Chapter Thirteen: Trouble

Cam POV

I was confused. I opened my eyes, and the light hurt my head, so I shut my eyes and groaned. I waited a minute and opened my eyes again, squinting so the light wouldn't hurt. Everything was white. I looked to my right, and saw Soda sleeping in a chair. The fight came back to me, somewhat. It was the last thing I remembered, but I wasn't mad anymore. I don't even know what it was about, but I knew we'd both get over it, I just wished I knew where I was.

"Soda?"

He stirred, but didn't wake up.

"Sodapop."

He opened his eyes. After a second he shot up.

"Cameron?"

I winced.

"Please don't call me that..."

He smiled at me and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You had us a little worried."

"Why?"

"You don't remember anything?"

The light was getting unbearable. I shut my eyes again.

"It's too bright in here."

I felt him get up and walk across the room.

"That better?"

I opened my eyes and looked around the room. A hospital room? Why was I in a hospital? My eyes landed on Soda coming back from the window. He'd closed the blinds.

"Yeah. That's better..."

"What do you remember?"

I didn't wanna say it, but I had to know what happened.

"Fighting with you..."

"Cam, about that..."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not... I... You didn't do anything wrong. I'm glad you and Pony are close. He's been a lot better since you came here."

I smiled at him. So, the fight was about Ponyboy.

"I'm sorry... You're right, I never gave you a fair chance..."

"Well, how about we start over? A clean slate."

He smiled.

"Sounds good."

I tried to move my arm to shake hands, but it didn't move. I realized it was in a cast. I looked up at him wide eyed.

"You don't remember stealing my truck?"

I thought really hard, but I didn't.

"I... I don't even really remember the fight, just that we had one."

"Well, you stole my truck and went to the stables. You rode Sport, and you..."

"Wait! I rode Sport?! You've got to be kidding me, I'd never be stupid enough to try and ride that damn horse!"

He smirked.

"Considering you're lying in a hospital bed, I'd say you were."

"I... I'm confused..."

"He bucked you off. You hit a tree."

I nodded trying to remember, but all that did was make me tired.

"I feel sleepy..."

"Wait..."

He pressed a button, and a nurse came in.

"Oh! You're finally awake! I'll get Dr. Anderson."

A few minutes later a doctor walked in. Everything was kind of fuzzy and I drifted off to sleep while he was talking. When I woke up again, I was in my own bed. My door was open.

"Hello?"

My voice was strained, but someone had heard me because I heard footsteps. Pony ran into the room.

"You okay?"

I looked at him confused.

"Did I dream that?"

"Dream what?"

Oops... I'd said my thoughts out loud. He looked concerned.

"I... I thought I was in the hospital."

He sighed with relief.

"You were. The doctor let us bring you home this morning since you woke up."

"How long had I slept?"

"Four days. You gotta concussion."

"From Sport?"

"From a tree, but Sport was the cause."

"I'm having someone come look at him tomorrow."

Soda was standing in the doorway.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm selling him."

"Why are you selling him?!"

He looked at me like I was stupid.

"He hurt you."

"That's my own fault. I knew better than to ride him. He'd never hurt you."

"That's not the point."

"Sodapop, do you love that horse?"

He shrugged.

"I did."

"Bullshit. That horse is your's. Besides, if you sell him he could hurt someone else. Don't sell him, please? My dad loved that horse, and you do, too..."

I was trying to finish whatever it was I was trying to say, but couldn't because I was starting to tear up. He ran over.

"Hey, don't cry. Okay, I won't sell him. I won't..."

The next day was Saturday, but it didn't matter. I couldn't go to school for two weeks since my concussion was pretty bad.

"Hey, someone wants to see you, but I won't let them if you don't want them to."

"Who is it?"

"It's Mikey."

I felt the blood drain from my face as the memory came back. I'd forgotten about that.

"I'll.. I'll see him..."

"Cam, you don't..."

"If I don't now, I'll be too scared to later. Just let him in."

Pony nodded. A minute later, he walked in the room, but didn't come near me.

"Hey..."

