The Delinquent's Daughter {An Outsiders Fanfiction - Sequel to Hope}

34

"Uhh... Is that us?" Faith asked, her voice low, nervous. I peeked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, my hair still wet.

"Yeah," Alex said. "Yeah... That's definitely us. We're fucked." Eli sighed loudly, and laid back on the bed he and I would be sharing.

"What's going on, guys?" I asked, stepping out. We had been here for only an hour when I decided that I needed a shower, after the long, awful train ride and miles of walking.

"Take a look for yourself," Faith told me. She did not sound happy. I was still trying to figure out what she had meant when she asked if something was "us", when I noticed the "Breaking News" logo flashing across the TV screen. Then, a few pictures were shown, all looking very familiar. They were for four teenagers, three girls and a boy, that went missing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, yesterday afternoon. How familiar that sounded.

"Fuck," I cursed, and went back into the bathroom to get changed. I couldn't deal with this right now, honestly. I went back into the room a few minutes later, after thinking about what to do for a few minutes, and listening to them discuss too. We didn't really have a clue as to how to handle this, it would seem, but we weren't going home. Alex, Faith and Eli were betting on who would get in the worst trouble. So far, it was me in the lead, with Eli right behind me, we expected his parents to be... pissed. Faith close behind him, who's parents would be more worried than anything, and Alex? She said she was just glad her mother knew she was gone.

"How mad do you think my parents are?" I asked. Everyone looked up at me, and I stared back at them. The only one I was on good terms with was Alex. The other two, the closest people to me, were still mad. And I still had no idea how to fix it.

"Do you think they've been mad that you've stayed at my house?" Faith asked me. I shrugged. I wasn't sure. On one hand, I wasn't supposed to be leaving the house, still being grounded, but I was right next door, and they obviously knew I was there.

"I think they knew I wanted space," I admitted. Which, really, didn't answer the question. Still, she nodded in agreement. For a while after that, it was quiet. Faith went off to take her shower and Eli and I laid in bed, together, but on separate sides. Alex was on the other bed, across from us.

I tried to sleep, having barely gotten any the night before, but I had too many other things on my mind.

Would we be in trouble when we got home? With our parents? With the police? Were we considered runaways?

What would we do in the meantime? We had a nice hotel room, but what about food? We didn't have much money

What about school? Without it, what would we do during the days? Would it be boring and awful? Or would it be fun?

Speaking of that, what about us? Would we be able to keep it together without fighting long enough to figure everything out?

I rolled over on the bed, closer to Eli, but he didn't look at me.

"Why did we do this?" He asked, looking at the wall. I blinked back guilty tears, knowing he had only done this for me, and was already miserable. I felt like an awful person.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. And I really was.

Faith came out of the shower a while later, after what seemed like forever in silence. Her face was red, half from nerves and half from her hot shower.

"We shouldn't have done this," were the first words she said. She probably regretted it before we even got on the train, but knowing there were other people who wanted to do it, she wouldn't have said anything. Eli nodded in agreement, while I just sat there. Did I even need to respond? I was regretting it too, but I couldn't say that.

Alex laid, fast asleep on the bed she was sharing with Faith, and I suddenly felt happy that she came with. After years and years of hating each other, we had finally grown together. I was proud of us. Of my new friend.

But I still didn't know what we were going to do here. What we were doing at all. I asked Eli and Faith.

"You think we have a plan, Hope?" Eli asked. "I'm here wondering why we're here at all, why I didn't try to stop you, and you want a plan?" I sighed.

"Eli..." I started. But I didn't have anything to say, really.

"What, Hope?" He sounded mad. Like he regretted coming, which was to be expected. But there was more in his tone. Like he regretted caring. Like he regretted loving me. It took everything to hold in my tears as I grabbed my coat and walked out of the room. As soon as I was out, I was bawling.

I walked outside. It was dark out, and freezing. There were clouds in the sky, and only a few stars to be seen. I sat on a bench, placing my head in my hands. I had fucked up. Bad. And ruined the best things in my life.

Just then, the sky opened up with a crack of thunder, and a burst of lightning. It began pouring, but I didn't move. I sat there, listening to the sounds of the rain drip on the pavement, hoping to get some answers. Hoping I would find us a way out of this. Wishing everything were simple, and we could magically get ourselves home before anything could happen.

It didn't. That was impossible. But what did happen? Eli came running out to find me. I ran into his arms.

A/N: I don't know why any of you are still here, no update in a month + and all I give you is 996 words? Either way, I love you guys. Thanks for sticking with me!