Johnny led me into the house and carefully sat me down on the couch, pulling a blanket over my shivering figure.

He said something to me, but I didn't hear it—I was lost in my own thoughts of panic and anger.

Every time I thought Jonathan was done with me, every time my wounds started healing, he came right back around and ripped them open again. They were getting more painful to close each time, more difficult to forget.

I felt stupid sitting there in a blanket, shivering, and not from the cold. I just wanted all of this to end. I wanted to go somewhere Jonathan couldn't touch me, somewhere I could walk on the streets alone and not feel scared he's going to come up to me and do God knows what.

I just wanted this to end.

Johnny suddenly sat down beside me, breaking into my thoughts. I felt tears push against the back of my eyes: sharp, watery diamonds that stabbed at them. I blinked to send them away.

Johnny placed some tea—in my favorite cup—into my hands. I took a whiff—chamomile. I smiled, reminded of the night he comforted me after finding me crying in my room.

He dropped a few aspirin in my hand. As I tossed them in my mouth, I prayed they would do something for my pain, but deep down, I knew there was some pain that pills couldn't touch.

I looked up at him. His eyes twinkled, and I couldn't tell if it was from anger or frustration. I smiled at him, and the emotion in his eyes softened. "Thanks, Johnny," I said quietly, "how do you always know what to do?"

He smiled back and shrugged. "I dunno. It's my special talent, I guess."

I felt myself blushing, so I looked back into the dark abyss of my cup.

I felt Johnny's eyes on me, wondering what happened, why Jonathan would do such a thing. I didn't really want to talk about it, but the words just came tumbling out of my mouth.

"He asked me to homecoming," I sputtered, "I told him that I was already going with someone, so he—" my vision got blurry again and a thick lump formed in my throat, catching my voice and making it squeak.

I tried to compose myself, but memories of being slammed against a wall and the furious flames in Jonathan's eyes made tears leak from my own.

Johnny scooted closer to me and put his arm around me, and I found my head leaned against his shoulder. It was comforting and gave me a sense of security, so I didn't pull away. Again, I meant to keep my thoughts in my head, but they just kept tumbling out.

"I'm sorry, Johnny. I want to go to homecoming with you, I was just worried that—"

"It's okay," he said, cutting me off, "I know. It's okay."

He knew I was worried about Cherry? How? Was I that obvious?

Then we sat there in silence. I didn't want to talk, and quiet frankly there wasn't a need to. I just sat there, my head on Johnny's shoulder, feeling his fingers lightly run through the ends of my hair. I let out a satisfied breath and felt myself drifting off, enveloped by his warmth. I felt safe, secure...

I heard movement on the front porch that startled me awake. I shrinked back into the corner of the couch instinctively while Johnny put his hands in his lap uncomfortably.

Then, Darry barreled through the door, Soda and Ponyboy right behind him.

"Oh, Cary..." he whimpered as he rushed towards me, "oh, Cary, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry we didn't get there sooner..." he pulled me into a tight hug and I wrapped my arms around him. I felt his bulging muscles quiver as he tried to hold back his tears. I patted his head gently, a gesture I had never done for him, and I suddenly felt guilty. Ever since Mom and Dad died, I hadn't shown Darry much love. Sure, we didn't fight like he and Pony did, but other than that, I couldn't remember the last time I told him I loved him. I felt sick. What would Mom and Dad think?

I felt tears leak out of my eyes as words spilled out of my mouth. "I love you, Darry. I love you so much."

He squeezed me tighter and lowered his voice. "I love you too, Cary."

I felt someone else's arms around me, and from the gentleness of their touch and the smell of car oil I knew it was Soda. Somewhere in the heap, Ponyboy joined in too, and we all sat there in silence for a few moments, taking in each other's presence.

Finally they all let go and looked at me, their expressions filled with worry. I looked away from their glances of pity and pulled the blanket over myself higher.

"Are you alright?" Darry said finally. I nodded without looking up.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Soda's hands ball into fists. My heart skipped a beat, and even though I knew it was just Soda, I slightly flinched.

"I'm gonna kill him," he said in a low voice, his tone laced with bitter rage, "I swear. I'm gonna kill him. He's never gonna touch you again."

I looked up at him. His coffee-colored eyes were glazed over with fury, his chest slowly rising and falling as he tried to control his angry breaths. For a minute, Jonathan's image flashed in front of me, heaving angrily as he tightened his grip around my throat...

I took a quivering breath and buried my face into my knees. It was too much. I just wanted to go to sleep. I wanted to forget. I wanted to be happy.

I wanted to stop being scared.

Ponyboy seemed to notice this. "Maybe we should go to bed," he suggested sheepishly.

Soda looked at me, the emotion in his eyes softened to his normal, gentle self. "Yeah. C'mon, Cary, you'll sleep better in your own bed—"

"No," I whimpered, "I—I'll stay in here for tonight." I didn't know why, but I didn't want to get up. I was petrified to where I was, cemented in place.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure." I nodded, my voice rushed and shaky.

He gave me one last hug before the three of them went to their respective bedrooms.

In the silence of the living room, I felt I could relax. It was now just me and Johnny, and Johnny felt warm, safe.

I looked at him to see his eyes on me, scanning over me as if I was a lost puppy. I wanted to speak, but my voice got caught in an invisible spider web, my tongue messed up in twist ties.

