Chapter 5: These Arms of Mine

"These arms of mine
They are lonely, lonely and feeling blue
These arms of mine
They are yearning, yearning from wanting you"

-Otis Redding

When I came down the stairs the next morning Johnny was already up watching Mickey Mouse with Two-Bit who was already drinking.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked him brushing the hair back from my face.

"Fine. Dally woke me up, but other than that it was good" he replied.

"Dally slept over too?" Two-Bit asked not looking away from the T.V

"No he came over, we fought, nothin' new".

"Boy you two really love each otha huh?" Two-Bit grinned.

As I passed him and walked into the kitchen I twisted his big toe and grinned as I heard it crack and him cry out. "That wasn't nice!". I just ignored him and poured myself some orange juice. "I got to head to work soon, so you two bums can leave".

After I kicked Johnny and Two-Bit out I headed to work.

Naturally Soda and Steve were there before me.

"Hey Donna. Why don't you come with us to the game tonight?" Steve called as I walked up.

"Can't, I'm working the late shift tonight".

"I don't like that Donna" Soda said as he pumped gas into the waiting car.

"Two-Bit's comin' to pick me up".

And than I hurried inside because a line was beginning to form.

It was mid afternoon when Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally showed up to get money.

I stayed inside because I didn't want to see Dally.

Ponyboy came in to see if he could grab a bag of chips for the movie they were going to see later that night.

"Go right ahead" I said as I counted the cash.

"I promise to make sure Dally behaves himself tonight" he said coming up to the counter.

"Don't worry about it Ponyboy. You just enjoy the movie" I replied not looking up from what I was doing for fear that he would see the unshed tears waiting for their time to burst to the surface.

"You never done this before I take it?" Dallys warm breath on my neck made me shiver.

Course I never did! Dally was the only guy I ever let get close enough to kiss me!

I looked up into his eyes. I was nervous, my heart was pounding loud and hard in my chest and I was all tensed up and shaking.

"No. This will be my first time" I told him truthfully.

He smiled, not a smirk or a grin, an actually smile. "Well before we do this I got to know somethin'"

"What?"

"Do you except to be my girl after this?"

Of course I did, but I knew that Dally had a lot of girls he ran around with and I was sure that he didn't want to have a girlfriend right now. But I also didn't want him to think that I was like all the others who didn't care if he was just using them for sex. I really liked Dally. I bit my lip, and nodded slowly.

"I would like to, cuz I don't know if I can do this otherwise"

He didn't answer and instead kissed me.

"What's that mean?" I asked after we broke apart a few minutes later.

"What's what mean?" he whispered as he began to lift my shirt up.

"That kiss, does it mean we're goin' steady or what?"

"What do you think it means?" he stopped as I pulled it back down, intent on getting an answer before we carried on.

"I need to know" I pleaded with him. I was already in deep but I couldn't bear getting in over my head and than having him just leave me.

"It means we're goin' steady. Now put my ring on and let me take your shirt off"

"Donna you there?"

I snapped out of my memory and looked up to see Two-Bit clutching on to the counter and swaying. Naturally he was drunk.

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"Almost 2, ain't it time to close?"

"Yeah. Let's getting goin'"

After I made sure the store was locked up we began to head to my place. I wasn't allowed to walk home by myself anymore after the incident. Although I wasn't sure how much help Two-Bit could provide in his current state.

"You an' ole Dally make up yet?" he asked tossing his beer bottle onto the road where it smashed into pieces.

I sniffed. "No, and it's not like we will. I had enough of him".

Two-Bit chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"You and Dal, you're just a couple o' crazy kids in love"

"Two-Bit just shut up. You're too drunk to know what you're talkin' 'bout"

"Oh I know what I'm sayin'. You and Dal just can't see what we all see"

"What?" I shook my head as he staggered beside me.

"We all can see that you love each other. Just you two can't see it, yet"

"I think you should go and pass out now" I told him as I opened the gate in front of his house.

"When did we get here?" he asked scratching the back of his head. "Well, g'night Donna" and than he staggered up the path.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Oh Two-Bit".

Than I began to head to my place, it was just around the corner, and I prayed not to run into trouble.

I was just a few feet away from my house when I noticed two figures hurrying up the street in my direction. This time I had my blade on me and I was fingering it in my pocket. But I let it go as they approached and I reconigized them.

"Donna!"

I frowned as Johnny and Ponyboy stopped in front of me, Ponyboy soakin' wet and Johnny shakin' like a leaf.

"What are you doin' out at 2 in the mornin'?" I asked them as I took my DX shirt off and wrapped it around Ponyboy.

"We did somethin' real bad" Johnny cried.

My blood turned cold and I had just noticed how chilly the night was.

"What?"

