For The Love of a Greaser
Chapter 35
The Name's Roger
A month went by and the kids were back to school of course. New Year's had been kind of interesting I guess. I'd ended up sharing a drink with Darry, while Two-Bit had gotten drunk off of beer. I'd even made my New Year's resolution with the rest of them. It wasn't anything special really, but it was still important to me. My resolution was to make things better and finally break away from my past and live in the present. I'd drop the worries, the bad memories, I'd live better and happier. That was my New Year's resolution. Darry's had been to make us part of the family, but in my mind, he did that by taking the pictures on Christmas. Now, on the mantel piece sat the newest additions. It was a picture with the whole gang, including Eden and myself. Unfortunately, Johnny couldn't be in it of course. Soda had also placed a picture of just Eden and me next to their last family portrait. There was even a picture of just me and Darry in each others arms, Darry standing behind me with his arms wrapped around me, a smile on both our faces. We even had a second one framed and placed in our room. It nearly made me cry when they were brought home because it signified that we were apart of the family, that we truly had a place in that house together with them.
I kept thinking about this stuff as I wiped down tables at the diner. I'd taken the morning shift because I was planning on visiting Johnny today at the hospital. He was slowly getting better and was now allowed to be pushed around the hospital in a wheelchair, but he still wasn't ready to leave. Sadly, the doctors still kept saying that he'd never walk again, but I wasn't going to let myself believe that. Johnny didn't deserve any of this, not a bit. He was a sweet kid that just needed a chance in life. I suppose that's also another reason why I'd been talking to Darry about making an addition to the house, that way we had an extra room. One thing that I knew though was that I'd help Johnny walk again, if it was the last thing I ever did.
"Hey, Abigail, I got a question for ya," Joe started.
"Sure, what is it?" I asked, sitting down on one of the stools.
"What's with that chain around your neck," he asked, giving me a curious look. "You've been wearing it since Christmas," he pointed out, propping an elbow on the counter as he looked over at me.
I felt my face heat up slightly as I dug it out of my shirt. Darry's ring was on the chain. In fact, I never took it off, it was always around my neck. The only reason why I kept it tucked in my shirt most of the time was so that it wasn't out swinging around as I worked.
"Well, actually, Darry gave me his ring," I told him, holding it in the palm of my hand.
"You're kiddin me?" he chuckled, before clapping his hands together. "Well, good for him," he smiled. "But remember, he has to come to me first before askin to marry you," he reminded me, a grin on his face.
"Joe, stop it," I laughed.
"I'm serious. If I've said it once, I'll say it again, you're the daughter I never had," he announced, grabbing a plate from the window and setting it down in front of me. "Now, stop arguing and eat so you can get out of here and see that little friend of yours."
T
After I was done eating I left work, a paper bag in my hand. It was food for Johnny, I'd had Joe make it just before leaving. It wasn't much, just a sandwich and a bottle of Coke, but I figured he'd like it better than the hospital food at least.
Once I got to the hospital, I signed in and headed upstairs to Johnny's room. When I walked in, I found him laying there on the bed, his head laid back on the pillow.
"Knock, knock," I greeted, knocking lightly on the doorframe.
I saw his face light up the moment he saw me, pushing himself up as best he could.
"Abby," he choked out, a smile pulling onto his face.
"Hey there kid, how ya doin?" I asked walking over to the bed and pulling up a chair.
"Better now that you're here," he told me.
"Here, let me help you," I said, grabbing hold of him and pulling him into a better sitting position for which he thanked me afterward. "I brought you some food."
"Thanks."
"No problem kid. So, how have things been?" I asked, sitting down in my chair after handing him the paper bag.
"Well, my mom tried visiting again..." he whispered, looking down at the sandwich in his hands.
I knew he didn't like his mother very much. All she ever did was yell at him all the time, downing him, tell him he wasn't worth the dirt he walked on.
"She wasn't drunk again was she?" I asked carefully.
His silence was enough of an answer, causing me to sigh.
"I'm sorry Johnny," I said, placing a hand on his arm.
He looked over at me with a sad look in his eyes. He looked broken, tugging my heart strings like always.
"I wish I could just stay with you guys," he muttered. "I can't go back there."
He was right about one thing, he couldn't go back there. If he went back there like he was now. I couldn't bare to think of what would happen if he did that. At least before all this stuff happened, he could get up and get around, run even. Not anymore though. No, he was stuck in a wheelchair. So, with that in mind, I bit my lip.
"Johnny, I've been thinking about something," I told him, rubbing the back of my neck.
It was the only thing that I could think of.
"I've been talking to Darry about adding another room to the house," I started, leaning forward in my seat. "I'll have more leeway in a few months when I'm 21, but... Well, I've been thinking."
I was kind of nervous about voicing my thoughts, but I had to think of Johnny and what was best for him. He couldn't keep living a life that was deadly to his wellbeing.
"What would you say if I got custody of you?" I finally managed to ask.
I watched for a moment as he sat there silently, not really saying a word. He licked his lips for a moment, opening his mouth to speak before closing it again.
"A-are you s-serious?" he asked, afraid that I might be kidding.
