Pretend (johnnyboy & curtis sister x cherry)

Chapter 7: Monster

~Time skip to the picnic at the park~

We find a picnic table and I lay out the table cloth we brought. Then Johnny starts unpacking the food from the basket. We brought PB&J sandwiches, strawberries, cheese & crackers, and cokes.

Johnny is stuffing his face like he always does. I keep seeing him glance over to the fountain. Then I remember... This is where he murdered Bob.

"Oh my gosh, Johnny! I'm so incredibly sorry!" I exclaim "I totally forgot this was where it happened. How could I have been so stupid! If you want to leave, I would totally understand."

"No. I'm okay. It's kind of healing... to be back here."

We both sit in silence for a moment as we eat. I start to wonder if it's eating Johnny up inside. He killed someone. He never even meant to, and now he has to live with that on his conscience forever. I wonder what it's like having to carry that weight on your shoulders forever...

And just as if he read my mind, Johnny says "I only did it cause they were gonna kill your brother. I couldn't lose him. He makes me feel..." he pauses, "like I'm flying. When I'm around Pony, I can't help but smile...I love him...". Johnny's face turns pink and he beams a smile that I've never seen before.

"I can tell you love him a lot," I say, meaning every word of it. Johnny has never looked this happy before. I really hope he ends up with Pony someday.

"And that's why I knifed the soc..." Johnny says and his smile fades. "I had to save Ponyboy and myself. I don't know what came over me. I just... stabbed him. I regretted it the second I did it, though. I had gone too far. I took his life. And I got away with it, too. I should be in jail. I am a monster."

"No Johnny! You are NOT a monster! You are loyal, kind, and my favorite person in the world. I never want to hear you criticize yourself like that again. You are a hero. You saved my brother, you saved yourself, and all of those kids in that burning church. You are no monster."

"Thanks, Lavender," Johnny says and his smile returns.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and a low voice with a New York accent asks "Aren't you supposed to be in school young lady?"

I turn my head and there is Dallas Winston. What is he doing here?

Johnny reads my thoughts again and asks, "What are you doing in the park?".

"What are you kids doing out of school?" Dally asks as if he cares whether we go to school or not.

"We skipped," I say, trying to sound tuff.

"Nice. Is Darry okay with it?" Dally asks, sounding somewhat proud of us for breaking the rules.

"Darry doesn't know." Says Johnny who is now much less worked up about Darry finding out.

"Haha! Nice going!" Dally says, laughing. And he sits down next to me at the picnic table. "You kids better not turn into delinquents like me though, okay?"

"Dally, we're having a picnic at the park. That is the last thing a delinquent would ever do." I say, mocking his city accent. I liked picking fights with Dally. We both liked to argue with each other, but in a sort of friendly way. Steve once said that we bicker like an elderly couple, which made us both laugh.