Chapter 12

"What do you mean?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Your dad killed Johnny's dad, and your dad is getting the electric chair," Dally said.

"Does Johnny know?" I ask, ignoring the part about my dad dying.

"No not yet, the nurses are going to tell him tonight," Darry said.

I look at the ground and sigh, "How's Johnny going to take this?"

"At least the bastard's dead, he can't hurt Johnny anymore," Dally pointed out.

I stood up and got in Dally's face, on my tippy toes, well kind of looking up at him, I was more like looking at his chest but still, "Dal you got some nerve to say that. Yes you're right at least he won't hurt Johnny anymore, but what about Johnny? Did you forget that Johnny loves his parents, no matter what they do to him? He's going to be devastated."

I started to walk to my room but I got stopped by Darry saying, "Ray, the fuzz want to know if you want to see your dad before they give him the death sentence tomorrow."

"Tell them no, I hate him, and want nothing to do with him," I walked up the stairs as I heard Darry add, "Okay, but if you change your mind it's at 5."

The next day Dally arrives with Johnny at 11 in the morning. Johnny's happy to be back but confused about his father's death, well he seemed like it.

"It just doesn't make sense," I tell Johnny when were in my room talking alone.

"Uh-huh."

"I mean why would my dad kill your dad in the first place?" I ask.

"I don't know."

"It ain't fair," I said.

"Uh-huh."

"Johnny? Is there something bothering you?" I ask him.

"No, it's nothin'. It's just my dad gave me one hell of a beating, I mean I was in the hospital, but he-he visited me, and told me he was sorry. I don't know if he meant it or not, but it was the first time he ever said he was sorry , I never even heard him say it to my mom, and then he just all of a sudden he says it to me. Why me? He told me he's sorry after putting me in the hospital and telling me I shouldn't have ever been born," He started to cry, and I scooted closer to him on the bed to comfort him, "before he left he told me….that he loved me, and I told him that I hated him, hated him for all that he done to me. When he looked at me after I said that it wasn't anger or hatred that showed, Ray. It was hurt, pain. He really did mean it, he really did mean that he loved me," he began to sob, "and all I did was tell him that I hated him. No I couldn't say 'love you too dad' or 'it's alright dad', no I said I hated him," Johnny yelled.

He gasps for air between sobs, and I let him lean against my shoulder as he cried. I started to play with is hair, kind of rocking him, whispering to him, "It'll be alright, everything's going to be okay."

But that didn't help all he did was say, "no it won't." and started to cry harder. I hugged him, let him snuggle against me, his head against my neck. That's when the gang stopped by the room, must have heard Johnny yelling.

Dally looked inside and as soon as he saw Johnny crying on my shoulder he came and sat down next to us, making the rest of the gang leave. He took Johnny from my arms, "Hey Johnnycake, look at me buddy."

Johnny didn't open his eyes, he leaned against Dally and cried. His body trembling, and his shoulders going up and down. Johnny cried for an hour straight before we could get him to settle down, and he eventually cried himself to sleep.

Dally carried Johnny to the living room, since we no longer had a guest room, and made the gang move. Darry got blankets and pillows, and as Dally stood there with Johnny in his arms Two-bit, Soda, and Steve made the couch into a bed.

"Will you guys hurry it up, he's getting heavy," Dally rushed quietly.

Soda straightened the covers over the couch and fluffed the pillow then said, "There all set."

Dally laid Johnny down, and we had to be quiet for the rest of that night.

That next morning Ocean called, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ray," she sounded much better almost to her normal self.

"Hey Ocean, how are you doing?"

"Great, I would like to thank you tell Johnny the same. You guys helped me in so many ways, you don't even know."

"No problem Ocean," I told her smiling.

"Also one more thing," she said.

"What?" I ask.

"I'm kind of dating your brother."

"Wait, What?" I ask shocked, but not very surprised.

"Yeah I hope you don't care. I'm dating Soda Pop," she says happily.

"Oh I don't care, you guys will make the cutest couple," I tell her.

"Really?! Thanks Ray, you're the best friend I ever had!"

"No thank you Ocean!"

"Well I have to go, bye!" she hangs up.

That evening Scar came rushing in, "Rayna, Rayna."

"What?" I asked, coming from the kitchen where I was helping Soda cook dinner.

"You have to see your dad he gets his death sentence in half an hour," Scar said.

"Why should I care?" I ask.

