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

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I didn't want to get off the train. I sat against a wall, staring out, petrified and shaking as I watched the scenery. It started to get familiar, and I knew we would have to go soon. As soon as the train stopped, our plan was to run, before anyone saw us. 

"Hope, we gotta get off soon." I don't know who said it. 

"Hope." Someone shook me. My head spun, my mind and body both ached. I heard my parents voices, yelling at each other, at me. I imagined staying on the train, seeing where it took us. Where it took me. I envisioned my life with Eli one day, away from my mom and dad, away from home, away from everything. I had wanted to go home, I wasn't sure what happened.

"Hope?" Faith's voice, kneeling down next to me, brushing the hair out of my face.

"Is she okay?" Alex. 

"Hope?" The soft, sweet voice of my boyfriend, putting an arm around me. Soothingly, he whispered something in my ear. I'm not sure what it was. I felt my breathing get heavier.

"Hope, c'mon baby," he said, rubbing my back. I felt frozen, but still let him guide me to stand up. He held my hand as we walked towards the wide open door. I shivered, and he tightened his grip on my hand. I felt the train slow. 

"Almost ready to get off, babygirl. You're okay." I wondered if he knew what was happening, because I sure didn't. Life seemed to be a blur, everything was off. Something was wrong. I don't know how long it was before the train stopped, but next I knew, we were off. I tried to take a breath, I tried to clear my head. I couldn't pay attention to anything, with so many thoughts going through my mind. Everything looked familiar, but I couldn't place where we were, until we got towards mine and Faith's street. I heard none of their conversation, and it didn't process until this moment, it seemed, that we were headed back where we were.

"H-home." I whispered. I felt like I was going crazy, it was the only word I could get out.

"Yeah, home..." Faith said, and I saw her look longingly at her own house, as we all walked across the street towards mine. Alex hugged us all, said she was going to head home too. Faith wished her luck, told her she'd see her soon. I said nothing.

Faith opened the door to my house first. She walked in, and Eli and I followed. Everything was silent, and I didn't have a clue as to what time it was. I saw my parents sitting at the kitchen table in front of us, my mom holding Ponyboy's hand, resting her head on them, intertwined. I hoped she wasn't crying. 

"Two-Bit said he and Marcia would go this weekend, if they're not back yet," Ponyboy said. 

"I just don't understand it..." My Uncle Sodapop said, sadly, sitting across from them, with Emily next to them. Nora and Johnny, their twins, played quietly together on the couch, but even they seemed sad. The four heads at the table turned quickly at the noise of the door opening. 

Four gasps, the sound of four tiny feet pitter pattering across the hardwood floor as they ran into Faith's arms, a sob from my mother, were all there was to be heard. 

"It was supposed to be a good time," I thought to myself. "It was supposed to make things better... I just wanted to get away." I said nothing aloud, no one did. Faith was on the ground, laughing, her two siblings in her arms. She looked like she never wanted to let go. She was smiling so hard there was tears streaming down her face.

"I missed you guys so much," she said, ruffling Johnny's hair. She ran her hand through Nora's long brown hair, fixing her crooked glasses for her.

"Where were you, sissy?" Nora asked her. Our parents, still staring at us, looked more intently. Faith didn't answer, and Emily echoed her daughter.

"Yeah, where were you guys?"

"We were worried sick," Ponyboy added.

"I'm so glad my girls are home," Soda said. My mom let out another sob. No one moved from the table, and none of us got any closer to them. It was quiet except from the quiet words and giggles from my cousins. Eli pushed me towards my family.

"Go over to them," he whispered. I was frozen in place, though. So were they, it seemed, until Johnny and Nora got bored of hugging Faith, and went back to their spot on the couch. When they did that, my uncle Soda took it as his chance to get up and come over to us. He didn't ask Faith where we'd been as he squeezed her, kissed her cheeks, looked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt. I could see her narrowly holding back tears, and I felt about the same just watching it. My parents hadn't come to hug me yet.

I ran to my dad. I ran to hug Ponyboy. 

A/N: So close to the end... anyone still reading?