Monday, March 14, 1966 (About ten weeks pregnant)

☆ﾐ ROSE

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I STORMED OUT of the school in a complete outage. Once I walked in this morning to school, I was met with awful names as I had predicted and also made fun of because of my pregnancy. I had done a tremendous job of hiding my now bigger bump so I knew that Cherry must have told people. I mean she was mad at me since I hadn't talked to her so why wouldn't she tell anyone this? I was going to confront her outside in front of people. She had it coming I told myself especially by the way she acted so poorly to people.

"What in the world Cherry?! I knew you were a self-conceded bitch but informing people a secret that you knew would ruin me that's terrible even for you." I shouted venturing up the stairs where she stood next to Marcia and Bob. Normally I wasn't a cusser but even seeing Cherry made me want to yell unpleasant words to her at this moment.

"What do you mean? I would never do such a thing Rose. Please calm down and don't call me a bitch this is a simple misunderstanding.
She folded her arms looking around as people started to gather hearing the commotion.

"Please I don't have time for these lies! You're just a self-centered rich girl that gets away with anything she wants."I got closer to the redhead who began to step back appearing to be intimidated.

"I swear I didn't say anything. I-I only told Marcia..."that's when she turned to Marcia.
"I told you not to say anything!" she quietly muttered to her. Of course, the raven-haired girl that hated me told people solely because of her dislike towards me.

"I should have known it was you ever since I became friends you've never liked me I believe you're jealous of my friendship with Cherry." she rolled her eyes listening to me. Her ignorance of this situation made me even angrier.

"Oh please, you did it to yourself. Getting pregnant at 16 you're a soc! Socs don't get pregnant particularly by low life hoodlums who do nothing but cause trouble around the city and smoke nasty cigarettes. And that's exactly what you did become pregnant by Dallas Winston."she yelled out causing gasps among the group of people around us. My hands were clenched from the resentment I held inside. I examined the noisy crowd to see Ponyboy but rapidly turned my attention back to Marcia.

"Fine then," I muttered before attempting to run up to Marcia. I only heard her scream but before I was able to hit her anxious face I sensed someone hold me back from hitting her.

"Hey Hey. Steady down, Rose."I knew the voice to be of Dally's and immediately took his hands off mine and turned to face him. I sighted Ponyboy, Darry, and Johnny who happened to be hugging Hazel right behind Dal who was smoking.

"Get your dirty hands off me. I don't need your help."I proceeded to walk down the steps hearing the crowd groan seeing that no fight had broken out between Marcia and me. Marcia being her dramatic self ran to Randy and to which he hugged her in his arms. I didn't care though I was furious at this moment.

"Oh come on. You almost hit the broad."He threw the weed on the ground stepping on it as I stopped to sit on a bench placing my hands on my temple. I looked up at him giving him a cold glare "Can you go away. I'm already dealing with enough don't have time to deal with you."Instead of leaving me alone as I asked him to, he sat right next to me. Ponyboy, Darry and Johnny watched from afar as Dal gave them a signal of some sort. I sat straight up and watched the boring scene of cars pulling out of the parking lot. I wanted him to leave, and I was trying to make him bored.

"You shouldn't have done that you know. Uh, can't that be like tough for the kids?"I almost laughed and gave him a confused expression which he reacted to by shrugging.

" You know what Dal just stop, please. Stop trying to be involved or whatever you're doing because it ain't doing. One day you're like this seeming to partially care but then the next you're accusing me of lying about the father of the twins. So please stop would ya? I'm tired of it savvy? Now excuse me while I go."I walked away but like I said he had a thing for not going away when being told to. He followed me along with the others.

"Looks things are complicated alright? We're both still young. That's why I was suggesting adoption I didn't need to be slapped for an idea."I quit walking and sighed to look at him. I analyzed his features a little further. A strand of his slightly wavy brown hair hanging in front of his forehead and his mischievous brown eyes. He was handsome yet dreadfully annoying. And that's what aggravated me the most. 

"For the last time leave me alone before I do it again and trust me I will." I lifted my hand at him expecting him to back away but he stayed put and only chuckled. I despised it when he couldn't take anything seriously. I wasn't going to hit him, of course. I had felt guilty for doing so last time because I don't like violence. And almost hitting Marcia wasn't me. I hated violence and didn't condone it unless it was crucial.

