Reunited | Dally's Little Sister

forty one

Ch 41

Sodapop P.O.V.

Everyone ran off in different directions. If anyone saw us, you would think we were getting chased by a wild beast with the way we were acting. I ran just for the sake of running at first, but then I stopped to think about where Sage would go. She wouldn't want to be around people and most likely wouldn't want to be found by her brother. My mind thought of either down by the railroad tracks or somewhere by the river.

Then it clicked. When we were younger the group of us would always go down to the river to hang out. But there was this bridge that crossed over it. One time Sage went to jump off it after Steve said she would be too chicken to do it. Luckily Darry was watching and grabbed her before she flung herself over. Man, he yelled at us something fierce that day saying a jump like that would kill us. As much as it pained me to think Sage would do something like that, I don't know how clearly she is thinking.

Sure enough, I saw a slumped over figure sitting with their legs hanging over the edge. As I got closer, I could see that she had been crying. Her hair was a mess from probably running her hands through it. It was a nervous habit of hers that she never seemed to shake. She was staring off in front of her, lost in whatever thoughts were going through her head.

I was trying to be as quiet as I could, but an old board gave me away when I stepped on it and a creaking noise filled the air. Her head whipped over to me, and I saw her whole-body tense as she saw me nearing her. She shot up and her eyes were darting every different direction.

Sage Winston looked like an injured animal trying to find a way out of here and nothing has ever pained me as bad as this. I held up my hands and stopped walking. There were about five long strides between the two of us, but to me it seemed like half a football field.

"Baby girl, I just want to talk." Her eyes met mine and for a second, she stopped. "We don't have to go back if you don't want to, but I want to help. We can sit back where you were, and you can tell me to leave at any time."

It took her a minute to give me an answer, but when she nodded her head, I slowly went and sat down where she was a few minutes ago. I waited as she came to sit down next to me and sat in silence until she said something.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." I looked over at her and saw that faraway look in her eyes again. "I had a plan. She wasn't supposed to do this alone."

I was afraid to ask what she meant, but I already had a pretty good idea. "Does this have to do with the apology you gave me?"

I saw her take in a deep breath and nod her head. "We were going to come clean and say it was us that killed their friends. I was tired of others getting hurt because of me. But I didn't get a chance to tell her." She shook her head and started playing with her hands. "It's my fault."

I grabbed one of her hands and squeezed, "None of this is your fault. She made her decisions, and you can't put that on yourself." I paused to see if she would say anything, but when she didn't, I asked, "What happened this morning?"

I watched her shiver some and put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side. "I went over there to talk to her about the idea I had to get the heat off all of you. I walked into the bathroom, and she was on the floor. God, the smell was something I hope to never have to come across again. But I thought she was just sleeping from drinking too much the night before. I didn't think it was anything bad until I saw the pill bottle. Her face is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. It was so pale and lifeless. Nothing like I have ever seen before. But I couldn't stay there, so I ran."