The bright light is still blinding even three days after the fact, but I'm leaving today and I don't mean the hospital, I mean Tulsa. Darry walking into my room, they've all come to visit me, well all, but Sodapop. "Hey Lucy, how ya feeling?"

I look up at him and force a smile on my face even though I feel broken inside. I feel shattered like everything in my life is falling apart, but it is, "I'm doin' good. Thanks."

"I just checked you out," he smiles as he walks over to me helping my weak body up. I barely eat anything so I'm pretty weak. "Are you excited to go home?"

"Darry," I frown looking away from him as I attempt to hold back the tears that want to come, but fail. It's just been so hard for me to hold back tears. I used to be so good at it, but now, since the break-up, I'm not. "I'm not going home. I'm leaving you're house. I'm leaving Tulsa. I want to thank you though. For giving me a family. For showing me that I can be loved. I'm gonna miss ya'll so much, but I'll be out by tomorrow. I love you Darbear."

"You are the toughest fifteen year old I've ever met Lucy," Darry sighs as we get in the pick-up truck.

I shake my head as I look at him with tears streaming down my face. "Tough? I'm not tough. I used to be tough now I'm broken."

"No, Lucy you are tough," he says as we continue to drive to our-his house.

I pull down my sleeves showing him my wrists, "do you remember when the only blood on this wrists were from fights? When they were clean? Do you remember when I weighed more than a eighty pounds? Do you remember when I was happy? Do you remember when I would bet with Two-bit on Steve to beat Sodapop in an arm wrestle? I don't."

"I do," he replies looking over to me. "Trust me, you'll find her again."

"Not this time," I look away sobbing. "She's so gone. I'm gone. I don't even know who I am anymore. They say love is awesome, but I hate love. Love ruined the one real thing I had in my life. It ruined my whole life Darry!"

"You and Sodapop, ya'll had at the right it was just at the wrong time," he sighs. "Ya'll still love each other though. I see it when you look at each other. You guys are both heartbroken, but something changes when you two lock eyes and it flashes back to when you guys were dating or even just best friends."

Soda's P.O.V. 

I hear knocking on my door, "come in!" Lucy walks in with tear stains all over her face. "Hey Lucy. Are you okay?"

"I'm fucking great Sodapop minus that the fact that my whole  life is falling apart because of stupid love!" She yells as tears roll down her cheeks. "Why Sodapop? Why did you cheat on me?"

"I'm sorry," I say. "I lo-"

"Sodapop Don't!" She yells as the tears continue to make their way down her cheeks. "I was there for you. I was always there for you after everything, whenever you cried, after your parents died. I fought away all your fears and wiped away all your tears. I was always there for you! You weren't there for me. You heard me cry every night. You watched me break and you did nothing about it. You didn't care. You never cared about me. I loved you Sodapop and you knew I loved you."

"Lucy, I'm so sorry. Please let me make it up to you," I say as I go to grab her hand, but she jerks it away.

"It's too late Sodapop. The damage is already done. Sodapop, I'm leaving," she sobs. "I hate it though. I hate leaving. This is my family and I'm leaving. I know I have to though. I don't want to. Sandy was right, I caused a lot of damage and I could never get over feeling sorry for myself long enough to look behind me and see what I did. I'm sorry Sodapop."

I look at her holding back tears, "please just never forget me. Never forget how I used to make you feel. Never forget what we once shared. Never forget our memories, our laughs, our smiles, or our jokes. Never forget our friendship because, it was special. Please Lucy never forget me. Let me know that I had an impact on your life. I'm gonna miss you Lucy."

"I'll never forget you Sodapop," she looks away. "Not in a million years. I'll never forget the butterflies I got in my stomach, the chills or sparks when we kissed, the drag races, out laughs, our smiles, our jokes. I'll never forget how you made me feel or what we once shared. I'll forget anything about us. You've made the biggest impact in my life even more than Darry or even your parents Sodapop. I'm gonna miss ya too. I love you Sodapop."

"I love you too Lucy," I say holding myself together by a small thread.

Lucy's P.O.V.

I walk into my room with tears streaming down my face. I pack all my stuff up into suitcases until the room is completely empty as if I was never here. I walk over to my bed laying it once more taking in the scent of my room. I'm gonna miss it here. I stand up looking at the empty room that I once called mine. There are so many great memories in here with the gang, my family, my friends, the people I'm leaving behind. I'm gonna miss them so much. I walk down stairs to see the whole gang standing there. I walk over to Darry first hugging him tightly, "goodbye Darry, I love you so much. I want to thank you for being the dad I never had and for letting me into your home, showing me what a family is. I can never repay you for that. I'm gonna miss ya so much."

