(Bexley's POV)
(At the Lot)
The minute I woke up, the first thing that I felt was the horrible pain that was plaguing my whole body. For a few seconds, I forgot what was causing my body. Until I tried to sit up.
"Agh!" I yelped, squeezing my eyes shut. The pain forced me to lay back down on the ground. Those kicks that Soc inflicted on me were starting to come back.
Around me, I couldn't hear much other than the sound of pounding feet and the distinct ringing in my ears. Listening closely, the footsteps were getting louder and louder. Then, there were voices, multiple voices.
"Bex! Bex, are you okay?!" a frantic yet distant voice wailed. I didn't open my eyes, but I felt someone lift me up from the ground. For a moment, I couldn't tell who it was, and it caused me to freak out. "No, please!" I cried, trying feebly to escape from whoever was grabbing me.
"Bex, take it easy! It's me, It's Soda!" Soda cried out, holding me close to his chest. When I registered his voice, I relaxed. My body hurt so much that I couldn't reciprocate the embrace. "Are you alright?" Darry asked, his voice strained as if he'd been crying.
"N-No… That Soc… was about to stab Pony. I saved him, giving him a chance to run. That Soc… kicked me a lot. It hurt a lot." I sobbed, now remembering that my twin brother was still out there. And I was now scared that something happened to him after that Soc knocked me out.
"Guys, P-Pony's gone! He's gone!" I shouted in panic, feeling my hands starting to shake, my heart was starting to race. "Easy, baby girl. We're gonna find him. Can you walk?" Soda asked, trying his best to stay calm. But I could easily hear that he was also scared.
"I… I think so…" I panted, feeling how heavy my legs were. Soda tried to help me up to my feet, but they were so heavy that my own weight pulled me back to the ground again. "Carry her, Soda. And get her home, & stay with her. We'll find Ponyboy." Darry instructed, hand on my shoulder.
"O-Okay, Dar." Soda shuddered, his voice sounding strained. "No! I want to find Pony! He could be anywhere! He could-... He could..." I frantically exclaim, my heart racing quickly in my chest. It was so fast that it was humming in my chest. "Bexley, you're hurt. You gotta be at home to rest. We'll go after Pony. Two-Bit, go with them." Darry explained, trying to calm me down, getting the rusty haired Greaser to give a two-fingered salute.
Soda then lifted me off the ground and held me in his arms with one arm under my shoulders and the other under my knees. "We're gonna get you home. We'll find Pony and bring him home." Soda assured me, finding it hard to speak without shuddering. He was scared to death that something happened to Pony. I silently prayed that Pony would be alright.
(Soda's POV)
(At The Curtis House)
Two-Bit and I ran back home with Bexley in my arms, holding her as close as I could to her. The whole time, the thought of my kid brother and kid sister being beaten and tortured like this broke me… If this is what they're doing to Bex, then I don't even want to begin to think of what happened to Pony.
Everything they went through made me feel so helpless. Neither Darry or I could ever protect them from this. It was killing the both of us. I had to suppress a scream which was climbing up my chest. Neither Darry or I could break on them, we had to remain strong for them.
Bexley's and gripped onto my flannel, her fingers digging into the fabric. It was something she often did whenever she got clingy. Sure, she was tough, but it was always heartbreaking whenever she was like this.
We made it to the house, and Two-Bit held the door open. "Two-Bit, go help find Pony. I'm gonna stay here with Bexley." I say, starting off towards the bedroom. "You got it! Don't let her go nowhere." he replies, giving me a two-fingered salute. I walked into our bedroom and went around the bed.
I laid her down on the mattress, carefully sliding my arms out from underneath her. But her hand reached out towards me, whimpering quietly. "Don't go, Soda… please…" she whimpered, sounding like she's four instead of fourteen. I smiled warmly and said, "I won't leave you, Baby Girl. Not unless you want me to."
