of Two-Bit, but that was only a split second, less then half a second probably.

The doctor walked up to me. "Let's see how your doing, shall we?" he un-wrapped my arm and examined it.

I turned my eyes so I wouldn't have to see it.

"Hmm." He didn't say anything to me; he only turned to the nurse and whispered something to her. She wrote it down and left the room.

He turned back to me, a needle in his hand.

My eyes jumped. "What are you doing?" I asked quietly.

"We're taking you into surgery," he said, and started to inject the stuff.

I couldn't move, otherwise I would have slugged him. I couldn't scream either, because I had learned that my voice didn't work all that well.

He covered me with the blankets as my eyes wavered and my vision became blurry.

I was knocked out before they even brought in the stretcher.