𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜 | 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 75 - Wreck

I ended up at the Curtis house around one thirty in the morning. I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I went up the wooden stairs and knocked on the door, hoping for someone to answer. I looked up as Darry swung the door open wide and went to the side in order to let me pass. I slowly went into the house as Darry closed the door behind me, my head hanging to the ground, pulled down by gravity.

I looked around and saw Soda sitting on the couch, half asleep, the television playing quietly in the background. Pony and Johnny still weren't there and Dally seemed to have left while I was at our parents house.

Soda looked up from the couch tiredly, his eyes nearly closed. "Hey y/n." He greeted me quietly. "Hey Soda." I said. Darry brushed passed me and sat on his rocking chair. "What are you doing here?" Darry asked. "Can I talk to you guys?" I immediately asked. Both Soda and Darry looked up to me with concern. "Sure." Soda said as he gestured me over to the couch.

I sat down as they looked at me. I sighed and buried my head into my lap. "Are you alright?" Darry asked. "Not really." I muttered. They stayed silent as they waited for me to begin talking. Through hesitation I started speaking. I started to tell them the story and began to tear up as I explained more to them. I looked up from my lap after I had finished and saw their worried and concerned faces.

"You're... moving?" Darry asked with a sad tone. I sighed. "I don't know." I said as I groaned. "What about the baby?" Darry pleaded. I sighed. Poor Darry, he was so excited about the baby and it was sad to see him so disappointed. "I know Matilda doesn't want to move, but apparently she does whatever my mom tells her to do. She loves you Darry, I know she does." I tried reassuring him. He sighed.

"I just don't know why she'd listen to her after she left for months. I mean, we ran away!" I sobbed, burying my head in my lap once again. Soda rubbed my back in a comforting way as I heard the sniffles of him and Darry. "All I know is that I'm not going!" I yelled childishly as I stood up, Sodas hand falling slowly from my back. My cheeks were stained with tears and I wiped my fresh ones away impatiently.

It was silent for minutes that felt like hours. All of us sat in the silent room with tear stained cheeks, occasional sniffles could be heard. As I was about to storm out I jerked my head around as the phone rang. Before I could move, soda walked across the room, going over to pick it up.

"Hello?" He answered, holding the phone to his ear. A muffled voice from the telephone could be heard in the silent room. "It's for you y/n." He said as he held it out to me. I looked to him with confusion as I took it from his hand. "Hello?" I asked. "Is this y/n smith?" A woman asked. "Yes." I replied. "Ma'am your sister is in the hospital. We found her on the side of the road, she ran into a tree with her car." The woman said calmly. "What?!" I asked with concern.

My heart dropped, and in that moment, I stood silently with shock. My body trembled at the thought of my sister in a car wreck. Bloody, bruised, it all flashed throughout my mind. My body became pale as I continued to think, my head was spinning, entangled in horrible thoughts.

"Ma'am?" The woman asked. I snapped out of my thoughts immediately, still shaking. "She's in the hospital, she asked for you." The lady stated. "Ok." I replied as I bit my nails. "I'll be right there." I continued as hung up the phone. Soda and Darry stared at with confusion and concern as I stood still. I couldn't move, my feet felt as if they were glued to the floor. But once Darry started to pipe up, I ran out of there faster than a cheetah.

I ran and ran and ran, not looking back for a second. Tears streamed down my face like a river. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to stop the water from flowing, but it was impossible. The cold wind hit my bare arms, but I didn't care, I only wanted to see my sister, and the chilly air was the last thing I cared about. Nothing else in the world mattered other than Matilda in that moment.

"Shit shit shit." I whispered as I tried to run faster, my feet hitting the ground like an elephant, the loud sound echoing through the neighborhood. I heard loud footsteps behind me but only sped up.

I passed by Bucks, the roaring music and strong red light fading away as I quickly rushed passed it. I hopped over the train tracks onto the south side. I was close at this point, nearly about a block away. My breaths were heavy and my throat hurt as well as my feet and legs. But I persevered and continued through the door of the hospital, sprinting to the quiet receptionist in the front.

"I'm here for... Matilda... Smith." I stated out of breath. "Room 109." The receptionist replied as she looked up to me. "Thank you." I quickly dashed down the halls. "Y/n!" I heard Soda yelled behind me. I ignored him and ran down the halls. "109 109 109." I muttered to myself, looking at each and every number on the doors in the hall. My feet hitting the hard tile was loud through the hospital. I pushed passed doctors and nurses until I finally made it to her room, nearly overshooting it because of how fast I was going.

TW: Death (Sorry not sorry.)

I desperately slammed open the door, hitting it against the nearby wall. I stood in shock at the sight of Matilda. Her head was bandaged, part of the white gauze being stained with blood. Her face bruised and small gashes in her cheeks. She looked weak, laying with no color in her skin. I moved quickly towards her, sliding on my knees as I got closer to the bed. I grabbed her limp hand as tears fell from my eyes.

"Y/n?" She asked weakly, opening her eyes. I smelt alcohol in her breath. She was drunk."Yes. I'm here Matilda. I'm here." I said with a smile of relief. I tried not to question the fact that she was drunk. My tears hit her fist as I cried, bringing her hand to my face. She weakly chuckled. "I love you. Alright?" She said with a frail smile. "I love you too. I love you too." I repeated. "I'm sorry y/n." She stated. I shook my head in disbelief. "Please..." I pleaded.

I felt the grip she had on my hand slowly fade away as her head dropped to the pillow, her skin going fully white. "Please..." I pleaded again, shaking her shoulder. "Matilda?" I asked, tears flowing down my cheeks like an ocean. I looked to her face, it stayed still, not a single muscle moved. I had never seen a body so still before. As I realized she was gone, it felt like the world paused and no one but me was there. Not Dallas, not Johnny, not Ponyboy, not Darry, not Soda, not Steve, not Two-Bit. Not Matilda. 

My head fell to her torso as I sobbed over her dead body. Her limp hand slipped away from mine as I nearly screamed. She was gone. My own sister was gone. The person I spent my whole life with, gone, no longer apart of the shitty world.

I kind of knew it'd happen someday, just not then. She always got drunk, always. I practically expected her to die in a car wreck someday, but not then. Not with the baby, not with the gang, I thought she was finally happy, genuinely happy. I thought her smile was finally real. Because I knew she only got drunk to make herself feel better, to help her leave reality behind. Just like me, she hated just about everything about the world, she was just better at hiding it.

I thought she was happy.