Enjoy, the wonder that is...CHAPTER 15!

Wow, i never imagined to get this far in a story *dabs eyes with tissue* Review and all that!

Valentine's Day has never been my favorite holiday. It's too lovey-dovey and too…sweet. All the candy and flowers and yuck! But, then again, I've never had a boyfriend (or fiancé) for the occasion…

"So, any plans for the big night?" I asked Sodapop, early on the morning of February 14. He was rushing around wearing only his jeans, trying to get ready for work. Steve and Two-Bit were glued to the television, eating chocolate cake.

"Not really. I might take Sandy out for dinner and stuff," Sodapop shrugged.

"Don't ask what he means by 'stuff'!" Two-Bit called, not taking his eyes off the television screen. I shuddered and blocked out a mental image.

"What are you two couch-potatoes doing tonight?" I questioned.

Steve turned. I adverted my eyes because his' still creeped me out. They were the neon, mossy green that brought me back to that first day in Tulsa…Another shudder threatened to surge through me.

"Goin' to a drag race with Evie…" Steve replied flippantly, like I had no right to ask. Fine be that way!

"Let's just say you don't wanna interrupt us…" Two-Bit grinned evilly.

"Oh, gross! Two-Bit, get your mind outta the gutter!" I complained.

"Then it would be homeless!" he protested.

"What would be?" Dallas asked, appearing from the Curtis's kitchen.

"Two-Bit's mind," I answered.

"Hey, if it's homeless, it can join mine in the gutter," Dally said with a smile.

Oh, for shit's sake…

I rolled my eyes and bit into my slice of cake.

"Carmen, do you have any plans for tonight?" Sodapop asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I don't think so. Valentine's is overrated." I stated.

"I agree." I turned to see Johnny come in the door. He flopped down beside me on the couch and grabbed a bite of my cake.

Ponyboy came running out of his room that he shared with Sodapop. "Soda! You didn't wake me up!"

"Sorry, I got distracted," Sodapop said and then gave up his search for The Missing DX Shirt. "Darry! Have you seen my DX shirt?" he called.

"No, check your closet." Darry replied, looking up briefly from the newspaper.

"You mean where it's supposed to be? Why would it be there?" Pony called from the bathroom.

Ah, mornings at the Curtis house. Nothing like it.

I casually leaned against the bathroom door as Ponyboy greased his hair back.

"You know, you don't look half-bad with out that stuff," I said.

He shook his head then looked at the clock and swore.

"We're gunna be late!"

"So what?" Two-Bit yelled.

"I'm driving," Soda responded. Great, we're doomed.

Don't get me wrong, Soda is a pretty good driver…compared to Dally. I drove to the DX with Dallas once and we went NINETY MILES PER HOUR! Ninety! I just about had a heart attack.

Sodapop on the other hand jerks around. Not too fast, but he seems to forget to keep his eyes on the road.

We made it to school in one piece and split up to go to our first class of the day.

By the last hour of the day, I was fed up with this damn holiday. If I heard one more 'I love you' I was going to scream. All the girls were dressed for the occasion. Pink frilly skirts for the Socs, short red skirts for the greasers. And I was in my jeans and a long-sleeved green shirt. I stuck out like a sore thumb…

Ponyboy and I walked to my place after school to do homework.

"Who was the most famous Confederate general who grew up in Virginia?" I drilled.

"Robert E. Lee." Ponyboy answered automatically. "What was the Union's plan that called for a blockade?"

"The Anaconda Plan."

"You sick of this?" Ponyboy asked. I nodded and threw my text book to the floor.

"Let's go for a walk or something," I suggested.

"How about we go to the shelter?"

We turned onto Grove Road and walked into the Tulsa City Animal Shelter.

"Good morning, Miss Rose!" Trudy called from the front desk.

"Good morning, Trudy," I replied grinning.

"Just FYI, you are to stay on the grounds today."

"Why is that?" Normally we can walk the bigger dogs down Grove and onto Second Avenue then back.

"Have you watched the news lately?" she asked pulling her long, curly hair into a high ponytail.

"Not really," I replied. Not at all, I thought.

"Two girls have gone missing in the last week. One body was found in a dumpster outside the Dairy Queen," Trudy's voice was hushed, like she was revealing classified information.

"I wonder why your mom didn't tell you anything 'bout that," Ponyboy mused.

"She's not in the homicide division," I said. "What happened to her?"

"Her name was Cindy Heffton; she went to the high school. Real sweet girl came in here from time-to-time… She went missing on Tuesday and they found her yesterday."

That would be a Thursday…

"Poor Cindy…she was tortured they said. The detectives came in earlier and told me everything. Cindy was on her way home from school when, as far as they can tell, she was grabbed. Tell-tale signs of a struggle and puncture wounds on her neck from some kind of restraint. She died of a heart attack. Only fifteen…"

I put my own hand over my heart. I vaguely remember seeing Cindy around here. Yeah, she was training to be a Vet for the shelter.

"Then," both Pony and I leaned over the counter to here the rest of the story, "a little girl, 'bout eight of nine, went missing when Cindy was found. The girl was walking home from a friends' house on Second Avenue and the neighbors say she got in a van and it drove off. The parents say she was supposed to go straight home, no one was supposed to pick her up."

"Now the cops are trying to find her?" my voice wavered. Eight or nine…poor baby.

Trudy didn't answer for a moment. Then, "That's what I heard. If the girl ends up dead, they will have to investigate the possibility of a serial killer in Tulsa."

As shaken up as physically possible, Ponyboy and I dragged ourselves out to the kennels. The puppies barked enthusiastically. Almost mechanically, I filled food dishes and checked the locks.

"So, we should probably not walk around town now, huh?" Ponyboy murmured as we cleaned dishes.

