I hope you guys like it! I worked hard on it! REWRITTEN
Over the course of the next several days, we tried keeping ourselves occupied and distracted in many ways, like playing poker. We rarely went outside unless it was absolutely necessary, afraid that we would get spotted and turned in. I tried helping Johnny at nights when he woke up nearly screaming, in tears about killing Bob. I would merely hold Johnny and comfort him as best as I could, but sometimes it wasn't enough. I barely got sleep myself these days, dreaming about that night over and over, thinking of different outcomes, they either involved Bob dying, or even myself. The only thing that seemed to keep my mind off of it was whenever Ponyboy read Gone With the Wind. We were running out of food, trying to make everything last for as long as we could. Today was finally the seventh day, I kept hoping that today was the day Dallas would come over to find us and give us an update on what was happening since the murder took place. Unknowingly, today was the day Dally showed up.
"Hey Angel Face...wake up." Someone tapped my cheek lightly.
I stirred in my sleep and groaned, trying to ignore the noise.
"Aw don't be like that...what? Do I have to kiss ya, so you'll wake up? Eh Sleeping Beauty?" The voice teased.
I slowly sat up, stretched, and rubbed my eyes before I finally opened them. Dallas' face was inches from mine, staring directly at me. I blushed and averted my gaze, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
"Nice hair, Heffer." Dally smirked at me.
"Shut the fuck up." I grumbled.
I pushed Dally away, watching him chuckle as he went over to wake up Johnny and Ponyboy.
"Yo. Wake up!" Dallas shouted.
The two boys got up, giving Dally a full view of their slightly changed appearance. Dally merely laughed at the sight of Ponyboy's now blonde hair, finding all of this hilarious. Finally after calming down, Dally's smile faded as he grew serious as he sat down beside us.
"I got some news for you." Dally lowered his voice.
Basically since Bob's death, tension had skyrocketed between the Soc's and Greasers. There had been no more attacks, mostly because there was going to be a rumble to settle everything once and for all, to see who was superior. Greaser's thought that all three of us were some kind of heroes for getting rid of a Soc, but we felt the complete opposite. Another thing that had surprised me was when I heard that Cherry was being a little spy for the Greasers. She kept the gang updated, telling them if the Soc's were gonna fight dirty or not, stuff like that. Dally also gave Ponyboy a handwritten letter from Sodapop himself.
Poor Soda...he's probably worried sick about Ponyboy.
"So who's hungry?" Dally patted his stomach. "I'm starvin'..."
We all stood up before leaving the church, following Dallas to his car.
Dally was nice enough to treat us to lunch at the Dairy Queen. We eagerly ate our meals, our stomachs grumbling loudly.
"I was just starting to get sick of eating baloney sandwiches." Ponyboy mumbled.
"I hear that." Johnny nodded in agreement.
We all continued to eat our lunch for several minutes, and after finishing our food, I finally got straight to the point, curious about whatever news Dally had for us.
"So...what did you tell the cops? And don't lie..." I asked Dallas.
"Oh right...well they took me in for questioning and I told them that you guys were in Texas. Two-Bit was actually tempted to go down to Texas just to find you three." Dallas smirked.
Jeez. Poor Two-Bit. I didn't know the idiot cared that much.
Dally looked pleased from his lie, but also explained that Soda saw right through his lie, and thus gave Dally that letter addressed to Ponyboy.
"Listen. That girl...the redhead. Uhh...what's her name. Cherry? Yeah. She said she'd vouch for you guys, say it was all in self-defense." Dally told us.
Oh thank heaven. Maybe everything will be alright now...
"Hey guys...I've been thinking. I mean Dally you said Cherry would vouch for us explaining that Bob was drunk that night...I mean...I think we should turn ourselves in. You said it yourself. It was self defense! I think they might let us off easy." Johnny spoke up.
WHOA WHAT?!
"What?! You want us to turn ourselves in?! Even after all that hard work of trying to hide us?! Dally even gave us enough money to last us long! What the hell Johnny?!" I nearly screamed.
Dally stared at Johnny in disbelief as well, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with the kid.
"I actually kinda agree with Heffer on this one, Johnnycake." Dally said.
Johnny looked disappointed and looked down, probably feeling angry at us for being so cowardly.
"I just don't think it's right...we should turn ourselves in." Johnny mumbled softly.
I blinked back tears, knowing that Johnny was right deep down. I was just prolonging the inevitable.
"Johnny, you've got no fucking idea what you'll be getting yourself into." My voice shook.
Johnny and Ponyboy looked at me in surprise, not used to seeing me look so...vulnerable.
"What aren't you telling us?" Ponyboy asked.
My eyes widened and I looked away. Dally grabbed my hand, and glared at Ponyboy as a sign to shut up.
