It's Not Supposed To Be This Way - The Outsiders

Chapter 5

Lillian's P.O.V.

After the movie had ended, Pony, Johnny, and I got up to leave. I walked beside Pony the entire way, staring down at my shoes.

"What's wrong, Lillie Bug?" Pony asked after a while.

"Nothin'," I muttered.

We had reached the lot at that point. Pony sat down on the grass, motioning for me to sit beside him.

"Okay," Pony said, putting an arm around me. "Tell me what's wrong."

I hesitated for a second. "Cherry's boyfriend is one of the socs that jumped me."

Pony looked furious, but he clearly decided better of yelling or otherwise lashing out. Pony, Johnny, and I sat in the lot for a while, talking about the movie and making fun of socs.

I hadn't even realized that I'd fallen asleep until I heard Pony waking up Johnny. "What time is it?" He whispered frantically.

"I dunno" Johnny murmured.

He shook my arm. "C'mon Lillie, get up. We gotta go."

Still half-asleep, I got up, and started walking home.

Ponyboy's P.O.V.

Darry's gonna kill me. I didn't even realize that we'd fallen asleep. I woke Lily up and quickly hurried home. I had royally messed up.

I glanced over at Lillie, who was trailing a couple feet behind me, barely able to keep herself awake. "You tired, Lils?"

She nodded. I ended up carrying her home. Even though she was only two years younger than me, she was always significantly smaller than the kids her age.

By the time we got home, Lillie had fallen back asleep again, her arms wrapped around my shoulders, and her head slumped over to the side.

"Where the hell have you been?" Darry snapped as I put Lillie down on the couch. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It's two o'clock in the morning, kiddo."

"Hey, where you been?" Soda asked from the kitchen.

"I fell asleep at the lot," I muttered under my breath.

"You what?" Darry yelled.

"I was talking to Johnny and I feel asleep at the lot, I didn't mean to."

"I couldn't even call the cops cause you two would've put in a boys' home so fast it's make your heads spin, and Lillie woulda been all by herself in a girls' home."

"Look, I didn't mean to."

" 'I didn't mean to', 'I didn't realize' , that's all I hear from you. You could've got hurt. Lillie could've got hurt. Get your damn head outta the clouds before you get one of y'all killed."

"C'mon, Darry," Soda interjected.

"You shut up," Darry snapped back, "I'm sick and tired of you sticking up for him."

"Don't you yell at him!" I shouted. Before I could even process anything, Darry slapped me across the face. After a second of staring at him, I ran out of the house.

I was already past the driveway when I heard Lillie crying my name from inside the house. I wanted to turn around and go back inside. I wanted to hug her and tell her it was okay. But I didn't. I didn't want to stay in that house with Darry anymore. I just kept running, all the way to the lot.