Back to You

Soon You'll Get Better

The last thing Erin remembered was the Soc's forcing her to drink. After that her memory became foggy. She does, however, remember receiving some punches and getting kicked. She had just woken up and her head was killing her. Whether it was from the booze or hitting her head against the wall, she didn't know. Matter of fact, she doesn't even remember hitting her head. All she knows know is this stinging pain on the back of her head.

She stood up. She had to prop herself against the wall to keep from falling. Her legs were shaky, her head was pounding, and she felt like she would lose her lunch. She had no idea how long she'd been here. But the sky was growing dark and it was freezing outside.

Her teeth chattered as she swayed back and forth. There was no way she would make it back to the Curtis house. No way! She can barely even stand, how was she going to make it back home? She wracked her brain for an answer. After awhile, she thought of one.

The DX was still open (or so she hoped; she was having a hard time remembering anything at the moment). It doesn't close until nine, so hopefully Soda or Steve was still there. They usually don't work late, but Erin had no clue what time it was so she was hoping it wasn't that late.

With step she felt like she would fall flat on her face. After what felt like an eternity of dragging her feet, she finally seen the DX sign flickering in the distance. She seen someone come out of the store but couldn't make out who they were. Not even the car they got in! She's seen it before, she knows it. But her mind was refusing to work.

"Sodapop!" She called, not knowing if it was actually him. "Steve!"

The yelling made the pain in her head worse. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it much longer. "Ugh! Go away, dang it!" She mumbled out of frustration. Her words were kind of slurred. It wouldn't take much for someone to realize she was drunk. She just wished she knew how much she was forced to drink. It couldn't be much, but, then again, she's never been drunk before.

"Erin?" She heard the voice say. She could see the hazy figure approach her. She felt sick. So sick. Her feet face out from under her, but as she was just about to hit the ground the person caught her. "Erin, what happened? Where—" He stopped. He stared down at her torn shirt and then the cuts and the small bruise on her face. "Who hurt you?!"

"S-Soc's...took me behind the school...made me drink."

She stared into his eyes. Sodapop's eyes. They were filled with worry. "They drugged you!?" He looked away mumbled something that Erin couldn't hear. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Come on, we got to get you home."

"Sooooda," She groaned. "I feel like I'm gonna puke."

"Oh, jeez." He lifted her up and she leaned against him to keep from falling. She was trying to keep herself from gagging, but after walking to the car that effort was pointless as she crouched over threw up in the grass.

Soda rubbed her back soothingly. Tears ran down Erin's face. Why am I crying? I don't want to cry. Erin's brain felt like mush. She could hardly process her thoughts. She had no clue how she was even able to remember Sodapop was working. In a way, she thought it was just dumb luck.

"Erin..." Sodapop started as he lifted her up. "Oh gosh, what is the gang going to say? Gosh...Johnny...that kids gonna be a mess when he gets a look at you."

Erin laughed again. The alcohol was now effecting her more. Or she just had random stuff to say now that she was with someone. She figured it was a combination of both. She wasn't this giddy before. "He'll be a cute mess."

"Erin! Ugh! I can't believe this."

Sodapop helped the stumbling Erin to the car and practically lifted her into the passenger seat. The ride home didn't consist of much talk, unless you count Sodapop having to slap Erin's hand away and tell her to quit messing with the radio. It only consisted of Erin laughing and telling Sodapop that he was funny.

Erin went from occasional happy spells to a grippy one when Sodapop had commanded her to stop, yelling that she was messing up the radio. She huffed and replied with: "I only wanted some music."

"Well let me handle the radio. You're pressing random buttons makes it mess up."

"I know how to work a radio. Gosh!"

Sodapop rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just trying to make sure both of us and my car get home in one piece."

That made her giggle as they pulled into the drive way of the Curtis house. As they parked, Erin opened the door and started to get out before Soda even did. Her feet hit the ground but her legs weren't quite ready to support her that quickly. She fell to her knees and Sodapop had to run to her side to lift her up.

"I got it, I got it!" She said after walking a few steps with Soda's support.

"Are you sure? Let me help you—"

Erin cut him off by shoving him away. She swayed back and forth as she walked up the porch steps, making Sodapop have to stand behind her, ready to catch her if she falls. She walked through the door with Soda still hesitantly following behind.

Johnny jumped up when she came stumbling through the door. He didn't notice anything was wrong. "There you are! I've been worried about you going off with..." That's when he noticed her messed up hair, the tear on her shirt, her reeling back and forth, and the smell that followed when she came in. "W-What happened—"

"Johnny, come here." Sodapop said, grabbing his jacket sleeve and dragging him into the kitchen.

"What happened to her?! Has she been drinking?"

"It wasn't her. It was the Soc's. She said they forced her to."

"They...they forced her to?" Johnny swallowed a lump in his throat. He knew not to trust them. He knew it! Now they have hurt her. Johnny thought back to what happened when he got jumped. They had done this to get to him. To break him.

And it worked.

Johnny clenched his fists together. He wanted so badly to hurt the Soc's who did this to her. To hurt Christiana and Bryson for using her. For acting all nice and innocent only to stab her in the back. He wanted to hurt Shawn for all the pain and torture he has put her through.

No one should ever do that to someone so sweet, so kind. To someone who deserves so much more than what she's getting. To an innocent girl who just wants everyone to get along. To someone who always good intentions even when it might not seem like it.

No one should hurt his angel.

Don't get mad. That's what the Soc's want. They want me to lose my cool, but I'm not going to have the satisfaction of letting them. Even if they won't know it.

Johnny let out a deep sigh before walking into the living room. He grabbed Erin by the hand as they walked into her bedroom. The whole house was dead silent at that point. Once Johnny and Erin we're out of earshot, Blanca was the first to speak. "What happened, Soda."

"Well...I'm not quite for sure..."

In Erin's room, Johnny pushed Erin down on the bed and pulled the covers over her. "Johnny...my head hurts."

"It's just from all booze. You'll feel better once you sleep."

"No. I think I hit it...or the Soc's did. Yeah! They made me hit it against the wall. I remember now!"

"They did?!"

Erin nodded. That made Johnny worry. He hoped she didn't have a concussion. He made Erin sit up so he could examine the back of her head. "Ow!" She cried when he touched it. He apologized and told her that she should be fine. That it was just a small knot.

"Just go to sleep, Angel. You'll feel better in the morning."