The Softball diaries.

Slowly putting it together.

*~Nolee's Point of View~*

I slowly open my eyes to find myself staring at the ceiling. It looks vaguely familiar to me. Then, I noticed that it's the ceiling of the Curtis' house. I kind of forget how I got here...

Suddenly, a voice broke trough my thoughts. "Glad you okay, kid." It was Sodapop's voice. I lifted my head and saw him sitting at the other end of the couch. He smiled at me.

"Hi, Soda," I said smiling at him. He got up and came over to me. Soda bent down next to me and opened his arms up as an invitation for a hug.

I slowly sat up from the couch and hugged Soda. He held me tightly and I held him the same back. He whispered in my ear, "I don't think I could live without you, Nolee." I pulled back from the hug and widely smiled at him. "Can I ask you something crazy?"

I giggled at him. "Sure. I love crazy." He then pulled out a flower that he must have been hiding. Soda looked at it and sighed. He then looked me in the eyes. Dang, his eyes sure were gorgeous and sparkly.

He finally asked, smiling, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

My eyes widened and I grinned from ear to ear. I was speechless and I could barely say my answer. But finally, I replied back to his question. "Yes! YES! I will be your girlfriend!"

Soda handed me the beautiful rose with a huge smile on his face and gave me a big hug. I hugged him back without hesitation. After we pulled apart, Sodapop got up and said, "I'm gonna get something to eat. You want anything?" I shook my head no. He then left to the kitchen.

I laid down on the couch with happiness and peaceful quietness, thinking about my new relationship. This is one of the best days of my life. Then, the front door opened. I jumped in curiousness of who it was and turned to the door. Coming inside was Ponyboy and Darrel. They both seemed a little sad, but when Pony saw me, his eyes widened.

"Nolee," he sighed in joy. I grinned at him, trying to sit up. I could barely get up because I was still hurt.

"P-P-Pony!" I said, happy to see him yet struggling to talk in pain. He must have seen me trying to get up because he came over to me, bent down next to the couch I was on, and hugged me.

Ponyboy caressed my hair. "I didn't want you to be in pain, tryna get up from here. I respect that you need rest to recover." He then moves his head back and kisses my forehead. We grin at each other, but I have shocked face expression. Pony is like the brother I never had, he's there for me, even if I've know him a little amount of time. I don't like-like him the way Emma does.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Soda standing in the door. He's holding a big bowl of popcorn, with his jaw dropped, starring at his brother. Sodapop must be jealous of Ponyboy. He must've been because he immediately sets the bowl down, sprints over to me, and pushes his kid brother out the way. "Hey, hey, hey... Hands off, man," Soda says in a jealous tone.

Ponyboy laughs and raises his hands in the air like he surrenders. "I'm sorry for whatever I did."

"You know what you did, kid!" Soda says raising his voice. Ponyboy looks at him with a confused look. "You kissed my girlfriend!!"

I get frightened and cover my mouth with my hands. I've never heard Soda yell before. It scares me to see him like this. I'm on the verge of crying. I vaguely can see anything because of the tears welling up in my eyes. Ponyboy immediately notices I'm scared to death, about to cry because he widens his eyes and quickly sits next to me. "Don't cry, Nolee. You just gettin' me more worried."

Sodapop dilated his eyes and suddenly becomes worried. "Nolee... I... I'm sorry..."

Darry comes up behind Pony and whispers something in his ear. He then gets up and backs away from me. Soda comes running to me and gives me a giant, warm, strong hug. I'm on the couch, sitting with my new boyfriend, hugging for the first time that I'm sad. I love him so much.

"You feelin' okay, after that rumble, kid?" Darry asks me as he turns to head back to the front door and close it.

I nod my head. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for a-" I'm cut off by a yell that I recognize.

"Wait!" Someone's foot makes it just in time before the door closed. They open up the door, out of breath, looking around the room. It's Annie! She finally looks at me with joy and tears. "Nolee!" Annie opens her arms up to a hug for me to go into.

I widely smile and tears start to stream down my face as well. Sodapop lets me go to let me hug her. "Annie!" I shout back as I rapidly try to get off the couch. Suddenly, a striking pain hits me all over my body and I fall to the ground. "AH!" I yell as I fall.

Everyone's face is surprised and gasp all in sync. They all run over to me. Soda picks me up and says, "Nolee! Are you okay?!"

I painfully nod my head. "I-I... I feel... S-S-So much pain... What h-happened that I... F-Fell?"

Darry almost immediately yells, "Her cuts and scars!" From what I vaguely can see, they all look at Darrel, knowing he's correct. "We have to take her to the hospital quickly!" I wince in pain and hold my side.

Soda, as worried as he is, checks my side to see if anything is there. His eyes widen and stumbles over his words. He finally says, "Sh-She's losing blood!!" I slowly look over and see that my whole side is covered in blood. It's not dry because I reach over to it and my hand instantly is covered in red. Dark-blood red.

*

I'm lying down in the hospital room with Annie and Sodapop. Ponyboy and Darry sat in the waiting room. Or, at least that's what they said they were going to do. The doctor comes and we all look over to her.

"Hello, ladies and gentleman," she started. "The good news is that we stitched up your side and the cut should be healed and unseen in a few days."

Stitched my side? When did this happen? The doctors must have given me some medicine to help me fall asleep during the process. I don't remember anything after being in the car coming here. It must have been medicine that they used.

All three of us in the room smile, relieved that everything is okay. "You might need crutches sometime because the cut went down to your leg." Great. Just. GREAT. "You may leave the hospital at 6, once any of you check out." She smiles then exits the room.

"Thanks," we all say as she leaves with the door open. I look at the clock. It reads 5:15. I look at Sodapop and ask, "What do we do until 6?" He looks at the clock then back at me.

"We could visit Emma. She's probably a few rooms over." Annie and I nodded our heads in agreement.

I sat up and turned to the side of the hospital bed that Soda is on. He takes my hand and helps me stand up. Sodapop takes my arm and swings it over his shoulder. Annie comes from the other side of the room and does the same thing to me. As we head to the door, I've noticed that I'm limping. The doctor's right. I will need crutches at some point. Crutches... When I needed my side fixed... And it ends up to be my leg, too... Really? The good thing is that I'll have Soda, as my caring, thoughtful boyfriend, to help me around.

We all walk out the room and go down the hallway. We search each room until we find a sign that says "EMMA F". Annie opens the door and we head inside. Once we're in, we look up at Emma, laying on the bed. Suddenly, all our jaws drop and our faces turn as pale as a ghost.

Emma is laying on the bed with cuts everywhere on her body. She has more than I do. WAY more. The screen that shows her heartbeat speed is slowly beeping. This is the very first time I saw her since the rumble. I'm speechless. My best friend that I've always loved, is now in the ER room, slowly about to die.

"EMMA!!"

A/N

This great chapter was written by Nolee herself. She deserves all the credit for this one.