WARNING! PLEASE READ THIS BRIEF NOTE!

Ok, if you have ever struggled with any sort of depression and have (I'm sorry) cut yourself out of depression of in general, please do not read this chapter. It technically doesn't happen, but I don't want to provoke anyone. If you feel that cutting or depression has or will affect you in any way, do not read this chapter. Trust me, I have dealt with this, just please don't. if you want to read any of it if you are, read the first part with Two-Bit and Kathy, then the absolute end of the chapter, I will make a mark when it is safe to read. If you don't read the middle but want to know what happens, please just message me and ask and I will tell you.

Thank you and feel better.

"Our little Ponyboy got himself a girlfriend," Two-Bit said with a smile, "I can't believe it, especially since his girlfriend is my kid sister."

"Why're you so shocked by that?" Kathy asked, "He was always a charmer. And besides, they've known each other for years, so it's not really that shocking. They're like that cliché couple that have known each other since they were kids, then when they're old enough to date, they go out."

"You got a point, I'll admit that. But either way, Lily never really showed interest in relationships. Even being the romantic type she is."

"She actually has showed interest in guys. She just didn't tell you."

He gave a confused look. "Why not?"

She scoffed a bit, "Do you know how hard it is to tell your brother that you finally have an interest in guys if you're a girl? Trust me when I tell you this, cause I've experienced it: if a girl has a brother, whether it be older or younger, at some point, those boys are gonna protect their sister. Mostly from other boys cause they know how boys can be. When a girl finally gets to the age that she'll wanna start dating, her brothers go overboard- especially older brothers, which you are."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. And the fact that you're also the father figure in her life, that doesn't help either hers or your point of view in this whole thing. But I know the reason you're not worried."

"Oh yeah? Then what is it, cause I sure as hell don't. I'd think I would be, but I'm not. I'm actually fine with the whole thing."

"Cause this is Ponyboy we're talkin' about. We all know that he wouldn't do nothin' to her and for a couple reasons. One: he's known her his whole life, so there's respect for her right there. Two: he knows you and how you protect Lily as best as you can. Three: she's one of the only girls who goes to that gym in town. Only the toughest survive there, Lily said it herself."

Two-Bit thought for a moment, taking all that his girlfriend said into consideration. "That's true," he said.

(if you read the author's note, stop reading here,, I'll give another mark when it's ok to read again)

-/-/-

Cherry sat on the back steps of the house. She reflected on what had happened during the first month of her life- if that's how you would even say it. What would you call the starting over after you got amnesia? Either way, she still barely remembered anything from her childhood, or even her parents. What did they look like? What were their names? How old were they? How long were they married? Were they divorced or were they still together? Not to mention all the other things she was still fuzzy about.

Cherry shut her eyes for a moment in attempt to maybe remember something. Anything. Whether it be about her parents, her life before, her relationships with people. Or anything from the past.

"Cherry, honey? Where are you?" a woman called. The woman was not in the room, but it sounded as if she weren't very far.

Cherry felt her heart begin to race in a panic. She heard her voice say, "Damnit." She grabbed a large bandage of some sort and wrapped in around both of her wrists. Her wrists were covered in dark, parallel lines that leaked red. The lines led from her wrist to the end of her forearm. The lines were as straight as sewing needles.

Cherry then took some tissues and wrapped a broken razor that girls used to shave. The end was broken and the actual razors were all half covered in red. She threw the wrapped up razors into the trash bin in the bathroom. She then went back into the room and slipped on a long sleeved shirt, making sure they covered her arms and wrists completely. "I'm comin'," she called back to the woman.

Cherry's eyes snapped open and she gave a confused look. She glanced down at both of her arms, which were folded and her elbows were rested on her knees. She wore a cardigan, which covered her arms. She bit down on her bottom lip and she started to roll back the fabric on both of her arms, exposing the skin on her arms. She pulled the fabric on both arms above her elbows.

When both of her arms were exposed, she lined them up to each other and held them up a bit. Cherry gave a look of both shock and slight confusion when she saw faint lines like the ones in her memory on her arms. The only difference between the lines currently on her arms and the lines that she remembered, was that the lines in her memory were like fresh cuts or scratches. The ones she was looking at now, those were faint scars of something that happened and was now healing, but not quite done healing. Why did this happen? She thought.

Cherry got up from the steps and went inside the house. She looked around the living room to see if Evie was around and frowned a bit when she saw that she wasn't. She's probably with Steve, the redhead thought. She couldn't ask Esther- Evie's little sister- she probably wouldn't know anyway.

Cherry walked over to the phone and dialed the number of the person- at least the location of- who might have an idea of how the scars got there.

