Hey Y'all! I'm back from my trip! I won't bore you with the details and I'll just let this Chapter get started! I hope you like it!

Chapter 5 - Making Things Right

Ponyboy's POV:

Today is my first day back at school since my...attempt. I guess. I'd call it more of a reason I'm a failure. I wouldn't say I screw everything up, I just seem to make quite a few mistakes that seem to do far more harm than good. Instead of making a bunch of small mistakes, I'm making a few big ones. I want to make things right, get better, but at the same time I don't want to bother trying. It's a mixed bowel of emotions that I'm trying to separate but with ever attempt they seem to only get closer together. I can try, and try, and try all I want. But it seems that whatever I do it only gets worse. So, maybe, if I stop trying, I'll get where I want to be. I tried that, I tried to stop trying. Funny way of putting it. I was trying too hard, so I decided to stop trying. But then I tried too hard to stop trying. So, I'm just going to play this life thing out and see where it goes. Stop doubting all my decisions and act before thinking. Let's see where that gets me.

I mentally limped to my locker. I didn't want to be here in all honesty, but at the same time I loved learning too much that I couldn't bare staying away. If you can catch my drift, which you probably can't. Heh.

I was about to unlock my locker when I felt a rough hand grip on my shoulder. The feeling was all too familiar to me. I mentally cursed and wished my attempt had succeeded. I knew who was behind me and I didn't want to deal with their crap. Not today, not ever.

But I didn't bother hesitating, I turned around and can face to face with an old enemy. James. I wondered if he knew what happened to me? Did anyone at school know? Would anyone care? I'm not sure I want to find out...

"What do you want James?" I said, a bit harshed than intended.

"Listen Curtis, we need to talk." He whispered in a tone I've never heard him use before. It suprised me.

"Why? So you can just push me off my edge again?" I growled at him.

"Yeah, about that. That's what we need to talk about..." He rubbed the back of his neck. Something was up. Where was his Goonies?

"Give me one good reason to trust you James?" I argued, crossing my arms.

"Because, I've been in your place before..." He whispered even quieter than before, I could barely hear him. A shocked expression painted onto my face as I considered allowing him to talk to me, "Just, please. Come on, I don't have much time before the guys get here." He was referring to those two guys that's stick with him.

"Fine. But make it quick." I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks man." He gripped onto my wrist and dragged me away from my locker. The sudden grip on my wrist caused me to yelp in pain. I still had the bandages on, just in case. He understood what he had done and looked at my apologetically. He nodded and grabbed my hand instead, his grip was soft and gentle. It almost scared me.

He pulled into a boys bathroom that had a sign on it that said, "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" A perfect place to talk privetly, I guess. But I still followed him and we stumbled into the room. We stopped Midway through the small confined room. He let go on my hand and turned around to look at me, an emotion burned in his eyes that I've never seen before. Mirror where on our left and empty stall on our right. It wasn't he most pleasant place, but it beat having a crowd.

"What is it?" I was still a bit grumpy.

"I, uh, I wanted to aplogize." He lowered his head in embarrassment.

"What?" I scoffed, "Are you doing this on a dare?"

"No, no no no. I mean it." He finally looked at me.

"James, look at this!" I held up my wrists to him, "Sorry can't fix anything. If you break a glass plate, will 'sorry' put it back together? Nope! I can mend myself back together, tape up all the broken parts and glue together the torn pieces. But in the end, I'll still have these scars. I'll still have the memories. And nothing you say or do will change that!" I was growing angry.

"I know! Don't you think I know that?" He pulled out his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. Faint, tiny, scars of cuts flowed down his arm but, right below his wrist, was a deep scar that seemed older than the other scars. It's color was different from the others and singled itself out.

After I got a look at his scars and let what they meant settle in, he roughly pulled his sleeve back down. I never questioned why James wore long sleeves, I thought it was just his style. Like how Johnny used to always wear that jean jacket, or I wear my purple light jacket, or how Soda always wear flannel.

