Here's another chapter for you! Hope you like it! REWRITTEN
It wasn't long after until Ponyboy and I had to go to court, recalling our story of the night in the lot. I was almost tempted to take the blame, say that I was the one who stabbed Bob Sheldon so that Johnny wouldn't be claimed as responsible, but Ponyboy refused to let me do such a thing, considering that Randy and Cherry had already told their versions of the story first. If I had confessed to the murder I didn't even do, I could get jail time, or make Cherry and Randy's testify seem false. I couldn't do it, but I hated how the other Soc's that were present the night of Bob's murder were talking about Johnny.
It made me sick to my stomach.
After the trial was over, Ponyboy and I were deemed innocent and were allowed to leave. Since I was underage (being 17), I was also placed into Darry's custody. Darry being my new parental guardian until I turned 18.
So in other words, I was part of the Curtis family for the time being.
And after the trial, was Johnny and Dally's funeral. We decided to have their funerals together, thinking they would like that. It cost us a fortune to get our friends tombstones for their graves, but we all pitched in, even Shepard's gang contributed. The service was nice, but for some reason, I wasn't able to cry, while everyone else shed a few tears. It made me feel like I was heartless, but deep down, it hadn't sunk in yet. Sure I saw Dallas die in front of me, hell, I was the one holding him as he died in my arms, but it was just...
It was hard to believe that they were actually gone...
A lot of people got up and said a few words about Johnny and Dallas, some were funny things, some were depressing. Eventually, I got a nudge from Ponyboy, who gave me a look that told me I should say something. If it wasn't for Ponyboy, I probably wouldn't have even said a word and would have kept to myself the entire time. I made it over to the small podium, eyeing the two caskets with sadness before I turned towards the crowd. I ignored their looks of pity and tried giving them a smile, though they could probably tell it was a fake one.
"Is it weird that I don't think they're dead?" I spoke up. "I mean, I guess we're all in shock, just in disbelief that Dally and Johnny are gone, you know?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, Ponyboy nodding at me in encouragement to continue.
"Johnny was like a younger brother, and even though he was a Greaser, he didn't seem like it to some people. Johnny was special, he wasn't the violent type unless he absolutely needed to be. Johnny Cade was a different type of Greaser and sometimes I wished I followed his example more. He could see the good in everyone, even in someone like me. Johnny also tried making the best out of a bad situation."
I paused for a moment and exchanged glances with Ponyboy. Ponyboy had a tear sliding down his face, but he looked at me with what seemed to be pride. It was a different look for Ponyboy, but I think he liked how I was describing Johnny, remembering the good times, remembering the good person Johnny was.
That was what kept me going nowadays. It was Ponyboy...
"When Johnny died...Dallas didn't take it too well. When Johnny died, part of him died as well. And although Dallas Winston claimed that he didn't care about anyone but himself, beneath his hard edges, he was a good character. Dallas was loyal, especially towards his friends. Dally was also a reckless son of a bitch, but he was my best friend and we all looked out for each other. Some people would say that Dally and I were inseparable, and that we almost resembled each other. I never took it as an insult, because I always thought of it as a compliment. Dallas Winston was the gutsiest man I knew, and ever since I could remember, I always wanted to be tuff like him. And Dallas was tuff right to the very end. He wanted to die in a blaze of glory and that's exactly what he did."
I looked at the gang, noticing the look of admiration on their faces. I smiled faintly before finishing up my small eulogy.
"Sure, we might have lost Dally and Johnny, but their memories will still carry on. They'll be known as the toughest Greasers in all of Tulsa, Oklahoma and they deserve that title, because that's what they were all along. To Johnny and Dallas."
Everyone pumped their fists in the air, holding their switchblades.
"To Johnny and Dallas!" They repeated.
"She's still sleeping?" Two-Bit asked.
"It was a long night, Two. Plus she just took her painmeds." Soda reminded him.
"How long does she have left to recover again?" Steve asked.
"Her injuries were pretty bad...it'll probably be a month or two until she's back to her normal self. The doctor said she might have to go to physical therapy too." Soda answered.
"I love you guys, but shut the hell up." I mumbled groggily.
"Just go to sleep, Heffer." Steve smartly replied.
"I will when ya shut yer trap." I slurred.
