After we had finished, which, like I had said before, took forever, we left for Tenth Street. I was walking in between Pony and Two-Bit. Every few minutes, I would bump Pony's hand, but he didn't seem to be getting the hint. Inwardly, I frowned and listened to Two-Bit's reasoning for why he couldn't drive us.

"It doesn't matter." I said, after having a small laughing fit. "I like walking anyway." I yawned again, how could I still be tired? It wasn't long before we reached the Tasty Freeze, to rest up for a bit. I really didn't feel like a Coke, or anything for that matter. I hadn't noticed before, but a blue mustang, that had been trailing us for awhile, pulled in. I felt Pony tense beside me, but Two-Bit shook his head just a little and threw him a cigarette. Pony gently pushed me behind him and I stayed there, slightly worried now. He lit up as the Socs got out of the mustang. I recognised them, one of them was the boy I had punched. The other guys had been with him, whoops. Two-Bit rested an arm on Pony's shoulder and gave me a wink over his own. I wasn't feeling the best right now, the guy I had punched was giving me hateful looks.

"You know the rules. No jazz before the rumble." Two-Bit said and he sounded tougher too.

"She's that little bitch…" The tall one trailed off and the other guy gave him a look. I shrank behind Pony, I really didn't want to get beaten up. Ponyboy tossed a look over his shoulder at me and then turned forward again. That's right, he still didn't know I had punched that Soc.

"We know." The other guy said, casting a look to the one guy that was still glaring me down. "Come here, I want to talk to you." His eyes had directed at Ponyboy. He walked over with him and they both got into that nice looking mustang. The whole time it was silent and I shifted. Two-Bit was right there the whole time, so I didn't have a whole lot to worry about. They wouldn't pull anything.

I'd been worried about meeting these guys on the streets and having to deal with them there because all of them against me wouldn't have a good outcome for me. Now that we were here, I still felt alone, despite that Two-Bit was right beside me. The one guy was looking at me like he wanted to kill me right there and then, while the others had their own glares, but not as bad as that one guy. I wanted to say something, like 'leave me alone' or 'what are you looking at?', but I didn't have that type of courage right then. When Ponyboy came back and they all left, I let out a breath of air that I didn't know I'd been holding.

"What's he want?" Two-Bit asked, casting me a glance out of the corner of his eye. Pony was looking at me too. "What'd Mr. Super-Soc have to say?"

"He ain't a soc, "Pony said, still looking at me though, "he's just a guy. He just wanted to talk."

"You want to go see a movie before we go see Johnny and Dallas?" Two-Bit asked and I shook my head, although I knew it wasn't my call.

"Nope." Ponyboy lit up another cigarette, finally looking away from me. It seemed like he had gotten a little more tougher since the last time I saw him. He was the same Ponyboy, just a little different.

---

We were begging the nurses to let us see Johnny, but they held strong. He was in critical condition, no visitors. That's all I ever heard from these people. Two-Bit and Ponyboy were bent on seeing him, so I let myself get caught up in it all. One nurse I almost had, but it was over pretty quick once she got her senses back. Eventually, the doctor came by and told them we could go in, that he had been asking for us. Well, I'm pretty certain not for me, but for all the others yeah. The way the doctor spoke, it sounded like he only had a few minutes to live. I swallowed the lump in my throat and followed behind Two-Bit and Ponyboy until we reached Johnny's room. I stopped outside and bit my lip. Ponyboy turned to look at me.

"What are you doing?"

"I could stay out here if you want." I felt like it really was none of my business.

"Naw, c'mon." He said, and I shuffled into the room. Johnny was lying still with his eyes closed.

"Hey Johnnykid." Two-Bit said and Johnny's eyes flickered open.

"Hey ya'll." I felt my heart lift at that, at least it wasn't so bad. The nurse, who happened to be pulling the shades open, smiled, but didn't say anything.

"They treatin' you okay, kid?" Two-Bit was looking around while he said that and I wondered what for.

"Don't," Johnny gasped, "don't let me put enough grease on my hair."

"Don't talk." Two-Bit said, and I had a flashback to when Johnny had gotten beat up in the lot. I shivered and Ponyboy noticed, he threw an arm around my shoulder. I wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort me or warm me up. Two-Bit sat in a chair beside the bed and kept talking, "Just listen. We'll bring you some hair grease next time. We're havin' the big rumble tonight."

I saw Johnny's huge eyes widen a little, but he chose not to say anything.

"Of course," They all turned to me. "I won't be there, I doubt any of them would actually let me come in anyway." Ponyboy gave my shoulder a squeeze, which told me he definitely wouldn't let me go. "I think I might get the nurses to let me in here, keep ya company." Johnny gave me a small smile and Two-Bit started again.

"Well, Camille won't be in it, but it's too bad you and Dally can't be in it either. It's the first big rumble we've had, not countin' the time we whipped Shepard's outfit."

"He came by." Johnny spoke up.

"Tim Shepard?"

Johnny nodded at that, "Came to see Dally." I didn't know Dally and Tim Shepard were friends, but I hadn't known either that well. I'd met Tim once and it hadn't been on the best terms.

"Did you know you got your name in the paper for being a hero?"

Johnny had an almost grin on his face, nodding. "Tuff enough." I was looking anywhere but at anybody else. I hadn't gotten a hold of the paper that morning.

