Title- Dealing with It

Chapter Title- Don't Go

Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders

Reviewers-

XAmberX- It's okay, I made you guys wait for this. One thing, please don't use the word gay like that… I have a thing about the word gay being used in a negative way. One of my best friends happens to be gay and it really hurts.

RangerDan- I don't hate people that are gay or bi, as I said… one of my best friends is.

Tikagem- You think twice a day is a lot? I am constantly checking my e-mail. I have this thing about it and I need to.

darkravenX0- Okay, that girl, she was a senior: Diana Cepeda… she was hit by a car Tuesday night and killed. It's actually quite sad, I didn't know her though.

Note- A lot of talking this chapter. Yay for Josh and Ronnie, I love those two. 'Course I should, I made them. Also, I am sorry this took a while. My mother was bitching about the housework not getting done. She told me I wasted my life away glued to the computer screen. I was banned from the computer until I did my chores. Luckily, I got them done quickly because I knew you wanted to find out what happened to Ronnie, Nate, and Josh. I got a Green Day poster… finally! And my My Chemical Romance CD! So, without further ado, here is Chapter 15 of Dealing with It, Don't Go...

That weekend Nate and I were supposed to baby-sit Winnie. I was a nice sister and invited over Josh. Nate groaned when I told him. He had the full responsibility of demon-child. Josh came over around 10, after everybody left and Nate was coloring with Winnie. He stuck his tongue out at me and I smiled. I figured Josh and I would go in my parents' room, the one place Winnie knew not to go in.

"This sucks, what can we do? We can't go out, you're 'baby-sitting', we can't watch television because it's in the living room and that's where the monster is." He looked at me and placed his arm over my shoulder. Just being with him was nice.

"We can sit here and talk," I suggested.

"Talk about what?" he asked. "We've talked about everything."

"Yeah," I answered and sighed. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I really like being with you Ronnie," he told me. I smiled. And then, something clicked.

"Holy shit!" I said loudly, but not loud enough for Winnie to hear.

"What is it?" he asked me, looking genuinely concerned.

"My ERP," I said. He looked confused. "For my OCD," I explained.

"Aren't you doing that right now, by touching me and not going to wash your hands?" he asked. The day after we got back together again, I explained to him my OCD and I briefly went into my ERP. I smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so." Then he kissed me.

"You're doing very well," he joked.

"Yeah," I replied and kissed him back. Then he kissed me again, this time it wasn't on the cheek. It was on the lips and it wasn't the same as when he first kissed me back in school. It was longer, deeper, more passionate I guess. Then, I heard it.

"Veronica," Winnie called. "I made a pretty picture for you!" Josh didn't seem to care that she was probably coming closer, neither did I. She shouldn't come into this room. "Nathaniel," she shrieked. I broke away from Josh and stared at her. Why did she come in here?

"Yeah Winnie?" he asked her. Then he looked up and saw me blushing. I was cherry red and I started to giggle.

"What are you doing in Auntie Jessica's room?" she asked. She never said Uncle Sodapop. I never heard her say it. She never said Soda or Sodapop at all. Maybe she didn't like that name.

"Nothing, uh, don't worry about it," I told her.

"I know what you were doing, you were kissing. Ew, gross," she said. "I'm gonna tell!" she yelled and started to run around the house. Nate looked at us and laughed.

"Sucks to be you," he told me. I gave him the finger. Josh laughed at us arguing.

"We weren't just kissing; we were doing my OCD treatment."

"Mom isn't going to believe that."

"I know, but I was informing you," I told him. Winnie came back into the room and stood near Josh, staring right at him.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Josh," he answered.

"What's your full name?" she asked him.

"Josh Holden," he replied.

"Is Josh short for somethin'?" she questioned. She had gotten that from her mother. She never used nicknames. It was the oddest thing. She called Two-Bit Keith, just like her mother had.

"Yeah, Joshua," he told her.

"Okie Dokie," she shouted and ran around the house again. "Joshua and Veronica sitting in a tree," she sang. We just laughed and went into the living room. Now that she found out, we could watch television or something.

We had finally gotten her to be quiet when mom came home. Winnie looked at the door, probably expecting to see her mom with mine. She turned towards the television frowning. Then she gasped, like she remembered something. She got up and ran over to my mom.

"Auntie Jessica, Auntie Jessica," she said, bouncing up and down. Did Nate give her sugar?