"Yeah," I nodded.
"You mean...y-you'd really do that?" he stammered, hand shaking slightly.
"Mmhm."
That was all he needed to hear, before tears started falling. I went straight into comfort mode, standing up and hugging him.
"Hey, it's alright," I whispered, holding him in my arms.
I felt him grip my shirt, tears soaking into it. He was a sensitive kid with far too much on his plate, the least I could do was lessen the load.
"I promise, I won't give up on you," I whispered, rubbing his back.
"Y-you mean it? Y-ya really m-mean it?" he asked, trying to stop the tears.
"With every fiber of my being," I promised, keeping him close.
We pulled back after a few minutes of this, his eyes now red and puffy. I gave him a small smile as I brushed his bangs out of his face. The kid really needed another haircut.
"Thanks Abby," he sniffed, wiping his nose.
I grabbed a tissue after that, handing it to him. He took it gratefully, blowing his nose.
"Man, the guys would never let me live it down if they saw me like this," he spoke quietly.
"Hey, don't you worry about them none," I told him, giving his shoulder a small squeeze. "They try anything, I'll take care of them," I assured him.
"Why is it you're so nice?" Johnny suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said, why you so nice. I mean, I ain't gotta be your problem, but here ya are trying to take care of me," he started. "Why do you care so much?" he asked curiously.
"Someones gotta," I said quietly, brushing a bit of hair out of my face. "Sides, how could I live with myself, leaving a guy like you all by your lonesome?" I asked, a smile pulling at my lips as I tried to change the subject.
To be honest, I just didn't like seeing anyone suffer, especially when that person didn't deserve it. I wasn't going to say that I didn't deserve what I went through because I couldn't really change anything, but Eden didn't deserve it. I could take care of myself, I was old enough. Johnny didn't deserve to get beat up all the time. Eden didn't deserve to lose her mother, just like Darry and his brothers didn't deserve to lose their parents. Like me, Darry was trying to take it all in stride, even if he was hurting on the inside. Neither of us could let the ones around us fend for themselves though, we had to take care of them, and that's what I was going to do for Johnny. I know that it'd be hard having someone else to take care of, but I wouldn't let Johnny end up in a home somewhere else, he wouldn't stand a chance. I'd take care of him, just like I'd been doing for Eden all these years.
Before too long, I heard a commotion outside. It was something that I'd only heard a few times, but that was all that it had taken.
"Let me see my boy! Let me see my son!" I heard a woman scream.
"My god..." I groaned, getting up and shutting the door.
I knew for a fact that Johnny wanted nothing to do with his mother or father. All she ever did was yell at him, but I wouldn't let that happen while I was around. I was about ready to sit down when the door flew open, his mother standing there with a scowl on her face.
"Who the hell are you?" she spat, glaring at me.
"I could ask you the same question," I said, eyeing her carefully.
I never did like this women. After all, why would I when she treated Johnny so badly and got drunk all the time.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to see my son," she scowled.
"I'm sorry, but I think you should leave," I said simply, coming to stand in front of the bed, blocking her view of Johnny.
At the same time, I gave Johnny a gesture to hit the call button on his bed. This woman needed to leave.
"I came to see my son," she said, stumbling toward me.
It was obvious that she'd already had a few to drink and it wasn't even five o'clock.
"What's going on in here?" I heard a nurse ask.
She'd obviously responded to Johnny's call button, walking into the room.
"Yes, this woman needs to be escorted out of her before she does anymore harm. She's both drunk and delusional," I informed her, staring Johnny's mother down.
As usual the woman glared at me.
"He's my son! I want to see my son!" she exclaimed, moving to grab me.
Lord, she really saw drunk.
"Someone call security!" the nurse called down the hallway, attempting to grab ahold of her.
"Get off of me!" she screamed, shoving the nurse away.
T
In the end, I ended up with a couple of scratches on my face from Johnny's mom. I hadn't exactly wanted to leave him after all of that, but I had to get home and help Darry fix dinner. So, I had said my goodbyes and headed home, taking the bus back. The whole way back, I felt this nagging at the back of my mind like something was wrong. I hoped that I didn't end up regretting leaving Johnny at the hospital. The first chance that I got, I was taking him home with me. Of course, Darry's truck needed to be fixed first. For the past week, we've been without the truck. Darry wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with it, but according to Steve and Soda, it had something to do with the engine. They'd promised to get it fixed, but hadn't had the chance yet.
I got off when the bus came to a stop, nodding to the bus driver before leaving. The man tipped his hat in response, allowing me to leave. I then walked down the street and into our neighborhood, pulling my jacket tighter around myself as I shiver, tugging my gloves once or twice.
"Man, I can't wait til things heat up again," I muttered, popping my collar.
From what I knew, Eden should be home by now. Although, I wasn't exactly sure about Ponyboy. There was a possibility that he'd stopped somewhere with Two-Bit after school and hadn't gotten home yet, but at least Sparky would be there.
"Anybody home!" I called, walking in through the front door.
"I'm upstairs!" Eden yelled.
"Where's Darry?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.
"I don't know, I think he went out for groceries half a hour ago," she said, coming to stand at the top of the stairs.