"Come on Jackie...you can take the bed tonight. Pony will just have to share with Darry...I think I'll be okay on the couch." Soda mused.
"No...I won't do it." I whined.
"Aw. That was so cute. She almost sounded like a kid." Two-Bit snickered.
I sat up, now struggling to keep my eyes open.
"How would you like it if I punched you in the dick, Keith?" I glared at him.
"And by that I mean you're the scariest woman I've ever laid my eyes upon." Two-Bit corrected himself.
"That's what I thought you said." I grumbled.
"Alright, that's enough. Time for bed, Jack." Soda sighed.
Soda picked me up bridal style, my head dropping on his chest as I closed my eyes.
"Damn, she must be real tired." Pony commented.
"I think we're all a little tired after today, Pone." Soda said.
I felt myself being placed onto something warm and cozy and burried my face against something soft, getting comfortable.
"She seems to be doing a little better don't you think?" Soda asked.
"Yeah...she's not as...depressed. I think she's gonna be fine. She just needs time." Pony nodded in agreement. "She's still a little distant though."
"So I'm not the only one who's been thinking that? She's been a little secretive lately, she sneaks out of the house when she thinks no one's payin' attention." Soda smirked.
"Just don't say anything to Darry. He's been worried enough over her as it is. He thinks she'll become another Dallas." Pony scoffed.
"Well...she isn't that far off. If you even look at her wrong, she'll get pissed off." Soda joked.
"Yeah. She even said something Dallas would say...it was weird but I felt like Dally was right there with me, you know?" Pony smiled faintly.
"I know. It'll be okay Pony...everything will be alright soon. We just gotta give this some time. If you ever need to talk though, I'm right here. You know that right?" Soda asked.
"Yeah." Pony nodded. "Listen, I'll stay with Jackie tonight. Chances are, she'll probably need help getting out of bed to use the bathroom or somethin'."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." He nodded in reply.
The next morning, Ponyboy went off to school, while everyone else went to work. Normally, Two-Bit would have been babysitting me because of Darry, but today he decided to go to school because it seemed that Ponyboy might need protecting from some Soc's. Soc's got a little bit rougher with Ponyboy at school, mostly because of Bob Sheldon's death. I rested in bed for about a few hours, until it was 2:00 and left the house, making sure to lock it up before I left. I walked around town, getting some fresh air, stopping by a floral shop to get a bouquet of flowers for Johnny and Dallas. It wasn't long before I grew paranoid, seeing a familiar red mustang following me. It wasn't long after until I had my hand inside of my pocket where my gun was, in case anyone thought of jumping me.
"Hey. You're Jackie Heffer right?"
I turned around slowly and found Randy Adderson, Bob Sheldon's best friend. My blood began boiling as I remembered the night of Sheldon's murder.
This was one of the fuckers that tried to drown me...
"What's it to you, dumbass?" I glared at him.
"Listen, I uh...I wanted to talk to you."
"Riiight. Sure. Well go right ahead." I scoffed.
"Hey, I'm just trying to apologize alright?!" He snapped.
He thinks an apology is gonna fix anything?! Undo what he's done?!
"You privileged motherfucker." I growled.
I pulled out my gun from my jacket, pressing it to his forehead. Randy's eyes widened drastically, his hands raised immediately in defense.
"Whoa whoa! Take it easy!" He gulped.
"You think one little fucking apology is gonna make everything magically better? You think it'll bring back Johnny or Dallas? You and your little Soc friends think you can get away with anything huh?!" I nearly shouted.
"No! Listen, Heffer! I wanted to apologize! If I had known Bob was gonna go off the deep end, I would have never been apart of that shit. I promise you that." Randy shook. "Listen, I already talked to Curtis, and he accepted my apology."
I grew surprised at the mention of Ponyboy, lowering my gun slowly.
"I was a different guy back then. I was stupid. I should have never been with Bob that night...I'm sorry about Cade...he was a good kid. He was a hero and so are you. I was wrong about you guys before." Randy looked sincere.
Me a hero? Yeah right. If I was such a hero, I would have made sure Johnny never got hurt.
I put away my gun, turning before walking away from Randy. Randy looked confused and upset, but followed me to stop me.
"Hey. I'm trying to talk to you. This has been eating away at me. Please just listen." Randy sighed in frustration.
"I could give a shit about what eats away at you. You should feel guilty." I glared at him.
