Disclaimer- I do not own The Outsiders, they belong to Susan E. Hinton. I own Corey, and that's about it for this chapter. Lord, Susie even owns the polics officers, okay?

Chapter 12

Ponyboy and I walked to the lot. Before the two of us had left, I checked the time, and it was 10:20. So by the time we were settled in behind all the greasers that were lined up, it must have been about 10:30 or so. We made sure we were safely behind the tree.

"You don't think Darry is gonna notice us, do you?" Ponyboy kept asking. I would sigh, and say of course not. I looked around, my head ache starting to grow again.

"Pony, look... it's the Socs..." I said, wide eyed. I looked at their fancy new cars, parking all around. The Socs all piled out of the cars, their numbers seemed a little frightening to me. But then I looked back at the greasers, and realized that we were all evenly matched.

"Yea, I know," he said while staring at them also.

"Oh, your brother's talking to one of them!"

"Yea, I think they used to go to school together... I think maybe on the same foot ball team or something."

"Oh, Pony! They're starting to fight!" I told him, grabbing his arm. He looked down quickly, but didn't say anything. And then I just realized how short I was compared to him, even at the little age difference. It's weird how those little things pop up in the most unusual circumstances.

I watched all the greasers and Socs blend together in a mess of fists, legs, and heads. There had been a rain fall earlier, and the ground was covered with mud. I pulled Ponyboy a little back and

farther away from the fight. He followed, but stayed watching with what seemed like unblinking eyes.

"Corey, watch out!" Ponyboy yelled and pushed me. The next thing I knew, some one was on top of Ponyboy, punching his face in. I watched for a second while Ponyboy fought back, but obviously was losing. I came to reality and jumped on the guys back. I pulled his hair, and bit his arm so hard I could almost taste blood. I heard the Soc scream, and stand up, while I was still on his back. I slid very ungracefully to the ground, hitting it hard. I winced in pain, and closed my eyes. I felt something hard hit me in the ribs, I fell over, and something collided with my head. My head exploded as my head ache became unbearable. I opened my eyes, and saw Ponyboy staggering up.

"DON'T YOU HIT HER, ASS HOLE. WEREN'T YOU EVER TAUGHT NOT TO HIT GIRLS, BASTARD?" He yelled. But he was oblivious to the other Soc coming his way. One pushed him down on the ground, and the new one started kicking him multiple times in the head. I whimpered. I saw Tim Shepard grab the guys and throw them down on the ground, not even looking at me or Ponyboy.

The Socs started to thin, finally becoming no more in the lot. All of the greasers started cheering.

"Oh, Pony, we need to get back!" I said to him.

"Yea, come on, let's go." We turned around and ran straight into Dally. He looked down at the both of us.

"Hey come on, guys. We're gonna go see Johnny."

"We are? Okay, but Dal, when did you get here? I thought you were in the hospital," Ponyboy said as we followed him to his car. I got in the back seat, and Ponyboy got in the front next to Dallas.

"You didn't see me? I saw you guys behind the trees, just standing there... and... well anyways, I got there just as they started to fight. Corey are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Dallas, my head just hurts. And drive slower! You'll get us killed," I said anxiously, looking out the side windows. It had started to rain again. Suddenly a siren blasted behind us, and my head felt like it split ini two.

"Quick, Corey, get down and don't make a sound. Pony, act like... sick and hurt and everything. Just do it," Dallas said while he rolled down the window as the police officer stopped. I ducked down and breathed as little as I could. I heard Ponyboy cough, and Dally quiet him. Then Dally told him to cough more. It seemed like the officer took forever to come over to the car.

"Excuse me, sir, but do you know how fast you were going?" The cop said slowly, like he really didn't care.

"Um, no sir, I don't," Dallas said quickly.

"Well, you were going forty over the speed limit, and-"

"Well, not to be rude sir, but I've got my friend here, see, he umm... feel off his motorcycle. Yea, and umm, well I'm taking him to the hospital."

"Really? Do you need a escort? And- wait, who's this?" The officer asked while shiniing a light on me.

"Oh, her? That's ...umm... his girl friend. They were riding the motorcycle together" Dallas said with an almost pained face.

"Okay, here, just follow me, and you'll be at the hospital in no time." The officer walked away, got back on his motor cycle, and cleared a path for him.

We got to the hospital but Dallas was having a hard time to get the nurse to let us in to see Johnny. I started to cry, right then and there. I don't really know why, but I just did. Everything felt so overwhelming, and I couldn't keep up with life. And the thought about going to see Johnny again made me happy, but really sad at the same time. I didn't want to see him hurt.

