Chapter 13

Ponyboy's POV

"Darry I'm right here!" I tried again, but nothing happened. "Darry!" I yelled as tears started to roll down my face. I'm not sure how though. I ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. Two-bit and Steve's eyes were watery while Soda was crying. He kept saying, "He hates me! Pony hates me!"

I sat down on the floor in the living room. "I don't hate you Soda." I whispered, even though I knew that he couldn't hear me. There was this little glow of light from the front door, but I could tell that I was the only one that could see it. In that light, I saw the faces of my parents, Johnny, and Dally.

They wanted me to come, but I wasn't ready. I wanted to hold on yet. I wasn't ready to let go.

That light was also in the hospital earlier, at the moment when I died. It comes and goes, waiting for me to finally go with them. I just didn't want to yet.

I stood up and went into my room. The door was closed and so I walked through it. I looked around at all of my stuff, knowing that it was almost time to let it all go. I looked at my trophies from track and at my drawings.

I walked through the wall and went into Soda's room. I looked around, and saw his DX cap sitting on the bed. That was where this whole situation had started. The DX.

I also saw some of the drugs and some empty beer bottles. I heard a noise come from my room and went back into it. This time, I wasn't the only one in my room. Two-bit was in it, and he sat down on my bed. I sat down next to him, even though he didn't know it.

He looked around the room and his eyes got watery. Two-bit got up and went over to my desk. He picked something up, and I sort of gasped when I saw what it was. It was my English Theme. I got up and walked over to Two-bit.

He started skimming through the first few pages as a tear rolled down his face, nothing like the normal, happy Two-bit. "I never knew you wrote this." He whispered to himself, not knowing that I could hear him.

He read through a part of the beginning. He read through the part where we were talking to Cherry and Marcia right before Bob and Randy pulled up at the Drive-in. two-bit whispered, "Oh Pone... Darry doesn't hate you..."

I knew that he was right. I went back over and sat on the bed, watching him skim through it. He skimmed through the rest before setting it down and sighing. He looked at the other stuff in the room and sat on the bed as well.

Two-bit started crying. I haven't seen him cry in a while.

"Two-bit, please don't cry." I begged, although it did nothing. My heart hurt when Two-bit looked around the room again, because he happened to look right through me. It really made me feel like I wasn't even there.

"Say hi to Johnny and Dally for us." Two-bit said, and started crying again. I wanted to comfort him, but there was nothing I could do.

XXX

A while later, Two-bit left my room, Darry was done making phone calls, Soda was still crying, and Steve was still trying to help him. Soda calmed down a bit though, and so Steve decided to go home.

Soda went into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. Darry sat down next to him, and they sort of talked. Darry told him when the funeral was, and who was going to be there. Soda started crying again. "Soda, please don't cry... I'm right here." I said as my eyes got watery, and stood in between him and Darry.

Two-bit was in the living room, and asked to stay the night. Darry said he could, and so he laid down on the couch and fell asleep. That was when Soda decided to go to bed as well. He did everything he needed to do to get ready for bed.

What Soda did broke my heart.

Instead of going into his bedroom, he went into mine. He laid down on my bed, and started silently cried. "I'm sorry Pone!" He cried.

My eyes got watery, knowing that no matter what I said, he couldn't hear me.

I decided not to say anything. Instead, I laid down next to him, even though he didn't know that I was there. I cuddled up close to him, and for the first time that day, I felt totally safe... Because I had finally gotten back the real Sodapop.

"I love you Soda." I whispered, but he couldn't hear me. I knew he couldn't. After a while, he was able to stop crying, and he fell asleep.

And I fell asleep right next to him.