This is the last ch I have pre written so the next few chapters might take a bit longer to post! Enjoy!
When I woke up next it was bright in my room. I figured it was probably late afternoon based on the deep yellow glow in my room. I lay still trying to soak up every last bit of warmth and comfort that sleeping offered.
The yelling I heard from the other side of the door snapped me back to reality. My head ached and pounded. I could hear things being knocked over and yelling. My brain was still fuzzy and in my daze I foolishly thought the socs had found our house and where beating up my brothers. I have to save them, I thought before throwing the covers off me.
It took a second but with lots of pain and struggle I managed to sit up with my legs hanging off the bed. I jumped to my feet, I was only up for a second before it felt like someone stabbed my ankle and I fell to the ground with a thump. I groaned. Luckily i managed to not hit my head too hard but my ribs were a different story. I was face first on the ground unable to move. My ankles still hurt stupid, i scolded myself.
My door swung open and I was scared it was the socs. "Izzy?" Steve said both confused and worried. "Hey Steve" I groaned. He turned his head around towards the open door. "Soda?" Steve yelled out the door. When no answer came but some grumbling and laughing he yelled again "Soda!" He yelled a second time "it's Izzy" he added. Soda appeared next to Steve so quick I was sure it had to be some type of record.
"Izzy!" Soda yelled as he jumped down to get a better look at me. "Are you okay??" Soda asked frantically. "Where are they?" I asked completely ignoring his question. "Who?" Soda asked genuinely confused. "The socs!" I was getting worked up "where are they?" I cried.
"There's no socs honey" Soda said softly but I could tell he was concerned. I was so confused, I heard fighting just a second ago. " come on let's get you up" Soda said as he gently rolled me onto my back and swiftly lifted me up into his arms.
He laid me back in my bed. "But I heard fighting" I said still confused. Sodas confusion faded and was replaced by a sad smile. "That was just me and Two-Bit wrestling" Sodas said with a smirk. "Oh" I said embarrassed. "I'm sorry if we scared you honey" Soda said sounding guilty. Steve was still standing in the doorway, he looked uncomfortable. I looked at him and we locked eyes.
I nodded towards the chair that Darry had been sitting in when i fell asleep. He smiled and pulled the chair up beside Soda. "How are you feeling?" Steve asked with genuine care in his voice. "Great" I said grinning up at him. "Besides this ankle I'm ready to run a marathon" I said. I wasn't even joking I felt great.
Steve laughed "glad to hear it Izz" Steve smiled. Soda wasn't having it. "You will not be running any marathons any time soon" Soda said half joking. "We'll see about that" I said grinning at Soda. He looked at me and I watched him try to hide the grin that creeped onto his face.
"You should get some rest" Soda said as he put a hand on my forehead. "Sleep?" I said halfway surprised and halfway confused. Sure my head hurt and my body ached but I had been sleeping all day. The last thing I wanted was to be left all alone again. "I just woke up" I said trying to sound completely awake. Soda looked at Steve almost as if in question.
Steve shrugged his shoulders. "Okay" Soda said finally "do you want to come hang out in the living room?" He asked. To be honest my head really hurt and I knew all the noise from the gang would make my headache even worse. But it was better then going back to sleep or being left alone. "Yeah" I said trying to sound happy. I started to sit up on my own trying to convince Soda and myself that I was okay.
My ribs screamed but i persisted. Surprisingly I sat up all the way without help. Soda looked impressed and I was proud of myself. Even though ribs were very unhappy with me. I looked at Soda and I could tell he was trying to figure out how to get me to the couch.
I knew the easiest way to get me there for the both of us was for him to just carry me. I hated being treated like a baby and Soda knew it so he would never suggest it. I swallowed my pride "Can you just carry me?" I asked embarrassed. Soda smiled. "Yeah" his voice was soft and eyes were sympathetic. I knew he could see straight through me and that he knew I was doing this for him but he didn't say anything.
He put a hand under my knees and his other around my back. He was being super gentle and going slow so I didn't feel any pain. We walked out the door and down the hall. He was extra carful to not hit my ankle on anything. Two-bit was laying on the couch but as soon as he saw Soda carrying me in he immediately jumped up and moved to sit in a nearby chair.
I put a smile on my face trying to hide my embarrassment and the pain I was in. When we walked into the open room I tried not to look at anyone directly because even though I've said this a million times I hated being treated like a baby and having to be carried by my brother was not how I was going to prove myself to them.
Soda laid me on the couch and I immediately sat up so my one leg was hanging off the couch but my sprained ankle was still stretched out over the couch. As Soda lifted my leg to put pillows under my ankle I looked at the guys. Dally was sitting in Darry's armchair. He had huge bags under his eyes and his hair was crazy sticking out in every direction. He was looking at me with a sad expression.
We locked eyes for a second and he stopped smiling. I looked away from him to see Two-bit also giving me the same expression. Golly I thought to myself, it's not like I died. Why is everyone looking at me like I just rose from the dead? He was tapping his leg nervously. Steve who had walked in behind Soda and I took a seat on the other small couch across from me.
