Saving Winston

Chapter Nine

I ran my hands through Dally's hair as he kissed me along my jaw line and neck, moving down to my collar bone and back to my lips. I giggled as he put me over his shoulders and took me into my "new" room.

He placed me down on the bed and climbed on top of me, kissing me even more.

"Are you sure about this?" Dally asked me.

I smiled and nodded my head.

The next twenty minutes were the best I've ever had. I had never really "done" it before. Afterwards, we just laid in bed and Dally had his arm wrapped around me.

"I love you," I whispered in his ear as I turned around. I kissed him on his lips and got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Dally asked.
"I'm just going to make sure no one is home." I replied as I pulled my pants on.

I turned around to open the door when it opened right into my face. I backed up a little and saw that it was Pony.

"Claudia?" He looked me up and down. Of course I just had to still be in only my bra and pants with Dally laying in my bed.

"It's not what you think!" I said as I could see Ponyboy's confused expression turn into an angry one.

"Ha-it's exactly what you think." Dally murmured under his breath.
"Not helping, Dally!" I yelled as I turned around to look at him.

Ponyboy looked like he was about to say something, but turned around and walked out. I grabbed my shirt and put it on as I followed him out the front door.

"Ponyboy, where are you going?" I said, gasping for air because I had to run to catch up to him.
"Leave me alone, Claudia."
"No, I can't."
"Could you please just do me one thing and leave me alone? You already ruined me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fall in love again after seeing this." I could see the tears trailing each other down his cheeks.
"Pony-" I swallowed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking," I sobbed.

"Do you love him?"

"I-" Pony cut me off.

"Do you love me?" Ponyboy asked.

Silence. "That's all I needed to hear."

"C'mon, Pony, please," I begged.
"If you love him, be with him. I don't want to be the person who holds you back. Go be with him." Pony stopped walking, turned around and came toward me. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes.

"I love you, and only you. I want you to be happy. I don't care if you're happy with me or a different guy. I can see how happy he makes you. I've known this for a while now. Be with him, Claudia. Be with the person you truly love."

I really didn't expect this response from Ponyboy.

"Thanks," I said back to Ponyboy. "I love ya bud." I added as I hugged him. I was lucky to have not lost my best friend. I really do love him, but not so much in the relationship way anymore. He will forever and always be my best friend from childhood.

**********

"Thank god you are okay I was so worried," Dally whispered in my ear as he hugged me right when I got back to the house.
"I'm alright. So is Pony." I let go of Dally and walked over to Ponyboy.

"Thanks again," I told him. Ponyboy nodded his head.
"Just take good care of her, okay?" Pony looked Dally in the eye.
"I'd never do anything else other than that," he assured him.

**********

The buzzing sound of the phone woke me up from a long and calming sleep. I instantly felt wide awake and jumped out of bed, running over to the phone and answering the call.

"Hello?"
"Hi, is this Ms. Johnson? This is Ms. Cass."

The blood from my faced drained as I realized what they were calling about.

"Yes, why?" I replied back.
"Your mother, she isn't doing too well, with her Alzheimer's, she has now reached stage 7, which means her brain cannot tell her to talk when she wants to, and soon, will not be able to tell her heart to pump when it needs to. I can't discuss all the details over the phone, so please try and come in within the next couple of hours."

The words that were spoken around my
mother's possible death hit me like a hard brick wall, giving me a concussion and confusing my brain, which could not process all this information at once.

"Yes, I... I'll be there soon." I hung up the phone and sat down, putting my face in my hands as I started to bawl.

**********

After an hour has passed, I finally got myself together and arrived at the hospital. After the last encounter with her, I was afraid to see what she will say when she sees me, but she is my mom and I will always love her and be there for her.

I walked up to Ms. Cass, who was right outside my mom's room.

"Your mom, Melissa, she's having a lucid moment. But to warn you, this doesn't mean she's getting better, it means she is getting worse. I'm sorry to break this to you, but these lucid moments always come out of the ordinary and I would spend as much time with her as you can before she slips back," she explained.

I nodded in responded and pushed the door open a little bit. Peaking in, my mother saw me and a huge smile grew on her face.

"Claudia! How great to see you," my mother said.
"Hi, mom. It's great to see you so happy."
"Sweetie, how have you been?"

She doesn't seem to remember what she said to me earlier, so I decide to push it away and forget about it, hoping deep down she didn't really mean it.

"Good, it's been hard with Drew and all, but I've been pulling through. Mom, I love you, please don't go anywhere." I start tearing up as my mom pulls me in for a hug.

"Aw, Clauds, I will always be here with you. I love you, honey."

As I pull back, my mom looks me in the eyes.

"Can you promise me something?"
"What is it?" I ask.
"If I get too bad, pull the plug on me. I don't want to be suffering-"
"Mom, please stop."
"I'm serious, I don't want to be in any pain when I go..."

Her words start to slur, and her body goes into shock, spasming uncontrollably.

"MOM!" I scream, holding her hand as her vitals started to drop. A crash team comes running in with the cart.

"I'm sorry, but you can't be in her to see this," Ms. Cass told me.

She pulls me out of the room as the doctors charge the panels and shock my mother's body.

"Please," I cried, "don't leave me yet."