I slowly got into bed with her, wrapping my arms around her gently. She curled into a ball and snuggled close to me. I could feel her shaking against my chest, but not from feeling cold. She was scared.
"P-Pony… where is he…? Is he okay…?" she whimpers, fingers coiled in my shirt. My heart shattered when she asked that. We all knew just how much she loves him. I just hope that she and Pony know just how much Darry loves them. At times, he may seem harsh on them but it was because he loves the both of them and he didn't want to see either one of them broken like this.
"I don't know, baby girl. But Darry and them are finding him right now… I promise you…" I assured, gently kissing her on her forehead. I closed my eyes, silently hoping that they'd find Pony and that he was alright. Knowing that my baby brother was missing was hitting me so hard that it hurt.
(Darry's POV)
I sprinted down the street in search of Ponyboy, the wind whistling in my ears. Soda and Two-Bit rushed to get Bexley back home. I didn't want her to be out for any longer than she needed too. I'm glad that she was at home and safe.
But we had to find Ponyboy now. He had run off again, but it was for a different reason. I don't think that Bexley saving him was the only reason that he did run away. There was something in my stomach was telling me that something worse had happened to him than the last time.
At first I had found Bexley, laying on the ground with bruises on her neck. Soda had told me that she also had dark bruises on her ribs from being kicked relentlessly. And I remembered just how petrified Ponyboy was that night. I remember him laying on the wet pavement, kicking, screaming, fighting frantically to get away. He was so scared that he nearly threw up.
I made a promise to myself that I'd look out for both of them but I got so caught up in the rumble that I didn't see Pony take off. Bex had been laying there amongst the fray, even more bruised up. I was feeling so guilty for what happened. If I hadn't lost my temper on them, none of this would've ever happened.
I also had this feeling that something wasn't right. We all knew that he wouldn't vanish like that, especially not on his own. Aside from Bex saving him, he had the gut instinct to take off running, having no control of where he was going.
"Damn, where is that kid?!" Steve swore under his breath. "Hell if we know." Dally snapped, his usual angry, irritated expression written all over his face. He wasn't anything like Two-Bit, who usually liked to make a joke out of everything.
I should've known that Ponyboy wouldn't be ready for a rumble. I shouldn't have let both of him and Bex go. "Ponyboy!" I called out, my voice filled with panic. We waited for an answer but got nothing but silence.
"Ponyboy, please, kiddo!" I called again, cupping my mouth with both of my hands to make my voice louder. There was a hint of a consternation in my voice, making me feel more sick to my stomach the longer this went on. According to Johnny, he had seen him going to find me but apparently he thought that the Socs had gotten me, that's when the blade's came out.
Hearing this made me go white, knowing that Ponyboy didn't have anything on him to defend himself. If the Soc that Bexley saved him from still had that blade, there's a minimal chance that he'd be unscathed from it.
We reached the East side of town, not too far from home. For a moment, I thought we wouldn't find anything but when Johnny gasped abruptly. "Guys, look! Over there!" he cried, pointing towards an empty alleyway. Or so it seemed.
We walked closer and saw a lifeless body laying on the ground, laying on their back with their legs spread apart slightly. I squinted my eyes to look closer. The longer I looked, the clearer their features were. When I realized who it was, my stomach turned.
"Oh god no… PLEASE GOD NO! PONYBOY!" I cried in terror, running over to him. I fell onto my knees the second I made it to his side. His chest was faintly rising and falling. His skin was white aside from the many bruises that were on his face.
There was something changing the color on his shirt. On closer inspection, I saw that it was blood. 'No… Please no…' I thought, feeling my stomach twist even more. I could see more blood on his face along with the bruises. It didn't take long for the rest of the gang to show up.
Carefully, I picked Ponyboy up from the ground, holding him in my arms. He let out a cry of pain when I picked him up, the abrupt movement hurting him. I held him as if he would disappear if I did let him go. "Can you hear me, honey?" I asked softly, gently stroking his auburn hair. I couldn't hide the pain in my voice.
