Anywhere But Here || The Outsiders {COMPLETED}

Broken Pieces

Dallas and I watched them, shouting for them to come back. It was too late, they had already broken the door down and disappeared into the flames.

I tried to get out to follow them but Dallas grabbed my arm quickly and pulled me back into the car.

Dallas gave me a stern look "What do you think you're doing? You tryna get yourself killed Ronnie?"

I began to panic, I didn't want Johnny or Ponyboy to get hurt, I couldn't stand to see that.

"C'mon Dal we have to help them!" I pulled my arm away from his grip and went to open the car door once again.

Dallas didn't even react when I looked back at him, he looked completely hypnotised by something, I tore my gaze from him to whatever he was looking at.

I understood why he was so unresponsive, smoke was now flooding from every tiny crack of the church.

"Stay here. I'm going to help them."   Dallas' car door swung open and he was soon running towards the door of the church that Johnny and Ponyboy had previously broken down.

I couldn't just sit there and watch my friends burning inside of the old church I knew I had to step in and do something to help.

I fumbled with the handle of the door and rapidly followed Dallas to the door of the church.

"I told you to stay there Veronica. What are you doing?" He asked me angrily.

"I can't just sit there and watch, my friends are in there!" Without another word from either of us, I pushed my way through the door and began my attempt to find Johnny and Ponyboy.

The smoke and heat instantly hit my face as I walked in. I could hear the children screaming from the far room so I made my way over. I soon found Johnny and Ponyboy, Who are helping children climb out of the window to get out of the fire. Both of their faces were black from the fire and Johnny's arm seemed to look pretty burnt.

I ran over to them and started handing children over to help them out the window, the were only a few left, we were able to get them all out safely with a minimal damage to the children.

We could hear Dallas shouting from outside, he soon got to the window next to us and began dragging Ponyboy out. As soon as he was out in the fresh air he collapsed onto the grass.

"What are you doing in here Ronnie, get out quick! Before you get hurt." Johnny tried to push me towards the door and he followed closely behind me. We were both coughing in desperate need of some fresh air.

Dallas began shouting at the window again but Johnny and I didn't look back, we were trying to get to the door as fast as possible.

Dallas continued "Come back! It ain't safe, the roof-"

Before Dallas had the chance to finish calling us back, One of the pillars holding up the ceiling collapsed onto Johnny.

I screamed for Dallas to come and help and before I knew it he I jumped through the window and was helping Johnny up from under the pillar. I helped him drag Johnny out of the window.

Everything went black and the next thing I knew I was in the back of an ambulance on the bed next to Ponyboy, Who was sat up beside me holding my hand. I looked up at him to see his face still black from the fire.

"Veronica?!" He squeezed my hand.

I could barely speak but I managed to give him a short reply
"Hey Ponyboy."

"How are you feeling?"

"..I'm okay. Are you?" I coughed.

"I'm okay, just got a bit dizzy earlier that's it."

"Where's Johnny and Dal?"

"They're in an ambulance behind us."

I nodded knowingly not being able to think of a reply fast enough. I shut my eyes until we arrived at the hospital.

I woke up still lying on the bed but now in a hospital room. Nobody was in the room with me I was completely alone, I wondered how Johnny and Dallas were doing and where Ponyboy was.

When I began to properly wake up a middle aged nurse walked in and asked me how I was.

"I'm feeling okay."

"Well, you can go for a walk if you'd like, if you're feeling okay."

I cautiously got from my bed and left the room. I made my way down the hall, I looked into a few of the rooms to look for one of the boys. In one of the rooms further down the hall I could see Ponyboy sat next to Dallas who just laying in the bed next to him.

I quietly knocked on the door, Ponyboy soon looked up to where I was standing and motioned me to come in.

"Hey Dallas, are you okay."

He looked at me angrily. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again I'll kill you Veronica, you know that right?"

Ponyboy chimed in. "Don't be so hard on her Dal! She was only trying to help."

"Whatever." Dallas laid back down and turned his back to us.

I looked at Ponyboy. "So how's Johnny doing?" I asked nervously.

"Not too good, we can go see him if you want." Ponyboy shrugged.

"Sure, let's go."

I let Ponyboy exit the room first, I walked down the hall after him. We entered a small room at the end of the hall. Ponyboy sat on the chair next to the bed and I stood next to him.

Johnny was laying facedown on the bed, he was completely burnt from head to toe. I've never seen anyone look so bad before, I cannot believe this was happening to Johnny. I know he killed Randy but it ain't fair, the socs have always hurt greasers, Johnny was only sticking up for himself.

"Are you okay Johnny?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah, it just hurts sometimes."

Johnny's body jolted and he winced in pain, Ponyboy quickly got up. "Are you okay Johnny!"

"I'm fine, I just gotta rest."

My eyes filled with tears, I couldn't bare to see someone looking like this especially one of my closest friends. We could only hope that we weren't losing him.