Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns. Muse owns Supermassive Black Hole.

Oh baby don't you know I suffer? Oh baby can you hear me moan? You caught me under false pretenses. How long before you let me go? You set my soul alight.

"What in God's name is this?" I charged into the dusky barn. "Have you two lost your fucking minds?"

Emily shot up off the ground first. "Danni...wha-what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you two morons!" I shouted, waving a finger. "What in God's name are you doing? Everyone's looking for your ass and you're just up here sitting in a barn like la de fucking da, we don't have a fucking care in the world."

She nervously bit her bottom lip and turned around to Ronnie. He smirked and hosted himself off the ground. "Danni, come on now. It's not a big deal. Just calm down."

I scowled. "Don't tell me what to do."

Ronnie threw his hands in the air and chuckled. "It's not like we're doin' anythin'. We're just hanging out."

"You kidnapped her."

His smiled dropped and so did his hands. "She came along."

I frowned. "Tell that to the cops."

His mouth slightly dropped. "You didn't-"

"No." Dally stepped forward and glanced at Emily. "Can't say the same for your big bro."

She looked back and forth between us. "Two-Bit...he's not with you is he?"

"No," I growled.

Pony walked around in a circle behind us, akwardly being there in the first place.

Dally's eyes moved to Ronnie as he refused to look at his big brother. This was only the second time they've seen each other since Ronnie's been here but something told me, Dally was about to burst. He was the older brother here.

"Is he..." Emily bit down harder on her lip. "How mad is he?"

I crossed my arms over my chest as thunder boomed and lightening hit. "He's gonna bust your ass."

Pony shut the doors behind us and joined in.

"You've got a lot of fucking nerve kid." Dally chuckled and shook his head. "Taking a girl off into the woods. Didn't know you had it in ya, bro."

Ronnie just stared at him. You could tell he was biting his tongue so hard there was probably blood. Ronnie Winston knew his brother. He knew he'd better keep his mouth shut...at least for a little while.

"You're so stupid!" I scolded Emily. "Do you have any idea how crazy everyone is? How worried they are?"

She tucked her brown hair behind her ear. "I didn't think everyone would be that way. It wasn't a big deal. We just wanted to get away for a little while."

"You didn't think at all."

"I did too!" she yelled for the first time. "Why is this your business?"

I took a step towards her. "I'm wet. My head is pounding so hard I can hear it through my ears. I'm freezing cold and I want to go home. I've been out looking for you for hours! Tell me why this isn't my business."

She rolled her eyes. "No one told you to come out here."

"No one told you to run off with him but you did that anyway!"

She threw her hands down. "I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself just fine!"

"Really?" I asked. "You're fourteen! You're in a barn with some guy you just met. Yeah, you're grown up all right. Call the media. Emily Matthews is a woman!"

Ronnie stepped in-between us. "I think that's enough. Leave 'er alone."

Dally followed his lead and stood between me and him. "Got somethin' to say?"

Ronnie frowned. "This doesn't concern you."

Dally smirked. "Look at you, all grown up ain't cha kid?"

"I'm not a kid."

Dally casually stepped forward, sizing himself up. "Really?"

Marilyn was still shut up in her room. Randy had gone in there an hour ago to see if he could calm her down. They hadn't heard a word from that end of the house since. Cherry was starting to wonder if he was going to come back out alive.

Michael was sitting beside her watching the local news about the shooting. He hadn't said much since Marilyn stormed off. Cherry was starting to think it was time for her to leave.

"You wanna watch something?" Michael asked her.

She shook her head. "I should be getting home."

He gave her a small smile. "You don't have to. Stay. Really. I want you to."

Cherry crossed her legs and took a sip of water. She wasn't going to argue. Cherry would rather be anywhere than at home. She'd rather be in hell...too bad she already was.

It had been a hard few months for Cherry. She couldn't seem to do anything right anymore. Nothing would go right for one thing. She tried so hard since school ended. She tried so fucking hard. It just wasn't good enough. It happened anyway.

Michael rose up from his chair and approached her. He reached out and wiped a loose tear that fell from her eye. "Don't do that now."

Cherry looked up at him. "You don't have any idea."

He sighed and sat down beside her. "So let me have one."

