Chapter Six: Black and White

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"Juvenile Delinquents Kill 17-Year-Old From West Tulsa"

"This morning, Tulsans woke up to a murder scene. Late last night, there was a stabbing in Crutchfield Park, which left one young man dead. Local authorities have identified the victim as 17-year-old Bob Sheldon. The suspects have been identified as well, as Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, who fled the crime scene after the attack. If you have any information on the whereabouts of these two boys, please contact the police immediately. They are possibly armed and dangerous."

Below the article, which was on the front page of the morning paper, was a black and white photo of Pony and Johnny.

Darry looked up at me expectantly, with a cup of black coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other. He was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, just like he did every morning.

"Dally's the only one who knows where they went!" I blurted out way too quickly. I took a deep breath to collect myself, then continued. "I was just hanging out with Dally at Buck's place... not the bar though!" I quickly corrected myself as Darry gave me a disapproving look.

 "His bedroom upstairs... but just talking!" I corrected myself again. God, I was just digging a deeper hole for myself. 

"Anyway, we were NOT at the bar and NOT doing typical bedroom activities, when there Pony and Johnny were, knocking at the door. Dallas told me to wait outside in the hallway while he talked to them, though, so I have no idea where they are now," I told him.

He nodded and took a sip of his coffee, then started chuckling to himself. 

"Well, I guess I was wrong about them not getting into 'too much trouble.' At least it was a soc," he said, surprisingly calm. 

"Yeah! The socs probably started it, too! Johnny swore he'd use that blade if they messed with him again and now they've done it," piped in Soda, who was standing at the kitchen counter mixing chocolate cake batter.

Just then, the screen door flung open with Two-Bit and Steve whooping and hollering. 

"Yeah! We're greasers!" Yelled Two-Bit," We don't start fights, we finish 'em!" He was already walking towards the fridge to grab a beer, completely oblivious to the situation. 

Steve walked up to the kitchen table where Darry was sitting and I was standing, then gawked at the headline. His eyes trailed down the page, all the way down to the two photos.

"Hey y'all! Pony and Johnny are in the paper for murder!" He announced loudly.

"Well dang, it looks like I'm not the only genius in the room," I said in a sarcastic tone. Two-Bit and Soda pretended to look offended, which couldn't help but make me laugh.

"I heard  Dallas got hauled down to the police station this morning, he might actually still be there," Two-Bit casually mentioned, still not connecting the dots.

"And where'd you hear that?" Questioned Darry, obviously skeptical.

"Some guy at Buck's," he answered as Darry and I exchanged looks.

First of all, the people at Buck's aren't usually the most trustworthy source of information. Everyone there exaggerates their own stories to make themselves seem tougher or cooler or meaner-- including Dally. And secondly, Two-Bit had already been to the bar this morning? It was barely 10 am!

But the more I thought about it, the more worried I got. What if he caved and told the cops everything— that's what I'd end up doing if I were him. Lying to my brothers is already bad enough, but lying to law enforcement? That's a crime! 

So I made another impulsive, stupid decision because love's a powerful thing. I threw on my leather jacket, told the gang I was going to get some fresh air, and made my way down the street and towards the police station. It's getting scary how easily I can lie now. 

Dally's POV:

"Do you have any idea about the locations of Jonathan Andrew Cade and/or Ponyboy Michael Curtis?" The police officer asked, his voice bored.

"Well, I don't know how reliable this information is, but I heard they headed out for Texas. Could just be a rumor, though. I don't know, man."

The cop wrote the suggestion down in his notepad, then finally gave up. He just stopped trying. It had been 2 hours of questions and one-word responses, and he hadn't gotten anywhere—except the possibility that they might be in Texas. 

I laughed quietly to myself. Texas, man, Texas! I couldn't wait to tell Pony and Johnny- to see the looks on their faces. As long as Lex sticks to her story and keeps her trap shut, there'll be police searching all over Texas before long. 

"Hey, you're good to go," the police officer said, getting up from his desk. I followed him back to the entrance, where I saw a familiar face through the window.

It was Alexis.

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Authors Note:

Another chapter done! I really enjoyed writing the scene in the Curtis' kitchen because it reveals so much about their individual personalities. Plus- I think it's pretty funny :)

Hope you enjoy and stay gold 🌅

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