Chapter 5 "Even the stars burn"

"Dad? What are you doing out of the cooler?" I asked.

"I got out early for good behavior," he said.

I shook my head, he was almost as smart as Dally when it came to getting out of trouble.

"If you got out shouldn't you be back in Oklahoma City?" I asked.

"But I wanted to see my beautiful daughter," he protested.

I shook my head, once again, and started to walk again. He sped up in his truck we were right next to each other the whole time.

"Come on, give me a second chance," my dad pleaded.

"Give you a second chance?! Yeah, right, dad; no I am not giving you a second chance. I gave you enough chances," I started to yell, but I didn't make eye contact, or stop walking.

"You did not give me any chances, Rayna, none, zero chances."

"I gave you plenty, too many if you ask me," I said.

"Too many?! No you did not, Rayna, your lying just like before. You know you're taking a lot after your mother, you're just like her, a lying, tin weasel pecker wood bitch; just like her."

I stopped and turned towards him, "You lair, she wasn't like that. She would never hurt anyone."

"How should you know, she was dead before you could even walk. She died a slut, and she went to hell," he yelled, stopping the truck, but not getting out.

"She died gallant, brave, a hero, and she went to heaven," I was trying to hold back tears but I was failing.

"Don't you dare start crying, just like your mother, crying to get off the hook, well sorry kiddo but it's not going to work, not this time, not anytime," he lightly yelled, looking ahead in the distance.

"I'm not crying to get off the hook," I yelled, tears streaming down my face, "The only reason mom cried is because of the things you said to her."

"How should you know, you were a baby!"

I gulped, even saying his name hurt, "Brandon told me."

"Brandon, didn't know anything either, he was too young."

"He might have been young but he was old enough to know that the words you said, or more like yelled, hurt," I said.

"Yeah, right, don't bring your brother into this, he did nothing wrong."

"No he didn't, and he would be alive if it wasn't for you," I said.

"You still won't let that go will you. I had nothing to do with it," he defended.

"Just leave me alone," I screamed/yelled.

People were watching us, but they didn't stop, they tried to ignore it.

"Come on Rayna, we can start new, brand new, like nothing happened," he said.

I started to walk again, and once again he sped up. He was yelling at me, telling me he was sorry, blah, blah, blah, he wasn't sorry. I stopped turned around and sprinted. I wasn't going to show him where I lived.

Even though he probably knew already, I can't take any chances. So I sprinted, past the DX, and into town past DQ. I still had my book bag on, it was weighing me down, and so I was unable to go faster.

The truck was right behind me, it felt like he was going to run me over, and the sad thing was I highly doubted him missing the chance to hit me and kill me. I took a turn and headed straight into an alley….dead end.

He drove into the alley as I started to climb the fence. He was yelling out the window still, and his voice was getting quite annoying. I was at the top, and about to drop when some words that came out of his mouth were too clear to me.

"Fine, Rayna, you want the truth then fine have the truth, I killed your brothers, and your mother, happy now? That's the truth, now please believe me Rayna, I want to change. I want to be a father, your father. Please, give me a second chance."

I turned, my face was wet and sticky, and more tears were going down my cheeks as I said, "No, you will never be a father to me," I paused, "I hate you."

With that I jumped down from the fence and ran again, not looking back in fear of seeing his face, his car. His words might have been true, but so were mine. Every word I meant, I did hate him, that's something that will never change.

I ran into town again, past DQ and the DX, once again, and into my neighborhood. I ran past the park, the lot, past Steve's house, and past my house. I didn't want to go home, too many questions will be asked to me.

I ran to Two-bit's house, not to see Two-bit, Two-bit's never there, to see his sister that's the same age as Pony.

I'm not best friends with her, were just friends. We don't even get along that well, but we still like to talk, and plus she's good at keeping secrets, especially from the gang. I didn't even knock, I just walked on in.

Their mom isn't usually here, she works late on school nights. Heck, usually Katie isn't here either, she's always hanging out with Sylvia, Angela, Evie, and Sandy. I walked in the living room, and she was sitting on the couch watching Mickey Mouse.

Just like Two-bit, I thought. I knocked on the wall before entering the living room. She looked up at me, and her face fell. I must have looked worse than I thought.

"What happened to you?" she asked, as she stood up.

"I ran into my dad, on the way from school," I said, wiping my eyes.

"Sit down, I'll get you a drink of water. You look hot," she said, and walked to the kitchen.

I sat down as she came back with a wet rag, and a glass of water. She sat down by me, and gave me the water. I took a long drink, and leaned back. She made me sit up, and took my back pack off.

Then she took the glass, put it on the table, and put the wet rag on my fore head.

"This will help you cool off," she said as she dabbed the wet rag around my eyes, "You have pretty eyes, you know that? They are really unique. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"Yeah, plenty of people. Thanks," I said.

She sat the rag on the table, and looked me in the eyes, "So what happened between you and your dad?"

"He admitted to everything," tears welled up in my eyes again.

"What do you mean everything?" Katie asked.

