Abby (long version)

T W O

I was alone in an unfamiliar house, unsure what to do all day. I decided it wouldn't hurt anything if I cleaned up a bit. After all, the boys were doing so much for me. Helping with housework was the least I could do for them. A bit of tidying up never hurt anyone, and at least it gave me something to do.

I vacuumed the living room floor, or at least tried to. The vacuum wasn't working at its best, so it took a little bit of time to get it to work. I put books back on the shelves and straightened them. Since I had an abundance of time, I organized the books in alphabetical order. I cleaned the windows and dusted the picture frames.

I picked one up of the shelf, gently brushing the dust off the glass. It was a family picture, with the three boys and their parents. They looked so happy together. It made me think of my own parents, and how much I missed them.

I put the picture back on the shelf and kept cleaning. I left the boys' rooms alone, but I made the rest of the house practically shine. I was mighty proud of myself by the time I was done.

I figured it wouldn't hurt if I refilled the cake supply, so I pulled a recipe book out of a drawer and whipped up a chocolate cake. The house smelled real good when it was in the oven.

After I'd put the cake in the icebox, my legs felt shaky and weak, so I decided to sit down. I hadn't realized how much my knees ached until I was relaxed on the couch. I felt fatigued, even though it was still morning. I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes. I was asleep in seconds.

Things were still awfully quiet when I woke up, even though I'd been out cold for at least two hours. I felt a little better than I had before. Ponyboy would be home from school in an hour, but I had nothing to do until then, seeing that the house was already clean, and I had no hobbies.

I got up and walked over to the bookshelf. I browsed the small selection of stories, finding a variety of books. I saw fantasy and fairy tales, realistic fiction, biographies, and dystopian novels. They sure had a lot more choices than I had when I still lived at home. I picked one of the biographies off the shelf and sat down to read.

I had only read a couple of chapters when the door opened. I looked up to see Ponyboy and Johnny come in, heading to the kitchen. They set down their notebooks and binders before they walked back towards the door.

"We're going to the DX," Pony said. "Wanna come?"

"Sure," I replied, getting back up and smoothing out my dress.

We started towards the gasoline station, walking slowly. I guess Johnny never talks, and Ponyboy is just quiet. It made for a nearly silent walk. We just looked down at our feet and kicked rocks.

"There's only about three months left of school," I said, just to be saying something.

"Yeah. How come you don't go?" Ponyboy asked.

I hesitated. "I just couldn't anymore. It's nothing, really."

"You know you can always go back, right? Money wouldn't be an issue," Pony said.

I looked down. "Yeah, I know. I just can't."

Johnny sensed something that Ponyboy didn't. We walked closer to me and held my hand. He didn't say anything; he just let me know, silently, that he was there for me whenever I needed.

I looked up into Johnny's eyes. He had big, black eyes with a suspicious, scared look to them. But there was something else there. Compassion? Sympathy?

I smiled a sort of weak half-smile. I looked up at the sky, observing the thick, grey clouds. The sky was threatening heavy rain.

"Maybe we should walk faster," I said. "It looks like it's going to rain."