Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Greif | 63 |

I didn't make a sound as he crawled and died in front of Ponyboy's feet, my head spinning violently and my eyes burning from tears refusing to spill over. The whole gang was there and shouting. I simply turned, grabbed my absurd amount of tequila, and went home. I didn't realize I was hyperventilating till I got upstairs. I ripped off my clothes and showered in boiling hot water till my skin was gone. I scrubbed far too aggressively with soap and brushed my hair too hard. I collapsed in the bed and just drank. That's the last thing I remember.

———
It could've been a week, maybe a week and a half, maybe even two since that night. But every day was the same, drink, drink, drink. I didn't leave my room, I didn't eat hardly anything but crackers, and that's when Theo could force me. I only showered once and I drank the whole time. I felt like a corpse, and I wished I was one. Lots of times, late at night, I'd press the barrel of my gun to my temple and just hold it there. I couldn't do it.

I don't know what day it is or even what month. I'm only numb.

         I heard loud bangs from downstairs and assumed Theo and Davey had knocked something over. I only got up when I heard a short yell like someone was in pain. I drank some tequila and stumbled downstairs, it was nearly pitch black... and eerily quiet. I wiped sweat off my face, just as I stepped into something slick at the bottom of the stairs, lost my footing, and fell. My head hit the stairs and so did my back, it cracked painfully and I groaned. My side was drenched in this slick stuff, I put my hand in it and tried to smell it, but I couldn't. Did they knock over a vase and spill water? The Hell?

     I crawled till the liquid was gone and stood, I slowly stumbled over to the lamp on the side table. I could barely pull the chain, my hands were violently trembling for reasons god only knows. When it flickered on I shielded my eyes as the sudden light burned my corneas. When my eyes adjusted I saw what the slick liquid was. Red, thick blood. My breath caught as I turned around and saw blood puddled with marks from where I landed in it, coming from Theo, from the gunshot wound in his side.

      I froze, images of my dad, Richard, and Theo flashing before me, their images merging together, blood, bruised, lying there lifeless. The fog of alcohol clouding my mind turned into a hail of memories. Richard, Dad, Theo, August, lying dead. Covered in blood. A gunshot wound.

I screamed and flew to his side. "THEO!" I shook him, but he didn't move. He wasn't cold enough to be dead but he wasn't warm enough to be okay. "Who did this to you? Theo, Theo... What.." my words came out slurred and shaky, so basically inaudible.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He clicked his tongue. A deep, dark laugh rumbled from his chest. I heard the gun cock. "Such an ignorant boy, always quick for a fight. Just like his sister, just like his daddy."

My blood ran cold, I didn't dare move. I coulda passed out right there. "No.."

"Been a while, teddy bear. So sorry to hear about August." He faked sympathy. He strode over and yanked me up by my shirt. His cold, dead, viscous eyes bore into mine. He brought his face close, only a breath away. "You can finally come home." He whispered, his cold lips started to press against mine, then my cheeks, then my neck. I was frozen. "Finally..."

I let out a cry and shoved him back, shaking like a leaf, my head reeling. I grit my teeth and glared at him. "Go to hell." I say shakily. Where's Dad's gun? Shit! It's still upstairs I can't go get that.

He smiles that disgusting crooked smile. "I fear every day I'm there without you, Teddy." He presses the gun to my side. "We're going home."

"No." I whisper weakly. I can't. I can't. I can't. Everyone's dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. No.. "No, I won't go anywhere with you."

"I think otherwise." He grabbed my wrist and yanked me into him. He started pulling me towards the door. I screamed and shoved him off me and tried for the gun. It fired and lodged the bullet into the wall. The sound made my ears ring, being drunk and having a hangover at the same time didn't help. "Bitch!" He screamed.

        He fumbled with the gun and I took my chance, I punched him in the stomach far too weakly and tried to knee him in the crotch. He grunted and yanked my hair back and threw me towards the ground. I landed on my ass hard and my head spun. I felt a fire start to burn within me and I stood shakily and tried to grab the gun again, whether it was the alcohol or the need to see him die I didn't care. After a lot of back and forth, hair pulling, and a sharp bite to his hand, I had the gun. Without thought I shot him in the thigh.

         He screamed and collapsed, he hurled several profanities at me and leaned against the wall. He was losing blood fast but I didn't care. I shot his thigh again. He gasped and desperately tried to throw pieces of the shattered vase at me. They got me but didn't cut me, I think. His skin was getting paler by the second, his eyes losing their sight. I fired a final shot into his other thigh and knew he was dead.

        I didn't have the energy to cry, the energy to scream. My family was all dead, my Johnny, my friend. All dead. And I wanted to join them. I looked down at myself for the last time, I had staining me all over, it was getting harder to breathe each moment, and the edge of my vision started to turn black.

       I raised the gun to my temple and pressed it into the skin. I didn't even register the burning, or I didn't care. I sighed and closed my eyes, and just as I started to pull the trigger I was tackled to the floor and shook by the shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The voice screamed. My eyes only cracked open long enough to see neatly greased blonde hair, then I was out.

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I hate to say it but this fic is almost over, I'd say maybe five chapters left. I hate that I've had such bad writer's block lately, but motivation has struck.
Thanks for reading!!

Word count: 1146