The four of us arrived at Dairy Queen. I ordered a Pepsi, but I wasn't hungry, so I just sat in the backseat with Ponyboy.

I couldn't believe how hungry they were at first, but then realized they'd been isolated in a church for the past week so I didn't blame them for treating a cheap Dairy Queen meal like they're first time eating in years.

"Glory," said Dallas. "You don't need to make like every mouthful is your last. I got plenty of money. Take it easy, I don't want you gettin' sick on me. And I thought I was hungry! Candy Cane, you sure you don't want nothin'?"

"Yuh," I replied, sipping on my soda.

"I didn't tell y'all something," said Dally, finishing another burger. "The socs and us are having all-out warfare all over the city. That kid you killed had plenty of friends and all over town it's soc against grease. We can't walk alone at all. I started carryin' a heater..."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I've even got my own blade now. It's crazy around."

"Dally!" said Ponyboy. "You kill people with heaters!"

"Ya kill 'em with switchblades, too, don't ya, kid?" Dally said. "Don't worry. It ain't loaded. I ain't aimin' to get picked up for murder. But it sure does help a bluff. Tim Shepard's gang and our outfit are havin' it out with the socs tomorrow night at the vacant lot. We got hold of the president of one of their social clubs and had a war council. Yeah, just like the good old days. If they win, things go on as usual. If we do, they stay outta our territory for good. Two-Bit got jumped a few days ago. Darry and me came along in time, but he wasn't havin' too much trouble. Two-Bit's a good fighter. Hey, I didn't tell you guys we got us a spy." I suddenly remembered that part.

"A spy?" said Johnny, looking up from his ice cream. "Who?"

"That good-lookin' broad I tried to pick up that night you killed the soc. The redhead, Cherry what's-her-name."

Johnny let out an audible gag and Ponyboy whipped his head up in bewilderment. Yeah, I'd had about the same reaction. Then again, I'd never personally had a problem with her, but to find out she was our spy definitely gave me all sorts of shock.

"Cherry?" Pony and Johnny said at once.

"The soc?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"She came over to the vacant lot the night Two-Bit was jumped. Shepard and some of his outfit and us were hanging around there when she drives up in her little ol' Sting Ray That took a lot of nerve. Some of us was for jumping her then and there, her bein' the dead kid's girl and all, but Two-Bit stopped us. Man, next time I want a broad, I'll pick up my own kind."

"Yeah," said Johnny.

"She said she felt that the whole mess was her fault, which it is, and that she'd keep up with what was comin' off with the socs in the rumble and would testify that the socs were drunk and looking for a fight and that you fought back in self-defense. That little gal sure does hate me. I offered to take her over to the Dingo for a Coke and she said 'No, thank you' and told me where I could go in very polite terms." I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. Imagining someone so easily tell Dallas Winston to go screw himself was quite humorous to me.

"Man, this place is out of it," said Dally. "What do they do for kicks around here, play checkers? I ain't never been in the country before. Have you three?"

Johnny and I both shook our heads. I liked it. There wasn't no one around and the noise was nice and peaceful to me. I think I'd like it better if it weren't so damn cold, but still...

"Dad used to take us all huntin'. I've been in the country before. How'd you know about the church?"

"I got a cousin that lives around here somewheres. Tipped me off that it'd make a tuff hideout in case of something. Hey, Ponyboy, I heard you was the best shot in the family."

"Yeah," Pony replied. "Darry always got the most ducks, though. Him and Dad Soda and I goofed around too much, scared most of our game away."

"That was a good idea," Dally said suddenly and, for a second, I thought he meant about Ponyboy and Sodapop goofing around. "I mean cuttin' your hair and bleachin' it. They printed your descriptions in the paper but you sure don't fit 'em now."

"We're going back and turn ourselves in," said Johnny around a mouthful of barbacue sandwich.

Dally gagged then. "Shit. Shit, man." He turned to Johnny. "What?"

"I said we're goin' back and turn ourselves in," Johnny said again, his voice quieter this time. "I got a good chance of bein' let off easy. I ain't got no record with the fuzz and it was self-defense. Ponyboy and Cherry can testify to that. And even Candy if she wants to since they jumped us a few months back." I nodded slowly. "Anyways, I don't aim to stay in that church all my life.

"We won't tell that you helped us, Dally, and we'll give you back the gun and what's left of the money and say we hitchhiked back so you won't get into trouble. Okay?"

"You sure you want to go back?" Dally asked. "Us greasers get it worse than anyone else."

