The Ticket of Goodbye- The Outsiders - Ponyboy

locomotive

Two days has passed since i'd gotten jumped. The morning after, Johnny came over, real worried. I'd apologized for sneaking out on him. My side was gettin a little better, but there'd be sudden throbs of pain through it time to time.

He took me home that day, and made me stay there like I was sick or something. Wouldn't let me leave. Pony stayed over there with me so I wasn't completely bored.

It was the middle of the school week. It was getting warmer out and everything.

The second to last bell rang, and I headed off to english. It was the last day we had to work on our project of the movie poster.

It had been coming along real well. We finished before the end of the class and signed our names in the bottom corner of the poster.

When we turned it in, it seemed our teacher was impressed. We sat and talked for the rest of the class period, waiting to go home.

Once the final bell rang, we waited outside with Johnny for Two-Bit to roll around. We crammed into the car, and headed to the DX.

Once we arrived, everyone besides Darry was already there since he was still working. Steve and Soda were working on a customers car and everyone else was messing around.

Pony and I walked over to Sodapop.

"Hey Taffy and Pony." He greeted.

"Heard you got stabbed pretty good in the side the other day, Taffy." Steve asked.

"Yup, they got me alright."

"Atleast it'll leave a pretty cool scar, huh?" He teased.

"Guess so." I smiled.

"Are y'all ready for the rumble tonight?" Two-Bit asked enthusiastically.

Everyone started cheering.

"Are you sure you're in shape to fight, Livi?" Johnny asked.

"I'm plenty fine by now Johnnycakes, you ain't gotta worry." I assured. "It don't hurt so much anymore."

That wasn't entirely true. It still ached and throbbed, but I really wanted to go to this rumble, I always go. Dally said this one was real important too, real big. Almost every soc and greaser was going.

"And when we win, me and Soda are throwin a big party and everyone's gonna get ripped!" Sodapop yelped. Steve cheered with him.

Later that afternoon, we all went back to the Curtis house to get ready. Except Dally. He ran off somewhere.

Everyone was lying around the living room talking about it, playing cards, watching tv, and whatever. Darry was home from work by then.

I went to the bathroom to change my bandage on my side again. When I took it off this time, it looked a lot better and was sort of starting to scar pretty quickly. I put my new one on, and walked out of the bathroom, almost running into Johnny.

"Hey Johnnycakes."

"Livi, I don't know if you oughta go to this one."

"I told you i'll be fine, my side ain't so bad."

"It's not just that."

"But I always go."

Oh c'mon, Johnny, Livi's a real good fighter." Two-Bit chimed in, eves dropping on our conversation.

Johnny stood and thought for a moment. He knew it'd be crazy not to let me go. A smile grew on his face. I started smiling too.

"Well alright, we'll need all the help we can get anyways. I just hate when you're hurt."