A special thanks to my beta!!
Though she takes a long time lol jk
review please
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Though it the temperature was dropping I decided to give Dally time to talk with the boys, obviously it was on of those subjects I didn't need to know about, or I would have been included
Though the temperature was dropping, I decided to give Dally time to talk with the boys. Obviously it was one of those subjects I didn't need to know about, or I would have been included.
But nothing, not even being excluded from the conversation, could bring down the high I seemed to be on since my talk with Dally. He had told people I was his girlfriend. I wasn't exactly sure what to feel about that, but I did know that I didn't hate the idea.
The night was still quiet and the crickets had started their chirping once again, making for a peaceful night. My mind seemed to want to wander and I decided to wander with it. I was safe. All the guys were right inside; there was nothing to worry about.
I wasn't sure how deep my daydreaming had gone until I was startled out of it by a raspy voice. "Dally," it croaked.
I looked up and screamed for the first time since my parents had died, watching the person falling on me. I heard the thunder of footsteps as I tried to wiggle out from the dead weight that was covering me. I could feel hot tears leaking down my face, my breath coming in short gasps.
"Rachel!" Darry thundered as he saw someone on top of me.
I felt the body being removed and someone pulling me up.
"Fuck! Rachel, where do you hurt?!" Soda asked, coming over and checking me for injuries. I didn't understand why, because I wasn't hurt. Terrified, but not hurt. I didn't even flinch at his vile words.
I glanced at the boys, all of them watching me with a expression I'd never seen before. I wrapped my arms around myself, leaning heavily whoever was holding me up. When I felt a sort of warm wetness touching my arms, I removed them from my midsection and saw red all over my forearms.
Blood.
Blood all over me.
I started gasping for breath, my body shaking, tears coming more heavily then before.
"Jeez, Darry, it's Tim! He looks real cut up," Pony exclaimed, but I couldn't process the words. Even as I felt everyone move over towards the body all I could see was the blood, blood covering me, like the night my parents had died.
It was everywhere. I started to become light head and began to panic—if I passed out I would dream of that night, and I didn't want to. I could feel sobs shaking my body. The person that was holding me from behind slipped an arm around my waist, letting me lean almost fully on him.
Blood was the only thing that I could think of, it was swarming through my mind, not letting any other thoughts break free. I kept gasping—I didn't want to sleep.
I felt myself being propelled towards the front door and inside. I just moved with the person, still not fully there. A body had fallen on me. Blood was covered, blood like the kind…that my parents had been covered in.
A bright light hit me as the person holding me up turned it on and lifted me into the shower. He didn't speak, or maybe he did. I couldn't hear anything but the screams from that night; I couldn't see anything but the blood.
So much…blood.
I flinched suddenly when I felt cold water rushing over me. The thought of blood started to diminish. I started to come back to myself and realized that I was freezing in the shower, ice cold water running over me and soaking my clothes.
Dally's jacket! It couldn't get wet, he'd kill me! I reached for it, only to realize that it wasn't there.
"I took it off you before I sprayed you down," Dally's voice informed me, entering my hazy mind.
I looked up and saw him leaning against the sink, a serious look on his face.
"O-oh tha-a-nk you-u." I tried to thank him, but it came out in odd syllables since I was beginning to shiver.
Dally nodded, watching as I began to shiver before stepping up to the shower and turning it off. Before he stood back once more, I noticed his eyes skim over me. I glanced down, seeing my clothes wet and plastered to my skin, with no blood left anywhere on me.
I gave a small sigh of relief for that…until I looked up at Dally and saw him watching me a dark look that seemed to make his eyes light up. He looked…hungry, but not the normal kind of hungry. It was an expression I'd never seen on anyone before.
But I wasn't scared. I wasn't sure what to feel, but my stomach started to flutter as he looked me up and down again. I wasn't sure what this was, but I wasn't leaning away from him.
It was like his eyes were hypnotizing me. I could feel myself blushing, my face on fire.
Then the moment was gone as Darry's voice cut in.
"Dally? Do you got Rachel with you?" Darry asked, yelling down the hall.
"Yeah Dar, I got her," Dally replied, his eyes never leaving mine. Though I wanted to look away, I couldn't. He watched me with a different look from moments ago, but no less powerful. It looked like a realization had just come to him.
"Come on kid, let's get you dried off," Dally muttered, reaching for a towel and handing it to me.
I looked at him strangely, hoping he knew that I wasn't about to change with him there. I stood, rooted to my spot.
"I'm gonna go see what's doing out there. You get yourself dried off and changed," Dally said after a moment.
I nodded, thankful he was leaving because I was shaking like a leaf.
He started out the door, but stopped before leaving the room fully.