-/-/-

Soda wiped his hands with a small rag that was on the table in the garage of the DX. He had been doing repairs all day with Steve in the garage and that had been the last car. He was covered in car grease and gasoline, but in all honesty, that was not terribly uncommon.

Soda jumped a bit when the phone inside the garage started to ring; it was connected to the phone in the main building so that if there were no workers in there because they were in the garage, they would still hear the phone. He picked up the phone to answer the call and stuck it between his shoulder, the crook of his neck, and his head. "You've reach the DX, this is Sodapop, can I help you?" he said like his boss had told him to say.

"Soda? It's Cherry. Are you busy?" she asked.

"Oh, hey, Cherry. I'm not terribly busy. Why? Somethin' wrong?" His heart began to beat a bit faster. Look ov

"I'm not really sure. That's actually why I called you."

"Well, I get off in about ten minutes, I can stop by right after I leave if you want."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Soda."

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, see you soon," Cherry said and the line went dead.

-/-/-

Soda clocked out of his shirt at the DX and left, bidding his best friend goodbye as he ran out the door. Instead of waiting for his brother, he walked back into the East Side and over to Evie's house where Cherry was currently living.

When Soda got to the house, he knocked on the front door. When it opened, he saw Evie. He asked how she was doing, but she merely shrugged. She told him that Cherry was sitting on the back steps. He thanked her as she led him through the house and to the back door that led to the back steps.

Soda saw Cherry look over her shoulder when the back door opened. He sat down next to her as she shifted over to make room for him to sit on the steps as well. "Hey," he said in a quiet tone, "You alright? You sounded real nervous on the phone."

Cherry once again rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan, showing him the faint scars. "What are these from?" she asked him nervously.

I was hoping she wouldn't ask about that, he thought.

Soda didn't know how he should answer her question. He couldn't just come out and say she had been depressed. He knew she'd ask why, then what would he say? He still didn't have the heart to tell her what her parents had done and how her friend had left right after the incident. I've already done too much, he thought.

"You weren't in the best place a while before you were in the hospital," Soda answered in a soft and gentle tone.

Cherry gave a confused look. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"You wouldn't tell me exactly what was goin' on. All you told me that it was some sort of family issue."

"I guess that does make sense, I guess. How long did I do it?"

'I'm not really sure. You hid it for a while."

Cherry covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe I used to do that," she groaned, "I'm so sorry."

"What for?"

"You were probably worried sick. Am I right?"

When Cherry had been depressed, her friend Marcia would take her to the DX often to see Soda. Not only for the fact that he smile was contagious, but she had mentioned hidden feelings for him to her friend. Whenever she would see him, she would perk up a bit. During her visits, thought, he would notice the lines on her wrists. He chose not to ask about them as not to make her feel bad or ashamed or anything of the sort, but Marcia had told him the situation just to give him some enlightenment on the redhead. From that point, on, he had been worried about her. He had counted a total of ten months since the first time he saw the cuts to when she had gotten to the hospital.

Soda nodded. "Yeah, I really was," he answered genuinely.

(you can read here now) The next thing Soda knew, Cherry's lips were pressed against his. He was taken back by her action at first, but a moment later, he found himself kissing her back. Cherry lip balm, popped into his head as they kissed.

Cherry pulled back slowly and she bit down on the right corner of her bottom lip. She held back a smile and placed her hand over her mouth as she let out a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Soda chuckled.

"It was our first kiss, but it wasn't. It's kina funny to think of it like that… did I just make this weird?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Not really, cause I think I got car gasoline on your cheek."

She shrugged it off and smiled. "Thank you."

"For the smudge on your cheek?"

"Not that," she chuckled, "For caring so much."

He smiled. There was finally something that he felt he had told her the whole truth about.

Ok hopefully, you guys read the beginning note.

So how are you all? See any good movies lately?

Did anyone here see "Jersey Boys" that was released last year? Not the broadway show (yet I would love to see that). I saw the movie last night, and a few things there you have to be from New Jersey to understand if you ask me XD lucky for me, I am. And also lucky for me, they were from Newark and Belleville, and all the towns they mentioned in New Jersey in the movie, I've been too a hundred times and know well XD it felt weird. They mentioned Bloomfield, Fairfield, Belleville, Newark, Bergenfield and a few other places.

Also, I want you guys to know that I'm not making fun of people who struggle with what it in this chapter and beginning note. Like I said, I struggled with slight depression about a year or two ago, but I did not cut myself. I was too afraid of what my parents would do if they saw. It's a serious issue, and that's why this story is not a comedy.

Anyway, just curious who else saw it cause I loved it. Hope you guys took my beginning note into consideration. Peace from all the hippies of the world! =^-^=