cliche {Johnny Cade}

ix.

"I need to see Johnny Cade." I said with my head held high as the doctor looked at me.

"You can't, he's not available right now."

"Listen I just talked myself into telling him how I feel about him, I need to see him."

"No." I sigh and walk back to the Curtis boys, wincing at the sudden throbbing in my hand.

"So?" Darry asks, making me shake my head. My right hand was being cradled in my left, and I'm pretty sure part of my face was burnt too.

"Can't see him right now. Can I stay at home with you guys again?" We sit around for a while, Pony falling asleep on the ride home. I was squished between Darry and a sleeping Pony the whole ride, Soda laughing the whole time. Soda had this real beautiful laugh, where he laughed so hard he got crinkles by his eyes and his smile was so big it could light up a whole town.

Darry was real cute too. He was a different kind of handsome, though. He was the more manly handsome than Soda, Soda was a pretty handsome. Darry's eyes were a beautiful blue, and just seeing how big his muscles were just made you feel safe. He always had different ways of asking if you're okay, such as making me call him when I get home so he knows I'm safe. Darry was nicer than Pony leads on, and always told me I look a movie star whenever I feel sad. He was just trying to make sure Pony was okay, but Pony never looked at it that way.

Darry had to carry Pony in, so I walk with Soda. "I think he's getting too big to be carried." I hold the door open for Darry and close it shut after I walk in. Soda rolls his eyes at me as I frown, turning around and seeing that Johnny wasn't there. He shuts the big door behind us, Darry going up the stairs to set Pony down.

"I miss him, Soda. I-I could have pushed him out of the way in time. I could have gotten hurt instead of him." I frown, sitting on the couch. Soda sat next to me with the look of shock in his eyes that I've only seen once. It was when his parents died. He wraps his arms around me and I try not to cry. I've never cried as much as I have in the last two weeks and I hate it.

When I woke up, there was whistling in the kitchen. I thought it was Darry, so I went in there with high hopes of chocolate cake, but I was let down when it was Pony. He has tried to cook a cake before, but ended up burning it so bad. "Anybody home?"

"Yeah, we're in here. Don't slam the door." Pony puts the egg in the pan as the door slams. Two grabs Pony and swings him around the same time Steve grabs me around the neck and messes with my hair. Pony was still holding onto the pan as Two was swinging him around, causing the egg to fly out of the pan onto me. I groan as Steve starts laughing, making me groan again and hit his hands away. Steve throws his hands around the other two as I scrape the egg off of me.

"Look at the blonde headed monkey!" Two opens the fringe as I throw the egg in the trash, Steve taking the paper out of the front of his pants. His shirt was unbuttoned as always, as he refuses to wear an undershirt.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it in the paper. Our little Juliet's in there too, saving Romeo from a fire. Now tell me, what's it like being a hero?"

"What?" Pony and I say at the same time, Steve handing me the paper.

"A hero. A big shot. Beer for breakfast?" Pony leans over my shoulder to read it as Steve continues. "What I like is the 'turned hero' bit."

"They're charging Johnny with manslaughter?" I gasp, handing Pony the paper and stepping away. "They can't, do you know what will happen to a beautiful boy like Johnny in there? I-I'll tell them I did it or something. Johnny can't go."

"You really think they will believe it? And what happens to Johnny in there won't happen to you. What you would get in there would be much worse and you know Johnny won't like that. None of us will." Two says to me as Steve talks to Pony.

"It's all about us. Darry, me, and Soda." Pony says, looking down and reading again. "They're thinkin' about putting me and Soda in a boys home? They ain't putting me in a boys home."

"They don't do that to heros, Pony." Steve said from the table as Pony walks away. "Hey, where is Soda and super-dope anyhow?" Pony walks into the bathroom to wash his face off, Soda getting out of the shower while holding a towel in front of his privates. Darry grabs Steve and Steve says something, Darry cringing and walking away.

"Have you seen my DX shirt?" Soda wraps the towel around his waist.

"You gotta wear pants too, there's a law or somethin'." Steve leans on the door, making me roll my eyes and take some of the cake from his hand.

"It's not like anyone will mind if you guys don't wear clothes." I shrug, everyone stopping and looking at me. "What? What's your usual customer look for? It's you two. They would show up more if you guys didn't wear shirts."

"And how would you know?" Pony walks out of the bathroom.

"I know things."

"Hey, guys, I'll tell you what: After we beat those socs, me and Steve will throw a party and we can all get ripped!" Steve cheers at what Soda says as I bite into the small piece of cake in my hand.

"Where you gonna get the dough, little man?" Darry turns around and smiles.

"I'll think of something." Soda says just loud enough for all of us to hear. Soda plops down next to be and puts his hat on. If that boy could put his hat on, I'm pretty sure he could put on more than just boxers. "Hey, Two Bit, Mickey's on TV."

When Two walks in, his eyes were already glued to the screen. Two had this weird obsession with Mickey, that was kinda adorable. He loves Mickey more than he had a will to live. Soda raises his eyebrows at me, making me shrug and wave my hand in front of Two's face. He slaps my burnt hand away, making me squeal and cradle my hand.

"I think I'm gonna take today off, I mean, you just got back."

"I've stayed home by myself plenty of times." Pony says in front of me with his hands in his pockets. He always stood like that with his thumbs in his pockets and this awkward slouch.

"I'll babysit him." Two says, Pony slapping him in the head and starting a fight. Two throws himself over my lap, tackling Pony down.

"Why don't you get a job?" Steve says, making me laugh as Two pins Pony down.He says something about 'uncle' while Steve sits on the other couch, Darry yelling at Two to lay off.

"You smoke more than a pack today, and I'll skin you. You understand?"

"You carry more than a bundle of roofing today, me and Soda will skin you." Soda runs in with his shirt unbuttoned, fixing the collar, running back around to get his shoes. Steve and Soda leave, Pony taking Steve's spot on the couch.

"Let's go see Johnny."

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my lil smol aw

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