My eyes snapped open at the sudden knocks coming the door. I swear, I have been woken up like this way too many times before. I groaned angrily as I pushed myself up onto my shoulders. It was too early in the morning for someone to be repeatedly knocking on the bedrock door. Usually, I was a heavy sleeper, but Dally and I didn't return to Buck's until sometime early in the morning. Last night had definitely been one of the best nights of my life. I had never been happier to call someone else mine.

The knocks at the door finally stopped, but then Buck's voice shouted loudly. "Wake up! Cops are here for you two. Hope you guys didn't do something stupid," he yelled in a lecturing tone.

I rolled my eyes and turned over to wake Dally. I have been staying in his room for the past few weeks. Most of my stuff was still in my room, but I had almost completely moved in. "Dal," I spoke softly. "Wake up." He stirred in his sleep but didn't open his eyes. I smirked as I leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his lips, finally waking him up. "Good morning," I said with a smile.

Dally smirked as he spoke, "Not that I didn't enjoy that, but why are you up so early?" He asked. He knew that I hated to wake up before ten.

"Buck was at the door," I said, rolling my eyes. "He said that there are cops here that are looking for us." Dally groaned in annoyance. "Do you think this is about last night?"

He shook his head, no. "Probably about that soc Johnny killed." It was still strange to think that Bob Sheldon was dead, and Johnny had been the one to kill him. All of these months of Bob and I fighting, only for it to end like this. I was surprised that he didn't push me like he had pushed Johnny.. or maybe he did.

"Why would they want to talk to us though?" I asked. We didn't have anything to do with Bob Sheldon's murder, except maybe the knowledge of where the ones behind it went..

Dallas gave me a look that pretty much spoke for itself. "Hate to break it to ya, doll, but everyone knows your relationship with Sheldon."

I sighed dramatically. "Yeah, I know." Every soc and greaser knew about Bob and I's vendetta against each other. For obvious reasons, we never got along. My reputation in Tulsa was almost infamous with the amount of trouble I've caused and fights I've been involved in. "You don't think I'm being accused of somethin', right?" I asked nervously. For the first time in my life, I wasn't apart of a crime (not completely at least). I didn't want to get myself involved with the police, especially now since my story is slowly traveling. The police don't have my name yet, but they do have a description if my appearance and knowledge of my whereabouts.

Dally shrugged. "I doubt it," he assured me. I nodded in agreement but still felt a bit weary about meeting with the police. I didn't want to go to jail. I was too young to be locked away for the rest of my life. There's so much I want to see and do..

»»——⍟——««

After getting dressed and ready for the day—more specifically questioning with the police—Dally and I made our way downstairs to Buck's bar. There were two cops standing by the door, while Buck was in his usual position behind the bar, serving a few customers. Both policeman looked to be in their early thirties. They were tall and buff, both wearing matching uniforms. One of the men had short, cropped blonde hair, while the other had buzzed brown hair. Their facial expression was stern. The two men made it aware that this conversation was going to be a serious one, which did make me a bit nervous. I didn't show my concern though.

"Nice to see you again, Winston," the brunette policemen spoke sardonically. He held almost no emotion in his voice or face as he glared at Dally, who matched his expression with more intensity.

Dally ignored the cop's comment, so I spoke up instead. "No offense or anything, but what do you guys want?" I crossed my arms over my chest. Based off my own experiences, I strongly disliked cops. They abused their power and treated people differently just based off their appearances or where they came from.

The blonde cop stepped forward and held out his hand. I glanced at him skeptically but shook his hand nonetheless. Although I disliked cops, I was trying to remain neutral right now to keep myself out of trouble. "I'm Officer Jackson and this is Officer Perez," the blonde introduced himself and his partner. "We wanted to bring you two into the station for some questioning in regards to the murder of Bob Sheldon."

"We have a witness claiming that the suspects came here and then left shortly after," Officer Perez explained. "Apparently, you two were the last ones who spoke with the suspects." He stared harshly at Dally, but Dallas didn't seem to care. He was used to the cop's treatment towards him by now, being that he just got out of jail a few months ago.

"Surely you guys wouldn't mind coming with us to the station," Officer Jackson suggested. Although he was telling more than asking. He was less strict than the other police officer, which made me feel more at ease. "We won't take up too much of your time."

"Okay," I said with a nod. I didn't want to put up a fight. That would only make me seem suspicious and get me into more trouble. Dallas just rolled his eyes.

The two officers led us outside into the parking lot where there were two police cars waiting. Officer Jackson escorted me into the back seat of his car, while Officer Perez took Dallas. It was strange sitting behind the glass barrier inside the cop car. I had never been behind bars before and I definitely didn't want to be anytime soon.

