"Ponyboy?" I whispered. Ponyboy remained stationary. My tears bean to drop onto his face. I stroked his cheek. Quietly, the hospital nurse stepped in. I swirled around to look at her. A condolatory smile wiped her face.

"He your little brother?" she asked softly. I glanced at her, sniffling. I couldn't bring myself to say he was my boyfriend, as he Idid/I look a couple of years younger than me, so I silently nodded. She walked towards me, wiping the tears off of my face.

"Now don't you cry," she said, "He'll be just fine, I told your other two brothers, Darryl, and what's his name, Sodapop?--that the bullet didn't kill him. It just weakened him. He'll be outta' here faster than you can blink." She smiled. I smiled back at her, leaning down to kiss Ponyboy gently on the cheek.

As I walked back out, Soda, Darry, Johnny, Two-Bit, and Steve came hurtling in. I heard the nurse sigh.

"I talked to your sister," she said to either Darry or Soda. I laughed when Soda replied, "We don't got a sister."

I saw May-Sarah rushing in through the main door. She was panting. "Hi May!" I said gleefully. She looked at me as one does to a maniac.

"Are you high!?" she inquired wildly. I shook my head. "Glory! Pony's dying and you're Ismiling/I?" I shook my head again.

"He's gonna be Ok, May! He's gonna be Ok!!!" I laughed. May's face erupted into smiles. She whooped, oblivious to the several heads that had turned to stare at her.

"Yes!" she cried. She pulled my arm, and, ignoring the nurse's shouts, we ran to Pony's ward.

"Hey guys." a weak gasp greeted us. It was Ponyboy! I squeaked with glee. "IPonyboy/I!!" I cried. However, the nurse put a hand up.

"Alright, who are you? You ain't Ponyboy's sister, are you?" she hissed, expecting me to nod in cowardice. My smile didn't so much as falter.

"No! I'm his girlfriend!" I said. Ponyboy smiled. ".Sister." he gasped, "That's funny."

The nurse laughed, and then walked out of the room. "May!" cried Johnny, rushing forward to hug her. She blushed. "Hey Johnny, hey guys!" she said cheerfully. The gang smiled. Ponyboy grinned weakly. I noticed that Darry was leaning against the wall, panting, his eyes closed. Perspiration slid freely down his face.

"Darry, are you Ok?" I asked. He nodded to the ceiling. Soda breathed deeply. "Just anxiety. We almost lost Ponyboy." he said.

Darry suddenly looked at me. "Cherry," he said, "Dally shot Ponyboy. Have you got any idea why?" he asked curiously. I began to shiver.

"Yeah." I said nervously. Suddenly, the room got quiet, and every pair of eyes was on me.

"Dally's a psychopath." I muttered to the tile floor. "He said he'd kill Ponyboy if I rejected him." I said. Darry gasped.

"You know," he said, "Dally's been a little out there lately," he continued, "Maybe he's been sniffin' the weeds." Darry's sentence trailed. I shrugged, still murmuring to the pearly white floor. Ponyboy shattered the deafening silence that followed Darry's shocking revelation.

"Who cares? So Dally's a nutcase." I jerked my head towards him. "Ponyboy!" I gasped, "He nearly killed you!" I cried. Ponyboy shook his head. "I don't care! I'm alive, and that's why I'm happy." Everything went silent as we all stared at Ponyboy. "I mean," he continued, "I could have died."

A smile began to form on my lips, and I was slapped with comprehensive gratitude. Ponyboy Iwas/I alive. I ran to his bed and dropped to my knees so we were face to face. I leaned forward, and delicately kissed him, a kiss lighter than butterfly wings; a kiss with an air hardly distinguishable from the weight of my heart.