A/N: Hello my lovely readers! After months (literally like years), of being completely busy with work and school, I seriously debated whether to abandon this fic, as I was way too invested in my other one called Enchanting Nightmares- it's for supernatural if you guys wanna check that out. But I didn't give up because I still have all my ideas for this story saved and I wasn't willing to let that go. So if you guys can forgive me for the ridiculously long hiatus, I promise to regularly update every 2 weeks. I will finish this fic by the end of this year! There's still a lot in store for Chelsea and the rest of the gang. So thanks x1000000 to anyone reading this chapter, I love you so much and I hope all the waiting is worth it!
Chapter 20: Torn
Recap: After their one on one date, Chelsea found a letter meant for Sandy in which, Sodapop confesses that he still loves her and is still not over her. Hurt and betrayed, Chelsea curled up on the couch alone to sleep and was awoken by someone looming over her.
Chelsea's father stood at the edge of the couch, angrily glaring down at her.
"How did -what are you-" she sputtered fearfully. How did he find her here?
"Do you... Have any idea... What you've put me through... Traveling to Hell and back... Trying to find you..." His voice snarled menacingly from behind clenched teeth. She could hear the control wavering behind his voice and began to tremble. The last time he'd used this tone with her he'd proceeded to beat her so badly her mother had to take her to the hospital because her wounds had been nearly fatal.
"I'm sorry!" She began to cry and shake. "Please don't hurt me. I'll be good, I'll be good!"
Her father released an furious growl, grabbed her by the shoulders and began shaking her violently.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Chelsea sobbed as she felt as though her neck was going to snap.
"Wake up!" A familiar voice called.
"Please don't hurt me again!" Chelsea wailed.
"You're having a nightmare, c'mon wake up."
Chelsea's eyes fluttered open. It had been all been dream, she was still safe beneath her covers in the Curtis home. She breathed a sigh of relief and glanced up to see Ponyboy standing over her with fear in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
She nodded and wiped stray tears from her eyes. "I'm fine, it was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you."
"That's okay, I was already awake," Ponyboy replied with a shrug.
"I hope I didn't wake up Darry and Sodapop," Chelsea said quietly.
Just when she spoke, Darry appeared in the doorway of the living room brandishing his old baseball bat.
"Did someone break in?" Darry asked, fully alert. "I thought I heard someone screaming."
"That was just me," Chelsea admitted sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Darry, I had a bad dream."
The older boy lowered his weapon and sighed in relief. "That's okay, Mickey. I'm just glad everyone's alright."
Just then, Sodapop stumbled into the room. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and glanced over at his brothers and Chelsea.
"Are we having a pyjama party?" He joked.
Chelsea felt herself begin to smile, but then remembered the letter he'd written to Sandy and forced herself to stop.
"You can go back to sleep, little buddy," Darry told him, reassuringly, "Chelsea just had a bad dream."
Sodapop's eyes widened. "Was that what all that screaming was about? Chels, you okay?"
She nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, I dreamt that Dally ate the last piece of chocolate cake and we'd run out of icing."
All of the boys chuckled at this. Sodapop laughed loudest, "So that's why you kept screaming 'stop' and 'please don't do this'"
Chelsea flinched. She hadn't realized she'd been talking in her sleep.
"Hahaha yeah," she chuckled unconvincingly.
"Well as long as everything is fine, I'm gonna go back to bed. Goodnight everyone," Darry announced.
"Goodnight," Ponyboy, Chelsea and Sodapop chorused.
Ponyboy then told Chelsea he'd be back with something for her and then sprinted to his bedroom without another word. This left Soda and Chelsea alone.
"So, how come you changed your mind about sleeping in the bed with me?" Sodapop asked, attempting to seem nonchalant.
Chelsea spat out an excuse that was only partially true; "It felt unfair to Ponyboy. I mean it's one thing for us all to fall asleep in the living room but another for us to share a bed, especially when he's just down the hall."