When I heard him yelp like that, tears welled up in my eyes. I wanted to cry until I had no tears left. "I'm so sorry… this is all my fault." I sobbed quietly, unable to hold it back any longer. 'Not my baby brother… please no…' I thought, feeling horrible for letting this happen.
Pony shivered uncontrollably in my grasp, his bottom jaw quivering. I could feel his heart beating wildly as it desperately clung to life. "It's okay, Pony… Everything's gonna be okay…" I murmured, caressing his pale cheek.
"Darry, check his shoulder. It's bleeding pretty badly." Steve said, bringing me back to my senses. As carefully as I could, I pulled back his shirt and saw that he had a deep stab wound in his shoulder. The wound was so gruesome that it caused me to feel immensely sick, my stomach constantly doing flips. The blood was still seeping out of the wound, staining his shirt and my hand.
"Let's get this kid home!" Dally said, his voice rising. If Soda and Bex saw him like this would for sure break their heart. I had to restrain the tears from falling. I had to remain strong for my younger brothers and only sister. But it was more difficult than I thought.
"You guys get to the house, find the stitches, rubbing alcohol, and bandages and set them on the coffee table. I'll be right behind y'all." I ordered, seeing them take it all in. I lifted Ponyboy off of the ground with one arm under his knees and the other under his shoulders.
When I lifted him, I didn't realize just how light he had felt. It angered me that the Socs had done this to him. They hurt him, tortured, and tormented him mercilessly. He was fading away from us into darkness. None of us could protect him from this; we couldn't help him.
Who would be able to save him from the hell that he's been put through? It made me feel sick. And I am terrified that the same thing will happen to Bexley, if not worse. It was killing me on the inside.
"Stay with me, Pony. You're gonna be okay…" I said, my voice breaking at the end. All Pony did was groan in pain in response as we reached the house. Two-Bit rushed to open the front door, holding it open for me. I stepped inside and carefully placed Ponyboy on the couch.
(Bexley's POV)
I woke up to the sound of the front door opening. My heart jumped into my throat when I also heard the heavy footsteps entering the house. "Soda, the-they're back." I said, shaking Soda's shoulder to wake him up, "I think they found Pony."
Soda woke up instantly to my attempt, becoming wide awake from this announcement. He slowly gets out of bed so he wouldn't shake me up since I was still sore from the rumble. I got out of bed as well, wincing at the achiness in my body. "Bex, I think you should stay in bed. You're still hurt." Soda said, sounding a bit panicked.
"Soda, I need to see if… if Pony's okay. Please..." I said, looking him in the eyes. I was worried about Ponyboy the whole time ever since he had run off. I had to make sure that he was okay. Soda sighed in defeat and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
The two of us walked into the living room, and I hoped the whole time that Ponyboy would be okay. But when I saw him on the couch, that hope had been shattered. He was bruised up and there was blood on him. Most of it coming from his shoulder…
I looked up at Soda, his eyes were now widened in pure horror. "Pony! Oh my god!" he cried, running to him and skidding to a stop next to him. I couldn't speak, nor think… I walked up to him, tears flooding my eyes. I prayed that he wouldn't get badly hurt after I had saved him, but it didn't work.
I walked over to him and kneeled down next to him, immediately holding his hand. "Oh god… what did he do to you…?" I whimpered, sniffling loudly. Pony didn't react to what I said, he only moaned from the pain he was suffering from.
"I'm so sorry this happened… It should've been me… not you." I sobbed, lowering my voice at the last part. I was hoping that no one would hear me when I said that, but someone did; Johnny.
(Darry's POV)
Soda was in tears by this point, his entire body shaking in agony at our baby brother hurt like this. Bexley was absolutely distraught, holding Pony's hand tightly. I wanted to comfort them both, but I knew that Ponyboy needed to be treated first.
I picked up the alcohol with a shaky hand from the coffee table. "He needs to be held down, guys." I said, trying to not let my voice quiver. Soda and Bex held down his legs, Two-Bit and Steve held down her arms, Johnny and Dally held down his shoulders.
