Ch 5

"There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy."

~Anonymous

Dally's POV

When she pulled away from me, reality fell back into its proper place. Cherry stared at me for a moment, but I had to evade her eyes.

"Don't do it." She spoke quietly. My stomach felt queasy, and I couldn't breathe. I can't choose between life and death, I have had death written on me since the day he left me. But I can't choose between him and Cherry either. There's just no picking.

Especially if I was in love with her for real. Then everything would change. I couldn't just leave her. But I can't abandon him. He's all alone… he needs me. Cherry has lots of friends. She has everything she needs and wants.

"Are you alright?" I shook my head, making the throbbing worse. I felt really sick.

"Dally?" She put one of her hands on my face gently, and I grabbed it and threw it back on to her side. What's wrong with me? Her eyes were worried and wide, waiting for me to speak. My head felt like it was going to split in two.

"Don't make me choose." I found myself saying. Everything turned blurry, and I wasn't sure if I was crying or if it was just because I was sick. I felt myself swaying, and then everything faded to black.

Ponyboy's POV

Dallas and Cherry had been gone for a while, and everyone looked nervous about that. Soda, Steve, and Steve's girlfriend Evie had joined us. I pestered Two-Bit about going out to find them, but he kept saying to 'let them be'. He just didn't understand.

I noticed that Soda looked upset. Probably because usually he and Sandy would go to the movies with Steve and Evie, like a double date. But now he was just the third wheel. I felt just as terrible and betrayed by Sandy as he did, since he was my brother and he was obviously beat up about it. What kind of person would get pregnant with another man when she already had Soda? All the other girls envied her. She had everything she would ever want. I guess that proves how people never know what they have until it's gone, but she probably didn't even care now.

Sodapop kept side glancing at Steve and Evie, noticing how they were holding hands and laughing at scenes in the movie. I could tell what he was thinking. He still hadn't moved on, I knew that, and he was remembering how that used to be him and Sandy. There was an empty feeling in my stomach, probably because Steve's relationship with Evie was what I wanted with Cherry. But she was off with Dally now, doing who knows what. I started getting worried again, and continued bugging Two-Bit.

After an hour or so passed, Two-Bit finally gave into my pleading. I was just worried about Dally, that's all. But I knew I was lying to myself.

"Where could they be?" Two-Bit muttered as we strode along the edges of the lot. We had looked everywhere. We had asked Soda if he had wanted to come, but he had turned us down. I would have wanted to go if I was being treated the way he was by Steve. He was ignoring Soda completely, only paying attention to Evie. What a jerk. We stopped and sat down on a vacant curb, Two-Bit lighting a cigarette. He offered my one, but I politely refused. I had been feeling too light headed recently, and I didn't want to mess up my health or anything like that.

Just as soon as we relaxed, I heard a cry. A cry of "Help!" I jumped to my feet and ran in the direction I heard it from, not caring if Two-Bit was following me or not. I knew that voice. It was Cherry.

I sprinted into a clearing behind us and saw Cherry leaning over a figure lying on the ground. My heart stopped as she looked up at me, tears leaking out of her emerald eyes. Laying behind her, obviously unconscious, was Dally. His face was chalk white, and he had a nasty bump on the side of his head.

"H-he was just talking to m-me. T-hen he just fainted." Cherry sniffled, her breath coming in shuddery gasps. Two-Bit, who was behind me, jumped in front of me, cursing. He kneeled by Dally's head, while Cherry stood up and walked over to me. She wrapped me into a hug, sobbing into my chest. I patted her back awkwardly, watching Two-Bit listening to Dally's heart. His face went white.

I gently shoved Cherry off of me, looking at Two-Bit worriedly. His eyes were round, and he looked terrified. I never thought I would see the day that Two-Bit got scared. But his next words scared me just as bad.

"Pony, go call an ambulance."

The flashing lights flashed across everyone's faces. We were all silent, except for Two-Bit who was yelling at the top of his lungs.

"WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE IN THERE WITH HIM!" The cop crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing at my hysterical friend.

"Only family." He said stubbornly.

"We ARE his family you—" Soda leapt forward and pulled Two-Bit back, since he had lunged toward the fuzz. Two-Bit kicked his legs and squirmed under his grip, but Steve leapt forward to help before he could break free. I watched the exchange for a minute, but all I could see were some occasional fists and hear some choicer cursing. I glanced at Cherry, who was talking to a nurse, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Soda had Two-Bit's wrists, just in case he tried anything, but Steve had stepped back to my side. Evie had left somewhere in all the commotion.

Just then the sirens started again, and the ambulance sped away. There was a long silence, in which I could only hear Two-Bit's frantic gasps. Then the cops got into their cars, the one who was arguing with Two-Bit giving us a dirty look before doing so.

Cherry walked to her Mustang without regarding us. I felt stabs of hot anger toward her, shouldn't she at least say goodbye? But I had bigger things to worry about, so I let it go. Two-Bit's heavy breathing had calmed into shuddery gasps. I looked over at him, feeling shocked to see that his eyes were tear-filled. I had never seen Two-Bit cry.

"What's wrong with him?" Steve whispered, a catch in his voice. He was staring at the spot where the ambulance had pulled away.

"He wasn't eating." Two-Bit was trembling. "I tried telling him to eat but he wouldn't listen…" He looked away, and I could see his Adam's apple moving as he fought sobs. I bit my lip and looked at Soda instead.

Soda looked back at me, his normally warm brown eyes cold. His jaw was clenched, and he glanced around for a minute. There were a lot of people gathered around, in a loose circle away from us. They were whispering quietly, all looking worried. They probably just pitied us. First Johnny, now this? How was that fair? We couldn't lose both of them. We just couldn't.

"Let's call Darry." Soda suggested lowly, his voice throaty with pain. I nodded stiffly. Two-Bit stalked off before I could stay goodbye, and Soda tugged me away from Steve. Oh yeah, he was probably still mad at him about earlier. Soda walked up to a phone booth, me in tow. He angrily punched in our number and handed me the phone.

"What? Why me?" I asked, but he shushed me. Darry picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?" His voice was normal and happy. I hated that I was about to ruin his night.

"It's me. Can you come pick Soda and I up?" I closed my eyes, not looking forward to his next question.

"Why? What happened?" Darry's voice went into panic mode.

"Dally…. Passed out. His heart wasn't beating right. He's real sick Dar." My throat got tight saying it out loud. Darry was silent for a minute before replying.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Cherry's POV

They wouldn't let me see him until the next morning. Ponyboy and I waited outside, sitting on rickety old chairs and looking at out of date magazines. We barely spoke, besides greeting each other and occasionally pointing out funny articles. We both jumped to our feet and listened attentively when the doctor re-entered the room after stating that we weren't allowed in until visiting hours began. He sighed stressfully when he saw our excited faces.

"You can see him now, but only one by one. I don't want him getting too worked up." I nodded and side glanced at Ponyboy, who looked at me at the exact same second. Our eyes met.

"Do you want to go first?" Pony offered awkwardly, shoving his hands deep into his jean pockets. He jerked his head toward the door. I shrugged, and he went to go sit down. I didn't really mind, I knew I would get to see him at some point. I followed the doctor through Dally's room in the critical care section. He wasn't that bad, was he?

"You have thirty minutes." The doctor said firmly. I muttered back a reply, but it got caught in my throat when I saw Dally lying in the hospital bed. He had gauze wrapped around one side of his head, and he was a strange color of pale yellow. His eyes were dark and stormy, his hair disheveled. He had a sullen, sallow look to him. He glared at me when I walked through the door, and I managed a weak smile.

"What are you doing here?" He snapped harshly. I flinched at his reaction, pausing halfway to his bed. Did he have amnesia? What's going on?

"Are you okay?" My voice was barely above a whisper, but he seemed to have heard it. He glowered like he had just stepped in something nasty. I bit my lip anxiously.