"See, look? Why can't you just let us in, for her sake? Don't you see how much she wants to see him? Huh-" Dallas was saying to the nurse. Ponyboy held onto my shoulders and I sobbed more. My face was starting to feel sticky. A doctor came striding up to us fast, and interrupted Dallas.

"You can go see him, he's been asking for you guys. It can't hurt now," The doctor said. I wondered why it wouldn't hurt then. I was really confused.

We walked into Johnny's room slowly. He had been moved into a smaller room with less machines, but still a heart rate one. Johnny was laying on his pillow, and the only thing that moved when we came in was his head. Ponyboy's arms where still around me. I held the jean jacket close, it felt like there was a small draft. I looked over and the window was open, and wind was coming in, blowing Johnny's black hair around a little bit. He smiled when the three of us came to his side. Dallas sat right down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey Johnny, man. The rumble was awesome, I wish you could have been there, you'll make it next time. We bashed those Socs in hard," Dally said to him, smiling.

"Fighting... it's no good... won't lead us anywhere..." Johnny breathed out. I looked at his tan skin, still flaked with the dead, peeling skin. I was wondering how much it hurt.

"Aww, come on Johnny-cakes," Dallas said, and stood up. He walked a little back, still looking at Johnny.

"Corey... come here..." Johnny asked me. I followed his voice. "Come closer," he said. I bent down. "Corey, I just want you to know, I'm sorry I couldn't give you a proper birthday present. Keep the jacket, please... for me? And don't ever give it away... happy birthday, Corey."

"Hey, Johnny... thanks... I won't lose it... don't worry..." I turned away, because tears were coming to my eyes again. I walked over to the doorway, and looked at the clock. It was 12:03, and I was 14. Just like that. I turned around. Johnny was saying something to Ponyboy, and I realized I wanted to say another thing to Johnny.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold." And his pillow sunk. Just like that he died. No dramatic ending for him, he just died.

"So, this is what you get, huh Johnny. This is what you get for saving them kids, you little punk. This is what you get. If you had gotten tough like me, this wouldn't have happened. You get tough like me and nothing can hurt you," Dallas said to Johnny's lifeless body.

"DAMMIT," he yelled. He flung around and hit the wall. He ran out of the room and I heard a nurse scream down the hall way.

"Johnny," Ponyboy said softly. I walked over to beside Pony, and touched Johnny's arm gingerly.

"He ain't never coming back... is he, Pony?" I asked.

Ponyboy just stayed quiet. We walked out of Johnny's room together, after saying our last silent good byes to our best friend. Once outside, Ponyboy and I started walking. It was freezing out. A car pulled up beside us.

"Hey, kids, it's late, what are you doing out here?" A man asked. Ponyboy answered.

"We're walking home," He said with chattering teeth.

"Well hop in, I'll give you two a lift," The man said smiling at us cheerfully. We happily got in the car, and Ponyboy gave him directions to his house.

"Thank you, sir," we said to him. The man smiled and waved as he drove away.

"Well that was nice of him," I said. Ponyboy nodded and looked up at his house. We walked slowly up the steps. We looked inside the window, and could see Darry sitting by the phone, Two-Bit on the couch next to Steve, and Soda on another chair.

Ponyboy opened the door, and motioned for me to go in. Whether it was because he was trying to be a gentle man, or just wanting to procrastinate, I have no clue.

"Where in hell were you guys?" Darry asked, standing up.

"We, Dally... Johnny..." I started to say.

"Johnny? What's up with Johnny? You see him?" Sodapop asked eagerly, getting out of the chair.

"Johnny's dead," Ponyboy said. Everyone stared at him, disbelieving. "And Dallas ran, he couldn't take it. I don't know where he is. He's gonna blow!" I don't know how, it just seemed so fake, but the phone started ringing. Steve got up and answered it.

"Hello?... no it's Steve... Dally? Okay, here's Darry." He said, handing the phone to Darry.

"Hello, Dally?... Yea?... Okay, we'll meet you there... no problem." Darry stared at us as he hung up the phone. "Guys, we have got to go get Dally. The police are after him."

Running wouldn't have been hard if my head didn't hurt so much. All my pain was centered in my head, and even a little in my side. As we cornered the park I could see Dallas standing there, surrounded by cops.

