CHAPTER 13

AN: It's important that you know there will be lots of time skips in this chapter to move things along. ...also this chapter is kinda crap, but it's good enough to close the fanfic up :)))) Anyways, here chu go. vvvvvvvvv

-TWO MONTHS LATER/DANILY WEDDING-

A few things have happened since Dally and I got engaged. First, we went to the Curtis house to spread the good news. Soda was happy, but Ponyboy stayed in his room the entire time we were there. Secondly, I dropped out of school. I wasn't really planning to go to college afterward, and nothing was going to stop me from being with Dally after we got married. I mean, if I'm going to be his wife, I need to be there for him like a wife should be there for her husband. Of course we had to stay at Buck's because I wasn't eighteen quite yet, and no surprise, my mom kicked me out of the house after I told her I was getting married. Let's just say she wasn't going to receive an invitation any time soon. Anyways, Johnny was Dally's best man, while Carla was my maid of honor.

As Carla helped me with my hair, I couldn't help but cry. It felt like it was only yesterday that my lips met Dally's for the first time. It was like all of the negative history between us was put behind us. This was a new beginning for both of us.

"What's wrong, Dani?" She asked me as she braided the sides to tuck aside the bun.

I wiped my tears away, "I just can't believe it! Everything is happening so quickly."

She sighed and put her hand on my shoulder, "Is that a bad thing?"

I stood up and hugged her. "No. I love it. I just can't believe I'm going to marry the love of my life!"

She backed away and giggled, "Okay and just remember, I'll murder him if he ever breaks your heart."

I shook my head, "He's not going to hurt me. I know he won't."

It took her a second, but she finally smiled. "Are you nervous?"

I sat down and let her fix my hair. "No," I lied, "I'm not nervous at all."

Truthfully, I was really really really nervous for the after ceremony party because at that party, it's a tradition that my grandmother informed me of where you burn your most regretted items before you were wed. I knew what I was going to burn. The art piece I had from a couple months before—that's what I wanted to burn. It was the biggest mistake to draw it in the first place. I had been waiting to burn it ever since Dally asked me to marry him.

-CEREMONY TIME BISHH!-

"Showtime!" Johnny exclaimed excitedly. He put his arm out, expecting me to lock my arm onto his. I had decided it'd be best if he gave me away. Sure, he's not my father, but I found it quite necessary.

We waited behind the doors directly in front of the altar for nearly three minutes as I heard the music strumming in the background. The door opened suddenly and I almost jumped! Johnny gave my hand a hopeful squeeze to comfort me. I smiled at him before turning my attention back to the room full of all of our closest friends.

-BLAH BLAH BLAH-

"Do you, Dallas Tucker Winston, take thee, Danielle June Cade to be your wedded wife from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto pledge thee your faith?"

Dally let out the most enthusiastic sigh as he answered with a dashing beam. "I do."

I almost fell apart right then and there. Just seeing how happy he looked to be doing this made me further more excited. I knew that everything changes after this, and that's just what we both needed. But his smile just about drown me in my own emotions!

"And do you, Danielle June Cade, take thee, Dallas Tucker Winston to be your wedded husband from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto pledge thee your faith?"

My heart throbbed uncontrollably as I said the most powerful two words a person could ever say to the person they love. "I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." The man said with a smile, "You may kiss the bride."

Dally stepped toward me with a big smile spread across his face. He grabbed my face and pressed his lips against mine intensely. I could hear the small crowd of people shouting and whistling and cheering us on as the scent of smoke and Coke filled my taste buds.

I unattached our lips for a second and whispered, "We did it."

"Yeah," he licked his lips with a chuckle, "we did."

-AT AFTER CEREMONY PARTY-

I walked around, talking to friends and stuff you usually do at those kinds of parties. I must've looked absolutely everywhere, but I simply could not find Ponyboy. Soda was there, so were Darry, Steve, Margot, Two Bit, and even Tim Shepard. I asked Soda if he knew, but he said he didn't know where he was. Ponyboy was nowhere to be found…

It came around to the time that Dally and I had to burn our regrets and stuff, so I just decided to call the Curtis' home phone, since that was the most I could do.

I dialed the number and waited for a minute.

Ponyboy: *picks up* Hello?