"I always will feel guilty alright?!" He snapped. "Sorry..."
My glare softened up a bit, as I watched him warily.
"I was wrong about you before. I realized that not all of you Greasers are so bad. I wanna say that I'm incredibly sorry about what I did to you, I was just an idiot and I was following orders blindly by Bob. I don't know why any of us followed Bob that night, but he just had this...this way about him. He was like a leader to us. I should have realized that Bob was bad news, but he was my best friend. I never knew how to say no to him. Please...you have to understand." Randy pleaded.
"What do you think would be the right thing to do, Jackie?"
My fists remained balled at their sides, the flowers I had bought remained on the ground from when I dropped them. Randy picked up the flowers for me, holding them out to me as a sign of apology. I wanted nothing more than to tell this asshole to fuck off and die, but the more I thought of saying that, the more I could hear Johnny's voice nagging at the back of my head, about doing the right thing. Eventually, I sighed deeply, trying to keep my emotions in check as my shoulders slumped down a bit.
"It's gonna take more than a simple apology for me to forgive you, but...I'll try...maybe over time, I'll learn to forgive you, but it sure as hell ain't going to be now. I'm...I'm still angry and upset. It's going to take a while for me to just move on. I hope you understand that." I said.
"You've got every right to be angry at me...I just wanted you to know that I've changed a little bit. I wanted you to know how regretful I am about that night. If I could go back in time, I would..." Randy mumbled.
I took the flowers from Randy, making my way to the cemetery again.
"Hey Heffer...you think you'd wanna go get a Coke with me sometime?"
I froze before turning around, looking at Randy in surprise.
"Excuse me? Repeat that one more time because I think I misheard you." I scoffed.
"I wanna buy you a Coke sometime." Randy smiled.
I continued to stare at Randy, trying to figure and see if he had any hidden intentions. but so far found nothing.
"And just why would you wanna do that? What's your angle?" I questioned.
"No angle, I just wanna talk to you. Is bad ol' Jackie Heffer afraid of having a Coke with a Soc?" He teased.
"I ain't afraid of nothin' so shut your trap, Adderson." I rolled my eyes.
"Then what's the problem?" Randy asked.
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, finally giving in.
Oh the boys were gonna have a riot over this one.
"Maybe in an hour. I'm going to see Johnny and Dallas." I told him.
"I'll meet you at the Dingo? In an hour?"
I nodded and walked away, hearing Randy get back into his car and drive away.
Well that was new.
After visiting Dally and Johnny's graves, I made it back over to the Dingo and as Randy had promised, he bought me a Coke. Normally I didn't even drink Coke because after a while it tasted bitter to me, but I slowly began to relax around Randy. I wasn't as hostile towards him, and for the most part we were both civil. It was awkward as hell for the first twenty minutes, but after a while, the tension was slowly starting to melt away. Deep down, I kind of realized that Randy wasn't such a bad guy after all, even if he was a Soc. It was like how Ponyboy was with Cherry Valence and much like Johnny, Ponyboy tried to see the good in people. It was about 3:30 when we both parted ways, and I quickly made it over to Buck's place once more, going back up to Dally's old room to finally pack away his belongings.
"Heffer...you're back." Buck gave me a small smile. "I didn't think you'd come back around."
"I think it's about time I suck it up and face it like a real woman." I smirked. "I just...it's been hard..." My smirk faded away.
Buck nodded in understanding putting a hand on my shoulder as he walked me up to Dally's room.
"I heard from one of your guys...Dally made you his girl before he died didn't he?" Buck asked.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"I'm real sorry, kid. That's gotta be tough." Buck sighed.
I grabbed the key, unlocking the door. Buck began walking away, headed downstairs.
"Holler if you need anything." Buck told me.
"Can do." I mumbled in response.
It might have been the hardest thing I've had to do, mostly because of all the reminders of our past together. I hated being reminded of Dallas, because in the end, I was still mad at him for leaving me the way that he did. I understood why he wanted to off himself like that, considering it was the only thing he knew most of his life, this was his way of getting closure. I struggled to keep my emotions in check during my time spent in his room, and resisted the urge to throw another fit again. There might be a day when I'll be able to move on from this and respect Dally's choice, regardless of how I felt for him. Johnny was a different story however, because the kid was like a younger brother in my eyes, even if we weren't related by blood. Despite his hard life, Johnny tried to remain positive as difficult as it was. I was always there for him whenever he wanted to vent out his anger and frustration towards his terrible fucking parents. I would always defend him whenever a Soc was nearby. Whenever I thought of Johnny, I instantly felt guilty. I always felt like it was my job to protect him, but when Bob's murder took place, I wasn't able to do that.