"You won't hit me." I started walking again but you guessed correctly. He followed.

"I'm liking this Rose. Reminds me of the past Rose always aggressive and more like a greaser than a pretty little soc'." I crossed my arms avoiding him in spite of the fact his remarks irritated me.

"Shut your trap, Dal! Your stupid accent is bothering me." he just laughed again and at this point, I was attempting to find a way to insult him so he would let me be.

"You know it doesn't doll." I cringed at his nickname he had called me.

"Don't call me that ever again." I dug through my purse to find my car keys. He then came closer to me.

"Do you prefer princess?" I cringed again and completely ignored him walking to my car.

"No Dal I would prefer Rose. Now excuse me as I make my way to my car." I smiled at him and peeked over at Hazel who was still next to Johnny and Darry.

"They always argue but when they do it's always somewhat flirtatious," Hazel muttered to Johnny but was still clear for us to hear. I rolled my eyes hearing them giggle to her statement.

"Hazel make sure you come home before 9:30 dad wants us to have dinner with him tonight. He has achieved being a few weeks sober." she had beamed and hugged me before I got into the car ignoring Dal who was waving goodbye at me. I knew he was trying to be funny which he needed to know that he was not and that he was only insulting.

I drove home and looked to see my father's car parked in the driveway. I was excited to see that he was telling the truth about having dinner tonight. I was proud of him being sober for a couple of weeks now. Although I wasn't optimistic or didn't completely forgive him but it was progressing. Something I thought he was never going to do. He seemed sicker these days but comforted us that God was going to heal him. As I opened the door, I felt uneasy but dismissed it. I looked over to see the television playing a movie while my father was slumped on the sofa. Next to him, there was a can of coca-cola and his reading glasses.

"Dad, should I turn on the stove to start the soup?" I looked to see that the grocery bags were left on the table which wasn't unusual since he tends to do this a lot so I was able to sort everything how I wanted. What was odd was my dad, not answering back right away.

"Dad?" he was sleeping as I walked up to him. He looked just like Hazel having the same brown hair and greenish-grey eyes. He appeared peaceful while sleeping. I began to shake him he was a heavy sleeper but he didn't seem to wake as I did this.

"Dad this isn't funny wake up. It takes longer to cook the soup."I said as I resume to shake him awake which furthermore did nothing.

"No Dad! Wake up!" I grabbed his wrist which was a slight cold and realized there was no pulse. At this moment I felt my world crashing down. My heart-shattering in pieces. And all I could do was fall to the ground. It was the exact sickening pain that I had felt when my mother had died. It seemed as if your heart was torn out of your chest. My father was dead. He hadn't been what I would call great, but he was going to perhaps change for the better. I never told him goodbye or that I was expecting twins. I don't recall calling the police or what happened next only me in the hospital and being told he had died from cancer that he had denied treatment. I remember screaming and being told to sit on the chair to calm myself. I sat there numb with my blonde hair in a tangle and my face having mascara ran down my cheeks my pink lipstick smeared.

 
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" I recognized the voice as Hazel's but remained seated. She was screaming and crying as a doctor told her the news. I had asked for a nurse to call her and now she was here. I stayed staring at absolutely nothing only the tears running down my eyes. It reminded me of how I was when my mother passed away. It was truly one of the worst pain a person can ever go through.

"Rose! Please, he can't be dead," she yelled out as Johnny had pulled her to his chest where she sobbed. Eventually, after not moving from the position I was in I looked to meet them and saw that the gang was all there. I didn't care for what I looked like in front of them I didn't care at all I didn't care for anything really.

"He is. He's gone."I whispered before turning away and beginning to sob even more hearing my sister scream. Someone then placed their arms around me, and I didn't care who it was at the time and cried in his chest I recognized the cologne to be of Dally's any other day I would be shoving him off me and possibly start arguing with him like always but today I was not in the situation to do that. I was broken and only needed comfort. Next thing I knew I shut my exhausted eyes and rested from this nightmare. I wished this was all a dream, but I knew that this was my new reality. No matter how much it hurt.