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

Chapter 18, Racing horses

"So, are ya nervous?" Johnny asked with a smile, him and Pony were walking to the finish line, dropping off cupcakes for the winners? That's what Johnny presumed anyway.

"Not really, I've kinda always done races like this, nothing new." Pony replied, he noticed Johnny's struggle with the basket, "Mind if I carry it?" He asked, Johnny looked at him and smiled, handing him the basket.

"What a gentleman." Johnny said with a smile, Pony laughed slightly.

"I will try my best, madam." Pony said with a smirk, Johnny playfully hit him in the arm.

"Wow, real mature Pony." Johnny said, making Pony laugh.

"I know, I'm way more mature than you." Pony remarked, in a sarcastic voice, Johnny just hummed in response.

"Where's the finish line? We've been walking for a while." Johnny said, while looking around, standing on his toes, trying to look for a banner or something, he's never been to these track races before. (Fun fact, tippy isn't a word.)

"Johnny, turn your head that way.." Pony sighed, a smile coming across his face.

"What? Ohh.." Johnny turned around, to see a gathering of people, right at the finish line. There was a table full of cakes and medals, an average finish line type of thing.

"Must suck being the height of a twelve year old, huh?" Pony snickered.

"Must suck being named after an animal and your gender, huh?" Johnny shot back.

"Hey!"

"Come on donkeygirl, we've gotta give someone the cupcakes." Johnny laughed, he wasn't usually so defensive, he's usually quiet, kept to himself more, but around Ponyboy, he felt as if he could just be himself.

"Wait, do we get to eat these?" Pony asked.

"Maybe? But I will warn you, my Mother bought them from that dollar -store down the stree from school, I wouldn't.. I wouldn't eat them.." Johnny said, he went into that store a while ago, a milk carton expired in 1960, the current year was 1963..

"Fair point, welp off we go." Pony smiled, while throwing an arm around the other boy's shoulders, a light blush came across his skin, the smile was still plastered across his face.

They slowly walked to the finish line, as apparently Pony was quite popular among the track-racers, that surprised Johnny.

"Ah Ponyboy! Glad you could make it." A woman called, as they arrived at the old looking tables. Johnny just kind of looked at her awkwardly, as Ponyboy's face turned to horror.

"Hey.. Mrs. Williams.."

"Is your father around?" She asked with a smile, Johnny nearly began to laugh, it was so obvious to him that she was 'into' Mr. Curtis.

"Oh no.. he couldn't get work off, he should be here later on I think." Pony muttered. "But, um these are from Mrs. Cade, I believe they are cupcakes?"

"Lovely! Would she want the basket back?" Mrs. Williams asked, it was very clear to Johnny and Pony that she was already bored talking to him.

"Uh yes, if you wouldn't mind." Johnny spoke up, he noticed that Pony looked extremely confused when Mrs. Williams asked the question.

"Ah, you must be her son? You're the spitting image of her." She said with a  blunt smile, and that's when he knew that she'd get on well with his mother.