Cherry wiped her face off and held her tears back. She couldn't do this now. "Everything's so messed up."

Michael grinned. He did it to where she couldn't see him but he did. He leaned in real close to her and whispered in her ear, "I can take your mind off it."

Cherry pulled away slightly. "You have a girlfriend, Michael."

He stopped, puzzled. "Cherry...Jane's just a friend. You're a friend. I'm just trying to help you."

"Mom left yesterday morning." Cherry wiped another tear. "I woke up and she was standing at the end of the stairs with her bags, just waiting. Dad wasn't even home."

Michael rubbed her face with the end of his finger. "Go on."

Cherry sniffed. "She hugged me and kissed the top of my head. She didn't even seem sad. She was smiling. She told me she loved me and Ben so much but she had to go. She said she needed to be happy now and then she just left. She didn't even say she'd be back."

Michael petted her hand. "I'm sorry, babe."

"I just...I just don't understand," she cried. "I tried so hard. Why wasn't she happy? Why wasn't she happy there?"

Michael pulled her into him and hugged her shaking body. She buried her head in his chest and let all her tears flow out. She didn't care anymore. She was tired of being strong. She was tired of not crying.

She had to be strong for Ben. That's what her father told her to do. She had to be strong for him so he wouldn't fall under. That's what her mother told her to do. He was already falling though. She could see that. Everyone could see just how far gone he was. Cherry couldn't fix that either. She couldn't fix anything.

"Why did she have to do that?" Cherry asked. "H-he loved her. Sh-she just wa-walked out on him. She ch-cheated on him!"

Michael stroked her hair. It smelled like berries. He leaned in and took a whiff of it. "With who?"

Cherry picked up her head and tried to calm down. "I don't know. Dad...he just said it was some guy. Wh-why did they have to do this now? Right after Sam!"

He pushed her hair out of her face. "I don't know, Cherry."

"I-I mean, he was in love with her. She was a mother. A married woman with two kids. How could she have done that to us?" Cherry screamed. "How could she?" She forcefully shook her head. "I hate her!"

Michael pulled her back into his chest and rocked her back and forth. "Good job just let it out. I've got you Cherry. I've got you." He looked up at the ceiling and copped a smile. "I've got you babe."

The rain had stopped for the most part. Emily was huddled up to Ronnie and had a death grip on his arm like she was afraid the kid would vanish into thin air. He just stood there and reassured everyone that he was in the right and they were fine.

I paced around on the floor and listened as Ronnie spoke to us. Kid was a smooth talker. No wonder Emily so willingly came with him. He could talk me into jumping off a freakin' boat.

Dally wasn't amused. "Aunt Bev know you came all the way out here? I'd hate for the old bat to be disappointed once she finds out you ditched out again."

Ronnie tightened his grip around Emily. "No."

Dally sneered and shook his head.

"Why run away anyway?" I asked. "What's so bad that you just have to pack up and run off in the middle of the night? Don't tell me it's your life Em because we both know that's a bunch of crap."

"We just needed out," she spat. "And you don't know what I put up with at home."

I rolled my eyes and turned back around. "I can't believe you did this."

"Why?" she yelled. "You did the same thing last year! Two-Bit told me about you leaving home and going to live with him." She pointed at Dally. "Don't give me a freakin' guilt trip."

I narrowed my eyebrows. "That was different."

"How so?"

I laughed. "Well for starters I didn't just hop into a car with my boyfriend on my own terms."

Her mouth slightly opened. "But I thought-"

"No," I growled. "I got kicked out. I'd say that's just a little bit different than this situation."

Everyone got quiet. I continued to tip-toe in a circle and try to control myself. Pony was over in the corner just watching us and trying to keep warm with some old hay that was staked in the back.

Dally stopped getting after Ronnie and lit a cigarette. He could say a lot more. I knew he maybe should. I also knew though, why he wasn't. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Ronnie was still his baby brother.

"How'd you guys get out here?" I asked.

Ronnie fished out a box of smokes from his pocket. "Car."

Ponyboy jumped up. "You have a car here?"

Ronnie lit his stick and nodded smoothly. "Yeah...don't you?"

Pony grumbled and walked over towards Dally, afraid to go to Ronnie. "No it broke. Hey Dal, you got a smoke?"

