Title: Leave Me Where I Am
Author: Acoustic Heart
Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders and I do not claim to. No profit is being made from this story.

Warnings: This story does contain rape. There may be a possible slash relationship in the future.

A/N: Ohmygosh you guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews and favorites and alerts, oh I am just so flattered!

(Told in Dally's point of view)

Chapter 2

I lost Ponyboy.

I mean, I actually lost the kid.

One second I was leading him and Johnny to a house party one the other side of town, then we were having a good time well, I guess we were all having a good time, and then I lost sight of them.

But I thought I had only lost sight of them, not their location, I didn't think they would even leave the house.

I was frustrated. The party had completely died down and I was dragging an intoxicated Johnny around the house with me.

There were two couples in the bedrooms, none of which included Ponyboy.

There was a man passed out in the hallway, not Ponyboy.

There were two girls on the couch, defiantly not Ponyboy.

And then there was the owner of the house, still not Ponyboy.

I turned around to face Johnny angrily, "You need to tell me everything, I mean he had to have talked to you before he left! God damn it, Johnny, we have to find him!" I yelled at the younger one.

I didn't mean to start yelling at the poor kid, but for god's sake I had to find the other poor kid.

"Wait!" He shouted looking at me with a blank face. "Who are we looking for again?"

I slapped myself in the face, I didn't have time for this, Darry was probably getting ready to kill me.

I looked to a nearby clock, it was half past midnight. I actually thought I was going to start crying, I like my life, I really do and I didn't want it cut short by a hulking, angry Darrel Curtis.

"Ponyboy, Johnny, were looking for Ponyboy. I know your drunk but please try to remember if you saw him leave, when did you last talk to him? Catch a glimpse of him?" I pleaded with the kid; I was hoping some of the alcohol was wearing off of him.

"I remember, I remember yelling at him. He was all, weird, like he was scared, I thought he was just being a baby about it so I told him to, ya know, stop being a baby about it and try to have fun. I thought maybe he couldn't handle it." He confessed. His brows were furrowed, as if he was deep in thought, trying to remember everything. His word were less slurred, giving me some relief that I wouldn't be having Johnny passed out drunk.

Wait, he yelled at him?

"You yelled at him? Johnny, you said he was scared, did he look hurt?" I was even more frantic now, Pony didn't like being yelled at Jesus, every time Darry yelled at the kid for something you would have thought he was also waving a gun in his face, he looked adorable scared.

Jesus, Dally, focus!

No one here would try to hurt an innocent fourteen year old boy; nothing had happened to him, he was probably just uncomfortable seeing Johnny drunk and being around so many people, Darry really didn't let that kid out much.

"No, Dally, no. Will you let go of my arm for Christ's sakes Dally?" He asked trying to shake his arm from my grasp.

I didn't know how tightly I was clutching on to him until I let him go and saw the red hand print wrapped around his bicep.

He shook his arm a little. "Anyways, he didn't look hurt, just spooked. Christ, I didn't mean to yell at him, ya know? One too many beers, I guess. I feel awful. But Pony's smart, trust me. He probably just left to head home. He's smart, he probably knows where he's heading, probably memorized the route on the way here." Johnny reassured me.

"If there was anything to be worried about, I would worry about how sore your ass is going to be once Darry's done kicking it." He offered me a lopsided grin.

But his eyes said he did hold a bit of worry for Ponyboy. I couldn't help but worry too.

xxx

We were about to head out the door when I noticed the lack of something on Johnny; he didn't have his denim jacket on.

"Hey, Johnnycakes, you need you remember where you put it down, or did that cute girl you were making the moves on take it hope for a little keep sake?" I teased smirking.

I was trying to lighten the mood.

"Ha ha." He mock laughed. "I actually put it down on the railing on the staircase." He informed me, heading over to the banister.

He went to grab it but froze with his arm outstretched.

"What is it? Johnny? What's wrong?" I was beginning to worry again.

I followed his gaze.

Thrown haphazardly on the staircase was Ponyboys jacket.

The trance we both seemed to be caught in was broken as one of the girls that were sitting on the couch tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

I turned around so fast I knocked into Johnny's shoulder and I must have scared her a bit because she took a small step back.

"Uhm, hi. Were you here with that young kid? About fourteen, reddish hair?" She asked politely, there wasn't a trace of alcohol in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah we were actually. That's our friend Ponyboy; did you see where he went? How long ago he left?" Johnny asked, slipping his jacket on.

"Oh, well he left a while ago, kind of half stumbled half ran out of the door so fast, looked like he was about to cry." She said.

"First party?" She inquired sympathetically.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess so." It kind of just dawned on me; Pony had never actually been to any sort of party before, especially not one like this and I just let him out of my site. God what if I had found him in a room dead, strangled to death with a shoelace?

God damn it, Dally, just stop thinking so much.

Johnny grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Thank you, but we really have to go looking for him." I said walking away.

"Hey, no problem!" She called out.

Every now and then you meet a genuinely nice person.

xxx

A/N: This really should have come out earlier today, but I procrastinate. This chapter is kind of short. Maybe miss nice girl will appear again. I'll update shortly, I promise.

Xo Michelle