cliche {Johnny Cade}

xii.

"Soda when did you start shaving?" Pony calls from the bathroom, Soda sighing and looking at him.

"When I was fifteen. Why? Thinking about growing a beard before the rumble?"

"Ponyboy, you gotta have hair to shave." I laugh next to Steve as he puts his arm on the table.

"Oh wow, you're funny." Pony turns and walks towards us as Steve throws things into Soda's chest. "I heard they pay money for funny things."

Soda stops Steve and puts his arm up for an arm wrestle, making me roll my eyes. That's how they settle everything. "I got fifty cents on Steve."  Steve nods and Soda rolls his eyes, telling Ponyboy about how he likes fights. Soda was always the one for competition. Steve slaps Soda's hand onto the table, myself cheering as Soda sighs. I high five Steve and ruffle Soda's hair.

"How come you like fights, Darry?"

"He likes showing off his muscles."Soda laughs, fixing his hair.

"I'm going to show them off on you little buddy, if you get any mouthier." Darry puts on his shirt as Two stacks a shoe on something.

"What the heck are you doing, Two?" He looks at me and shrugs, Darry telling Pony not to fight tonight. Everyone was really excited about it, except me. I couldn't fight, so I had to stay and watch my friends fight people.

"We do need every man we could get."

"So I can fight!" I cheer, Steve shaking his head at me.

"No way, kid. You aren't fighting."  Everyone says and I roll my eyes.

"Let's go!" Everyone runs out, Steve doing a backflip off the car and everyone cheers. I walk  behind everyone, cringing as I see the lot we were fighting in. It was Tim's gang that was sitting all around, which made me feel a little better.

"Is the girl gonna fight?" Tim asks as everyone looks at me, myself nodding as everyone in the gang said no. The Socs pulled up, yelling 'greasers' until they got out of the car and came towards us. Darry pushes me away from them, making sure I'm a safe distance away.

"Hello Darrel, long time no see." the guy with the face that looks like a square says, making me want to laugh at how square it was.

"Don't you rumble without me!" A voice screams from behind me, Dally running past me with his shirt blowing in the wind. Pony turns back around to face the Socs, getting socked in the face. That started everything. Pony was getting hit good, and I couldn't stand around and let that happen. I run and throw myself on one of the guys backs, getting him off Pony as the others kick him. It was pouring, causing mud to be everywhere as the guy falls forwards. I pin his arms down before he could do anything, punching him in the head over and over again. I don't know what came over me, but I couldn't stop. I wasn't fighting for me: I was fighting for Johnny.

For some reason, all the Socs started running away. The only one that was left was the one I was hitting, and he couldn't leave since he wasn't conscious. I wasn't even sure if he was breathing, but I didn't really care. I was crying again, but ever since Pony and Johnny ran away all I've been doing is crying.

"Violet, Violet! That's enough!" Dally drags me off the guy with me in one arm, Pony almost passed out in the other.

"Pony." I mumble, helping Dally carry him to the car. I'm pretty sure I broke my hand, but Pony had it way worse than I did.

--

"Nice one Dal," I mumble as the cop pulls us over, Dally telling me to shut up and for Pony to act sick.

"You gotta have a good reason for driving like that."

"Uh, this kid fell of his motorcycle, I'm taking him to the hospital." Pony was moaning and groaning in the front seat, myself shrinking back in my seat so the cop doesn't see me.

"How bad is he?"

"I don't know, he looks pretty bad."

"Follow me." The cop gets back on his bike and gives us an escort to the hospital.

"Man. I was crazy, you know kid? I was so crazy about Johnny staying out of trouble. If he was smart like me, he wouldn't have ran into that church, man. You two better wise up, get tough like me. You get tough like me and you don't get hurt. Watch out for yourself and nothing can touch you man." Dally looks at me in the mirror, trying not to cry. A few tears were falling down my face for the rest of the ride, and when we walked into Johnny's room.

"Hey, Johnny." I smile. They no longer had him on his stomach, and he was lying on his back. "We beat the Socs."

"Chased him right out of our neighborhood."

"Fighting ain't no good." Johnny says, his voice hoarse.

"They're still writing about you in the paper, about you being a hero." Dally puts his hand on the part of Johnny's arm that wasn't burnt. "We're all proud of you, It's gonna be alright."

"Violet." Johnny calls, myself already right by his face.

"Yeah?"

"Can you kiss me one more time?" I nod and lean over him, my tears falling onto his face as I slowly grab onto his face. I press my lips to his and I feel him smile before kissing me back. "Listen, Violet. I love you, okay? I'll always love you, no matter what. You're beautiful, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, okay?" I nod again as the tears fall quicker.

"I'll always love you, Johnny." He smiles again before turning towards Pony.

"Ponyboy."

"S-Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold." His head tilts to the side and he stops moving, making me put my hand to my mouth and cry harder.

"Johnny, come on." I shake him with my broken hand, Johnny not moving.

"So this is what you get for helping people? Come on, Johnny, don't die." Dally starts crying, making me cry harder. "Come on, Johnny, don't die on me now."

I couldn't feel anything. My body was numb as I took my last look at him, Dally running out of the room. Pony walks me back to the Curtis house, myself scared to say anything. I wasn't listening when everyone was talking, I only started listening when the phone rang. I grab it before Darry could, Dally talking before I could ask what's wrong.

"Violet, listen. The cops are looking for me, meet me in the park."

"Of course, anything for you Dal." I hang up and run out of the house, the gang following me. I saw Dally running, so I ran after him as quick as I could. The cops started shooting, making me scream and run faster. Dally was rolling down the hill when I got there.

"He's just a kid!" I was holding Dally in my arms as the cops shot again, pain running through me. I heard the gang stop in front of us, my eyesight becoming hazy as I look at them. All of them were crying.

"Pony," Dally chokes out before he stops moving. My blood was pouring out of my chest as I got shot again.

"I love you guys, so much."

"No! You can't die."

"I have to be with Johnny. I love you."

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y'all I got a few bonus chapters up my sleeve!!!!!!!!!!