🌷Kimmy🌷

"COME on, wake up, kid." Kimmy got up and rubbed her eyes, ready for another day of the scent of cigarettes and baloney sandwiches. Her head hurt so much, that was what she got for using a hardback copy of Little Women as a pillow. "I'm up, I'm up, I'm up." She muttered before realizing who had woken her up.

"Dally? Dally, you're here! It's so good to see you!" She exclaimed, hugging the older boy tightly. The other two boys looked at each other in surprise and confusion. Usually, whenever Dally came to visit, Kimmy would just say, "Hi, Dally." and that would be the end of it. But today was different. "Yeah, thanks, get off me, man." Dally smiled, trying to get the younger girl off of him. Kimmy obeyed, letting go of him instantly.

"How's Sodapop?" Ponyboy asked him before the other two started to bombard Dally with questions. "Are the fuzz after us?" Johnny said.

"Is Darry alright?"

"Do the boys know where we are?"

"Are the Goldings okay?"

"Hold on, kids." Dally broke in. "I can't answer everything at once. You three want to go get something to eat first? I skipped breakfast and I'm about starved." "You're starved?" Johnny squeaked. "Is it safe to go out?" Kimmy asked eagerly. At this point, after days in the church, she was eager to get out into the fresh air and smell the fresh air instead of cigarette smoke.

"Yep." Dally searched his shirt pocket for a cigarette. "Gotta cancer stick, Johnnycake?" Johnny tossed him an entire package. "The fuzz won't be lookin' for you around here." Dallas said, lighting his cigarette up. "They think you've lit out for Texas. I've got Buck's T-bird parked down the road a little way. Goshamighty, boys, ain't you and Miss Quack Quack been eatin' anything."

"I told you to stop calling me that." Kimmy muttered through gritted teeth. The reason why Dally (and maybe the rest of the gang) called Kimmy Miss Quack Quack is when after she met Amy, she got in trouble in math class for talking too much with Abigail. So he gave her an essay on the subject of 'A Chatterbox' she turned in said essay and things were well until she got in trouble for talking (again) and had to write another essay about 'An Incurable Chatterbox' she turned in that essay before getting in trouble for talking (AGAIN) and had to write an essay titled 'Quack, Quack, Quack' everyone in that class started laughing, even Kimmy.

Dawson, who had a fondness for poetry, offered to help her with the essay. Together they finished the poem. It was about a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings which were bitten to death by their father for talking too much. The teacher read the poem to the class, and the next classes after them. After she got it back, Darry had hung it up on the fridge and after that day, Kimmy was allowed to talk as much as she liked and hadn't been assigned any extra homework. The only bad thing that came out of that incident was that Steve took to calling her Miss Quack Quack, and, unfortunately, it stuck.

"Yeah." Johnny said. "Whatever gave you the idea we ain't?" Dally shook his head. "You're both pale and you've lost weight. After this, get out in the sun more. You guys look like you've been through the mill. Hey, Ponyboy"— Dally fumbled with some pieces of paper in his back pocket- "I gotta letter for you and Kimmy." She perked up. "A letter? From who?"

"The President of the United States."

"Really?" Kimmy questioned. "No stupid, it's from Soda." "Sodapop?" Pony was bewildered. "But how did he know...?" "He came over to Buck's a couple of days ago for something and found that sweatshirt. I told him I didn't know where you guys were, but he didn't believe me. He gave this letter and half his paycheck to give you. Kid, you ought to see Darry. He's takin' this mighty hard..."

Kimmy wasn't listening, she stood on her tiptoes and read Soda's letter:

Ponyboy,
Well I guess you and Kimmy got into some trouble huh? Darry and me nearly went nuts when you guys ran out like that. Darry is awful sorry he hit you. You know he didn't mean it. And then you guys and Johnny turned up mising and what with that dead kid in the park and Dally getting hauled into the station, well it scared us something awful. Amy and her friends came by a couple of days ago to check up on us and Dawson gave us some cookies, hoping they'll make us feel better. He's a real sweet kid. The police came by to question us and we told them as much as we could. I can't believe little old Johnny could kill somebody. I know Dally knows where you are, but you know him. He keeps his trap shut and won't tell me nothing. Darry hasn't got the slightest notion where you're at and it is nearly killing him. I wish you'd come back and turn your selfves in but I guess you can't since Johnny might get hurt. You sure are famous. You got a paragraph in the newspaper and even. You and Kimmy take care and say hi to Johnny for us.

Sodapop Curtis

"How come you got hauled in?" Ponyboy asked Dally. "Shoot kid-" Dallas grinned. "them boys at the station know me by now. I get hauled in for everything that happens in our turf. While I was there I kinda let it slip that y'all were headin' for Texas. So that's where they're lookin'." He took a long drag in his cigarette.

