Just Another one of you

Men of yesterday

me and my new buddy Johnny trade few words as we march through the streets, but i can tell i like the feel he gives off already, i like quiet boys, which is hard to find in my day. they are all loud and rambunctious. aggravating. cocky. rude. the list goes on. anyway, me and Johnny have turned onto a more peaceful street lined with quiet businesses, only a few beat up old cars drive by, me and Johnny have our hands in our jacket pockets with a good matching stride and our heads lowered, i quarter my face to him my voice bright and questioning. "so where we going to Johnny?" as he starts, he looks at me with his sweet brown eyes, but the corners of his face seem tight, his voice dark and deep like roots of a big ole tree. "were just about there" he pauses and glances back to our path, my eyes remain on him, he continues again eyes still forward, "its a drive in called the Dingo, mainly us greasers go there" i nod, quick but nonchalant my eyes setting back to our path. we are under the shade of buildings so its extra chilly. probably 50 something degrees with a light breeze. i peer past about 6 more buildings and i see the orange Dingo sign with dim yellow lettering. i ask excitedly and suddenly, looking to Johnny, pulling up my shoulders a bit "can we run the rest the way Johnny?" he lifts his head to meet my question with an answer, his jawline just a hair above his popped collar. he teeth smiles lightly, his voice thick in his Johnny way with that pretty cowboy drawl of his "sure we can" i return his smile and half blast off, i hear his feet start to tap the concrete. giddy as hell. i love to run. Johnny keeps pace with me about 3 feet behind, i always run with my arms loose at my sides i kinda run like a horse, moving my head up and down very slightly, kinda a way of momentum, i guess. me and Johnny pick up to what i like to call crusin speed, about 10 miles an hour, it sounds slow but its kinda fast when you're on foot. Johnny says behind me still, with breathiness to his silky, rawhide vocal cords "god damn man, slow down" i do slow to a striding walk and glance back, watching him catch up with me in very few steps, our strides swinging. i focus my eyes on him, he looks down to me breathing as i am. his face bright with a crocked teeth smile, he says with soft inviting eyes "you like to run dont ya" i nod happily and start to say as i look forward, turning from the sidewalk sauntering toward the building 20ish feet away, "i sure do Johnny, that and reading. i love to read and run. i get lost in the best worlds when i do either one" he lip smiles eyes on me, his voice turns my intent to his face, i square my shoulders and raise my head with my constant cockiness that never truly fades. he says "i think you're gonna like Ponyboy, he really digs reading, hes one hellofa runner too" he looks back to our path, jaw below his popped collar. my lip smile transfers into my voice "he sounds like my kinda fella" i keep smiling to myself and stare at the ground for a few seconds lost in sweet thoughts. i hear a rough rugged voice thats deep like Johnnys, but it doesn't have that pretty drawl, it has a sweet innocent tone, Boyish and pure, dotted with youthful grit. i look up the moment i hear it to see a young boy about as tall as Johnny. hes leaning his back against the wall of the building, his left foot propped against the wall as he thumbs his pockets. hes got brown hair the color of mine. earthy eyes also like mine, sloping shoulders you can still through his dark blue button up corduroy jacket, thats left unbuttoned, with an army green t shirt under it. tight, dark wash blue jeans that end just below his ankles that make his Thoroughbredy legs stick out like Johnnys, and to top it off white all stars on his feet, like mine, just as dirty too. hes got a soft intent face thats also tough looking when he stops smiling, ive noticed in brief moments. "hey Johnny, i didn know you like to make friends now. hi im Ponyboy" Johnny shrugs he says, before i can take a breath to tell my name "yeah, getting tired of lookin at your ugly ass" i puff a good couple ha' has' as Ponyboy pushes forward now square on his feet extending his right hand to me, the other in his jacket pocket, he says "fiesty there Johnnycake" he takes his eyes to mine as we shake strongly "what did you do to Johnny? hes all full of himself now" laughing breaths with each word i say "i don know but looks like there is shit to be talked" he laughs a couple huffs letting go with a slight lip smile on his face as he looks from me to Johnny. Johnny says, his voice rough like whiskey, smooth like my strides his drawl coming alive "i bumped into Tommi-" i cut in with a light teeth smile and sarcastic words "quite literally" i look to Pony teeth smiling the same as me, hes leaning back against the wall as he was. Johnny continues, acknowledging my Commet with a small, slightly shy teeth smile, a laugh riffing off his first word "yeah, we were both comin around the corner of the record store and such, we talked for a bit" he pauses to turn his head to me with a regular look on his face and picks up again as me and Pony listen to him. "she told me shes new in town so i invited her to hang with us if thats alright" Pony picks up his cheerful teeth smile looking from Johnny to me, i lip smile as he says "heck you seem cool, we could use a cool girl greaser around here. hey, i didn catch your name" i crookedly teeth smile, as my words riff of my tongue with grit and deepness, a bit gravely if you will "my bad i forgot to throw it" i make a tossing motion as i say "here its Nova" Pony pretends to catch it with both hands while him and Johnny hack up some laughter. i stand square, thumbing my pockets, teeth smiling at the ground, half chuckling to myself proud of my little joke. Ponys voice has remnants of laughter as he smoothly says "you're cool Nova" thumbing my jean pockets, my feet square still. "you're damn right i am, i could say the same bout you lads" i glance between them and wink at Pony on my right then Johnny on my left. they teeth smile and chuckle shyly. Johnnys deep and sweet, Ponys soft yet kinda tough. Johnny says, slight brightness of left over laughter in his voice "lets get somthin to eat, want to?" Pony nods straight faced, he pushes off the wall with toughness, he saunters around the corner to the door, me and Johnny follow. as Pony reaches for the handle i say coolly "dont worry fellas im buyin" Johnny looks over his shoulder as he walks through the door Ponys holding open for us, he asks "you sure Nova?" as i walk about a foot behind him i say sweetness to my rough voice. "my treat for my buddies" as Pony walks through the door himself, trailing a foot behind me. him and Johnny speak in unison "gee Thanks Nova" we all glance around laughing and grinning at each other while we walk over to a booth.