Darry came over and took the phone away before I did drop it.

"What's wrong, kiddo?"

I couldn't answer just yet. I ran over to the window and looked out, praying that they weren't out there. Sure enough, they were. Circling the house in their blue mustang.

I backed away into Soda, and he caught me.

"What is it, kid? Tell us!"

"My... my mom. She hired the guy and his gang to..."

"To what?" Dally demanded.

"To...kill me."

Johnny looked up and said ,"I thought I had it bad."

"You do Johnnycake, she just has it worse," Dally said to him.

After that, it was silent. No one said anything, until Pony finally said ,"What do you do now? Where are you gonna stay?"

"She can stay here with us if she'd like," Darry offered.

"That would be great, because they still might be searching for me."

"What?!" Dally yelled. He ran to the window and cussed under his breath. "They are right outside!"

I started hyperventilating and backed up into the corner of the room.

Darry stood up and said ,"Okay, let's go deal with this." He turned towards me and told me to stay here.

"What? No, please don't leave me alone." I begged.

"Don't worry, Rylee. No one will hurt you," Dally said. I trusted him. Why oh why do I have to feel so good around him?

He turned to Johnny who was hyperventilating just as much as I am now.

"Hey Johnnycake, why don't you stay in here?"

Johnny nodded and walked over to the corner with me. The rest of the gang ran out the door and started a mini rumble.

For a while we just heard yelling and fighting, until someone crawled in threw the window. Johnny and I instantly froze when we saw Bob smiling wickedly at us. We both started shaking wildly as Bob crept towards me.

"Well, well, well, look at what cat dragged in."

I gulped. He looks to Johnny and grins.

"I recognize that scar. Because I'm the one who gave it to ya'." He chuckles. "You know what, after I kill you pretty thang, I think I'll beat you to death too ya' little terd."

He lunges at me and tries to pull a blade on me, but I dodge his knife and scream. He turns back to me and catches me this time. Johnny screams for help when Bob stabs the blade into my thigh.

Someone runs into the room and I get dropped again. I couldn't see who came to my side as the rest of the gang chase Bob out of the house, but something told me it was Dally. My breathing came in quick loud gasps, as my asthma kicked in from lack of blood. Also because I just got stabbed.

"Oh shoot, kid. He stabbed you!" Dally exploded. "I'll kill him. I swear I will." That means a lot to me. WHY?!

The rest of the gang rushed in, asking the same dumb question: Are you okay?

"Yah, I'm totally fine. I'm just sitting here enjoying this knife jabbed into my leg!"

"Shoot kiddo, you really need someone to look after ya'," Darry said worried. His face lit up as he got an idea. "Hey, why don't I bring you to court tomorrow and ask to be your legal guardian."

I liked the sound of that. If only this knife wasn't in my leg. "Yah that'd be super! Can it just wait till the knife is out of my leg?"

"Oh right, sorry little buddy. You ready? One... two... three!" He yanked out the knife, as I screamed in pain.

Darry spent the next hour stitching and wrapping my leg with gauze. At some point during that time, I fell asleep.