˙˚∘⊹🦋⊹∘˚˙ Butterfly in the Moonlight

- CHAPTER 13 -

Rylee and Ponyboy were outside. Ponyboy finally almost finished with getting rid of the horrid smell of bleach from his head. Rylee was sitting in the shade as she tried to wash off the hair dye on her fingertips.

"You look different." Ponyboy joked as he shook his hair out, finally lifting his head back. His hair looked better now, since it was more dry and not so rough looking.

"Is it a good or bad kinda different?" Rylee questions as she looked back up at Ponyboy. "I hope it looks fine-"

"It's looks wonderful, Rylee. Trust me, you can ask Johnny and I bet he would say the same." Ponyboy mentioned with a loving smile. "I mean hell, I can go grab him and you can ask him yourself-"

"No-!" Rylee quickly stammered out. Her face red. "No- no...I don't want to know."

Ponyboy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Why? You crushin' on him or something?" Ponyboy joked.

Rylee looked up then back down. Ponyboy made a awkward coughing sound. "I was not expecting that." He mentioned, "Uhm, so you like him?" Ponyboy asks, soon smirking. "I thought you don't like boys hmm? Isn't that what you told Dallas a few days ago?"

"Did he really tell you about that-" Rylee sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut, a bright red blush brushing onto her pale cheeks. "Ugh! What the fuck.."

"Don't be so mad. Besides, why don't you tell Johnny, I mean- how long has this been going on for?" Ponyboy asked her, and she looked to the side.

Rylee sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Since I saw him for the first time." She groaned out. "Is that what you wanna hear?"

"Like- the incident? Or do you mean a few days ago-" Ponyboy asked. "That's probably a dumb question."

Rylee stayed silent. "Maybe both..? I don't know." She shrugged as she replied, blinking her eyes to get some of the blurring gone from her vision.

"Well, maybe you guys can talk about it. Once we go and get some food cause Dally thinks we are good to go and go in public to get real food." Ponyboy mentions. "So I would figure we have to wait for your hair to get finished with the dye and then we are good to go."

Rylee nodded, not really replying back.
———
Rylee had her glasses on, her hair blowing in the breeze as her hand was hanging over the car door. Her head was resting against her other hand that was on the middle counsel.

Dally was going to grab some burgers for the four. Leaving the trio in the car by themselves.

"Hey!-" A girl said as she looked at the trio. "Can you guys help me?" She questioned.

Rylee gave a sassy look. "Girl, we ain't supposed to leave the car." She sassed as she attempted to brush her hair behind her shoulder, then remembering she had shorter hair.

"Please?" The girl pushed the question. Rylee scowled.

"I already said no, girl. Listen I would LOVE to help you—" Rylee started before the girl hissed under her breath, moving away from the car. Rylee flipped off the girl, she wasn't angry at the girl, just irritated in general.

"Damn." Johnny looked at the girl and then Rylee. "You're mean, aren't ya?"

"Depends on my mood." Rylee replied while not looking in the back seat. Dallas came back out and handed the trio and himself his food, pulling into a parking spot.

"What happened?" Dally joked as he took a bite of his french fries. "Rylee, did you do something? Were the boys giving you trouble?"

Rylee rolled her eyes as she drank some of her water. "Yeah, bein' real pests." She teased as her tongue poked out of her lips.

"No! No we were not! Dally she's a LIAR!" Ponyboy quickly defended himself as he bit into his burger. "She's a dirty liar."

"How would you know?" Rylee winked as she looked over her shoulder, than shrugging as she started to eat her food.

Ponyboy scoffed as he rolled his eyes. He started to eat his food with jokingly death staring Rylee down, who was ignoring him and being cocky because she got away with a joke.
———
Dally was driving back, Johnny and Ponyboy talking in the back while Rylee had her eyes shut and nearly asleep.

Rylee jolted awake when the car quickly stopped, nearly making her hit her head on the headboard. Then she smelled the smoke.

Rylee threw her glasses onto the seat, jumping out of the car and bolting towards the church. She shrugged on the jacket and pulled it over her body.

The church was on fire.

Ponyboy scrambled after her, the smoke was purling into the bright daylight. He blocked his eyes from the sun as he ran.

Dallas and Johnny were trailing behind the duo ahead of them. Rylee was way ahead, getting a head start onto the fire. She was already gasping for air as she shows up to the church.

"What happened?" Rylee managed to talk between gasps. A loud scream from a kid caught her attention. "You know what- tell that to Dally for me alright?" She motioned to Dally for the teacher and then broke the door down with a kick.

Rylee heard the screams of the kids, she couldn't see well without her glasses- and with the smoke and fire, she was nearly blinded. Rylee kept accidentally touching burning pieces of wall as she tried to make her way through the burning building.

She felt someone grab onto her leg, causing her to panic but through the thick smoke she could see a kids face. Rylee quickly bent over to pick up the kid, before screaming out in pain as a piece of burning roof fell right on top of her legs.

It caused her to fall. She grabbed onto the kid and putting their tiny head into her jacket to keep the smoke away. Rylee's nails scraped against the ground as she found a way to shimmy her way from out of the wood.

Her legs were on fire. The fire burnt her clothes and her skin but the kids safety was more important to her. Rylee crawled her way towards a broken window, her fingers grasping onto the edge of the window.

Rylee pushed herself out of the window. The kid was breathing heavily in her jacket as she rolled the kid out.

A loud yell came from the church.

It was Johnny.