Soda finished elevating my ankle and walked into the kitchen. Probably to get me yet another bag of frozen vegetables. When he was out of sight I looked to my ankle. It looked so stupid sitting on top of a pile of pillows.
I looked at Dally and gave him a playful grin before I reached over and shoved the pillows out from under my ankle causing them to fall to the ground. All three of them laughed. "What's so funny?" Soda asked as he walked back in with a bag of frozen peas in his hand. Everyone looked at him but they didn't stop laughing.
He looked at me and i tried to hide my guilty smile. He then looked past me and at my ankle. He looked amused. He put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows in question. "They uh- they fell" I stammered still smiling.
"Mhm" Soda said as he walked back over to fix the mess I made. I looked away as he started picking pillows up off the ground and shoving them back under my ankle. I looked back at the guys. They all looked less sad but it was still awfully quiet. Darry probably told them to be quiet around me because of my concussion I remembered. "How's it going?" I asked to break the tension.
They looked surprised. "We're good" Two-Bit said slowly "I think we all want to know how it's going for you" he said studying me carefully. I grinned "I'm great!" I said all bubbly "except this old man" I said jabbing a thumb in Sodas direction "he won't let me run my marathon" I said jokingly. All the worry and concern they had for me faded as they laughed. Soda rolled his eyes.
I thought he was going to tell me off but he didn't instead he said "do you need anything else? Aspirin? Dose your head hurt?" He babied. I gave him a funny look. "Yeah I do need something actually" I said matter of factly "I need you to sit down and stop babying me" He laughed and sat down next to Steve. "So where are Pony and Jonny" I asked no one in particular. "They went to find Curly" Dally spoke up "tell him what happened" he added quietly. I only nodded.
I was kind of surprised he didn't know already. News like this spread like wildfire around here. I was glad that Ponyboy would be the one to tell Curly because I knew he wouldn't exaggerate the story at all. Then I was suddenly scared. I knew that if Curly knew then so would Tim. Tim was already feared by most guys around here. If he found out, Alex's brother would be lucky to live.
The thought scared me because I didn't want Tim to get himself into trouble with the police because of me. I looked up from where I was picking at my nail. Two-Bit and Steve were arguing and Dally was watching them. I looked to Soda and saw his eyes glued on me.
Crap I thought to myself. Soda always knew what I was thinking. And I could tell he knew that I was scared. I smiled hoping Soda wouldn't bring it up. But of course he did. He walked over and kneeled down next to my head. "Hey, it's okay Izz" he said softly so only I could hear.
Not like they would be able to anyway over Steve and Two-Bits arguing. "Whats scaring you?" He asked me. I was about to answer when suddenly Two-Bit yelled. I don't know why it scared me but it did. It's not like when I was jumped they were yelling or anything.
The sound made me jump what felt like 10ft in the air and my heart rate and breathing increased. Calm down I told myself. I need to calm down. Don't show fear. Don't be a baby. Don't be a baby. My heart pounded and it felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. I was breathing fast.
Too fast and I knew I would hyperventilate if I didn't slow my breathing. Soda was saying something to me but strangely I couldn't hear him. His lips were moving and he was shaking my shoulder but I couldn't respond. Soda suddenly wrapped is arms around me and picked me up over his shoulder. He ran me to my room and laid me down.
My breathing was slowing and I could finally speak. "I'm fine" I gasped out between breaths. Sodas eyes were full of fear and worry. "Just keep breathing baby" He encouraged. He waited until my breath was steady and normal. "What happened?" He asked carefully. "I uh-I don't know" i lied. I couldn't tell Soda that Two-Bits yell had scared me.
That would sound so stupid that I let my own friends voice make me so upset. My head really hurts I thought to myself. Then I had an idea. "The loud noise just made my head hurt" I lied again. Soda looked at me suspiciously but he didn't say anything. Instead he got up and left.
I was so confused on why he just left me sitting there all alone after what had just happened. Then I heard Sodas voice yelling in the family room. It didn't scare me this time. "Darry told you not be loud around her! What were you thinking?" I heard Soda yell. It was strange hearing Soda sound so mean.
Soda was never mean. Suddenly the yelling stopped and I felt guilty for getting Two-Bit in trouble. A few moments later Soda walked back in with his one fist tightly balled up. When I first saw it I thought he must of punched Two-Bit but then he opened it up to reveal 4 aspirins. In his other hand was a glass of water. I opened my hand and he dumped the 4 pills into my hand. And put the glass of water into my other. I sat up slightly so I didn't choke and then swallowed all 4 pills.
I was pretty sure that I was only supposed to take two a day max for my age but I didn't care. I knew Soda would keep questioning me and I didn't know how much longer I could lie to Soda so before he could say anything i yawned. "I'm pretty tired" I said pretending to sound sleepy. "Okay" Soda said sounding relieved "get some rest" he gave my shoulder a small squeeze before walking out and shutting my door. Even though it was only five o'clock and I had slept the entire day as soon as I rolled over I fell asleep.