Safe and sound. A Johnny Cade love story/ outsider fan-fic

A week has past and worry has set in.

"Hey, Johnny, you did remember to get your backpack from your parents house right?" Ponyboy asked, as I sat at the table poking my cereal slowly, then watching it float back up. I haven't really been hungry lately; but I have been depressed. Johnny hasn't mentioned it, but the expression on his face lets me know, it's worrying him something awful. All I've really been doing is laying around in the bedroom we share. I guess I can't stand to see him to go back to school, and me go to  work. All I know is he's got a part time job working with Soda and Steve at the DX. Besides I know they need all the help they can get all the help they can get. With Soda's good looks and how good Steve is with cars, they stay busy. "You need to eat, Mary." Darry told me, with the same worried look he's had every day over the past week at meal time. In response I just poked my cereal one more time and got up and slowly walked away from my plate and into the living room, watching Soda watch me while he dumped my soggy untouched cereal in the garbage with an expression I've never seen on his face; worry. I flopped down on the couch and curled up into a ball. I've lost a lot of weight so my clothe fit baggy and loose.

Johnny walked over and sat down next to me, placing his hand oh my knee. I just looked at it, as if it where an unknown species of some sort.  "Baby, please eat. You starving yourself wont change school starting." Johnny said, his voice sweet an tender. "I know." I said, in my even quieter voice that's developed over the time I quit eating. My normal strength hasn't been around either. I guess it's just made me nothing but tired, sleepy and weak. I guess this is how I'll feel when Johnny's no longer around.  "I'm just not hungry." I said, in the same tone. "Mary, don't say that! You have to be, no one can quit eating for a week without even being hungry. May, I'll never leave you." He told me, as if speaking to a sad child or a new born baby. "I can't lose you." I said, laying down with my legs curled up and my head in his lap. "Mary, I just said you wont, and I mean I'll be with you forever and always when I say that." He told me, stroking my head softly. "Forever and always." He repeated, kissing my temple bone.  "Now when it comes dinner time I want you to eat, and if you eat good Soda, Steve and I might have a let Christmas present for you." Johnny said, smiling at me. Suddenly Bridget arose from her, Pony and Soda's room; he hair every where with bed head. "Hey sis." I said as loud as I can, which is only a normal speaking voice; but it takes all the energy I have to speak that loud.

"She still not eating?" Bridget asked out of the blue. "Not a bite." Soda called from the kitchen. "Sis, you gotta eat!" Bridget wined, while walking in the kitchen to get some food for herself. "Don't worry guys, I think she and I made an agreement." Johnny stated, making everyone sigh of relief. "Man we'll all sing praise for that." Ponyboy said, before shoving more cereal in his mouth. "Yea, yea." I said, not really understanding why they should care so much. It's my body; I know when I'm hungry or not.

"Is there anything special I can fix you, since you'll be eating again?" Darry asked, his eyes gleaming with happiness. "Well.... Maybe some fried chicken for dinner." I said, shyly while sitting up. That's another thing I really haven't done in a while, I've just been slumped and laying down, instead of using my actual posture and sitting up. People say, I have pretty good posture for a greaser and others gave said I have the best posture they've ever seen; but if they'd have seen me this week their stories would change.

"Man, you're just filling all types of better today, aren't you?" Soda asked, coming over to mess up my hair, making curls of all shapes and sizes fall in my face. Nice. "I'm gonna go get dressed." I said, getting up and climbing the stairs to Johnny and I's bedroom. Johnny made a point and if he and Soda  and Steve give me a surprise I suppose this would all  be worth it. Well I hope it is. I put on a black button up with some blue jeans and my black boots. I ran a brush through my hair and then putting a hair band in it,to hold my hair back. I looked at my eyes in the mirror and saw the same colors, (blue with a gold ring around the pupil) , but now they looked worse than they would  when I'd been beat  by my father.

Worry isn't the best thing for a person I suppose. Oh well, if my love is going away, ok going to worry day and night, with guest or alone and especially on days that end with y 'cause that'll remind me of him because his name ends in y. The reason I'm worrying  it's because all love eventually ends and I don't want this to end here. Some say it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, but those, words don't pull pull me through. I'm still in love with him, it's what I've found in him, love, comfort, practicality a haven that I never wanna leave. If I where to die tomorrow I'd be perfectly fine with it at the moment, but the thought of him finding someone now at school is the reason I've quit being myself all, around . I quit as many needs as possible. If I could quit breathing without my lungs forcing me to, I'd stop that too. If I'm losing one essential in life I wish I could leave the rest behind. Johnny isn't a want he's my one true essential that I need.

"Baby are you al- what's wrong?" Johnny asked, walking in then noticing the single tear rolling down my cheek. I just shook my head and let more tears fall. "It's ok baby, it's alright." Johnny soothed, guiding me to the bed then pulling me in a comforting hug. We sat down on the bed and he held me close. "Baby, remember we'll still have the nights and you can't be working all day." Suddenly he looked at the clock and looked excited. "It's dinner." He said, with a bright beautiful smile. "Fine... Let's go." I said, getting up and smoothing the wrinkles out of my pants. "Remember, you have to eat good; then you'll get a surprise." He said, somehow widening his smile. "Ok." I said, sounding as if I where giving in on an argument.

Dinner for the most part was silent, but if it was because the food Darry made was good or the gang was looking at me the while time, I couldn't tell you. "Did I eat good enough now?" I asked, pushing my plate away for the third time. "Yes, very good. Now Soda can you go get the box with her surprise in it?" Johnny asked, looking at Sodapop who's eyes where still cemented to me. "Yea, sure." He said, getting up then returning with a blue box, tied with a red bow around it. He, Steve and Johnny all have huge, cheesy smiles on their faces. Ok.. That's weird. I thought, as Steve motioned for me to open it up.

I opened it up and what was inside made me happy as lark!