𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜 | 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Chapter 81 - Letter

~

Soda came through the door unexpectedly. "Hey Dally." He greeted Dallas who was sitting on the edge of the bed, me sitting close next to him. "Soda? Whatcha doing here?" Dallas asked, addled. "I was just coming here to get something, decided to see ya while I'm here." Soda answered. Dallas nodded his head as he took a drag from his cigarette. Soda began looking around the room aimlessly until his eyes landed upon me.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?" He asked, beginning to inch his way toward me. Before I could answer, he spoke up again. "I haven't seen you in days." He stated. I sighed as I rubbed the back of my neck. "I've been staying here for awhile." I said. "Didn't feel like seeing anyone after Matilda..." I trailed off. I hated mentioning the fact that she died, it hurt every time I did. Soda's face immediately went from confused to concerned.

"And I couldn't see Darry, it would just make me cry even more." I said in a sarcastic chuckle. Soda sighed as he made his way towards me, quickly sitting down next to me. He began stroking my back with comfort, which felt good in that moment. "I get it..." He trailed off. "Poor Darry's been stuck in his room all day." He stated. I looked up to him with worry. "Can't even get out to go to work he's been so down. I've been taking up more shifts at the DX so we can get by." He grew quieter with every word.

I felt my heart drop at his sentence, his words. Imagining what Darry had looked like had destroyed me, making me even more heartbroken. He lost the baby, and the love of his life, I couldn't even imagine what he must've felt like. I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes but I impatiently wiped them away, fearing that I'd be a burden on Soda's already hard life.

"Hey it's alright." Soda said softly, almost as if he had read my mind. He pulled me into a warm embrace as I sobbed, my head tucked deep into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry." I cried. "It's alright." He said. "It's alright." He repeated.

"Have any of y'all seen Ponyboy?" I heard Soda speak, his voice being muffled in my ear as I was tucked into his chest. "Uhh... no." I heard Dallas's deep voice. "You sure?" Soda asked in disbelief. "Haven't seen him since we went to the drive in." Dallas continued.

Soda sighed as he pulled away from the hug,  placing his hands behind him on the bed and putting all of his weight on them. Dallas's arm came around my shoulders as he pulled me into him, attempting to comfort me as I wiped my tears away.

"What's that?" Soda asked as he shot up from the bed with furrowed eyebrows. I followed his view to the floor. On the rough floorboards sat Pony's sweatshirt, dry and thrown messily next to the wall. "Shit..." Dallas muttered. "Is this..." Soda trailed off as he bent down to pick it up. He examined it closely looking at just about every detail, the rough seams where Pony had cut the sleeves as well as the stains and tears upon the fabric. "Pony's?" He finished, looking to both me and Dally who were wide eyed.

"Uhh..." Dallas trailed off, his eyes daring around the room. Soda immediately looked directly to me, seriousness and worry in his eyes. "Have y-you seen him?" He asked. I merely sighed and nodded my head."Damnit." Dallas said under his breath. "Sorry." I whispered, quiet enough for only him to hear.

"Where is he?" Soda looked from me to Dallas. Dallas only sighed as he clenched his jaw, no response. He then looked to me. "Where is he?" He asked with worry. I wanted to tell him, but I didn't want Johnny to get caught along with Pony, and even Dallas. He still looked to me with pleading eyes, his eyes becoming glossy as tears filled his lids. I sniffled, trying my best to hold in my tears as I looked to his imploring expression.

"Well..." He trailed off, trying his best to hide his tears with his hand. "If you see him again, will you give him this letter?" He said as he handed a folded piece of paper to Dallas. "And tell him that Darry didn't mean to do what he did, he really misses him. I know he wouldn't believe what it says in the letter, so tell him." Soda demanded faintly as he walked to the door, grabbing the knob and turning it.

Tears fell from my eyes as I watched him leave, water flow king like a river down his cheeks, it killed me to see him so sad.

~

I watched closely as Pony intently looked at the letter, his eyes darting from left to right as he read. My breathing slowed as I closely focused in on him. I hadn't known what the letter said, or what Darry did, but Pony was focusing closely on every word. A single tear began trailing down my face but I quickly wiped it away before anyone could see.

Ponyboy and Johnny who finally noticed me, looked over to me while I sat on an old crate in the corner, their eyes filled with confusion. "Y/n?" Johnny spoke. "What are you doin here?" Pony asked. I gave a weak chuckle at how long it took them to finally notice me. "Well ya saw her in my room, didn't ya?" Dallas spoke before I could answer. "Yeah..." Both of them answered simultaneously.

"What were you doing there anyways?" Pony asked. Once again, before I could answer, Dallas spoke up for me. "We were makin out." He said in all seriousness. I rolled my eyes playfully at his response as Johnny and Pony swung their heads around to face him. "What?!" Pony asked loudly with confusion and surprise. He nodded his head as he looked to me. I sighed as I shook my head with a smile. "You're a real dick Dal." I joked. He merely winked at me in response.

Pony and Johnny then turned their heads to me, a questioning look on both of their faces. I could only laugh at how surprised they looked. "Is he tellin the truth?" Johnny asked as he pointed to Dallas. "I ain't tellin." I answered as I crossed my legs and arms. I heard Dally chuckle as Johnny and Pony looked back and forth to both of us. A moment of silence came upon us as they looked yo me and Dallas with shock.

"We gonna go eat or not?!" Dallas asked loudly, breaking the silence. Both Johnny and Pony darted up from the benches. "You'd better believe it." Johnny said excitedly. "Alright come on." Dallas said as he left the wall and flung the car keys around in his hands as he walked. We all followed him down the hill and to the parked car below.

I slid in the backseat along with Pony as Johnny sat up front with Dally. We were all in for a sickening ride in the car with Dallas's horrific and reckless driving. Yippee.