Disclaimer: I only own Bleu. And her parents (I forgot to mention them! Did I forget anyone else?) HOW ABOUT I JUST SAY: I don't own anyone you're familiar with. Okies? S.E. Hinton owns everyone/thing else. Oh, I guess I own Pete too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter 14: Bad News~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          I heard shouts of joy and I groggily woke up. Darry wrapped Pony up in a big hug and was apologizing over and over. Ponyboy gave Darry a weak smile and said everything was ok.

          I sat up and grinned. I remembered yesterday Johnny, Ponyboy and I had come in and everything was dark. Darry and Soda were asleep. Ponyboy crept upstairs and hit the sack while Johnny settled down on the couch. I grabbed a pillow and fell asleep on the floor. It was pretty temperate, so I figured I didn't need any sheets. The less I use, the less I have to fold.

          Two-Bit was sitting on the chair watching me. "So, Sleeping Beauty awakes!" he gave me a warm grin and walked over to me.

          I stood up and brushed off my pants. "Hey, Two-Bit. What's hanging?"

          "Eh, nothing here," he sat down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap. "I heard Mr. Timothy Shepard and Mr. Pete Gordon got into some trouble late, late last night. Did you hear what happened?"

          "At the park?" I was confused. We didn't get into trouble last night; the Socs drove off.

          "Nope. Word has it that Tim and Pete went walkin' over to The Way Out on West Side and killed a Soc."

          My face paled and I felt queasy. Ponyboy shot around to look at Two-Bit and I, and I heard a crash from the kitchen. Soda and Johnny came out and Johnny's eyes were wide. "Don't worry about it, Johnnycake. I'll clean it up," Soda offered, noticing the look on his face. Soda and Darry retreated to the kitchen while Johnny and Ponyboy gathered around Two-Bit and I. I heard Darry mutter, "Two dishes broken in two days…"

          Two-Bit was looking at Johnny and Pony. "What the hell is a matter with you? Its not like he knifed y'all!"

          I gulped. "Two-Bit, who did they kill and why?"

          Two-Bit thought for a moment. "Uh, that guy Bob…that redhead's boyfriend we met at the movies yesterday, Ponyboy. I don't know why they did it; Dally told me so this morning."

          Ponyboy crouched down and stared at the rug. "I think I'm gonna be sick," he muttered.

Johnny's voice was quivering as he asked, "He knifed him? With a switchblade?"

Two-Bit nodded. "Yep. As far as I know, which isn't very far," Two-Bit laughed at his own joke and continued, "Tim and Pete went over there and asked for Bob. Bob came out alone and the three of them got into a fight about something that happened at a park earlier. Then Bob slugged Pete across the face and cut him up pretty good with a fistful of rings, and was about to strangle him when Tim knifed him with his switchblade…' he turned to Ponyboy, "hey kid, you ok?"

Pony slowly looked up at him, then ran out into the hall and into the bathroom. I heard him heaving into the toilet.

Two-Bit blinked. "I guess not," he muttered to himself.

Johnnycake informed Two-Bit what happened last night. When Johnny was finished, Steve and Dally walked in the door. Dally wore a grim expression and sat down next to Two-Bit. Dally scowled at him, noticing that I was still on his lap.

"Dally, where's Tim and Pete?" I asked, turning to him. Two-Bit wrapped his arms around my waist and Dally glowered again. "I ain't tellin' nobody nothing," he said in a harsh voice, "The less people know where they are, the less trouble they can get in. Anyways, they made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone."

He stood up and walked out the door. I sprang up as well and walked out over to him. "Dally!" I cried, "Wait up a minute!"

He turned around to face me and lit up a cigarette. "What?"

"Where's Tim and Pete?"

He walked up to me and stood about an inch from my face. "I told you; I ain't tellin' no one."

"I have a right to know! It's probably all my fault they're in trouble anyhow!"

His eyebrows narrowed. "Yeah, actually it is."

That took my by surprise. Usually when people blame themselves, they expect everyone else to object, not agree.

I opened my mouth and probably looked like a fish. Dallas took a long drag on his cigarette and threw it on the patio before grinding it with his heel. He was about to walk to his car when I regained my voice.

"Dally!" I cried, close to tears. He must have heard it in my voice because he stopped walking and looked at the ground.

"Dally," I held back the tears, "Dally, can you please take me to see them?"

He was still facing away from me, but by his wandering eyes I figured he was thinking about it.

"Fine, you know what, if you don't wanna tell me…I'll be inside."

I opened the screen door and was about to walk in when an old Sting Ray pulled up to the house and some redhead Soc hopped out. I stiffened and let go of the door, but Dally walked over to her and started nuzzle his face into her hair. When he made a move to put his arm around her, I gasped and he turned around.

"Bleu, I thought you were going inside," he said, shocked. Then his eyes grew cold and he stared at me.

I couldn't believe it. Was this the same Dallas Winston that I told the story of my parents to? Who kissed me in the park? Who wanted Tim to hang out with me when he was gone?

Suddenly I was blinded by hurt, confusion and anger. "I hate you Dally!' I suddenly cried out, and ran into the house.

I couldn't keep the tears back any longer and they came down. I'm sure the gang saw me, but I didn't pay any attention and ran upstairs. I dashed into Soda and Ponyboy's room and collapsed on the bed crying. I don't know why Dally had driven me so close to the edge - looking back I shouldn't have let it get to me like that.

I heard a knock on the door. Johnny and Steve came walking in and sat down beside me on the bed. I sat up and Johnny gave me a hug while Steve smoothed my hair. "We saw what happened," Steve said.

"Cherry don't mean anything to him, Bleu," Johnny told me reassuringly, "She came over to yell at Dally. She said that Bob getting killed was all of his fault, which it wasn't. Bob and the rest of those Socs started the fight in the first place, but Tim and Pete didn't have to go over to The Way Out and look for a fight."

Steve interrupted Johnny. "Yeah, but Johnny, Bob was strangling Pete and Tim knifed Bob in self defense…doesn't that amount to anything?"

I wiped my tears and gave each of them a hug. "Thanks for coming up here, you guys."

Johnny and Steve each slung an arm around my shoulders and we headed downstairs. The Curtis brothers were sitting on the couch while Two-Bit was sitting on Darry's chair, bandaging his knuckles. They all looked up when we walked in.

"What happened to you?" Steve asked Two-Bit.

"Busted open my knuckles on Dally's head," Two-Bit said fiercely, "For hurtin' Bleu like that."

"Where's Dally now?" Johnny asked.

"Don't know, don't care."

I walked over to Two-Bit. "Are you ok?" I asked softly, staring at his wounded hand.

          He pulled me into his lap. "I'll live," he told me.

          Darry spoke up. "Dallas didn't mean to hurt you, Bleu."

          "Well he did, didn't he?" Two-Bit retorted at Darry. I looked at the ground. Ever since I came here everything was one big fight. That didn't make me feel too hot, and I turned to Soda. "Sodapop, can you take me somewhere?"

          Soda looked surprised for a minute, then agreed. We were driving for some time when Soda pulled into a local Dairy Queen.

          "Bleu," he whispered, as if he was going to give me vital information, "I know where Tim and Pete are."

OH! SUSPENSE! I am so cruel. ;)