"I'm sure," Johnny said with a nod. "It ain't fair for Ponyboy to have to stay up in that church with Darry and Soda worryin' about him all the time. I don't guess...I don't guess my parents are worried about me or anything?"

"The boys are worried," I said lowly.

"Two-Bit was going to Texas to hunt for you."

"My parents," said Johnny. "Did they ask about me?"

"No," Dallas snapped. "They didn't. Dammit, Johnny, what do they matter? Shoot, my old man don't give a hang whether I'm in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. That don't bother me none."

Johnny remained silent.

"Fuckin' Christ," Dally said under his breath. I thought we were gonna crash as he tore out of the Dairy Queen parking lot. "Dammit, Johnny," Dally said again. "Why didn't you think of turning yourself in five days ago? It would have saved a lot of trouble."

"I was scared," said Johnny. "I still am." A second later, he said, "I guess we ruined our hair for nothing, Ponyboy."

"I guess so," said Ponyboy.

"Johnny," said Dally after a long couple of minutes. I hated silence, especially the really tense kind. "Johnny, I ain't mad at you. I just don't want you to get hurt. You don't know what a few months of jail can do to you. Ah, dammit, Johnny. You get hardened in jail. I don't want that to happen to you. Like it happened to me..." Hearing Dallas Winston say that broke my heart. I remained quiet.

"Would you rather have me living in hideouts for the rest of my life, always on the run?"

I guess I never heard Dally answer him because, once we pulled up onto the hill where the church was, all I was was a big blaze growing.

"Oh, shit," I said, but I couldn't be sure if I'd actually said it or just thought I said it.

"Let's go see what the deal is," said Ponyboy, leaping out of the car before Dally even had it parked. I went to grab the back of his shirt, but Ponyboy did track and was a lot faster than he looked.

"What for? Get back in here before I beat your head in," Dally said but, for once, Ponyboy didn't seem phased by him. Before I could stop him, Johnny was running after Ponyboy. I didn't stick around to listen to Dally cuss both the boys out, but I did hear him. I followed the guys out, hearing Dally add my name in with his cussing, too. Most of the crowd watching the church burn was little kids. There were a few adults standing around and I assumed they might have been teachers.

"What's going on?" Ponyboy asked.

"Well, we don't know for sure," the man replied. "We were having a school picnic up here and the first thing we knew, the place is burning up. Thank goodness this is a wet season and the old thing is worthless anyway." He turned to the little kids. "Stand back, children. The firemen will be coming soon."

"I bet we started it," I heard Ponyboy tell Johnny. "We must have dropped a lighted cigarette or something."

I saw a woman come bounding over to the man.

"Jerry, some of the kids are missing," she said, sounding frantic.

"They're probably around here somewhere. You can't tell will all this excitement where they might be."

"No," she said firmly. "They've been missing for at least half an hour. I thought they were climbing the hill..."

We all froze then. I could make out what sounding like someone yelling. I turned my attention toward the church.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath.

"I told them not to play in the church...I told them..."

"I'll get them, don't worry!" Ponyboy said briefly before breaking out into a sprint toward the church.

"Dammit, Ponyboy!" I shouted and ran after him. I wasn't about to let him go into that fire. There had to be some way to get those kids out.

Ponyboy threw a heavy brick at a window and climbed through before I could get to him. Johnny and I quickly entered the burning church after him.

"Hey, Ponyboy," said Johnny. My eyes were burning horribly.

"Is that guy coming?"

"No. The window stopped him," I said.

"Too scared?"

"Naw," said Johnny. "Too fat."

"Where's the kids?" I asked.

"In the back, I guess," Ponyboy replied. We stumbled through the burning building like we were drunk to get into the back room where we thought the kids were. My lungs were burning and I could hardly see through all the smoke and the water in my eyes.

"Jesus Christ," I wheezed as we pushed open the door.

One kid was hollering his head off and I wondered how he could do that through all the smoke. Then again, I guessed he probably didn't smoke three packs of cigarettes a day like the rest of us did.

"Shut up!" Johnny shouted. "We're going to get you out!" I had to blink at him for a second. Never in the near lifetime I'd known Johnny had I ever heard him tell someone to shut up.

Ponyboy picked up a kid--who didn't take his time on biting Ponyboy's hand--and Ponyboy threw him out the window. I saw Dally standing there looking angrier than ever.

"For God's sake, get outta there! That roof's gonna cave in any minute. Forget those damned kids!"

I promptly tossed another kid out the window, hurrying to help get them all out. Some burning rubble fell down onto me and I swatted it away as fast as I could. I burned my hand, but I didn't really notice at first because I was more concerned on getting those kids out. All around us, giant bits of flaming roof were falling down.

