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

Chapter 21, Opening up.. in a way?

[The Curtis Household]

"Soda! Where did you put the mashed potatoes!?" Mr. Curtis called.

Ponyboy was sat on the couch watching this disaster happen. He didn't know how they did it, but somehow his parents were able to cook diner for eight people on the average, every night.

Mr and Mrs Curtis always had the gang over for dinner. It's not like they weren't invited at breakfast or lunch, but they were more pestered into coming over for dinner.

Dallas was the first person who began to come for dinner, every Saturday. Two and Steve began to come soon after, and before Pony knew it, there was eight people say at their tiny dinner-table, from Sunday to Saturday.

"Pony? Do you know the Cades phone number? I just want to know if Johnny made it home safe, his mum was gone in seconds!"

"Really? She left him there? Didn't they only move in this month?" Mr. Cade asked from the kitchen, Pony didn't know too much about his dads childhood, but he knew that they moved around a lot, so he understood how Johnny must feel more than anyone, even him.

"Uh-huh, they don't seem like much of a family now that I think of it? Anyway- Pony? Know the number?" She asked again, her attention now on her youngest.

"I don't think they have a phone actually? Johnny never mentioned anything, and I didn't see one when we went over to visit them." Pony shrugged.

"Well if something were to happen to him, I'd blame myself." Mrs. Curtis sighed, "come on Pony, we'll go over and invite him for dinner."

"Isn't that a little much?" Pony asked, he didn't want to seem like a psychotic stalker or something.

"Maybe so, but it's better safe than sorry." Mrs. Curtis replied, while grabbing her jacket off the broken-down coatrack Darrel and his dad made when he was only in middle school. Mrs. Curtis had a bad feeling about the Cades, she didn't even know there first names, but she knew Johnny had more to say about his home life, and she was bound to figure it out one way or another.

"We'll be back soon dear-" she called while opening the door, only to be cut off. Standing at the door was the boy himself, Johnny.

"Speak of the devil." Dallas laughed, while walking into the sitting-room.

"Hope I'm not disturbing-" Johnny attempted to say, only before, "not at all Johnny! Come in, come in! Wow, sure does get colder in the evenings." Mrs, Curtis said with a smile, basically dragging him inside the house and taking off her coat.

"What are ya doing walking around at this time, dear?" She asked, her accident becoming more clear and she spoke, she looked at Johnny, as if to determine if he ran away or not.

"My folks are out, so I went for a walk- and the door won't budge.. my dad hasn't fixed it yet.." he mumbled, if he was honest, he was still kind of scared of the whole gang thing- not that they seemed like they'd hurt him, but he felt as if he was ruining a family thing. Well, Dallas scared him, so did Darrel- in a way so did Sodapop, and Steve always has the looks of anger— you get the point, he felt like a burden.

"I'll send Darrel over tomorrow to get that door fixed." She smiled. "Do you mind me asking why your parents went out and didn't bring you..? It must get lonely in that big house." She continued, a concerned look coming across her face as she glanced around the room. That was her way of telling the rest of them to leave the room.

"Oh- my folks have these... date nights..? I don't really know, but I don't mind being left alone!" Johnny stuttered. He didn't exactly want anyone to know about his home-life. (More like house-life)

"Alright then. Make yourself at home dear, dinner should be served soon." Mrs. Curtis smiled, before walking back into the kitchen.

"Folks acting up, Johnny?" Dallas asked. He had know moved to the stairs, to ease-drop..

"What- no, no, no." Johnny stammered.

Dallas knew exactly what was happening, and he hardly knew the kid. It was no shocker that Dallas had it rough a couple years back, so he felt as if he knew what Johnny was going through. He nodded his head, and went to the porch to light a cancer stick.

'He knows.' Johnny thought to himself, there was no doubt Dallas hadn't caught on. Johnny was usually good at lying about it, and covering it up. As he learned back in New York, once one catches on, the others will know in no time. He'd rather be the one to tell Pony himself, rather than him finding about from someone else. But what if Pony called the fuzz on them? What is his parents got locked away and Johnny was sent to one of those orphanages— no, now he's only stressing himself out.

"Hey Johnny! Mickey Mouse is on." Two-Bit called, noticing the kid was sending himself into a crisis.

Johnny looked at Pony, who smiled.

Johnny walked over to the couch, and sat down on the ground beside Two-Bit. Within a second Johnnys entire attention was focused on the small TV. He didn't have one back in the house, in fact, Johnny never had a Tv.

Two-Bit turned his head slightly, and smiled at Johnny. The kid was finally opening up, in a way?

Notes,

Another chapter! Finally! Wow this took way too long! Ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes!!

Thank you to anyone who read all of the notes, all of the many, many notes that were once posted..

Anyway- hope you all have a good day or night, or whatever time it is for you! Next chapter will be posted before the end of June! (I'm not specifying the year.)