Strawberries and Cigarettes (Jally)

Chances

🍓Johnny🍓

I mentally prepared for what was about to go down. I knew there was a big chance I'd go to jail, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

A cop car pulled into the driveway, and one officer came out of it, but there was another in the passenger seat in case he needed backup.

Three loud, hard knocks on the door and Darry answered in less than 3 seconds.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked the officer in a cool tone. The cop looked over and saw me sitting on the couch.

"I'd like to talk to your friend there for a moment," he said. Darry stepped aside, allowing the officer to enter.

"There was a murder, over by Tracy Park," the officer said to me, "We've got eyewitnesses reporting you in that area. Mind telling me where you were at 2:46 this afternoon?"

"Yes, sir, I was here with a head injury," I said, not hesitant but not too eagerly.

"Concussion, to be more specific," Steve added. The cop nodded and began speaking again.

"We tried checking CCTV but it was down at the time. Victim's friends wouldn't talk but we got a few citizens coming to the station and giving a description that remotely matches you. Tan skinned, long, jet black greased-up hair, and black eyes. Said you and those kids got into a fight and you pulled out a blade," the officer noticed the gash on my cheek and the swelling, immediately raising suspicion, "What happened to your face there?"

"Roughhousing," I lied, but he couldn't tell, "I was wrestling around with a couple of friends and had an accident." He looked at me with a bit of hesitation, before nodded again and backing away.

"Well alright, then. Sorry for the mix-up, boys. What's your name, son?" he asked me.

"Jonathan Cade, but everybody calls me Johnny." He wrote my name down on a notepad and crossed it off.

"Got it. Y'all have a nice day now."

"You too, Officer...?"

"Hall. Wyatt Hall," he said, seeming a lot more friendly now, "Take care, boys." He left, and I felt a rush of relief come over me.

"You got pretty lucky there, Johnny," Darry told me, "If it was any of the other officers in this godforsaken town, you'd be down at the station charged with murder so fast it would make your head spin."

"Well thank God it wasn't. You think that other cop would've been as nice?"

"Definitely not," Dally said, "I know that other cop. His ego's bigger than Two-Bit's forehead."

"Hey!!" Two-Bit hollered from the kitchen. Dally couldn't help but laugh.

"Nah, but seriously. He's unbearable. I don't understand how anyone can work with him."

"Well, the important thing is, Johnny didn't get arrested, and he's not dead either," Steve said. Honestly, when I passed out, I felt like I was going to die, but when I woke up, the pain in my head and my dizziness weren't my main focus. My main focus was the fact that I was alive, and I wasn't about to be sucked into that white light you see when you're on the road to death. I felt a rush of relief. I couldn't die this soon. I couldn't leave Dally. Not like this. Not at all. I needed to stay, for him.

"I took some pretty big chances," I mumbled. Dally looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Killin' that kid, getting all worked up over it, lyin' to that cop, I risked a lot. If I hadn't fought back, I'd probably be dead. If I hadn't gotten worked up over it, I wouldn't have nearly died from head trauma, if I hadn't lied to the cop, I'd have been arrested. If I had gotten caught running off and had no alibi, I'd have been arrested. Getting worked up over it risked my life, lying to the cop risked everything. This entire day was just one big risk. I risked being taken from you," I told Dally, "In more ways than one."

I felt all 4 of the guys just stare at me. Neither one of us told the others Dally and I were together, so the other 3 just stared at us, kind of getting an idea of what the hell was going on. Dally kneeled in front of me, and took my hands.

"You're not gonna get taken from me, Johnny," he said, not caring that the others were looking, and listening, "I'm gonna make sure of that. I promise, I will keep you safe."

"Okay, what the hell is happening?" Two-Bit asked, apparently not having a clue what was going on between Dally and me. Dally grinned, and shook his head.

"You're so clueless," he said, "Johnny and I are together. We have been for a few days now. We just haven't told anyone but Soda."

"Soda knew?" Steve asked. I nodded, and he looked offended. "So that's why he got onto me for asking why you were waiting for Dally to get out the day you got beat?"

"Yeah," I said, "He knew Dally didn't want anyone but him to know so he didn't directly say it." The look on Steve's face told me that we probably shouldn't have mentioned that Soda knew. Steve looked highly offended that Soda had hidden something from him. I was definitely not ready for that conversation. "Do you know when Ponyboy's gonna be able to come home?" I asked, changing the topic pretty quickly.

"If all goes well, he should be home tomorrow," Darry said. I was okay then. I was gonna see my best friend.

I suddenly started feeling really tired, and the room started spinning again. I felt my body start to go weak and I felt nauseous.

"Johnny." Dally said, a bit alarmed, and got up on the couch, pulling me close to him. "Hey, hey, you okay?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I lost consciousness before words came out, falling into a pit of darkness.

*a/n: keep the cop's name in your mind. it'll be important to remember him later in the story ;)