medicine. dallas winston - the outsiders

15

THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER ;
_________________________

As soon as I arrived home that day I was totally expecting the worse. I was having weird flashes of memories of my mother in my head as I walked home. I left everyone behind and refused to let them tag along. Now, I know it had to have been the concussion playing in, but I really was not in my right mind.

When Miranda saw me I expected her to be angry, to hurt me, just like my mother. But, she didn't. She was very sympathetic, and though she did not like it, she understood what happened for once. She did not make me go to school for the rest of the week and part of the next, she wanted me to get better and that was nice for a change. I really liked having someone, like a mother figure, take care of me in that way.

Those few days was sort of a blur to me. When the concussion wasn't as bad I decided I would like to see Dallas again. I really had missed him. But, Miranda gave me the choice to go to school, and I took her up on the offer.

Arriving at school felt weird. It felt like I had been gone for ages. I didn't miss the place, really, I just missed the connection to people my age. I hated being cooped up, I always have.

Ponyboy greeted me with a hug. It was nice, but it took me off guard. "H-Hey, Pony.." I whispered.

"Do you hate us?" Ponyboy pulled away from me, he looked past me worriedly, and Two-Bit came up behind me shortly after. I looked up at the both of them and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Look who finally showed up!" Two-Bit muttered, smiling, but he seemed a little off.

"Hate you?" I whispered, looking up at Ponyboy again. "No..Why would I?"

"You left us!" Two-Bit exclaimed.

"No I didn't. I had to get better.."

I felt guilty. But, then again I didn't. I do not know why.

"Dallas really misses you." Ponyboy frowned. He looked up at Two-Bit who was agreeing.

"He'd never admit it but you really make him act different. Like, happier?" Two-Bit clearly didn't know how to word what he was trying to say. But, somehow, I understood.

I thought for a moment about what I was thinking about most in my recovery. I felt like Dallas and I just needed to sit down and have a real good talk. We'd both benefit from it.

"Well, cmon. Let's go to class. You gotta come see Dal tonight, though.."

I really wanted to.

________________

Walking out of the school building, I could not find Two-Bit or Ponyboy anywhere. They were nowhere to be seen. Usually one of them would wait up for me. Two-Bit, if his car was runnin' good, he'd give us a lift, but normally they'd wait to walk home with me, on account of Darry's strict orders. Maybe they forgot me because I ain't been around much lately. I don't know, but, I really wish they was around. I wanted to see Dallas as soon as possible.

I began walking out of the schools parking lot and onto the road. I was tired of waiting on my buddies, and the hot sun was taking a toll on me. I still felt weak after being in bed for those few days. I was real tired from having to play catch up that day in school, too.

I walked a little ways until I was stopped by a group of girls. Immediately it was obvious they were Socs. I cringed. Not in fear.

"What d'ya want?" I muttered, tightening my grip on the strap of my book bag. After spending so much time with the boys, I learned how to act real tuff. I was good at lookin' the part, whether I felt that way or not. Ponyboy said he even wouldn't want to mess with me. But, I still think he was just saying that..

"Just to talk to ya." One of the girls smiled at me. She had red hair and was about my height, so, she was tall.

"About what?" I rose my eyebrow at her. The girls around her smiled, too.

"Come over to the gazebo and talk to us!" A girl with short, black, hair said.

"I'd rather not."

"Well, okay." The red head spoke again. Her smile began to fade. "You look a lot like your momma.."

Now I knew. My racing heart suddenly dropped low into my stomach. I stared at the girls waiting.

"How can a girl that had such a high class mother, a celebrity, be a..a.."

"A Greaser?" I finally said it.

"Yeah." Red head frowned. "She'd be disappointed in you."

My hands began to shake. I remembered vaguely a night during the Summer, when my mother had a man over. He was just a friend, she'd say. He meant no harm.

"Shut up." I muttered, closing my eyes for a second.

"You're mother was so good and you're not!"

"She was not good." I said softly. My eyes got real glassy, I could barely see.

I ran past the girls, and I didn't stop until I made it back into the neighborhood. That's where I seen Ponyboy and Two-Bit standing out in the Curtis' yard.

I gasped for air, but couldn't get any. I was panicking. And from running, it was worse.

"Rose? Rosie?" Ponyboy came to me fast. He grabbed my arms to keep me from falling over. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I-I c-can't do this. I can't breathe!"

Fear crossed him and Two-Bit's faces. They both got me inside as soon as they could.

I was spouting off about my mother and thinking about it now they had to be all kinds of confused. But, I was really upset.

"Darry!" Ponyboy yelled from the living room. I sat down on the couch and covered my face with my hands, then tugged on my hair roughly.

Darry came in within a few seconds. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What in the— Rosie? What's goin' on?"

He came over and crouched down right in front of me. His fatherly instincts with Sodapop and Ponyboy must have been kicking in. Sodapop. He'd sure be talkin' real soft and slow right now. Steve would be trying to crack jokes to make me laugh. I don't know why all this was going through my head. I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was going to die.

"She can't breathe, Dar." Two-Bit said, with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah..Rosie, you're havin' a panic attack." Darry sighed, grabbing my hands so I would quit pulling my hair out.

I was wheezing and couldn't get a word out. They all looked so worried. Darry was trying his hardest to get me to take deep breathes.

I finally sputtered out, "D-Dally. I w-want Dally!"