Cade & Curtis Summer (Ponyboy & Johnny)

Chats on the Porch

Just another day in the regular, just as if it was any other normal day, because it was. Nothing special was going on, school was already let out for the summer and kids were even more free now than ever, meaning more trouble. There was even a rumble at a party last night that was so bad that a roof needed repairing, and that's why Darry isn't home. Sodapop's hours at the gas station were even more extended due to so many kids now out and driving places and other people coming in and out from other places. Poor people, don't even have any idea of what type of town that they are getting into. Dally was probably in the cooler, Steve was working with Steve, and I heard that Two Bit had to travel with his folks for a few weeks. Boy, was he going to be in a bad mood, his poor folks.

That left Johnny. What was Johnny doing? He probably isn't doing anything, the kid's afraid of his own shadow and his parents had pretty much disowned him. I wonder what he was doing wherever the heck he was, it isn't safe out there this time of year, kids tend to go wicked wild cause of the freedom from school, I figured that I should go find him. I opened the screen porch door, and I didn't have to look far to find ol' Johnny Cade, he was sittin' on the porch, smokin' a weed.

"Hey Johnny." I said, sticking my thumbs in my jean pockets. He turned his head towards me, "Hey Ponyboy." he said with a smoke between his teeth. It was lretty normal to find Johnny just sitting on our porch, he sure didn't want to be around his folks and he knows dang well enough to not go out alone, being jumped once was more than enough to get it through his head. I sat next to him, taking out a smoke for myself and my lighter, lighting it and sticking it in my mouth, trying to blow out a few perfect smoke rings. They never were all perfect, like usual, but I didn't care. I turned towards Johnny.

"Whats goin' on with you?" I asked, I usually never asked that question because I feel like that question was a little much for him I guess, but today I was gonna see where that got me.

He looked at me for a second and then just shrugged, "Usual, folks got in a fight and told me to leave, so I slept in the lot. It's kind of like my second bed, more my first. Haven't gotten to enjoy my real bed in forever." He continued smoking. It was usual to find Johnny sleeping in the lot, but it really worries me sometimes, sometimes I can't even sleep without the thought of Johnny being jumped while he was sleeping swarming around inside my head, but I need to quit worryin' so much or Darry will really consider sending me to a boys home.

I know that it ain't cool to ask all up in Johnny's business, but I couldn't help it, I've waited a pretty long time and I kind of wanted to know. "Hey Johnny...." I started, unsure if I should go on with it. Johnny turned to me, his smoker still between his teeth, "Yeah?"

"Do you ever try to remember when your parents were not so.....y'know..?" I asked, but I immediatley regret it as soon as I saw Johnny's face, it kind of cringed and had a internally scarred look to it, "Oh shoot, Johnny, I didn't mean-"

"There was never a time," he replied bluntly. "They've hated me from the moment I was born, I was a mistake and now I don't even know why I'm still around..." It took me a minute to process that all in as I crushed the end of my smoker and threw it, "C'mon, Johnny. Let's go inside."