Before I had a chance to start disinfecting it, something was holding me back. The alcohol was hovering over the opened wound, ready to pour into it. I knew for a fact that this was going to hurt him so badly.
It was at this moment that I knew I couldn't do it. Seeing any of my siblings in pain like this always tore me up inside, and I didn't want to be the one to cause it.
"I can't do it…" I muttered, putting the bottle down as my hands continued shaking.
"Here, let me do it." Two-Bit offered, "It's a good thing I know a thing or two when it comes to doctoring wounds." I shot Two-Bit a look of gratitude, thankful that he would take over. I handed him the bottle.
Time felt like it was running short and Two-Bit taking over perhaps saved Ponyboy's life. "This might sting a little bit, Pony." said Two-Bit, getting me to mentally scoff. With a wound like that, it's gonna sting like hell.
And with that, Two-Bit tips the bottle, letting the liquid fall into the stab wound. As expected, Ponyboy let out a scream of anguish, starting to fight like mad against our grips in his exhausted state.
(Ponyboy's POV)
Pain; that's all I could feel. It felt as though I was burning from the inside out. It surged through my body like a lightning bolt. All that I did was scream in pain and terror, unable to open my eyes.
At the same time, I felt hands holding me down against my will; the Socs. They held me down to where I couldn't escape, and I was sure they were gonna...
'No… No no no! Please! Stop! Please stop!'
(Bexley's POV)
"NO! Please! Let me go! I won't say anything, please!" Ponyboy wailed at the top of his lungs, voice breaking out in agonizing sobs. Ponyboy's screams of terror broke the silence, so full of pain that broke all of our hearts. My tear-filled eyes widened when he screamed like that; he was scared to death…
His voice rose higher and higher with each time Two-Bit poured the alcohol in the wound. He was thrashing around wildly, like a wild animal against its predator trying to kill it. His face was contorted in fear and pain with tears incessantly falling down her face.
There were only a few times any of us had seen him this terrified, and it hit me like a book that us holding him down like this only triggered his fear. "Let him go, guys. He thinks we're the Socs." Darry orders, letting him go instantly.
We did as we were told, acting as if he was something boiling hot. "Darry… Soda… Bex… Please… make them stop…" Pony whimpered, gasping for breath.
Soda brushed his hair from his face.
"Shh… it's alright, baby. You're alright." Soda coaxed, his voice gentle and soothing. Darry moved around him and kneeled down beside our brother, holding his hand. "Easy there, hon…" Darry comforted, speaking softly in his ear.
His choking sobs were clear in my ears as he tried taking a breath through the pain. "We're right here…" Soda whispered, exhaling shakily. Hearing that scream made me freeze up, unable to move. I couldn't stand seeing my brother, one of my best friends, in this much pain…
I had to get out of there; a panic attack was coming and I couldn't be around Pony while he was in this state. It'd just make the situation worse. So I stepped away from the gang and went outside onto the front porch. _
(Outside: The Front Porch)
I started pacing back and forth, struggling to control my staggered breathing. My heart was racing and I couldn't stop trembling. I couldn't stop crying either; I couldn't help it. I hear Ponyboy scream again, sounding more pained than before. I covered my ears as tight as I could with both hands and whimpered audibly.
"Bex?" someone said, but I couldn't make out who it was. "Bexley, hey." they said again, putting a hand on my shoulder. "AHHH!" I yelped, turning around to face the owner of the hand. It was none other than Johnny.
"J-Johnny?" I quivered, holding my hands close to my chest. My hands were balled up into tight fists to stop the shaking. "Bex, what's wrong? How come you walked out like that?" the black eyed boy asked, a concerned look on his face.