"Yeah, we should tell the guys 'bout this too," my hands shook uncontrollably as I put down a bowl.

"Maybe we should leave, so we don't have to walk in the dark... This ruins my plans"

"What plans?"

"I wanted to take you to that new all-ages dance club that you mentioned. You know, for Valentine's Day. Then we could've gone to dinner…"

Tears stung my eyes. "That's so sweet, Pony. But, we need to get home."

He smiled and I realized my slip. I just called his house 'home.'

Ponyboy and I walked into the Curtis's house. The entire gang was sprawled out, watching TV. It would be a miracle if they did something else.

"Guys, we have to tell you something…" Ponyboy was holding my hand and was as pale as I felt.

"Oh, god!" Sodapop muttered looking at Darry.

"I knew it! Cough it up man," Dally told Steve, who handed over a ten dollar bill.

Johnny's eyes widened and he looked at me oddly, as if I was a different person.

"Ponyboy Curtis! We talked about this, didn't we?" Darry's glare landed on me. "And I thought you had more…decency than this. How old do you two think you are?"

Ponyboy and I looked at each other, realization dawning. Then, we burst out laughing.

"You-you thought-!" I couldn't get my words out without giggling.

"Dally give Steve back his money," Pony managed.

"What the hell? You think this is funny?" Darry hollered.

"Yes!" I squealed

Ponyboy and I sobered and I said, "I'm not- I mean I couldn't be…"

"Pregnant?" Johnny asked, his voice shaking.

Pony held back a snicker.

"Yeah, uh, that."

Darry relaxed in his chair but didn't quit glaring.

Sodapop sighed, relieved. "I don't mind bein' an uncle, but not just yet."

Two-Bit snickered and added, "I knew innocent lil' Pony wouldn't, Carmen might be corrupting his mind though…"

I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, now, we need to tell ya something," Ponyboy urged.

Everyone gathered closer and I retold what Trudy had earlier.

"That's just sick!" Dallas commented. He had some morals, like never hurt a girl.

"I heard that! It was on the news channel at the DX! The girl, Cindy? She was also raped," Sodapop whispered.

I noted how his eyes stayed low after I mentioned the girl's name. He probably knew her…

It was quiet after Sodapop said that.

"They have to catch 'em," I said, my voice as soft as Soda's.

"Until then," Darry seemed to move into parental mode again, "we drive. No walking, and certainly not alone."

Two-Bit drove me home. He stole a few side-long glances at me until I was getting irritated.

"Can I help you?"

"You-you're not actually… I mean not that I have a problem with, but-" For the first time ever, Two-Bit Matthews was stuttering.

"Two-Bit, I'm not pregnant," I sighed, exasperated.

"Good, good. But I also meant…Well you said you couldn't be… That means you and Ponyboy haven't…" Two-Bit kept trailing off, not finishing his sentences entirely.

"You see this ring?" I asked, holding up my right hand. One the ring finger, a diamond and amethyst embedded band winked at him.

"Yeah, I always wondered why you wore it. Never seen you without it."

"My grandmother gave it to me before she passed away. It was her mother's wedding ring, passed down to her when she was sixteen. I was eleven when my grandmother died. I was supposed to get the ring when I was sixteen too, but then she died. It's kinda like a purity ring, ya know? That's what she told me anyway. I'd have to quit wearing it if Ponyboy and I… you know," I explained.

Two-Bit thought this over. "So when I see you without the ring, I should alert Darry?"

His humor was back, along with that infectious grin.

"Ha-ha very funny. But even if I never got the ring…we're too young. I just turned fourteen!"

"That's how old most of us were. Fourteen, thirteen…I think Dally was twelve."

"Oh," I said. I almost asked how old he was, but that seemed too personal.

We came to a stop in front of my house. "I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, to talk about that subject, I'm here, 'kay?"

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you. Sodapop said just about the same thing…it means a lot to me."

It started raining that night. Raining is an understatement. It started pouring. Buckets of water attacked our roof and thunder boomed in the background. Lightning lit up the house as if it were daytime, scarring the crap outta me. Not only that, but the power flickered often. Mom said it was a sign we should go to bed early.

I changed into pajamas and grabbed my diary. My hands shook, not from fear (maybe a little from fear) but from the need to write.

Dear Diary,

Its official: I'm panicking. The storm just makes it worse. Kinda like an omen. When Mom came home from work I asked her about the little girl who went missing. She said she didn't know anything about it but called her friend who was on the other case. The little girl's body was found about an hour ago. She had the same neck wounds, was raped, and her wrists cut until she bled out. Her name was Anna, and she was seven years old.

I put my pen down for a moment to wipe my tears. With two girls dead, I could only imagine who was next… I picked up the pen and started a new topic.

Ponyboy called to make sure I was home safe. The guys must have not been around because he asked me: "What is your favorite vacation spot?"

"Hawaii."

"Sounds like our honeymoon destination!"

I'm getting married…I feel so old.

I shoved my diary under my mattress with a smile curving my lips.

Lightning split the sky again, making me jump a foot in the air. I hopped up and grabbed the edges of my sea-green curtains to close them when something stopped me dead in my tracks.

Standing on the other side of the street, facing me, was a figure. A black trench coat flapped around it like bat wings. The power flicked off and on once. Then stayed on a moment more. The figure had on a black hat to keep away the rain. I watched, almost horror struck as the figure pulled off its' hat. The man smiled wickedly and rose one arm to wave his fingers at me. His head picked up and my heart jumped into my throat. For staring back at me were the green eyes that haunted my every nightmare.

Lightning hit again. The power went out. I grabbed the nearest weapon: a paddle-back hair brush. The power went on again. The figure had disappeared.

He knows where I live…