Okay people...I made this chapter longer for those who like long chapters! Enjoy!

...

Chapter V

"Avianna June Carthage-McKeehan why the heck is there a rabbit in this house?" Darry shouted.

"I just felt compelled to buy it," was her honest reply. Darry sighed.

"Compelled or not, you know better!"

"There was this little girl and she wanted to-"

"I'm home!" Soda shouted. "Cool, a rabbit!" Sooner than later, all of the boys were laughing at the rabbit. She let it hop around the house, and she asked Ponyboy and Johnny to help her take the stuff to the house.

"My bunny!" the little girl shouted happily. The mother walked out.

"Sweetie it's just a wild-" she stared at the cage, food, and the rabbit. Everything was there. She looked up at the sky. "Thank you Lord."

Johnny gave Avianna a warm smile. She hugged both of the boys, and they walked home. The woman didn't see them, and they all were glad she didn't, because she would say, 'I just couldn't accept' or 'you didn't have to'.

...

Avianna felt like dressing up one day. She bought a white dress with white lace over it. It had the sleeves cut off, and she took an instant liking to it. She bought some black flats to match, and a pearl necklace. She did her hair up in a messy bun, and wore her jacket over it. When Johnny came home from the movies with Ponyboy, and came in through the door, he stopped dead in his tracks. Avianna pretended he was royalty.

"Well, good evening sir," she said in a soft, overly tender voice. She did a curtsy, and made her dress flow. Though Johnny was in utter shock at her appearance, he played along, and kissed her hand.

"Shall I take you outside Miss?" he replied in the same tone.

"I think that would be lovely."

"I have some friends you would like to meet," he played. He took Avianna to the vacant lot where all the other boys were.

"Johnny Cade!" she pretended to shout in a shocked, angry voice (that was fake), "These are your friends? All I see is disgusting greasers!"

They all laughed. "Would you like to dance?" Johnny spoke up. The all gasped, even Avianna. She looked at him admiringly.

"I would love to."

"Let's go, all of us," Darry whispered. "They need to be alone." Ponyboy got irritated, but came anyways. Steve,Two-Bit and Soda crowded around the window to see Johnny and Avianna dance in the moonlight.

"Who knew Johnnycake could dance, huh?" Steve shouted to Darry.

"You gonna watch too, Pony?" Two-Bit turned his head. Ponyboy had a sour look on his face and replied with, "No. Rather not."

"You never told me you could dance," Avianna told Johnny as he spun her around. Johnny just smiled.

"You never asked."

"Who's sassy?" Avianna just looked at him with admiration. She loved him, and everyone knew. It was obvious. They stopped dancing for a minute to enjoy the scenery of the moon.

"You are so kind to me," Avianna sat down on the grass as Johnny followed. "Is there anyway I can repay you?" Johnny just sat there.

"There is one thing," he replied. And it happened. Johnny kissed her.

"Oh my God Darry come over here they're kissing!" Two-Bit screamed over. Dally ran over.

"Johnny Cade's got himself a girlfriend," was his reply.

"I knew it," Two-Bit was excited. Ponyboy got up and ran to his room and slammed the door. Darry shut the blinds.

"Leave those two alone," he announced, and shooed them away.

"I'm sorry," Johnny looked guilty. Avianna looked at him warmly.

"Don't be," she said as she kissed his cheek. She looked at the Curtis house. "They probably saw the entire thing." She shivered. "It's getting cold. Let's go inside."

When they came in, Soda ,Steve and Two-Bit were crowding around them. "So Johnnycake, did she say yes?"

Johnny got more red than ever. "I didn't ask her," he went to the kitchen. Steve followed a marriage- related subject. "When are you getting hitched?"

"Calm down, give the kids some space!" Darry meant business. As the weeks flew by, Johnny and Avianna became closer and closer. And Ponyboy and Johnny became farther apart.

There was a beautiful sunset one night, and Ponyboy and Avianna just sat there, looking at it. Johnny came by and sat next to Avianna. "Brought these for us," he said as he handed her a Coke. "Want one, Pony?"

Ponyboy gave Johnny a funny look, and looked away from him. She didn't know what the heck was wrong with him. He seemed like his old, usual self with her; when Johnny was around, he ignored him, gave him funny looks and now was avoiding him. She had no idea Ponyboy saw everything. It was making Avianna and Dally mad.

"Hey Pony," she asked. "What's the matter?" Ponyboy replied with, "I'm just tired."

"You said that the last time," Johnny managed to talk back to him. Ponyboy gave him a glare. "What's wrong with you lately, Pony?"

"You're what's wrong with me, Johnny Cade!" he screamed. "You think that everything's about you now, don't you?"

"What are you saying, Ponyboy?" Avianna asked. But Ponyboy wouldn't listen, and then started yelling at her.

"You only pay attention to Johnny, thats it. Just you and Johnny. I thought you cared about me, too, but no. Johnny Cade is you only concern. That's why you ran in the church fire-for Johnny. You never asked for me in the hospital-you just asked for Johnny. When I came in, you only asked me how Johnny was. That's all!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Johnny snapped.