"Yes Winnie?" mom asked. She looked at Nate and me. We both shrugged.

"I found Veronica and Joshua in your room!" she shouted. Mom looked at us confused. "That's not all," she screamed.

"Really?" mom asked. She moved away from the door.

"Yeah, they were KISSING!" she screamed. Uncle Steve and dad walked in as soon as she said kissing. I turned cherry red again and sank in the couch. Dad and Steve looked at mom, confused.

"What?" she said looking at Josh and I. "Veronica, Lynn, Curtis," she said. There was a breath between each name. "You know how much is wrong with that? First off, my room is off limits, you've known that since you had your own room. Second, you were supposed to be baby-sitting your cousin with Nate. Third, you never asked if Josh could come over and fourth, you kissed him!" she shouted.

"I should go now," Josh said nervously.

"Yeah, Winnie and I are going to go," Steve said picking up Winnie. "I'll give you a ride," he told Josh as they walked out. Nate went into our room and I sat on the couch. I picked my legs up and hugged them close to my body."

I'm sorry," I said, close to crying.

"I thought, we thought, you broke up with Josh," she said.

"We got back together, but we didn't tell you guys because of the whole money thing," I answered.

"I don't know what to do to you about your lying. Oh, I know how about you go to work with your dad tomorrow. Soda, this time she has to go. No bringing her to her friend's house. It's a punishment." Dad nodded and I groaned. "Go to your room until dinner."

"I'm gonna hate you for this," I told her.

"Oh well," she replied and went into the kitchen to start making dinner. I stomped off into the bedroom and sat on the bed.

"I'm going to work with dad," I told Nate. Nate frowned; he hates it when he has to watch Winnie by himself. "Oh stop complaining," I said to him and smacked the back of his head with a pillow. "Look, I think I'm going out. Cover for me?" He nodded. It wasn't hard to cover for me when I was punished. All he had to do was say I was really mad and I didn't want to come out. "Two hours at the most," I told him. That would mean I had to be back around seven.

I opened the window and climbed out. I started walking down the road to Josh's house when I saw him coming. I ran over to him and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry," he told me.

"Don't be," I answered.

"I hate your mom," he told me. I stepped back.

"I do too, but, why?" I wanted to know.

"She called my dad. He wants us to break up again. He's furious with me and now he doesn't want us to be friends." I hugged him again. I started to cry. This wasn't fair, not at all.

"I'm not breaking up with you, ever. I like you too much," I told him. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I like you a lot too, that's why I'm running away. I don't need to listen to him."

"Don't do that for me," I begged him.

"I want to." I backed out of his hug again. Tears were running down my cheeks. I could taste the salty liquid on my lips. He wiped them away and kissed me.

"I'm coming with you," I told him afterwards.

"You can't, I don't want you hurt," he answered.

"Where are you going?"

"Away," he replied.

"Josh, I'm coming with you!" I shouted.

"No, I don't know where I'm going or when I'm coming back. You need to stay here."

"You're leaving town?" I nearly choked on my tears.

"Yeah, but Ronnie, I'm doing this for us. I'll be back. I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I replied. He kissed me.

"I'll always be yours," he said. "I need to go." I grabbed his arm and tried to stop him. He gave me another kiss and left me there, crying. I watched him head back to the West-side. As soon as he turned a corner I headed back home. I climbed back in through the window and cried.

"Why can't we be together?" I whispered to nobody. I cried myself to sleep that night.

I am not lazy so here is your clip like thing. By-the-way I have this story finished; now you just need to review. It's approximately 26 chapters.

I tried to beg dad to let me go off. I could protect myself, I hit kids. (Not that I am proud of that.) Well, whatever mom bribed or threatened dad with, must've worked good. He was not going to let me go off and I tried everyway I could. If I told him I wanted to go to the store to get some soda, he'd buy me one at the gas station. If I said I wanted to get some air, he came outside with me.

I had a plan to get out of the smelly, germy as station. It was very simple, wait for dad to go to the bathroom. Uncle Steve took off today because Winnie was feeling sick, so he wasn't here to keep an eye on me. After lunch dad had to use the toilet. I quickly ran out so he couldn't catch me.

I headed towards the West-side. I was going to march right up to the Holden's door and demand to know why Josh couldn't hang around us. As I walked there, I got nervous. I almost turned back before I realized dad would be pissed.

There you go. I hope you enjoy it.