'That house isn't your home.' Ponyboy x Johnny

Chapter 17, Before the race

Pony didn't sleep well that night, to say the least.

Soda went to stay at Steve's place with Two-Bit, some mickey mouse marathon was on, which left Pony alone with his thoughts all night, which helped him in some way. He realised a couple things,

1. He needed to get advice from Dallas, as he was the only guy he knew who had a somewhat healthy relationship for more than a month that left him and the 'broad' on good terms, he'd ask him tonight, he's bound to be staying for dinner.

2. He needed to find someone to ask for Johnny's hand in marriage in a couple years, as there was no way he was going anywhere near his folks again, they scare him.

And 3. He needed to make sure that no one found his diary- journal, I meant journal. That's where he writes about, well, Johnny and stuff.

Okay, maybe those weren't the three most important things (right now anyway) to be thinking about, as he didn't even know if Johnny liked him! He's a wee bit oblivious, by little I mean very.

"Pony! Breakfast! Don't forget you have your track race today, we have to be down there by two o'clock sharp!" His mum called. He groaned and got out of bed, if it wasn't for that stupid track race, he'd be in bed all day thinking, he liked thinking. It got rid of extra time, and he could think of anything.

Pony got up and left the room. As he he walked down the stairs he noticed a familiar coat hanging on the banister. His coat, the coat he gave Johnny when they first met.

A smile came across his face, Johnny must have left it there before he left last night.

Pony headed into the kitchen, jumping over a sleeping Darrel in the process. His dad must of gone to work, as it was only his mother in the kitchen.

"Took you long enough- is that Darry on the ground?" She asked, when she noticed her youngest son enter the room.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's Darry." Pony replied, while turning his head back to look at the guy who he wrote about in the 'who inspires me' project back in the third grade, big mistake.

"Darrel! Wake up!" She called while walking into the living room, with her old wooden spoon in one hand, Pony felt shivers go down his spine.

"Mum! Don't hit him, he has work later-" Pony yelled while running over to her and a very unfortunate Darrel, who was about to get a nasty mark on his forearm.

[GUYS THAT IS A HORRIBLE JOKE, MRS. CURTIS WOULD NOT, IN ANY WAY, HARM ANYONE!]

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[The Cade Household]

"Jonathon! Get your ass up, we have to go to some track-race and drop in cupcakes." Mrs. Cade called, she was standing at the bottom of the stairs, already dressed and smoking.

Johnny sat up in his bed, his hair was a mess and his eyes couldn't stay open for more than a couple minutes.

"Coming.." He called, well he didn't exactly call, he more so said it. He rolled out of bed, barely catching himself as he fell out of his old bed, that his father found in the back-garden of the house, before they moved in.

He went through his wardrobe, and picked out a worn-out black shirt, blue jeans and an old worn-out jean-jacket, that used to be his neighbours, back in New York. He didn't know why he liked the jacket, as in hindsight, it wasn't that nice looking, nor was it warm, or a wind-breaker. But, it had a nice memory. A memory of life before his parents started acting more like bullies than parents.