Johnny didn't deserve any of this...I wish he were still here.
I cleaned up Dally's room after placing his belongings in a cardboard box, making sure I took small breaks in between so that I didn't push myself so much. Eventually, I began making my way downstairs after bumping into Buck himself. It wasn't long after that I started making my way back to the Curtis', knowing most of them would be home by now.
"Hey Heffer!"
I turned over to see Tim Shepard driving along the road beside me.
"You need a lift, doll?" Tim offered.
"That would be nice actually." I nodded.
I got into the car with Tim, and he drove wildly, almost similar to how Dally would drive. I closed my eyes, feeling the wind blow against my face.
It was almost comforting...
"I'm gonna go over to the drive in later. Maybe I'll see you there?" Tim smirked.
"Maybe. Don't get your hopes up. Darry barely let's me leave the house since I'm supposed to be on bed rest."
"If you're supposed to be on bed rest, then why the hell are you walking out here with a box of junk?"
"This box of junk is Dally's stuff. You better choose your next words carefully, dipshit." I glared at him.
Tim winced, realizing his mistake.
"Shit, Jack. I didn't mean to- -"
"It's fine. Just head down the street. We're almost at the Curtis'." I cut him off.
Tim eventually pulled over as we made it back to the Curtis household. Tim put the car in park, putting his hand on my thigh.
"Listen...if you wanna let off some steam...you know where to find me." Tim told me.
"I'll keep that in mind, Shepard. Tell Curly and Angela I said hi." I nodded at him.
I stepped out of the car, giving him a small smile as I cradled the box in my arms.
"Thanks for the ride, Timmy. I'll see ya around."
"Anytime, doll." He smirked.
I walked inside the house as Tim drove off, noticing the looks of concern and suspicion on everyone's faces.
"Why the hell were you with Tim Shepard? You know he's bad news right?" Steve questioned.
"He gave me a ride home from Buck's, dad." I taunted him.
"What were you doing at Buck's?" Soda asked.
I held up the box as if it answered everything.
"And what's that?" Two-Bit looked confused.
"Dally's stuff. I...I cleaned out his room today." I muttered.
"Jeez...I woulda gone with you if you'd told me you were goin' there." Two-Bit sighed.
"It's fine, Two...I'm a big girl." I averted my gaze. "This was something I needed to do by myself."
Two-Bit and the others nodded in understanding, allowing me to go over into Soda and Ponyboy's room. For some reason, Ponyboy looked like he was depressed about something. I shut the door, sitting down on the bed with Pony after placing the box on the floor.
"What's up kid? Everything alright?" I cautiously asked.
"I was wrong. I thought...I thought Cherry would change..." Pony sighed. "She would barely look at me today."
"Then she's a coward that don't deserve your time." I grew angry. "I'm sorry she's being like this, Pone. You don't need this right now."
"I'm not angry...just hurt. I thought she changed." Ponyboy mumbled.
"Well screw her. She's missing out on something good." I nudged Pony, giving him a smile reserved for him. "How's about we go out tonight? To the drive-in. My treat."
"Really?" Pony cracked a smile. "I thought you hated the movies."
"Nah, I just hated that Dallas- -" I stopped, looking away. "I just...Dallas was such a damn flirt, I couldn't ever enjoy a movie because he was always starting trouble, you know?"
Ponyboy gently grasped my hand.
"You don't have to be afraid of talkin' about him." He assured me.
"Oh but I do, Ponyboy. Every time I think of Dallas, I just get reminded that he left me like that. And then I get pissed off." I mumbled. "I just didn't think he'd ever go out like that...he might have lost Johnny, but we all did too. I'm just angry that he wanted to stop living...your brother was right. Just 'cause you lose someone, it doesn't mean that you can stop living." I told him. "He was just...he gave up. That's why I'm mad at Dallas. I thought he cared about us...about me."
"He did care about you. Don't ever doubt that, alright?" Ponyboy said.
