Cut My Lip

Eighteen

Johnny's POV

"What's going on?" Dally demanded. "Where's Annie? Is she okay?"

"Everything is fine, Dal," I said.

"Johnnycake? What's happening?"

"You're in the hospital, remember? You and Annie passed out after that gang beat the hell outta you." I explained.

"Did we win?"

"Yeah. Darry and them all went in even though Annie told 'em not to. That whole New York gang was just pretendin' to be out. After y'all passed out, they got up and kept going. Me and Pony showed up by then- glory, we'd never seen the rest of the gang so mad."

"Oh," he said. "They didn't hurt any of y'all, did they?"

"We're all okay. The doctors said you and Annie both almost died on the way here."

That's when he started panicking. "Is she okay? Where is she? Tell me the truth, Johnny!"

"Dally, she's okay." I said, taking his hand. "I promise. You're both okay now."

Seeing Dally panic like this always made me feel awful. He was usually calm- even if he did get angry sometimes, and was a little overprotective. But when it came to Annie or me, if either of us got hurt, hell broke loose.

He calmed down for a second before he started crying. "I thought we were gonna die there. I thought they were gonna kill us."

"We'd never let that happen. Annie would never let that happen." I told him.

"It was my goddamn fault in the first place, the whole thing."

"Love, come on..."

"New York was my idea, we never should have gone back." Dally insisted.

"But you're all okay now. Everything is okay."

"You promise me that Annie is okay, Johnnycake?"

I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I promise."

"Okay."

"I gotta get goin', my dad'll beat my ass if I'm home after eight." I leaned down and kissed him, and he gave me a sympathetic smile.

"One day, babe, you and me are gonna get a house by ourselves."

"One day." I said sadly.

Annie's POV

"Man, it's crazy how we almost died." I said to Dally.

It was two am, and it was our second day of being out of the hospital. We'd been avoiding everyone the whole time. We needed twin time, like we used to have.

"Yeah."

"Too bad I didn't."

"Me too."

We were sitting on the hood of his car in the middle of nowhere. We'd driven for a long time without having anywhere to go.

I think we both just needed to be alone together again. Like I'd said before, me and Dally didn't take being separated very well.

Between the two of us, we'd smoked two and a half packs of cigarettes and eaten absolutely nothing. We hadn't slept at all, and we were completely lost.

It was the middle of February, we didn't have any warm clothes, I was freezing, I missed my boyfriend, and I felt sick.

"I feel like gettin' drunk. I'm feeling things and I don't like it." Dally said.

"I agree. Let's go."

.

By six, we were both completely drunk. I somehow managed to get to a payphone and call Darry without passing out.

"Heyy, babe,"

"Annie? Where the hell are you two?"

"I... don't know, but it- it's okay, alright?" I slurred. "We're allll okay, okay?"

"Did you two get drunk?"

"Yeah. It's okay, though, we ain't hurt and nobody else is hurt, 'kay?"

"Annie," he sighed, sounding upset. "Do you two even know where you are?"

"No, we- we're really lost. But s'okay. Everything is fine."

"Please try and get home soon, okay? We're worried."

"Stop worryin'. We're fine. I love you."

"I love you, too."

.

Warning: slight TW

Dally and I spent a full day sleeping off the alcohol in his car before we drove home. But since we hadn't eaten in over seventy two hours, we were pretty hungover.

He was used to drinking, however, and I was not. I was still kind of drunk. He dropped me off and it was one thirty on a Wednesday night.

"Bye. Thanks- thanks for... yeah. See ya." I said.

"See ya, Annie. Get some sleep."

I waved him off and stumbled inside. Darry was the only one still awake. I almost fell and he caught me. "Hey, baby," I said.

"Annie..." he sighed.

"What? I... I'm just a 'lil hungover, 'kay?"

"Why'd you get drunk, anyways? You don't like drinking."

"Because... I am very sad... in here." I poked my chest, over my heart. "And, y'know, that's why Dally still don't let my have any switchblades,"

I collapsed on the couch, and he picked me up slightly so I was laying across his lap.

"Why?"

"Why what?" I mumbled. He was holding both of my hands.

"Why won't Dally let you have switchblades?"

"'Cause I hurt myself with 'em." I said.

Darry was quiet for a minute. It took me a while to realize he was crying. "Don't cry. Why're you crying?"

"Can I see your arms, Annie?"

I wasn't thinking when I said yes. He cried harder when he saw fresh cuts. I started to tear up, too. "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Was it my fault, Annie?"

"No. It's never been your fault. Never been any of you. I swear, it's never been any of you."

"Was it about New York? And Vincent and all of them?" Darry asked.

I nodded.

"God, I'm so sorry, Annie. I wish I'd known, I could have helped you." He shook his head.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed. "Please don't leave me 'cause of this."

"I won't. I promise, I'll never leave you." He vowed. "I'll help you, okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

"I love you so much."

"I love you, too."