"Rachel, it would probably be good if you stayed in your room right now. There are gonna be a lot of different guys in and out of the house, you dig?" Dally asked me, and I nodded in understanding.
It must have to do with the body from earlier. But I wasn't going to let myself think anywhere near those thoughts—I was cold and wanted to change and curl up in bed.
Dally's POV
I walked into the living room and wasn't surprised to see most of Shepard's gang, plus his younger brother Curly and his sister Angelina—all these people were the reason I told Rachel to stay out of sight. I nodded to them all in greeting as Darry noticed me and headed over.
"How's Rachel?" he asked, looking wearier than I'd seen him for a very long time.
"She's good. She's in her room, I told her not to come out," I assured him, watching as he nodded in agreement.
"Has he woken up yet?" I asked, catching sight of the prone figure on the couch.
"Nah, not yet. We stitched him up as good as we could…didn't want to take him to the hospital like this."
I nodded—there wasn't anything the hospital could do except call the cops. It looked like about all we could do was wait.
Rachel's POV
After I had gotten changed, I curled up in bed, wondering where Dally had put his jacket and if I was going to get it back anytime soon.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," I called, not recognizing my own voice. It sounded too weary to be mine.
"Hey Rachel," Darry greeted as he and Pony walked in.
I smiled at them, not feeling like replying verbally. I was too exhausted.
"How you holding up?" Pony asked as Darry took a silent inventory over me to make sure I wasn't broken.
I shrugged, not really sure how I was holding up. Everything felt so out of place and nothing had truly hit me yet. They nodded.
"Rachel, the guy from out there was Tim Shepard. He got in a fight and we assume he was looking for Dally when he came here," Darry soothed, sparking a memory from earlier.
"He said Dally's name before he fell," I whispered, watching them exchange looks.
"His gang and siblings are here, so it would probably be best if you just stayed inside your room for a while. Some of the guys that are here were there when the Incident happened," Darry told me, and I nodded. I had assumed something like that.
"The guys will be in to check on you later on. You gotta get some rest," Darry ordered before leaving with Pony.
I watched Pony as he walked out. He looked extremely pale. I wondered if this reminded him of a few months ago when he and Johnny killed a boy. I didn't want to think about that now, though, I wanted to sleep. Rest my eyes and wake up with this night being a bad dream.
I must have dozed off, because when I woke up next, it was light out. I had to go to the bathroom and get something to eat. I put on my robe and tied it tight since I wasn't sure who—if anyone—I was going to find in the house other than myself.
As I opened my door, a piece of paper fell to the ground. I picked it up, seeing my name on the front. I opened, it eager to see what it said.
Rachel,
Pony's at school, Soda and I are at work. Dally's taking care of some business, Steve with Soda at the DX. Two Bit should be home with you most of the day. Pony's going to Johnny's after school today. I'm going to try and finish up early so I can get home, and Soda and Steve have full time. Tim Shepard, the guy from last night, is sleeping on the sofa. His injuries were a little too rough, so he needs to stay here for a day or so before he can move. Don't worry, he won't bother you. Just stay away from him and don't talk to him. We'll take care of him when we get home.
Call the DX if you need anything or something happens.
Darry
I nodded, absorbing the letter, kind of caught off guard about that boy still being here. But if Darry said I would be fine, then I would be. I trusted him.
I used the bathroom and checked the clock. Seeing that it was still early, it was likely that Two-Bit would still be sleeping, and if this guy Tim was still recovering, he would be too, so I didn't change into my everyday clothes. I decided to go back to bed after I ate breakfast.
I moved silently through the house and into the kitchen, glancing quickly to the living room seeing Two-Bit fast asleep on the recliner and Tim asleep on the sofa. It looked as though he was shivering and sweating at the same time. I remembered my grandpa getting the flu once and he had what my grandma had called the hot/cold shakes.
I bit my lip indecisively, not sure what to do. Darry had told me to stay away from him, and though I wanted to and have him leave as soon as possible, if he got worse he might be here longer.
I went to the linen closet in the bathroom and pulled out a clean blanket and a wash cloth to dampen and put on his head to reduce any fever just like my grandma had done from my grandfather.
I tiptoed once more back into the living room, caring my supplies and watching for a few moments to make sure neither of the boys had woken up. I headed towards the couch, placing the wash cloth off to the side for a moment as I unfolded the blanket and began to cover Tim up.
Once that was done, I carefully wiped his hair off of his forehead with minimal contact and reached down to place the cold compress on his head. As I was moving my hand away, a hand clamped around my wrist.
I squeaked in surprise. I glanced at the hand and then to Tim's face to see his eyes wide open. My eyes widened as his hand tightened on my wrist making my eyes begin to water.
I gulped nervously.