"I killed a Soc"

I was speechless, I really didn't know what to say. But I could tell that they were both scared. Of course I didn't know how to deal with this situation. But I knew someone who could.

"Come on, we have to go see Dally" and I wrapped my arms around their shoulders and we hurried to Bucks place.

When we reached are destination Johnny knocked on the door and Buck himself answered.

"Donna what are you doin' here at this hour?" he asked.

"We needa see Dally".

He lingered in the doorway, "Now!" I snapped and he disappeared.

"What are we gonna do?" Ponyboy shivered as a breeze blew by us.

"Don't worry. We'll figure somethin' out" I assured him, not knowing what else to tell them.

I than looked up as the door opened to reveal a shirtless Dally.

"What are you guys doin' here?" he asked.

"Johnny killed a Soc" Ponyboy replied.

I could see Dally trying to access the situation.

"Alright good for you, let's go" and he opened the door wider so we could step in.

A few minutes later after Ponyboy had a dry shirt on and they had calmed down a bit they told us what happened.

"If I didn't they woulda killed him" Johnny whimpered after he finished.

"You did the right thing" Dally told them. "But you guys gotta get outta here. Take the 3:15 train to Windrexville, there's an abandoned church on top of Jay Mountain. Get a weeks supply of food as soon as you get there, and than don't as so much as stick your nose out the door, am I clear?" they nodded. "I'll be up there as soon as I think things are cool"

I stayed quiet all through it. I didn't trust myself to move or else I woulda started crying. They were in trouble. I just hugged Johnny, trying to keep him calm, but I could hear his heart beating fast in his chest.

"It'll be alright" Dally told him, looking at me as he said it.

I nodded. "Everything will work out, you'll see" I whispered kissing the top of Johnny's head.

"Alright, let's get you outta here" Dally said and we all stood.

"You stay here, we needa talk" he told me as the boys walked to the door. I was in no mood to argue so I just nodded and than gave Ponyboy and Johnny a hug. "Stick together".

Dally than pushed them out the door. I grabbed my DX shirt and held it against me fighting the tears that threatened to fall. I than dropped it to the floor and grabbed one of Dally's shirt as a chill settled in my bones. I settled on the edge of his bed and waited.

A few minutes later he re-appeared. "We gotta make sure everyone knows they're alright".

I nodded dumbly clutching the shirt around me tighter as a breeze blew through the open window.

He walked over and closed it and than stood in front of me.

"We need to have the same story, so it don't look weird".

"Say, they went to Texas"

Dally nodded. "Texas, yeah they'll believe it. But the Soc's are gonna be out for blood. Now we gotta get ready for a rumble".

"If they get caught they're gonna get tossed in the cooler, for a long time. Johnny won't beable to handle that, and Darry and Soda, well they wouldn't beable to handle it either if Ponyboy was tossed in there with him. It ain't fair" I sniffed, quickly brushing the tears away so Dally wouldn't get on me for cryin' and bein' weak.

To my surprise he bent down in front of me and placed boths his hands on my knees. "You were right in bringin' them to me. They're ahead of the game now, they won't get locked in the cooler, it'll be okay".

"But just say it don't. It will break my heart if they get locked up".

Instead of replying Dally stood back up and pulled me with him. He held the side of my head and brushed the pads of his thumbs across my cheeks wiping away the tears. "You worry too much kid" he mumbled lookin' into my eyes.

"I can't help it. They're like my family, I don't have any left" I sniffed.

"You'll always have me"

I just nodded. I knew no matter how many times we fought and refused to admit our feelings for one another we would always be there for each other.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

A few minutes later I let him go. "I should get going. I'll need all my energy to survive Darry and Soda when I tell them".

"Stay" he whispered grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it.

"Dally I can't, not tonight. Especially after what happened. How could you even think like that?"

"No Donna I didn't mean for that, christ on crackers, I ain't an animal"

"Than why do you want me to stay?"

"For company, alright if you needa know I haven't been sleepin' the past few days"

"And why is that? Has Sylvia been here?"

"No! It ain't like that. It get's lonely"

I looked down, I felt the same way but I didn't want to tell him that. Maybe he was just tryin' to sweet talk me. But I was in no mood to fight tonight and I was tired.

"I'll stay".

He nodded and than pulled me down with him on his bed. I ended up over him.

"Tomorrow I'm going to tell Soda and Darry" I whispered as he stroked my cheek.

"Will do it together"

I just yawned and settled down beside him, drawing the covers up around us.

"They'll be okay right?" I whispered, snuggling closer to him.

"O' course they will, they're Greasers. Don't worry yer pretty little head".

"Okay. Good night Dallas"

"Yeah, yeah" he muttered, I knew he was falling asleep.

"I think I'm fallin' in love with you again" I whispered every so quietly.

But he was already out.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

Chapter 6 will be up very soon.

-POLY