"No I'm not okay. Why else would I be in the hospital?" I timidly stepped toward the edge of the bed, and took his hand. He was shaking, but he relaxed the second our fingertips touched. His broken eyes looked up into mine.

I looked at the IV's running up and down his arms. He had bruises all over his arms and face, and even a few cuts. I hadn't remembered him getting cut by anything, but that didn't matter. His eyes were what mattered. They held all the pain and torture in the world, and once they met mine I couldn't pull away.

"You have to eat." I said subconsciously. He looked at our hands, avoiding my statement. He had dark circles under both eyes.

"I can't." Dally whispered. He checked my expression to see if I understood. I didn't. "Whenever I think about eating I feel like I'm going to puke, so I don't. I wasn't getting enough protein or something, so my heart started beating funny. The doctors think…." He paused, looking at our intertwined hands again. My heart thumped, wanting but not wanting to know what he was going to say next.

"They think I'm getting depression. Which I know I have it, I'm not stupid." He snorted, looking apprehensive. Then he frowned. I stared blankly at him until he looked up at me.

"Cherry I…" He frowned again. I could tell it was hard for him to say whatever he was going to announce next. "We shouldn't hang out anymore. I mean, I like you and I think you like me, but it's not going to work. I'm not going to make it through this, and I was an idiot to think that even for a moment I would. It's too hard." His expression was pleading for me to understand. My chest tightened, and I shook my head. I blinked back the sudden rush of tears that burned beneath my eyelids.

"Don't. You can't." But he had determined set in his eyes, and I knew he wasn't going to let it go.

"I have to. And don't think that you will be able to talk me out of this. Because you won't." A hard sheen went over his eyes. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, and failed.

"Please." I closed my eyes, allowing the tears to stream down my cheeks. He dropped my hand, a simple gesture that broke my heart. I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to avoid this in the first place. I didn't want to put you through this. But I'm not turning back. I hate having to regret everything and I just want it to be over." He voice got slightly higher as he talked, and I could tell that he was hurting too. Even more than me.

I remember how during the first night after that kid passed away, Two-Bit had explained to me that Johnny was the only thing that Dallas had ever loved… and I knew that was true. I had seen Dally's face when he looked at Johnny, and I knew that he would never look at anyway to same way. Not even me.

I opened my eyes and to see his agony present in them. I never thought I would see the day where Dallas Winston would wear his emotions on his sleeves.

"I… I understand…" He exhaled in relief.

"You're the only one. The others don't understand at all. They don't understand how I feel at all. I can't leave him…" His voice broke, and he trailed off. I peeked up at him under my eyelashes, to see that he wasn't looking at me like I expected him to. He used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes, and I felt a shock run through me. Was he crying?

Dally looked me straight in the eye, and I saw that my suspicions were true. His eyes were rimmed with red, tears filling the middle. His breath was coming out raspy and sharp. His eyes were big as they stared at me wordlessly. I could only stare in complete and utter surprise. He always seemed so tough… and this moment was so raw and out of character for him that it made my stomach clench uncertainly. He laughed shakily.

"I'm sorry; I don't want you to see me this way. I'm just sick of hiding everything from you." He looked at the ceiling before rolling his eyes back toward me.

"You should go." He suggested quietly. His eyes were still sparkling with tears, and it made my heart race for some unknown reason to me. I stared at him for a minute before registering what he was trying to tell me. He wanted me to leave. He didn't want me anymore. Hurt filled through me, and I stared at him in angst. I stood up and strutted to the door angrily.

"Cherry…" He protested. Before he could say whatever he wanted to, I slammed the door. I didn't look back.

Hey guys, big things going on in this chapter! I've had a lot of writers block, so sorry for the delay. Review and tell me what you think is going to happen next, what you think of what's going on, and give me suggestions on how I can improve! I like comments that say 'good job', or 'I can't wait for more,' but I love the ones that give me advice and state what they like about it. So thanks to you who have done that!

~Love you lots,

Alaina