Ronnie let go of Emily and took a puff of his own. "It's out front there." He smirked. "What happened to 'er Dal?" Dally didn't seem amused. He shot him a finger.

"So it runs?" Ponyboy kept going.

Ronnie took another drag and waved at Pony to follow him. "She's out back. Come on."

We all filed behind Ronnie and Emily out back behind the barn. There was nothing else around but leaves and trees. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. No one was around to hear us scream.

Ronnie pointed at his baby. "There she is."

We followed them to the front of the car. The green paint was scratched up. One headlight was missing and the whole front in was completely smashed. It didn't even look like it could stand up on four wheels let alone run.

"What happened to your car?" Pony asked.

Ronnie shrugged and wiped off a smudge on the one headlight. "Pole jumped out in front of me."

Pony pulled me back from the others. "Did you see the front of that?"

I knew what he was saying. I knew what he was getting at even though he didn't know I had already jumped to the same conclusion. The dents were too big. The damage was too big. Ronnie and Emily ran away for a reason...well Ronnie did anyway.

"You don't think-"

"I don't know," I shushed him. "Sam's accident was almost a month ago. How come he didn't get it fixed then?"

"Maybe he didn't have any money or something," he said. "Ask Dally."

"You ask Dally!"

"He's your boyfriend!"

"So? You do it!"

"No you!"

"You!"

"Hey," Ronnie shouted, stopping us. He laughed. "You guys coming or what?"

We stood and watched as Emily and Dally rounded the car. They looked over at us too and waited. They weren't putting it together. Maybe they knew something we didn't and we were the dumb ones or maybe they just didn't know like we did.

Ronnie grinned. "Come on now. I don't bite." Dally made a noise as we got closer and Ronnie leaned into the car. "Ya'll ain't takin' off right now are ya?"

Ponyboy raced up the passenger's side. "Yeah. We kinda need to get home."

"Yeah," I chimed in. I pointed to Emily. "And you're coming with us."

She frowned. "I am not!"

I shoved Pony as he tried to get into the passenger's side. "You can either come with us or have your big brother and momma come down here and drag you by the hair in front of your boyfriend there."

Dally laughed and headed around the car.

Emily exchanged a look with Ronnie as he stuck the key into the car. She wasn't coming with us. I could tell that by the look on her face, the look she was giving him. She wasn't coming and she wasn't staying here. Two-Bit wasn't going to come down here and get her. They were going to make a run for it.

"I'll take ya'll back," Ronnie said as he flipped the key. "Babe you stay here."

"Better not do that bub," Dally said.

Ronnie ignored him and tried flipping the key over again. The car spewed and he pulled the key back out and tried again.

"Why is it doin' that?" Pony asked, leaning over.

Dally flicked something off his finger and stared at Emily. He wouldn't let Ronnie take her again. He just wouldn't. He'd have to step in. He just would.

Ronnie flipped the key over again getting the same result. "Sometimes she's stubborn."

"Get in the car kid," Dally told Emily.

She backed away a little. "No."

Dally raised his eyebrows. "Get your ass in the fucking car! I ain't havin' your brother gettin' on my ass because of you, you little brat."

"Hey!" Ronnie shot up out of the car, heading toward Dally. "Don't talk to her like that."

Dally stared him down like he was an ant. He started to laugh and dig around for another cigarette. "Yeah," he looked down at him. "Who's going to make me?"

"Guys!" Ponyboy jumped in. "Is, uh, this supposed to happen."

We all turned and looked at the black liquid pouring from the car, making a nice big puddle below it.

Fuck us.

Glaciers melting in the dead of night and the superstars sucked into the supermassive. I thought I was a fool for no one. Oh baby I'm a fool for you. You're the queen of the superficial. And how long before you tell the truth?

A/N: I'm starting to get back on my regular update pattern even with the holidays and exams! I guess I'm out of my little down phase for a while. Thanks to those of you who have helped me so much through that: Independence Undervalued, HappilyNeverAfter, DallasWinston'sGirl, DALLYsaysSHUTtheHELLup, and those of you who review and read. You truly help keep me going.

So predictions? Can I get to 100? Hope you enjoyed. :)