An Outsider Love Story

stupid drunk

"Hey Johnny kid." Two-bit says quietly.

"Hey y'all." He response.

"So he can talk after all." The nurse muttered.

"When he wants to he will. Don't force him." I snap back.

"Its okay Lola." Johnny's voice echoed throughout the room.

"They treating you okay?" Two-bit asked.

"Don't, don't let me put enough grease in my hair." His voice was not fully there.

"Don't talk just listen will bring you some hair grease next time. We're having the rumble tonight. It's too bad you and Dally can't be in it. It's the first remember we've had not-count the time we were with Shephard Outfitters and that small group that got Lola the other damn time." Two-bit swore. A chill ran up my spine.

"He came by." Johnny said.

"Who Tim Shepard?" Two-bit asked. That's why he left me at the Curtis house.

"Came to see Dally."

"Just you know you got your name in the paper for being a hero?" Two-bit shows Johnny the newspaper column. I haven't had the chance to look at it yet.

"Tuff enough." He breathed out.

"You want anything besides hair grease kid?"

"The book, can you get me another one?" I look at Pony questionable. The only person that ever dig books the most in this gang was Ponyboy.

"He want a copy of Gone With the Wind, so I can read it to him. You want to run down to the drugstore and get one?" Pony speaks finally. I know this is hard for him. Its hard for me too.

"Okay, don't y'all run off. Lola you stay with them. Sit down too, don't want you passing out on me." Two-bit pats my back as I take a seat in the chair on the other side of Johnny.

"You sick Lola?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Don't know what it is." I said clearing my throat.

"Dally's going to be okay, and Darry and me are going to be okay." Johnny shuts his eye having a hard time breathing. 

"Johnny!" I exclaimed. I sit up quickly feeling nauseous.

"Johnny! Are you okay?" Pony does the same thing.

"Yeah it just hurts sometimes. They usually don't... I can't feel anything below the middle of my back... Pretty bad off don't I, guys?"

"Your gonna be alright, Johnnycake." I say.

"You'll be okay, gotta be we couldn't get along without you." Ponys eyes start to tear up.

"I won't be able to walk again, not even on crutches. I busted my back." Johnny says.

"You'll be ok." Pony repeats.

"You want to know something? I'm scared stiff. I used to talk about killing myself.. I don't want to die now. It ain't long enough. 16 years ain't long enough. I wouldn't mind it so much if there wasn't so much stuff I ain't done yet so many things I ain't seen. It's not fair. You know what? Time we were in windrixville was the only time I've ever been away from our neighborhood." Johnny cried.

"You shut your mouth. Your not dying on me. Not on Dally. Not on the gang." My eyes start to water but I suck it up.

"You ain't gonna die. And don't get juiced up because the doc wont let us see you no more if you do." Pony says as he wipes his tears away. The nurse walks in and leans down to Johnny.

"Johnny, your mother's here to see you." That witch.

"I don't want to see her." He says firmly.

"She is your mother." The nurse tries to reason with him. If Johnny got one glimpse at his mother that would be the end of him.

"I said I don't want to see her. She's probably come to tell me about all the trouble I'm causing her and about how glad her and the old man will be when I'm dead. Well, tell her to leave me alone. For once, for once just to leave me alone." He get so worked up over his mom seeing him that he passed out.

"I was afraid of something like this would happen." The nurse mutters. Two-bit handed her the book.

"Make sure he can get see it when he comes around." The nurse takes the book as we walk out of the room.

"I was wishin' it was anyone of us except Johnny. We could get along without anyone but Johnny. Let's go see Dallas." Two-bit was right. I'd rather it be me. I wish I went with Dally to check on the boys. If I did go, Johnny wouldn't have been hurt. I would have saved him.

"But I have the right to see him. He's my son. After all the trouble his father and I've gone to raise him, this is our reward! He'd rather see those no-count hoodlums than his own folks.. It was your fault. Always running around in the middle of the night getting jailed and heaven knows what else.." We walked past Johnny's mom as the nurse was holding her back. She spat at us with a grimace look.

"No wonder he hates your guts. He has to live with that." Two-bit yelled angrily as I could see he was on the verge of tearing up.

"You stupid drunk. The reason why he is with us is because you and the old man would beat him black and blue. You know why he ran with us at night? Because you chased him out the house. Because he never wanted to come home to you beating him and being drunk all the damn time." I yell out as the nurse pulls Johnny's mom away from us.

"You let her or the old man in to see him it will kill him. They are the reason he's dying. He wouldn't have done any of that stuff nor get his back burned if his parents would just stop beating him." I look at the nurses. Two-bit pulls me down the hallway. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to let it out.