Tulsa Ripper

Chapter 8

Johnny couldn't believe it, but he'd had actually gotten Pony to skip track a couple times and sneak off to the movies. The first time he did it, it wasn't too hard. The second time it was a little more difficult, and originally, Johnny hadn't intended to do it again. He figured by that time, the guy had to be gone, but one day in study hall had changed all that. Johnny usually skipped study hall and went home or waited outside for Pony. It was his last class and there were a few socs in there that never made things very pleasant. But now, he actually felt safer in school. And he was starting to fall behind in history, so he figured he might as well start using the study time. Two of the socs in the class were part of the group that had been on TV for catching the killer. For a couple days after that happened, they completely left Johnny and the other greasers alone. They were too busy gloating over their own heroism to their friends. Johnny almost laughed at the idea. If they only knew, he thought. but after a short time, they were back to their old tricks, trying to get Johnny and a few other boys in trouble, kicking their chairs or throwing things at them. They seemed particularly interested in trying to get to Johnny because he tried not to ever give them a reaction. The other greasers in the class would yell or swear at them and get themselves into a heap of trouble. Johnny hadn't really decided which was worse yet, so for now he just kept quiet and let them torment him. Once in a while, if he was lucky, they'd actually get themselves in trouble. But then one day they didn't bother him at all. They didn't even look up when he came into the room. They were talking intently to eachother about something. Johnny was too relieved to care what it was about. The bell had not rung yet so the teacher wasn't stopping their conversation. "I saw him in the woods!" "When?" "During track practice... he was watching from behind a tree, way off in the-" "Ricky, you're nuts. It's probably just some greaser wishin' he had a life." "I don't know. It just gave me the creeps..." Johnny's stomach turned. There was no question in his mind what they were talking about. He was still there. And there was track practice after school. With any luck, maybe the guy would go after one of the socs. But he couldn't take that chance. After class he begged Pony to go to the new Paul Newman movie that had just come out. Johnny had no interest in the movie, but he knew Pony was a big Paul Newman fan and figured he wouldn't really have to twist his arm too much. And he didn't. Pony was excited to have someone to go with, and the weather had been extremely hot the past few days so he had little interest in running. "But this'll have to be the last time I miss practice," Pony said. "Coach will kill me." So off they went to the movies after school. And then things were pretty quiet. Several days went by and things seemed normal. Now, if I could just get some sleep, Johnny thought. Not since the night Johnny saw the man in the ski mask staring at him from the Curtis's porch had Johnny slept comfortably through the night. And he didn't know when or if the nightmares would ever stop. He was so exhausted and so run down he was starting to feel sick. And Dally... Dally had been up right along with him, probably getting as little or even less sleep than Johnny was. Johnny couldn't figure that out. He assumed after the first night of this nonsense Dally would've been out the door. He didn't wake up screaming from his nightmares or anything, like Ponyboy did, except for that first time. But he was pretty sure that hadn't been a dream. He never made a sound, or at least he never remembered making a sound, but he'd sit up, take a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and before he knew it, Dally would be sitting on the edge of the couch asking him if he was ok. Johnny finally told Dally that he should go back to staying at Buck's- he'd get more sleep, and that he was fine. He was surprised, but relieved when Dally completely ignored the suggestion. One time he awoke in the night and he saw Dally get up and go out to the kitchen. He came back with two beers and handed one to Johnny. Johnny didn't tell him that he hated beer, he just took a drink and kept his mouth shut. He was ready to try anything to get some sleep. Dally ruffled Johnny's hair then sat down on the floor and leaned his head up against the arm of the couch. "What's bugging you, kid?" Dally said, not really expecting a response. He turned his head sideways and looked up at Johnny. "Don't worry, Johnnycake. You're gonna be all right." Dally had sensed his thoughts. But when? How long is this going to go on? Johnny wondered. Dally was getting very good at reading Johnny's expressions. He propped himself up a little straighter so he was eye level with Johnny. He studied him for a minute. He looked tired, scared and frustrated. "C'mon," Dally said giving Johnny's shoulder a gentle nudge. "Trust me." Johnny looked at him tiredly. Dally sighed and sat back against the arm of the couch again. "I used to wake up in the middle of the night. Let me tell you, kid- just be glad you're waking up in the Curtis livingroom and not in some New York alley." Johnny's eyes widened at the thought. And at the fact that Dally was sharing something from his past. He never talked about his past unless it was to brag about his record with the police. "Yeah, Charlie would give me one of these- if he had one," he said indicating the beer. "It'd put me right out. 