Stronger with You

Time To Be Serious

Two-Bit
July 14, 1965

I couldn't handle another funeral so we never ended up having on for Peyton. My last memory of her was that she died in my arms, I didn't need to see her in that casket. I couldn't afford the funeral either, with the house and when we went out for groceries, there wasn't enough left over.

Things had been looking so good for us, we found a place to live, things weren't awful with Frank, Ellie and Michael, oh shit that was a call I still had to make.

I hadn't let my house since the rumble, I hadn't had any human contact since. The gang had been slipping in and leaving me cakes while I was sleeping.

I rolled out of bed, forcing myself to make that call to Frank, it had been five days. I didn't mean to not call them, but he wasn't in our life for year's so it really hadn't crossed my mind.

"Hello?"

"Hey Frank, I have some really bad news," I bit my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry, "Five days ago we had a rumble, a fight and something really bad happened."

"What happened, son? Are you and Peyton alright?" I heard Ellie in the background asking what was going on.

A sob caught itself in my throat, as my mouth and eyes started to burn, "No, Peyton she-" The sob escaped my mouth and even more followed. The tears broke out of my tear ducts, nothing was stopping them.

"Keith? Ellie, go get the keys and Michael we need to head to Tulsa. Keith we will be there as soon as we can okay. Stay at your house."

I managed to say okay before I fell to the ground. My entire body hurt, even curled up into a ball. Nothing was stopping the stabbing I felt in my heart.

I wasn't sure how long I had been on the floor, but my dad, Ellie and Michael were coming inside calling out mine and Peyton's name.

"Keith! Oh dear, what happened?" Ellie sat down beside me, helping me to where I was sitting against the wall.

I took in a shaky breath, "There's this Soc his name is Chad Wilson, h-he raped Peyton a few months ago." I clenched my eyes shut, the words felt vile, "and at this fight he brought a knife." I looked down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

The only sound you could hear in the house was my shaky breathing. Ellie was rubbing my back trying to calm me down.

"She's dead isn't she." Michael said flatly. My heart slammed against my chest as I nodded, ashamed of myself.

When I finally forced myself to look up, Michael was sitting on the couch crying. Frank was standing in front of the door rubbing his face. Ellie stayed beside me, comforting me.

"Why didn't you call when it happened? We could've had a funeral." Frank whispered.

"Not that I despise you guys, but you just didn't cross my mind, and Peyton wouldn't have wanted a funeral, she says they just force people to lie. That once a person dies people remember them for what they weren't."

Frank nodded, "Did you have enough for a casket and spot at the cemetery?"

"Yeah, I did."

After a few hours, the three decided they were going to get a place in town to be closer to me. I tried telling them it was fine, don't uproot Michael, but it was no use. Secretly I wasn't too upset I wanted them to be close.

It was around 7 o'clock. I heard Darry opening his truck door, but other than that the house was quiet.

I sighed, rubbing my face. I needed a shower and I need to go over to see my friends.