Let It Be Me

Part 18

"You sure we're supposed to be here?" Soda asked, watching me scale the fence that framed the rolling pastures at Laurel Acres. I stepped down off the bottom board carefully to avoid sending another stabbing pain into my head. The constant headache was starting to let up but even the impact of my footsteps on the ground was still enough to make my temples throb. Johnny and Two-Bit glanced at each other with a shrug and started pulling themselves up on the fence after me.

"Supposed to be here?" I asked wiping my hands together to brush off the dirt. "They're not expecting us if that's what you mean." Johnny's feet hit the ground beside me with a thud, followed by Two-Bit who jumped directly off the top and rolled into his landing like a Hollywood stunt man.

Soda looked at the car behind him and back to me again with a pensive look on his face. I smiled at him sympathetically. "Relax, Sodapop. I used to come here all the time when I was a kid. There's no one around at night." Soda deliberated for another moment and then lifted his foot up onto the bottom plank to pull himself up.

"Since when do rules make you all jumpy there Sodapop?" Two-Bit asked pulling a long blade of grass from beside the fence post and tucking it in the corner of his mouth.

"It ain't that" Soda said in a huff as he swung his leg over. "I just don't like bein' over on the west side before a rumble, that's all. Ain't the best place to be."

"We ain't close to the neighborhoods or nothin'" Johnny said softly. His voice always took on a quieter and more nervous tone around the other guys than it did around me or Pony. I was still trying to get used to it. Soda made it to the grass beside us and looked around.

"Yeah, I know. I just ain't itchin to kick this rumble off early, that's all." We began the walk across the grass over to the stables as Soda shook his head. "Not while Dal is still in prison anyway" he said intently. Two-Bit rolled the blade of grass around with his tongue.

"Hate to break it to ya Sodapop but Dally ain't gettin' out of the cooler any time soon." Soda frowned.

"Yeah, you're probably right" he agreed. Johnny looked sick.

"You don't know that Two-Bit. Maybe he'll get out on good behavior again or somethin'." Soda squinted at Johnny.

"Attempted murder ain't somethin' they let you off easy for Johnnycake" he said gently, trying to soften the blow. Johnny looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets.

"Especially with Soc parents paying for lawyers to keep ya there" Two-Bit chimed in. "Old Dally's gotten himself in it this time" he said shaking his head. "Probably won't be seein' him for a long time."

Johnny stopped walking and stared at the ground. The three of us stopped and turned towards him when we noticed he was standing still. For a moment no one said anything. Finally Two-Bit shoved at Johnny's shoulder playfully.

"Aw, come on, kid. We're just messin' around. Don't mean nothin' by it." Johnny didn't move. A look of pain washed over his face. Soda cocked his head to the side.

"Sorry Johnnycake. We'll keep our mouths shut good from now on" he assured him. Johnny scuffed at the dirt with his foot.

"It's alright. Shoot, you're right anyway. I know that." He started to chew his thumbnail for a second and then dropped his hand, shaking his head and taking off across the grass again.

"What was that all about?" I asked as the three of us started to follow behind him. Johnny was already several paces ahead of us and we had to pick up speed a little so we wouldn't get too far behind. Two-Bit frowned.

"Kid's just sensitive about Dal, that's all" he said pulling the grass from his lips and tossing it aside. "Shouldn't have said that stuff in front of him. I was just bein' dumb." Soda put his hands in his pockets.