"Taking Care of What Matters"

The gang had been in a whirlwind of chaos since Johnny's accident. I had always been the one to keep things together, but now it seemed like everything was falling apart. Dally, my brother, had been distant and cold, trying to put on a tough exterior for everyone, but I knew it was eating away at him. He had always been protective of me, and now that Johnny was lying in a hospital bed, he felt lost. As I walked into the Curtis's house, I could see the worry etched on Darry's face. Soda was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the TV, trying to escape reality. Ponyboy was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. I took a deep breath and let my OCD kick in, I began to tidy up the room, my hands moving in a soothing rhythm as I organized the books on the shelf. I had always found solace in routine and organization. It helped calm the storm in my head, the constant chatter and anxiety that came with ADHD. My tics tried to surface, a twitch in my eye, a flick of my wrist, but I suppressed them, focusing on the task at hand. Darry looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. "Hey, kiddo, how are you doing?" he asked, trying to sound casual. I shrugged, not wanting to show any weakness. "I'm fine. I'll make some lunch." I began to rattle off a list of things I needed to do, my voice steady and calm. "I'll make some sandwiches, and then I'll go check on Johnny, and after that, I'll... " Soda looked at me, concern etched on his face. "Hey, you're not eating, are you? You need to take care of yourself too." I nodded, mechanically, "I'll eat later, I promise." My words were laced with a practiced indifference, a mask I had perfected over the years to hide my emotions. As I busied myself in the kitchen, I could feel Dally's eyes on me. He was standing by the window, his eyes fixed on some point outside. I knew he was struggling, that he was trying to keep it together for me, but I couldn't let myself show any weakness. Not now. Not when everyone else was falling apart. The phone rang, shrill in the silence. Darry answered it, his face going white as he listened. I could sense the tension in the room, the air thickening with anxiety. "What is it?" Ponyboy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Darry's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of fear. "It's the hospital. Johnny's... stable. But Dally... " He paused, his voice cracking. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what was coming. I felt a cold dread creeping up my spine, but I refused to let it show. I kept my face impassive, my eyes fixed on Darry. "What's wrong?" I asked, my voice steady. Darry took a deep breath before speaking, "Dally's been in an accident. He's... " The words hung in the air, like a challenge. My tic, a small twitch in my eye, threatened to surface, but I suppressed it, my focus solely on taking care of what mattered. I pushed down the emotions, the fear, the anxiety, and began to make a mental list of things to do. I would take care of Darry, and Soda, and Ponyboy. I would keep everything together, no matter what happened. That was what I did best.