Soda nodded slowly in understanding. He knew the rivalry between him and his kid brother had caused them to fight in the past but he and Ponyboy were trying hard to repair the relationship and neither wanted to do anything to intentionally upset the other.
"I should've thought of that before," he replied, regretfully.
Chelsea smiled sweetly at him. 'Why does he have to be so darn cute!' She thought to herself in irritation.
"Anyhow, I'm glad you're okay now, I'm gonna hit the hay, goodnight Chels," Sodapop said before heading to his room.
Chelsea began to feel herself falling back asleep as she waited for Ponyboy to return. She closed her eyes for what felt like a second and when she opened them again, Ponyboy was standing in front of her.
Chelsea smiled at him then yawned and glanced over at the hallway clock. "What time is it?"
"Four O'Clock," Pony answered, "we don't have much time. We need to get to the park as soon as possible."
Chelsea stretched her arms and legs but then sank back into her cocoon of covers.
"Uhhh, I'm a little stuck," she said sheepishly as she couldn't gather enough strength to climb out of the bed and walk to the park so early in the morning.
"Do you want me to carry you?" Pony offered.
Chelsea shook her head and attempted to stand but stopped halfway up and shot Ponyboy a defeated glance. He smiled before scooping her up, blankets and all, and carried her out of the house.
Chelsea leant into Pony's chest and inhaled his warm scent. She felt at home here; the beating of his heart, and the tight feeling of his arms wrapped around her. She'd missed this feeling of safety. The coziness of her position caused her to fall asleep again in his arms.
"We're here," he whispered gently as he sat her down in their field beside the park.
Chelsea awoke and felt herself being set down on something warm and realized that her friend had laid out a large comforter for them to sit on, along with some books, maps, and some juice for them to drink. She gazed up at him in confusion.
"Surprise! This is our one-on-one date," Pony exclaimed with a big smile. "It had to be this morning because this is the only time we can see this meteor shower, just before the sun rises."
Chelsea's eyes widened as her brain processed what their date would be and why he'd been insistent that Soda's date came yesterday. "This is incredible!" She exclaimed in excitement, feeling herself waking up.
His smile grew wider as he took in Chelsea's happiness. He was glad he'd picked a stargazing date, it gave them the opportunity to cuddle and talk.
He lay down on the comforter beside her and the two of them made out the stars in the sky. Pony, who'd taken a course about astronomy pointed out the planets and stars that he knew to Chelsea's delight.
"I like the big dipper," she commented as the sky began to lighten up with the sunrise. "It's such a simple yet easily distinguishable constellation."
Ponyboy nodded solemnly as he began eagerly scouring the sky for any sign of the shower.
Soon enough he spotted it and pointed it out to Chelsea.
"Wow!" She remarked in disbelief, "I can't believe we can see it when its so far from us! This means we get to make a bunch of wishes, right?"
Ponyboy nodded as he stared at her while she gazed at the night sky. She squeezed her eyes closed and made a wish, secretly hoping it would come true even though it might have consequences. When she opened her eyes she noticed him watching her and blushed. The way he was looking at her made her feel like she knew exactly what he was wishing for.
"Are you cold?" She asked after a moment.
Ponyboy shrugged. "A little, I guess."
Chelsea immediately extended the edge of her blanket to him and he gratefully climbed under it, next to her. The two of them were so close their faces were nearly pressed against each other, cheek to cheek.
"You know..." Ponyboy began slowly, "when I told Sodapop I was in love with you, I meant it."
"Really?!"
He chuckled "Why are you so surprised? Of course I do, I've been in love with you for a long time. I just didn't tell you because I was worried I would scare you away."
"When did you realize you loved me?" She inquired, wondering if when he fell for her was around the time she acknowledged her feelings for him.
"When me and Johnny were stuck in Windrixville, I think... I had a lot of time to myself and all I could think about was you. What we'd be doing if you were there, how you were back home, wondering if you missed me too."
"I did," she insisted, "I missed you so much."
Ponyboy grinned widely. "I'm glad."