"I… *gasp* I…" I quivered, unable to stop wheezing. He put an arm around my shoulders and led me to the steps. He then has me sit down on the steps with him next to me. "Easy there, Bex. Take deep breaths." Johnny consoled, rubbing my bare arm comfortly.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my mouth, and exhaled slowly. I repeated this about three or four times before I was able to calm down. I let my arms drop so that they were resting on my thighs.
"There you go. Now, tell me what's wrong." Johnny wondered, his voice so soothing like Soda's. For a moment I glanced at him before looking back down at my hands.
"I… I freaked out because of how much… Pony was hurting… I can't stand it. I love him so much and it kills me every time when he's hurting that much. I thought I'd saved him from that Soc… but it didn't do shit… He's still got hurt." I explained, sounding like I was on the verge of bursting into tears.
Johnny brings me into a comforting hug, his arms around my back. "It ain't your fault, Bexley. None of this is. Don't for one second blame yourself. And don't you dare say that it should've been you to get jumped. Don't ever say that again." he said in my ear, but I still didn't feel confident. I pushed back away from him and stood back up onto the porch.
"But it is my fault, Johnny. If I had just i-i-invited him to go with us to The Dingo, he wouldn't have gotten jumped. Everything would've been fine. He's hurt because of me! Hell, even the rumble didn't do anything to solve it. It just made things worse. And now they're going after me as well." I yelled, tears of anger springing in my eyes. They threatened to fall from the overwhelming guilt.
Johnny comes up to me. "Bex, look at me." he replied, his voice much firmer than before. I looked over my shoulder and turned completely around to face him. Johnny puts both of his hands on my shoulders, fingers clasped down onto them.
"Listen to me, Bex. Don't go for one second to blame yourself for what happened to Ponyboy. Nobody knew that it would happen. You couldn't predict it. No one predicted when I got jumped a few months back. But I managed to get through it, didn't I? What those Socs had done to you and Ponyboy pisses me off something awful. But, I can tell you that Ponyboy will make it through this, he's strong. You're strong too. Both of you guys have the capability of overcoming this fear. We just gotta be there for each other to help conquer that fear. It won't last forever, okay?" Johnny explained.
I let every word that came out of his mouth sink in. Tears rose in my eyes as the feeling of crying overwhelmed my body. Even the look on my face showed that's what was about to happen. I tried to force a smile as the tears fell over and dripped down my face.
That's what I admired about Johnny. He always knew how to help his friends whenever they needed him most. Him saying that proved that Ponyboy will make it through this; just as he had.
His hand rose up and he wiped the tears from my cheeks so affectionately. "You okay?" he asked, eyebrows raised in concern. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him a bit tightly. "Yeah… thanks Johnny." I replied, my chin resting on his right shoulder. He hugged me back, keeping me close to him.
My heart started to beat faster the longer he was hugging me. Then, I got a warm, fuzzy feeling inside my chest that was growing more and more. "Thank you, Johnny…" I said softly, "Thank you for helping me… and for helping Pony. It means an awful lot…"
He squeezed onto me for another second before he pulled back slightly to look at me. I looked him in the eyes. They gave off a sparkle that made my heart skip a beat. I couldn't look away from him.
We're so close to one another that no space was in between us. My heart was vibrating against my chest the longer I looked at Johnny.
"What're you thinking about?" I whispered to him. His hand comes up to my face and holds my burning cheek. "I think…" he starts but stops as his face gets closer and closer to mine.
I knew what he was gonna do at this moment in time. "Johnny…" I breathed, closing my eyes. He then kisses me on my lips.
The second we kissed, sparks flashed through me. I kissed him back, tightening my hold on him. Neither one of us had ever done this before, so it felt… amazing.
It lasted for about 10 seconds before we both heard the screen door opening.
Quickly, we broke the kiss and looked towards the door to see who opened it. "Hey, lookie here! We got Romeo and Juliet in the building!" Two-Bit chortled, standing by the front door with an open beer in his hand, giving a quirky, sly grin. He waved his free hand around childishly.
