Intoxicated | Ponyboy Curtis

10

before

"Johnny Cade, you look awful!" I exclaimed as my best friend walked into my front door. A cut on his eyebrow, some dirt on his face and hands. He looked as though he had been through the ringer.

"You know me," he chuckled, a shy smile, "always getting into something."

"Come on, Darry gets off work soon and he'd kill us if he saw you like that. I got some cleanin' up stuff the other day." I said, and turned to head toward the bathroom. He followed suit.

Pulling the mirror open and revealing a cabinet of medicine, I reached and grabbed the rubbing alcohol and cotton pads, and a bandaid strip.

Johnny sat himself on the toilet seat. He was staring up at me, and I always found myself extra aware of just how big and dark his eyes were when I saw him like that.

I hated to see him that way.

I helped him clean his eyebrow off and then handed him a rag to clean his face off with. He never really liked to handle the bloody stuff, or maybe it just became my role in our friendship.

"Hey, did you find anybody to ask to the dance this Friday?" Johnny asked as we made our way to the front door. We always went on a walk at the end of the day.

I shrugged my shoulders, finding myself sort of embarrassed about it.

"I don't know, Johnny. It all seems kind of unfair to me. I see all the cool kids get the date, and I would sure like to find someone to go with. It just isn't my thing, to put myself out there like that. I ain't no Casanova." I said, forcing out a laugh at the last sentence. Johnny laughed along, I'm glad he found it funny.

"Whatever Pony, you got those smarts that the girls like. You're real into books, movies, you know how to swoon a girl cause you've seen all the big timers do it! It's just about finding someone cool you wanna hang and dance with. It's just a middle school dance, not no queen's ball."

I kicked a rock that was in my way over to Johnny, and he kicked it back. I sighed.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"You asked anybody?" I questioned, looking over at him. He had a small smile on his face, and it brought a smile to mine as well.

"Not yet, but I'm thinking bout asking Carter."

My eyes widened. "Dal's sister?!"

"Yeah, she's outta sight man. I know it's probably stupid to have feelings for her, but I don't know." He pressed his tongue on the inside of his cheek, and flipped up the collar to his jean jacket.

It was always funny to me how us boys acted when it came to talkin up girls. But Johnny wasn't afraid to ever be sensitive; in fact he was the epitome of sensitive. I think that's why I'm so fond of him.

"Well, good luck for when you ask her. And good luck for when you get your tail chased for goin after Dally's sister." I said, and quickly dodged a playful punch.

Johnny and I both laughed it off, and it became silent as we walked together, the sound of our steps hitting the gravel on the side of the street keeping us more company.

I got the smarts all the girls like, and I know how to swoon a girl. So why when it comes to Johnny telling me to go after somebody, I find myself the most uninterested in the storybook romance.

Cliché much?