Chapter Eight

Depressed

(June's POV)

I woke up in the middle of the night with a sudden lurch in my stomach and I sprinted to the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet as my stomach emptied itself. Tears feel down my face, I hated getting sick. Just than the door opened and Darry walked in.

"Hey, you okay? I thought I heard you getting sick?" Darry kneeled down besides me.

"Yeah, I'm okay for now." He felt my forehead.

"Hmm, you don't have a fever. Maybe your stomach just can't handle food right now. Lets go back to bed." He flushed the toilet as he stood and helped me up. Darry walked me to my room. "If you need anything, just come get me, Soda or Pony." I nodded and he went down to his room as I went inside mine. As soon as I got to my bed and feel right back asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I thought everything that happened last night was a terrible dream but when I heard Ryan yelling in the other room I realized that it wasn't. As so as I realized this I began to cry once again. I moved towards the corner of my bed and curled up.

There was a knock on my door and Darry's voice came through the door.

"June? Are you awake?" He asked.

"Yes." I said loud enough for him to hear me.

"Will you come out?"

"No!"

"Can I come in?"

"No!" I was not in the mood to talk to anyone. He left me alone for now.

"SODA! HURRY UP! YOUR GOING TO BE LATE, AGAIN!" Darry yelled and they both left for work. I heard Sara and Dally walk out, while Ryan and Johnny stayed at there while Pony, Steve, and Two-Bit went to school.

About two hours later my door opened up but since I was still facing my wall I wasn't sure who it was. Couldn't they just leave me alone! Please?

"June? Are you alright? You've been concealed in here for hours and everyone knows you're awake. What to tell me what's up?" Ryan asked and I turned towards him.

"Depressed." Was all I said. "Barley ate last night, got sick a few hours ago."

"Crap. June, that's not good for you. I hate it when this happens to you."

"It's not like I can help it. I hate it too but I can't help it Ryan. If I could I would. It's just-I-Brad." I looked away from him. "I didn't get to say goodbye. I just got up and fucking left!" I sobbed and Johnny must've heard me because he came in and wrapped me in a hug. They didn't seem to want to let go either.

"June, I already told you. His death wasn't your fault. Don't do this to yourself, it worries me." Ryan said.

"I-I can't help it. It's like if Soda ever lost Pony or if I ever lost Johnny." I stared into Johnny's eye's. "I need him."

"I'm here for you June. Now and forever." Johnny said.

"Same with me and Sara too, June. The gang as well." I was beginning to feel slightly better.

"Thanks guys." I gave a half hearted smile.

"Are you going to be okay now?" Ryan asked.

"I'll be fine." I said.

"June…"

"Okay, I may not be fine right now but I will be. Just give me a few more days." I laid down on Johnny's shoulder.

"Alright." That was the last thing I heard before falling asleep.

(Ryan's POV)

June was asleep on Johnny's shoulder and I picked her up and put her under the covers.

"Poor girl. She most likely didn't get a decent amount of sleep last night." Johnny said moving to the chair next to her bed.

"Johnny, I want you to watch June if I'm not here. When June gets depressed she stops eating and the little bit that she does eat, she throws it back up. It's just-can you keep an eye on her for a few days? It worries me, when she gets like this. Every time this happened in Jersey I had to take her to my house just to keep her away from her folks." I explained.

"How come she does that?" Johnny asked.

"I don't know, I honestly don't. Sara and I have been wondering that for years." I looked at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair messed up, red face and her mile long tear marks. She looked broken and…not like herself anymore. "I hate it when she gets like this. How hurt she is."

"Me too, Ryan. It hurts that I can't help her." Johnny said.

"Yes Johnny, you are. By being there for her." I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "I'd actually like to thank you Johnny." He looked at me confused.

"Why?"

"Because you've been there for here and for months she had nobody. She had Sara, Brad, and I for years. Then she just left and a couple months to a couple weeks ago her parents left."

"Your welcome man. I'd do anything for her and I'm glad to know she was safe in Jersey. You two are great to her. How did you meet June anyway?"