"It's really hard not to, you know." I smirked.
"I know." He muttered.
"Alright. Enough of this emotional crap. Let's go to the movies, it's starting to get dark anyway."
"I don't think Darry would want- -"
"Would you relax? I got my gun, I got some cash, we've got each other's backs, need I go on?" I chuckled.
"Fine, but if we get in trouble, I blame you." Ponyboy smirked.
"And that's just fine." I winked at him.
Considering it was a Friday night, I didn't think Darry would get angry about Ponyboy and I seeing a movie at the drive-in.
But I was so very wrong.
We'd told Two-Bit where we were going, but the idiot was drunk and pretty much forgot that conversation. So here we were, hashing it out with Darrel, probably for about 30 minutes. Ponyboy mostly remained quiet, afraid to speak up in fear that it would be like a repeat of the night of Bob's murder, Darry probably wasn't able to see that, but I could read Ponyboy like a book at this point. I understood why Ponyboy was slightly afraid, but I didn't let that stop me from arguing with Darry.
"Why did you think of leaving without telling us?! We were worried sick!" Darry yelled.
"We told Two-Bit! It wasn't like we left out of the blue! If you wanna go pointing fingers, go blame him!" I snapped.
"You're just like Sodapop, making excuses for him, coddling him!" Darry narrowed his eyes at me.
"You'd best watch what you say next, Darrel. I might do something I'd regret later." I threatened.
"Just stop fighting would yah? It's just like before!" Ponyboy finally spoke up.
"You're damn right about that! It is like before! Why don't you use your head, Ponyboy?!" Darry glared at his younger brother.
Before Darry could get closer to Ponyboy, I stood in front of him, blocking Darry's path.
"You better back the fuck up, Curtis!"
"Excuse me?! This is my family! Not yours!" Darry snapped.
"He may not be my family by blood, but he'll always be my family! I see that damn look in your eyes Darrel Curtis!" I glared at him.
"What look?!"
"DO YOU WANT A REPEAT OF THE NIGHT OF BOB'S MURDER?! DO YOU THINK TAKING OUT YOUR FRUSTRATIONS ON YOUR KID BROTHER WILL SOLVE ANYTHING?! WHY DON'T YOU THINK DARRY?!" I shouted.
I shoved Darry away as hard as I could, tears springing into my eyes. Darry looked like he'd seen a ghost, his face full of shock as he processed what I said.
"You might mean well, but you're a complete jackass sometimes you know that?! He's been through enough! Your approach at parenting isn't working!" I hollered at him.
Before Darry could say anything else, I could feel a tightness in my chest and gasped from the pain.
"Jack?" Darry looked concerned.
Ponyboy, still shaken up, looked towards me as well. Ponyboy put his hand on my arm gently, trying to slowly turn me around.
"Jackie? You alright?" Ponyboy finally spoke up.
I put a hand on my chest, feeling most of my muscles tense up as well, my breath becoming shallow and rapid.
Oh fuck me.
I looked up at Ponyboy and opened my mouth, but was unable to form words. Instead, I slowly shook my head in response to his question, before I fell to the floor.
"JACK!" The two brothers yelled in unison.
"It's all this stress. She can't be put through this much longer." The doctor sighed in frustration.
"I thought this was only a one-time thing?" Darrel questioned.
"I thought it was too. But it's a likely possibility that with all the stress and anxiety that she's been experiencing..."
"What is it doctor?" Darrel asked hesitantly.
"She's developed cardiovascular disease. We've run tests, taken X-rays of her chest...it might have been building up for years, and based off of her medical history, it's more than likely. It was shown from her father's bloodline that they've had this disease as well. It might be genetic, but we'd have to run more tests to be sure." The doctor informed him.
"Is there...is there anything we can do about this?" Darry's voice shook.
"Don't worry Mr. Curtis, there's medication that I can prescribe to her. It's called guanethidine, a noradrenaline release inhibitor, it was developed for high blood pressure. For her, it might just work, but the more she puts stress on herself, the more at risk she is of dying. There's no way to sugarcoat that." The doctor replied.
Darrel swallowed back his sadness and anger, but nodded in agreement with the doctor.
"I'll give you some time to process this. But there's no skirting around this anymore, Mr. Curtis. If Miss Heffer doesn't change her lifestyle, chances are...she won't make it for long. At this rate, without the guanethidine, she'd have three years, probably less." The doctor finished.