"Hey, Mikey."

"I'm glad you're okay... When I'd heard you'd fell off a horse, it scared me..."

I scoffed.

"It did, huh."

He looked down.

"I don't remember that night..."

I gave him a confused look.

"The last thing I remember that day was talking to one of my friends about how much I liked you and wanted to tell you. They gave me some kind of pill, telling me it'd relax me where I could talk to you. That's... That's all I can remember..."

"Mikey..."

"Curly told me everything. You don't wanna be my girl? That's okay. You're one of my best friends, I never meant to hurt you..."

"No more drugs?"

"No more drugs."

We talked for a few minutes, and then he left.

"What'd he want?"

"To apologize."

Pony nodded and sat next to me.

"I'm glad you're home."

I smiled.

"I am, too, Pony."

I knew it'd be a long two weeks, and I wanted to go back to school, but I was so sleepy it didn't matter. I was ready for things to just go back to normal... But, nothing about this was normal... All of the sudden, I just wanted my parents... I wanted them back...

Steve POV

Ever since she got back from the hospital, her and Soda talked all the time. When she went back to school, she was happy, but I had a weird feeling. She had this weird look in her eyes. I don't know how to explain it, but he saw it, too.

"She's talking to us and everything, but..."

"She's shutting down, Sodapop. You know that. She was doing it before, too."

"I get why she was before, but why now? We're getting along. I don't get it."

I didn't either, but we couldn't make her talk. A couple of weeks later, she never came home from school. By that night, we were all out looking. Soda panicked and had gone to the stables, but Sport was still there. I was driving east, almost out of town, when I saw someone walking down the road. The closer I got, I realized who it was. I pulled over and hopped out of my truck.

"What are you doing?!"

She stopped and slowly turned around, just standing there.

"Well?!"

She didn't say anything. I sighed.

"Come on."

She got in the truck, but something was off. When we got back to the house, no one was there. It was when we walked up on the porch and into the light, that I could really see her. My eyes widened. She walked into the house, numbly. She hadn't said a word. She started to head towards her room, when I pulled her back into the living room and threw her on the couch.

"What the hell, Cam?"

She looked up at me.

"What?"

Her voice was off.

"Don't 'what' me. What're you on?"

Her eyes were red and glassy.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

She was saying it real slow and there was no emotion in her voice. Pony walked in with Two-bit, and they both went and hugged her when they saw her. Pony looked at her confused when she didn't look back.

"Are you okay?"

"M'okay..."

When he heard how different she sounded, he stood up and got a good look at her. Two-bit did the same and whistled.

"Glory, kid! What'd you do?"

I looked at him.

"I asked her the same thing. Says she don't know what I'm talking about."

Pony crouched in front of her and grabbed her chin, getting a better look at her eyes. It was like she was looking right through him instead of at him.

"Why in the hell would you do something like this?"

"Darry's gonna blow a gasket."

"I ain't done anything."

Pony looked at me. I shrugged.

"She ain't fighting. You know she's on something."

"Where'd you find her?"

"Almost out of town. On the east side."

Two-bit grabbed her arms and looked at them.

"No track marks, and she don't smell like weed or booze."

"Which means you took something. What'd you take?"

"I ain't done nothing."

We kept trying to get it out of her for thirty minutes and we were getting frustrated. Darry and Soda walked in the door and we froze. It didn't take long for Two-bit to spill the beans. Darry walked over to her and we all grimaced thinking about what he'd do.

"Come here."

He grabbed her arm and helped her up, looking in her eyes. He turned away from her.

"Put her to bed."

Pony looked at him. Shocked. We all were. He nodded and took her to her room. When he came back, I yelled at him.

"You're gonna let her off the hook?! Really?!"

"Shut up, Steve!"

He ran his hands over his face and sat down on the couch.

"Listen, I wanna yell at her, and I will. Oh trust me, I will. But, there's no point doing it tonight. She's not all here, and I'd just have to do it again."

He looked around at everyone in the room.

"No one's going to school or work in the morning. We're gonna get some answers."