˙˚∘⊹🦋⊹∘˚˙ Butterfly in the Moonlight

- CHAPTER 14 -

Rylee gasped out. She didn't care about the pain pulsing through her entire body. Rylee pushed herself up off the grass, her eyes flicking between a window that she had just crawled out of, and a door. She jumped through the window, ignoring the flames that nibbled onto her fingertips.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, she could hear Johnny's ragged screams, it cut through the air like a hot knife and butter.

She wobbled her way through the flames and smoke. Hacking into her hand before getting down onto her shaky knees. Rylee pulled her shirt over her mouth, not like it did much.

Her hand made contact with Johnny's. She quickly gasped out before gently tugging on him. Rylee couldn't see anything in the smoke filled building, but she could feel him.

"Johnny-" She croaked out as she quietly whimpered in pain. Rylee shakily stood up. Her eyes watering from the suffocating smoke. She could somewhat see the fiery outline of the burning wood that laid on top of him.

She could hear his whimpers and cries. Rylee managed to lift the wood, just enough to get Johnny unstuck. "Johnny- move-" Rylee moaned in pain as she held the burning wood; ignoring the burning sensation on her hands.

She winced once he grabbed onto her ankle, dragging himself out from underneath the burning wood. Johnny managed to get up to his feet, quickly grabbing Rylee's hands to pull them off the wood. "Go-" Was all he could gasp out before fainting.

Rylee's face went into a panic as she quickly grabbed onto him. She started to pull him out, her fingers digging into his burning clothes before she was so close to the somewhat open door.

"Ponyboy!" Rylee cried out. "I can't get him- out-" She gasped out, the fire tickling her clothes and face.

She saw Ponyboy's shadow crawl into the building. He grabbed onto Johnny, and pulled him out. Rylee followed in suit, her legs shaking as she fell right onto the grass.
———
Blinding lights was what Rylee woke up to. She jolted upwards, feeling around her. Rylee felt her face, feeling bandages around one half of her left eye. She blinked the right one, and looked towards a open window; it was dark outside but she could see her reflection clear as day.

Her face, lower neck, some bits of her arms, and her hands were covered in burn scars. She shakily put her hands up to her line of sight. The bandages were tight around the scarring.

She pursed her lips before looking to the side, watching her hair somewhat slump to the side and her eyes made contact with Johnny. He was laying flat on the hanging bed.

Rylee gasped out as she quickly scampered to crawl off the bed. "Johnny-" She breathed out as she managed to crawl on her hands and knees to lay next to the bed. Rylee gasped as she watched Johnny open one of his eyes.

"Ry-Rylee?" He choked out before giving a dumb smile. "You..you look different huh.." Johnny mumbled as he looked her up and down. "Your hair is still rockin.."

Rylee chuckled breathily. She didn't know why so breathily, but she was. "Shut your mouth.." She giggled with a toothy grin. "Are you okay though..?" Her hand raised up to nervously touch his burnt face.

He flinched, but later snuggled against her hand. "Yea..thank you for being there..I don't know what would have happened if you and Ponyboy weren't there." Johnny tried to give a smile, but it hurt his marks.

Rylee and Johnny fell silent. She bit the inside of her cheek before managing to roll onto her back. Rylee gave a breathy groan before looking up at Johnny. "Of course. Why would I leave you behind?"

Johnny looked to the side. "I don't know. I just..expected it?" Johnny mentioned with a questioning tone.

Rylee breathed out before hearing something in the hallway to their combined room. She rolled out from underneath the bed, and using a small table nearby to push herself up.

Rylee could hear Johnny laugh out of exhaustion, and she sighed before stumbling towards the hallway door. She peaked her head out, her hair falling in front of her eyes, which she blew out of her vision. Rylee could see Dally talking with a nurse, and Ponyboy looking frantic.

Ponyboy gasped out. "Rylee!" He nearly hugged her, but stopped himself before backing up. "Right. Sorry." Ponyboy quickly apologized before poking his head into the room. "Is Johnny awake?"

Rylee nodded. "Yea..a bit tired, from what I've seen." She blushed a bit, still feeling Johnny's burned cheek against her hand. "But you know, it's not everyday you get stuck into a burning building and nearly get set on fire." Rylee joked, a small smile on her face before her quickly looked to the side. "Yeah."

Ponyboy walked by her to sit next to Johnny. She sighed and walked out into the hallway fully, slightly shivering at the cold floor underneath her bare feet— well, they were wrapped in some bandages, considering that some of the fire had reached the tops of her ankles.

She could hear Dally talking to the nurse, he sounded much more strict than normal. She didn't like it, at all. Rylee was used to the somewhat "dumb" side of him, the one that partied all the time; not the one that was so serious.

Rylee gave a timid look, her eyebrows furrowing together. She wandered out towards Dally, and held her hands together in front of her. Dally looked over quickly, a small glance before returning his gaze towards the nurse.

The nurse chuckled in response. "Well, I'll be able to check on them in a second." She mentioned as she flipped the pencil back and forth between her pointer and middle finger. "I need to check on the others real quick—" She started before hearing another nurse talk to her. "I'll be back."