High on Life | Johnny Cade | The Outsiders

Chapter 8 | After you left

New York, The Morning After Dally Left

I woke up to the sound of my dad cursing loudly. Did he and Dally get in a fight again? I got out of bed and went to check. 

I opened the door to find my dad angrily pacing, no Dally in sight. Dad stomped towards me and grabbed my arm.

"Where is your brother?!" He spat in my face.

"I-I don't know. I came out to look for him." I answered with fear in my voice. He looked at me dead in the eyes to see if I was lying. He then practically threw me against the wall, causing me to hit my head.

My head began spinning and my ears rang. My mind turned foggy and I couldn't think straight. He then threw a glass beer bottle at me, causing it to shatter.

The only thing going through my mind was leave and get out of here. So I put my hands on the ground to support my weight as I got up, causing a shard of glass to stab my hand. It was stuck, but I wanted to go. I wasn't thinking about it too much. 

I touched the back of my head where it hit the wall to see if I could feel a bump, but I instead felt warm liquid. I looked at my hand, but it looked fuzzy. There was red...blood.

I kept going, but I couldn't go much longer, so I tried my best to get to Eric's house. The bright light from the sun and the city sounds were hurting my head, but I didn't know what else to do.

I made it to Eric's house. I got up to the porch steps. I was growing dizzier and dizzier. I knocked on his front door, fighting against my mind to stay awake. He opened the door and that was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

"Ava!"

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Present Day, Tulsa Oklahoma, The Curtis Residence

We were all standing awkwardly in the room, not saying anything. I was still reading through the newspaper to see what else there was. I could feel the tension in the room.

Everyone started to sit down and make themselves comfortable. I felt awkward standing around, but I don't want to sit either.

"Come sit down, Ava." Pony said, gesturing towards the seat on the couch next to Johnny. I nodded.

I sat down and kept looking at the newspaper, apparently the police interviewed my dad.

"I never thought my daughter would do such a thing, but lately she's been so different. I am sad to admit that I think she did this." 

I rolled my eyes. Of course he would say that. He wanted me gone anyway. He didn't care how. He knows I ran away, but he doesn't want me to come back

Nobody else was interviewed, at least for what they put in the paper. They are really fighting hard to find me. I guess that's what happens when your brother messes around in gangs a lot and now you have a tough reputation.

"So, how was everything when I left?" Dally asked. Not the time, but okay.

"A fucking nightmare." I rolled my eyes. He gave me a look as if telling me to go on.

"Dad blamed me." Was all I said, I didn't want to say anything else with Johnny and Ponyboy in here with us.

Dally had guilt in his eyes, but he did his best not to show it. He knew exactly what I was getting at. I don't want him to feel bad, but at the same time, I kind of wanted him to. He left me and I was so hurt.

My mind is everywhere. I'm glad I found him, but at the same time, I'm so hurt that he left me without saying a word that I wanted him to feel the same pain I did. I'm too weak to make him feel that pain.