Chapter Fourteen: What Have I Done?

"I don't understand it," Suze said in shock. "They ought to be gone by now. So what gives?" She glared at Johnny and Dally in turn.

They both started talking at the same time.

"Now you just hold on a minute…"

"…not our fault…"

"…don't know why this is happening!"

"Well, one of you is lying," Suze said suspiciously. "Why else would you still be here?"

"Suze, you have to believe us!" Johnny said furiously. "We want to get outta here too!"

"But HOW is the question here," Suze reminded him. "You can't go on until your needs are satisfied."

"Tim owes me twenty bucks," Dally said suddenly. "No, wait, never mind. I lifted that from his wallet yesterday."

"But we don't need money. We're ghosts," Johnny pointed out logically.

"We don't eat or drink neither, but that ain't never stopped me before," Dally said with a smirk.

"Would you two focus?" Suze snapped. "We need to find a solution for this if ya'll are ever gonna get back." She stopped. Had she just said "ya'll"? Oklahoma was rubbing off on her.

"Yeah, but where're we gonna get a solution?" Johnny asked.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be standing here, would I?" Suze snarled.

Dally chuckled. "You can make a girl look pretty sweet," he said sagely. "But you can't make her act the part."

He faded, Johnny fading with him. Suze kicked at the ground viciously, growling frustratedly.

"Come on," Ponyboy said tentatively. "We'd better get back to class."

"Yeah," Suze said absently. What could Johnny and Dally possibly be missing anymore? It just didn't make any sense.

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"So?" Johnny prompted Dally when they arrived in the Curtis dishwasher.

"Heavy spin cycle. Must be a heavy load," Dally commented.

"Dallas!"

"What?"

"Well, it ain't me. So it must be you. I got everything sorted out with Pony and my dad. So what gives?"

"Nothin'. Shove off, kid," he growled moodily.

Johnny faded, hurt. He had never seen Dally so bothered before.

Dally sighed. "Look, Johnnycake, I didn't mean to…" Then he realized Johnny was already gone.

He sat alone and glum in the suds, listening to Soda chatter happily with Ponyboy. What had he done? How could he have done it? He had done a lot of things before, but never to hurt any of the gang. He would never have done any such thing to any of them, even Darry, who was a square, or Steve, who he had never liked much anyway.

But he had. And to Soda too. Soda, happy-go-lucky and what-me-worry had been broken for a week over that. He still hadn't gotten over it, the poor guy.

He had to settle this somehow, and alone. He couldn't tell Johnny or Suze; they'd freak. Especially Johnny, who idolized him, the poor kid. He was in this alone.

He had to do something, or he would never find peace.

But what?

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Oh, brother. What did Dallas do now? Find out, but only if you review.