That Friday Afternoon

I walked into the Curtis's house. The guys were all there.

"Hey Darry did you get off work?" I asked confused at why he was home.

"Yea, did you?"

"Yea um something came up so I called my boss and Tim and me went to see Dally and then came back home to eat and then I came here."

"What came up?" Soda asked seriously seeing that I was somewhat upset.

"Um well… I guess now is the best time to tell y'all." I paused.

"Tell us what?" Steve asked cocking an eyebrow.

"I um… well… I'm um… I'm pregnant." Ponyboy dropped the book he was reading. Two-bit choked on his beer, Steve and Soda got wide eyed and Darry was rubbing his eyes.

"Is Dally the father?" Darry asked.

"Well duh. Of course he is."

"Have you told him?" Soda asked.

"Not yet, I was trying to tell him the other day but couldn't do it. Tim and Curly know and now y'all do. Please don't say anything to him. I want to be the one to tell him." They nodded and Steve made a wise ass comment.

"So that's why you blew up at Soda the other day, and looked so sick."

"Shut up Steve, she's pregnant." Two-bit said, he always was standing up for me.

"Yes that's why I blew up at Soda." I turned to Soda "I'm sorry I yelled at you the other night. You were just trying to help."

"Aw it's ok, you didn't mean it." I smiled and he got up and came over to me. "Now since your pregnant I guess I can't give you a hug can I."

I shook my head. "You can still hug me, I'm pregnant but not that pregnant yet." I said and Soda picked me up and spun my around the room. I was laughing and screaming all at the same time. "Soda I said hug me not make me sick."

He looked worried and put me down. He began poking me and asking does this hurt. I swatted away his hands and jumped on his waist. "I'm pregnant Soda not bruised." I laughed and poked him. He flinched, "See not fun being poked is it?" he shook his head and put me down.

"How far along are you?" Darry asked concern for me visible in his eyes.

"I think I'm about 4 months. Well I need to get back home. The rumble's tonight and Tim needs to stay inside. So I need to be there to make sure he does." I laughed. "But before I go there's something I want y'all to see."

I walked over to my purse and pulled out an envelope. I handed it to Darry. He pulled out a check.

"Wow. That's a lot of money, but who's it from?"

"My parents.The letter said it was my graduation gift."

"How much is it?" Steve asked.

"$25,000. They said it was for college but I guess now I'm not going. So I guess its going to be for me to find a house and raise the baby." Darry gave me the check back "Well I've got to go. I'll be back tonight though." They all hugged me and I went home.

That Friday Night

I was sitting on the couch. We were all at the Curtis's, well except for Dally and Johnny who were still in the hospital, and Two-bit who was somewhere probably getting drunk. Steve and Soda where playing poker, Darry was in the shower, and Ponyboy was questioning everybody. There was going to be a rumble tonight. I had gone to see Dally with Tim earlier today. Dally got upset that the paper didn't mention his police record, I was glad. The guys were getting ready to go but they wouldn't let me go.

"I still don't see why I can't go." I complain to Darry who came back in. "Pony's going." Darry gave me a stern look.

"Ponyboy's not pregnant. If you got hit in the stomach you'd be in a serious amount of pain and you might loose the baby. So no, you can't go. Tim told you no, Dally told you no, Soda and Steve told you no and know I'm telling you no. N O NO." I opened my mouth to protest but he stopped me. "And that's the end of it."

Two-bit popped his head in the door. "Let's go!" They guys all rushed out the door doing flips and handsprings and stuff. I yelled at them

"Be careful!" And then went back in and made myself comfortable on the couch.

I woke up to the guys coming up the steps. They were somewhat yelling and hollering but mainly they sounded hurt. Two-bit came in first and held the door open as Darry and Soda helped Steve in. His shirt was unbuttoned and his ribs were black and blue. I got up off the couch and helped Steve lay down. I went into the bathroom and got the first aid kit. I went to Darry first. He only had a cut on his forehead.

"Where's Ponyboy?"

"He and Dally took off to the hospital. They went to see Johnny." I nodded and moved on to Two-bit.

"What hurts?" I asked him laughing.

"Well hello doctor." He held out his hand. His knuckles where bloody and busted open.

"And how did you get this?" I asked as I began to clean it up.

"I busted them over some socs head." He pulled his hand away when I put the cotton ball full of hydrogen peroxide on it. I cleaned up Two-bit and then moved to sit by Soda. He didn't look that bad.

"Well you don't look half bad there Soda." I said.

Two-bit laughed. "Yea but you should see the guy who kicked Pony, Soda jumped on him the moment he saw him." I laughed. "Good for you Soda." It then hit me. "Wait you said Dally and Ponyboy went to the hospital, Dally was in the hospital. How did he take Pony there?" I asked extremely confused and worried.

"He got out somehow, came running up right before it started. And for only using one arm he did pretty good." I moaned knowing how Dally got out, threatening someone.

I cleaned Soda up and moved on to Steve. Soda helped me and I took his shirt off so I could see his ribs better. When I started to wrap them Pony came in. I scared me so bad that I jumped and hit Steve's side. He moaned. I mouthed sorry, because Pony looked upset and Darry was trying to find out why. Steve nodded his head in pain and I finished wrapping his ribs. Ponyboy said Dally had run off, Johnny was dying, and that Dally couldn't take it. I only heard that, my mind was on Dally, was he going to be ok? Was I? I was so upset I didn't hear the phone ring. Or notice Steve had gotten up.

"That was Dally, the cops are after him we got to hide him!" Darry said.

Surprisingly I was the first out of the house. Darry looked at me like I was crazy.

"I'm going and you can't stop me!"

We ran to the lot and stopped. There he was, running from the police. He pulled out a gun. I heard Pony say; "You idiot they don't know its not loaded." They guns fired, and Dally was spun around by the impact of the bullets. He fell to the ground.

"DALLY!" I screamed. Steve stumbled forward but Soda caught him. No one stopped me when I raced towards Dally. I knelt down beside him.

"Dally, Dally, look at me, Dally please, please Dally, Dally, God sweetie look at me, please talk to me." I was crying, tears were streaming down my face. I laid my head on his chest, his heart was slowly, barely still beating. The police came over and Darry began to pick me up. The began to drape a tarp over him. "NO! He's still alive. NO! Stop he's still breathing!" The paramedic that had arrived at some point knelt down beside Dally's limp body and checked his pulse. And finally said "He's still alive, get him to the hospital."

The Hospital, I thought, Johnny. I raced towards the house. Darry looked up and Two-bit raced after me. I ran inside grabbed my keys off the table, raced past Two-bit and got into my car. Two-bit jumped into my car. "Not so fast, where the heck do you think you are going!" He said.

"The hospital, Two-bit. I want to see Johnny. You can come or you can stay but I'm going." I said. My tears had stopped I was now in panic. Pony had said Johnny was dying.