I shake my head. "Dallas, always a mystery to me. He can make it seem like he got nothin' to love, but he's got us. He's just to blind to see we care for him." Pony says and lights a cigarette. The grease from his hair shinning. The smoke from the cigarette rising then disappearing. "Ya know that's poison, right?" I ask him. He takes a long drag on his cigarette and blows the smoke out of his mouth from the corner of his lip and smiles. "Yeah, but it's pretty slick poison." "Like Dally." Johnny says and pulls out a cigarette. They must of read my mind.
"Hey, Alice..." Darry opens the door and says in a soft tone. "What?" I look at him and he has a blank expression. "Have you talked to your parents at all?" he asks. I put my hand on the cheek my step father hit. It's been a week and I've been at the Curtis house ever since. "No I haven't. And we promised never to speak about them." I say and turn around. "I think you should. They are your parents." "That thing that hit me isn't my father. He isn't even a step father to me. He's another sick and twisted drunk." I snap. I feel tears about to come pouring out. I feel two gentle arms wrap around me. It's Johnny, he puts his hand on my cheek. "Please don't cry. I can't stand seeing you like this." he says. "I think it's best you can't hide from your parents forever." Darry says. "She said she doesn't want to see them. He hit her and doesn't care about her. Now lay off Darry." Soda stands in the door way. I never expected Soda to stand up for me, we haven't known each other for long, but now he's going against his older brother for me.
Sodapop Curtis. Sodapop. Curtis.
Soda is a true character. He tries and lives his life care free and has no regrets. I'm kind of jealous of that. He looks like the good looking good guy. But he can also be the amazingly handsome villain. Right now I can't tell which one he is. He is trying to help me, but is going against his family. Sodapop Curtis is not like Dallas Winston. He isn't poison. He's a cure to a stress full day. He's sweet like soda pop. Sodapop Curtis. Sodapop. Curtis. The cure to some pretty slick poison.
"Did I ask you kid brother? No, but when I want help telling my kid sister what to do I'll ask you, alright? Kid brother." Darry says and disappears into the house. "Did he just call me 'kid sister'? I ask Ponyboy and Sodapop. They look almost as surprise as me. "I guess he's getting used to you." Soda says and smiles. "Think about it..." Johnny chimes in. We all look at him. "If her parents really cared about her that much they would of had the fuzz looking all over for her. Even if they are they wouldn't think a girl like her would be hanging with some hoods like us. She's a Soc, we are grease that's it and all it will ever be." Johnny says looking down. I scoot over next to him and put my arm around him. "Johnny, it don't matter if I'm a Soc or a greaser, I'm a person. I'm that same girl you saved for those guys. I'm still your friend and I'm still Alice. I'm not 'Alice the Soc' or 'Alice the greaser'. I'm 'Alice the human being. And of course the gangs best friend' don't think because I live on the other side of some train tracks, that I'm not human." I say and he looks at me. He has an understanding look on, then takes a long drag on his cigarette. I turn to Pony and he smiles and nods. Soda does the same then ducks back inside. After he does Darry pokes outs out. "Pony, Alice, you two got homework." he says then goes back inside. "See you later Johnny." I say and brush off my pants. Since I've been away from I've been wearing Pony's clothes. Weird I know, but they fit. "You going on home Johnny Cade?" Pony asks. Johnny shrugs. "Maybe." he says. "Well bye Johnny." I say an turn up the stairs to walk inside. "Ace wait." Johnny says loudly and grabs my wrist. I turn and he looks me in the eyes. He pulls me into a hug. "See you later." he rushes and walks out the front gate.
Johnny Cade. Johnny. Cade.
He looks so helpless. But he's not. He looks so scared all the time. He seems so lost. He is another boy who grew up on the 'bad' side of town. His black hair is so messy, but controlled. He walks like Dally did, but seems scared to take control of the street. Same smoke from the cigarette. Same mystery attitude. Same grease and same shifty past. But Johnny Cade isn't like Dallas Winston. He's a cure like Sodapop Curtis, but he's afraid he'll mess up. He is a cure in testing. Johnny Cade. Johnny. Cade. The cure in testing.
.............................................................................
Pony and I finished our homework and went outside to throw around a football.
"You know Johnny really cares for you?" he asks and throws the football. I catch it and smile. "Yeah I know. I wonder why." I say and throw the football back. "Most likely because you're the only girl he cares about." Pony answers and catches it. He tosses it by the front step and walks over to me. "And, but why?" I ask him. He smiles a comforting smile. "I don't know. But he thinks you're as pretty as the sunset."
Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy. Curtis. He is like a cigarette. Addicting but can to much is bad for you. He is a lot like Sodapop. Very handsome and wishing for something better. He is so sweet I don't know why people say greasers are so bad. Dallas is bad. But not Sodapop, Johnny Ponyboy. They are like sour candy. Ponyboy likes sunset, reading, writing, drawing and helping people. He like the scientist that put the poison, the cure and the cure in testing together in a lab. Ponyboy Curtis. Ponyboy. Curtis. The scientist.
I shot him a smile back. "Thanks Ponyboy. I really like knowing someone likes me."
