Sass

Chapter 17

            The first thing I did the next morning was take a long, hot shower. I knew Darry would be pissed if I used up all of the warm water, but at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to care. I needed this.

            After hopping out, which took a long time for me to do, I changed into some comfortable and clean clothing, and headed downstairs. My hair was still wet, but it didn't bother me much. My wavy brown hair was quite long; I had thought about cutting it shorter once before, but never got to it.

            The aroma of eggs frying filled the house, and I eventually found Ponyboy making breakfast in the kitchen.

            "Mornin' Pony," I greeted with a smile. "How did you sleep?"

            "Like a baby," he replied, still concentrated on his cooking. "I don't even remember bein' carried in."

            "You were out like a light," I laughed. "I'm surprised you're up so early."

            "Me too!"

            Suddenly, I heard the door swing open and Two-Bit's voice. "Anybody home?"

            "In here!" Pony called. "Don't slam the door."

            I watched as Two-Bit and Steve snuck around the back of the kitchen, shaking my head. Two-Bit immediately grabbed Pony and spun him around, making him drop his eggs. He then pushed him into Steve, who gave him a slap on the back.

            I couldn't help but laugh, until Two-Bit charged me and pulled me into a bear hug.

            "Okay, okay," I muttered, trying to catch my breath. "I missed you too, buddy, but get off!"

            "Where have you been, Sass?" Steve asked suspiciously.

            "Probably with Dally," Pony chimed in, attempting to take the attention off of himself.

            "So," Two-Bit began in a joking tone. "You and Winston, huh? That's so shocking!"

            "What are you goin' on about, Matthews?" I asked. "We always fought."

            Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh c'mon, Sass. It was obvious from the beginnin' that you were into him. And he clearly wanted you, too."

            "I think y'alls are brain dead," I replied, walking away. Before I could leave, something caught my eye- me, Dally, Ponyboy, and Johnny were all in the newspaper. The article was titled "Juvenile Delinquents Turn Heroes"; I couldn't wrap my head around that one. Maybe Dallas was considered to be a criminal, but the three of us? It just went to show how biased this city was.

            I couldn't bring myself to eat any breakfast; seeing that paper had made me lose my appetite completely. To make matters worse, I overheard Ponyboy ask if he'd be put in a boys' home because of this, and Steve confirmed that there would be a court case regarding that. They would tear us away from the only family we got?

            I felt absolutely sick to my stomach, and I knew the only thing that would make me feel better was to see Dally. I was confident that he would be okay- he's tough and won't go down without a fight... right? Perhaps I wasn't as confident as I thought.

            As soon as Darry jogged down the stairs, I immediately approached him. "Can I go over to the hospital? I need to see Dally."

            "What about Johnny?" he asked, making me blush.

            My silence made Darry chuckle... I guess everyone knew.

            Shaking his head, he then regained a more serious demeanor. "Are you sure you want to go alone?"

            "Yeah, I'm sure."

            "That's fine," he said. "Just carry a blade. And for the love of god, actually come home. The rumble's tonight and I want you at the house."

            "I can't fight?" I protested angrily.

            "I'd rather you not, Sass."

             "Why? Because I'm a girl? That's pretty damn sexist, Darrel Curtis-"

"Sass, your hand is burnt and you're weak right now," he interjected. "You need rest. I don't even want Pony goin'."

            I sighed, nodding my head in a disappointed manner.

            Before I could walk away, Darry grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. Although I was frustrated, I truly appreciated his caring and compassion towards me. After all, he was my big brother... it felt so good to be able to say that.

            He finally released me, and soon enough, I was on my way to the hospital. The walk was long, but I didn't mind- it gave me more time to process my thoughts.

            Truthfully, I was scared. I wasn't sure what I would be walking into and how well he and Johnny were doing. I wasn't given much information about the two of them from the start, so this would all be completely new information for me. For the first time in a while, I prayed. I prayed for my friends and family to stay together forever. I prayed for the love of my life to keep fighting.

            Going through the motions, I entered the hospital and was eventually directed to Dally's room. My heart pounded rapidly as I made my way there, and as soon as I opened the door, I saw him laying in bed asleep.

            I quietly tip-toed inside of the room, and went by his side. He looked beautiful when he slept... I almost laughed remembering how creeped out I was when I thought he watched me sleep. Oh, how the tables had turned.

            I pulled up a chair and sat beside him, watching the movement of his chest as he steadily breathed.

            "This is my fault, isn't it, Dal?" I whispered, not expecting any answers. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you... I love you..."

            I couldn't believe what I had said... I loved him.

            "Yeah, yeah, you too, babe."

            I completely froze at the sound of his voice, and then broke out in joyful tears.

            "Hey, you're okay," I cried, grabbing one of his hands.

           "I should be outta here soon and ready for the rumble," he replied. "So... you love me?"

            "Yeah... I guess I do."

            Completely changing the subject, Dally then asked, "Have you seen Johnny?"

            "Not yet. I was thinking about stopping by after I saw you."

            "Can we go together? After the rumble? I wanna tell him that we beat their heads in for him. We gotta win, Sass."

            "I know," I said quietly. "Just be careful, okay?"

            He laughed, and scooted over in the bed, patting the side next to him. I gingerly crawled beside him and held him close.

            "Just stay for a while..." he whispered.

            Always.