Thanks to all the reviewers! Oh, and about Hot Topics, I'm not sure if they had one back then, but I had to have a place for Cal to belong. And the hospital and her being magnetic… Well, she just gets hurt a lot. I'm just an author that like's thriller stories. Sorry if I make Cal get hurt a lot! Anyone… Um, I own whoever isn't in The Outsiders… Which includes Callisto NTG, my brother belongs to himself (I think, I'm yet to figure that out), Cal's parents, and I think they're in this story, but the gang the 'Coolers'. Thanks again! Have fun reading!
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I opened my eyes slowly and found myself in a different room. This one had more color in it. Tubes were sticking in my arms and legs and stomach, and now only my legs and arms were wrapped with bandage. I looked at the window and saw that my whole face was burned, black and raw.
I moved my fingers, but it didn't hurt this time. I took a soft breath, and found I could breath again with passing out.
There was no more light above my door, so I figured I was out of intensive care. I wondered if I could have visitors now.
I glanced at the nightstand by my bed and saw the dolphin necklace sitting there contently. My room was filled with flowers and cards and a balloon or two, even a small box was sitting on the desk with some white roses.
The door was left open, which didn't make me too comfortable because I didn't like people walking by and staring at my raw face.
I closed my eyes again and woke up when it was nighttime. Lights flickered in the hallway and the curtains were closed.
There came a sound in the hallway, and I turned my head to see someone walking into the room.
My vision was screwed, and I couldn't make out whom it was.
"Hey Cal," one of the people said softly.
I took a breath through my mouth, lifting my chest and lowering it again as I let it out. But I didn't respond.
"How are you feeling?" said another person.
There were three of them.
"Shitty." That was the only word that could describe how I felt. Whenever the nurses asked how I was, I would say that one word, and they would leave me alone. I always got a different nurse after I'd say that to them.
"Doctor says you should be out of here in another week." Said the third person.
"Who are you people?" I asked.
They looked at each other.
"Callisto, it's us."
"Who's us?" I asked, trying to get their image clear.
"Can you see?"
"No."
They froze and didn't move for a long time.
"I can see your outlines, but I can't tell what color you are. Or the color of your hair, or what your wearing." I added softly.
That seemed to make them feel better.
One of the boys walked up to me and took a seat at the chair next to my head. "It's me, Two-Bit."
I shut my eyes and tried to remember what he looked like. "Oh, ya. Hey."
"You've been in here a long time," he said quietly, stroking back my long hair. "You know how long?"
"Three days." I said, and opened my eyes.
They were staring at each other.
"What?"
"It's been two weeks." Two-Bit said.
I froze and my breathing stopped. "Jason…"
"He left the day after you got to the hospital. You awoke after a week of getting here."
Oh God. Yesterday…or, what I thought was yesterday. He was gone for a whole week, not a few hours. How could I sleep that long?
"We thought you were dead, because they wouldn't let us see you." said a different person.
"Oh, just in case you don't know," Two-Bit whispered. He was holding my hand and stroking my palm with his thumb. "That's Steve and Darry."
"I thought so." I muttered. "I didn't recognize their voices."
"You gave us a damn scare. Soda's been out for three days. They said you need another week, though. But they won't tell us why you got it worse."
"Because my skull," I reminded him. "Because I cracked my skull and I lost a lot more blood before the ambulance got there. What happened to my car?"
"Totaled."
"The Socs?"
"The guy that hit you is in jail till you're good enough to go to court. Said that if he really did do this, he'll get from twenty to life. For attempted murder."
I took a deep breath. "Good."
He stroked my wrapped arm. "I better go. We only get ten minutes each, and Pony will freak if I take up a minute of his time."
"Thanks, Two-Bit." I said.
He smiled. At least, I think he smiled. "Why? I didn't do anything."
"You were my friend." I whispered.
He nodded and they left.
Two more people came in.
"Hey Cal."
I looked at them as they sat down on the chairs next to me.
"Two-Bit said you can't see too well…"
"No." I said.
"Just so you know, it's…"
"Johnnycake and Colt. I know." I whispered, and smiled. "I'm glad you guys came to see me."
They blinked.
