❝ soul ❞ (the outsiders / johnny cade x reader) ˚⊹♡

chapter four :: sunday .

chapter warnings : none

i woke up groggily, the sun in my eyes. i sighed gently, pulling myself up out of bed. i walked into the bathroom, and fixed up my hair. i looked awful. i was pale, with bruises and cuts scattered across my face. my eyes were all red and swollen, from crying so much last night. i let out a sigh and tried to ignore it, and began cleaning myself up and getting ready 'till i looked half decent. i put on a pair of jeans, and one of my brothers baggy t - shirts. i walked downstairs, and saw my brother in the kitchen, making some food.

"oh, you're awake!" he said optimistically. "i'm making some food, do you want any?" i shook my head no and grabbed some water to wake myself up. "how'd you sleep?" i asked him, trying to make conversation. he shrugged gently, sitting down across from me. "are you sure you don't want anything?" he asked. i again, said no. i didn't really eat alot. i don't know why, i just don't. "well i was gonna take a walk-" he cut me off quickly "even after what happened last night? i don't think so." he said, getting up to go retrieve his eggs. he wasn't the best cook, so of course the eggs were a bit funky looking. "hey, i wont get jumped again, i might try find the boys from yesterday to hang out with. besides, i actually do wanna see the town a bit, i'm starting school tomorrow so i wont have time." he looked up at me, with a mouthful of food and sighed. "well, i guess it's okay, but don't stay out late, y/n." i nodded quickly and got up. before i left, i grabbed a switchblade from the drawer for precautions. i put on some beat up shoes, and rushed out the door, yelling a quick "bye" to b/n.

i walked out of the house, the cool air hitting my face, as the sun shined brightly. it was nice enough out. i walked down the same cobbled path, and decided to stop at a gas station to get a drink. i grabbed a bottle of coke, and slid some money across the desk. i saw ponyboy and johnny, the guys from last night. they seemed to notice me, so i waved gently and walked over to them.

"hey y/n" ponyboy said quietly, smiling awkwardly. i couldn't tell if he liked me very much, but i didn't mind, at least there was someone i knew that i could hang around. johnny was with him too, but he seemed nervous, so i didn't want to say anything to him. "umm, i'm going for a walk, do you guys wanna come?" i asked quietly. i wasn't sure what they'd say, and i didn't want to make anything weird between us considering they were the only people i'd met so far. "you don't have to if you don't want to it's just i don't really know where i'm going? and especially after last night i don't wanna be walking alo-" i stumbled out quickly, averting my gaze to the floor. ponyboy cut me off, looking over at a little less nervous johnny. "um yeah, okay. we'll go" i let out a sigh of relief, and looked back up at them, nodding a little. 

ponyboy and johnny started walking out of the store, and i followed them quietly, keeping my head down most the time. "wait so, y/n, you startin' school tomorrow?" ponyboy asked, looking back at me. "yep" i mumbled quietly, because i'd just been reminded that tomorrow i was starting school again, and then i remembered that i'd bought nothing to prepare myself. fuck. "you get your timetable yet?" he said. i nodded, and showed him, as i'd only just remembered i wrote it down and folded it in my pocket. he peeked over my shoulder, looking at it. "oh, your in my maths!" ponyboy said, grinning "and me and johnnys science" he added, looking at johnny. johnny looked too, at then said that i was in his english and history, and smiled gently. i let out a small sigh of relief, glad that atleast id know some people in school other then my brother. i walked up a hill infront of us, reaching the top. i looked up at the sky, and saw the sun just barely setting. there was a golden line streching across the horizon, and the clouds were a purple shade. i sat in the grass, looking up at the sky in awe.

johnny and ponyboy sat next to me, ponyboy staring up at the sky. johnny wasn't looking at the sky, though. he was looking down. there was just something about him, something different. in a good way, though. johnny looked up and i quickly averted my gaze away from him, looking back up at the sky. i couldn't remember the last time i'd watched a sunset. well, i did. four summers ago with mom when we used to stay in the country with grandma. she loved watching the sunset, so she could paint it fresh from her mind. she loved painting, and she was good at it, too. i'd sit next to the leg of her stool and just watched her paint, and she used to ruffle my hair, and let me pick the colours for her, and help her paint. that was until she got sick, atleast. she stopped painting after that. i'd try paint the sunsets for her, but we were just so busy, and plus, you couldn't really see the sunsets too good from our apartment, or new york in general. 

"y/n? y/n? you okay?" i heard a small voice ask, and looked over. it was johnny, and ponyboy was looking at me. they looked concerned, or scared? i couldn't tell why. my cheeks felt hot, and i blinked, only to feel tears grazing my cheeks. i wiped my eyes. was i crying? "oh. sorry, i don't know why that happened" i said quietly, chuckling. i looked back up at johnny, who didn't really look like he believed me, but i just looked back up at the sky. ponyboy started mumbling something to himself, and him and johnny started talking amongst themself. the sunset faded, the gold glimmer disappearing, and the moon began to rise. "um, i should probably get home now" i said, my voice cracking a bit. ponyboy nodded gently "aight, i'll stay up here, though. i just wanna watch the moon a little more." johnny got up, brushing his knees. "well um, y/n, i'm headed back to the lot, so i can walk you home if you want?" he said shyly, his ears turning a little red. "yeah, okay, thanks johnny." i said quietly, smiling. it was nice to have a little company.

i walked next to him for a little while in silence, till he spoke up. "what was it like livin' in new york, if you don't mind me asking?" he said quietly. his voice was a little shaky. there was genuinely no other way to describe new york, other then it was loud. people just trying to make it by and give themself a name. it really isn't as magical as people make it out to be, but that's not what i tell people. i always tend to tell people only what they want to hear from me, so i did just that. i started speaking, and man, it was like i'd come up with some fictional place you only see in cool sci-fi films. i went on and on about how magical it was, the city that never sleeps, the place where dreams were made, blah blah blah. he was taking it all in, though. i finally finished talking. "woah. man, that really does sound cool, huh?" johnny replied, a small spark in his eyes. "my friend dally lived in new york once, and it didn't sound nearly as cool as you just described it to be. oh man, new york." he said quietly, almost as if it was his only wish in the world.

eventually we got to my house. "so uh, this is my place. thanks for walking me home, johnny." i said, and i meant it. i don't think i would've left if it was just me, not after last night. i shuddered a bit at that thought. "don't worry 'bout it" he said sheepishly, kicking a rock. "hey, you wanna come in for dinner?" i offered. he looked up, his ears going a little red. "aw man, i couldn't do that to you. i have to get going anyway" he said quietly. "you sure?" "im sure, y/n" "oh, okay. maybe next time?" "yeah, okay, next time." johnny said, smiling, before heading down the path.

i walked inside the house, and it was only when the warmth of the house hit me did i realise how cold it'd been outside. b/n was fast asleep on the couch, and there was still no sign of dad. i kicked off my shoes, and walked upstairs. i sat on my bed, and decided to do some writing. i couldn't remember the last time i'd wrote. i just put some words down on the page, and called it a night. i got changed, and lay down.

 the last thing i thought about that night was johnny cade.