The Outsiders: Dally's little sister

Near death experiences

SOPHIE'S P.O.V.

Then I heard the gun go off.

I was a little taken back. My eyes were shut tight and I didn't want to open them. It was strange, I didn't feel any pain. I expected some pain from being shot. I didn't even feel myself hit the ground how one would if they had been shot. I was still kneeling there. I could feel my weight on my knees on the hard DX floor. It felt like time moved slower as I came to realize that I didn't think I had actually been shot. I opened my eyes. I didn't know I was crying, but I was. Tears streamed down my face. The first thing I saw was the robber lying on the ground unconscious. Then my eyes moved up. Dallas was there standing behind him with a piece of pipe in his hand. I glanced over at Sodapop who was still standing behind the counter, white as a sheet. I looked behind me at the wall. A bullet hole was right above where I had been kneeling. "What the hell happened?" I said turning back around to face Dally and Soda. 

It was silent for a moment. I knew that no one really wanted to talk at the moment, but Dally spoke up. "I walked in to see a guy pointin' a gun at you, I picked up a piece of pipe, and hit em' upside the head." His voice was shaky, like it was when he came running in away from those socs that day. "I-I guess when I hit him he shot the gun." His voice trailed off. "But it missed you."

"Yeah by like one inch!" I yelled. I heard Sodapop chuckle. I turned to him feeling my face get red with anger, embarrassment, and fear. "What's so funny to you Sodapop? You're not the one who almost got their brains blown out!"

Soda's face went back to serious, but he was hiding a smile. "What?" Dally said a little annoyed by Sodapop. 

Soda stood there oddly. Different expressions wiped over his face. Then his face just went to sadness. "I don't know why I'm laughing." He obviously had a lump in his throat that caused him to be unable to talk normally. 

Then he broke down crying. He tried to stay tuff looking while he cried, but I could tell he was really messed up from this. I walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay Soda. Everything is okay." I whispered in his ear. 

"I-I-I would've killed em'." He whispered back. "If he shot you, I would've killed him with no control." 

"Shhhh." I cooed. Soda pulled back and wiped his face. "Now gimme a smile." I gave a half grin.

He smiled slightly and I wiped another tear from his face. Soda still had tears in his eyes when I turned around to see Dally picking up the guy and dragging him to the door. "What are you doing?" Soda said as he composed himself. 

"No one points a gun at a Winston and gets away with it." He growled. 

"Dally." I said nervously. "What are you doing?"

Dally looked up at me and anger danced dangerously in his eyes. "This scum is gonna get what he deserves for pointin' a gun at you." He said coolly.

"Dal' don't do anything stupid." I slowly walked over to Dally. The man Dally was dragging began to groan and wake up. "You take him straight to the police, ya hear." I used my most persuasive voice.  Dally looked down at his shoes. "Straight to the police." I repeated.

Dallas didn't make eye contact with me. "Whatever." He growled under his breath as he pulled the now half conscious robber to his feet. 

Dally walked out the door and I watched as he stuffed the guy in the passenger seat and drove off in the direction of the police station. "You okay?" Soda asked from behind me. "You were the one with the gun to you."