This was a bit rushed and well, not my best. But review it anyway!

On the way home from church mom told me to ask Johnny over for dinner.

"Sure" I said. I would've do that anyway, without her asking. He was always over on the weekend. When we got to the house, dad said "baby, we're going to that new store in town to get some groceries and things. We wont be long ok."

"Ok. Just get me some pepsi ok."

I walked in the house to find Dally and Two-Bit sitting on the floor, each with a beer in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth. Steve and Soda were stretched out on the couch. They all looked like zombies, staring at the TV, their faces expressionless.

"You guys seen Johnny?" I asked not really expecting an answer.

"na we aint seen him" Soda answered without looking away from the TV.

"Pony wheres your parents?" Dally asked.

"They went to get some groceries" I said. There wasn't much action happening at home so I left.

I found Johnny in the lot just sitting there staring at the sky. When I got closer I realised that he was beaten. His left eye was swollen shut and his nose was bleeding. He didn't seem to notice I was there.

"Johnny?" I said after a while.

"Huh? Pony? How you doing, man" he said as though there was absolutely nothing wrong.

"What happened to you Johnny?"

"My old man. He didn't like the way I was sitting on the couch"

My heart jumped in my chest. How is it possible that a man could treat his kid like that?

"Hey my mom wants you over for dinner"

"I can't let her see me like this" Johnny said pointing to his face. He looked ashamed. I felt like crying for him.

"Come on Johnny, she'll be really upset with you if you don't come. Move it!" I said pulling him up off the ground.

We sat in the park for a while then walked back to the house. We took our time because I was explaining to Johnny what the sermon was about that day. By the time we got home it was already dark and when we walked it, everyone was in the exact same position as when I left.

"Mom and dad aint home yet?" I asked Soda.

"Nope. I don't know what's taking them so long. Where did you say they went?"

"To the new 'Food for less' shop in town."

"Well it shouldn't take this long right?"

Just then Darry walked in.

"Hey ya'll" he said and plopped down onto the couch next to Steve.

We sat there watching TV. All of us except Two-Bit and Dally who went roaming with Tim Shepard.

The hours dragged on for a long time then I realised that we'd all fallen asleep in front of the TV and that I dreamed that I was waiting. I got up and checked the time. It was 2am.

I went straight to mom and dad's room but there was no one there.

"Darry, Darry!" I said shaking him. He was still sitting on the couch next to Steve with his work clothes on.

"What is it?"

"Mom and dad still aren't home. Its 2am!" he shot up into the air. "What? are you sure?"

Suddenly the whole house was up in confusion. Steve and Soda were both walking around trying to think of where they could be and Darry was telling them to calm down. Johnny just sat there without saying a word.

Maybe they got lost. Maybe they ran out of gas. Maybe…

It didn't occur to me that anything really bad could've happened to them. Until the phone rang.