"I-I..." I stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"Save the pity speech, I don't want it. Point is, I understand. I was just...pissed. I was upset for what happened to me so I took it out on you. It doesn't make what I did right, but I can't change it. Listen man, I'm sorry, alright?" He seemed a tad bit less embarrassed now that he had opened up to me.

"Ya, it's fine. Just...don't do it again. Please? To anyone, not just me." I pleaded with him.

"Trust me, I won't be." He scoffed out, "So, we good?"

"Ya, I guess we are." I smiled as he smiled back.

"What are you doing in here with this loser?" I turned around and found myself faced with not only the last people I wanted to see, but the last people James wanted to see as well.

"Caleb, Samuel, out. Now." James gritted through his teeth.

"Why not? We wanna see you give this little rat hell." One of them laughed out, I still had no idea who they were.

"Out." James ordered once more.

"You know James, I'm starting to think you're getting soft for this mistake here." One of them walked closer to James, past me.

"Fuck off Caleb." James was getting upset, but not like I had. More or so, 'I'm going to rip your throat out' upset than 'I want to die' mad.

"Or what?" Caleb shot back. This answer seemed to please James because he smiled.

"Or I'll tell the whole school about you know what." He whispered into Caleb's ear.

Caleb grew mad at James and pushed him back. James slammed into the wall, unphased by the whole ordeal he leaned against the wall, in the same position, smiling. He knew he'd pushed buttons on Caleb that weren't supposed to be pushed and now he had him in a headlock of blackmail and fear.

That was when it hit me. He was doing what he did to me, to this Caleb kid. I may hate Caleb for still acting like a complete asshole all the time, and trust me, I really wanted him to get what was coming to him. But James made a promise. Even if I hate it, that promise included everyone. I wanted to let James get the best of Caleb, but I knew that would be fair. Hypocritical if even. I knew what I had to do next.

"Stop it." James and Caleb both looked at me, confused at to who I was pointing my order to, "Both of you."

"I was trying to help you!"

"He was being an ass!"

They both argued with me. But I wasn't going to allow it.

"I don't give a rats ass about your excuses. Nothing gives either of you the right to act like douchebags." I tried to not yell.

"But-"

"Don't bother Caleb. I'm not doing this to help you, I'm doing it because I made a promise, and so did you James." I narrowed my eyes at him and he lowered his head in shame.

"Does the idiot have you on a leash?" Caleb teased.

"Shut it Caleb." I growled at him, my sudden outburst scared him, "Listen, I could care less if you guys go back to being friends. What I do care about, it wether or not y'all are alive. Got me?"

"Whatever."

"Sure."

I moved my head behind me and looked at Samuel. He was watching me scold the two peers with pleasure on his face. But all of his emotions washed away when I looked at him.

"What?" He looked back, as if there were someone behind him.

"That means you too." I knew he understood me, he was just playing stupid.

"Yeah fine." He rolled his eyes.

"So, what now?" James spoke out.

"How about we leave this damn bathroom and head to class before we're late." I suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement, I knew Caleb and Samuel really wanted to skip or argue with me, but something held them back. I can read people fairly well, but I didn't quite comprehend what kept them back. At this point, it didn't matter, all that did matter was that I now knew. I knew everyone wasn't going to be normal again, nothing was going to be like it was before. But, I'm not sure I wanted things to be like they were before. Before I was hurt, broken, gone. Too far gone. Now I get a new start, I new way of living 'normal' and I plan on taking every damn advantage I get. I may still have the scars, but they will stay a mere reminded. A reminder than I am a soldier. I have fought battles and some I've lost, but I will never stop fighting. I will stay strong. I'm not weak, I merely tired. Confused if even. Sometimes you need a break from war, and if that means getting wounded so be it. But I will never give up, never again. Not in a long time, not ever. I guess I was blinded before. Blinded by all that had happened and all I could do. But I've opened my eyes, and my heart, just as I should have done before. I'm ready to win this war. Even if it means having backup, hey, you can't win a war with just one man, can you?

Thus being the ending! I hope y'all liked it!