Boo Yah! Angst-y-ness! I think… we'll see what comes out of my fingers.

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Chapter Four

Johnny woke up aching later in the day. The house was too quiet to be the Curtis house, but he realized it must have been because Ponyboy was slumped over in a chair, asleep by Johnny's bedside.

"Ponyboy? Hey, Pony, wake up," Johnny whispered, mustering all his energy to shake Ponyboy awake. Ponyboy's eyes opened, bleary.

"Hey," he answered. "We didn't think you'd wake up till tomorrow morning."

"Where's everyone?"

Ponyboy tried to look at Johnny levelly. The injured boy was sitting upright in bed, staring at Ponyboy quizzically. He still didn't know about Andi's taking off. Ponyboy licked his lips, trying to find the best way to break the news to Johnny gently.

"Well, um… Darry and Soda aren't home right now, and Andi… Andi…" Ponyboy couldn't bring himself to say it. Johnny's gaze turned from questioning to alarmed.

"T-the Socs in the blue Mustang… they didn't…" Johnny said, trying to climb out of bed. Ponyboy gently pushed him back down.

"No, it wasn't the Socs. She saved you, Johnny… but…"

"But?" Johnny had gone pale.

"But she's gone," Ponyboy said hastily, suddenly wanting this uncomfortable conversation to be finished as soon as possible. He stared at his hands. "She left for school, a special school for mutants."

"Mutants?" Johnny frowned. "Andi's not a mutant."

Ponyboy took a deep breath and began to go into Andi's story in detail. He explained how she had saved Johnny's life, the jets of water that came from her hands, the visitors that arrived during lunch, and Andi's departure. Johnny gaped, horror and dismay mingling on his face. He couldn't- wouldn't- believe Andi would leave without saying goodbye to him. Ponyboy had an explanation for that, too, but it wasn't very good.

"Darry didn't want us to wake you up," Ponyboy said. The words sounded even lamer coming out of his mouth. Pony glanced up a moment at Johnny who looked like he didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or be stunned. "Andi said she'd write and call whenever she could. She'll come down and visit us, too."

"Yeah… okay…" Johnny said. He sounded a little distant, and his mind seemed to be wandering elsewhere. "Where'd you say this school was?"

"It's in New York."

"New York?!"

"She said she'd write and call and visit whenever she could. It's not like she abandoned us, you know," Ponyboy said, trying to make Johnny feel better.

"Yeah," Johnny murmured softly, "of course not."

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Andi gazed wonderingly at the room that was hers, and hers alone. It was more massive than anything she could ever imagine, but maybe that was just the years of sharing a room talking. She had her own desk, closet, and best of all, a bookshelf laden with books. She ran her hands over all the new items she had acquired, bounced on the bed a couple of times, and then lay back to stare at the ceiling. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, a burst of acrid purple smoke erupted in the room.

"Ah… I was wondering when you would be arriving."

Andi nearly screamed at the skinny indigo figure that appeared in her room once the smoke had cleared. Closer inspection revealed that the devilish looking creature was wearing priest clothes. Andi stared at him in more in wonder than fear now that she realized he wasn't a demon.

"Yes… I get that reaction a lot," the creature said, his fangs flashing as he grinned. His pointed tail waved around behind him like a snake. He offered Andi a three-fingered hand. "My name is Kurt. Kurt Wagner."

"You're accent…" Andi said, frowning a little as she tried to figure it out.

"Is German," Kurt answered. Andi shook his hand. "You must be Andi, Terry's little sister?"

Andi nodded. It was funny that now she had not only another older brother but a little sister as well.

"The Professor would like me to be your guide until you can find your way around."

"Thank you, Father."

"Please," Kurt said, grinning again as he cocked an eyebrow, "call me Kurt."

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Several months had passed, and Andi had remained true to her word. She sent a letter home to each one of the gang at least once a week. She told everyone how she was doing at school, new people she had met since getting there, and she also reassured everyone she would be back for Christmas. Everyone who could usually responded soon after her letters arrived.

Johnny, however, had not been doing well.

Since the incident with the Socs, Johnny had recovered relatively well save for a scar that now ran across his cheek, due to a deep cut from one of the Socs. The leader Soc had worn a lot of rings, and that was what had injured Johnny so badly. He was now afraid of his own shadow, of being jumped again. He carried a six inch switchblade so as to protect himself from any future attacks. Had Andi known this, she would have never let him buy it, but she didn't know, and no one remembered to tell her.

