Come Down From Your Fences

Chapter 16

"Hey Johnny, how about me and you have a little race?" Two-Bit was grinning like a kid at Christmas, fooling around in a wheelchair that he was trying to tip back into a wheelie.

"Golly, that's a great idea. How does right now sound? Hallway's pretty clear." Johnny said it so seriously that Two-Bit froze in mid-air, the chair precariously balanced on its back wheels.

"Really?" Two-Bit practically squeaked.

"Yeah, really," Johnny answered, trying to keep a straight face, but it was a losing battle and a smile soon spread across his face. Two-Bit laughed so suddenly that he almost sent the chair toppling backwards.

"Geez, you almost got me there, kid. I haven't heard you joke like that since ..." Two-Bit was thoughtful for a moment. "Ya know, I don't think I've ever heard you joke like that. Well done." He made a motion as though he was doffing an imaginary hat in admiration.

Johnny grinned and then went back to reading the book he had propped open on a pillow on his lap. Some papers were scattered on the tray attached to his bed and he occasionally stopped reading to write something down.

"So, what ya got there?" Two-Bit wheeled next to the bed and made an exaggerated show of inspecting the book and its contents. "Looks suspiciously like a history text book. I believe I've seen one or two in my day."

"It is," Johnny explained. "It's for US History. Ponyboy brought it by the other day along with some homework."

"Pony's got you doing his homework? Pretty crafty for the kid - didn't think he had it in him."

Johnny sighed and shook his head. "Not his homework - mine."

"No offense, but you've already missed a huge chunk of the school year, so why bother?"

"I dunno," Johnny shrugged. "Miss Martin, that's the social worker, she suggested it. I know I ain't got much of a shot of makin' up the whole year, but I should be okay with a class or two. Pony's helping out, gettin' the work from a couple of my teachers and sorta tutoring me."

Two-Bit was looking at him like he'd suddenly grown two heads or maybe a third eye. "You actually volunteered ...to do school work ... voluntarily?"

"Well, yeah. Sure beats sitting around here all day, doin' nothing," Johnny said quietly, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Ya wanna know something?" he started slowly as he looked down and began to fidget with the pages in the book. "I'm really understanding some of this stuff now. Maybe it's just easier to focus or somethin'."

Two-Bit cuffed him gently on the arm. "You ain't aimin' to graduate before me, are you?"

Johnny looked up and laughed. "Two-Bit, at the rate you're going, your little sister is gonna graduate before you do."

"Yeah, you've got a point there." He grew serious for a moment, his grin fading. "I've been thinkin' I should dropout anyway. Shoot, even my mom's shocked I'm still in school."

Johnny could tell it took a lot for Two-Bit to admit that. He knew what it was like when no one expected you to do well, when no one really cared one way or the other. Sometimes it was just easier to fail.

Before the fire, he had never given school much of thought - it was just something to get through. A place he felt awkward and uncomfortable in. A place he hated a little less than home, giving him the only reason he had not to dropout.

He'd been thinking a lot these last few weeks. He had his second chance but what was he going to do with it?

His physical therapist was constantly talking, rattling off lists of things Johnny could still do and things he would learn to do with time and patience. The guy was persistent; he wanted Johnny to know that there was still a whole world open to him and that he didn't have to let his disability hold him back. He didn't want to break it to the guy that there was a lot more holding him back than being stuck in a wheelchair.

He realized he had to do something, he couldn't just sit around and wait for things to happen to him. He'd been doing that for sixteen years and it had to stop. Hearing Two-Bit talk about dropping out scared him. It would be so easy to just give up.

"What'll you do if you don't go to school?" Johnny asked.

"Guess I'll have to get a job," Two-Bit said with a groan. "I think that's the only reason I've stayed in school. Well, that and the chicks," he admitted with a wink and a chuckle.

"Well, why don't you grab a book, start doing some of the work. Maybe you'll surprise yourself." As he was saying it, Johnny realized it sounded just like something Ponyboy would've said to him.

"Johnnycake, are you sure that beam didn't hit you on the head?" Two-Bit said jokingly, never one to allow a serious moment to last for more than a minute or two. "Next you'll be sayin' we should invite Dally over when he gets released from jail. Hell, we could start our very own one-room-greaser-schoolhouse."

"That's not a bad idea," Johnny said thoughtfully but couldn't hide his smile.

"Geez, kid, we've gotta work on your poker face."

Both boys looked toward the doorway when they heard someone knock twice. The door was propped open and a woman was standing there, waiting to be invited in.

"Miss M-Martin, hi ... uh, come on in." Johnny felt his ears grow hot and he silently cursed his awkwardness. Every time he was confronted with someone who wasn't part of the gang, he suddenly became shy and tripped over his words. He was getting tired of it.

Miss Martin stepped into the room. She was wearing another uncomfortable looking suit, this one was black instead of gray. Her hair was back in that bun again and Johnny had a hard time imagining her looking relaxed and laid back. She didn't look old, but she sure acted like she wanted people to think she was.

As though he suddenly possessed manners, Two-Bit stood and extended his hand in greeting. "Hello there, you must be the infamous Miss Martin," he said congenially as they shook hands. "Wow, you certainly are much cute--" Johnny loudly cleared his throat, interrupting Two-Bit, who recovered quickly,"--younger than the social worker assigned to the Curtis'."

"And you must be Keith," she replied with a knowing smile. Johnny wasn't sure, but it looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh.

"Well, my friends call me Two-Bit," he said with a wink as he returned to the wheelchair and Johnny fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Miss Martin pulled an empty chair up to the bed and sat down. "Johnny, I spoke with your doctor today. He said that if everything stays on track you'll be released in two weeks."

"Two weeks, hey that's great," Two-Bit said enthusiastically.

Staring straight ahead at the plain, white wall, Johnny simply shrugged and didn't say anything. He already knew - the doc had talked to him that morning.

"Well, ain't you excited about getting out of here?" His friend prodded but Johnny didn't answer, he could feel panic starting to well up inside of him and he tried to keep it bottled up. He didn't want to think about leaving the hospital. He didn't want to think about going to jail, or a boys' home, or foster care, or any other number of possible scenarios that have played through his mind whenever he allowed his thoughts to go there.

Miss Martin reached over and gently touched his arm. He looked over at her, his dark eyes full of unspoken fears.

"It's okay to be scared," she said quietly.