"What happened to Johnny...happened to me once..." I muttered.
To say Johnny and Ponyboy were surprised would be an understatement. They inched forward, waiting for me to continue.
"It was right after Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had died...I would go on one of my walks to take my mind off of it and one night, I was attacked because I wasn't paying attention. My guard was down, I thought I was alone...and before I knew it. I was on the ground, my breath knocked outta me. I was being choked, my clothes were being ripped off." I clenched my eyes shut.
I could vividly picture that night and tried to surpress the tears, I could feel my body shaking.
"Jack..." Ponyboy grew upset.
"And after grabbing a piece of a broken beer bottle on the ground, I blacked out. I...I wasn't even there anymore. When I came to, he was dead, I was covered in his blood- -"
"Jackie, I don't- -" Ponyboy looked scared.
"I killed him..." I barely whispered.
"Who...who was he?" Johnny asked.
"It was one of Tim's guys...you remember Jerry?" Dally spoke up.
"Wait...you knew?!" Ponyboy glared at Dally.
"Watch your tone, kid." Dally warned. "Yeah, I was there. Jackie needed help, so I helped her. I helped her get rid of the body, and we kept quiet about it. When Tim got suspicious, I managed to convince him that he ran off." He explained.
"So...no one knows what happened to him?" Johnny glanced over at me.
I shook my head and bit my bottom lip.
"No wonder you looked so scared that night...it was like a repeat of what happened." Johnny mumbled.
Johnny placed his hand on top of mine, giving me a look of sympathy.
"I'm so sorry that ever happened to you. But this is different. I promise it'll all be okay. We've got Cherry to vouch for us. Come on Jackie. What do you think would be the right thing to do?" Johnny spoke seriously.
I took another deep breath and managed to calm down, we all sat in silence for several seconds.
He's right...why is that little bastard always right?
"Alright..." I nodded. "Dally, thank you for your help, but Johnny's right. Let's turn ourselves in."
Dally looked unhappy to hear me say this, but turned the car on and drove back for the abandoned church.
As we drove closer to the smoking building, we heard screams from inside, two adults along with a group of children on the outside. We were all stunned as we stared into the flames that continued to consume the building every second. It was after I heard more crying from inside that my eyes were wide with concern.
Kids...inside...burning to death...no!
It was one of those moments when life became extremely slow, and you had to make a life-altering decision. Instinctively, I wanted to fucking run away and never return to this place. The other part of me, wanted to follow Johnny's example and do the right thing, as crazy as it sounded.
I was going to go inside the burning building.
I unhooked my seatbelt running over to the church without anymore hesitation.
I can't believe I'm fucking doing this.
"JACKIE! DAMN IT GET BACK HERE!" Dally yelled.
With all of my might, I kicked down one of the wooden panels as hard as I possibly could, and managed to knock it over. I quickly ducked out of the way, as a burst of flames came out from the gap I had created. After the flames withdrew slightly, I zipped up my leather jacket, before running inside. The inside was worse, everything in sight was on fire, it was like hell on earth.
Holy fucking hell.
I quickly snapped out of my thoughts after hearing more screams from the children trapped inside and made a move to search for them. I held my arm in front of my face, coughing as smoke filled my lungs the more I kept walking further into hell. I screamed as I got hit in the arm by a burning plank of wood, but continued my search, falling down every three seconds from the heatwaves and smoke blinding my vision. Eventually after turning a corner in what seemed to be like a maze, I found a group of children all huddled together, crying and coughing all at once.
"Jackie?! Where are you?!" I head Ponyboy from outside.
I coughed as I inhaled more smoke and felt myself grow even weaker as I pounded on another wooden panel that led outside. I pulled off my leather jacket, putting it over the children to shield them from the fire. I then started ramming myself against the wooden panel, hoping to break it down.
"Jackie! Stand back!" Johnny yelled.
I stood back next to the children, waiting as Dally kicked down the wooden panel. Ponyboy and Johnny quickly rushed inside and found us all together. Ponyboy looked extremely worried about me, but I merely pushed him away, telling him to help the kids. One by one, we all helped the kids get out through the window to the adults that were present.
Was this even worth it? Risking my life to help some snot nosed kids?
After every kid was outside, the wall behind me collapsed.
"JACKIE! JOHNNY!"
It was the last thing I remember...
FLASH!
"I'm...I'm so sorry about your parents." I sniffled.
Darry and Sodapop gave me a sad smile as Sodapop held a sleeping Ponyboy in his arms.
"It's alright...but we can't just stop living. We have to keep moving forward. It's all we can do." Darry mumbled.
I jumped into Darry's arms, trying to hold back tears as I held onto him.
"It's just...it's not fair..." I cried.