Me: Uh, hey, Pony…

Ponyboy:

Me: I know you're there, man. Just please talk to me.

Ponyboy: There's nothing to talk about. You kissed me half a year ago and don't even want to talk about it with me, you kept a secret from me, you left me thinking I was in love with you, and you just… you fucked me over.

Me: That's an entire list, Pony! *sighs* I just really miss you, dude. Can you at least talk to me on the phone. If not that, just come up here and see me. I miss you so much! Please, just say something.

Ponyboy: You want me to say something?

Me: Yes. More than anything.

Ponyboy: Okay. I hope you and Dallas live happily together.

Me: Ponyboy! I mean something other than that!

Ponyboy: Bye, Danielle. *hangs up*

Me: Ponyboy? Ponyboy?! Ponyboy!

I began to cry my eyes out. I lost my best friend over my stupid actions and I hated myself for that! I wanted to see Ponyboy even if he didn't want to see me. Wait. No! No, I did not want to see Ponyboy after what he just did to me. I'll be lucky if I never see his face again!

I then wiped my tears and swallowed my emotions. It was time to throw out every last memory of Ponyboy Curtis that I had. First to go, that stupid drawing!

I walked up to the fire pit where everyone was gathering around it and I stood next to Dally. I pulled up my dress to reveal my white floral flats. I slipped the left one off and pulled out a folded piece of paper—the drawing. I unfolded it half way and teased it above the fire to make sure it'd burn. I loved the feeling of that burn. That burn was the feeling of my soul being set free. Dally threw his item in and it burned into ashes almost immediately. I already knew what his item was. It was the letter from Sylvia that he found in my stuff, that's why he tried to hide it. After that, we grabbed each other's hand and hoped for the best.

-TWENTY FIVE YEARS LATER-

"You mean to tell me that you and dad got married illegally?!"

I rolled my eyes, "Well, I was only seventeen, Austin. Your father was 18, so it wasn't really that bad."

Austin pointed to a picture of the gang I kept all those years. "Who are these people? You never seem to mention them. Like at all."

I laughed, "Well, I guess your dad can explain to Carter later, huh?" He nodded. "Okay, I said, "this right here," I pointed to 16-year-old Johnny in the picture, "is uncle Johnny when he was a teenager." I pointed to Two Bit in the picture, "That is uncle Keith from a long time ago, too." I went down the line, "That's Sodapop," I chuckled, "and yes, that's his real name; then there's Steve and your dad." I pointed at them in the picture.

"Were you all greasers?" He asked me.

I nodded, "Yeah, but your dad," I shook my head, "he was one hell of a hood." I said eagerly.

Austin smiled. "And who's that guy?" He pointed to a boy standing next to me and Johnny.

I gasped, "Oh, that?" I smiled nervously, "That's just an old friend of ours."

"Why don't you mention him? What's his name?"

I sighed, knowing I couldn't just keep dodging questions like I was. "That boy," I sat up, "is Ponyboy Curtis. He used to be my best friend, that is until he completely broke me into pieces. He's kind of a distant memory now. And really, I hope to never see him again."

"Why's that?" Austin asked as I heard the front door open.

I frowned, "Isn't it time for you to go to bed?"

"Pff," he said, "I'm 15, aren't I? I don't have a bedtime. Anyways, why don't you like to talk about Pandaperson or whatever you called him?"

"Hey," Dally said as he kissed my head from behind, "he talking about Ponyboy?" I nodded. He looked up at Austin, "Why are you asking so many questions, kiddo? Don't you know your mother's always tired enough as it is?"

I don't know why, but Dally became more gentle over the years. We had one other child, our oldest, only three years after being married. Her name is Emma and she's currently 22 right now. Everything was going great. I know I say I don't care about Ponyboy, but believe me I do. I think about him lots and wish we could get back in contact, 'cause life sure does suck without him in it.

Austin rushed off to bed and Dally and I continued to look at pictures of our wedding and such. Finally I came across one of everyone at the wedding. As I inspected it closer, I realized how ironically organized everything was. Dally and Carla were on the ends of the four as Johnny and I were standing next to each other in the center. I noticed that time has gone by so quickly, I can still see Johnny and I standing there together. The two of us. The gang's pets.