"We grew up next to each other since we were about six and I've been her friend ever since. We came closer over the years as I began to understand what was really happening to her."

"How did she meet Sara?" Johnny asked.

"Hmm…I think they met at…huh? I honestly don't know. You'll have to ask them. How did you find June?"

"Well we were all hanging around the DX when she walked into Tulsa looking completely, lost, tired, and hungry. We walked up to her to try and help her, but she ran. Soda said to follow her so we did, but she ran into soc territory so we left. Then we came back here. After a few minuets we heard someone scream. We ran into the woods and found her unconscious in the woods and beat up really bad. The Soc's tried to rape her but we stopped them before it happened." Anger filled my eye's.

"I want to kill them!"

"No! It won't do any good, just cause more problems. June needs us now." Johnny kept me down and I resumed my spot on the bed. We talked for a few more minuets until Johnny had to leave.

After a few more hours Darry came home for his lunch break.

"Ryan, what on earth are you doing?" Darry asked.

"Keeping an eye on her. I know why she got sick Darry. When she's depressed like this, she stops eating and what she does eat, she gets sick. Before you ask 'why', it's because of our friend Brad. He was her best friend, they were closer than Soda and Pony." I pushed some hair out of her face revealing to me once again her puffy red eyes.

"Oh man, I feel so bad for her. What she's been through, I can't even imagine." Darry said softly.

"It wasn't easy for her."

"I wouldn't think so. Well look, Ryan, I have to go. I'll see you later." With that Darry left. Seeing June like this was beginning to make me sad too.

(June's POV)

I woke up and it was dark outside, my clock read 8:0 PM. Over in the chair was Ryan. I just turned and sat with my face towards the wall and I just sat there remembering the last time I saw brad.

FLASHBACK:

Brad and I were walking home from the movies and we started to get into an argument.

"Brad! No! you can't go after them!" I yelled at him and we stopped walking and facing each other.

"Why the hell not!" They hurt you June, badly!" He fought back

"We've been over this before Brad, if you tell someone they can take me away. Is that what you want? If you go you'll get arrested, and if that happened I would never forgive myself!"

"June, look what they did to your leg. Look what they've done to your life! I'm sick of seeing you suffer because, because of them!" Brad yelled louder.

"BARD JUST GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!" I screamed in his face and ran off. Brad called after me but I ran faster. 'I'm leaving tonight to find my brother!'With that I made my way to Tulsa, Oklahoma and I didn't bother stopping. I was leaving for good!

END FLASHBACK:

"I'm so sorry brad. I didn't mean it." I cried softly hoping not to wake Ryan up. Tears constantly flowed and they wouldn't stop.

Then the door opened and I heard Ryan jump awake to see Soda Standing in the doorway,

"Ryan, go and eat, come on. I'll look after her." Soda said.

"No. I'm not leaving her. Can you just bring me something?" He asked.

"Sure. June do you want anything?"

"No." I said, trying to keep the sorrow out of my voice.

"Bring her something small." I heard and I rolled over to face Ryan.

"Ryan, can I just please be alone for right now?"

"Why?" I sat up.

"Ryan just, please! I need time to myself right now." I pleaded but he still refused.

"I can't leave you alone like this." He said.

"Ryan! You don't know what I'm going through! Just give me some time!" I said loudly.

"I don't know what you're going through? What about when you left us, June? Brad was devastated, so were the rest of us!" He snapped back.

"I had to leave Ryan!" I yelled.

"You had to? You didn't have to do anything!" he yelled back.

"GET OUT!" I got up and shoved him out of the room. He tried to come back but I slammed the door in his face and locked it.

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" I heard Ryan scream and a loud bang (blow it up? Boom? BOOM! Megan that was for you! :D). I jumped back onto my bed and screamed into my pillow, than punched it for a few minuets. When I was out of energy I fell onto my pillow crying…again.

"I can't believe I just did that!"

(Darry's POV)

I sent Soda to get Ryan out for dinner but Soda came back, he said that he wasn't leaving and to bring him a plate. While I was making him up a plate when I heard them arguing, which was odd.

"GET OUT!" June screamed and I heard the door slam.

