Annabelle's Daisys.

Chapter 9

With an awful throbbing in my leg, I rolled over, stretching away my sleep. I looked at the clock across the room through my eyelashes and groaned internally. 9'o'clock, on a Saturday for chrissakes! I rolled over, my ear pricking, searching for the sounds of the Martin house on weekend mornings.

Nothing. No loud guffaws from some dirty joke or story, no cursing, no smell of pancakes coming up the steps... I sat up, my body rod-straight. I slipped out of my bed, and moved mechanically, like a sleepwalker, downstairs to see almost every eye in the room on me and then look as quickly away as they had found me. "What's up, guys?" If I hadn't heard my voice, I'd have hardly known I opened my mouth.

Dallas' jaw tightened, Soda looked up with red-rimmed eyes, Darry stood with his back to me, pacing, Steve glared at me like I was the Virgin Mary, and Noah... He was the one who kept looking at me. Before I could register anything, Two-bit had walked into the room, and had his arms around me, crushing me to his chest, and went over to the couch. A cascade of tears ran down his face in a waterfall. His eyes were bloodshot red, ringed with the pink of outpouring tear ducts. He spoke quickly. "Last night, Pony, Johnny, and Dallas went to the Drive-In, and they were trying to pick up some Socy girls.... One got all hacked off when Dally wouldn't lay off- and he left. Me and Pony and Johnny walked the girls home, and- and- they're boyfriends found out!" Two-Bit broke down, his head in his hands. "If I woulda stayed..."

"The Socs jumped Ponyboy and Johnny... So the boys defended themselves." Steve muttered darkly,

"His switch-blade-" I gasped. "Where are they?!"

"Johnny killed a kid, Annie!" Darry shouted, punching the doorframe. "They're on the run! Every cop in town is after them."

"They're headed for Texas, at least that's what Dallas said."

I looked from one face to the other. I stood in front of Dallas, my mouth partly open, eyes wide. He stood, and looked blankly back at me.

"Anabelle-"

I launched myself over the coffee table and at Dallas Winston. I knocked him to the ground, and while on top of him I punched and scratched every part of him I could.

"YOU-FILTHY-HOOD!"

"Ouch! What in the hell?! GET HER OFF OF ME! Ow!" He had put up a hand to cover his face; I bit down hard, and tasted blood. Strong arms looped around my waist, and I fought with all I had and won. I got a few good punches in before Darry pulled me off with all his brute strength. He pulled me to his chest, and thats when I collapsed and everything went black.

I came to in my bed, in the wee hours of the next morning, Two-Bit sitting next to me in the old rocking chair, holding my hand. I was hot, and sweating up a storm and there was a wet rag laying next to me on the pillow.

"Keith... Is something bad going on?"

"Hush, baby," He whispered.

I opened my eyes and found his in the dim light. "Am I sick?"

"Yes, no g'on back to sleep."

"You won't go anywhere?"

"Nah." He smiled weakly. "Who else is gonna make sure to kick you if you snore?"

I rolled back on my side, and drifted.