Grown up kid

It hits you when you wake

"Aidy!" I open my eyes. I try to sit up, see where the calls come from but as I move my whole body hurts. My side, my head, my chest, my arms, my legs all feel like I had bricks slammed into me, over and over. It hurts too much to cry. I want to cry but it hurts too much for the tears to fall.
"Oh Aid, what did they do to you," It's Soda. I recognize his voice now. The world becomes less fuzzy now. I look at the sky, painted with delicate oranges and pinks. The sun's setting. I must have been out for at least two hours.
"Soda," My voice is soft and I try my hardest to get the words but I can't.
"Hey, hey, don't talk. Shh," Once I finally sit up he puts his arms around me and pulls me into his lap. He strokes my hair. "Who did this to you Aidy? Who jumped you?"
My mind is fuzzy from earlier. "Uh, Randy. Bob's friend. He was gonna jump Pony again but he said he was too strong. I think the bruise on his side was from them not track."
"He would tell us if they jumped him again," Soda looks down at me, his eyes are dark but gentle.
"He didn't want to scare Darry," I said. I feel my head, a small amount of blood is left on my hand.
"They pull a blade on you too?"
"Don't know they kicked me twice and knocked me out on the third one."
"Oh Aidy."
"Where's Pony anyway?"
"He found ya here. He ran home to get us. He's with Darry getting the med kit."
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
"They knocked you out Aid."
I sit up from Soda's lap. My head feels heavy on my shoulders. "Soda I'm okay," I try to stand and the world fades out again.
"Hey, guys she's waking up," I open my eyes to the blinding lights of a hospital.
"Soda?" My body hurts more now. Probably from fainting on top of all these bruises.
"I'm here," He grabs my hand, it's warm, comforting.
"What did I tell you about walking home alone," And Darry's here.
"Pony is always talking to Cherry after school. I got sick of waiting for him so I walked by myself. This ain't my fault Darry. They would have jumped us both anyway. Might as well have been just me not us both," I sit up but collapse back down in pain.
Darry turns to Pony, "Is this true? You been hanging out with that Soc?"
"She's the reason Johnny isn't rotting away in jail! She ain't just some Soc. Besides, they've already jumped me. I didn't want to tell you cause you'd get mad at Aidy somehow. Everything's somehow her fault. Darry, you let up on me after Soda asked us to stop fighting. She ain't the exception. She's a kid Darry, let up," I can feel Pony's fear, last time he spoke to Darry like that he hit him.
"Pony I ain't hard on her, I don't want her dropping out working at a gas station for ever like Soda or living a life like me. I want her to succeed in life, believe it or not."
"Guys! It doesn't matter I don't care," I say, wanting us to all get along again.
"Okay," Pony and Darry say.
A nurse enters my room, Ponyboy notices her and she notices him. "You're Dallas Winston's friend right?"
"Yeah."
"Well we looked everything over. Addy has a couple broken ribs, concussion, and a lot of bruises. We suggest she stay home from school for a bit to heal." "My name is pronounced A D not Addy."
"Sorry. Such a unique name," She says. "We can get ya on your way soon enough. Just gotta sign you out. Do we have a parent around here?"
"They passed away a while ago. Darry's my guardian."
"I'm sorry for your loss. If you could follow me, Darrel."
Darry gets up from his chair and follows the nurse. Pony and Soda lean back in their chairs and sigh. I know they were scared Darry was gonna blow again, but he didn't. He made a promise to Soda. I lean my head back into my pillow, close my eyes and try to forget all that's going on. I fall asleep and for a while, just a while, the pain is gone. I'm on top of a mountain with Ponyboy, just us. It's quiet and cool. The way we both like the weather.
I wake up in my own bed. I'm dazed and confused, not sure what day it is or how long it's been. The sun's bright and shining through our thin curtains. I hear people in the kitchen. Not sure who it is though. I try to stand but just like the other day my body feels heavy and sore. I pull my pant leg up to see my leg covered in bruises and cuts. They must've done more to me once I was out. At least then I couldn't feel it, they did me a favor really.
I push through the feeling and get up, my steps heavy as I enter the kitchen.
"Hey, you're supposed to be restin'," Two-Bit says.
"I'm fine," I sit in a chair around the table. The guys would have tackled me if I were Pony or Soda but their gentle with me, not saying they haven't body slammed me a time or two.
"Hey, get back in bed, you're in no condition to be going to school," Darry says, he flips eggs around in a skillet.
"I'm fine I promise, just sore."
"Aidy, you don't gotta pretend to be okay. We know what they did to you. You're hurt, go lay down."
With Pony's directions I stand again, taking my time to lift the weight of myself on my thin legs. With careful and deliberate steps I find my way to my room. I crash on Pony and Soda's bed. My body unable to make any more steps toward my bed. I fall asleep quickly, this time dreaming of the coast of Iceland. Cool and windy. Overlooking the wide spreading ocean below me. Now I'm alone. No Pony. No Soda. No Darry. No Two-Bit. Nobody. Just me and the land, the mountains, the ocean, the birds.

A breeze hits my skin and the pain is taken with it. Life is calm and cool and silent.

"How you feeling Aidy," Darry brings in a chair from the kitchen and sits next to the bed.
"Sore."
"I bet, they got you good. Worse than Pony," His cold eyes are a little softer.
"At least they knocked me out, didn't feel the rest of it."
"Yeah," He laughs a little.
"Pony with Johnny today?" I ask.
"No, Dally's looking after Johnny today. He's coming by later to see ya."
I try to keep my eyes open, keep talking to Darry but I can't. My eyelids feel as heavy as my legs. I drift off again. No dream this time. Just the darkness and loneliness. I'm glad there's no dream, nothing to worry about. Nothing to care about.

Soda strikes a match and lights the woodburning stove. I move closer and feel the heat of the fire against my hands and cheeks. The room slowly gets warmer. I sip my tea and eat slices of cake. It's quiet today. The gang hasn't been coming over lately. Johnny fell and is in the hospital again. They've been staying with him.
"You know I miss school. Gave me something to do besides sit next to the fire and drink tea everyday."
"I wonder if you're really a Curtis kid everyday," Soda flicks through a couple channels on the tv.
"Darry used to tell me Momma and Papa found me in a cardboard box on highway 169," I say.
"I remember that," We laugh together. Back when we were just four siblings. A normal family. "Doc said you can get back to school next week or so."
"Thank goodness, I love you but after two weeks with you I can't do it no more Soda," I say sarcastically.
"I can't stand being with you, always yapping and eating up our food and burning our wood," He returns the sarcasm. His smile makes me smile more. I love Soda's smile, it's so genuine, so happy, so real.
We sit in the quietness of the small house. Me and Soda aren't like Me and Pony. Me and Soda can sit together in silence forever yet leave knowing the stories deep within each other's minds. Me and Pony are always looking for adventure, searching for something new.
"What was it like finding me after I got jumped?" I break the silence that somehow got too loud.
He shifts on the couch, "Uh, scary. When I found Pony he was bleeding but he was alright. When I found you were covered in cuts and bruises and blood. You weren't waking up. I thought they killed you. I thought I lost you Aidy," His voice changes. I don't wanna turn around, see him cry.
"I'm sorry Soda," Not sure what I'm apologizing for but I say it anyway. Now I turn to face him. Blinking back tears I get up and hug him.
"I love you kid," He says.
"Love you Sodapop."
I lay on the couch next to him and lay my head in his lap like I had after I was jumped. Together in the warmth and silence of the house we fall asleep. I dream of a rose field that extends for miles in every direction. Soda's with me. We lay in the middle, look at the sky, and for once the Earth seems peaceful.