"He admitted to killing, Brandon, Alex, and Keith…and my mom," I explained.

"You mean your dad killed your mom?" Katie asked.

"Yep," I said trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

Katie leaned over and hugged me, "You'll be okay. Do you want me to call Two-bit to come pick you up?"

"No, I'll walk, I'll be okay. Really, Katie I'll be fine," I recurred her.

"Okay, well I'll walk with you," Katie said.

"Don't tell the gang, okay? I'll tell them, just not now," I said.

She nodded, turned off the TV, and we walked together back to my house. Dally was smoking on the porch when we got there.

"Hey kid, where have ya been?" Dally asked me, ignoring Katie's appearance.

"Well nice to see you too," Katie said sarcastically.

"I been hanging out with Katie at her house," I said.

He shrugged and said, "Well Darry's been worried sick, he thought you were coming straight home."

"Me too," I mumbled to myself.

Katie followed me in and Darry was reading the newspaper, and Two-bit, and Pony were watching 'The three stooges'.

"Where have you been?" Darry asked without looking up from his paper.

"I been at Katie and Two-bit's house," I said.

Two-bit looked up at the sound of his name. He looked surprised to see Katie, but he totally ignored her, and went back to watching Curly throwing pie in Larry's face.

"What am I invisible?" Katie asked.

"Yep," Two-bit said.

Katie sat down next to him, and laid her head in his lap.

"I thought you were coming straight home," Darry said.

"Yeah me too," I told him, "but I ran into some socs, so I ran and went the long way home. Then I pasted Katie's house, and thought, why don't I give her a visit."

Darry looked up at me, "Are you alright, did the socs get to ya?"

"Nah, I out ran them."

Katie lightly laughed knowing that's not the truth. I glared at her, but since she was turned around she didn't stop.

"Glad to hear. We don't need another one of us jumped," Pony said.

"What do you mean? Who got jumped?" I asked.

"Well, 'cording to Dally, Johnny did," Two-bit said.

"I told the doc that, can't say the truth or Johnny would be put in a foster home faster than I can go to the cooler again."

"You can say that again," Two-bit snickered.

"Shut your trap Two-bit," Darry warned.

That night we ate out at DQ, Soda and Steve didn't come, they went out with Evie, and one of Evie's friend's for Soda to go out with. Steve been trying to get him to date again since Sandy dumped him.

Katie and Two-bit went home after we ate, Dally left to stop by the hospital to see if Johnny could have visitors yet then he said he would go to Buck's. So it was Pony, me, and Darry in the truck on the way home.

"Do you guys have homework?" Darry asked us.

"Nope," Pony and I said at once.

"Do you guys have practice tomorrow?"

"Yep," I answered for us.

"Want me to pick you guys up?"

"Don't need to Dar, Two-bit's picking me up," Pony said.

"Yeah, and can I go to a friend's house tomorrow?" I asked.

"Who's your friend?"

"Ocean Waters," I said.

"I don't care, as long as your home before it's dark," Darry said.

We got home and I went to bed after I changed into shorts. I woke up the next morning to Pony throwing water on me. I jumped up water dripping from my hair and I glared up at Pony. He dropped the cup and ran.

I jumped out of bed and ran after him. My hair and clothes were soaked, water was dripping from both. I ran down the stairs and tackled Pony in the kitchen. I pushed his head against the floor, and sat on top of him.

"Get off of me," Pony commanded.

"Nope," I said.

"Hey Pone, Ray," Soda greeted us passing by, but stopped turned back and added, "Ray why are you wet and on top of Pony…? Pony what did you do?"

Ray's a nickname the gang gave me, they say it suits me very well, but I really don't see it.

"I dumped water on her," Pony admitted.

"Oh…well, good luck!" Soda said, giving Pony a smirk and walked away.

"Wait, you're not going to help me?" Pony yelled.

"Nope, you're on your own, buddy, good luck!"

Pony pushed me off of him, and ran in the kitchen. I gave up and went to the bathroom to change. I wore, my flag color flip-flops, black pair of boy shorts, and my Mickey Mouse shirt with the sleeves cut off that Two-bit got me.

Two-bit drove us, and the day went by pretty quick. It was when me and Pony were leaving track practice, I walked Pony to Two-bit's car before I went back inside the building to go to choir, that's when Dally stopped by.

"Guys, were going to the hospital," Dally said. I never saw him so excited in my life.

"Why, Dal?" Pony asked.

"Why?! Because Johnny's allowed to have visitors now," Dally said.

So I skipped Choir and we all went straight to the hospital, just to find out he was having x-rays being taken, before we could see him.

That took an hour. We visited but Johnny wasn't awake yet. So it wasn't exactly a visit. I wasn't able to go to Ocean's house because I didn't know where she lived, and it was already too late.

I visited Johnny alone the next day after school. He was awake, so it was a lot more fun, I got to talk to him, but what happened between us before I left, was surprising and….a miracle.

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I have a lot of stuff going on with family and friends, a lopt of issues going on, so sorry it took so long. I hope you like what I have so far, R&R, please!