"Life's not fair sometimes, Jackie. Just remember that." Darry told me. "But it's okay, they're in a better place. They'd be damn proud of us, they were good parents."
"They were." I nodded frantically.
FLASH!
"Miss Heffer...? Are you waking up now?"
FLASH!
Dally wiped my face with a wet rag as I stared holes into the floor.
"What do I do?" I shook. "I'm gonna...I'm going to prison. Holy fuck." I cried.
"No you're not. I won't let you." Dally said.
"W- -what?"
"Listen, we're going to go on and pretend this never happened alright? Tim will probably think he just left without saying a word. He won't think anything of it. But in case he does, I'll try to come up with somethin'." Dally explained.
I slowly nodded as Dally held my face in his hands.
"Say it alright? I wanna hear you say it." Dally ordered. "This never happened."
"T- -this never happened." I stuttered.
"Again." He demanded.
"This never happened." I repeated.
"Good. Now get some shut eye. You've been through hell tonight." Dally muttered.
"Thank you, Dally. I don't know what I'd do without you." I gave him a faint smile.
"No problem, Angel Face."
FLASH!
My eyes flickered open, bright lights surrounding me along with blurred figures.
Where was I?
"She's awake guys!"
I moaned and covered my eyes with my arm.
God damn it...everything hurts...
"What the hell's...goin' on?" I said groggily.
"Miss Heffer. Do you remember anything?" A Doctor asked.
"Who the hell are you?" I squinted to look at the doctor.
Jeez...I feel like I'm drunk or something...
"I'm Dr. Kashack. Now do you remember anything, Miss Heffer?"
I glanced over and noticed Two-Bit, Sodapop, Ponyboy, Darry, and Steve occupying the chairs around in the room, all of them staring at me.
"Am I dead? Is this hell?" I slurred.
God...why does my mind feel so hazy? I can barely think...
"Hell? Man what kind of drugs is she on doc?" Two-Bit snickered.
"This is not hell Jackie. You're in a hospital." Darry spoke up.
Darry glared at Two-Bit before coming over to me, grasping my hand gently.
"So I'm not dead?" I asked.
"No you're not. But you're a hero Jack..." Sodapop held a newspaper out.
On the cover there were pictures of Dallas, Ponyboy, Johnny, and I. The content of the article spoke of how we were all heroes for rescuing the kids from that fire in the abandoned church.
"Me a hero? Yeah fucking right..." I rolled my eyes. "I thought there'd be some, WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, underneath my name."
"Dally actually said the same thing." Ponyboy spoke up.
I glanced over at Ponyboy and tried sitting up, only for Darry and Pony to rush over to my side and gently push me back down to the bed.
"How's Johnny and Dally?" I grabbed Ponyboy's hand.
"Dally's fine...you and Johnny were in bad shape though..." Ponyboy reluctantly told me.
Two-Bit shuffled around awkwardly on his feet, staring down at his feet.
"It didn't look good for Johnny..." Two-Bit mumbled.
I gotta go see him.
I then got out of the bed and started looking for my clothes, ignoring the looks of shock I received from everyone.
"Where the hell are my clothes? I can't stay here no more!" I grumbled.
"Miss Heffer! Get back in the bed! You're not leaving yet!" The doctor objected.
If I had my gun right now...I'm sure he'd be saying otherwise.
I whimpered and fell to my knees, feeling faint all of a sudden, my entire body burning up and jolting from the pain. Sodapop and Steve immediately ran to me, helping me back into the bed no matter how much I struggled.
"Jackie you have to stay. You're just as much in bad shape as Johnny is." Darry said.
From the way Two-Bit said it, I highly doubt that. He's probably worse than I am.
I continued to struggle, until finally Sodapop had enough.
"JACKIE!" Sodapop snapped. "We all care about your health. Just stay in bed...we won't leave you alright?"
"Who says I need anyone?!" I glared at Soda.
Soda looked upset for a moment before he loosened his grip on me.
"I know you don't mean that. You care about all of us just like we care so much about you. Otherwise you wouldn't have been trying to help Ponyboy and Johnny." Soda said.
I fell silent for a brief moment and looked into Sodapop's eyes, feeling a bit of guilt.
He knew me too well...
"I wanna see Johnny." I mumbled. "I WANNA SEE JOHNNY!" I cried.
"We'll allow you to see your friend, but you have to be in a wheelchair." The doctor said. "And someone has to go with you."
"I'll do it." Ponyboy offered.
Sodapop and Steve then helped me out of the bed, and settled me onto a wheelchair that the doctor returned with. Soon enough, Ponyboy and I left the room. Ponyboy wheeled me throughout the hospital, and each turn down every corner gave me anxiety. As if I hadn't already felt like absolute shit, the fear of losing Johnny made it all worse.