"Where's Sparky?"
"Up here keepin me company," she grinned.
I just sighed and shook my head, walking back into the kitchen.
"The hell happened to you?" she asked.
"Watch your mouth," I warned, rummaging through the cabinet.
I pulled out a few spices, along with some flower for biscuits.
"Well?" she raised an eyebrow as she came downstairs, placing her hands on her hips.
"I went to the hospital to see Johnny and had a run in with his mom," I told her. "Why don't you see what's on the TV? I'm gonna set the table."
I heard her grumble something under her breath, but ignored it, going back to what I was doing. About half way through setting the table, there was a knock on the door, alerting me to someone outside.
"Eden, get the door please?" I asked, walking back into the kitchen for another glass.
A moment later, I heard cry out, causing me to walk back into the dining room.
"Daddy!" she screamed happily.
I felt my eyes widen at this, turning my eyes toward the man that was now inside our house. I felt the glass in my hand fall to the floor and shatter, my hand shaking. He wasn't supposed to be here. I was never supposed to see him again after he ran off.
"Abigail Lee," he breathed my name, his voice sickly sweet to my ears. "It's been far too long sweetheart," he smiled.
I stood my ground, my feet not willing to move.
"Daddy, I knew you'd come back for me," Eden cried, hugging the man tightly.
I felt myself shake even more as I watched him wrap his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. He then looked around him.
"You know, I came back a while ago, but when I went to the house there was nothing there," he explained, walking over to the mantel place.
I felt like I was suffocating in the air around me, like the air itself was on fire, burning me from the inside out.
"Although, it looks like you found a new home," he mused, picking up one of the picture frames. "You married now Abs?" he asked, looking at the picture of me and Darry.
Eden laughed at this.
"Nope," she answered for me, not realizing the shape I was in.
"Who's this then?" he asked, gesturing toward the picture he held in his hand.
"That's just Darry, he's her boyfriend," she explained, hugging his arm.
"And how long have you been staying with this man?" he asked, a hidden question in his words.
"G-get out," I choked out.
"It's just a question," he chuckled, placing the frame back on the mantel, his finger deliberately tracing over Darry's face.
This made me stiffen.
"He didn't give you those scratches on your face did he?" he asked, walking toward me with false concern.
"S-stay back!" I choked out, finally stepping backward.
I watched a small smirk form on his face. He may be sober, but he still got satisfaction out of it.
"I want you out of this house!" I cried.
"What's wrong with you?" Eden asked, not understanding what was going on.
I didn't even hear the backdoor open as I yelled again, hands shaking.
"I said get out, you have no right being here!"
"But I just wanted to see my girls again," he told me, giving Eden a squeeze.
"Abigail, what's going on?" Darry asked, walking into the dining room behind me.
He stopped when he saw the man standing in the living room.
"Who are you?" Darry asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"You must be Darry," he smiled, coming to walk closer, causing me to back into Darry's chest. "The names Roger. I see you've been taking care of my girls."
"You're..."
"Her father," he answered, a smile on his face.
"I'm sorry Roger, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. My brother will be coming home soon and we need to fix diner," Darry said, trying to be discrete.
I could still feel myself shaking as I stood there, feeling Darry's hands on my arms keeping me steady.
"I guess I'll get going then," he nodded.
"What, but you just got here," Eden cried, holding onto his hand.
"I know sweetheart, but I'll see you soon, I promise," he smiled, ruffling her hair. "I'll see you soon, Leelee."
"Bye," I choked out, my nails biting into my palm at this point.
We then watched as he walked back out the door, leaving the house. The moment he did, I went over to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I then fell to my knees against the corner of the wall, gripping my head in my hands. This couldn't be happening, this just couldn't be happening.
T
"Eden, why don't you go upstairs and finish your homework?" Darry suggested, looking toward the bathroom where Abigail had gone.
Surprisingly, she complied, going back upstairs to her room. The moment she did, he went over to the phone, picking it up and dialing Dally's number. He just hoped he was still there, but knowing that he was likely still sleeping off a hangover, he figured there'd be no problem. After a few minutes of pointless arguing with Buck, Dally was finally put on the phone, his voice groggy.
"Darrel, what is it man?" Dally asked.
"We've got a problem," Darry started. "It's Abigail."
This seemed to catch Dally's attention, waking him up.
"What happened man? What happened to Abby?" he asked forcefully.
"Look, just get over here alright? I'll explain everything then," Darry told him, looking back toward the bathroom.
He could hear the sound of her choking sobs from where he was. She was undoubtedly having a breakdown and he needed the guys here or at least a certain few anyway. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he was going to handle this one.
"Swing by and grab Soda would ya?" Darry asked.
"Yeah, sure man. I'll be there soon."
With that, Dally hung up, leaving Darry standing there with a hand combed through his hair. He just hoped he could fix this one. If not, he wasn't sure what would become of her.
Chapter 35! I hope that everyone liked it? Abigail's dad is finally back. Please, don't forget to REVIEW and MESSAGE me with your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and feeling on this chapter/ story. I'd really LOVE to hear FEEDBACK from everyone on this chapter. Thanks everyone!