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" I heard Ryan scream and a loud bang. Walking into the hallway I say Ryan lowering his hand from the wall and sitting down against it.

"Ryan? What happened?" He looked at me with pain and rage in his eye's.

"I got into a fight with one of my best friends! What do you think happened?" He snapped.

"You need to give her time. Come on lets just leave her alone." I said and helped him up. We walked back into the kitchen. I looked into his eye's again and all the rage was gone, now it was just pure pain and sadness.

"Everything okay Ryan?" Sara asked bur he didn't answer, just hugged her. He whispered something to her only that only they could hear.

"Ryan. Brad was her closest friend, you have to give her time until she's ready." Sara explained. These three must be really close. (sad thing is…the two people who Ryan and Sara are based on…well Sara doesn't want to speak to him anymore….but I left it in!)

"Come on you two, lets eat." I said and they sat down as the four of us began to eat. Ryan was particularly quiet, I hope he isn't upset too. We don't need another upset person in this house.

After dinner Soda and I did the dishes, Sara went somewhere, while Ryan sat in the living room. Ponyboy should be home soon, he's hanging out at the movies with Johnny and Dally.

(Soda's POV)

After the dishes were done, I saw Ryan on the couch facing the back of it. I sighed and walked to June's room and knocked.

"June? Can you open up please?" I heard the door unlock and the bed squeak again. She was in a ball in the corner by the wall again.

"You want to talk about it June?" I asked.

"I'm so mad at my self Sodapop!" She said in a sad voice and I sat cross legged on the bed against the wall.

"Why?" I asked as she sat up but moved away from me slightly.

"The night I left, Brad and I had a huge fight and I told him to go away and leave me the fuck alone. Than I left! I was so fucking mean to him and now I can't even apologize to him!" I listened and watched her eye's as they began to water.

"Come here." I said opening my arms I sat her in my lap and hugged her.

"And than what I did to Ryan. Damn it! I'm such an asshole Soda!" She said to me.

"Now listen to me June, you aren't an asshole. What happened between you and Brad?" I asked her with an arm around her as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"H-He wanted to turn my parents in or deal with them himself. I know he was just trying to help me but they would've taken me away but he wasn't taking that." She explained through the tears. Damn this girl's hearts broken.

"Go on." She took her time before she continued.

"A-And just now I just blew up in Ryan's face. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to be left alone for a little while. We were fighting about me leaving and how I said to him that he doesn't understand what I'm going through." I put my other arm around her and slowly rocked her, while rubbing her back. The same way I do for Pony after he has a nightmare.

"I know Ryan's not mad at you. He's in the living room a little upset that him and his best friend just got into a fight. You want to talk to him?" I asked and she nodded. She got off my lap and huddled back in that corner of hers.

I walked into the living room and saw that Ryan hasn't moved.

"Ryan?" He turned around to look at me.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"June wants to talk to you." He got up and went down to her room.

(June's POV)

I sat in my room and I saw Ryan walk in and sit on the bed next to me.

"I-I'm so sorry Ryan! I didn't mean it, I was just-" Ryan cut me off.

"It's okay June. I should've just left you alone." He said to mw. "I'm sorry too,"

"I know you were just trying to help me." I said and wrapped my arms around him, still crying from before. "I shouldn't have said that you didn't know what I was going through. I'm just upset and I can't help anything right now." He just held onto me.

"I know. I know." He let me go after a few minuets.

"You should probably go and get some sleep." I told him.

"I think I'll stay on the coach. Remember what you said about never walking home alone?" He smiled and left the room as I tried to go to sleep for the night.

FINALLY! Lol, I've been having so much trouble catching up but tonight is the first night of my four day weekend! Okay so June cries A LOT in this chapter and the next chapter she wont be any better. Now Megan (I will talk about her a lot, we gotta hang out again!) that whole BOOM part was for you ^_^. Love HPDHP2!

As June's depression continues, finally the events on that horrid night will happen. How will June react when she witnesses Darry hitting Ponyboy?

And I thought I'd let you all know….I DO have a sequel in mind!

R&R!