"I love you too kiddo," he lets our a sad sigh. "It's gonna be different without you and don't even mention it. We loved having you here. I'm gonna miss you so much kiddo, you have no idea."

I walk over to Johnnycakes next, "bye Johnnycakes I want you to know that even though I'm not here with you, I still love you and I'm still your sister. I'm gonna miss you Johnny. I gonna miss our pranks, our joking around, our laughing. I'm gonna miss everything about us."

I watch a few tears silently fall down his cheek, "I don't wanna see you go Lucy, but I know it's best for you. I love you too and I always will, you're my sister even though we're not blood relating. I'm really gonna miss everything about you Lucy. Please come back someday."

I look away because it's too hard to look at him knowing there is no coming back. This is the end, "just never forget that I love you Johnnycakes, never."

"I won't, I promise," he swears and I hear the tears in his voice. 

I walk over to Two-bit, "god I'm gonna miss you stupid, pointless jokes that make the whole room burst into laughter. I'm gonna miss you putting your two bits into everything. I love you Two and that will never change. It was nice knowing you Mathews."

"I'm gonna miss your laugh," he frowns. "I'm also gonna miss those passionate eyes, but I haven't seen them in a while. I love you Lucy. It's been nice knowing you Romero. I hope one day our paths cross again."

I continue to cry as I walk over to Dallas. I look at him and I just break, I run over to him hugging him as I sob into his shirt, "I'm gonna miss you so much Dally."

"I'm gonna miss you too princess," his voice cracks as I feel moisture on my shoulder. "I'm gonna miss smacking your butt everyday princess."

"I never thought I'd say it, but I'm gonna miss you smacking my butt too Dally," I continue to sob. "I love you Winston and nothing will ever change that. You have a special spot in my heart. Stay out of trouble Dallas."

"I love you too princess and I promise you will always have a special spot in my heart. I'm gonna miss you and I make no promises princess," he frowns as we break away.

I walk over to Stevie next hugging him tightly, "goodbye Stevie-o, thanks for looking after me like a big brother. I don't know how to repay you for that. I love you and I'm gonna miss ya."

"Goodbye Lucy and no problem. I love you Lucy, like the kid sister I never had and trust me I'm gonna miss you more than anybody will ever know," Steve looks away trying not to cry, but me, I just let it all out.

I walk over to Pony hugging him tightly, "you listen closely Ponyboy, I know this is the second hardest on you, but I DO love you Ponyboy. No matter what happened between me and Sodapop nothing changed between us just like I told ya a while back. You're still my kid brother and I'm still your big sister. Nothing changes! I'm gonna miss you so much Pone. I'm sorry I have to leave. I'm so so sorry, but I can't stay here anymore. Just please Ponyboy don't forget me, please. I am your sister and you are my brother. That didn't change, that will NEVER change. I promise Ponyboy. I'm sorry it had to end like this."

He sobs into my chest, "I know Lucy. I know you love me. I love you too and you will always be my big sister. I love you like a sister and that will never change. I'm gonna miss you so much. I'm gonna miss when I couldn't sleep and I would come in your room. I'm gonna miss all the pranks. I love you Lucy so much. I know what happened between you and Sodapop didn't affect us. I wish it didn't have to end like this, but I do understand. I'm gonna miss you Lucy and I do love you big sister."

I walk over to Sodapop and we don't do anything I stare into his once reckless eyes that are now tired and broken. All I say is, "goodbye Sodapop, I'll never forget. I love you."

"Goodbye Lucy, I'll never forget either. I love you too," is all he has to say and I know it's time to go. 

I look back at the house that is filled with memories. I look over at the gang who are all broken the guys who showed me what a family is. I love them, I will always love them, "goodbye ya'll."

"Goodbye Lucy," they all say in sync. I'm gonna miss that how they would say the same thing. I'm gonna miss them.

I walk outside leaving my life behind me, leaving everything behind me. I know I'll never see them again and that's what hurts the most. I run over to the train hopping on the one to Windrixville. I love them and now it's too late. I can never go back now. My whole life is over. My vision is blurred with tears that are slowly falling from my cheeks. I'm gonna miss them. I love them. They're my family and nothing will change that, ever. 

I watch as we pass the sign that says now leaving Tulsa and I whisper to myself, "goodbye Tulsa. Goodbye gang. Goodbye Sodapop. Goodbye everything. It was nice knowing ya, I'm gonna miss ya."

How did everything get so messed up? How did my life get flipped upside down? Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? 

Just a warning there is gonna be a huge time skip next chapter. Thanks for reading this far. Is it actually good or nah? Will they ever work this out? Where did everything go so wrong? Is Lucy gone for goog? Will she ever come back? Will things ever get better?  Stay gold. Do it for Johnny!
-Elizabeth