1965//Ponyboy Curtis

Waterfalls

A/n: Before the chapter starts I wanna thank you guys, the readers, for 1K on this fanfic!! I have been waiting for this to come while watching the numbers kept increasing. Your comments make my day and I'm thankful for your votes. I know this won't get to a million, but a thousand it's good enough for me. Now...start the chapter children!

Riona's POV
"There you go. Your hair is all done." Gloria set down her curling iron and went to go get the hairspray. Blankly, I stare at my reflection with depression written all over it. I may look pretty, but I sure as hell don't feel a smile coming on anytime soon. I hear her spray the stuff on my hair and lifts my hair to get under too.

"Jesus Christ, Riona, can you at least try to smile. It's been three days since his death and you've been nothing, but a mess. You are making a little speech at his funeral today. Your shit has to get pulled together. And no crying because you've also been doing that for three days." I finally look up at Gloria with the same face I've had on all day. Her hands are on her hips and her eyebrows are raised at me.

"Well...I'll try my best, I guess. It's not that easy to not cry at the memory of my boyfriend getting shot in my arms. It's not just sad, its traumatizing. He was literally slowly dying in my damn arms." I clench my jaw and close my eyes. I don't wanna cry again. All of us has been crying to much to the point our tears could be a waterfall if put together. Gloria sits next to me and takes my hand.

"By now I would've either been awkward with your sadness or try to make you laugh, but then turn away if you rejected my awesome jokes. But I'm feeling the same just a little bit less than you, of course. Riona, I know you can march in that funeral like the soldier you are and show that there is still peace and love going around. Go in like a soldier, share the love like a hippie." Gloria finally got me to actually smile and got me to mean it. I pull her into a hug and whispered a thank you.

"Now, I suggest you get your ass up and come with me to get the gang." I chuckle and walk out her house to her car. It's baby blue and beautiful. Brand new and it suits her too.

The radio was on low with Bob Dylan playing and it's a sad quiet yet peaceful. I'm so dazed out that I couldn't hear Gloria's voice calling my name.

"Hm? Yeah?"

"You good? You're just staring out at the houses with a blank face and I got a little worried."

"I'm just thinking." Yeah, thinking with a blank brain.

We pull up to the Curtis house and all of them were coming out. Well, almost all of them.

"Hey girls." Darry said in a trying happy voice. He doesn't need to try to have a happy face for us. His little brother just died, Darry can be sad all he wants. So can Sodapop.

"On a brighter note, you all look handsome." They gave their sad smiles towards Gloria who was trying to makes things better.

Darry, Sodapop, and Steve went in Darry's truck. Two-bit, Dally, and Johnny went in the back seat of Gloria's car. The boys went in, but before Johnny did he gave me a tight hug. I let myself melt in his arms.

"Ponyboy would want you to stay strong."

"I'm trying here, but it's really hard." He wipes away my fallen tear and kisses my cheek. I hop in the passenger seat with a hard face.

"Y'all ready?"

-=-=-=-=-

Hands together in front of our bodies. Everyone dressed in black with our heads hung low. All faces with frowns upon them. Even the flowers put on his coffin seem dead. The gang was all next to each other, oldest from youngest. It wasn't even meant to be in that order either.