"Do y'all want somethin' to eat or not?" Kimmy instantly jumped up. "Yes, please!"

☀️Time Skip☀️

They stopped at a Dairy Queen and the first thing Kimmy ordered was a well deserved chocolate ice cream while she and her friends gorged on barbecue sandwiches. After finishing at least a couple barbecue sandwiches and her chocolate ice cream (which was all over her face), she was satisfied and opened up Little Women, she was almost to part two.

"Gloria," Dally was amazed. "You don't need to make like every mouthful's 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!" Kimmy had finished her ice cream and laid back on the seat, satisfied. Johnny continued to eat as if every bite were his last meal. And Ponyboy didn't eat slowly til he got a headache. "That was so good!" Kimmy breathed out, contently, resting her hands on her stomach with a smile.

"I didn't tell y'all something." Dally said after he finished his third 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..." "Dally!" Pony said, frightened as Kimmy closed the book and sat up, listening. "You kill people with heaters!"

"Ya kill 'em with switchblades, too, don't ya kid?" Dallas said in a hard voice. Johnny gulped. "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"— Dally sighed, and Kimmy knew he was thinking about New York—"just like the good old days. If they win, things go on as usual. If we do, they stay outa our territory but 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 we got us a spy."

"A spy?" Johnny looked up from his banana split. "Who?" "That good-lookin' broad I tried to pick up that night you killed the Soc. The redhead, Cherry what's-her-name." Johnny gagged. Ponyboy almost dropped his hot fudge sundae. Kimmy just said, "WHAT?" "Cherry?" The trio said simultaneously. "The Soc?"

"Yeah." Dally said. "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," Johnny said slowly.

Dally was going on: "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." He gave them a grim laugh. "That little gal sure does hate me. I offered to take her over to the Dingo for a Coke and she told me 'No, thank you' and told me where I could go in very polite terms."

Bet Henry told her all about him. Kimmy thought. Johnny had been quietly gulping down his fifth barbecue sandwich before announcing: "We're goin' back and turn ourselves in." Now it was Dally's turn to gag. "What?" "I said we're goin' back and turn ourselves in." Johnny repeated in a quiet voice. Kimmy looked at Ponyboy as if saying, "Is he serious right now?"

"I got a good chance of bein' let off easy." Johnny continued on desperately. "I ain't got no record with the fuzz and it was self-defense. Kimmy, Ponyboy and Cherry can testify to that. And I don't aim to stay in that church all my life." That was a big speech for Johnny. His black eyes grew bigger than ever at the thought of going to the police station. "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 in trouble. Okay?"

Dally was chewing the corner of his ID card, which gave his age as twenty one so he could buy liquor. "You sure you want to go back? Us greasers get it worse than anyone else." Johnny nodded. "I'm sure. It ain't fair for Ponyboy and Kimmy to have to stay up in that church with Darry and Soda worryin' about them all the time. I don't guess..." He swallowed and tried his best not to look eager. "I don't guess my parents are worried about me or anything?"

"The boys are worried, man." Dally said in a matter of fact voice. "You know Two-Bit was going to Texas to hunt for you?" "My parents." Johnny repeated. "did they ask about me?" Kimmy knew the answer, but she didn't want to say it, she just looked away and started to cry. "You think my old man gives a damn whether I'm in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter? That don't bother me none." He cursed under his breath and nearly tore out the transmission of Buck's T-bird as they roared out of the Dairy Queen.

"Blast it Johnny." Dallas growled as they drove along the red road. "Why didn't you think of turning yourself in five days ago? It would have saved a lot of trouble." "I was scared." Johnny said with conviction. "I still am. I guess we ruined our hair for nothing, Ponyboy." "I guess so." Ponyboy replied. "It's okay, Johnny." Kimmy said with a smile, trying to make the situation a bit better. "I like my hair. You and Pony did great doing it."

The entire way back to the church was Dally telling Johnny that he didn't want him to go to jail, he didn't know what it could do to you. Kimmy wasn't listening to Dallas at all, she was taking in the fresh air and held Little Women close to her, she couldn't wait to see Amy, and Abigail, and Dawson, and Darry, and Soda, and Steve and Two-Bit before she heard Dallas say, "Oh, Gloria."

The old church was on fire.

Author Speaks:
I'm actually hungry for barbecue sandwiches while writing the part when Kimmy is just swallowing barbecue sandwiches 😭😭😭 Also, the part where Kimmy hugs Dally had been there since before Champagne Problems was even born! So is this GIF I made of Kimmy and Johnny just eating and being cute

Also no greaser pic of the day bc it is 12:20 am and I don't want to look suspicious.