Tulsa, Oklahoma
Diana's POV

My eyes burned under the bright rays of sunlight that shined in from the open window in the hospital room. The heat from the sun contrasted the winter weather outside. I never thought I'd say it, but I actually missed being outside. Although I still despise winter and all of its coldness, I'd much rather be freezing outside than being stuck in this hospital. This place still creeped me out, but because I had been staying here for awhile I had gotten used to the blinding lights and white uniforms. I had mentioned to Chrissy about my growing dislike of hospitals, and she agreed with me saying, "It reminds me of an old horror film." That statement only made my small fear worse.

Time seemed to move slowly here, and boredom quickly set in. Each day is a repeat of the last, and I felt my mind slowly drifting away from the repetitiveness. As much as I enjoyed my friends visiting or talking with Chrissy about random things, I desperately wanted to leave and I'd do anything to get out of here. I felt trapped. Not only was I completely confined to this hospital, but I wasn't even allowed to leave my bed. When I first arrived here, Doctor Graham informed me that I wouldn't be able to walk for a few weeks. My pain level had decreased, but the bruising on my ribs was still evident. It didn't hurt too bad to breathe or move anymore, but I still felt sharp pains every now and then. Nurse Nancy had found crutches for me to walk around with. I've roamed the hospital's halls each day with Chrissy, but the idea of needing to rely on something else other than myself made me hate the crutches. I never needed anyone or anything to depend on in my life, but that was slowly—and surprisingly—beginning to change.

After all the dramatic events that played out this year, specially the feud between the greasers and socs, I found myself mentally and physically exhausted. Tulsa was drastically different from New York. Back at home, most people were rude and cruel, but the poor people were just forced into shitty neighborhoods, while the rich people lived lavishly in the city. In Tulsa, there was always tension and hatred as the two classes mixed together. It's almost like a civil war is being fought here. There was no way of telling how this huge fight between social classes would end.

My whole world felt like it was crumbling before my eyes. My life was spiraling downward rapidly and I had lost control of everything. My secret life in New York was becoming more and more known. I started to feel nervous that the police were onto me. The last thing I wanted to do was get arrested and go to jail. I'm a tough girl but my attitude would definitely get me into even more trouble than I'd already be in. Plus, I'm so young. I can't spend the rest of my life stuck in jail, when I should be outside, living in the real world.

Apart of me felt ashamed and guilty for keeping a secret from my friends for so long, while the other part of me was finally relieved that I wouldn't have to continue lying to them. I wasn't sure when I would tell everybody else, but I figured it would have to be when I was freed from my stay at the hospital and all of the drama from the feud settled down.

Darry's visit yesterday seemed to be stuck in a loop. His words played over and over again in my mind, keeping me awake last night and making me contemplate my life choices.

"Do you realize how much trouble you could cause? Not even to yourself but to all of your friends?"

"The police don't side with people like us, Diana. They'll throw Ponyboy right into a boys' home, and Dallas back into the cooler just for being seen with you!"

"I cant say I'm surprised, considering you lied about pretty much everything you've told us about yourself."

"You are a wanted criminal in New York! I sacrificed my future to make sure that my brothers can get one, and you could've easily taken that away from them because of your mistakes."

"You're lucky the police here don't give a damn about any of us."

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew that Darry was right. I was stupid and selfish for keeping this big of a secret from my friends, whom I care about very much even though I put all of them in danger. I couldn't stop thinking about how everything would be different if I had just ran away again like he said I should have. If I left, I would've missed out on so many things, so many friends and memories, but I also could've avoided all of the trouble I caused and got myself and my friends into.

"Hey, doll."

I jumped at the sudden voice breaking me from my train of thought. My hands instantly shot up to my heart as I glanced over at the door. Dallas smirked and made his way over to me. "Didn't mean to scare ya," he said, chuckling softly.

I rolled my eyes and relaxed a bit, but I was still on edge. "I'm not scared of anything," I said matter-of-factly. Dally gave me a look that said otherwise, but didn't say anything else. He pulled up a chair to the side of my bed and sat beside me. I was happy he was here, but I couldn't stop thinking about how dangerous it is that he is here. Darry was right. If the police found out that Dallas was hanging around with a wanted criminal, they wouldn't even hesitate to throw him back in jail, and that was the last thing I wanted for Dal.

"What's wrong?" Dally asked, pulling me out of my own head again. He laid his hand on mine as he met my eyes.

My eyebrows knitted together as my lips pulled into a small, conflicted frown. "Nothin'," I spoke quietly.

Dallas sighed. "You're lying."

I retrieved my hand from under his. He wore a confused expression. "Darry knows," I admitted after a few moments of silence. Dally didn't think much about what I had said. He must've already known what I was referring to. I thought about how Darry had called me selfish, and I wanted no part of that now. That wasn't me and that isn't who I want to be. "You shouldn't be here," I said, finally looking up at Dallas.