"Get out!" Dallas screamed again. He grabbed me under my arms as I turned around to grab another kid and hauled me right outta there.

"OW!" I howled as a piece of glass ripped through my jeans and cut my leg. Ponyboy leaped out after me a second later and stumbled to the ground. I rolled over onto my hands and knees and coughed something awful into the grass, my throat and lungs burning so bad I couldn't help but tear up some more at how bad it hurt. I saw Dally turn to Ponyboy and hit the fire out of him, but Ponyboy fell into the grass, passed out.

I don't remember much after that, except a fireman asking me how I was doing as he loaded the boys into two ambulances. I was dazed and confused but I nodded and said I was okay.

"You need to get in the ambulance, kid," he said and I shook my head.

"I'm not bad. Get them to the hospital. I'll drive." I made my way over to Buck's T-Bird and, holding my ribcage, crawled into the driver's side. I was grateful Dallas had left the keys in the ignition. It took me a minute to catch a good breath, and to silently thank Sodapop and Steve for teaching me how to drive. I turned the car on and pulled out, driving as fast as I could behind the ambulances.

When we arrived at the hospital, I parked in the parking lot and made my way inside, limping and heaving every breath I could manage. I nearly collapsed in the lobby, but a man standing nearby was quick to grab me.

"Shoot, kid," he said. "You need a doctor. What happened?"

"Fire," was all I could say before breaking out into a fit of coughs. My lungs ached so bad and my hand was hurting pretty bad now, too.

"Nurse!" he called out. "Someone help this kid!"

A nurse came up a minute later. "Another one?" she said and I just coughed in response.

"Come on. I'll get you a room. You need a nebulizer." I didn't know what the hell a nebulizer was, but I didn't argue as she led me down the hallway in a wheelchair to an empty room.

I got myself out of the chair and laid down on the bed. She plugged in a machine and gave me the mouthpiece.

"Inhale on that. It'll help you breathe." I did as she told me and man did it work!

It was a little while before a doctor came in and tended to my burn on my hand. They told me to get into a gown, which I did to make it easier to get to the long gash on my leg.

"I suggest you stay here for the night," the doctor said and I rolled my eyes as he walked out. No way, no how, I thought.

About ten minutes after the doctor left, I pulled on my bloody jeans and burnt t-shirt and jacket and left the hospital room. They knew who I was. They could send a bill for bandaging me up, but not for a stupid hospital room. I wasn't even burned that bad to need to stay overnight.

When I walked out into the hall, I saw Ponyboy sitting in a chair next to the guy named Jerry who was too fat to climb in through the window. I took a seat next to him.

I rested my elbows on my knees, relieved I could finally breathe again. A cigarette didn't even interest me at the moment. Normally, it would have.

"You okay, Ponyboy?" I asked him

"Yeah," he replied.

"Thank you both for getting those kids out," said Jerry at one point but I just waved him off.

"How are Dally and Johnny?" I asked Ponyboy.

"Doctors took them by on stretchers. Johnny's unconscious. They say he might have a broken back." I gulped, feeling suddenly very sick all of a sudden. "Dally's okay, except for the burn on his arm."

"And you?" I asked.

"Couple burns, but I'm fine."

I nodded. "That's good. Doc said I should stay overnight, but I can breathe okay now and I've just got a burn on my hand and a cut on my leg. They bandaged them both up so I'm gonna leave tonight."

Jerry left to make a phone call and Ponyboy and I just sat there in silence. When Jerry came back, Ponyboy was smoking a cigarette.

"You shouldn't be smoking," he said.

"How come?" Ponyboy asked.

"Why, uh...uh, you're too young."

"I am?" asked Ponyboy. I thought about it for a minute I guess he was. Hell, even I was. I never gave a second thought about it. I'd been smoking since I was about twelve or thirteen when I started; everyone else around our turf smoked, too, and had started even younger than me.

Jerry just sighed. "There are some people here to see you. Claim to be your brothers or something." Ponyboy didn't hesitate; he leaped up in a heartbeat and ran for the door.

I stayed seated with Jerry. I wondered if Arnie or my mom would show up. They never did.

Long after Jerry left, and I was still sitting in that uncomfortable chair, a doctor strolled past, gave me a second look, and told me to go to my room and lay down. I was so tired, I didn't argue.

I closed the door and took off my jeans and my jacket and my bra and, just in my t-shirt and underwear now, I crawled under the covers on the hospital bed and went to sleep.

I was only asleep for about half an hour or so when I heard a knock at my door. I opened my eyes to see Sodapop walk in.