His grin faded suddenly and he spoke again. "Look, I know I'm not as good looking, funny and outgoing as my brother is but I can make you happy, Chelsea. You're my best friend, and I've loved every minute we've been together. I'm sorry I was a jerk to you, after Randy visited, I mean. I was just so upset about Dally and Johnny I didn't want to face life anymore. Thanks for sticking with me, and I'm sorry the way I acted drove you to Soda. I get that now."
Chelsea was taken aback. She didn't expect such a heart wrenching speech from him. She felt a rush of emotions and stared up at the stars. In her heart she knew the truth... She was drawn to Sodapop more. He was the one she'd been falling for but he'd hurt her with that stupid letter and made her feel used. She couldn't trust him. Besides, if that fortune teller was right, the choice she made would be the wrong one which made Soda the wrong choice. But here was Ponyboy. Her best friend who'd been there since day one, always attentive, always loving her and keeping her happy. True she didn't feel the passion with Ponyboy that she did with Sodapop but Pony was her safety net. He would never do something to hurt her intentionally. Even when he'd gone off the deep end and shut her out he'd never made her feel the way she did when she found the letter to Sandy. Chelsea knew deep down she cared for Ponyboy and those feelings could turn to love. She looked again at her best friend who was smiling at her hopefully and smiled back. He was her savior, best friend, and the person she cared for most in the world. They'd been happy before Randy showed up and she knew they coukd be happy again.
"Thanks" she whispered to him.
He leant towards her until their faces were nearly touching. He smiled at her and she smiled back widely. He leant in closer and kissed her deeply. She melted herself into the kiss and felt him wrap his arms around her, pulling her closer.
A while later they pulled apart and watched the sunrise together.
"What do you think," Chelsea smirked, "are they as beautiful as sunsets?"
Ponyboy smiled and took her hand in his, "no, they're so much more beautiful."
When they finally came back from their date, Chelsea knew she had a huge decision to make. Ponyboy climbed back into bed while Chelsea wandered the house aimlessly, still wrapped in her blanket. She pondered her decision over and over again, and then received a phone call from Evie who wanted to know if she had decided yet. Chelsea replied that she hadn't and needed some friendly advice to whichEvie offered to come over and showed up in a matter of minutes.
"How did you get here so fast?" Chelsea remarked as her friend sat down on the porch swing beside her.
"I walked," Evie shrugged.
"But your house is almost near my neighborhood how did you- Ohhhhhh" Chelsea exclaimed realizing that Steve's house was in close walking distance.
Evie grinned mischievously. "That's why I called you so early in the morning. I didn't sleep much."
Chelsea giggled along with her friend until Evie spoke again. "Have you made any progress? Ponyboy told me yesterday about your date this morning. I was wondering if by now you'd made a choice."
"I think so," Chelsea sighed.
Evie leant on the edge of her seat. "Really?! Who?!"
"I think I'm going to pick Ponyboy."
"Oh," Evie said in a disappointed voice. She sat back in her seat and crossed her legs.
"What's wrong?" Chelsea wondered aloud in amusement, "I thought you wanted me to make a choice."
"Oh I did, and I'm happy for you. I'm just bummed me and Steve are going to lose the bet."
"Bet? What bet?"
Evie blushed. "Uh, some of the guys might have started a bet to see which boy you'd pick..."
Evie expected Chelsea to erupt and be furious about it but instead, she was intrigued. "Who bet what?" She inquired.
"Um let's see... Two-Bit said you'd pick Pony, so did Darry; Dally, Steve and I said you'd pick Soda."
"Why did you think I'd pick Soda?" Chelsea asked, internally wondering if her feelings for him had been that obvious.
