Family Is Found (Sequel to Running Towards Home)

CHAPTER 7

PONY'S POV:

I chased after Sam, but she had too much of a head start. I run as fast as I can, but I lose her. I have to find her. I have to. I need to explain what happened. I need to put things right. I love Sam, more than I've ever loved anyone else before. She means the world to me.

I search for hours, searching every alley way, shop, and bench in the mile radius of the Nightly Double. I can't find her anywhere. But I have to keep looking. She can't have gone too far. My mind starts to wander. What if she got jumped? What if she was taken by some socs? What if they hurt her? It would be all my fault. I have to find her.

SAM'S POV:

I look up, and Dally is standing above me. "What the hell do you think you're doing kid? What did you do to your arm?" He yells at me. He sits down next to me on the fountain's edge. I turn towards Dally, still crying. He hugs me, a rare show of affection from Dallas Winston.

"What happened, Sam?" he asks me. I start crying harder. "I-I went to meet Pony for our date at the Nightly Double. When I got there, I saw..." I pause, the memory hurting me. "I saw him kissing Cherry Valance." Dally has a sharp intake of breath. "I'm gonna kill that kid when he gets home." He says, growling.

"Listen, kid. Here's some advice. You wanna make him jealous. Find another guy, and kiss him in front of Pony." I stare at him. "That sounds like a terrible idea." I say. He glares at me. "Fine, don't take it. But you can't say I didn't try to help you," he says. He helps me up, and we start walking back to the house.

He walks me in the front door, and everyone stands up. "Sam, what happened, are you okay?" Soda asks, running over. "Yeah, I'm fine." I say, and turn away, not meeting his eyes. "No, she's not." Dally says. I give him a look that tells him to shut up, but he keeps talking.

"I was walking around, looking for a fight, and I found her at the park crying her eyes out. She was about to cut her wrists when I saw her and stopped her." Darry comes over, and leads me to the couch. Everyone is looking at me like I've gone crazy. I still have blood running down my arm, and I try to keep it from staining the couch. Soda comes back with the first aid kit.

Darry starts to clean the cuts on my arm, and he bandages them up.Then he looks at me, and I know I have to explain. I start crying again. "I was going to meet Pony for our date, and he was kissing Cherry Valance. I ran to the park, Dally found me, and gave me advice, and then brought me here." I explained. I start crying harder. "That damn kid, I'm gonna kill him." Darry says. "Whatever you do, don't take advice from Dally." Two jokes, but his heart isn't in it. Darry looks me in the eyes. "Why did you hurt yourself, kiddo?" he asks me.

"Cherry was right. She's been bullying me for months. I thought she was lying, but she told me the truth. He didn't love me. No one cares if I disappear." I say quietly. "I would care, Sam! We all would! Your family to us!" Soda yells. The gang also voices their agreement. "Think about how much we would have missed you, the pain we would have felt." Darry says. He holds my hands tight. "I never want you to feel unloved. I wish you would have told us you were feeling this way sooner," Darry says. I hug him.

"I was scared. I don't know why I did it." I feel the regret now. I was so close. The black pit inside of me is still there, but this time I won't let it get the best of me. I can't let it get the best of me. My mind was lying to me. I do have people who care about me, who love me, who would miss me if I was gone. And that is enough for me.