It's been one week since I saw Lucy or the new Lucy, Lucy 2.0. I fell in love with that Lucy too, but she won't show any weakness. She's stopped visiting me since the hospital minus in my dreams. I see her everywhere I turn. She haunts me, but she's never there. I know she's around here watching the gang though or at least I think she is. I don't even know anymore. I want her back even if it Lucy 2.0. I don't care, I love her. I'm in love with her.

I walk downstairs to see the gang, "hey."

"Morning Soda," Steve smiles as I go to the fridge to grab a beer, but I see a note attached.

'-Stay away Sodapop'

"Guys, who wrote this?" I ask as I hold up the gang, but nobody takes the blame and it's in Lucy's handwriting. "This is a cruel joke!"

"C'mon Sodapop, put down the beer it's time for work," Steve calls out.

***********************************
A girl with sunglasses and matte pink lips puts down three packs of gum, a pack of smokes, and a bottle of pepsi; all of Lucy's favorites. Her accent comes out as she speaks, "this is all love."

"Lucy?" I ask as I look up.

She tilts down her sunglasses, "I just couldn't stay away love."

"What? Where? How?" I ask.

She takes off her glasses and smiles at me as her cold eyes flickering with passion just like they used to, but as soon as it's there, it's gone, "I missed you. I guess I'll always want to be by you."

"Where are you?" I ask.

"Dallas has the best ideas," she winks. "The only issue is he tells them to everybody. You know more then you think."

"Why are you running, but visiting me?" I ask her.

She rolls up her sleeves to show a serious of cuts and scars, shedding a few tears, "it's so complicated Soda. I want to come back, but I can't."

"Why not? I can help you Lucy."

"Sodapop!" Steve calls.

"Is that Steve?" She asks frantically as she rolls down her sleeves. "I gotta go!" She puts on her shades running out the door not picking up the stuff she didn't pay for, but was gonna get.

"LUCY WAIT!" I yell as she jumps in her car and drives off.

Steve walks through the door, "So-"

"YOU!" I yell as tears stream down my cheeks.

"Whoa, what happened?" Steve asks.

"Lucy," I break down in tears. "She was here and she needs help."

"You were just day dreaming again," he comforts. "You've been doing that a lot lately and they're all about Lucy, like the other day at the dinner table or at the nightly double when 'Lucy came, but left when she released Pony was there' She would never do that plus he never saw her. It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

I look down at see Pepsi, three packs of gum, and some smokes, "explain these if she wasn't here."

"You do it all the time, in the day dream you go and get her favorite things," he explains. "You're gonna be okay."

"I don't know Steve," I cry. "Have you seen her?"

"I miss her a lot too," he says lowly."She was like my little sister. I have seen her, but it was in my dreams. I wish she would come back, but I want to believe she's in a better place. I want to believe she's outside of Tulsa with a new squad happy, laughing, joking, smiling maybe even in love with the man of her dreams pregnant and married. She always wanted a big family. I want to believe she's almost completely forgotten about us because, we would hurt her always remembering us, but I don't want her to forget us completely. I want to believe her mind wonders to us sometimes and she hopes we're all having a good time without her. Although in reality Dally knows she's dead. He saw her dead or something. We don't know, but he knows she killed herself. Although I like to pretend she's okay."

"That's nice Steve," I sigh as I put away her favorite things, but on the back of one pack of gum it reads.

'Lucy Romeo is ALIVE' 

Although it's not in her hand writing. "Steve?" I ask as I show it to him.

"It ain't her handwriting," he states. "That's a cruel joke."

"It is," I sigh. "I want her back so bad. I see her everywhere now. I feel like she's watching our every move."

"She's watching over us and protecting us. She's still with us Sodapop, she'll never leave because, we all love her, she's a part of the gang and we have millions of memories with her," Steve explains.

"You're right," I smile. "Thanks Steve."

"You know since the hospital, you've been more like yourself," he smiles. "It's nice to have my best bud back."

"It's nice to be back," I reply.

'Lucy Romeo is ALIVE'? Is she? Is Sodapop imagining it all? Is she really dead? Is there a chance for them? Did Dally really see her dead or is he covering for her? Thank you so much. Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!

-Beth