"He needs to tell you something, something important."

"What's so important?"

"I don't know that's why we have to go now," she grabbed my hand pulling me out the door.

"We'll meet you there," Soda called after me.

We got to the cooler and walked in. My dad was waiting for me in a separate room. I walked in by myself and sat down across from him.

"Hey," I greet.

"Hey, Rayna."

"What's so important?" I ask him.

"I needed to tell you something," he said.

"Then tell me."

He took a deep breath, "I was wrong. Your mom is an angel, she is in Heaven, and yes I did kill her. Your brothers, I love them, and I did give them more attention than I did you, and I did kill them. I made many mistakes-"

"You think," I say sarcastically.

"Let me finish," he says calmly, "but I'm different now, really different, I took the path of Jesus and The Lord. I did kill Mr. Cade but that was for your safety. He was going to take you away and sell you along with other girls. He was going to take you last night, so I killed him before he could. I really wanted to start new Rayna, I wanted to take you back to Oklahoma City and start new, but you wouldn't let me. I'm sorry Ray, I really am. I'm sorry I abused you, I shouldn't have. I know you probably won't ever forgive me, and I will understand that, but I just wanted to let you know, before I die, that I love you with all my heart and I wish I could have been a real father to you, cause you needed you I just didn't see that. You're beautiful, not ugly. You're smart, not stupid. You're amazing, not pathetic. You're my daughter NOT my punching bag. I love you with all my heart Rayna."

"Time's up," the officer pulled his hands behind his back and started to take him away.

"BUT MOST OF ALL RAYNA, I LOVE YOU NOT HATE YOU," my dad yelled as the door slammed behind him, and they took him to the chair.

Everything registered my mind and I jumped up and ran out the door my dad went through, "WAIT," I screamed.

They took him through another pair of doors, and I went up to the glass, looking through I could see the chair and my dad sitting down, "WAIT, WAIT, DON'T DO IT YET. I NEED TO TELL MY DAD SOMETHING," I bang on the glass.

They don't answer so I scream at the top of my lungs, "I LOVE YOU TOO, DADDY!"

My dad looks up at me one more time and yells "LOVE YOU, GOODBYE SWEET HEART! STAY BEAUTIFUL!"

I get home and wait until that night where I'm alone in my room to cry. I brawl like a baby, rocking back and forth in the corner, on my bed. I hear my door creak open, but I ignore it, I try to forget the world around me.

Then I feel someone sit next to me and put their hand on my shoulder. I look up tears still streaming down my face. It was Johnny.

This time it's Johnny holding me, telling me it's going to be alright, rocking me in his arms, letting me lean against his chest.

He sits me up against the wall all of a sudden then grabs my guitar by my bed. I'm still crying hard, and not really caring what he's doing. He starts to play a very familiar tune, and I start to listen when he begins to sing.

It's my favorite song. It's me and my brothers' song. The song they sang to me when I was in a situation like this. Now my true love was singing it to me.

"I'd like to sail to lands afar
Out on a boat that's built for two
Beneath a canopy of stars
That would be just like a dream come true
Just to be with you

And oh, oh, oh, ohhh
When we're together
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh
Feels like forever

Worries seem to fade away
As they become as distant memories
When we're together

I'd like a castle on a hill
Where you and I could spend the day
And I'd love to go where time stands still
And all that doesn't matter fades away
You are here with me

And oh, oh, oh, ohhh
When we're together
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh
Feels like forever

Worries seem to fade away
As they become as distant memories
When we're together

And I'd love to
Dance with you
Under the big blue sky
We'd hold the
Wonder of the moment
As the moment passes by

When we're together

And oh, oh, oh, ohhh
When we're together
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh

Oh, oh, oh, ohhh
Feels like forever
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh

Feels just like forever!
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh
Yeah, whenever we're together
Oh, oh, oh, ohhh

When we're together"

He finishes and puts the guitar down, and leans next to me against the wall, "Are you feeling better?"

I nod then choke out, "Johnny….Say something, say something that will make me feel better."

He leans in closer to me, puts my loose strands of hair behind my ears, kisses me on my forehead and says, "Rayna Raven Saige Curtis, you are the most beautiful thing I ever seen and I love you more than God even knows."

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THERE WILL BE A PART 3 PEOPLE! I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'M GOING TO START BUT THERE WILL BE A PART 2! I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS OR LOVED THIS EITHER WAY! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU R&R!