One evening, after going to the movie with Ponyboy and Two-Bit and picking up some Soc girls along the way, Johnny lay in the empty lot, staring at the stars and feeling rather lonely. He knew something was missing. Ponyboy had left a few minutes earlier, very late for the strict curfew set by Darry, but it was something else. Johnny turned onto his side and attempted to go back to sleep. Loud footsteps slapped their way across the sidewalk, and Johnny's eyes snapped open immediately again.

"Come on, Johnny, we're going."

It was Ponyboy; his face was streaked with tears and there was a large red welt swelling on his face. Johnny didn't argue, and the two of them ran all the way to the park on the other side of the neighborhood before Ponyboy couldn't run any longer. He leaned over, panting and sobbing at the same time.

"You okay, Pony?" Johnny asked softly.

"Darry… Darry… he hit me."

"Darry?" Johnny said, shocked and puzzled. "Shoot, kid, Darry'd never hit you."

"Naw," Ponyboy said bitterly between sniffles, "he'd never hit me when Andi was around, but not even Soda can stop Darry's temper like Andi could."

Johnny silently agreed. He stayed quiet a little longer, allowing Pony to regain his composure. It was what Andi would have wanted him to do, Johnny realized. She would want him to take care of her little brother.

"You feel good enough to go home?"

"Sure," Ponyboy sniffed.

They began to make their way to the Curtis home. Johnny offered Ponyboy his jacket, but the younger boy politely refused, despite the fact that he was only wearing a t-shirt. They were making their way past the fountain in the park when a blue Mustang peeled into the street. Johnny and Ponyboy both froze. They had seen the car earlier that evening when they had offered to take home the Soc girls they met at the theater. It was Ponyboy's second time seeing the car, but Johnny felt a tremble of fear. He began shaking madly until Pony realized what was scaring Johnny so much. These were the same Socs that had beaten Johnny up before.

The Socs jumped out of the car. Johnny stared wildly at the Soc with all the rings. One of the Soc girls had said his name was Bob, and that he was her boyfriend. The Socs didn't look very sober to Johnny.

"You're way off your turf, Soc," he managed to strangle toughly out of his throat.

"So? What're you gonna do about it, greaser?" the Soc slurred back. "What'd you think you were doing with my girl earlier tonight, huh? Take 'em."

"Johnny!"

Johnny's eyes flashed in Ponyboy's direction. Two of the Socs had taken each of his arms and were dragging him, kicking and screaming, towards the fountain. Johnny's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he began to take a step in that direction. The ringed Soc stepped firmly in his way.

"And where do you think you're going?"

A loud splash was heard, and although Johnny couldn't see what was happening, he had a good idea.

"Get out of my way," Johnny said quietly, his voice suddenly going cold. He was numb with fear.

"Excuse me? I don't think I heard you right, grease." Bob placed a hand behind his ear as if he hadn't heard Johnny the first time. There was a loud struggling issuing behind the large Soc, and the last thing Johnny needed was for Ponyboy to die. "I don't think that jumping we gave you last time left a very lasting impression."

Johnny didn't have time to realize that Bob still remembered jumping him because Bob and the other two Socs that weren't preoccupied with drowning Pony suddenly pounced on him. Johnny had to defend himself this time. There was no way he was going to let some drunk Socs drown Ponyboy. He could only think of how devastated Andi would be if her younger brother died. He held his ground, but was being pummeled mercilessly. Johnny realized with sudden shock and horror that the splashing was slowing down, meaning that Ponyboy was losing consciousness. In a wildly fluid motion, he whipped out his switchblade and stabbed blindly at the nearest Soc, which happened to be Bob.

Everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion as Bob stumbled backwards a few steps, eyes wide with shock. The park suddenly became very quiet as the Socs froze until Bob fell on his knees and onto the sidewalk. His friends realized what had happened.

"That kid," one Soc said, pointing in Johnny's direction, "he stabbed Bob!"

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Andi sat up with a start. She glanced at the clock by her bedside. The glowing blue numbers read 4:45 AM. Andi was covered in a cold sweat. Something wasn't right, and it left her feeling nervous and worried. She shivered and snuggled back into her covers, putting whatever it was out of her mind for the moment.