Knowing Your End

Eight

"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home." Darry finished and closed the book. Everyone sat for a moment, sucking everything in.

"Ponyboy, you're really good with words." Two-Bit said, breaking the silence.

"That's all you have to say?" I looked at him, a crease between my brow, questioning what's going on in that brain of his.

"I died." Dally said blankly, no expression in his voice.

"Me too." Johnny said. Dally, sitting close to the kid, wrapped his arms around his head slowly. I glanced at Ponyboy, who was pale, sitting between Darry and Johnny.

"Glory kid," Steve looked at him, "You look like you're going to pass out."

Darry felt Pony's forehead, "I didn't write it." Pony whispered. "I didn't write any of that."

Soda looked at me, "Would you go back if you could?"

I thought about it for a moment. "No." I decided. "I don't have anything back there." I smiled, "You guys are all I've got." And I meant it, they were my home.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

The rest of the night was still as hectic as all the Nightly Doubles are. The gang split into their usual separate sectors. Meaning as usual, I sat near the back by myself Sometimes it's just nice to sit back, and not have to listen boys talking dirty to the ladies in front of them. 

I sipped on my Pepsi, leaning against a rust bucket of a car in the far back of the drive-in. I wasn't paying attention to the movie displayed in front of me, the stars were too distracting. The constellations twinkling brightly, yet some could be dead at this very moment. You don't know it's dead until it's just... gone.

"Y/N?" A voice said to the right of me.

"Hey, Dal." I smiled at him.

He turned to me and grabbed my shoulder, twisting me so I was forced to face him, and I noticed Johnny was there beside him as well. The cool air of the night slipped between the three of us. "Hey Johnnycake." I smiled.

Before I could realize it myself, they were hugging me. I stood there in shock, about to speak before their words came out faster than my own, "Thank you."