"Hey, Candy Cane," he said softly. "Sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay," I tried to say around a yawn.

"How are ya?"

"Doing okay. This burn hurts and I got a cut on my leg but, other than that, I'm alright. My chest don't even hurt when I breathe now."

"That's good," he said, his voice still low. "We were just waiting for them to tell us how Johnny and Dally were when Ponyboy said you were here, too."

"Yeah," I replied.

"Were you in on the scheme, too?"

"No. I found out this morning. I went over to see if Dally had cigarettes when he told me he was gonna go see Ponyboy and Johnny. I told him to let me go and he did. Reluctantly."

"Ponyboy told me how you helped save all them kids. You guys are heroes."

"Jesus. Is that what they're calling it these days?" I half-joked.

"Guess so. Some reporters found out you'd helped, too, and wanted to interview you and get your picture, but Darry told them they'd gotten on Ponyboy enough and to leave you and Johnny and Dally alone."

I nodded. "I don't want to interview. I didn't even go in to save those kids." I felt terrible saying, but it was true

"Why'd you go in?"

"Save--" my voice cracked and I had to wipe my eyes a little. "To save Ponyboy. He was the first that ran in. Jesus. If I could run as fast as him, I woulda been able to stop him from running in. Johnny ran in with me and we got there right after Ponyboy."

"Well, it's alright now. Y'all are alright."

I nodded, my thoughts going to Johnny and how his back might be broken. Kid didn't deserve that.

"I'm gonna head out now," Sodapop said. "You're tired and so is Ponyboy. Get some rest."

"Does this mean I really can't be in the rumble?" I asked.

All he did was chuckle and then he left the room.

The next morning, I was greeted with a mostly tasteless breakfast and the daily newspaper. They'd already put an article in it about me and Dally and Johnny and Ponyboy saving those kids. I threw it to the side in favor of the tiny banana the nurses'd put on my tray. It was the only thing that tasted good. And it wasn't even that ripe. I hated when bananas were still green.

When the doctor came in, he asked me how I was doing. I said I felt shitty and wanted to go home and he said I could go home tomorrow and I just sat there and pouted.

Arnie finally came by with my copy of The Great Gatsby and a change of clothes and we talked for a little while. He told me he had to get home to my mom and that he'd come back by later in the day.

I read for awhile, then got bored and took a nap. I had a dream about my mom on the Santa Monica Pier but I woke up right before she died. Obviously, there's more to the dream, but I don't like to remember it too much.

When I woke up, I realized I had been asleep too much. I decided to get up and pull on the clothes my dad had brought for me. Just a t-shirt and jeans like what I was wearing before, but they were clean and I was happy to have something else on. He'd brought me a clean sweatshirt, too, so I pulled that on over the olive green t-shirt. I think it was one of Two-Bit's old sweatshirts because it was real big on me since Two-Bit was a good head and a half taller than me.

I started to read some, but then, speak of the devil, Two-Bit himself and Ponyboy in tow came in.

"Hey, kiddo!" Two-Bit greeted and I tossed my book aside. I nearly leaped out of bed to tackle him into a hug. "Jeez, kid. Ya act like ya haven't seen me in five years."

"Sorry. It's just good to have some company. I've just been bumming around all morning." I turned to Ponyboy. "How are you? Did you see the article in the paper? Hard to believe they'd have it printed already."

"Yeah, I saw it," he said, shaking his head.

"So, that rumble tonight."

"Yeah," said Two-Bit, scratching the back of his neck. It was weird seeing Two not having anything to say.

"I'm gonna join, alright?" I said.

"No," he said firmly. "No way."

"Y'all are letting Ponyboy join. Why not me?"

"Because--"

"Because I'm a girl? Come on. You've seen me fight."

"You're also the one who got jumped a couple of months ago, Candy Cane."

"Ponyboy got jumped last week and y'all are still letting him join. Come on. You need as many guys as you can get. I know I'm not that big and buff like the rest of you guys, but me and Ponyboy can take down a little one together."

"Candy Cane, we're just lookin' out for you, kiddo. We don't want to big socie douches beatin' up on our little sister."

I jutted out my bottom lip. "I'm going to the rumble," I huffed under my breath.

"I guess I can't stop you too good, can I?" Two-Bit said.

I rolled my eyes and he ruffled my hair.

I turned to Ponyboy then. He looked mighty pale. "You sure you're alright, Pony?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Anyways..." Two-bit said. "I guess we'll get to it."

I nodded. "Alright. See you guys later, then." Two-Bit ruffled my hair before they walked out.