Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns the Outsiders. V.V. Brown owns Shark in the Water.

High in the sky, the song that I'm singing. A sweet little lie, I cry wolf, cry. Rabbit out the hat, so that's why I'm bringing some tricks up my sleeve, for noticing me. I wouldn't cause you any harm, I just want you in my arms. I can't help, I can't help myself.

He had been kicking that pebble since they left the block. He's eyes rarely even looked up from it. He hadn't uttered a word, setting a whole new record for himself, and all that was on his mind was one thing.

"Maybe she just needed some air," Sodapop threw out there. "Danni does that all the time."

He kicked the rock harder. "She ain't Danni."

He was right. Emily was no Danni Curtis. She was shy, timid, and kept to herself. This wasn't her. Ever since she started middle school, she hadn't been Emily. Two-Bit was starting to wonder if she'd ever come back.

He never thought he'd have to worry about this in a million years. His baby sister running off with a Winston.

"We'll find her."

Two-Bit took a deep breath. "You...do you think she did it?" He looked up at his two friends.

Steve turned his head, signaling Soda to take this one. He was better with this kind of stuff anyway. "No, it's Em, man." Soda gave him a smile. "I wouldn't worry about that."

It was easier said than done. That was all Two-Bit was worrying about. He could never picture Emily killing someone. He couldn't picture her running off with a boy in the middle of the night. She was smarter than that. He'd taught her better than that. She wasn't that type of girl. She wasn't at all.

"How's your mom?" Soda asked.

Two-Bit shrugged a little. Sodapop was the only one of his friends to refer to his mom as, well, Mom. Most guys would have rather said old lady, or something else that'd make his blood boil, but not Soda. He never said anything of the sort.

"Fine," Two-Bit mumbled out. "She's been callin' everyone she can think of. She's gonna kill her...that is if I don't find her first."

Steve blew out some smoke. "You think that's goin' to do any good? She'll just leave again."

Soda shot him a look. Now wasn't the time to say things like that.

"I can't wait 'till I get my hands on her!" Two-Bit kicked the light pole. "I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to make sure he never sees the light of day again."

Soda put a hand on him. "Hey, come on now. Just calm-"

Two-Bit jerked him off. "What would you do to Danni if she did something like this? Don't tell me you wouldn't-"

"I would," Soda quickly said. "Believe me I would but-"

"But what?" Two-Bit yelled. "Don't give me that, man. You know your sister."

Steve turned the other way and whistled. He knew what was going to happen next.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Soda asked.

Two-Bit shook his head and smirked. "You know if you would have told me a year ago that I would be doing this today I would have laughed in your face. I would of expected you to be here."

Soda just looked at him. "Two-"

"Danni ain't no saint," Two-Bit snapped. "You should know that better than anyone."

Soda took a strong step forward. His blood was reaching high levels. "What are you trying to say?"

Steve put a hand on Soda's shoulder. "Come on, man. He's just upset. Forget about it."

Soda threw his hand off and stepped closer. "What are you saying?"

Two-Bit looked him up and down and laughed. "Nothing, man. Nothing at all." He continued to laugh as he turned his back and went on, just kicking that pebble.

On normal days, Sodapop would have followed after any guy who said something like that about any of his siblings and let them have it but today, he's just staring down someone he would have never expected to say such things. This guy was family.

"He's hurtin'," Steve reassured. "He didn't mean it."

Soda nodded and watched his friend walk. He took a deep breath, and he followed him.

"What do you think's wrong with it?" I asked, peering over him. "Dal?"

He hissed as he touched something hot. "Damnit."

Pony got out of the car and walked over to Dally. He looked over the hood. "You think you can fix it?"

Dally grumbled and turned some nasals. "Piece of shit. I just had this thing serviced."

"I'm cold." I covered myself with my arms.

Dally shrugged his jacket off and tossed it towards me. "There's a blanket in the trunk." He nodded at Pony to get it for himself.

Rain was starting to slowly drip from the sky. I sat on the passenger's side with the door open, listening to Dally curse at the car and Pony try and help. The wind was starting to pick up speed and it was beginning to smell like it did before a storm.

"Damnit!"

"Check the pipes," Ponyboy suggested. "Maybe it's the pipes."

Dally sucked on his hand where he burnt it. "It ain't the fucking pipes."

The wind was crisp. The trees over us were shaking and the rain was starting to come down harder. We have all the luck in the world today apparently.

I slid back farther into the car. "It's about to storm."