"How did you know it was us?" Johnny asked softly.
"I'd know you two if I was blind." I said. "Thanks Pony, for beating up that guy."
He stroked my cheek. "You're welcome." He didn't look too good himself. His face was burnt, black like Two-Bit had joked.
Johnny looked me over. "You haven't been able to smoke lately, have you?"
"Not for three days. I mean, two weeks." I corrected myself. "Hasn't been so bad. After seeing what happened to my car, I don't think I want to be around fire for a long time."
Ponyboy smiled. "I'm glad you're alive."
"How's Soda?"
"Fine. Sorry like hell, but fine."
"Natalie?"
Pony looked at Johnny. "Still somewhere in the city. I forgot where. Soda went to meet her yesterday."
I looked away. "I'm sorry about what happened to the necklace, Johnnycake." I whispered, tears filling my closed eyes.
He looked at the stand. "It's okay."
"No it ain't." I whispered.
"Have your parents come to see you?" Pony asked.
I shook my head and turned back to look at them. "No. Dad's still in France till…what's today?"
Pony thought a moment. "Friday."
"Two weeks after…Eh…" I went white. "He should have been back a week ago…"
They looked at each other.
"I'm sure no one told him, he probably just doesn't know." Johnny said.
"No, he knows. I know it. And my mom, why the hell isn't she here…" I took a sharp breath.
Pony gently took my hand. "Everything will be ok…"
I looked at him and tried to get a better grip on his hand, but I couldn't. I knew that if he dropped my hand, I wouldn't be able to try and get a hold of it again. "I know."
A nurse poked her head into the room. "Times up, boys."
I looked at her as she left. "That was fast."
"You still aren't in stable condition, they said." Johnny whispered as he stood up.
I watched him. "I'm sorry again, Cake."
He smiled at the nickname. "Think up a better name, and I'll call it even." He nodded his head to Pony and left.
"I love him." I whispered.
Pony's eyes went wide and he stared at me.
I chuckled. "Hell, not like that, Colt. Like the brother I never had."
He sighed.
"Jealous, eh?"
He blushed under that burnt skin. "Shut up."
"Don't tell me to shut up," I whispered, and my finger stroked his palm.
He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?"
I swallowed and nodded. "Goodbye,"
"Bye." He smiled softly and left the room.
I swallowed and took a deep breath.
"You're mother's here to see you." the nurse said to me just the moment Pony was leaving.
I scowled. "I don't want to see her."
Pony froze and turned his eyes to stare at me.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"I said I don't want to see her." I scowled, and turned my head.
Pony left the room and watched the scene of the nurse telling my mom the news.
My mom burned. "What do you mean she doesn't want to see me?! I'm her mother!"
"I'm sorry, but we have to acknowledge her request." The nurse said.
My mom turned and spotted Ponyboy and Johnny and the others. "She won't see me, but she sees those boys all she wants? She's turning into a hoodlum!"
More like a greaser. Pony thought as he left with his friends.
*
When I finally got home a week later, my mom acted like it never happened. But every time she saw the burns, she kept telling me to stay away from those 'hood' boys.
I'd just roll my eyes and leave anyway.
Pretty soon I never acted nor dressed like a Soc. My trademark was becoming my baggy pants and my Dragonball Z T-shirts with rolled up sleeves. I had cut my long black hair to the middle of my back and died it a dirty blonde. Actually, I didn't die it. I stopped dying it, and it went back to its normal color.
This morning was no different. I pulled my hair into a tight ponytail and brushed out my bangs. I pulled on my baggy pants and DBZ t-shirt, rolled up the sleeves, slipped on my skates, and went outside. "I'm gonna go for a ride, later mom!" I yelled.
She didn't respond, like always.
I glided down the hill with my sunglasses on top of my head, even though it was close to night, and went down the street. I don't know where I was going; I was just out for a stroll.
I ran into Johnny and smiled at him. "Hey Cake!"
He blushed. "I thought I asked you to get me a new nickname."
I laughed. "But that look on your face is priceless!"
"Hey, I was just going to see Ponyboy. Wanna come?"
"Sure!" I said, and followed him down a number of streets till we got to Ponyboy's house.
