Beach Babe | The Outsiders | Johnny Cade

| Missing | 54 |

        I think it was another hour before Darry showed up. Before he did the nurse came in and gave me paperwork and took the tubes out of my arm. It took all my might to fill out those papers, I could barely even see the words.

      I had already finished them and was sitting with my eyes closed when I heard footsteps coming towards me. I stood up and eagerly waited for them to turn into my little area, my whole body shuddered and I thought I was going to pass out when I stood. It was Darry and Soda. They both had bloodshot, red eyes. They had clearly been crying. As soon as Soda saw me I collapsed into him. I was so terrified and really needed a familiar face. I started crying really hard, tears of fear and shock.  The crying hurt my throat and lungs terribly.

"Stacy, wh- what happened?" Soda stutters

I tried to talk but couldn't because of my sobs. Soda just rubbed my back as I sobbed into his shirt. When I finally regained the ability to breathe I pulled away.

"Bob and Randy and their crew tried to drown me and and Ponyboy and- and I just blacked out- and I don't know where they areee." I started sobbing again "I don't know where they are." I cry, my voice shaky and hoarse.

Darry rubs my back "It's okay, it's okay."

The nurse came back "You're the ones taking her home?" They nod "Alright. No alcohol. No non-prescription medication. No strenuous activity. No driving."

Darry nods "What happened?"

"She was drowned, the paramedics inserted a endotracheal tube until she could breathe on her own. Her nose was broken all the way through, a clean break. We put the bone back in place and some skin ripped so we bandaged that but other than that there wasn't anything to do for it. Just be very careful." She sighed "I'll prescribe some pain killers for her that can be picked up later today, what Pharmacy do you use?"

I didn't say anything because I don't have a pharmacy so Darry said one. I was so tired I was about to pass out standing there. My tears didn't cease. Some of the words I heard from earlier were starting to make some sense.

"C'mon love, wake up! Stacy please- please no no no no!" That was definitely Johnny.

"Johnny we've got to go. The police'll be here soon." That was Pony. Why did the police come? Who called them? No one in that neighborhood would've.

"We can't carry her. If the police find her they'll take her to the hospital and they wont think she did it. We have to go." Why is August with them? Did what?

I had no idea what happened after I blacked out. I'm worried sick. Why did the police get called? What was August talking about when he said 'they won't think she did it'? Did what? Where are they? This is the worst night of my life.

I both do and don't remember walking around and getting in Darry's truck. I remember it but like I don't.. almost like it was a dream. I do remember getting on their couch, I passed out the second I laid down.

      I woke up and the sun was just barely shining in the window. It was very early. I staggered to the bathroom and I looked absolutely terrible. The bruises under my eyes were 10x worse, my eyes were swollen, I had a giant bruise on my shoulder, and everything hurt. I carefully lifted my shirt and noticed a big bruise on my ribs on the left side, I moved my dad's pistol out of my waistband and set it on the counter, and there was a bruise in the shape of it where it was. What did those guys do to me?

      Because I'm stupid and still a little dopey from the stuff they gave me at the hospital I decided to peel off the bandage on my nose. The medical tape was directly on my bruises in some place and hurt like a bitch to take off. The bandage itself was caked it blood and crusty, I threw it away. I turned on the faucet and cupped my hands under the water and very very very gently brought my face to my hands. I tried to get most of the dried blood and makeup off my face while being as gentle as I can, I did accidentally press too hard on the side of nose and saw stars for a minute.

      After I cleaned my face I patted it dry with a towel and stuck my gun back into my jeans. I walked back out and sat on the couch, Darry was awake and making coffee. I was starting to remember why I was there, Socs jumped me, Pony, and Johnny, I ended up passing out and getting taken to the hospital, something else happened there too, Pony, Johnny, and August are missing. What the hell.

     Darry sat in his armchair and drank his coffee in silence, there wasn't anything to be said. Both our brothers were missing. I don't know how long we sat there in silence but it was awhile, I think. Since I woke up in the hospital everything has been wonky, certain things feel like dream, my memory is being weird, and I'm both tired and wide awake at the same time.

Two-Bit and Steve came rocketing in, each with today's newspaper. "Darry have you seen this yet?" Two-Bit hands him the paper "Oh hey Stacy- shit they really did a number on you, eh?" He says when he sees me

"You oughta see this too." Steve handed me his newspaper. My hearing faded and everything became muffled as I saw the paper.

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙹𝚄𝚅𝙴𝙽𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝙳𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝚄𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚁

Was written in big bold letters across the top, and under were pictures of Johnny, Ponyboy, and August. MURDER?

In the early hours this morning a group of olderboys approached a group of younger boys at a fountain, Bob Sheldon being at the center of it all. A fight broke out between the two groups and it ended with Bob Sheldon getting fatally stabbed and Mason Sarentino getting hospitalized. John Cade, Ponyboy Curtis, and August Greene are the ones police are looking for in relation to this crime.

Witness to the fight, Blaine Hardy, had this to say : "That small kid, Johnny I think, man, when Mason went after his girl he went nuts. He managed to fight all of us and went straight for Bob. August, that girls brother, also went crazy, he nearly killed Mason just with his bare hands. I ain't never seen a fourteen year old take down a nineteen year old before..." the girl in question, Stacy Greene, was knocked out before the murder took place, sources say. She was taken to the Emergency Room in the early hours of the morning due to nearly drowning during the fight, her lungs filled with water and she could not breathe on her own. Greene has since been released from the hospital. We have not had a chance to interview her at this point in time.

Cade, Curtis, and Greene are currently missing, believed to be heading to Texas. If you see anything call the Tulsa police department at. . . Do not approach, they are potentially dangerous. Cade is believed to be armed with a switchblade. They were last seen wearing. . .

The words replayed over and over and over in my head. Johnny killed Bob. August nearly killed some Mason guy. Pony ran away with them. They were all gone. My friend, my brother, my boyfriend. All gone. Apparently headed off to Texas.

Sodapop's voice broke through my thought. "Stacy?"

"Hm?"

I didn't look up but could feel him, and everyone actually, staring at me."You alright over there?"

"What? Yeah. I'm uh.. I'm fine. I just.. I.. what's the name of that pharmacy you said yesterday?" I look at Darry. He tells me. "Okay, cool. I'm uh.. I'm gonna go get those painkillers. I can't.. I don't.. I'm.. can someone drive me?" I stand.

"I will." Two-Bit volunteers "Are you sure you're okay?"

I have that overwhelming feeling of nothing. Everything almost feels like slow motion. Surely this is just a nightmare right? Right? August is at home asleep and Johnny is in the lot and Ponyboy is sleeping in. They aren't gone. But they are. And Bob is dead.

"Yeah.. can we just.. go?" Talking still hurt. They all looked at me with concern and pity, I was getting really tired of getting that look from people.

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TTPD is literally so good oml, if you've listened to it what's your favorite song so far?
Thanks for reading!!

Word count : 1481