…December 24, 1971…

"So you were sick yesterday morning and this morning?" Candy asked while we washed the dishes.

I nodded, "Yeah, but then I felt perfectly fine right when noon hit."

Before she could answer, Marilyn poked her head into the kitchen. "Can I do anything to help? I mean, you guys are the guests," she said.

Candy pointed to the chair placed at the small kitchen table. "Yeah, you can sit down, or we'll get Darry to make you sit down, that's how you can help."

She gave a pleading look. "Please let me help."

"When you sit down, we'll give you something to do." I shrugged.

She sighed a bit and saw down in one of the chairs. "Happy now?" Candy and I smiled and nodded. Marilyn smiled, "Ok... what can I help with and what're you two talking about?"

"As we wash the dishes you can dry them and stack them on the table." Candy handed her a plate and a small dry towel. "And we were talking about how apparently, yesterday morning and this morning, Rain got sick."

Marilyn took both of what was handed to her, started drying the plate and gave a confused look. "What do you mean got sick?"

"Well, I was nauseous and I had to run to the bathroom, but by noon, I was perfectly fine," I answered.

"Do you know what's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Not a clue… but if it keeps happening, I'm goin' straight to a doctor."

The three of us form that point talked in the kitchen till nearly ten, Evie and Cherry joining us around when it was nine. Then after a while we all moved to the living room where the guys were. When all of us were in there, it reminded me of when we were all teenagers and we would just sit around and talk about whatever the hell we felt like talking about. Except now our conversations were a bit more mature from when we were seventeen, but that was expected.

While we sat there, it kinda made me sad for a moment cause of what it reminded me of. We weren't teenagers anymore, we were all legal adults- we were either in, almost done with, or out of college. It was kinda scary to think about and for a few reasons. One was that it all went by so fast that it left me wondering, "Where did the time go?" Another reason was that I was afraid we were all gonna spread out as time went on and we wouldn't see each other as much anymore, that scared me. I decided to just shake it off and enjoy whatever conversation was going on and enjoy our time together.

After a while, Marilyn decided she was gonna go to bed. I thought it was pretty late for her, considering the time she had been going to sleep lately. Since about July, she was getting tired earlier than she originally had been. But that was expected, I mean, she was pregnant. Now I didn't know much about that stuff, but she told us it wasn't an unusual thing… but she didn't leave out how it could be annoying at times.

For the last month now, Darry had been pretty jumpy. I mean considering the situation, it was pretty understandable- but not really good for Marilyn.

As the night progressed on, Evie, Candy, Cherry and me all ended up back in the kitchen talking like we were before. I always thought that was some cliché, that the woman always ended up in the kitchen one way or another, and I still thought it was, but I never expected that I would be part of that cliché- not that I didn't enjoy talking about certain things that the guys wouldn't understand and probably didn't wanna hear anyway.

"So when are Sandy and Danny coming back?" Evie asked.

"Either New Year's Eve or when the New Year starts," I answered, "But they'll probably have the worst jet lag ever."

"I wonder what it's like in Australia," Candy started to fantasize with a smile on her face.

"It's beautiful," we heard someone say. We all turned and saw Marilyn then sit at the table.

"I thought you went to sleep?" Cherry questioned.

Marilyn nodded. "I did, but then I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep and I knew you all would still be here, so I came to join you all."

"But you've been to Australia before?" Candy's voice was full of hope.

Marilyn nodded again and chuckled. "Yeah. Before Sandy moved to California, my family would go visit her family there every other year in the summer."

"Have y'all gone back since?" I leaned against the counter.

She shrugged a little. "Once or twice since she moved here to America both our families went together, but otherwise we haven't gone back since."

"Do you want to?" Evie asked and sat across from her.

"I don't know…"

"Oh come on," Candy's shoulders fell along with her facial expression, "Out of all of us, you and Darry deserve to get away the most. I mean, you two basically were our parents when the rest of us were teenagers, and you were twenty then and now that we're all adults- you two need a break."