"Good night, Cary," he said, starting to get up. It wasn't until he was almost to the stairs did I finally get to squeak out a word.

"Johnny,"

He turned around and faced me, his expression soft and solemn.

"Please—stay with me..." as much as I tried to hide it, my voice was broken and unstable.

He nodded and sat down on the couch again. I scooted closer to him and cuddled into his side. I felt stupid, but I knew he wouldn't judge me.

He put his arm around me again and I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the invisible presence of nothingness that surrounded me. There was a stiff air of uncertainty and premonition that put me at unease. It was bitter and putrid, and the silence that filled my ears made my head pound.

I didn't realize I was shaking until Johnny pulled me in closer. I looked up at him placed a trembling hand on his shoulder, trying to speak, but my tongue was locked up.

He suddenly pulled a small pillow out from the corner of the couch and laid it in his lap. "Here," he said, patting it, "more comfortable."

I happily obliged, and the muscles in my head relaxed almost instantly as it hit the pillow, as if thanking me for the much-needed rest.

I looked up at him and sputtered out the only words I could muster: "Thank you."

He smiled and brushed a piece of hair that fallen into my face behind my ear. "Of course, Cary. Any time."

He gazed into my eyes and I let myself do the same. His eyes brought me comfort, and that was the one thing I needed right now. I felt his fingers lightly brush through my hair as my eyes traveled around his face, locking on his lips...

Images of Jonathan's silent threat to kill me and Johnny flashed across my mind—even though he didn't say it, I knew he could do something to him. He would do something to him.

My eyes fell on the scar on his cheek. I reached up and brushed my thumb against it. "This looks better." I said, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," he replied softly, "you've been good to it."

I looked into his soft eyes again. He smiled at me gently. "Go to sleep, Cary. You need it."

I smiled back at him. "You know," I said after closing my eyes, "I'm excited for homecoming."

I heard a grin in his voice. "Me too," he paused. "Now, I mean it, get to sleep." He joked.

I chuckled as he continued to lightly brush his fingers through my hair. It soothed me, and I let his warm presence envelope me, swallowing up the rest of the uncertainty around me.

As much as my brain instinctively wanted to fight it off, I let myself drift off. I'm safe, I thought, I'm with Johnny. I'm not alone. I'm safe.

Then, something I hadn't realized until now. I love you, Johnny.

~

I'm walking through an empty town, my heart pounding through my chest as my thoughts race through my mind.

I look down at my hands. They're red with blood, the nerves inside them stinging and stabbing at me like old, rusty scissors.

I look up in front of me to see Johnny running towards me, his eyes panicked as his run turned into a slight limp. Behind him was Ponyboy, Soda, Darry, and the rest of the gang.

My heart raced faster as Johnny's eyes darted to behind me, and I turned to see Jonathan rushing towards us, red-handled switchblade wielded in his right hand.

It was as if I wasn't even there. Jonathan ran right past me and straight towards the boys. I screamed "No! Please! I'll do anything!"

But it was too late. Jonathan pulled Johnny away from the gang, gripping him by the shoulders as he held the blade to his throat.

"I want you to go to homecoming with me..." his seething voice echoed.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my lips were sealed shut. My legs were cemented to the ground. All I could do was watch.

"Speak up, darling. I can't hear you," Jonathan said, his lips curling into a menacing grin.

I'll go with you, I thought, I'll go with you, just please, let him go!

But that's all they were. Thoughts. Not enough to convey my disparity, not enough to save Johnny.

Jonathan locked his eyes with mine, his steel irises suddenly as black as charcoal. He slid the blade across Johnny's neck and he slumped to the ground like a ragdoll. I was suddenly face-to-face with the blade, seeing Johnny's dark-maroon blood dripping from it's tip.

"Johnny!" I was finally able to scream.

Jonathan never broke eye contact with me, and one by one, the guys dropped like sacks of lead around him, their bodies lifelessly still. First was Ponyboy, then Soda, then Darry. Two-Bit and Steve were next, and Dally was the last to fall, his ice-like eyes suddenly glazed over to a dusty blue as he collapsed to the ground. Then, out of nowhere, Cassie appeared. She was frozen in place, her chest heaving in panic as she looked from me to Jonathan.

Without breaking eye contact with me, Jonathan glided over to her, his eyes unblinking like a demented humanoid. "This is your fault," he said as he pushed the blade through her heart. She collapsed with a loud thud, and then it fell silent, the only sound left being my piercing shriek.

Jonathan then made his way towards me. I tried to back away, but I was still cemented in place by an invisible force.

"Will you please just listen to me, for God's sake?" his voice echoed again, pulling at a memory that pinched my brain.

"Please, Jonathan," I pleaded, "I'll do anything, please..."

But there was nothing I could do, because as he approached me, he grasped my right hand and brought his blade to its palm.

He had cut open the scar again, reopened the wound.

This time, it was going to be even more painful to seal.

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I'm so so so so soooo sorry this took so long to get out. School has been kind of tough lately.

From now on, I'm going to try to update every 4-6 days. I know it's not often, but its the best I can do. I hope y'all understand.

Also, WE JUST GOT 450 VIEWS. I swear, this story is growing like crazy and I'm so proud and thankful for all of you <3.

Love y'all. Stay gold.