Wishes Can Come True

Seeking Help

When they finally stopped for a bit Pony explained everything to Johnny. "How about we go to the park and back, maybe I'll be cooled down enough to go back home."

"No!" Erin said a little too quickly. The boys both looked at her. "W-we...um, we might get jumped. Especially late at night. And I don't want to get jumped again."

"Don't worry, Erin," Pony threw an arm around her shoulder. "We'll be here with ya. Nothing can hurt you. Right Johnnycake?" Johnny nodded.

"Yeah, you'll be fine. We got your back."

Dang it! So much for convincing them not to go. Erin just let out a small breath. "Okay. Fine." She didn't know what else she could say without getting caught.

"Why do you still have that book with you?" Pony asked. Erin had been carrying around her book all day. She didn't want to leave it at the house when she wasn't there. But was carrying it around all day really the best option? Yes. That's what she kept telling herself. She couldn't risk people picking it up and looking at it. And she wanted to see what happened, how much of it that has changed.

Erin shrugged. "I like to read whenever I can."

They continued their walk and Erin trailed slowly behind. "Come on, slow poke!" Pony called, he had a grin on his face. Erin smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed.

Erin walked a little faster and caught up with them. She felt a little uneasy about everything. She knew what would happen but she didn't know if she could stop it without revealing her secret. She had one more idea though.

"Can we keep going? I don't want to go to the park."

"We'll be more safer in the park than on the streets," Johnny said. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the entrance of the park.

"Glory, you two are about to freeze to death," Johnny said. Erin and Pony were both rubbing their bare arms.

Erin's heart stopped when she heard a car motor rev behind them. The car got closer and closer. Erin was frozen with fear. She couldn't prevent this either. She only had one more shot to save Johnny and Dally, and if she failed she would never forgive herself.

"Well, well, well." The Socs we're getting out of their car. Bob and Randy walked up to them. "These are the greasers who tried to pick up our women," Bob said as he took a sip of his beer. "Do you know what a greaser is? White trash with long greasy hair." Him and his buddies then began to laugh. Bob even threw some of his drink on Pony.

"You know what a Soc is? White trash with mustangs and madras." Then he spit at them. "Run!" He called. They all started to run. Erin ran but someone grabbed her arm and shoved her against a tree.

"You're a pretty little grease," The boy slurred. His breathe smelled of whiskey.

"Leave me alone!" She kneed him but he didn't let go. He only let out a little whimper.

"You're a tuff one, too, I see. I'm gonna have fun with you." He had a seductive smile on his face. He then stuck his hand up her shirt. Erin squirmed and tried to get away as his hand continued to go up higher. She was almost ready to scream but didn't because he had stopped. His friends were yelling to run. And when he saw what happened, he forgot about Erin and ran too.

Erin let out a shaky breathe as he left. She wrapped her arms around herself. She was shaking, and not from cold. She walked over to Johnny who was getting Ponyboy out of the water. Then her eyes fell to Bob. He was laying lifeless on the ground; a pool of blood around him. She shuttered.

"I killed him. I killed that boy. Killed him." Johnny didn't even look at her, his eyes were fixed on the crimson red stain on his knife. Finally he looked up. "Are you okay? I seen what that Soc was doing to you?"