He went up to the door as I took off my skates. "Ponyboy!" he called.
"In here, Johnny." Came a sullen voice.
I blinked. I put my skates against the wall and walked into the room behind Johnny.
Johnny looked down at Pony, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch with something in his hands. "You ok Pony?"
"Tell me something Johnny…" Pony said. "You were the closest to Cal out of all of us. Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah. She's right behind me."
Pony whirled and stared at me.
I blushed and bit my bottom lip. "Eh, I just cut my hair and…"
As if deaf to the world, Ponyboy jumped up and embraced me. "God, I'm so glad to see you."
I flustered and hugged him back. "Good to see you too, Colt."
He let go of me, and without even letting me in on it, he kissed me on the lips gently.
My eyes jolted and I blinked madly. But his eyes were closed and his arms wrapped around my waist.
I smiled and gently kissed him back. I ran my hand through his hair and closed my eyes.
Johnny smiled at us and looked around. No one else was downstairs.
I let go of Pony, and he looked at me.
He blushed madly when he realized what he had done.
I smiled and laughed softly. "Something wrong?"
"Not as long as you're here." He said.
The theme of Zelda suddenly sounded, and Pony groaned. He let go of me and stepped back.
I smiled at him and flicked opened my cell. "Yellow?"
"Callisto, it's your mother."
I blinked. "Yeah? What is it?" I glanced at Pony then Johnny.
"I'm speaking to your father right now on the other line, and he thinks we should move back home."
"To NY?" I asked.
"Yes, honey. You need to be packed by the end of the week."
"Just, pick up and leave? Like nothing ever happened?"
"I thought you'd be happy?"
"Happy?!" I yelled, and whirled around so the boy's would only see my back. "What the hell made you think I would be happy?"
"That attitude and mouth of yours are exactly why we're moving back."
"Go back on your own! I ain't going!"
She gasped. "What, you think we're going to leave you here?"
"Why not?"
"Whom would you stay with?"
"Friends."
"Friends?" she paused. "You're with them right now, aren't you? You're with those hoodlums!"
I blinked. "They are not hoodlums!"
"Come home right now young lady!"
"No way!"
"We're going and that's that!"
"No, it is not that! Don't I get a say in this?!"
She paused. "I'm packing right now. I suggest you come home and start packing." There was a click, and a buzz. She hung up.
I clenched the cell phone so tight I thought I would crunch it.
"What's going on?" Johnny asked.
I slowly put the cell into my pocket. I turned to them, burning and crying at the same time.
Pony's eyes jumped. "What is it?" he took a step towards me.
I swallowed. "We're leaving. We're going back to New York. At the end of this week…" I turned swiftly and ran from the house. I grabbed my skates and didn't bother to put them on as I sprinted down the street towards the beach.
Ponyboy turned his eyes to Johnny.
Johnny swallowed.
"She's leaving."
"She doesn't want to. You heard her…"
"She's leaving." Pony turned away and ran up to his room.
She's probably just doing this because I'm hurt! That's all. Because I got burned. But that was all the Socs fault! Not Pony's or Johnny's… That's mom for you. She's a Soc, too. Of course she'll take their side. I sprinted down the sidewalk and rested for just enough time to get my skates on and I quickly headed towards the beach again.
I didn't know where I was going. Maybe I'd run away. I wasn't going back to New York for all the money in the world. When I got the beach in sight, I didn't bother stopping. I hung a right down a street and headed towards what looked like a school. There was an old lot behind there, that was where Johnny hung out. I went through the school property and came to a halt when I came to the beginning of the lot. I pulled the skates off and ran out onto the grass part. I didn't have my cigarettes with me; otherwise I would have thrown it into the grass and let it burn around me.
Johnny wasn't there. That was just peculiar. Then I remembered that he was at Pony's.
I collapsed to my knees and put my head on the ground. I started crying and didn't even really know why. I hugged my arms against my chest and fell over on my side.
Tears poured down my cheeks and something chimed.
I looked down at my chest and eyed the dolphin necklace. I griped it in my hand and cried even harder. I'd pay Johnny back for the necklace. I'd give him twice what I thought it had cost.
