"Hey," Dally whispers as he comes in sitting next to Johnny. "Hey Johnny, we beat the Socs, we chased them right out of our turf

"It's useless," he croaks.

"Huh?" Dally asks softly.

"Fighting is useless," he croaks out barely.

Dally quickly changes the subject, "you know they're still writing tutorials about you in the paper, you know about you being a hero? We're all proud of you buddy. Alright?"

"Brooklyn," he whispers his voice cracking more with every letter. I walk over to Johnny bending down, "stay gold Brooklyn, stay gold."

Beeeeeeeeeeep!

We all sit there in silence before Dally shakes his arm, "Johnny, c'mon. That's what you get. Huh? That's what you get for helping people. C'mon. C'mon Johnny, don't die....C'mon. C'mon Johnny don't die on me now!" He hits the bed lightly and for the first time in my life I see him cry. He punches the wall really hard, "bastard!" Dally walks out of the room still crying and all I know is this is gonna be the last time I see Dallas Winston, alive.

I look over at Pony who is standing over his best friend looking down ready to break, but holding it together. I'm still sitting next to him trying not to sob. He was my first love and my best friend. A single tear streams down my cheek, but I wipe it away quickly, "lets go Pone."

He nods and we walk out both not saying a word because, we know if we do we're gonna end up crying. I still can't wrap my head it. I can't wrap my head around the fact that he's gone. He's really gone. I'm never gonna hear him tell me he loves me,ask me about what going on with Ponyboy, laugh with me, talk to me about old times, smiling at me, I'm never gonna be able to joke with him, we're never gonna go to the drive-in, defend each other, we're never gonna see his rare smile, or hear his voice. He's gone. My first love, first kiss, first best friend, and the first guy to ever care about me is gone. I'm never gonna see him again. He was so young, so innocent, so caring. Why couldn't I have died instead of Johnny? If I never would of screamed for help, I'd be dead. Johnny Cade isn't only the kids hero, he isn't only my first love, he's also my hero. He saved my life and ended up dead. Silent tears stream down my face as I think about Johnny. He didn't deserve this.

flashback

"Look at this Brooke," Johnny smiled up at me. Man, his smile, it's a rare gem. It reminds of a diamond, rare and worth millions.

I turn to him letting out a small giggle, "what do you want Johnny Cade?"

I look over to see a small garden made out of paper flowers with pictures of Johnny and I as petals. I walk over in awe, "oh my god Johnny Cade! This is magnificent!"

"I did it just for you Brooke," he smiles as he hands me a flower reading in the center, 'Will you be my girl?'

I jump into his arms giggling a million giggles, "yes, I will! Of course I will Johnny Cade!"

"You know what Johnny Cade sounds like...right?" He asks letting out small chuckles.

"Hmmm," I respond with a simple noise.

"Johnnycakes," he bursts into laughter.

"I like that! I'm dating Johnnycakes," I tease back, knowing I'm gonna call him that until the day he dies. I love my Johnnycakes, but I would never tell him that. He'd get too freaked out.

Flashback over

I walk into the Curtis house in a daze, Ponyboy at my side. "Where ya'll been?" Darry asks. "Pony, Brooke, what's wrong?"

"Johnny's dead," Ponyboy speaks for the first time and I just stand behind him sobbing silently to myself. "I told him about beating the Socs and I don't know he just died. He told Brooke to stay gold. Dally's gone! He couldn't take it, he's gonna blow."

Darry inches toward him, "Pony it's gonna be okay."

Ponyboy sits there looking like a deer in head lights backing away slowly, "don't touch me."

I zone in and out of whats happening. My head is spinning.

Dally's gone.

Johnny's dead.

Pony's not doing so great.

The gang is gonna fall apart.

I lost my first love.

I could of died.

Johnny took his life to save mine.

All I have left is a book.

Johnny's my hero, he saved my life.

The phone rings snapping me out of my thoughts Steve picks up, "hello Dally....No it's Steve....sure I'll get Darry....DARRY!"

Darry grabs the hand out of Steve's hand, "hello.......yea......Sure Dall. Are you alright?.......We know.....Hang on we'll be right there. That was Dally, the cops are after him, we gotta hide him."

We all run out of the house and I release I was wrong. Dally blew, but he didn't kill himself. I'm gonna get to hug him -if he lets me- again, laugh with him, smile at him, bicker with him, and see him again. I'm only gonna loose one of my friends.

"You're never gonna get me alive!" Dally yells whipping out his unloaded gun and I release he's killing himself right now, right here, in front of us.

"Drop it!" The cops yell.

"No!" The gang yells angrily.

"It's not loaded!" I yell begging them not to shoot, but they do it anyway.

"Please don't!" Soda pleads.

"Nooo!" Darry yells.

"Please no!" Ponyboy begs the cops.

"Don't do it!" Two-bit warns.

"He's bluffing!" Steve informs them.

"Don't!" Pony yells.

The gang and just keeps yelling, "no!"

"It's not loaded!" I yell once more. "It ain't loaded please!"

"Don't you dare!" Steve yells.

"He's just a kid!" Darry yells as Dally crumples under the street lights falling to the ground.

He starts to crawl over to me, "Brooklyn?" We run over to him, but as we get there he rolls over dead. I look at his face as tears slip from my eyes just a week ago we were bickering over Johnny, just five days ago we became friends again, just three days ago we killed Bob, just two days ago we got rushed to the hospital, just yesterday the gang was complete, and now we're down two.

"You're maniacs!" Darry yells in anger as he tries not to cry. "You stupid freak!

The whole gang stands there looking down as Steve throws his trembling hands up in the air.

"Johnny, Dally," I mumble as my wrong goes black.

Oh my god! This is such a sad chapter! What do you think though? I think ya'll should talk it out in the comments below. By the way, I'm gonna try to post a chapter a day for now on, but I might be able to post another one late tonight, I'm not sure, but I'll try. I love you all. Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!

-Beth