"Avianna is just as much your friend as she is mine, Ponyboy," he growled. "Avianna and I are-" Ponyboy slapped Johnny across the face.

"Yeah, I get it, Avianna and you, then me. That's all I ever hear." Before Avianna could open her mouth, Johnny punched Ponyboy back, so hard that he fell over. Ponyboy got up and grabbed Johnny by the shirt. Before she knew what was happening, Johnny and Ponyboy were fighting each other like a Soc and a greaser. Darry must have heard the commotion, and Two-Bit, Sodapop, and Dally came running over. They pulled them away from each other as Johnny was slugging Ponyboy in the chest.

"What the hell is the matter with you two?" Darry shouted. Johnny had a black eye and Ponyboy would have a huge bruise on his lip and cheek. Ponyboy wouldn't just get that. Johnny screamed at Ponyboy and cussed him out as he explained what had happened, and Dallas belted him in the chest. You just don't do that to Johnny. Johnny had already slugged him in the chest, hard; that beating from Dally Winston didn't help at all.

"Ponyboy, what happened?" Soda looked real concerned. "Johnny and you have never gotten into a fight."

"Yeah, yeah, it's always Johnny first!" Ponyboy was still upset. "Johnny and you. Johnny, Ponyboy, wanna come?" Avianna knew he was still talking about her. That's when Steve

whispered something in Sodapop's ear, eyeing Avianna the entire time. She knew what he had said even though she couldn't hear it.

"Avianna, why don't you go inside for a minute?" it was more of an order than a suggestion coming from Darry. She shook her head.

"I'm the reason for their fight."

"No, you're not, Sugar. Go on inside." She obeyed, but listened through the screen door. "Ponyboy, I've never seen you this upset. Over what? So what she always says Johnny's name first. She's your friend, and so is Johnny, and you better use you head Ponyboy. There ain't many girls around like Avianna McKeehan. You better be good to her. And what you did to Johnny is another matter. You had no right to hit him. Like you said, nobody fights with Johnny. Now you better git."

Dally still looked like he wanted to belt Ponyboy. Ponyboy look through the screen door. Avianna came out despite what Darry told her.

"I don't know why your so protective over me, Ponyboy. I only knew you guys for a brief amount of time-"

"Does that matter?" Ponyboy was crying now. "I don't know why I fought with Johnny. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I thought that we were close."

"Are you jealous?" she gave Ponyboy a glare. "Just because Johnny and me are-" she was going to say dating, but that would just make Ponyboy mad- "...close, doesn't mean…"

"Yeah, sure." Ponyboy scuffed the dirt.

"You know the reason I ran into that church Pony? I ran in there the same reason you did. Nothing gold can stay. You used to be gold Ponyboy. But now-" Avianna stopped when she saw his face, and sighed. "I love both of you guys so much. Just because Johnny and I got closer quicker doesn't mean I love you any less."

"You're not doing this just for kicks are you?"

"Heck no. You guys are the best. I just need a little more time to know you better, Ponyboy."

Johnny still looked really angry. Probably the first time anyone's seen him angry. He came over to Ponyboy.

"Why were you doing that Pony? I'd never thought you'd hurt me."

"I was just mad, that's all."

"Well, just...control your temper," Johnny managed to get out of his mouth. A month ago, screaming like that would have scared Johnny have to death. But now, he got angry. Ponyboy was grabbing a cigarette out of his pocket, and Avianna snatched it from him, the whole package and all, and stated, "You don't deserve it." Ponyboy looked shocked.

"Don't deserve to stay a little calm?"

"No, you don't deserve to ruin your health. But it's your choice," she tossed it back to him, and he lit a cigarette and smoked it. Johnny denied one from Dally. Dallas Winston's eyes, gosh they were angry. He still looked like he wanted to belt Ponyboy again, no questions asked. Avianna wanted to break the tension, but this kind of tension wasn't dissolved by a game of tag. "C'mon guys, let's go watch the sunset before it disappears."

...

Ponyboy and Johnny still got into a lot of fights, even when she wasn't around. Avianna was going to explode sooner or later. That day, Ponyboy came through the door, slamming it so hard that some wood cracked from the door frame.

"What's wrong with you?" Darry and Avianna asked the same question. Ponyboy whipped around.

"I hate that Johnny Cade!" he went around, whipping his hands around. "He thinks he's something real special, now, doesn't he? But no...he's slow and just plain dumb. He's sixteen years old and acts like he's the king of the hill. So what if I'm fourteen?"

"Hey Pony, did you hit him again?" Sodapop walked up beside him. There was a new bruise on the left side of his cheek.

"No, this time he belted me!" he sat down, bawling. "He's turning into Dally when I'm around…" he went on sobbing. "...but then he acts like himself around Avianna." Sodapop and Darry exchanged glances.

"Pony, Pony, it's okay, you guys are just in a little scuffle, that's all," Soda sat down beside him.

"I don't understand. We used to get along fine before the church fire, now he just can't stand me."

