***There was a double update today***

When we get upstairs he sighs as he puts his head in his hands, "Lacey..."

My heart breaks slightly as I play with the chain of the necklace he got me for Christmas, "Sodapop, what's wrong?"

He wipes his face slowly as he lets out a long breathe, "when you were in rehab I met a very sweet and pretty girl named Virginia. I tried not to fall in love with her because, I wanted to make it work with you, but I just-there was something about her and you weren't here!"

I bite my lip holding back tears, "you're breaking up me."

"Lacey-" he says softly.

I shake my head ripping the necklace off my neck and throwing it at him, "no Sodapop! Go on and have fun with Virginia! I won't stop by anymore and I won't annoy you and I won't go to the DX unless I have to. I'll just forget about you and everybody else in this stupid gang!"

A few tears slide down his cheeks, "Lacey please-"

"No Sodapop!" I scream. "I'm done! I'm not gonna let you push me back into drugs or alcohol which sound really good right now."

"I want to be friends," he sniffles.

"Well I don't," I storm out not looking back at the crying Sodapop once.

"Lacey," Jilly speaks softly.

I shake my head, "bye guys. I'm sorry I ever came back!"

"Lacey wait!" Jilly yells as she runs out the door following me.

Finally I think  after I loose her, I lean against a wall, tears feel my eyes as I sniffle slightly. I don't try to hold anything back, I just sob. I hear Jilly's southern accent, "are you okay?"

"Is this how it works?" I ask as I look up at her. "I come home from rehab and get my heart broken."

"Oh he doesn't love her hunny," she says as she sits down pulling me down. "He was lonely and you were gone."

"So this is my fault?" I ask harshly through the tears.

She shakes her head, "I hate seeing you hurt."

I shrug, "well get used to is because, my vision is now clear and none of you guys have me in mind, you guys all just wanna protect Sodapop."

I can see the hurt behind Jilly's face, "Lacey please-"

I sigh as I look away, "just go Jillian and leave me alone...forever. Please tell Spencer to do the same because, I'm so done with all you guys."

"Bye Lace," her voice cracks.
***
I sit down at the Dingo all alone a few days later and I look over to see Soda and Virginia on a date. Virginia is smiling and I can't help, but spy a little bit, "so who was that girl Sodapop?"

Soda shrugs lazily, "she was some girl I once dated, but she was a druggie and went off to rehab."

Her eyes goes wide and she has a pure look of shock on her face, "poor girl! Is she okay? We should invite her over for dinner or something. I mean she probably feels so alone and she must of just gotten back. She looks so distraught. We have to help her Pepsi!"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," he sighs as he looks away from Virginia.

She places her finger on his cheek pulling him back over to look at her, "Soda hunny, why not? What happened between ya'll?"

He looks away from her and I duck down so he won't see me, "I broke her heart and it was right after she got out, the other day when she came to the house, I broke her heart and now she feels alone. She won't even leave the house!"

"That's awful!" Virginia squeals before I sneak off walking to the DX. I know Steve is working there right now.

I walk in to see Steve sitting at the counter bored. I take a deep breathe as I walk over and buy a bottle of advil, not for myself, but for my dad. I slam the bottle down on the table and Steve jumps looking up at me, "Lacey?"

I nod my head slightly, "can I have two packs of weeds?"

He grabs two super-sizes and hands them to me looking down at the pills, "I won't sell this to you."

"It's not for me Steve," I roll my eyes scoffing. "Even if it was, why do you care? You and the whole gang left me!"

"You decided we left you," he says as he puts the pills under the counter.

"You guys were gonna leave me! I know you would all choose Sodapop, even my own brother! I left before ya'll kicked me out!" I scream at Steve before throwing five dollars at him and grabbing the weeds. "Keep the change because, I don't want to be here anymore!"

As I storm out I bump into Ponyboy. He looks up at me and smiles weakly, "hey Lace."

I sigh knowing he has nothing to do with what's going on, he's still young and innocent, "hey Pone, how are you? Do you like Soda's new-uh, his girlfriend?"

He shrugs, "she's no you, but she's nice and stuff."

"That's good," I sniffle trying not to cry. "I'm really happy for Sodapop, he deserves the best. Tell Johnny, I say hi."

I go to walk away, but he stops me, "are you okay?"

I shake my head, "not at all Ponyboy, but I can't stay here."

"I'm gonna miss you," his voice cracks.

I hug him as a few tears fall from my eyes, "I'm gonna miss you too Pone, but I'll never forget you and in school if I pass you, I'll say hi."

He smiles, "so you don't hate me?"

"I could never hate you," I scoff. 

"Good because, we have a project on Monday in math and I need a partner," he chuckles. I always forget Pony is thirteen, he seems so much younger.

Okay, the next few chapters are gonna be kind of slow, but I promise, we're just getting back into the swing of Lacey being home and it will get better. Okay, I'm not sure what day this will be up probably not until next year because, right now I just published chapter seven on Summer Love. I just want you guys to know the date I'm writing this and get a good laugh. I wrote the Holiday chapter before this on December 19th 2015 and today is December 20th 2015. I have a Christmas count down going on as I write this, but it probably won't be up until like March or April. How weird? Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!
-Beth