Annabelle's Daisys.

Chapter 5

Darry came home at around 6, and he smelled the cookies, saw me, and smiled. "Hiya, Annabelle! You been cooking for these rowdy children?"

"But, of course! What else could I do?" I smiled.

"Well, I could think of a few things..." Steve mumbled, and as Darry walked by, He slapped him in the back of the head. "Have some respect!"

"Yeah, Stevie, there's a little lady 'round us now! Watch your mouth," Two-bit laughed. Sodapop turned from the television to grin at me.

"Oooh, sorry, Annabelle!" Steve rolled his eyes.

"That reminds me... Hey, uh, Steve could I see you in the kitchen?" I jerked my thumb to the kitchen, and everyone, even Darry said, "Oooh..."

"Ah, shut up!" Steve waved them off, and he met me near the sink.

When I was sure no one could see, I stood on my tip-toes, hugged him, and pecked his cheek. I pulled away, and as I did, he blushed  deep red.

He held his hand where I'd kissed him, and he laughed. "What was that for?"

"You saved me... If you hadn't been there, if you'd taken the other way home... I wouldn't be here." I swallowed hard, remembering how close I'd came to dying; the blood, the voices fading, wanting to just nestle into the crook of Steve's neck, and sleep... It was me shudder. "Thank you, Steve. Did I stain up the truck?"

"Nah, you don't remember Pony wrapping his jacket around your leg? That took most of it... Took Darry forever to get the stains out." Steve shook his head, as if he didn't want to remember, either. "It ain't a problem, Annabelle, you can snug on up to my neck anyday!" Steve grinned.

I walked back out, and sat next to Ponyboy, because he had taken the spot next to Sodapop when I'd gone. Then, I noticed another person in the room. Dallas Winston.

"Oh, you're here, are you? Think you can just bum 'round here now, eh?" Dallas coughed, and gave me a nasty look.

"Shut your mouth, ya hear? I almost died yesterday, and I don't need a slimey bastard like you ruining the first day since I been here that everythings felt okay! You're the bum, anyhow! All you do is talk dirty, and smoke. You ain't nothing." I folded my arms, and one of them rested into Ponyboy's, he didn't jerk away, or move, he was dead silent. So, were all the rest; I guessed that It didn't faze me. "You think just 'cause you been in jail, that it makes you hard, that it means you ain't gotta show no one respect. And, I've had it."

Dallas slouched into his chair, but didn't say another word.The yellow phone on the wall rang, and I piped up. "A dollar and a half says that's Noah, and when it is, please tell'em you haven't seen me!" I pleaded to Two-bit he nodded, and mouthed 'sure thing'. He answered the phone, and said, "Nope, Noah, I ain't seen her. She's probably at the library or something! Far as I know, She ain't been here. But, uh, aye, Ponyboy, You seen her?" Two-bit winked at me.

"Nah. But, hey, Noah, why don'tcha let her go for a while! She'll come back!" Ponyboy threw an arm around my shoulders absent-mindedly. I didn't mind.

Two-Bit nodded, gave me the thumbs up, and rubbed the back of his neck before he said, "Oh, haha! I see, well, tell Emily I said 'Hi'. Bye!"

I sighed in relief, and layed my head back to stare at the ceiling. I could lay here for hours, if I wanted to. I looked over at Ponyboy's profile, and I smiled. Pony had to be more handsome than Warren Beatty, Marlon Brando, or James Dean. His nose was long, and his eyes were wide, his lips smiled at Sodapop, and Two-bit wrestling, and I had to strain myself not to trace the perfect slope of his nose, or curve of his lips, and staring at him was a sweet escape from the rest of the world. After a few seconds, he must've felt my eyes on him because, he turned to me, and asked quietly, "What? Do- Is there something on my face?" Ponyboy rubbed his face with his palm, and when he turned up with nothing, he grinned.

"What now?" I sighed

"You was staring at me, weren'tcha?"

"Nah, not at all." I waved him off.

"Yeah, huh, you were! You were staring at me with this face-" Ponyboy stopped in the middle of his sentence, and a simpering, soppy look crossed the plains of his face, and I laughed out loud.

"Was not!"

"Were too! You were thinking," Ponyboy imitated my voice shrilly."'Gosh... He's just so handsome, isn't he? I could look at him for hours!'"

I shook my head laughing, and then his tone was serious. "Sorry about earlier."

"Don't be. It's okay." I patted his knee. He smiled at me, and winked.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! What's goin' on here?" Two-bit smiled, as he put Soda into a head lock. "Does dear Pony dig a girl?" He rased an eyebrow, and released Sodapop, looking tired, and slumped back onto one of the walls. "I think- he does." Soda smiled between breath.

"I'm getting out of here." I stood up, and limped a bit.

"Maybe, you should stay here, Annabelle... You can sleep on the couch. It's late, and you know... if Emily's there, I doubt you'd rather be home, if you're picking up what i'm puttin'  down." Darry raised his eyebrows, and I looked at Sodapop, and Ponyboy, and back to Darry.

"You sure I'm not imposin'? I mean... if it's a burden-"

"Ah, shut up! You ain't going home by your lonesome, and if you came with one of us, Noah'd know Two-bit was lyin'."Sodapop said finally.

I sighed, "Well, okay. I'll tell him I fell asleep in the empty lot down the road. Noah won't care."

Around 11:30, all the guys left. Steve patted my back, Two-bit winked and mussed my hair, and Dallas gave me a dirty look.

"You'll need something to sleep in, won'tcha?"Darry rubbed the back of his neck, standing in front of me.

"Yeah," I smiled sheepishly.

"Well, the only thing I got that'd fit you is one of Pony's shirts, and a pair of sweats... That okay?"

"As long as I'm not sleeping naked!" Darry and I laughed, and Ponyboy, who was standing in the kitchen drinking a glass of milk, spluttered into the sink. He stood there, coughing, hunched over the sink, with Soda beating his back. He straightened up, and wiped his mouth, and turned bright red when he saw me watching him.

Darry came back, from a room behind the kitchen, with a  folded up gray tee shirt, and some huge sweat pants. "Thanks, Darry," I smiled.

"It's no problem, really." He smiled.

Once I'd changed in the bathroom, I asked Soda where I could put my dirty clothes.

"Hamper, in Darry's room." He pointed to the first door on the right.

I put my clothes inside the basket, and brought my knees up to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them in the middle of the couch. Ponyboy smiled at me, and gave me a big hug before saying, "'Night!" And, going off down the hall. Soda and Darry were already asleep, and snores droned through the walls like a soft lullaby. I was dreaming in seconds.