'Course I was about nine at the time, so it didn't take much." Charlie was one thing Johnny did know about Dally's past. He'd been part of the gang Dally was in when he lived in New York. Charlie was about four years older than Dally and they'd been like brothers. Charlie was shot in a gang fight trying to protect Dally. But that was all Johnny knew. Dally never got very close to anyone again after that. Johnny could understand why. "What if he didn't have one?" Johnny whispered. "Hmm? Oh, the beer? Well," Dally thought a minute. "Then he'd just stay up and talk to me about stuff till I fell asleep." "Just like you do," Johnny mumbled, as he began to drift back to sleep. Dally stared straight ahead at nothing in particular and nodded. Then he looked over at Johnny, whose eyes were finally closed and smiled a little. "Yeah, but tonight I'm giving up and trying the beer." Dally went on telling Johnny stories about his days in New York. Johnny was nearly asleep, but he could tell Dally was really tired. Some of his stories didn't really have a point and he would drift off in the middle of sentences. It was almost funny, but it was so relieving to hear a familiar voice when you were scared that Johnny didn't care. In the morning, Darry yelled for Ponyboy to get up. He came out into the living room to find Johnny asleep on the couch with a beer bottle in his hand and Dally asleep sitting up on the floor with his head on Johnny's pillow, also with a beer bottle in his hand. He shook his head. Whatever was bothering Johnny was pretty bad, he decide. This is getting out of control, he thought. He walked over to Dally and shook him awake. "C'mon Dal, why don't you go lie down in my room for a little while." "Huh?" Dally mumbled grogily. "What time is it?" "Six-thirty... Ponyboy! If I don't hear that shower running in ten seconds-" "All right!" Pony yelled from the other room. Dally cringed. He almost felt like he had a hangover, but he knew it was just lack of sleep. His head was throbbing. He looked over at Johnny who was sleeping through everything. "C'mon," Darry helped him up. Dally stood shakily. "I'm gonna head over to Buck's, I think." Dally had been meaning to get there for a while. He needed a change of clothes and a shower and besides, Buck owed him money from a poker game from over a week ago. Dally figured if he didn't get it soon, he might as well just kiss it goodbye. The Curtis house was way too crazy in the morning for him to go back to sleep anyway. "All right," Darry looked at him with some concern. "Get some sleep while you're over there." "Yeah, all right." Dally said as he headed out the door. Darry leaned over Johnny. "Hey, buddy... Time for school. You gonna go today or what?" Darry pushed back Johnny's hair and felt heat radiating from his forehead. Johnny groaned and opened his eyes. "Hey, Darry." "Hey," Darry said sitting down on the couch and feeling Johnny's head and cheeks. "You ok, kid? You feel kinda hot..." "I don't know..." "You want some breakfast?" Johnny closed his eyes and tried not to think about food. "No, I... I don't feel to great. I think I'm not going to go to school today." "I think staying home would be a good idea." "Yeah, I think I'll head over there in a few minutes." "I mean stay here, Johnnycake. You don't need to get up and walk all the way home!" Johnny was too tired to argue with him and he certainly didn't want to have to explain to Darry that he was nervous about staying there alone. He couldn't believe it had actually come to a point where he would rather be in a house with one of his drunken parents than alone at the Curtis's. "Where's Dally?" Johnny asked looking around and noticing that he was gone. "He went over to Buck's for a little while. He'll be back. And I'll come home at lunch to see how you're doing." Johnny closed his eyes. He heard Pony walk down the hall from the shower and shout "SODA! Your turn!" Then he must have whipped Soda with a wet towel or something, because Johnny heard a snap, a yelp and the beginning of a wrestling match, which Darry promptly put a stop to. Johnny drifted in and out, and eventually, he heard Darry say, "Put these over near Johnny, would you? I'll start the truck. Pony! Let's go!" Soda came over to him and set a glass of orange juice and a couple asprins on the end table near Johnny's head. He got down beside him and stroked Johnny's hair. "Hey, Johnnycake... I hope you feel better kid. Darry says he'll be back in a while to see how you're doing. You can call me at the DX if you need anything. I can run home. OK?" Johnny nodded. "Thanks, Soda." "No sweat kid. Get some rest. I gotta go!" And with that, he hopped up and bounded out the front door, full of energy as usual. Johnny almost envied him. And as the door slammed shut behind Soda, Johnny's stomach began to feel funny. But he knew it wasn't because he was sick. It was because he was alone in the house