I can't lose him...He's like my little brother...
Ponyboy eventually stopped pushing the wheelchair and paused in front of a doorway. My eyes widened drastically at the sight of Johnny's appearance. He was spread out on a table, nothing but a sheet covering the lower half of his body. There were severe burns all over his back and his arms, almost to the point where he didn't look human. I choked back a sob, Ponyboy rubbing my back gently in attempt to comfort me. After a minute, I managed to calm down, and Ponyboy eventually wheeled me into the room to see Johnny up close.
"Hey Johnnycake...how are you feelin'?" I asked.
I heard Johnny gasp for air for a brief second before he finally replied in a raspy and hoarse voice.
"J- -Jackie? That you?"
"Yeah...it's me Johnny." I mumbled softly. "I've been so worried about you guys...I...I shouldn't have run in there."
"Savin' those kids was worth it Jack. Don't you say otherwise..." Johnny coughed a little bit before continuing. "Besides...you were the one who ran in without thinkin'..."
"Actually...I kept thinking about what you said at Dairy Queen. About what would be the right thing to do...that's why I ran in." I confessed.
"Guess I have a good influence on people, huh?" Johnny joked.
"So did you hear about that newspaper?" I asked.
"Y- -yeah...I'm pretty...pretty surprised." Johnny wheezed. "Ponyboy and Two-Bit showed me the paper."
"Excuse me, you'll have to leave now. He needs to rest." A nurse spoke up.
I wanted nothing more than to yell at that nurse, but decided against it.
Johnny would need all the rest he could get if he had any chance of getting better.
Ponyboy hesitantly wheeled me out of the room, and began heading back for my room. I coughed violently after a minute and Ponyboy stopped before kneeling in front of me, trying to see if I needed medical attention.
"You alright Jack?" Ponyboy asked.
I stared at Pony with tears in my eyes from both the coughing and from being so upset.
"That boy...has to make it or else...I'll lose my fucking mind." I tried holding in my tears.
Ponyboy looked shocked that I was crying and he hugged me as gently as he possibly could.
"It'll be alright...this is Johnny we're talking about." Pony smiled sadly.
"I'm so angry...I should have just- -"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Jack." Ponyboy cut me off.
I went silent again before nodding in agreement.
I just have to be positive...but how can I be positive at a time like this?
"So...how's Dally doing?" I tried changing the subject.
"You wanna go see him?" Pony asked.
I nodded again and Pony started heading towards Dally's room.
Ponyboy smiled at Dally and left me to talk with him alone. I sat in the wheelchair and glanced up at Dally lying in his bed in nothing but his underwear.
"Well lookie what we have here. A beautiful broad decides to visit me huh? Surprise, surprise..." Dally chuckled.
Did he just call me beautiful? Okay then...
"How are you holding up, Winston?" I asked.
"I've been better." He shrugged.
I felt my face heat up after I found myself staring at Dallas' chest.
"My eyes are up here, Heffer." Dally teased.
"What? I just zoned out is all." I rolled my eyes.
"Nah, I know you were checkin' me out. It's okay. I'm just a chick magnet...it can't be helped." Dally smiled smugly.
"Yeah you keep telling yourself that." I scoffed.
I smiled faintly as Dally managed to cheer me up a little over the next five minutes. He kept making jokes about how I was so hot that I was practically on fire, or his personal favorite, how I should have changed my name to Summer because I'm so hot. Eventually, my smile faded away as I was instantly reminded of Johnny. It was just something you couldn't unsee.
It would be something I'd always remember.
"You hear about Johnny?" I then asked.
Dally stopped joking around, his smiled disappearing as I brought him up.
"Yeah...I heard. You goin' to the rumble tonight?" Dally brought up.
I wanted to let out all of my rage, all my anger at the Soc's.
Those bastards were responsible for everything. They only make our lives a living hell.
"Of course I am...we gotta get even with those Soc's...for everything they've done." I spat out.
I glared down at the floor, my fists shaking from pure anger. Dally slowly got out of his bed and moved over to grab my chin to make me look at him, something he did when he wanted my attention.
"We're gonna get even with them Soc's...we're gonna do it for Johnny." Dally told me. "Mark my words, Jack...they're gonna pay."
"I don't know if I'll be able to go to the fight..." I said. "I'm in so much pain...everything hurts..." I blinked away tears.
"Then that gives me more reason to tear those Soc's apart huh?"
I glanced at Dally, surprised to see him giving me a genuine smile and not one of his classic smirks. Dally wiped away my tears before he put his forehead against mine, something we used to do when we were kids.
"We're gonna win Jack. And Johnny will pull through...he's got to..." Dally said.
I sure hope that you're right Dallas...
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