in love with home • johnny cade

5

Y/N

It was nice of Sodapop to invite me in like that. I got to say the words I couldn't spit out to them, but it hurts that I wasn't able to tell my old bullies directly.
If only they knew how much it hurt.
Their privilege is being misused.

I pass by the Curtis brothers house, my thoughts drowning out the sound of the outside world.
The sky is dark and is about to get darker, and I start to ask myself why I wanted to go out at this time of day.
Nothing good ever happens at night for a woman walking alone.

"Y/N!"
Someone calls, snapping me out of my trance. I look over, and there's Ponyboy standing by the front door, a cigarette in his hand.

"Ponyboy! I thought Johnny'd be with you."
I send him a small wave. He brings the cigarette back up to his lips, inhaling before releasing a cloud of smoke.

"Went out to the lot."
He replies.

"Where's that?"

"Down the road, turn right. You'll find it, it's easy to point out. Could you bring him back before it gets late? I'd go, but Darry'd be on my ass."

"Sure."
He sends me a nod before heading back inside.
I continue my way down the road, the branches of the taller trees bent down and nearly hitting me in the face.

It was a five minute walk before I see a small fire by a tree, and the shadow of someone.
As I get closer, I realise it's Johnny.
He's sitting down, facing the fire and leaning back on the tree trunk.

"Johnny?"
I see him flinch, relaxing when he realises it's just me.

"Y/N. You scared me."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to."
I stand by the tree he leans his back on.

"What are you doing out here? It's getting late."

"Folks are fightin' at home. Don't wanna go. I'm sleepin' out here."

"Huh? That's... unsafe."

"We carry switchblades and get jumped all the time, of course its unsafe. You've been with me for one of 'em."
His gaze is fixed on the fire, beginning to die quickly.

"How come you don't wanna sleep in Ponyboy's house?"

"I've been sleepin' there for days now, I don't wanna bother 'em anymore. They've done enough for me."
He stands up, letting out a sigh. He reaches into the fire to light a cigarette I didn't notice him pull out.
We stand there in silence until the fire turns into nothing but glowing ambers. The small bright orange light turning black as Johnny steps on it to put it out properly.

"Ponyboy wants you to come back."
I say, breaking the long period of silence.

"I'll... I'll go back soon."
He stares down at the ground for a few minutes, lost in space.
Dropping his used cigarette into the remains of the burnt out fire, he lets the light die out.

"There's a park nearby. Uh, do you wanna go?"
My head perks up at the sound of his offer, but the excitement soon dies.

"It's late."
I say, slightly disappointed.