The Outsiders II

Chapter Eight

A week later on a Friday evening while Maggie was out running some errands for Soda and Darry, a worker came by.
"Are you Ponyboy Curtis?" She said
"Yes." I responded.
"Well is Darrel here?" She eyed me.
"No." I said.
"Well, I might as well just talk to you then." She shrugged. "I was going through Magnolia's file, and apparently she has a record with social services."
I gagged on my spit.
"What?" I said.
"She was put in the custody of her brother after her parents went missing. Even before then her parents had a record for drug possession." The woman said.
"So what's the file say after her parents split?" I asked.
"Domestic abuse. She's got a couple of criminal records for theft and assault. But other than her record, her family record says there's verbal, physical and possibly——" I cut her off before she could finish.
"Okay, please don't say anymore." I pleaded. "I'll be sure to pass this on to my brother. Have a good day."

I shut the door as the woman left. About a half an hour later, Maggie came back.
"Hey, Pony." She said, opening the door
"Hey, Mag." I said. "You know, there's a rumble tonight." I said.
"Really?" Magnolia perked up.
"I'm gonna kill him." I eyed her. "I'm gonna bring a switch or something and kill him."
"Pony?"
"Maggie, did he ever touch you?" I said.
"What to you mean?" She looked upset.
"Did....did he ever try to get with you?" I raised my voice a little bit.
"No! Why would you think that?" She rose her voice.
"Because there's a record and they think he..." my words trailed off.
"No. Yeah, he clobbered me around but he never did that." She said.
"Are you sure?" I said.
"Yes." She nodded. "Ponyboy, I've never had any kind of experience with a guy let alone him." She wiped a tear from my face.
"You're the only one who I've been with." She kissed me.

That night Maggie and me were at the local park. We were just talking and that kinda thing, when we saw about three large silhouettes coming toward us. I reached for my switch, Maggie did too.

Maggie had a good looking blade. A birthday gift from Dally. The blade was about five inches long and razor sharp, and the handle was this sparkly and shimmery and glittery ruby color. It was real good looking.

"Curtis!" One of them yelled.
"What do you want?" I yelled back.
"We want to talk."
"Don't, Pony. I have a mighty bad feelin' about them." Maggie tugged on my arm.
"Just stay here." I said, slipping from her grasp and walking up to the guys, I could see their features in the moonlight. They were smiling dangerously.
"We want to solve things once and for all. We want to get in that old lot.The girl surrenders to Mick and nobody gets hurt." the tallest said.
"Over my dead body!" I hollered back.
"If you insist...Mickey sends his regards." the tall guy snickered.
Within seconds, an excruciating pain shot through my body. I screamed with agony out into the night, as I dropped to my knees. A dark mass was growing from my stomach, and shocks of unbearable pain ripped through my veins. I heard Maggie. She sounded fuzzy.
"No!" she screamed out into the darkness as I collapsed onto the pavement. "No please! No! Ponyboy!" I felt myself struggling to see, to hear, to breathe. I could taste something metal, coming up from my throat. I went out, and by the time I came around, the socs were gone, and Maggie was holding me, sobbing.
"M-M-Maggie..." I said weakly. I realized her hand was pushing onto the fresh wound and I yelled out in pain.
"I know, baby...I know...I know it hurts. It'll be okay. You're going to be okay." she stroked my hair and looked into my eyes. I started weeping.
"I'm so...sorry...Mag..." I coughed.
"Shhh...it's okay..." her voice broke.

"Darry! Darry! Soda! Help! Anyone!" I heard her yell.
"Leave me...find...Darry..." I said weakly.
"No! You'll die...you'll bleed out...I can't....I can't leave you..."
I reached up and caressed her cheek. A smear of dark coated her face. My breathing became incredibly raspy and slow as I felt tiredness come over me.
"Pony...please...don't leave me...I can't...I can't do this without you. I can't be here without you. I already lost Dally. Not you too...please...stay with me..." she sobbed.
She stroked my hair softly and wiped away a tear I'd shed. She kissed the top of my head.
"I'm happy I came home....I'm happy I came back to Tulsa..." she whispered. "You were right. It was the best thing I ever did. Being with you was the best thing I ever did. Oh Ponyboy, I love you so much...I love you so much..." her voice cracked as her tears fell onto my blood stained hoodie.