Faded (The Outsiders FF)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Riley's POV

My eyes were starting to open, revealing that I was no longer in the truck...or a hospital bed, or a bed at all. I was lying face first on a cold hardwood floor, with blankets wrapped all over my body. "What the crap?" Was going through my head again and again. As I tried to sit up, my head began throbbing, and I heard heavy footsteps coming towards me.

"Riley?" I heard a low groggy voice say. I only groaned in response and rolled over to see Darry standing over me. "What are you doing on the floor?" He asked.

"That's what I was about to ask you," He looked confused, and he rubbed his hands over his face to try and wake himself up.

"What are you talking about?" He asked utterly confused, and obviously out of it. I looked around the room I was in, and I realized I was in the Curtis' Living Room.

"What happened? How did I get here?" I asked him a little too loudly for own good. My hands flew up to my head, and i groaned in pain. I started massaging my temples to try and ease my headache.

"You ok?" Soda asked. I hadn't even heard him walk in, I was too busy focusing on my, what I now believe to be a, migraine.

I pulled a pillow down from the couch, rolled over and stuffed my face in it, and made a weird noise.

"How did I get here, the last thing I remember was being in a car crash, then I blacked out, and woke up here," I said quietly, so as not to worsen my headache. Both of the boys looked at me crazily, I felt like I belonged in a mental institution with the way they were looking at me.

"A car crash?" Soda said.

"What are you talking about?" Darry asked. I took a deep breath returning the look they had given me. I'm so confused.

"Me and Pony went to Dairy Queen then the movies," I lied, remembering what I had told Soda and Steve last night. "Then it started raining, me and Pony started walking home, and when we got to the park you and Steve came and picked us up. Steve wasn't paying attention and the last thing I remember is the truck being upside down, passing out, then waking up here," I said to Darry and Soda. Mostly Soda though.

"Riley, that didn't happen," Soda said. Concern crossed both of their faces, "It must have been a dream," he said.

"A dream?" I thought to myself. "What happened, then?" I asked. "How did I get here? And where's Sarah?" I asked worried. I was now sitting up, on the floor, looking up at them. I didn't care about how much pain my head was in.

"When you rushed out the door yesterday, before you and Pone were about to go to the Dairy Queen you ran down the steps, and tripped. You fell on the concrete, and Sarah landed on top you. Ya hit your head pretty hard, and passed out. The doc said you were fine, that it was just a minor concussion, and you'd wake up in a few hours," he stopped took a breath and continued. " We took you back here, Darry called your house, and your brother answered. We told him what happened, and if he wanted to come pick you up, he said something was going on at home, and asked if you and Sarah could stay here the night. Darry said ya could so here you are. Sarah is right there," Soda said very quickly. I almost couldn't make out what he said. When he finished he was pointing to the couch opposite from the one I was previously lying on.

My head was spinning so fast, from taking in what happened. "So...it was all a dream? Everything..." I trailed off.

"Yeah. It was. You're fine now, but you might want to take it easy for a little while," Darry said.

"You gave us all quite a scare, especially Pony. He was worried sick. He was really quiet, and wouldn't talk to anyone. He even chewed his finger nails to the nub!" Soda said too loudly. I winced from the pain, and buried my face in the pillow that was on the floor.

"Oh sorry, Riley. I didn't realize your head would still be hurting," Soda apologized softly. I heard a thump and an 'ow' and I knew that Darry smacked the back of Soda'a head.

"Its fine. Do you have any pain relievers?" I mumbled into the pillow.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be right back," Darry said and went to the kitchen.

I sat up again holding my hands to my hand, and took deep breaths to try and keep my headache under control. I realized that it was very dark, and us three were the only ones that were up. "What time is it?" I asked Soda who I noticed was swaying on his feet with his eyes closed. He pulled his eyes open and looked at the clock.

"2 AM," he said drowsily.

"Go to bed stupid," I told him playfully, I gave him a weak smile. And he returned it before saying goodnight, and heading back down the hall. Darry came back a minute later with two pills, and a glass of water. I was in too much in pain, and tired to care what they were, so I popped them in my mouth, and swallowed them with the water.

"Thanks, Dar," I said while wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, "sorry about waking you up with my falling off the couch, and everything,"

"No problem, kid, I'm just glad you're ok. I'm also surprised we didn't wake up your kid sister over there," he said looking at Sarah with a smile.

"Yeah, she...sure is a...heavy...sleep-" I mumbled the rest of my sentence with my eyes closed, feeling my head bop up and down, before I felt strong arms lift me onto the couch, and cover me up. Thoughts surrounded my head as I lie there falling asleep.

I don't know if I'm happy or sad about the whole incident being a dream. Ok not the whole incident. I'm very happy there wasn't really a car crash. But I love the idea of being with Ponyboy, and I know he likes me back, but I have Sarah to think about, and I don't want to get hurt again by somebody I thought loved me. I was glad though, that he hadn't found out about the bruise on my cheek. Then my thoughts drifted to home and family. I wonder why Michael was suddenly home tonight? And what it was that was going on at home? Wait, You know what? I don't need to worry about it right now. I just need sleep. After that thought I was out like a light.