Evie sighed. "Listen Mickey, I've known Soda for a year and a bit. I've seen him before, during, and after Sandy and I have to say the happiest I've ever seen him is when he is with you. The two of you have this connection, it's like magic. Everyone can see the electricity in the room when the two of you are together. But I dig that Pony's your best friend and you two are very alike but sometimes being alike doesn't correlate to a good relationship. I mean look at Dally and his ex-girlfriend, Sylvia. Those two were so alike you'd thought they were twins. They both smoked, swore, stole, and slept around but look what happened- Sylvia slept around on him while he was in jail and their relationship fell apart. All I'm saying is, I think you should be with Sodapop, but it's completely your choice. Ponyboy is wonderful too, and sweet and he clearly loves you very much. If he's the one who makes you happiest, then I say go for him."
Chelsea smiled at her friend's words. She was slightly surprised that everyone could see the attraction her and Soda had to each other. For a moment she almost considered picking Soda but then the stinging pain of his betrayal hit. She couldn't trust Sodapop; he'd tell her he was falling in love with her one day and then go and write a letter to his ex-girlfriend the next. He clearly wasn't over Sandy, and she didn't want to be anyone's rebound. Ponyboy on the other hand, he understood her, he knew what to do and say to cheer her up. The amount of planning he put into their actual dates, and the amount they had in common changed her mind. How could she have even considered Sodapop who would probably flake out on her, when there was her best friend in the picture.
"I know what I gotta do," Chelsea announced.
After all the boys had breakfast, Chelsea decided to tell them her decision. The first person she wanted to tell was Sodapop. She pulled him aside from the TV set where everyone was watching a movie, in order to talk to him alone.
"What's up, Chels?" He asked with a hopeful smile.
Chelsea's heart nearly broke when she saw the excitement in his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you first to tell you I've made my decision..."
He gazed at her expectantly and she lowered her eyes when she spoke. "I pick Ponyboy."
Soda's face immediately fell.
"Oh," he said sadly, "I'm happy for you."
Chelsea met his eyes. "It's not that I don't care about you... In fact, it's because I care about you too much that I'm making this decision. You deserve someone better."
"There is no one better," Soda mumbled to himself.
Chelsea felt tears pricking. "I know you'll find someone. Please know this was the most difficult decision I ever had to make."
Soda nodded sombrely, still unable to look her in the eyes.
"Pepsi-Cola," she said softly, using his favourite nickname. He glanced up in response and Chelsea saw the despair in his eyes.
"Promise me, you won't hate me or Ponyboy for this? Please, I don't want to lose you. We've all lost enough people, and I would hate myself forever if this choice made me lose you as a friend."
Soda gave her a weak smile. "I don't hate you or him, I just want both of you to be happy."
Chelsea threw her arms around him. He felt as stiff as a board at first but then he slipped his arms around her and held her for what felt like an eternity before she released him.
She returned to the house and told everyone else. The guys reacted fairly predictably. Two-Bit immediately demanded Steve and Dally to pay up while Darry told Chelsea he was glad she'd made a decision.
Dally grabbed Chelsea after shoving his money into Two-Bit's pockets in annoyance. "You sure this is what you want?" He checked.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Trying to get your money back from Two-Bit and Darry?"
"Fuck them," Dally said in irritation, "I just want to make sure you're happy."
"Thanks, Dally, and I am. Ponyboy is the right choice for me, I know it," She told him insistently.
Dally studied her face for a moment to make sure that was what she wanted. He was still unconvinced but he knew he couldn't act like an overprotective brother and make her decisions for her. He let Chelsea make her choice, he knew well enough that her and Ponyboy would be extremely happy together.
When she went to talk to Ponyboy he was still asleep. She sat on his bed and stroked her fingers through his short blondish hair. He awoke and smiled at her.
"Good morning, beautiful," he mumbled.
Chelsea climbed into bed next to him. "Actually, it's goodnight. I'm going to take a nap."
Ponyboy chuckled but wrapped his arms around her nonetheless. Chelsea burrowed herself in his arms and lay her head on his chest.
"I made my decision," she murmured after a while.
Ponyboy suddenly sprang up upon hearing her words. Chelsea raised her head and smiled at him. "I choose you."
He was ecstatic. He cried out in disbelief and held her so close to him she feared she would burst.
"I love you, Chelsea," he whispered to her.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LATENESS BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!