Paul Newman and A Way Back Home

Chapter 14

Great. Just perfect. Our vacation away from this stupid place was officially over. I looked at my nightstand, vibrating due to all the messages in my group chat.

Kate: Something tells me we're no longer in The Outsiders world...anyone else have some weird dream last night?
Liv: Sodapop kissed me goodnight, and that was the last time I saw him. I woke up today...devastated!
Emma: DALLY IS GONE. WE CAN NEVER GO BACK TO THE TIME OF OUR LIVES! I'M HEARTBROKEN!
Lilia: Just imagine what the gang is thinking right now...
Sammy: My fiancé is no longer a real person! Let me go cry forever...
Anna: This is absolutely awful. There's no way we can recover by ourselves! Let's go hang at my place or something!

I didn't know what time it was or what the date was, but it didn't matter to me. I opened my bedroom door, examining everything. I heard footsteps coming toward my room.

"Anna, you're back! Where on Earth were you?! I figured you slept over at your friend's place..." My mom exclaimed.

"What's the date?" I asked my mom, with a blank stare.

"It's Saturday, of course. You texted me yesterday saying you were off to Starbucks, but said nothing afterwards. Don't you ever do that again, you hear me? I was worried sick..."

Only Saturday?

"I thought I wasn't here for like, a week! Trust me mom, I wasn't at a friend's place...I was in The Outsiders world! I met the gang, and we were like family! I went to The Nightly Double with Two-Bit, we had a rumble with the Socs, and Darry proposed to Sammy! Oh...and the girls are coming over..." I said, hoping my mom would believe me. Judging the look on her face (like I had three heads), she did not. Oh well.
I heard a knock on the door. I was saved. As I ran as fast as I could to get it, I pretended like Two-Bit was at the door, but I only saw my friends. Which was good enough for me.

"Come on in!"

We all moped around the house, sobbing over the fact we'd never see our companions again.
***
"I'm tired of this place already, really," Emma remarked, annoyed.

"Yeah, same," we all replied together.

"Let's go to Starbucks!" Liv announced. It was kind of nostalgic, but we all agreed.

"Mom, we're off to Starbucks!" I shouted. Thank goodness she just let us off the hook.
***
We ordered the usual, and talked about the past some more.

"Man, Darry and I were planning out the wedding yesterday, and that was our last memory."

We disposed our drinks and left the building.

"Wanna do some shopping?" Kate suggested.

"Sure!" We replied. As we entered Bath & Body Works, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, like I was about to fall into a deep hole. I then began to smile.