"I told you that," Ponyboy said.

I rolled my eyes and pulled my knees up to my chest. "Yes, you're brilliant. Smartest kid in Tulsa. Sorry, I forgot."

Dally stepped away from the car and went back to the trunk. He smashed some things together and then came back with a wrench and a bottle of something.

"Why do you always have to get on me?" Pony continued.

"I'm not."

Dally cussed as smoke started to build up again around the car. "Both of you zip it!"

Darry was probably having a rage fit right about now. We'd been gone for almost two hours now. We were supposed to meet back at the house half an hour ago. That's just what he needed was to worry about us. That's just what I needed to help my case.

"I wish we could just go home." Pony sighed. "I knew we shouldn't have come out here."

"Yeah well we did," I snapped. "Sorry."

I wrapped Dally's jacket tightly around myself as another gust of wind hit us. Dally stayed by the car, still twisting and turning anything he could. Sheila wasn't moving.

"Dal, what are we goin' to do?"

He didn't respond.

Pony leaned on the door beside me and sucked in a breath of air. "How far out do you think we are?"

I hugged my knees. "An hour away, maybe more."

He shook his head and whispered, "man."

"Well there isn't anything we can do about it," I commented. "It's not our fault the stupid car broke down."

Since the day Dally got Sheila, all I wanted was for her to break down. Sure it was easier for all of us for Dally to have a car of his own but screw easy. I hated Sheila with a burning passion and I suppose to get me back, she picked now to break down.

Thanks, Sheila.

"Come on, babe," Dallas whined. "Just a little bit farther baby. Come on." A hissing noise came from the front of the car and the last bit of smoke came out. Dally swore and kicked the front tire.

I began to bite my nails. It wouldn't be much longer before the rain started pouring down.

Dally snapped his fingers at Ponyboy. "Try crankin' her again."

Pony just looked at him. "What is it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just crank the car, will ya?"

Pony jumped into the driver's side and flipped the key over. There was hardly any noise at all. Just tiny gasps of Sheila losing her breath and then slowly dying again.

She was gone.

"Fuck!" Dally slammed the hood down and kicked one of the headlights. Glass went everywhere. "I'm gonna fucking kill Buck!"

Thunder rang through the woods and the trees trembled. Dally stomped in a circle over and over again, scratching his head and trying to figure out what to do.

"I knew we shouldn't have come out here." Pony hit the stirring wheel.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "Yeah, we heard ya the first time, bud."

"No one ever listens to me."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm so sorry."

He kicked in his seat. "Don't patronize me. I'm sick of you treating me this way."

"Really?" I looked at him again. "Funny because for the past two weeks I've been right there holding your hand while you cry your eyes out and I'm treating you badly?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You can drop the act. You never did like her. You're glad she dumped me."

"Is that what you think?" I asked loudly. I laughed and turned back around. "This is the thanks I get."

"Who asked you to help anyway?" he mumbled under his breath.

I slipped my shoes on and got out of the car. Dally had stopped walking in circles and was leaning against a tree with a cigarette in his mouth, not even caring anymore.

Here we sat in the middle of the woods. No ride. No idea where we were. No way to get out. And it was starting to rain.

I stormed over to Pony's side and opened the door. "Get out."

He scowled at me. "No."

"Get out of the car now!" I shouted. "I'm sick and tired of listening to you complain now get your ass out of the car and help me!" He huffed and angrily got out of the car. "Pop the hood."

He did and walked around with me to the front of the car. I pealed the hood up and stared down at what was under it.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I propped the hood up. "You're always helpin' Soda and Steve with cars right?" He nodded. "Well you've bound to have learned something."

He sighed and leaned over without another word.

I turned behind me to see that Dally was no longer there. He was walking down through the woods, still smoking.

I sighed and rubbed my head.

"It's not the pipes." Pony leaned up. "I don't know what else to do."

I pushed on the side of my head. "We have to do something. Just do something."

He slammed the hood back down as the rain began to hit us. "This is your boyfriend's fault." He raced back to the inside of the car and slammed the door.

Thunder rang again and the rain pounded down harder. "You are such a baby!"

"I don't care."

I ran over to his door and pulled it open. "You only care about yourself!"

He shoved me back. "Get away from me!"

"No!"

I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the car. His body landed face first in a puddle of mud. I took a step back and looked down at him as he slammed his fists on the ground and hopped up.

"And I'm the baby?" he yelled. "God, Danni!"