"You know it's not that easy, Candy. I mean, a trip across the world ain't too cheap ya know."

"Well it doesn't have to be across the world. It can be across the state, across the country, across the street even! Either way, you two need to take some sort of trip."

"I don't know… how 'bout if I promise you I'll talk to him about him and whatever happens, happens- ok?"

Candy nodded. "That's more like it."

We kept talking about trips after that, past ones that we've taken or ones that we all want to take. At one point we started to talk about an idea we had back in '68… our idea was that me, Evie, Marilyn, Candy, and at the time Suzie would go on a trip. Also that Two-Bit, Steve, Darry, Soda and Ponyboy would go on a trip. Two separate trips: one for the guys and one for us girls, but at the same time. None of us had actually established when or where the trips would be, our only idea for that was that it would take place after the war was over so we wouldn't have to stress over anything.

We finally decided to go to sleep at about two in the morning. It was settled that we would all be staying over. The rest of us tried to protest and say that it was fine for us all if we just went home, but both Darry and Marilyn wouldn't have it. "It's Christmas Eve at two in the morning, most likely people are drunk cause that's what people do at these parties… I'm not taking any chances with that," Darry sighed a little.

Marilyn gave him a sad look, probably getting an idea where he got that from just like we all were. We decided just to cave and stay over. We've never argued with the two in the past, why start now?

They did have one request though. We couldn't do anything that we wouldn't wanna be caught doing- which I was fine with. Not to sound rude or gross or nothin', but I was fine with it cause Steve and Evie… I mean, that whole scare they had in high school and just… you can see where I'm going with this right? Good? Good.

The sleeping arrangements were shockingly arranged for us all to fit comfortably. Obviously, Darry and Marilyn would be in their room. The guest room is where Steve and Evie would be. The room set up for their baby is where Ponyboy and Cherry would stay. Soda and Candy would be in the living cause the couch was a pull out. Two-Bit and I would be in the small office they had set up to help with the Zuko's book shop.

"Well tonight was fun," I said and started to get settled in the office.

Two-Bit nodded, "Yeah… um, can I admit something?"

I nodded. "Of course, what's going on?"

"Ok. I uh… I overheard some of your conversation with Marilyn and Candy before."

"Well which part?"

"The part that you said you got sick today and yesterday morning."

I nodded and looked down. "Oh…"

"Yeah… um, you ok?"

"Yeah I think so, I mean like I said, if it continues I'm going to the doctor."

"I'm just worried now about you."

I chuckled a bit. "You don't need to worry about anything, I'm fine ok? I promise… promise me you'll calm down."

He pouted a little bit but I could tell it was fake. "Fine," he grumbled to go along with his charade.

I teasingly swatted his arm. "You're unbearable."

"Yeah but you love me," he teased and grinned, and I couldn't help but laugh.

I hate this chapter… I honestly hate this little chapter.

I got writer's block for the majority of it and writing when you have writer's block is just like "ok, whatever I can think of is going on this page and I don't care what happens" but then when it's done, you look over it and just sit there like "this is crap" but whatever.

OOH! Oh my gosh though- I went to a book sale in Nutley this weekend with my best friend Alex and her little brother Teven (well, his name is Steven but I call him Teven) and they had VHS tapes! I still have my VCR player and they had Jerry Maguire! XD I haven't seen that yet! They also had "Bringing Up Baby" and "Harvey" and I LOVE classic Hollywood, especially Katharine Hepburn :3 )

Anyway, yeah that's it… bye!

I can see a new horizon underneath the blazin' sky… I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher… Gonna be your man in motion, all I need is a pair of wheels… Take me where my future's lyin', St. Elmo's fire… I can climb the highest mountain, cross the wildest sea… I can feel St. Elmo's fire burnin' in me, burnin' in me!

(sorry, that song is playing on the radio as I type)

Peace from all the hippies of the world! =^-^=