Scars | Johnny Cade Fanfic

26 - Cade

Triggers: Swearing, yelling? IDK if that's a trigger...

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Tru's POV 

Still Saturday; a little bit after noon

Steve, Ponyboy, Johnny, and I all started making our way back to the Curtis house after we gave Soda a visit at the hospital. It was quite a peaceful day, and it was nice outside to take a walk. You know, that cloudy weather?

Steve and Pony had started trash-talking and teasing each other like they always do, while Johnny and I stayed further behind. We didn't talk, but it was that same familiar, comfortable silence that we usually walked in on days like this.

"So..." The sixteen year old boy started slowly all of a sudden. "What was that?"

I looked at him. His eyes were bigger than usual, and he looked uneasy. Almost like he was... mad.

"What was what?" I asked, a bit puzzled.

"Back at the hospital. What was that show you were putting on for them?"

I held my breath and became stiff, as my heart started to beat faster and faster by the second. Shit. I said to myself.

"I don't know what you mean." I said slowly, hoping he'd just drop the conversation. He didn't.

We both knew exactly what he was talking about. Even if I wanted to admit it or not.

"Oh c'mon, Tru. Stop playing dumb!" Johnny said, raising his voice a bit louder. I started to panic inside. Partly because I was scared he'd confront me, and partly because he raised his voice, and I didn't want Steve or Pony to hear.

"Johnny- Please, keep your... voice down." I said desperately.

The sixteen year old sighed in frustration, but still listened to me, and lowered his voice.

Johnny went on. "I know something's wrong, but I can't help you if you don't tell me."

There was a long pause for a moment, as we walked along the street. I desperately wanted to change the topic, but I couldn't think of anything. My mind was too focused on Johnny. Before I could say anything, Steve interrupted. "You guys comin' inside?"

I looked up, only to realize we were already back at the Curtis house. Damn. time flies.

"Yeah," Johnny said, a bit blunt. "We'll come inside in a minute."

Steve shrugged, walking inside the house, and Ponyboy gave us a weird, confused look before following the seventeen year old inside.

Now it was just Johnny and I. And boy, was I scared. Johnny looked like he had his 'last straw'.

It was a weird sight. Johnny being mad, I mean. He looked older. He looked stressed. He looked like he wanted to just pour his heart out, but couldn't, so he kept most of it in.

I didn't think lying about the necklace was a big thing, but I guess I was wrong. To him, this was a big thing.

"Okay I don't mean to be harsh, but cut the bullshit, Tru." Johnny began, as we both took a seat on the front steps of the porch. I sat stiff. "That reaction you had back at the hospital - that wasn't you being happy. That was you acting. The others might not notice, but I do."

I was more than stiff, I was stunned. I wanted to say so much. I wanted to defend myself, I wanted to tell Johnny how proud I was of him for sticking up for himself, but at the same time, shocked about the way he was going about it. I wanted to ask why he cared so much, why he was so pissed, why he was getting a bit bolder every minute.