He shook his head, not fully understanding what I was trying to tell him. "What're you talkin' about?" He asked.

I huffed. "You shouldn't be here," I repeated myself. "With me."

Dallas rolled his eyes uncaringly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What is this about?" He questioned.

"When Darry came here yesterday, he showed me a bunch of newspapers that have been released since I left New York," I began to explain. I leaned over and pulled my backpack off the floor, setting it before me on the bed. I unzipped my bag and pulled out the newspapers. Dallas picked each one up and scanned over the pages like I had. "It's not safe for you to be here. Darry said that if the cops found us together, they'd throw you back into jail without a second thought."

Dallas put the newspapers down on the bed and scoffed. "Since when do you care about what other people say?"

"I don't."

"You do."

"That's not the point, Dal," I sighed agitatedly. My hands quickly ran through my hair as I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. All of the drama over the past few months was just adding up though, and I found it a lot harder to keep my cool.

"Then what is, Diana?" He countered. I could tell he was beginning to get frustrated with me.

"I'm just tryin' to keep you out of trouble," I said. I found it hard to explain this to him as he stared at me with such intensity, trying to understand as well. His dark eyes glanced over me in an attempt to read what I wasn't saying. "I don't want you to go to jail because of me."

"I've been in and out of the cooler my whole life," Dally reasoned with an eye roll.

"Great!" I remarked. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't end up there again though." I was getting more and more annoyed by the minute, but I wasn't quite sure why. Couldn't he see that I was just trying to protect him?

"What's this really about?" Dallas asked. I was surprised that he was still calm. Before we knew each other, he was always such a hothead. Don't get me wrong, he still is and so am I, but I think all the playful fighting and the bickering was what I liked best about the relationship we had. Dallas and I always got along in the end though, and we always have a good time together. There is so many things that I like about him. I've never had feelings like this for another person, but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it.

I sighed. "You shouldn't be with me. I'm a wanted criminal and it'll only get you into more trouble than you're already in." As much as I liked Dallas, I couldn't let him take the fall for me when the police found out where I've been hiding. Darry was right. I was selfish, but I want to do something right this time.

"You think I care about that?" He asked. I furrowed my brows and shrugged. "Diana, if I was worried about gettin' caught with you I wouldn't have stuck around this long." He lifted my chin and made me look over at him. "I want to be with you."

I felt my stomach fill with butterflies as my heart began to beat a little faster. My cheeks turned rosy and my face heat up. My lips were painted over with a growing smile as I stared into his eyes.

I wasn't surprised that he didn't care about the mess that I had gotten myself into in back in New York. He made it clear that if he didn't want to get involved then he wouldn't be here right now. Dallas could've avoided me after I had told him my secret awhile ago, but he didn't. Although I had convinced myself that I was trying to do a selfless act, I was just pushing someone who cares about me away. I was disappointed in myself that I had resorted back to my old ways, but I know now—even more than before—that I don't need to do that anymore. Finally, I had someone in my life that truly cared about me. The outcome of our lives didn't matter to either of us as long we were together.

Dally's hand gently glided down my jawline, cupping my face, as we both slowly started to lean in. The space between us began to close, but just before my eyes fluttered shut another figure walked in the room. I paused abruptly and pulled away with my eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I stared at my old friend, wondering how and why he is here.

"James?"

Dally pulled away as well. His hand fell from my face as he turned over his shoulder to follow my eyesight. When he saw my friend from New York, he immediately glared daggers at him. I could see him visibly tense.

"Diana," James breathed. His eyes met mine for a brief moment as he sent me a small smile before they fell on Dallas and it dropped. I watched with curious and confused eyes as James' face fell to an emotion that I couldn't read.

An uncomfortable silence fell in the room and the tension was thick. Dallas glared at James with a look that matched the one he viewed Sylvia with, while I just stared at him and wondered why he was here in the first place. I was relieved to see a familiar face and glad that it was James, but if he is here that means there must be some kind of bad news to follow.

"I can't believe you're here," I said in an unsure tone. James glanced at me and slowly walked to stand in front of my hospital bed. I shook my head. He looked the same as before, almost as if nothing had changed although everything had.

"Surprise," James said, chuckling softly. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Who's he?" James asked as he nodded his head towards Dallas.

Dallas straightened in his seat and gave James a mean look. "Dallas Winston," he replied cockily. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't surprised at his sudden coldness, but I disapproved of it since it was being directed at my friend. "Who are you?" He asked.

"James," he said with just as much confidence that Dallas had. The two of them challenged each other with their glares as I watched, unimpressed.

"He's an old friend," I added, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room. James nodded at that and crossed his arms over chest. "How did you find me?" I asked.

"I've been meetin' up with Todd over the past few weeks," James explained. "He told me that you hopped on that train behind your guys' old warehouse." I nodded in agreement. "Once I got here, it wasn't too hard to find ya. A lot of people in this town have heard of you."

"I'm not surprised," I said with a shrug. I was impressed with myself for creating a reputation.