The doctor sighed once more, before exiting the room quietly, leaving Darrel to his thoughts as he watched Jacqueline from the hospital bed.
"Shit." I muttered.
I looked at Darry as he broke the news to me, being supportive, holding my hand as he spoke in a gentler tone.
"So I guess...so I guess I'm done for huh?" I laughed, tears springing into my eyes. "I mean, I knew I'd end up like my old man somehow, but not like this..."
"Jack. Don't say that. You're not like your father. He deserves whatever comes to him. But you? You're a better person...I'm sorry when I said you weren't family...I didn't mean it." Darry wiped his eyes.
"I know you didn't mean it." I smiled at him. "Seriously though, get your shit together. Ponyboy needs someone to lean on, someone who's supportive. You're his damn brother, Darrel. You've gotta step up. I get that your job isn't the best, hell it's probably really stressful at times, but you've gotta stop taking out your frustrations on Ponyboy. He didn't do anything wrong. He's a good kid, really smart too. You've just gotta reason with him."
Darry nodded in agreement, trying his best to keep his emotions in check.
"You can still be stern with him, just ease up a little okay?" I chuckled.
"How about we go out to eat later? Just the four of us? You, me, Ponyboy, and Soda." Darry suggested. "My treat."
"You don't need to do that, Dar. I know you got your check today, but you should be savin' that money." I told him.
"I want us to go out in the morning. As a family." He gave me a warm smile.
I let out a laugh, wiping my eyes from the tears spilling.
"Only if I get to drive." I joked.
"I don't know if you can handle it." He teased.
"Hey, good looking. What's up?" Sodapop smiled.
Darry held me in his arms bridal style, carrying me over to the couch and placing me down gently. Ponyboy came out of his room, glaring at Darrel for a brief second, but perked up after seeing me and came over to me.
"Jeez. What the hell happened? I was so worried." Ponyboy blurted out.
"I'm okay, kid. You don't gotta worry about me. It was a uh...false alarm." I assured him.
"False alarm?" Ponyboy looked at me in disbelief.
"Okay, kid. Don't get wise." I glared at him.
"Alright, break it up. Listen...Ponyboy...I wanted to apologize." Darry mumbled.
Ponyboy glanced over at Darry in surprise, but nodded slowly. Soda watched the three of us with interest, mostly curious about this sudden change in Darry.
"We can talk more about it later, but for now, let's get to bed. I'm sure we've all had a long day." Darry said.
"Is anyone gonna tell me what the heck happened? I get a call from Ponyboy sayin' that Jackie is in the hospital again and we're all goin' to bed like it never even happened?" Soda whined.
"They thought it was a heart attack, it was just a false alarm." I lied. "Let's go to bed."
Soda sighed and ran a hand through his hair, as he followed Ponyboy to their room.
"I'll sleep here if that's okay." I yawned.
"Nope. Come on. Let's go, Heffer. We'll share my bed."
"Whatever you say, Superman." I mumbled tiredly.
The following morning wasn't as bad, but the tension was still lingering for some reason. I figured it was because of Darry's sudden change of attitude, but he was more lenient and friendly with Ponyboy. Sodapop and I would exchange looks every now and then, mostly because Soda was probably curious of what I said to Darry. And as Darry had promised me, we all went out to breakfast together, with me driving the truck. The guys were worried at first, mostly because it was Dallas that taught me how to drive, but for the most part, the morning was peaceful.
It almost made me forget that Johnny and Dallas were dead. It seemed like any normal day.
I even half expected Mr. & Mrs. Curtis to greet us with warm smiles. It seemed that all was good in the world, that nothing else could go wrong. Later that morning, I escorted Ponyboy to school, the both of us walking together side by side. The crowd of teenagers swarmed around us, still divided into groups of Soc's and Greasers. I gave Pony a pat on the back as we spotted Cherry Valence conversing with her friends, sparing us one little look before she hurriedly went inside the school. Ponyboy walked inside, waving to me as he walked into school with some other Greasers.
"Hey Heffer."
Before I could go, I was pulled over to the side. I didn't fight back as I realized that it was Randy Adderson that held my arm. I grew confused and snatched my arm away, waiting for Randy to say something.
