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OCTOBER, 1965
Reality was complicated. In Oklahoma, the penalty for murder is a life sentence or the electric chair. A death for a death. It seemed fair enough but for Virginia Curtis, she would rather die than see her brother and Johnny Cade's lives fall in shambles before it barely started.
She truly thought nothing of it at first. Darry lost his temper and he did something she knew deep down he was sorry for. Ponyboy needed to cool down and get away from the house and she would stay awake with Sodapop until he came home again.
She didn't think that would mean if he came home.
Three o'clock in the morning. Four. Five.... The skinny hands on the clock moved slowly and each tick-tock echoed in Virginia's mind like a haunting rhythm.
"Blue?"
Virginia quietly turned around, hearing Sodapop's bleary voice break through the ominous silence. He stood by the hallway, almost meek and defeated. He never changed his clothes and she was quite certain those were the same jeans and flannel he wore two days before. His shining, greased back hair was messed up from restlessness.
"You should go to sleep, kid." His footsteps made a gentle, dull sound, reverberating against the thin drywalls that suddenly felt like a cage.
"I don't— I can't..." Virginia murmured weakly, losing words that usually came so easy to her. She lowered her forehead back into her clammy palms, trying to regain control of her breath.
"Blue," Sodapop tried again as he pulled up a chair right next to her. He carefully moved her hands and nearly crumbled at the sight of her face. Her once sparkling eyes were sunken in under dark bags that stood out against bone-pale skin from lost sleep scattered throughout those horrid days.
Virginia scoffed quietly and pressed the back of her hands that momentarily stopped trembling to the tear stains marring her cheeks. "I just fell asleep for a minute."
"Maybe do it again," he tried to laugh but it came out a hollow husk. That sounded more like him, always looking out for the people he loved even if he was slowly breaking apart on the inside.
She tried to manage a smile for his sake and nudged his arm. "How's Sandy doin'? Has she found out yet?"
"Her, Evie, Tim, they all know," Sodapop sighed, shaking his head. "They think that was tuff of 'em to knife a Soc and kill him."
Virginia's jaw clenched in sudden fury. Right. Getting life in prison or being put on death row was definitely worth the boost in reputation.
"Darry's still up," Sodapop added more gently. "He hasn't gotten out of bed yet. You need— you should talk to him."
She wouldn't. And just the mention of her brother's name had Virginia feeling tears prick her eyes again and she hid her face away. Her shoulders heaved up and down as she inhaled a sharp sob and she gripped on to Sodapop for dear life and sanity as he wrapped his strong arms around her tightly.
