𝐏𝐄𝐆𝐆𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 [𝟏] | 𝘿𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙨 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣

5

Once I was cleaned up, I changed into new clothes. A simple hoodie a pare of shorts. My hair was down and brushed. I looked in my mirror, my finger running over my lip cut. My eyes landed on Dal's jacket that was on my bed from when I changed. Was he still here? If he was I could give it to him. I picked it up and left my room. I saw Dal and my brothers sitting in the living room. He gets up and walks over to me. "How are you feelin?" He asked. "Better. My headache is going away and my stomach is still a bit tender." I rubbed my stomach with my hand. He nodded. There was a moment before I held out the jacket to him. "Here." I said with a light smile. He slowly takes it before he slips it back on. "I better get going." He quickly turns and leaves the house. Darry and Soda both watched him leave before they look at me. "What was that about Pegg?" Soda asked. I slump on the armchair. "What was what about?" I asked. "That!" Soda sits up more. "I don't know what you're talking about." I crossed my arms. They both raised their brows at me. "He seemed so..." Darry started. "Awkward?" I asked. They both nodded. "He must have just felt bad after what happened." I suggested. "Or maybe he's realizing he has feelings for you." I narrowed my brows at Soda. Before I began to think about it. "He was jealous seeing me talk to another guy." Both of my brothers faces turn to me quickly and with a protective look. "He was a greaser from Shepard's gang don't worry." Their faces soften. "He also called me doll before he walked into the station. He's never called me that before." I said. Soda and Darry look back to each other. "What? What is it?" I asked. "Maybe he does like you. He's just nervous." Soda said. "I'm going to bed." I get up from the armchair and walk to my bedroom.

  I woke up in a daze in the middle of the night. Hearing voices in the living room. Pony was home. I dragged myself out of bed and leave my room, rubbing my eyes to wake me up more. "Well it's 2 o'clock in the mornin kiddo." Darry said. "Hey pony where you been?" Soda asked from the couch, his voice drowsy. "I feel asleep in the lot." Pony explained, taking off my jacket and throwing it on the table. I walked into the dining room where Pony walks by me and into the bathroom. Doing a double take at the cut on my lip as he walks by. "You what?" Darry follows him. "I was talking to Johnny and I fell asleep in the lot. I didn't mean to." He goes to close the bathroom door but Darry pushed it open. I grab his wrist so he doesn't get too angry. "Hey! I can't even call the cops cause the three of you would be put in a home so fast it would make your head spin!" He pointed at Pony as he spoke. "Darry." I try to calm him down a little. Soda comes to the door and leans inside the bathroom. "Come on Pony let's go to bed now." He said. "I said I didn't mean to!" Pony walked out of the bathroom. "And that's alright." I try to talk but Darry starts up again. "I didn't mean to, I forgot, that's all I ever hear from you!" Darry snaps. "Darry don't-" I step in again but he quickly turns to me. "Shut up! I'm sick and tired of you two sticking up for him!" He's never yelled at me like this before. It made me step back a little. "Don't you yell at her!" Pony yells. Darry turns and pushed him to the floor. I quickly rush to help him up but he scrambled to his feet and runs to the front door. "Ponyboy! I-I didn't mean to!" He calls after him and heads to the door. I quickly grab his wrist again and pull him back. "Let's just give him some time to cool off. We should have talked about it in the morning" I scolded Darry. His face softens and he nodded. "I'm sorry for yelling at ya Pegg." He said. "It's alright. Let's just wait this out, he'll be back soon and we can talk to him about it." I lead us to the living room, the three of us sitting down to wait. But hours go by and Pony doesn't show up. The three of us end up falling asleep. I curl up with my head on Darry's shoulder and his arm around me. He fell asleep with his head on mine. Soda's head was on my lap. When we woke up, Pony was nowhere to be found. We looked in his room, at the lot and at everyone else's house. But no one has seen him. Except Dallas. When we asked about it, he lied. Saying he had no idea where he was. I could see through his lies in a minute. The rest of the gang leaves to go find Pony but I stop Dallas. Pushing him back into his room and closing the door. "What's goin on?" He asked. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Where's my baby brother?" He was taken back by the hard tone of my voice. He sighs softly. "Him and Johnny were in the park when a group of...drunk socs attacked them. They were trying to drown Pony but Johnny was able to stop them. By....killing one of the socs." My eyes widen and my eyebrows raise. "W-what?" I was shocked. Johnny killing a soc is uncharacteristic of him. He nodded. "I sent them to a hideout. Where they can stay put until this thing blows over." He explained. "Where?" I ask. "An abandoned church on Jay mountain." I sighed after his response and looked at the floor. "You promise they will be safe?" I looked back up at Dallas and he nodded. "Thank you, for helping them." I started to loosen up a little knowing they are safe. Of course I was still worried about them but if Dallas says so then they will be. "Hey it's no problem." He says. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Better after getting some sleep. I guess last night wasn't a good night for the Curtis' " Dallas chuckled and shook his head. "I guess not." He reached up and cups my chin. His thumb running over my cut. "Does it hurt?" He asked. "No, only a little." My eyes drifted from his hand up to his face, that got so much closer. I couldn't help but admire his features. From his lips to his jawline. But I quickly shake out of my trance. "That's gonna be a wicked scar after it heals." His comment made me smile. "Did you tell Pony? About what happened." I asked. He nodded. "I told him I got into a fight with a bunch of socs to save ya, I told him they ganged up on ya." He said. "He saw the cut but we didn't exactly talk a lot last night." I felt his fingers rub against my chin and jaw slowly before he pulls his hand away. "What exactly happened last night?" He asked. He sits in his bed and I sit with him, crisscross. "Pony didn't come home until like 2 am. He said Johnny and him fell asleep in the lot so of course Darry got angry. I tried to calm him down but there was yelling and shoving. So pony ran away." I had a sudden realization and I cover my face with my hands. "I told Darry he would come back...I told them to not look for him! That he would come back after cooling off....I should have gone after him." I said into my hands. "Hey hey hey. Peggy." I felt his hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault. If the socs didn't try and hurt them, they would still be here." I sighed and looked up at him again. His brown eyes were so sympathetic. I've never seen them like that before. They've always been full of mischief and sometimes lust. I nodded. "I suppose that's true." Dallas nodded. "Are we gonna tell the gang?" I asked. He shook his head. "If we do you know they will go searching for them. We need to leave them alone until the whole thing passes over."