James laughed softly. "By the way, what the hell is a greaser?" He asked.

I smiled and shook my head. "That's what I said too!" James and I shared a laugh. It was nice to see him again. Once the moment was over, I changed the topic of our conversation back to what we were talking about before. "No offense, James, but why are you here?" I asked.

James looked a bit taken aback by my question, while Dallas just smirked smugly. I ignored him though as I let James continue. "Well, you promised me you were gonna pay off that tab," James said jokingly. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at that. I was really excited about finally being able to pay off that debt too. "Also, I came to help you."

"Help me?" I repeated.

"Todd and I were the ones who made up that rumor that you returned to New York," James said. I was surprised that they were the ones who came up with that. It was smart but stupid if they were caught. "We wanted to buy you some time before the cops came lookin' for ya."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "That still doesn't explain why you're here though," I said. As happy that I am that he's here, I was just confused as to why he would even come out to Tulsa after the crime I committed. He could ruin the rest of his life by helping me, which is exactly what Darry said the other day.

"Todd said the only way to get you out of this mess was to cross the border," James said.

My eyes widened as I shook my head. "Cross the border?" I repeated. "James, I didn't kill someone. I robbed a bank."

"A bank owned by one of the richest families in New York City, Diana," James reasoned. He did have a point. The Smith family was wealthy and powerful. They didn't need the money my friends and I stole, but they were greedy and the law was broken. I knew that the Smith family and the police wouldn't stop searching for me and my friends until they got their money back, and unfortunately for both of our cases I gave it all away to Buck.

"Don't you think crossing the border is a bit extreme?" I asked. Though it was the best and only option I really had, the idea was absolutely crazy. I didn't want to leave everything and everyone behind in Tulsa like I had in New York. Things are different now. I'd have to change my name, my appearance.. everything about myself. My life would never be the same. The only other thing I could hope for was for this mess to all blow over. I've been laying low for awhile now, but I wasn't sure how long or even if this was going to last.

"I could say the same to you about robbing that bank," James countered. I sighed, knowing he was right. I really regretted robbing the Smith's bank. Even though I met amazing people because of it, I made a mess that I'm going to have to clean up myself.

"I don't know what to say," I sighed.

"Say you'll cross the border," James stated. "Say you'll leave with me."

"Hey, man, she's not goin' anywhere," Dallas spoke up. I ran my hands through my hair, becoming even more stressed and overwhelmed than I was before. First Sandy, then Darry, and now James. Each of my problems were just adding up. I wanted to scream or punch someone or run away from here.

"You don't own her," James retorted. He rolled his eyes at Dally, not a good move. James was mostly all talk, but if someone pushed him hard enough he would fight back. Dallas, on the other hand, would fight back in an instant. I didn't want the two to fight.. it would only end badly for James.

"Neither do you," Dally countered. I could already tell that he was becoming irritated with James. I knew the second he burst through the door. I was kind of mad at him too because of the timing.

"Look, Dallas, I don't know who you are and I don't give a shit either," James said. His words were laced with angry and dislike but he remained calm as he spoke. "Diana and I have history, and I'm sure she'd rather leave with me than stay with you."

I huffed angrily. The two of them weren't making me feel any better. I could feel my blood begin to boil. I haven't been this angry for awhile.

Dallas stood up from his seat beside me and crossed arms over his chest. His eyes showed no fear. He wanted a fight. "Yeah? Why don't you ask Diana then?"

James then turned to me and waited for a reply. Dallas also met my eyes but he held a smug confidence about himself, knowing that I'd choose him over James. Although that was true, I couldn't take this fighting anymore.

I glared at both men and let all my frustrations out as I snapped at them. "JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I yelled. "Jesus Christ! You two are getting on my nerves, and I can't think straight." I turned towards James and pointed at him. "You can't just show up out of nowhere and expect me to follow you around! Yes, I know what I did was wrong and stupid, but you don't need to continuously repeat that. We aren't in New York, James! I don't need you to save me anymore!" James' eyes went wide. "And you," I turned to Dallas now. "Stop fighting with my friend! You're not the only man in my life, ya know!"

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but I couldn't contain my anger. I felt a sharp pain in my chest and cried out. My hands immediately went to hug my stomach, but made no avail to ease the pain. Dally quickly rushed to my side but I held up a hand to stop him. "Don't touch right now," I spoke lowly. Dallas nodded and backed off.

"Shit," Chrissy said. Everyone looked at her as she stood awkwardly in the doorway. None of us noticed that she was here probably the whole time. "Sorry, is now a bad time?" She asked.

I shook my head, no, as I swung my legs off my bed and grabbed the crutches that leaned against the wall nearby. "Perfect timing, Chrissy."

Using the crutches, I slowly made my way over to my blonde friend. I didn't pay any attention to James or Dallas as I passed through them. All eyes were on me but I paid no attention to anyone as I walked out the door with Chrissy following behind me.

This is why I hate surprises.