After the short ride to the police station, Officer Jackson took me into the back of the small, brick building. I passed a few greasers being shoved into small cells, wondering what they did to end up here. I waited outside of room with Officer Jackson beside me. The door opened up and another police officer walked out, with Cherry Valance trailing behind him. Her red hair was pulled back into a low bun, and her face was clear of makeup. The dark circles under her puffy eyes were probably due to the death of her boyfriend. This was the worst I had ever seen Cherry.

The ginger girl glanced at me. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth and decided against it. I watched as Cherry walked out of the station before I was escorted into the tiny, questioning room.

The room looked exactly how I had seen in movies. There was metal desk placed in the center with a chair on one side. A bright lamp was placed on the side of the desk. There small, grey filing cabinet that matched the table and stood in the corner of the room with a camera on top.

I took a seat at the chair, while Officer Jackson turned on the camera. I stared at the red, blinking dot. "Please state your name and age for our records," the blonde cop said.

"Diana. Seventeen."

"Full name, please," Officer Jackson said.

I glanced at him quickly before looking away. There was no way I would be able to avoid this. "Diana Westbrook.. Seventeen," I repeated. Officer Jackson nodded calmly as he stood before me with his arms crossed, while I sat in the chair behind the desk, fiddling with the sleeves of my jacket. "Am I gonna need a lawyer for this?" I asked.

The blonde cop chuckled softly. "No, Diana. I'm only asking you questions about this case."

"Okay," I said. I held my composure even though I was slightly worried. I had never been questioned by a cop before.

"We already know about you and Winston's artwork, but we're willing to drop the charge if you two cooperate," Officer Jackson informed me. I laughed softly and nodded my head. Officer Jackson sent me a small smile and began his series of questions. "Answer the questions to the best of your ability." I gave him a curt nod, ready to answer whatever he was going to ask. "Were you aware that Bob Sheldon was murdered two days ago?"

"Yes. I was aware.. but I wouldn't call it murder," I said. I wanted to do and say anything that I could to protect Johnny and Ponyboy. I didn't feel like what had happened to Bob was murder. They were forced to protect themselves, and killing him was the only way to do that.

The blonde cop raised a brow curiously. "What would you call it then?" He asked.

I thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm not sure.. but what happened to Bob wasn't murder."

Officer Jackson narrowed his green eyes at me. He wasn't satisfied with my answer. "Bob Sheldon was found dead in a park on the south side of town. He had a stab wound that caused him to bleed to death, and you're going to tell me that this isn't murder?"

The officer had a point, but I knew that Johnny would never intentionally murder someone. The story wasn't sounding too good though. Based off the crime scene, the cops will think this was simply murder. I knew that there was more to this story. "Maybe you should try doing more investigating before labeling a case," I suggested nonchalantly.

"Maybe you should leave the professionals to do their jobs," Officer Jackson replied. "After all, don't you think there's a reason we brought you and Winston in for questioning?"

I shrugged. "One minute I was sleeping peacefully and the next I was being woken up before noon," I remarked. I looked the cop up and down. "I still haven't had my morning coffee."

The blonde chuckled softly and smirked. "Let's stay focused on the case," he stated. "Back to my original question, is there any piece of information or part of the story that we may be missing? You mentioned how you did not view this a murder."

With a sigh, I met the officer's green eyes. "Look, I don't know much about this type of stuff, but I do know that someone is innocent until proven guilty." Being a criminal, I had educated myself briefly on law and order. "You can't form a case based on one side of the story."

"That's true," Officer Jackson said. "By 'someone,' are you referring to Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis?"

"Yes," I answered.

Officer Jackson hummed in response. "Well, as you may or may not know, the two boys have disappeared. We can't get the other side of the story without the main suspects." I sat quietly, waiting for him to ask another question. The officer studied me with his piercing green eyes. I grew a bit nervous under his intense stare. "The two boys were spotted last at Buck's bar and motel. Are you staying there currently?"

"I live there," I said.

"Do you have your own room?" The cop asked. "You pay rent?" I furrowed my eyebrows, confused as to how this was related to Bob or my friends.

"This seems a bit off topic, don't ya think?" I spoke skeptically. My dark eyes narrowed at the cop. What was he trying to figure out by asking these random questions?

The cop shrugged and placed his hands on his hips. "I don't think so," he said simply. "We're just trying to get as much information as possible."

"Sure you are," I remarked, rolling my eyes. He waited quietly for my response. "I have my own room, and I already paid off my stay."

"How long exactly have you been staying at Buck's?" He questioned. I was beginning to get frustrated. None of this was about the case at all.

"A few months," I answered shortly.

