The Happy Ending (The Outsiders Johnnyboy)

6

(Ponyboys perspective)

It had been days since we first arrived at the church and we were more bored than ever. We had gotten more than half way through "Gone With The Wind" and have played so many card games! Our food was almost gone too. Now we usually just talk. Sometimes it was about just random stuff but also important things too. We could not wait to get out of here.

I had been reading "Gone With The Wind" out loud to Johnny who had a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. "But for four years, she had seen others who refused to accept defeat, men who rode gaily into sure danger... pretty cool, huh?" I read looking up at Johnny. "Gallant them cool ol' guys remind me of Dally." He says. "Dally? Shoot, he ain't got more manners than I do! Sodas more like them southern boys." I reply back, almost laughing. "Yeah, the manners bit... maybe the charm too, but Dallas." "Dallas still really scares me." Johnny smirks at me. "Well read on!" He says while gesturing to the book in my hands.

I continue to read until we both are too tired to keep our eyes open any longer. Johnny blew out the candle we had going and laid down. "Tired?" I ask while smiling before laying down next to him. "Yeah.. it's been a long couple of days." He mumbles, moving a bit closer to me. Our shoulders are touching now. We both turn over, now facing each other. Instantly both of our faces glow red. There we were again looking deep into each other's eyes, or at least what we could see of them.

Johnny moved a little closer, grabbing my hand. "Night, Pone." He mumbled under his breath while closing his eyes. "Good night Johnnycake." I reply. I look down at our interwoven fingers and smiled to myself. I couldn't wait to tell him how I feel!

That next morning was the coldest of them all. Me and Johnny had woken up earlier than we usually did. We decided to go outside and watch the sunrise. It. Was. Beautiful. Theres something about sunrises that just make me happy. "Golly that sure is pretty." Johnny said looking up at the sky. "Yeah." I respond while looking up as well, completely mesmerized. "It's like the most is what's pretty, you know.. all gold and silver too, too bad it can't stay like that all the time." He says, that reminds me of something. "Nothing gold can stay.." Johnny looks back at me confused. "Natures first green is gold. Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower. But only so an hour. Then leaf subsidies to leaf. So Eden sank to grief. So dawn goes down today.. nothing gold can stay." I say, reciting a poem I had remembered. Johnny, who's now in front of me looks at me wide eyed.

"Where'd you learn that? That's what I meant!" He says. "Robert Frost wrote it, I always remembered it because I never quite knew what he meant by it." I say back, looking at the scenery around me. Johnny got closer, he was now leaning on my shoulder. "You know I've never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept reminding me about em'.. it's almost like they were never there before." I smile softly. Did he mean I helped him see things he's never noticed before? "Yeah, I don't think I could ever tell Steve or Two-Bit or even Darry about the clouds and the sunsets... just you and Sodapop. Maybe Cherry Valance." His smile seems to fall when I say her name.

I turn to look at him putting an arm around him, like I did the other night when we were watching to stars. Once again we were face to face with red cheeks. "This sure does happen a lot..." Johnny says looking into my eyes. "Uhhh.... yep." I say back as we stand there awkwardly.

"Maybe we should go back inside." Johnny says waking away, but I grab his hand and pull him back. "Can we stay out here a little longer?" I ask. He nods putting an arm around me, looking back at the sky.

I reach over to him and grab his face to turn him to me. He stares at me for a second before using his free hand to grab my face too. We pull each other closer until..finally our lips connect. I. Kissed. Johnny Cade.

I kissed Johnny Cade, my best friend. The boy who I've loved for so long. The boy who was always at my side. I've been waiting for this moment to happen do so long and it finally was.

The kiss was short and sweet, but we both pulled away with big stupid smiles on our faces. "So you have felt those feelings too.." I say, my face redder than ever. "Yeah I have." replied Johnny. "Does this mean we are like... together now, like dating?" I ask. Johnny looks at me, "I'm not really sure.." he says back. I smile at, "we don't have to figure things out now." I say putting my arm back around his shoulders.

"Come in let's go back inside." I say grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the church. All this time waiting finally paid off... we kissed!!

Now, this stay at this church didn't seem too bad after all.