East Side Losers (The Outsiders)

XX

My eyes fluttered open to see the light come through the window. They were still swollen pretty shut, but I could tell I was in somebody's room and not in a hospital.

'How long have I been asleep?' Was the question pacing around in my mind.

I felt my arms were tucked under the fleece covers pretty tightly. I tried moving them, but I let out a slight whine.

"Oww.."

"Don't think about moving, little girl."

Dallas.

"Dal..?" My voice cracked, as my eyes started to water.

"Yeah, it's me." I felt a dip in the bed beside me as he took my hand.

"How.."

"The boys told me to look for you after a while. I brought Johnny with me to help bring you home and make sure you were okay. I found you just layin' on the sidewalk."

"Nobody was around?" I asked.

"Nope, but we knew it was the Soc who did this to you. Johnny's been coming by and making sure your wounds healed properly."

"My wounds?" I tried sitting up in the bed, but Dal reached over and wrapped his arm around me to support me. 

I felt his breath on my cheek. I barely moved my neck as best as I could just to see his face. He was pale. He looked like he did whenever I found him the day I first went to the hospital. 

"Am I still pregnant?" 

Cutting his eyes over at me, I felt the room get tense. He nodded his head once, which made a heavy weight lift from my shoulders. Even though I had already decided to give the baby up for adoption, I still loved and cherished it. It would break my heart if I had lost it. 

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"For what?" He said his face still close to mine.

"You know.."

"I want you to tell me. Look me dead in the eye and tell me it's true."

I looked over, my face closer to his than before. His little, black eyes seemed to peer right into my blue ones. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or was hoping what I said was not the truth. 

"It's true. Randy was my boyfriend and I was a part of the Soc." 

Dal's hand quickly slid from my back as he jumped from the bed and towards the terrace door. He kicked the post around the glass door, which frightened me and made me jump. 

"See, this is why you never get close to anyone. I should've took care of myself!" He turned on his heels and stormed out of the apartment, without another word.

I could feel the tears prickle in my eyes. I didn't try fighting it, I was hurting too much to do that. Clueless, as to when Dallas would returned, I merely closed my eyes as I sat up in the bed and fell into a deep sleep. 

+++++

"Rosie.. Rosie." I felt a tug at my shoulder. 

"Dallas?" I asked, half asleep and half awake.

"No, it's me Johnny. I came to check on you." I looked up to see the boy who helped me mend the almost-faded scar on my face. 

"Johnny.. I haven't seen you in a while. Come here." Johnny sat right by my hip, and I sat up as best as I could. I wrapped my arms around his neck and to my surprise he hugged back. 

"How is everyone, Johnny?" I asked, still in his embrace, as if I was scared to see what emotions his face would display. 

"The boys are.. confused. They understand that Anderson's the father, some are taking the news better than others. But then again, they realize the attack on you was also the Socs' doing, so we know that they don't claim you as theirs' anymore. We're figuring out how to deal with the situation."