AN: I meant to post this earlier but my computer has been messing up…not to mention life is being a bitch to me.

*

The next morning I woke up around 11 o'clock, later then most times. I sat up and stretched before throwing my legs over the side of the bed.

When I moved, the slight pain in my side reminded me of what I did last night…the flame dancer.

I stood up, maybe a little too fast cause I got dizzy, I quickly sat down to catch my breath and get my eyes in focus.

"Pony!" Someone called my name and I looked to see Steve standing in the doorway, his mouth covered with chocolate. "Darry told me to come and- geeze kid you okay? You're all pale and shit." He stepped towards me but didn't touch me.

"Yea, I'm fine. Stood up too fast I guess."

"Well, you have two hours until your appointment. So, Darry wants ya' up now." With that he turned to leave glancing over his shoulder before his disappeared.

I stood up again, slower this time and shuffled to the bathroom. Once inside I shut the door and my hand subconsciously went to the door knob wanting to lock it.

No locks you idiot. The voice reminded me.

I sighed again and let my hand drop to my side. I went over to the bath tub and placed the stopper over the drain and began filling the tub up with water.

I began to undress with difficulty, over the last couple of days every joint in my body started to hurt. Really bad…I had guessed it was because I was in bed a lot.

Finally after maybe 3 minutes the last piece of clothing fell to the floor.

I was starting to unwrap the gauze around my left arm when I notice how different my body looked.

I ran my chest to my stomach….my ribs were showing…a lot.

My stomach was sunked in, my help bones stuck out….

Skin…Bones…and scars. That was my body.

I looked into the mirror. Man, I do look like shit. My face was pale, I had large dark circles around my eyes…Was this what the guys saw everyday?

I sore my eyes away from the mirror when I noticed the tub was about to over flow. I took the stopper out to let out some of the water and got in.

The warm water ease the aches of my bones…and I sighed with mental pleasure.

Wouldn't you like to feel like this all of the time? Relaxed…? Just let the water take you…take you away from the pain…

The voice was soothing…so soothing I wanted to listen…I had to listen.

I shut my eyes and sunk under the warm water, holding my breath tight.

Oh boy the water it felt so good…just feeling the liquid just envelope me. It felt as if I was in a warm fuzzy blanket in the middle of a snowy winter. I was under until my lungs screamed at me for air...and for a second, I wanted to ignore them. I wanted to just keep holding my breath until my heart stopped…stopped, ending all my pain.

Yes, just stay…stay under…

I didn't hear the voices calling my name

I didn't hear the knocking on the door…

I didn't hear the door open…

But, I did hear the scream…

I was roughly pulled out of the water before I knew it. "What the hell are you doing?!" Soda was screaming at me, holding my roughly by the shoulders…Soda was never rough with me.

"I…I…I dunno." I stared into his eyes…his scared eyes. Had I scared him that badly? "Sorry…I just…"

He cut me off by hugging me. "Oh God, I got so scared when you didn't answer us calling you…I thought…"

"Hush Sodapop, would gonna' get your shirt all wet." I rolled on with what he was doing, I guess he really didn't realize what I was really doing.

He pulled back and I smiled at him.

"C'mon, you gotta get dressed." He said and stood up, picking up some clothes off the ground. "Here. I just ironed them…but I dropped them when…" He trailed off as he placed the clothes on the sink.

"Sorry…" I said again.

"Don't say that." He turned to look at me again.

"Um…Verzeihen Sie mir?" I tried, with a shrug, then I noticed that the others were standing outside the door. But I attempted not to notice them.

He started at me for a second. "What? Don't be using that Chinese on me."

"It's German, I said 'forgive me'."

"Oh shut up and get dressed." He laughed and left the bathroom, leaving the door ajar.

I pulled my self out of the bath tub and quickly dried myself off, before getting dressed. I attempted to comb and grease my hair without looking in the mirror…I didn't want that creature looking at me again.

That creature is you…

I know…

*

Darry and Soda were the only ones inside the kitchen when I entered. "Where's Steve and Two-Bit?" I asked looking around.

"They went home. Here sit and eat." Darry placed down a plate of eggs and bacon.

My stomach churned.

"Naw, I'm not hungry."

"You didn't eat yesterday at all." Darry was staring at me, his arms crossed. "And you're not hungry."

The crossed arms…I knew I shouldn't play with him. "Maybe I am…a little."

I sat down and spooned around with my eggs before I took a bite. My stomach didn't like that…it growled and bubbled.

I moaned slightly, which made Soda and Darry turn to look at me.

"Maybe I should stay with the bacon…my stomach doesn't like the eggs." I took a crispy piece of bacon and chewed on it, not really wanting it.

I managed to get 1.5 strips of bacon, half a biscuit and a sip or two of orange juice before I pushed my plate away.

"I'm stuff!" Soda gave me a look, but he didn't say again- which I was grateful for, but that didn't stop Darry from saying anything.

"You didn't even half of what's on your plate."

"I know…" I paused searching for something to say, "But, my stomach is acting up. I'll take some Tums or something when we get home. Any-who, isn't it time to go? Its almost 12:30?"

"Oh shoot, you're right." Darry took a large gulp of coffee, and headed out, Soda and me at his heels.

…That's when I noticed that both of them were "dressed out", Darry was wearing the one pair of black dress slacks he had and a neatly ironed white shirt, while Soda was wearing what looked to be crisp new jeans, a red t-shirt which was under a blue and red plaided blouse.

"Why are you guys so dressed up?" I found myself picking are my jeans that had a hole in the knee.

"Well, you're therapist called early yesterday morning, and asked us to come in." Darry said plucking the keys from the coffee table.

"And why didn't anyone inform me of this?" I was getting angry…or just scared.

"We jus thought you wouldn't mind, is all Pon?" Soda said as he ran his comb once more through his hair.

"Why does she want you guys there?" Alright, yep, I was scared.

"We don't know, she jus asked us to come. C'mon or we're gonna be late."

There was nothing I could say both of them were out the door, I could do nothing but follow.

*

The ride to the Therapist was long…Doctor Dawns office was about 30 minutes away from our house.

I stared straight ahead. Not seeing anything… My brain wouldn't stop thinking all the time…

Why…?

Why did she want them…?

I'm scare…very scared.

You're just a wimp!

Yes, I am.

You hate you're self…

Yes, I do.

Don't say anything to that doctor, she'll ruin everything…

I won't say anything.

Good, you're such a good boy.

No…I am not.

*

Well, the ending was dramatic! Hehe…remember the more reviews the faster chapters go up!