"I think he'd stand you better if you kept bugging him about the girl," Dally came in, angry as heck, with a beer bottle in his hand. Avianna had never seen a person drunk before, only on TV, and it wasn't pretty and he was half-sober. "Avianna is just a friend to both'ya Ponyboy, no you better shut your trap you little…" Dally went on cussing him out and calling him dirty words; he made sense, even though he was drunk. Johnny came in, with that defeated, piteous, look in his eyes, which nobody hadn't seen in a long time; at the Curtis house, when Avianna was here, and finally she understood why. His parents fought, and now they fought. He gets beat up at home, and now he gets beats up here. Johnny didn't say a word. He just flopped down on

the couch and didn't even look at Avianna. While she was thinking all this, Ponyboy, Dally and Darry were still all yelling. She exploded.

"Shut up! Just shut the heck up all of you!" she screamed as loud as she could. We all froze. "You guys, this is not what you think. Ponyboy, you know what I said last week. I need the time to get to know you. Johnny, you need to stop turning around and yelling at him because he's jealous. Look at what we're doing here, come on guys? You're all better than this. I only come here because its a safe haven, but now...I mean look around guys...you're scaring Soda. You're scaring Steve and Two-Bit. Your scaring Johnny...you're scaring me." She just sat down on the couch. "I get enough fighting and yelling at home. Please don't fight anymore." She had tears running down her face. She didn't brush them away. All the boys heads went down. She wiped her eyes. Ponyboy came and pushed the hair out of her face.

"I's so sorry, 'Anna," he told her, and Johnny nodded. Avianna saw the light irritated expression in his face, as if Ponyboy shouldn't be that close to her.

"Oh really?" she told him jokingly. They both stopped to see Two-Bit laughing at them. Avianna spotted a piece of chocolate cake sitting on the end table. Johnny nodded. She took the piece of cake, and chucked it in his face. Everyone laughed.

"No one messes with Avianna!" Ponyboy exclaimed. "But you and Johnny-"

"We what?" she said aloud. Ponyboy turned white.

"N-nothing, I was just going to say how you-" splat. Johnny chucked a piece of cake across his face. they ran out, and hid on either sides of the house, with their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing.

Ponyboy and Two-Bit ran out the door with Sodapop and Darry. "Did we hurt their feelings?" Sodapop questioned.

"Probably," Two-Bit stated. They ran out.

"Hey, Avianna, Johnny we didn't-" Ponyboy began.

"Tag! You're it!" Johnny started the game. Dallas joined in as soon as he was tagged. Avianna thought it was funny for someone that was drunk to make sense of a game of tag.

Avianna thought it would be funner if she hid so that way they'd get worried an look for her, so she hid behind a building three blocks down. She had no idea that a red mustang with white pinstripes drove up right beside her. It was followed by a lime green corvair.

"Hey greaser," a hand went down on her shoulder, and she jumped.

"Get the heck away from me!" Three boys had her down. They started to kick her in the ribs and she started to cry and scream. The two other boys stopped, but one of them just kept kicking her ribs. "Stop!" Avianna managed to get out.

"Jason stop," his girlfriend shouted from the car. "Its enough."

"Oh c'mon," he said, "You guys are no fun." He kept kicking her. He stopped for a minute, and she coughed up some blood.

"C'mon man, stop." The other boys were staring at him in disbelief.

"Just a little longer man."

"Stop it!" the girls shouted. A pretty blonde looked at another girl in the car. "Bridget call the cops."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Jason kicked her in the head so hard it started bleeding. One of the boys pulled him back, but he pushed him down. He was obviously the strongest of the bunch. "Noah, what the heck is wrong with you?"

"You're going to far," he growled. "No stop it."

The girl Bridget, who was Noah's girlfriend, ran over to the phone booth to call the cops.

"Bridget don't you dare!" shouted Jason. "Or I'll stab her!" Bridget walked back to the car. Avianna, got up on her hands and knees and threw a good sized rock, which was supposed to hit Jason, shattered the windshield of his car. "Oh that does it, greaser!"

Avianna tried to get up when she felt it. He had stabbed her. Jason had full control over her, and he knew it. Avianna couldn't scream or cry. She was in too much shock. She felt the metal rip her muscles and flesh as he twisted the blade around in a circle; the cold of the metal against her ribs.

Before Avianna knew what was happening, she was lying on the ground. Johnny and Ponyboy were by her side, and Johnny held her up off the ground. "Johnny," she mumbled, and kept herself from passing out. Her whole body was white and she couldn't hear right. Everything was a blur. "Are you okay?" she thought that the boys were being jumped too.

"Yeah, we're okay," he was calm, which surprised her. "You're going to be okay now, 'Anna."

"I know," she looked at Ponyboy. "Ponyboy, can you come here?" He came over as he held her hand. He was bawling, hard. "Hey don't cry." He stopped.

"You're always telling us to cry," Ponyboy sobbed.

"Everything's going to be okay, now." She started to force herself to breathe, even though it was extremely painful. She fought herself to keep her eyes open.

"Avianna," Johnny began, tears rolling down his cheeks, everything inside him screaming for him not to say it. Don't say it. Don't say it. Don't say it. "Just go to sleep, okay? Just go to sleep."

And she closed her eyes, Johnny held her until he thought Avianna was dead.