It was getting colder by the minute and the rain was freezing my body. "You're so perfect aren't you? That's what everyone thinks. Poor baby Pony got his heart broken. Well I'm sorry, get over it!"

He stepped forward and shoved me. "Shut-up!"

I pushed him back. "Make me!"

Suddenly, I was lifted off the ground before he could do anything else. I gasped for air as it was knocked out of me. Dally yanked me and threw me down behind him.

"Shut your mouth!" he shouted. He turned to Pony. "Both of you shut the fuck up!"

Lightening lit everything up again. "What are we going to do?"

Dally rubbed his head and threw up his hands. He spun around and walked off again. "We're walking!"

No one said anything. I stayed near the back as Dally led us through the woods. He was steaming and Pony and I both knew it. He loved that car and with us yelling at the top of our lungs, that just tipped it off for him.

I hung onto Dally's jacket, hoping it'd make me warmer when my whole body and clothes were soaked anyway and it didn't matter.

Pony was beginning to sniffle and shake in front of me. He forgot the blanket back at the car and didn't have a jacket either. I couldn't tell if the sniffling was from him getting a cold, or from him crying.

This day couldn't get any better.

I sped up a little to where I was beside him. I took Dally's jacket off and handed it to him. "It's wet but it's warmer than nothing."

He stared at it for a minute before finally slipping it on and gave me a mouthed, thanks.

I could picture Darry at home now. He was probably calling everyone and researching the neighborhood. Kat was probably right by his side telling him we'd be home soon. Man, I'd give anything to have her here right now. Somehow, Kathy always seemed to make everything better.

Mud was starting to stick to the bottoms of my feet. It was everywhere and the rain kept pouring down on it making bigger puddles and more mud.

"Hurry up!" he shouts at us. "We don't have much time."

I brushed out my damp hair and tugged it behind my ear. Everything was so dark. Only when the lightening would strike, you could see what was in front of you. Any other time, you'd just have to trust your surroundings.

There is so much mud. Blood is mixing with it. There is more blood now than mud. It's everywhere.

He keeps shouting. We're all shaking and just trying to keep up. He tells me if I don't they're going to leave me and I'll have to make it back myself. I don't know where I'm going.

It's so dark. I want to hold someone's hand. Anyone's. But the only thing people are doing is running. They're all scared too and they're just running to keep up so they won't be left behind too. We're in this together though. That's what they told me.

"Danni, move!" someone yells. "Move now!"

I trip on a root sticking out of the ground. I scramble up and begin to run again. I can feel my knees sting and a cool liquid run down to my shoes. I can't stop. I have to keep up with them.

My legs won't stop shaking and I wonder if everyone else's is the same way.

"Just down the creek. That's perfect!"

I don't understand why he's so calm. Look at the rest of us. Is everyone calm but me? How can they be calm?

The rain is washing away the blood now. It mixes in with the mud and eventually disappears within it. There's nothing left now.

I try to stop crying. They can't see me cry. He'll only yell again. I wonder who else is crying. Someone else has to be crying. This isn't fun anymore. It never was.

"Danni, come on!"

I hold on to my arms and breathe in and out. "I'm sorry."

I rubbed my arms over and over again hoping it'd help some. There was no sign of civilization anywhere. It was just trees everywhere. It looked like we were just walking in circles. By this point, I didn't know if Dally even knew where he was going any more.

I bit my lip and kept walking.

"Dal, where are we going?" Pony asked.

No answer.

Pony turned around and looked at me. "He'll get us there," I told him. "He knows where he's going."

I don't know who needed to hear that more. Me or him.

Dally stopped in his tracks and stared straight ahead. He pointed forward. "Told ya I knew where I was goin'."

We ran behind him, getting a better look at what he was referring to. It was a big black barn. It barely stood upright but it had a roof and it was big and warm.

"Does anyone live here?" Pony asked.

Dally shook his head. "Been abandoned for years."

We reached the big doors in the front. There were some nails and small pieces of boards that looked like they once closed the opening off. They were dangling on the side of the doors and some were on the ground now.

Dally pulled the doors back and let the light shine through.

We stepping in just as lightning flashed through the valley one last time, shining up the barn and showing the two small figures huddled in the corner. My mouth dropped as thunder boomed in the background and they looked up at us, just as shocked.

"Emily."

Baby, there's a shark in the water. There's something underneath my bed. Oh, please believe I said. Baby, there's a shark in the water. I caught them barking at the moon. Better be soon.

A/N: Reviews and/or predictions would be lovely.