Forever Apart (Johnny Cade) {The Outsiders}

Eleven

The wind picked up and the air got even colder. I startled awake and sat up. I looked around the park and then at Johnny. "Johnny wake up. Johnny," I tried to wake him up as gently as I could, but I still scared him.

"What is it?" He leapt forward and looked around with trembling fear.

"We fell asleep."

"Oh shit." Johnny woke up Ponyboy who had the same reaction as Johnny and me. The wind blew my long hair in my face and my jacket no longer kept me warm. I wanted to go home. I didn't care which home it was: Two-bits, Ponyboys, or even Dally's. I just wanted to be home.

"You better get home, alright?" Suggested Johnny. "Both of you."

"You're not gonna stay out here, are you?" I asked him.

"Well I'm not going home," he replied. I looked at Ponyboy and then back at Johnny.

"If you get cold, come on to my house." Ponyboy quickly got up and ran home.

I moved closer to Johnny. "Come on, Johnny, let's go somewhere warm, please?"

"I heard what you said about running away," he muttered. "I-I think we should do it."

"What?" I was surprised, very surprised. But I also felt excited. "Are you serious? Tell me you are serious." Johnny smiled at me. Johnny didn't smile big smiles, they were small innocent looking smiles.

"Yes. We could-we could start a new life out in the country. Where there are no greasers or socs...just ordinary people," Johnny delicately said. I smiled at his dark brown eyes. "Peggy?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

I almost choked. I looked into his puppy eyes and suddenly forgot how to speak. Words refused to form on my tongue. I felt like an idiot as I just sat there, frozen and unable to speak.

"Johnny! Peggy!" Ponyboy fell onto the grass right beside our feet. "Come on, guys. Let's run away."

Ponyboy sounded like he was gonna cry. Johnny and I didn't ask questions, we just followed him. We ran down an alley and stopped near the park to catch our breaths.

"Ponyboy, what's wrong?" I panted.

"Darry hit me," he cried. "We used to be fine until mom and dad died. Now he can't stand me." He shakily lit a cigarette and smoked to calm his nerves.

"I think I like it better when the old man's hitting me," Johnny said. "At least he knows I'm there."

I looked at Johnny and wanted to cry. Why do the most lovely people have to be broken?

"Come on," I said as I took Johnny's hand. "Let's walk to the park and back. Cool off," I suggested to them.

We walked across the road and the grassy area to the playground on the park. Johnny and I were shaking from the cold. Ponyboy rubbed his arms to keep himself warm.

The three of us climbed to the top of a set of monkey bars and caught our breaths. I kicked my feet in the wind and then looked up at blinding headlights. "Guys," I called. "Look." I pointed to the blue mustang that pulled into the park.

"Uh, oh." Pony muttered.

"Hey Winston!" Randy hollered.

"It's Coleman!" I screamed at him.

"What'd she say?" He laughed with Bob who could barely keep his balance with how drunk he was. I didn't like this at all. I reached for Johnny's hand for comfort but he was just as scared as I was.