"I love your hair," Bella chuckles as she runs my fingers through it.

I smile as I look over at her, "thanks Bella."

She chuckles as she looks back at my face, "you're so pretty Lacey. How did you not see that?"

I shrug, "I've had enough people break my spirits. I guess I've lost my confidence. I've been called fat, ugly, and so much worse. I've been left and shaken up. That's why I hate everybody. I don't care anymore though."

"You're lying," she speaks as she leans in and I an feel her breath on my neck. "I know when your lying, I know when your hurt. You do care and it hurts you."

"Okay, so I care," I sigh as I get up pulling away from feeling her breathe on my neck. "It's not a big deal though. It's not gonna change anything. I hate most of the people in our school and they hate me. Whatever."

Bella follows me and grabs my hand spinning me to face her, once again she is so close I can feel her warm breathe on my neck, "you're so pretty Lacey and perfect. Whoever doesn't see that is stupid. I love you."

I cock my head to the side and she closes her eyes. It doesn't take long before her lips are touching mine. I close my eyes for a second feeling her lips on mine before I pull away, "Bella?"

Her eyes go wide, "oh my god I am so sorry! I don't know why I just did that! I gotta go!"

"Bella wait!" I run after her. 

She turns around and sighs as she touches the ends of my hair, "it's not only your hair that I love. It's just my favorite feature. Your long golden curly blonde hair."

I sigh, "you don't have to leave."

She kisses my cheek stopping right in front of my ear and whispers, "I think I do..."

"Do you want a trim?" The lady at the salon asks.

I shake my head, "I want it short with dark highlights."

She jerks her head back a little bit, "are you sure? You have such gorgeous hair."

I nod my head, "I want it off."

She sighs as she grabs a few hair ties putting them in my hair before she starts cutting off chunks of my hair.
***
"Done," she smiles as she spins me around.

I look in the mirror grabbing my short hair, "wow!"

The lady smile fades, "do you like it?"

I nod my head as a large smile appears on my face, "I love it! Thank you so much!"

She beams, "you are a very pretty young lady."

"Thank you," I speak softly as I pay her.
***
I grab the bottle of vodka I saved in my purse and pour it lazily into my coffee as I wait for Sodapop. I glance at the clock seeing he's three minutes late. I dig further into my purse to find my small bag of pills. I grab three popping them all in my mouth and washing it down with my "coffee"

"Lacey?" I hear Soda's voice.

I look at him and smile, "oh my god Sodapop!"

I go to stand up, but I get dizzy and sit back down putting my hand on my forehead, "are you okay Lacey?"

I nod my head chuckling slightly, "yeah, I'm fine, I just got a bit dizzy.  I'll be okay."

He goes in and hugs me, "wow you smell like-"

"My dad was drinking," I say defensively. "Sodpaop, I'm sorry about the other day."

"It was my fault," he looks down. "I know you were just trying to-"

"No! I wasn't trying to do anything!" I speak sternly.

He grabs my hands from under the table, "Lacey will you-"

I quickly cut him off, "leave because, I'm a pain in the ass?"

He shakes his head, "be my-"

"Friend because, after the other day you don't think this will work?" I ask. "I'll be right back. I gotta go pee."

I storm into the bathroom rolling up my sleeves as I look down at my wrists they have needle stabs on them, they're all bruised up, and they have cuts that are freshly made. I grab another needle stabbing it into my arm before I take a swig of vodka pouring it into a water bottle. I stumble out of the bathroom and sit back down chugging a good portion of the water bottle. "Are you okay Lacey?" Soda asks.

"Perfect," I mumble as I grab an aspirin. "My head is pounding."

"How many aspirins have you taken?" Soda asks as he goes to take the pill away from me.

I shrug, "I don't know and I don't care."

He looks closely at me, "are you drunk?"

I roll my eyes, "I am sober."

"You sure?" He asks.

I nod my head and as I go to talk I end up throwing up. I bend over falling out of my chair and throw up all over the floor. Soda bends down rubbing my back, "you're gonna be okay?" 

He slowly and carefully picks me up trying not to get any puke on him. He sighs as he carries my dead weight trying to make me walk, "c'mon Lacey?"
***
I wake up on the Curtis house to see Darry holding my purse and the rest of the guys behind them minus Two-bit. "What am I doing here?"

"You were all kinds of fucked up when Soda saved you," Darry speaks coldly. "What are you doing to yourself Lacey?"

"Nothing!" I speak loudly.

Darry dumps out my purse, "explain."

I look down at my bottles of pills, bags of pills, bags of weed, many needles, two small bags of cocaine, empty bottles of beer, cans of beers, and a large bottle of vodka. I go to grab something, but Darry smacks my hand away, "that's mine and I don't have to answer to you Darry. It's for a friend. I have to give it to him in order to see somebody."

"Who?" Soda asks. "Who made you get hundreds of dollars of drugs and alcohol? You're a minor Lacey! You're not even out of high school! Do you not release what this could do to you? What it could do to your life?'

I roll my eyes, "well maybe I don't care!"

"Show me your arms!" Darry commands.

I shake my head, "no and give me back my stuff I need to see them."

"WHO?" Dally screams.

"Nobody you'd know," I scoff.

"Buck?" He asks.

"I don't know his name," I say lazily. 

Darry picks up a bottle of pills, "yet you're willing to do this shit for him!"

I snatch my purse, but none of it's contents, "it doesn't matter. I'm not on shit!"

"You're lying," Dally accused.

I grab a bottle of pills, "you don't know shit!"

He walks over to me, "the other day in the hospital that wasn't you. You were high! Weren't you?"

I chuckle as I shake my head, "how would you know?"

"I used to be an addict too!" He yells at me.

"I'm not an addict I just want my stuff so I can see somebody!" I yell back at Dally getting all up in his face.

Darry pulls me back pushing me onto the couch, "calm down Lacey!"

I snatch some more of my drugs stuffing it in my purse, "no! Ya'll had no right going through my stuff. I'm out of here!" I grab the rest of my stuff, quickly throwing it into my purse.

"Show me your arms," Darry says softly and harshly.

"Why?" I ask.

"Don't play dumb," he speaks sternly.

"I'm not," I say coldly before walking out of the house. As soon as I'm out of there. I pop four pills in my mouth stumbling down the streets of Tulsa as I release they still have my vodka.

Oh my god that Lacey and Darry fight makes my heart pound! That was so intense! Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!
-Beth