✓ | falling ➝ j. cade

xxiii. the getaway map

❝I DON'T CARE WHAT WE DO. I JUST WANNA GET GONE, WANNA GET
GONE WITH YOU.❞
− SCOTTY MCCREERY, GET GONE WITH YOU

×

"Johnny?" Theodosia whispered late one night, rolling over to face the Greaser.

Theodosia heard the sheets rustle under Johnny's weight as he moved slightly. It was hard to see his face in the darkness, so the redhead sat up in her bed and turned on the lamp next to her. It illuminated the room just enough with its golden light so Theodosia could see Johnny's face, who was looking at her with a squinty eyed expression.

"Mm?" Johnny managed out, still heavily plagued by sleep.

"You told me once that you wanted to go somewhere with no Socs and no Greasers. Where'd you mean?" Theodosia's eyebrows knit together, looking away from her boyfriend as she stared straight ahead into her dark bedroom.

Johnny furrowed his brows, sitting up."Where's this comin' from, Theo?"

Theodosia shrugged nonchalantly, though it was more than apparent to Johnny that the thought had been brewing for awhile. He eyed his girlfriend for a moment, but she didn't seem to notice.

Theodosia's shoulders slumped, her long red curls falling down them.

"I just... wanna remember a life before Greasers and Socs and this town. Don't you?" Theodosia looked over at Johnny, no traces of humor in her expression. In fact, her tone sounded somewhat melancholy.

Johnny nodded hastily.

So, he watched as Theodosia stood from the shared bed and began to rummage through her room rather noisily. Johnny started to tap his fingers on his thighs. The last thing he wanted was for Theodosia's mother to catch him there.

"Theo," Johnny was consciously aware of how quiet his voice sounded. He wished Theodosia would use the same kind of caution,"shouldn't you be quieter? You don't wanna wake your mom."

Theodosia waved Johnny off as she continued to dig around in her room."Doesn't matter. She won't hear me."

Johnny wasn't reassured by the redhead's answer, but he figured it was best not to push his luck. It was clear that Theodosia had set her mind to something as she was still moving objects around. The greaser didn't have to see his girlfriend's expression to know that her brows were furrowed and her lips were pursued. That always happened when Theodosia was focused on something.

"What're you lookin' for, anyways, Theo?" Johnny whispered.

Before she answered, Theodosia pulled out a notebook from a pile. "This."

Walking back towards the bed, Johnny gave his girlfriend a confused look. For the life of him, Johnny couldn't figure out why Theodosia was looking for a notebook of all things at the early hour that it was.

"Did ya forget some homework or somethin', Theo?" Johnny asked.

"No," Theodosia huffed, sitting back down next to Johnny. She opened it up to a blank page before reaching for a pen that resided next to her lamp."We're making a list."

Johnny's confusion grew,"For what?"

"Where we'll go when we can both leave Tulsa."

Oh.

"You think we'll still be together by then?"

Theodosia looked up at Johnny with a deadpan expression,"Do you?"

Johnny blushed,"I sure hope so."

Theodosia looked back to the paper,"Good. Now, where do you wanna go?"

"Can we go to all the states or somethin'?" Johnny asked, part of him being honest and part of him wanting Theodosia to let him go back to sleep. He was hardly processing the things she'd say. And, it didn't help that they both had school tomorrow.

"Where specifically, Johnny?" Theodosia had an edge to her tone, so Johnny scrambled to find an answer.

"California?"

Johnny had heard of the peaceful protests that happened in California and all of the things that were so different from Tulsa. He had always wanted to experience different.

"Yeah," Theodosia agreed,"I've always wanted to go there, too. It sounds so... different. Where else?"

And that was the question Johnny Cade had to answer to until the pair had come up with a list of nearly thirty different places they wanted to visit. It had been a long night, but Johnny didn't particularly mind the next morning. Even if he had fallen asleep in his math class. It had been worth it.