"Little sleeping beauty over there didn't get to see it." Two-Bit was grinning.

"Thanks for waking me up by the way, now because of that I'm mad at ya." I said, crossing my arms.

"Aw, no you're not."

"Color my hair blonde and then see how much you like me being mad at ya. Oh, sorry Pony." I said, and Two-Bit gave out a few barks of laughter. Johnny smiled again, at least it made him forget about the other important matter for a brief moment.

"I'm gonna get you back for that." Pony whispered in my ear, keeping his arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah right." I said back and he gave me a playful glare, which I returned.

"Oh and you guys missed it while you were gone." Two-Bit was giving me, I sent him a warning glare.

"Camille over here punched a Soc." They all looked at me and I rubbed an arm.

"Was it one of those guys that we saw today?" Pony asked and I nodded sheepishly.

"She won't tell anybody why." I had kept that to myself, except for what people heard through everybody else. I decided to change the subject.

"Johnny, is there anything else you want other than hair grease?" He looked awful pale and tired, I was still hoping he would get better. Now that I looked at him, I didn't think he would. I put an arm around Pony's waist and tugged myself in a little closer. I saw him give me a sideways glance.

"The book," The nod was faint, but there. "can you get another one?" I looked at Pony for explanation, as did Two-Bit.

"He wants a copy of gone with the Gone with the Wind so I can read it to him." He explained. "You want to run down to the drugstore and get one, Two-Bit."

"Okay." He said with a little too much cheeriness. "Don't ya'll run off." I moved away from Ponyboy and he gave me a look.

"I'm just going to go get some water." I explained and left the room, deciding to let Johnny and Ponyboy be by themselves. They'd gone through a lot and if this was going to be the last time Pony saw Johnny, I didn't want to intrude.

I asked a nurse where I could get some water and she just shrugged and left. That was helpful. I sat down with my back pressed up against one of the walls and decided to wait ten minutes, then I'd go see what was going on. I kept replaying what had happened with my father over and over again in my head. My whole body started to shake. No, don't' think about it. Push it out of your mind. I tried and tried, but it wouldn't work. I eventually ended up crying, not openly sobbing, but enough that every few minutes I had to take a quivering breath.

That seemed to be all I ever did lately, cry over everything. I never heard of a greaser crying this much, especially one who's had to deal with what I had. Most of them learn to shut it all in and not let anybody get at them. Like how I was like at my mother's funeral. Cold, unfeeling, and indifferent. That's what makes a hood a hood. How they don't seem to care.

"I thought you said you were going to get some water." I looked up and saw Ponyboy, looking away as soon as I did and rubbing at my face.

"Um… I." I stuttered, not wanting to let him know I was crying.

"You don't have to explain anything." Ponyboy sat down beside me as I pulled my knees up to my chest, staring at the hospital floor.

"It's about my dad… and my mom." I said, my voice low and shaky. I immediately felt him snake an arm behind my back and catch my waist, bringing me closer to him. "My dad, he came back." His arm tightened and I winced, but didn't show it. I don't know why I was telling him this so suddenly. Was it trust? Or the fact I didn't feel like I was 'just a friend' anymore. The way he acted towards me, I hope he felt the same way I did.

"What?" He sounded angry, which startled me. "When?"

"Just before I came to see you at the hospital yesterday." I saw Ponyboy's eyes harden and my dad's face flashed in my mind, his eyes had looked just like that for a moment.

"He hit you."

"What?" I said, turning sharply. Ponyboy took his other hand and pressed his palm against my cheek, staring at it.

"I didn't want to say anything, I didn't know what it was from." He said, watching it and rubbing his thumb softly over the skin there. I had never really seen this side of Pony.

"He… I don't think he meant to." I started to protest, but Pony cut me off.

"Don't you give me that." His voice was still angry, "Do you have bruises on your stomach too?"

"Mmmm." I said and looked away, biting my lip. Maybe he did see my wince and felt the way I'd tensed.

"I should've been there." He looked pained and his eyes closed.

"Don't you dare." I said, glaring and he looked into my eyes, which made me gulp. "There's nothing you could've done." His eyes flickered to my cheek. "I came at him and he retaliated, it's mostly my fault." There was that glare again.

"No, a father shouldn't hit his kids." I had a feeling he wasn't only talking about me.

"Why aren't you talking to Johnny?" I changed the subject, we didn't move from our spot.

"His mom wanted to come in to see him and he kinda went off and then suddenly went out cold. The nurse ushered us out after that." That didn't last as long as I wanted it too. There were a few moments of silence. "Is he still at your house?"

"No, he left." I took a deep breath. "He was a completely different person than I remember." Pony was silent and I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as more tears tried to push through.

"Did you tell anybody else about your dad?"

"No." I stopped and looked at him. "Ponyboy, he mur-"

"What are you doing over here?" Two-Bit came over to us, "We still gotta go see Dally." Ponyboy stood up first and I took his offered hand, letting him pull me up. He would've known, he almost knew. In a way, I was relieved that Two-Bit had interrupted. As we walked into the waiting room, we saw a woman at the counter and when she turned I knew it was Johnny's mom. My eyes narrowed and everything broke loose as I stepped toward her.