Johnny and I looked away from each other, our faces blushing red. "If you two love birds are done sucking face, Bex, Darry & Soda want to see you." Two-Bit said, partly joking and partly serious. Johnny and I glanced at one another for a moment.
"Go on, Bex. See if Pony's okay." Johnny said, trying to hide the redness on his face. "Alright. You going home?" I asked, starting to turn back around to head inside. "Guess so. I'll come back tomorrow and see how he's doing." Johnny replied, gently kissing me on my cheek before he left.
Watching as he left, I felt my heart flutter in my chest. "I can hear the wedding bells now, little sister." Two-Bit teased, seeing how red my face had gotten. "There ain't gonna be a wedding, Two-Bit. It was just one kiss, that's all." I defended, trying to hide my flushed face. "Yeah, one kiss that'll lead to a relationship. Oh, where has our little Bexie gone? She has found love." Two-Bit said while laughing boisterously.
"Alright, enough of that." I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'm just teasin' ya, Little Sister." Two-Bit laughed again. I couldn't help but crack a smile, but only for a brief moment. Two-Bit is like a big brother to Pony and I, so it was natural for him to tease us. It wasn't something that he normally did with his own kid sister.
"How's Pony doin', Two-Bit? Did you fix him up?" I asked, looking up at his grey eyes. "He's okay now. Had to stitch up that wounded shoulder." he replies, scratching the back of his head, "How're you feeling? I meant to ask."
"I'm okay, Two. Still a bit sore but otherwise, I'm okay. As long as Ponyboy's okay, then I'm okay." I reply, making it obvious that I'm still a bit shaken up from what happened. Two-Bit easily saw through this. He walked over and hugged me, getting me to stiffen up a bit.
" Take it easy, you hear? And if you don't, I will tell them about you having a thing for Johnny. They'll surely get a kick outta that." he threatened playfully. I rolled my eyes and hugged my older friend back. "Don't worry, I will. And don't you say nothing yet, okay?" I said, suppressing a chuckle, "And thanks for helping Pony. You saved his life."
"Oh, I won't. Besides, I always knew you two would end up together." Two-Bit teased, "And I'm glad to help him out. Don't you worry." We broke the hug and he ruffled my hair, which he knew that I hated. "Now, get in there with your brothers. They're wondering where you are." Two-Bit said, walking down the street.
I waved off Two-Bit before turning back to go into the house. I assumed that Two-Bit was gonna go to Buck's or something to get himself drunk. That's what Two-Bit does a lot. Despite having a wise-cracking, go-with-the flow kind of attitude, he genuinely cares a lot for everyone in the gang. That's another reason why I like him as a friend and a member of the gang.
(Inside the house)
I go inside the house and shut the door behind me. Steve was on the couch asleep and Dally was out on the floor. I guess neither of them wanted to leave unlike Johnny and Two-Bit.
I made my way into the bedroom to where my brothers were. Opening the door with the palm of my left hand, I pushed it open gently. First thing I see is Darry sitting in the desk chair that was next to the bed. Soda was kneeling beside the bed. Ponyboy was laying in the bed, under the sheets. I could hear him quietly sobbing, which made my heart clench.
Soda's head lifted up and he saw me as I walked in the bedroom. My eyes lifted up to look at my older brother. He stands up, walks over to hug me. His arms wrapped around my body, keeping me close to him. I didn't waste a second to hug him back, my muffled sniffle against his shoulder.
"You okay, baby girl?" Soda whispered, rubbing my back. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay." I answered, pulling back from him. I didn't want them to have another worry on their shoulders. Soda wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me back to the bed.
I slowly got into the bed with Ponyboy, wanting to be as close to him as possible. As if he knew I was there, he turned over to face me. It honestly frightened me of how much the Socs were breaking him. He had changed from having a light in his eye, a kid that loved to go see the latest movie to a disheveled form of what he once was.
Tears rose in my eyes the more I looked at him. Would we ever get our brother back from the depths of the incessant hell that he was being put through? We can only hope for now.
