guarding my angel || "guardian angel" sequel

17

**Ponyboy's POV**

"Johnny, where the hell are my converse?!" Victoria yells from the other side of the room. I hear Jess giggle at how irritated she sounded.

"Babe, they're on the counter, I already told you," Johnny replies. I laugh with Jess and they both shoot us looks, making us shut up.

We're packing up to leave the house, and as much as I want to go home and celebrate Christmas Eve tomorrow, I love it here. Maybe Jess and I can come back soon.

**Darry's POV**

Everyone seems to think that they can take as long as they please before getting all the way packed up, but that is not true.

Lauren and I are finishing cleaning up the house because our stuff is already in the car. Everyone else is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, but what's new?

"We could just leave, I mean it's not like they'll notice," Lauren says and leans up against me.

"No, because nothing will get done if we go," I say, kissing the top of her head. "Oh, and honey, did you um, you know, ever take that-"

"Sorry Dar, it was a no," she says with a sad expression.

"Oh. Well, that's okay, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," I say, getting a little upset. I was so thinking that this would be the time, but I guess we'll just have to wait.

For the remainder of the morning, we pack everything into the cars we take. Alex and Dally leave first because they're going to spend an extra day together at a motel just a few hours away. They leave Aliyah with us, meaning they really plan on getting down to business, if you know what I mean.

After everyone else takes off too, Lauren and I make sure that the house is cleaned up just the way it should be. Then, we leave too.

**Bailey's POV**

I thought staying home from the annual gang trip would make me feel a little better, but I've actually never felt worse.

I feel so alone right now, not just because I'm in Tulsa alone, but because of everything. Two-Bit is gone and I haven't heard from him since that first letter he sent, Dally is gone, and basically, I'm gone too. I'm no longer the happy twin sister of Johnny who's smiling all the time, I can't seem to think any positive or happy thoughts anymore.

Even though there is a beautiful child that is growing inside of me, I've never felt further from another person. I feel like no one could understand what is going on, and I don't know how to make someone understand because this is such an impossible situation.

I mean, how am I supposed to tell someone that I'm scared the person who told me to kill my own child is dead and that I'll never see him again?

It just doesn't sound right.

At least I get to celebrate Christmas with the gang. It's been forever since I've spent time with them. I've been pretty distant since Two-Bit left, just because so much happened in such a short amount of time - I found out I was pregnant, Two-Bit told me to get rid of it, and then he was gone within the span of like 2 weeks. It was just such a blur, and I wasn't ready for any of it.