"How are you doing?" Randy shifted awkwardly.
"Not so great." I smirked. "What do you want, Adderson?"
"I was thinkin' maybe we could go for a Coke later?" Randy asked.
"I can't today. I gotta go to the pharmacy for some medication I gotta take now." I replied.
"Everything alright?" Randy looked concerned.
"Not really." I chuckled dryly.
"It's not for those burns of yours is it? I mean, they look like they hurt, but I didn't think it was that bad." He rambled.
"It ain't for the burns." I assured him. "The burns are doing better, they'll just be scars after they heal."
Randy looked down at his feet, looking like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. Before either of us could say anything else, the school bell rang, making us perk up.
"I guess I gotta go. I'll see you 'round, Heffer." Randy nodded at me.
I nodded in reply, turning to walk away to see Evie and Angela Shepard staring at me with confusion and interest.
"So what was that about?" Angela smirked. "You seeing Adderson or something?"
"It ain't like that." I rolled my eyes. "He's been talking to me ever since...ever since Johnny and Dallas died. I think he wants my forgiveness about the night of Bob's murder." I sighed.
"Jeez. Sorry Jack..." Evie looked saddened at this.
"Well you didn't forgive him did you?" Angela asked. "I wouldn't. Fuckin' asshole thinks he can get what he wants? Fuck that guy."
"I might forgive him one day. Certainly not now, but some day..." I put my hands in my pockets.
"Yeah." Evie mumbled.
I observed the girls, wondering where Sylvia and Sandy were.
"So where are Sylvia and Sandy anyway? Aren't those two usually with you guys?" I asked in curiosity.
"Oh...you don't know...do you?" Evie's eyes widened.
I grew nervous at Evie's tone, but Angela just smirked as she lit up a cigarette.
"Sandy's been cheatin' on Sodapop. She's having someone else's baby. Her parents are makin' her move to Florida this weekend. Sylvia wanted to help her pack for some reason, probably to get out of going to school." Angela told me.
WHAT?!
Evie looked at me worriedly before she nudged Angela with her elbow as if to scold her.
"...what?" I spoke lowly.
My fists were now clenched at my sides, itching to hit something or someone.
"Jackie. I see that look on your face. Don't do it." Evie pleaded.
"Do what, doll face?" I smiled tensely.
"Jesus Christ, you sound like Dallas with the way you talk sometimes." Angela mumbled.
Evie elbowed Angela again, giving her that one glare that was signaling her to shut up.
"Sorry, Jack. I didn't mean it in a bad way." Angela quickly apologized.
I merely held up my hand before Angela could talk again, looking towards Evie expectantly.
"Where's Sandy?" I asked.
"Jackie, I- -"
"Where. is. she?" I repeated.
"She's at Sylvia's." Evie muttered.
"Thank you. Now you guys go on to class, I got somewhere to be." I adjusted my jacket, making my way past the girls.
"Shit. She's gonna fuck up Sandy real good, isn't she?" Angela chuckled sarcastically.
"Shut the fuck up, Angela. I hope you're happy." Evie hissed at her. "I've gotta call Steve..."
I walked quickly, making my way towards my destination in twenty minutes. I could hear laughter from Sylvia's home, mostly from Sylvia herself. I could pick up on Sandy's unenthusiastic tone right away. She almost sounded sad, but I was outraged with her to even care. Usually, Sandy and I got along throughout the time we've known each other. I barged in through the door as I shook all of those thoughts from my head, heading towards the sound of Sylvia's cynical laughter. Sandy and Sylvia stopped what they were doing in the kitchen and stared at me with shock.
"Jackie? What are you doing here- -"
SLAP!
Sandy held her cheek, her eyes wide and full of tears as she looked at me in fear.
"You fucking bitch." I nearly growled.
"What the fuck, Heffer?!" Sylvia glared at me.
"You. Stay the fuck out of this." I warned Sylvia.
Sylvia narrowed her eyes at me, but folded her arms and backed away, watching us closely. I came over to Sandy, practically breathing down her neck as she trembled.
"I can't believe you. In all the years I've known you...why'd you do it?" I grumbled. "Was Soda not good enough for you? He fucking loved you with all of his heart and you knew it. So tell me why." I grumbled.
Sandy said nothing, as we both stared at each other, our faces inches from one another.