"DALLAS," I yelled. I pushed past Sodapop and ran as fast as I could towards Dallas. He turned away from me, and just before I was 5 feet away from him, two gunshots rang into the night. I watched him cough, say Johnny's name, and die. The second death I had seen that night, and two of the people I cared the most about. Now all I had left was Ponyboy, and the gang. Or myself.

I stood over Dally's body, and something caught my eye. I grabbed it, before a police officer dragged me away from Dallas, away from the gang. I put the object in the pocket of the jean jacket. I looked over at everyone that was left of the gang, and every single one of them was crying. Even Darry, the best at keeping emotions in... other then Dally. But Dally was gone. My head felt light, and I saw Ponyboy pass out. Soda looked over at me, then rushed to Pony. The police took me away from them, and asked where I lived. I told them, and they drove me home, not letting me talk to the gang again that night. I was silent the whole way, fingering the object, staring straight ahead.

I walked out of the dark cemetery. It had been one year to this day. It was weird, you know? Turning 15. Knowing life just... goes on without stopping, even for the biggest issues. I had more problems after Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston died. The trial, that had been enough. Then, I stopped helping with the play back stage. In other words I just quit.

And you know how people just kind of drift apart? Well People could say that happened to me and the gang. Except that we kinda forced ourselves apart. No, let me correct my self, I forced myself away. I didn't want the memories, or to have to cope with it. Even if I was their neighbor doesn't mean I can't ignore them. And I started a new life almost. I started hanging out with greaser girls like Marie, and even dressing like them. Except for smoking and make up, I was just another one of them. I still had some of my hair blonde, because I was growing it out. And the parts that did grow out with my natural hair, they were a light brown. Not the chestnut I used to have. But it looked real interesting with my almost black eyes. But they're never going to be as black as Johnny's were.

I was walking away from the cemetery like I said, and it must have been about 9 o'clock at night. Maybe later, I really don't know. I was wearing an old pair of jeans, my sneakers, the jean jacket, and just casual clothes. Not the types of clothes I usually wear.

"Well, who do we have here?" Asked a guy from behind me. I knew the voice, I went to school with him.

"Hello, Mark," I said. He was with a couple friends, one of whom was in the shadows, almost hiding from me. I let it go for then. But something about Mark was scaring me. He didn't seem right, but I knew he wasn't drunk. I know when people are drunk, believe me.

"Well, what have you got on you, Corey," He asked, his golden eyes wild. I had no idea what he meant.

"I don't know what you want, Mark."

"Oh, come on, you know what I mean. If you don't have any, I'll just have to take some damn money," he said advancing towards me. I backed away, but tripped and feel backwards. That happens to me a lot. He got on me quickly and tried to grab my jacket.

"No!" I screamed. I wouldn't let anybody take it away from me, not the last thing other then memories I had of Johnny.

"Mark, get the hell off her," said the person stepping out of the shadows. He pulled Mark off me, and Mark flipped his collar, and led the others away, taking one last glance back at him.

"How ya been, Corey?"

"Well, I've been fine, thanks for asking, Ponyboy."

"Umm, I'm sorry about not helpin' sooner, I'm really bad at that," He said looking down.

"Well... it's okay. But... well... boy, Pony, you sure have gotten tall."

"Well... that's what months will do to you. And you look different Corey. You're hair... is still blonde..." He said, looking at it, then looking at my eyes.

"Yea, you... haven't noticed? I mean, we do go to the same school. Hey, you still see Two-Bit?"

"Yea, why?"

"Here," I said, digging in my pocket, "Give him this." I handed Pony the switch blade I had taken a year ago. He looked at it, then looked at me. "Well, I outta be going now."

"Oh, I'll walk ya home!" He said fast.

"I'm not going that way right now."

"Oh, well... okay." And he started to walk away. Turning around quickly he said something to me. "Do you wanna do something with the gang or something? You know, for old times sake?"

"I don't know, Pony, I really don't know." Ponyboy looked real hurt. I turned around, before he got me all sad. But it's not like I wouldn't see him again. We would just have to let time figure this out.

Part of me had died that night that Johnny and Dallas died, but even right now, I know I can get it back... some how. But we all get left behind... or we let it all slip away... I have done both. And I'm doing the best I can to fix it.

AN-Thank you for all my wonderful reviewers! And the people who haven't reviewed, but read the story. You people with all your ideas got me through some rough spots, and I thank you for that. It's sad that I'm finishing the story, but all things must have an end. And look for more of my stories, I'm sure they're going to come some time!