You Don't Stop Living Because You Lose Somebody

18. If Today was Your Last Day

I woke to the screen door slamming close, and boys shouting. I yawned stretching before I crawled out of bed. I slipped on the first thing I saw which was a pair of high waisted black denim jeans and a tight red top, with a pair of red converse. I walked out of the room tying my hair up in a messy bun, hearing Steve and Two talking with Pony about being put in a boys home.

"You aint being put in a boys home Pony, they don't do that to heroes." I yawned walking past him to the kitchen where I knew coffee waited for me, pouring myself a cup I drown out the voices in the house before hearing Soda shout "Pony shut the door will ya!" Then I hear Darry groan so I looked and seen him tossing Steve down, "Super what?" Steve shoved more chocolate cake in his mouth before saying "All bronze no brain." I rolled my eyes, going back to my coffee reading the paper that was left on the dining table, seeing they were writing about my family I dropped it sitting in Darry's chair.

"Hey Darry, did you hear about the juvenile court hearing?" Pony asks gaining my attention.

"Yeah cops told me about it last night." I already assumed Pony would end up going to court to discuss the fact him and Johnny killed that soc. I just hope he wouldn't follow Dallas Winston and end up in Juvenile jail, I may love Dallas Winston but I may not love the choices he's made in life. The phone ringing caught my attention and I reach over and answer it. "Curtis Residence."

"Arella! Just the girl I was looking for!" Dally's voice sounded over the phone.

"What can I do for you Dallas?" That caught some attention in the house, me calling Dally by his full name rather than the nickname I gave to him that seemed to stick with everyone.

"Tim is on his way to come pick you up, so be ready man." I was confused, last night he spoke to me with such animosity and now he's acting like he never did.

"Now why would Tim be coming to get me?" I made sure to lay my annoyance thick in my voice.

"To come to the hospital to come see me man." He seemed confused on his side, but I knew he knew why I was so upset with him. It would take much more than a slap to make him forget how he spoke to me. When I didn't say anything I heard him sigh, "Look man, I want to apologize to you in person, not over the phone. Can you just be ready when Tim gets there?" I let out a sigh.

"Fine but I ain't staying if you talk to me that way ever again, ya hear me hood?" I could almost hear him smile through the phone, I hung up the phone taking another sip of my coffee before standing up walking back to the kitchen and placing it into the kitchen sink. Everyone talked as I walked back to my room finding a bandana and tying it around my messy hair, to just keep it out of my face. I looked in the mirror and just saw how tired I looked, I stared at my makeup sitting there and debated if I wanted to do my makeup and decided against it. I grabbed a pair of sunglasses I had sitting on the dresser knowing that Tim would be driving with the top down in his car.

When I walked out the room I noticed Steve, Darry, and Soda were all gone- they musta went to work. They're all hyped for the rumble tonight, ready to fight just to get at the soc's for messing with our gang, so they're just waiting for the day to be over. Two-Bit was sitting on the floor with a beer as Pony was picking things up. "C'mon we gotta get this house clean, there'll be reporters and people from the state coming to check up on us." Two-bit stood up walking over to Pony in the dining room.

"Shoot this house ain't messy, you outta see my house." I smiled remembering all the clutter of beer bottles on his porch, I can only imagine what the inside looked like.

"I have, if you had the sense of a billy goat, you'd start cleaning your house instead of bumming around ours." He took the dishes he gathered to the sink.

"Shoot kid, if I did that my momma die of a heart attack." I rolled my eyes walking into the kitchen, as Two-Bit took the tray of chocolate cake and a beer to the living room floor to watch Micky Mouse.

"Hey Pony, you be good, ya hear?" He glared at me which told me he had this conversation with Darry already. "Im heading over to the hospital to kick some sense into Dally, do you need anything for when I get home today?" He shook his head no, and I gave him a smile. "I'm happy you're home, love you kiddo." As soon as I said it I heard a honk from outside, and I start walking to the front door. "Don't eat all that cake and stop drinking so early." I tell two as he shoves cake in his mouth taking a sip of beer to wash it down, giving me a thumbs up.

Tim and I didn't really talk at all on the ride, just a 'hey how ya doin' small talk. Tim found out early when I met him not to mess with me, I was at Tim's house during one of his parties. He started flirting with me and Dally happened to see and shoved him into the wall making threats, if he ever thought he can talk to me like that he would tear him apart. So since then Tim and I have tried attempting to keep our conversations short especially in the presence of Dally.

He went into the hospital room first while I smoked a cancer stick outside watching all the people coming and going. I didn't want Tim to see me smacking the shit out of Dally, cause he'd probably laugh that Dally wouldn't hit me back. I sat out there for maybe ten minutes before Tim came out seeing me and lighting a smoke. "He's all yours, man those nurses have to hate him." He laughs walking off towards his car. I put out my cigarette, walking inside past all the buzzing people. Man it was busier in the morning than it was during the night.

I checked on Johnny before I went to Dally's room, but unfortunately he was still sleeping. I don't know if the nurses would pull him out of the sedation from how bad his burns were, I kissed the top of his head carefully to not hurt him more and muttered for him to get better and we all loved him. When I left I casually walked to Dally's room, opening the door seeing him sitting at the end of his bed in his boxers, my cheeks felt hot as Dally's attention snapped towards me. He stands up walking towards me, "Listen Ella I'm so-" I cut him off with a firm slap across his face, that should teach him. "Okay I deserved that man. Look I'm sorry for kissing you then getting mad and telling you the things I did after man, you don't deserve it."

"Shut up." I say reaching up and pulling him by the neck smashing my lips to his. He didn't kiss back at first, but after a few second his lips moved against mine and his hands found their way to my waist and deepening the kiss. He pushes me against the wall, as he bites my bottom lip. "Dallas the door doesn't lock." I moan between kisses, and he pulls away looking at the closed door then back to me.

"Then we outta make it quick." He gives me a cheeky smile before throwing me over his shoulder carrying me to the hospital bed.