A Whole New World// The Outsiders

"Why is there a blood stain on your carpet?" Ponyboy asked the question that made my entire body lock up in fear and guilt.
It felt like my life had just frozen in time. Like I was the only one functioning, only barely. My chest tightened and I felt like I was dying.
"Nik?" He said my name again.
"Yeah?" I ask as if he hadn't just found out about the truth about the past two weeks.
"We're going to my place. Now." He said as he grabbed his and my jackets and dragged me to his house, where he continued to push darry really hard into the wall.
I tried to stop him but I had the same feeling as before, except in reverse. I felt like I was the only one frozen. And everything else went on normally.
Then. It happens. Ponyboy punches Darry, and the gang pulls him away and out of the house. Surprisingly, Dally is the one that comes to me.
"Kid, you okay?" He asks with a sly smile.
"Uhhhh ya" i say in my annoying high pitched voice i get when im panicking.
I look at Darry, bleeding from his nose with shock on his face.
The gang leaves darry and i to check on Ponyboy. I try to move but im still frozen.
"What the fuck did you lie about now?" He asks me.
"I-i didn't s-say anything" I stutter out.
"I was right! You are already a bad influence on Ponyboy! One day with you again and he's violent!" He yells at me. It feels like each letter of the words are knives being thrown at my stomach.
Suddey Dally reappears and says something to Darry. I'm too close to panic attack mode that I donmt hear it. All I can hear is the blood pumping through my body. Then I'm moving, Dally is pushing me outside. As soon as my feet hit the grass, i fall to the ground. Dally quickly lifts me back up and walks me to Ponyboy, who holds me as if i was a toddler. I don't cry, don't do anything. Eventually the gang that was outside goes to my house and we sit in my room, where i play with mybedsheets.
Pony boy has his arm around me, and my head is on his shoulder, and we're all laughing about anything we could.
Then i told them the truth about me.
"My dad was sent to the store at a late hour, so i went with him. We always went to the store together to talk, and make jokes about the music on the radio. There was a drunk driver driving in the wrong lane. My dad, not wanting to hit him, swerved and the car went through a guardrail, and into a tree. It was the driver's side that had hit the tree. And my dad wasn't buckled, so, when I opened my eyes, i expected him to look at me and say "always wear a seatbelt" but he wasnmt him. His body was so badly damaged, my mother could barely ID him. I had a concussion, broken wrist, bruised rib, and a cut on my neck from the seatbelt. At the funeral, everyone said it was a miracle i got out "lucky". And i remember thinking how could i be lucky? I just witnessed my best friend die. And im lucky? I had the pain of every breath i took. I became depressed, tried to kms many times. So a few months after i was healed, and out of the psych ward, we moved in with my gram." I say.
"Woah" Two Bit said as he had another sip of beer.
I get up, lock my door, and return to Ponyboy's side, and take a cigarette and light it. Ponyboy takes it before I can get a drag, and puts it out. I roll my eyes and light another one, moving away from him.

The gang shifted awkwardly, and looked from me, to him.

"Well, we should go, you staying Pone?" Soda asked

"yea," he answered.

I had received a text from my mom saying she and my gram got a hotel near my brother's college, where they were, and weren't coming home for a few days.

The gang hugs me and makes me promise to come hang tomorrow, then leaves. As soon as they leave, I turn to Pony.

"What the hell was that?!?" I ask/yell

"Smoking almost made me lose you, I want you to quit

"no."

"Nic" he says

"no. my life, my choice"

"IF YOU KEEP SMOKING, DAR WILL HAVE A REASON TO SAY WHAT HE DID AGAIN" he yells

"Are you saying I asked for it!?" I yell back

"No, nic, just listen"

"ask my former teachers. they'll say I'm not good at that" I say sassily as i cross my arms

"Why are you being difficult?"

"Why aren't you"

"Stop being like this!"

"You first"

"Nik"

"Pone"

"stop"

"you"

and then he leaves.