"It's safe to say you've become good friends with the suspects then, correct?" Officer Jackson inquired. He began to pace back and forth before me now as his mind churned with new thoughts.

"They have names," I retorted.

The blonde man sighed softly but nodded anyway. "Ponyboy and Johnny," he corrected himself.

"Thank you," I replied sarcastically. I crossed my arms and slouched in the chair. "We're all good friends," I said, going back to the original question.

"How good would you say?" He asked.

I gave him a weird look. "Do you want a number on a scale from one to ten or somethin'?"

"Just answer the question."

I rolled my eyes. I just wanted to leave already. I hated all of these questions he was asking. None of them seemed to have any relevance to anything. I wondered if these were the same questions the other cop was asking Dally. If so, I bet he's having an even worse time than me.

"I think of those kids like family," I said. "I look out for them and I care about them." I missed Pony and Johnny. I hoped they were okay wherever there are.

Officer Jackson paused from his pacing, and looked at me. For the first time, he seemed to be satisfied with my answer. It worried me. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. "Is it true that the two boys visited you two nights ago?"

I shook my head, no. "They went to see Dally." Although I was trying to conceal my answers, I couldn't lie. If the police found out that I lied, I could get in serious trouble.

"Why were you spotted with all three of them then?" The cop asked curiously. He was relentless.

"I saw my friends," I said with a shrug. "I didn't realize that I was committing a crime by hangin' around them."

"There's no crime in that," the cop verified. "It just looks suspicious when you happen to be the last person to talk to suspects in a murder case." I didn't blame the police officer for being suspicious. It looked very suspicious on my end. "Do you have any idea as to where the two boys ran off to?"

I couldn't give that information away. This would be the only lie I tell. I prayed that I didn't get caught for it. "No clue," I said calmly. I was a good liar but cops were trained to detect this kind of stuff. Surely, they would watch the recording and try to read my emotions.

"You're telling me that neither of your so called.. 'good friends' told you where they were running off to?" Officer Jackson pressed on.

"Sorry, Officer," I replied. "I got nothin' for ya." I sighed and sat up in the chair as the blonde cop thought to himself. His silence made me uncomfortable. There was not a single sound as I waited for his response. My dark eyes stole a glimpse at the camera that was recording our conversation. I didn't like the idea of being recorded, even if it was for a case I wasn't involved in. If words get out that I'm the girl that robbed the bank in New York, the police would know my full name, age, and appearance.

"Did you know Bob Sheldon?" Athe officer finally asked. This was the question I had been waiting for.

"Every greaser and soc knew Sheldon," I replied. Bob Sheldon was popular with both crowds, but for completely different reasons. The officer before me gave me a look. He wanted a simpler answer. "Yes. I knew Bob Sheldon."

"How did you two meet?" He asked.

"Bob and his friends were about to jump Ponyboy one day so I intervened," I stated simply. I remembered that day well. I had just gotten to Tulsa, and I was already causing trouble.

"Why would Bob and his friends jump some random boy?" Officer Jackson questioned. He was ignorant to the feud between socs and greasers, and that pissed me off.

"I don't know," I huffed. "Why don't you ask him?" I chuckled softly at my own joke, but the cop did not find it funny. Bad timing I guess. Maybe this is how Two-Bit feels in most situations.

"It sounds like you and Bob Sheldon didn't get along too well," the officer spoke aloud.

"That's one way to put it," I remarked.

"Is there another reason you two didn't get along?" Officer Jackson asked. He quirked a brow as his eyes stared into mine.

"Bob Sheldon has made me number one on his personal hit-list," I said. "We've never gotten along and if he was still alive we never would."

"I just don't understand why though," Officer Jackson said.

"Sheldon and I are livin' two different lifestyles," I spoke. "No offense, Officer, but I don't expect you to understand." I was completely over this conversation now. I was fed up with all of these pointless questions. If he was looking for answers, he wasn't going to get them from me. I don't snitch and rat my own friends out to the cops. "How much longer is this gonna take?" I asked impatiently.

Officer Jackson walked over to the filing cabinet and leaned on its side. "Actually, that'll be all for now," he said. "Thank you for your cooperation." He clicked a button on the camera and the red button flashed off, ending the recording. I sent him a curt not and stood up, starting to make my way over to the door. My hand turned the doorknob as the cop spoke again, "If you hear from your friends, let us know. It's important we locate them and figure out this case. We have their well-being in mind too, Diana."

I flashed him a fake smile. "I'm sure you do, Officer." Finally, I was able to leave. I stepped out into the hallway, leaving Officer Jackson inside the questioning room as I waited for Dallas to finish up with his own questioning.