"Got nothing to say?" I scoffed. "You make me sick Sandy. I thought you were a good girl. Well, fine. Let's just make one thing clear. If you even look towards Soda's direction ever again, I'll do much more than just slap you silly. You're lucky you're knocked up, or I'd do much worse to yah. Have fun in Florida, Sandy. Just make sure you remember to stay away from Soda okay?" I gave her a sickingly sweet smile.
Sandy's eyes grew larger with fear, and she nodded quickly. With that, I backed away, walking out of the house without another word.
After stopping by the pharmacy to pick up my new medication, I stopped by the house, noticing Steve rub Soda's back as he held his face in his hands. They both looked exhausted and still had their work uniforms on from the DX, meaning they'd probably just gotten home not so long ago. Before going through the front door, I took a breather, and had a cigarette, attempting to relax.
"Jack?" Soda's voice cracked.
I turned around, putting out the cigarette quickly as I came inside, taking note of Soda's puffy red eyes.
I haven't seem him like this since his mother and father died.
"Hey, buddy." I gave him a small smile.
I sat on the couch besides him as Steve gave me a small nod before heading for the kitchen. Soda bit his bottom lip and shut his eyes tightly as more tears rolled down his face.
"I...Sandy...she- -"
"I know, honey." I mumbled softly.
I slowly grabbed Soda, pulling him in for a hug. Soda didn't put up a fight and fell into my embrace, resting his head against my chest as his body gently shook. I could feel my chest slowly get wet from Soda's tears, but it might have been ten more minutes before Soda finally pulled away. He wiped at his face, chuckling as he stared down at my shirt.
"I'm sorry I got your shirt all wet." He apologized.
"I'll let it slide." I teased. "...I'm sorry about Sandy." I sighed.
"It's okay. I guess she just wasn't the one for me." Soda muttered.
I nodded, not knowing what else to say as I leaned back into the couch.
"Look, I don't want you thinkin' you did anything wrong. It was all her, Sodapop." I told him.
Soda kept quiet, but nodded, leaning back into the couch beside me, taking ahold of my hand.
"People are just unpredictable. It's partially why I don't do relationships." I mumbled to myself.
"Is that so? Why'd you agree to be Dally's girl then?"
Soda's eyes widened as he realized what he'd said, but I simply waved him off, trying to seem unaffected by what he'd said.
"...heat of the moment I guess. I've always liked him, he was my best friend. It just seemed right at the time." I blinked back tears.
"Shit...Jack. I'm sorry." Soda sniffled. "Just ignore what I said...you don't gotta explain yourself to me...it was a stupid thing to say. I'm just hurtin' right now."
I nodded and gave him a sad smile, getting up from the couch as Steve returned with three beers. He offered me one, and I gladly took it, popping off the cap as I chugged it down quickly. The both of them stared at me with surprise as I downed the beer in one drink, not stopping for air. Finally, I put the now empty bottle onto the coffee table, hitting my chest as I let out a burp.
"Well ain't you charmin'?" Steve snorted.
"Yup. I just learn so much from you guys." I smirked.
Steve playfully glared at me before passing Soda his beer. I made it to the front door, but was being pulled back. I was surprised that it was Soda, not even realizing he'd gotten up from his spot on the couch.
"Where are you goin'? You just got here." Soda asked.
"I just...do you want me to stay? If you want some bro time, I can leave." I offered.
"No. Stay with us." Soda tightened his grip on my hand.
It slowly dawned on me, that Soda just wanted my company. What I couldn't figure out was why.
Did Soda just want me to stay? Or does he know I practically threatened Sandy? I mean, it happened about half an hour ago, he can't possibly know right now.
"Alright..." I slowly nodded.
Soda seemed to relax at this, his grip on my hand loosening a bit before he pulled me back over to the couch again.
"So you wanna get drunk?" I asked.
"Usually, drinking isn't what I turn to when I'm feeling down, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception." Soda sighed.
"Then let's get it on." Steve smirked.
I hope you enjoyed the rewrite! I had some fun rewriting this chapter, it was interesting, I wanted to include more characters from the book, like the girls. I thought it would have been cool, I mostly tried to stay true to their character or what I thought their character was like, but I don't know...anyway! Let me know what you think! New chapter will be up soon, I'm done rewriting all of my chapters!